Small Town Christmas (Blue Harbor #4) - Olivia Miles Page 0,63
late, it was time for Phil to get Georgie back to bed, and Cora knew that she’d have an early start at the shop.
They drove back into town in silence, listening to the carols playing on the radio. Cora handed Phil the basket of cookies. “Georgie will enjoy these more than me,” she said.
He didn’t argue with her there. “It’s nearly Christmas.”
She sighed. “Yes. It is.” Normally this thought would thrill her, lift her with the same sense of joy and anticipation it always had, since she was a child, but this year, it felt different, for a lot of reasons.
“I had a nice time tonight,” Phil said, his voice low, as Georgie was slowly starting to drift back to sleep in the backseat. “I’ve, uh, had a nice time these past few weeks, actually.”
“This town has a way of growing on people,” Cora said with a little smile.
“I’m beginning to see that,” Phil said.
Cora did her best to hide how much this pleased her. The more time he spent here, the less he’d want to go abroad, surely? And not just because of Georgie, but maybe, because of her, too.
Cora gave him one last smile and pushed the door open. Downtown Blue Harbor was quiet, the storefronts dark, making the lights and decorations all the more prominent.
Most people were either tucked into their warm beds or still at the town square, huddled around the bonfire, soaking in what remained of the season.
She knew that her family would still be there, and that she could and maybe should carry on the newer tradition they had formed in recent years of joining them. But tonight, she didn’t want to. She wanted to be alone, to think about what had transpired these past few days with Phil.
To think about the new traditions she’d started, and the ones that she still hoped to have. That was—if she could convince Phil that his daughter wanted him to stay.
That she wanted him to stay.
She went through the front door, seeing as it was late and the store was closed, and looked up at the mistletoe ball hanging over her head. She’d had her Christmas kiss tonight, and she had newfound hope too. Not just for this being the best Christmas ever, or for new traditions, but for something she hadn’t even planned on: love.
13
Cora tended to divide her loyalty between the Firefly Café and Buttercream Bakery, even if Amelia had told her to give Maddie a boost during her opening weeks. Still, on Tuesday morning, Cora decided to stop by the café for a much needed cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich—something that Amelia had perfected over the years with the best blend of sharp cheddar cheese, roasted seasonal vegetables, and perfectly scrambled eggs. Not the typical holiday fare, maybe, but with Christmas Eve already being tomorrow, she didn’t want to tire too quickly of all the spices and flavors of the holiday.
She nearly laughed at herself. As if she would ever grow old of all the pleasures of Christmas!
Still, an egg sandwich was what she craved, and maybe a little sisterly bonding too. Sure, Candy would be there, but she was becoming a fixture in their lives, and not just on the home front. Besides, she likely did send the tree to Cora, and didn’t even look for credit, making it sort of impossible to stay annoyed for too long.
It was the last big shopping day before Christmas, and even though most people in town had already purchased their decorations, there was always a big uptick in sales. People with out-of-town guests would be in need of some holiday-themed sheets or towels, and of course last-minute gifts were always in demand. Cora was all too happy to guide her customers. A holiday apron for a sister who liked to bake? She was an expert by now.
In years past, she always closed the shop for the twenty-fourth, but now, with her sisters bailing on Christmas Eve, she wondered if she should rethink that. She supposed she’d see how the day went, and not just with sales.
Phil was still in town, and she didn’t like to think that the days were closing in, but that rather, the chances of him staying a bit longer, or at least returning frequently, were growing by the hour.
She hadn’t seen him since their kiss, and with her hectic schedule she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to break away either, no matter what Natalie said.