Small Town Christmas (Blue Harbor #4) - Olivia Miles Page 0,30

probably should have seen this coming. Since Matt Bradford had returned to town over the summer, he and Amelia had picked up right where they’d left off in high school. Of course they’d want to celebrate Christmas together. Like Thanksgiving, the festivities would be bigger this year. Like their tree decorating night, it would be different.

“Of course.” She tried to smile but her mouth felt dry. “The more the merrier.”

Amelia swallowed heavily. “Actually, I meant, with the Bradfords. It’s a tradition in their family to open their gifts on Christmas Eve, and well, since I’m already going to be spending Christmas Day with you guys, I…”

Cora realized that Amelia wasn’t asking her for permission, but that she was merely informing her of her plans. Did Cora mind? Of course she minded! What about the fire crackling in the hearth and the overflowing bowls of popcorn, and the flannel printed pajamas, and their annual movie? They watched the same movie, every Christmas Eve, and only on Christmas Eve. She withheld every other viewing every night of December until the twenty-fourth. Didn’t her sister look forward to it? What about one last night to admire the glow of the lights on the tree, and the anticipation of a morning of fun, family, and presents, even if they were too old to believe that Santa was coming?

Didn’t Amelia care about any of these traditions? Didn’t they mean anything to her?

And wait, she had just said the Bradfords, not Matt. Matt’s parents lived in Minnesota. Surely she didn’t mean Robbie’s parents, because that would mean…

Her mouth went dry. “Does this mean Britt will be skipping out on our traditions too?”

Amelia frowned. “You’re mad.”

So it was true, of course. Robbie and Matt were cousins. Of course their family would have plans of their own.

“It’s Britt’s first Christmas back in town in years,” Cora said. “I thought…”

She didn’t bother to finish that. Amelia knew what Cora thought. That everything would be as it always was, since they were little.

Only they weren’t little any more.

And their mother wasn’t here either.

She shook her head and braved a smile, trying to pull herself together. “Sounds nice,” she said simply, because really, it did sound nice. But it also sounded foreign and unfamiliar. “Guess that means extra hot cocoa for me.”

Shoot. Her voice hitched, and tears threatened to fall.

Amelia set a hand on her arm. “Don’t be mad, Cora. We’ll still be there on Christmas.”

We. Meaning Amelia and Matt. Not just Amelia and Britt.

Cora’s smile felt tight when she glanced her sister’s way. “It’s fine. Really. It makes sense for you to spend Christmas Eve with the Bradfords.”

She took another sip of her coffee, finding that she’d lost the taste for it. It would be fine, she told herself. It would have to be.

And at least she still had Maddie to count on.

*

Cora was grateful that she had so many customers keeping her mind busy that afternoon. The holiday rush was in full swing, especially now that the town square was lit up with an enormous pine. With it being a short holiday season, most people in town were eager to make the most of the time, and sometimes Cora had noticed that this made them decorate more and therefore buy more than they did on the years that there was a bigger stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

While personally Cora was always disappointed in a shorter season, she couldn’t deny that it strangely helped her sales, and she would need that boost to carry her through the slow winter months, because try as she might, people just weren’t as interested in Valentine’s Day or Easter decorations, confirming her belief that Christmas was special.

“Big plans for tonight?” Natalie asked once the customers had slowed to just a few browsers.

Huge plans by Cora’s standards, but she wasn’t quite ready to share anything just yet. Phil might be in town for the holidays, but after that he’d be returning to his life in the city. It was best not to get her hopes up too high.

Still, by the time she closed up for the day, she was almost too tired to be nervous at the prospect of spending an evening with Phil, but as she walked down the street toward the familiar road where the Keaton house sat, right on the waterfront, like her own childhood home, she couldn’t fight the ripple that tore through her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her glove-covered finger to the doorbell and then gripped the