Christmas in Bayberry

How had he been so wrong about his mother? He’d thought for sure that she’d be up for a new adventure. And what could be more exciting than living in the Big Apple?

Maybe she just needed some time to think about it. That was it. When she realized how great it’d be if they lived in the same city, she’d change her mind.

The walk to the candle company wouldn’t take him long at all. That was one thing he loved about Bayberry: everything was within walking distance. But there were so many other things to love about it too. Just then Mr. Plummer, the newspaper editor, approached him.

The men greeted each other as they kept walking in opposite directions. A moment later, Mr. Plummer called out to him.

Wes turned back. “Yes?”

The man studied him. “I was wondering if you had any leads, or perhaps a quote for the paper.”

Wes knew what the man was fishing for, but he decided to play dumb. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sure you do. You’ve been in Bayberry for quite awhile now. Surely you must know if the candle company—the heartbeat of this community—has a future.”

Wes liked the guy—he really did. And he also knew the editor was just doing his job. “Mr. Plummer, you have to realize that I can’t comment on my job.”

“But surely you can confirm that you’re here to determine the future of the candle company.”

“I can’t confirm anything. Now I’m late. I must go.” And with that, Wes walked away with determined steps.

As he passed other Bayberry residents, he smiled and waved. They returned the gesture, but he could also see worry in their eyes. It was apparent that news of his assignment had gotten out. Everyone was concerned, and he couldn’t blame them. Nor could he give them the reassuring words they were desperately hoping to hear.

That bothered him. Sure, he’d been in similar situations before, but not with people who’d welcomed him to their town—people he was getting to know on a personal level. This was hard—very hard.

Usually he came to a city, did his work, kept to himself, submitted his report and left town. He wasn’t around to see the devastation that the report could wreak on lives. But here in Bayberry, he didn’t have to submit his report to know what would happen should the findings be negative. And Kate’s aunt had already told him that she didn’t have the personal resources to bail out the company—not that he would ever recommend such a thing.

He was still thinking this all over when he arrived at the office. As he strolled through the holiday-decorated building, he found Kate in the conference room. She had a mug of coffee on the table, as well as her laptop, a tablet, and a bunch of crumpled papers. She seemed to be deep in thought, to the point that she didn’t notice him standing in the doorway.

“Knock knock.”

Her head jerked up. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

“It must be pretty serious.”

“It is. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the company. And the sales yesterday were good, but they could have been better if I hadn’t offered such a large discount.” She stood, grabbed her cup and headed for the half-empty coffee pot. “Can I get you some?”

He shook his head. “I just had some.”

She refilled her mug and moved back to the table, where he joined her. “Kate, I know you really want to save the company, but you have to realize that one night of great sales isn’t going to be enough—”

“I know. And now that I know about the company’s trouble and your evaluation, I want to do every single thing I can to save Bayberry. I can’t let our employees down.” She turned to him. Her eyes stared straight into his. “But I need to know where to start.”

Wes sighed as he raked his fingers through his hair. He was not used to getting drawn into saving a company he was evaluating. He should just back away. It’d be the smart thing to do. But would it be the right thing?

He was beginning to see that it was impossible to separate Kate from the business she loved so dearly. It left him in the position of telling her that he couldn’t help, and walking out on both her and the company. Or he could roll up his sleeves and help her.

His gaze searched hers, making his heart pound harder. What was it about this woman that got to him? There was just something about the way Kate smiled, the way she wore her heart on her sleeve and how she cared so much for the people around her that drew him to her.

“Please.” Her eyes pleaded implored him. It was his final undoing.

“Okay. But I’m not sure if there’s anything that will work.”

“I have to try. So many people are counting on this company—including me.”

“Kate.” He waited until he had her full attention. “I want you to understand that the company is in serious trouble. There might not be anything you can do to save it.”

“If the company goes under, so will the town. I couldn’t live with myself knowing I hadn’t done everything in my power to save it.”