Christmas in Bayberry

“Do we?”

He smiled and shook his head. “You’re probably goin

g to tell me you know him.”

She was saved from answering when Aunt Penney and Wes’s mother, Martha, joined them. Both women were smiling. It appeared everyone had had a great night.

“That was a wonderful event.” Aunt Penney turned to Kate. “Thank you for taking over for me. I’m starting to think you don’t need me hanging around this place.”

“It was a record-breaking evening,” Kate said. “And I will always need you.”

“Everyone I saw had their baskets and carts overflowing as they headed to the checkout,” Martha said.

“I was just looking around. Most of the shelves have been emptied,” Wes added.

“And that’s after we restocked throughout the evening. The new hurricane lamps were a huge hit.” Kate glanced around, appreciating the empty shelves.

“The bayberry-scented candles are all gone,” Aunt Penney said. “That’s no surprise. They sell out every Christmas. But we can talk about the sale later. I’m sure everyone is tired and anxious to get off their feet.”

Wes turned to his mother. “Where are you staying? There’s no room at the B&B, but I’ll give you my room.”

His mother frowned. “But where would you stay?”

He shrugged. “I can sleep on the couch in the office.”

“Nonsense,” Aunt Penney said. She turned to Martha. “No one is sleeping on a couch or giving up a room. I have a lovely guest room and it’s just waiting for you. Would you like it?”

“I’d love it.” Martha beamed. “Thank you.”

“It’ll give us plenty of time to catch up,” Aunt Penney said.

Martha nodded. “We have a lot of that to do.”

Kate noticed that her aunt seemed so much happier than she had for a while. It was only then that Kate realized just how much the business had been weighing on her aunt. Now that Penney had shared the true state of affairs with her niece, Kate was determined to turn the company around.

Chapter Fifteen

Kate was up bright and early the next morning.

Her first thought was of Wes in that Santa suit. He’d looked adorable. Who’d have thought he’d take to the role so well? And the kids had loved him.

Even she’d been tempted to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him her Christmas wish. But what was her wish? To save the company? Yes, but there was something else she wanted—something she hadn’t allowed herself to think about since her split with Andy—a family of her own.

Wes’s image came to mind. And then she dismissed it as quickly as it had come to her. He’d told her what he wanted more than anything: a promotion at his job in the city. He wanted to remain in New York and stay with the company. And so she couldn’t let herself fall for his dreamy blue eyes or flirtatious smile. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, as there was something about Wes that was just so easy to like.

But once bitten, twice shy, as they say. No way was she going to get left behind again. She’d learned her lesson. She would wait until a good guy came along who loved Bayberry as much as she did.

Even though it was Sunday, she made her way to the office, anxious to discover the results of last night’s sale. She did a preliminary tally of the warehouse and internet receipts. They were impressive, but not as impressive as they’d have been if she’d been more conservative with the discount or limited the number of items sold at a reduced price. She regretted letting her desperation for a large shopper turnout drive her to give deep discounts. It wouldn’t happen again. She made a mental note for next year.

Still, the money they’d made gave her hope. This was hands-down the biggest sale in Bayberry’s history. Somehow, some way, they could save the candle company.

But she knew if she were going to make that happen, she needed some help. She picked up the phone and dialed Wes’s number. When he didn’t answer right away, she worried that she’d called him too early. She checked the clock. It was just barely seven. Some people liked to sleep in on the weekends. She disconnected the call.

Kate tried to make herself comfortable in her office, but it was virtually impossible, as Wes had stuff piled everywhere. But she was hesitant to move the stacks of papers, folders and binders, as she was afraid he’d lose his place. There was no way she wanted to make this job harder on him.

And so she pulled the files from her desk drawer and moved to the conference room, where she had the big long oak table all to herself. She’d just refilled her coffee and sat down when her phone rang. It was Wes. She was expecting him to be half asleep and grumpy that she’d woken him up.

She braced herself. “Hey, Wes.”