in her face. Had it been Bart who sent the tree?
Was it possible that there was more there than she’d noticed over the years? She swallowed uneasily.
No, she didn’t think so. Bart was a great guy, sweet, and easy to talk to, and good looking, sure. But she’d never felt any of those warm and tingly feelings for him as she had for Phil.
“And does it matter if he works in Chicago?” Amelia pointed out. “His grandparents have two properties here. Sounds like a very good excuse to get back to town, especially if he’s already willing to spend so much time in Blue Harbor right now.”
Cora thought back to the visit he’d made to the real estate office, hoping that her sister was right. Amelia was sensible; she wouldn’t mislead her, or give her false hope.
And she was also voicing exactly what Cora wanted to be true, more than anything else on her Christmas list…or beyond.
11
The week had passed quickly, thanks to it being Cora’s busiest week of the year, even busier than next week would be, because usually by Christmas week, most people were only coming in for last minute gifts or in search of a centerpiece or other themed items for their holiday parties or Christmas dinner.
And, of course, there was the Winter Carnival to think about—usually something that she looked forward to with great anticipation, mostly because her kiosk was always something she spent her summer months planning and dreaming about. Each year she tried to keep it fresh, with new themes and decorations, and this year she had come up with the idea of highlighting various traditions from around the world. She’d special ordered ornaments from Germany to Finland to South America, but as she carefully unboxed the items on Friday afternoon, shivering in her down coat and knowing that thanks to the power strips running along the back of the kiosks, she could turn on her space heater, the anticipation she felt was not for the festivities of the day, but, of course, at the thought of seeing Phil and Georgie.
“Ho, ho, ho,” a deep voice rang out across the square, and Cora smiled to herself. Mr. Davidson would be sitting in the big red chair set up in the gazebo for the morning portion of the day, per tradition of course, and already families had lined up all the way to the street corner.
“You’re popular around here,” Cora told him, as he approached.
“That was a mighty sweet girl you were with last weekend,” he remarked.
Cora felt herself swell with pride, even though she could stake no claim in Georgie’s life. She was sweet girl, and a happy one, too. It was obvious that she loved Christmas every bit as much as Cora did.
“She’s a girl after my own heart,” Cora agreed.
“That she is,” Mr. Davidson said. “Single father, huh?”
Cora wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but she nodded all the same. “That’s right.” She knew best what it was like to grow up with one, after all. It hadn’t been easy for him, but he’d never complained or let on. She always knew that she and her sisters meant everything to Dennis Conway, and he wasn’t shy in making that known either. He encouraged them to each follow their dreams, even if those dreams might have led Britt away for more than a decade. He’d been patient, and kind, and always positive, no matter how difficult their circumstances.
Looking back on things now, as an adult, she knew that her father must have been terribly lonely and overwhelmed after his wife died. But he’d never let on. Everything he had done had been for his children.
And now, the least Cora could do was to repay the favor, even if it meant tolerating Candy a little more, and her unfamiliar traditions.
Still, Cora couldn’t often shed the feeling that she had to take care of him, too. That without her, there might not be a Christmas at all—at least not a proper one.
She smiled to herself, thinking that maybe Phil was right. Without her, she wasn’t sure how Georgie’s Christmas would have turned out either.
“Just between us, do you happen to remember what Georgie asked for when she whispered in your ear?” Cora asked. “The one really special thing she wanted from her Christmas list?”
Mr. Davidson’s expression clouded, and for a moment, Cora wondered if he was going to get a little too far into his role and claim that Christmas wishes were top