Christmas in Bayberry

“Are you feeling all right?”

He nodded. He just had some thinking to do, not to mention all of the work awaiting him. He had enough information stored on his laptop that he could go back to his room and start an initial consolidation of the numbers. The rest would have to wait until he had access to the company office and all the hard copy reports contained within its walls.

“Okay, good night then,” she said. Did he imagine that she looked disappointed?

“Good night,” he replied.

As Kate headed back to the caroling, he watched her go. More than anything, he wished he could spend the rest of the evening with her.

With a deep, resigned sigh, Wes turned away.

He made his way over to the diner, where he ordered a burger and fries to go. He might have to work, but that didn’t mean he had to starve. And he recalled from his youth that Mel’s had the crispiest shoelace fries.

Chapter Fourteen

Today was the annual Bayberry Candle sale.

It was going to be perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect, but close to it.

On Saturday afternoon, Kate’s stomach quivered with nerves. It was almost time for the sale. Make it or break it time. Well, maybe not that drastic, depending on what Wes’s report said.

Speaking of Wes, she needed to help him with the final touches on his costume. As she picked up the Santa hat from her desk, she noticed a slight tremor in her hands. She told herself it was because she was wound up about the sale. It had nothing to do with smoothing the red velvet suit jacket over Wes’s broad shoulders, or the way he’d looked at her as though he’d wanted to say something, but then changed his mind.

She was overthinking things. That was all. She drew in a deep breath and then blew it out. This evening was about helping the business. Nothing else.

Still, when she approached Wes and he sent her a slow, lazy smile, her heart fluttered in her chest. She assured herself that he smiled like that with everyone. Didn’t he? Part of her hoped not. She wanted to believe there was something growing between them, even if she had no idea where it would lead.

“We just need to add this.” Kate held up the hat.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

“But you’re so cute.” Wait. Did she just say that? She inwardly cringed as heat swirled in her chest. “As Santa. You’re cute as Santa.”

Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “You can’t take it back. You think I’m cute.”

She inwardly groaned. “As Santa.”

“Uh-huh.” He was grinning at her, making her stomach dip.

She adjusted the Santa cap on Wes. Being so close to him made her heart race. Stay focused. A little to the left and a little to the front. And then it was situated perfectly atop Wes’s white-haired wig. It was almost show time.

For a while there, she’d worried that Wes would back out of playing Santa. If he had, she had considered donning the suit and practicing her ho-ho-ho, but she knew she would never be able to pull it off. The suit wouldn’t even come close to fitting her, no matter how many pins Aunt Penney put in it. And then there was the fact that Kate could never lower her voice deep enough to make her Santa imitation sound authentic. But thanks to Wes, she didn’t have to worry.

She stepped back to inspect her work. “What do you think, Aunt Penney?”

“I think he looks great, except for one thing.” Penney moved to the desk and pulled out a pillow. “I think he’s thinner than Fred. He’s gonna need some extra stuffing.”

Wes frowned. “I think I look round enough.”

Kate walked around him. “Penney is right. Your bowl of jelly isn’t full enough.”

“What?” he asked.

“You know, ’Twas The Night Before Christmas, and all through the house…oh, never mind. Just take our word for it. You need some more stuffing.”

Aunt Penney helped Kate open Wes’s wide black belt and stuff a pillow inside his suit. Once it was properly positioned, they stepped back.