She shrugged. Obviously she was reading too much into it. Jon loved her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep nagging to move in with her, right?
She flushed a little at the thought of him living under her roof. Waking up with him every morning, laying down with him each night, knowing that every part of her life was shared with someone else. She hadn’t done that since her late ex-husband, Jeff. Maybe it was time to let it happen again.
As Darcy walked further into the center of town she could see that a large stage was being constructed for the Christmas Pageant in the town square. It was very near to the Bean There Bakery and Café, which belonged to her friend Helen Nelson, who also happened to be the Mayor of their little town.
The Christmas Pageant was a really big deal in Misty Hollow each year. It featured the church choir singing carols, a huge nativity scene, and Santa handing out gifts to the children. There was a lot that went into making it all happen.
Darcy decided that she could do with another cup of coffee and as she headed for the café she passed by Mrs. Sparks hanging a wreath on her front door. Darcy had the sudden thought that she had no clue what the older woman’s first name was. Mrs. Sparks had lived in Misty Hollow for years, in one of the few original old century period houses in the center of town. She was kind of in a hurry to get her coffee and then open up the bookstore or she would have stopped and chatted, maybe asked her name and how she had come to live here. Another time, maybe.
Darcy entered the Bean There Bakery and Café and was happy to see Helen working behind the counter. It was rare to see her in the shop these days. Being the town’s mayor took up so much of her time.
“How are things, Helen?” Darcy ordered her coffee at the same time and accepted the warm cup from Helen’s hands.
Helen ran a hand through her graying hair. “Great Darcy, just great.”
“And the pageant?”
“Oh the pageant is going great, except for Mister Baskin.” Helen pulled a face as she said his name. Roland Baskin was notorious as the town’s resident grump. He had always hated the Christmas pageant with a passion, claiming it was too loud and there was too much hubbub. He’d earned the nickname of the Grinch among the kids in town. “He is already protesting about the pageant,” Helen said.
“It wouldn’t be Christmas if he didn’t,” Darcy said with a smile as she picked up her coffee and headed for the bookstore.
***
After the work day was done, passing quietly with few customers in the store, Darcy headed to the police station to catch up with Jon. The desk sergeant waved her through, buzzing the door open that separated the lobby from the officer’s desks, and she found Jon on the phone. When he hung up he looked distracted. When he noticed her he startled and tried to cover it with a quick hello.
She stopped. He seemed so distant. The good feeling she had gotten back about their relationship started to slip away again. She spun the antique silver ring on her right hand ring finger. It was a nervous habit she had whenever she was stressed or anxious. The ring had belonged to her great-aunt Millie when she had been alive, along with the house that Darcy lived in and the bookstore. Darcy had inherited all three. The ring meant a lot to her. In times of stress she sought its comfort.
Jon finally smiled and she thought maybe she had only imagined the way he had looked at her. She stepped closer to his desk, and as she did he stood up. “I have to go and help out the guys in Meadowood tonight. Um. Raincheck on dinner?”
Darcy felt her mood deflate again. These ups and downs were getting exhausting. “Oh, okay. Is everything alright?”
Meadowood was the next town over from Misty Hollow and was quite a bit bigger. The crime rate had increased over there in the last few weeks as Christmas got closer. It wasn’t unusual for that township to ask for help from the surrounding
She flushed a little at the thought of him living under her roof. Waking up with him every morning, laying down with him each night, knowing that every part of her life was shared with someone else. She hadn’t done that since her late ex-husband, Jeff. Maybe it was time to let it happen again.
As Darcy walked further into the center of town she could see that a large stage was being constructed for the Christmas Pageant in the town square. It was very near to the Bean There Bakery and Café, which belonged to her friend Helen Nelson, who also happened to be the Mayor of their little town.
The Christmas Pageant was a really big deal in Misty Hollow each year. It featured the church choir singing carols, a huge nativity scene, and Santa handing out gifts to the children. There was a lot that went into making it all happen.
Darcy decided that she could do with another cup of coffee and as she headed for the café she passed by Mrs. Sparks hanging a wreath on her front door. Darcy had the sudden thought that she had no clue what the older woman’s first name was. Mrs. Sparks had lived in Misty Hollow for years, in one of the few original old century period houses in the center of town. She was kind of in a hurry to get her coffee and then open up the bookstore or she would have stopped and chatted, maybe asked her name and how she had come to live here. Another time, maybe.
Darcy entered the Bean There Bakery and Café and was happy to see Helen working behind the counter. It was rare to see her in the shop these days. Being the town’s mayor took up so much of her time.
“How are things, Helen?” Darcy ordered her coffee at the same time and accepted the warm cup from Helen’s hands.
Helen ran a hand through her graying hair. “Great Darcy, just great.”
“And the pageant?”
“Oh the pageant is going great, except for Mister Baskin.” Helen pulled a face as she said his name. Roland Baskin was notorious as the town’s resident grump. He had always hated the Christmas pageant with a passion, claiming it was too loud and there was too much hubbub. He’d earned the nickname of the Grinch among the kids in town. “He is already protesting about the pageant,” Helen said.
“It wouldn’t be Christmas if he didn’t,” Darcy said with a smile as she picked up her coffee and headed for the bookstore.
***
After the work day was done, passing quietly with few customers in the store, Darcy headed to the police station to catch up with Jon. The desk sergeant waved her through, buzzing the door open that separated the lobby from the officer’s desks, and she found Jon on the phone. When he hung up he looked distracted. When he noticed her he startled and tried to cover it with a quick hello.
She stopped. He seemed so distant. The good feeling she had gotten back about their relationship started to slip away again. She spun the antique silver ring on her right hand ring finger. It was a nervous habit she had whenever she was stressed or anxious. The ring had belonged to her great-aunt Millie when she had been alive, along with the house that Darcy lived in and the bookstore. Darcy had inherited all three. The ring meant a lot to her. In times of stress she sought its comfort.
Jon finally smiled and she thought maybe she had only imagined the way he had looked at her. She stepped closer to his desk, and as she did he stood up. “I have to go and help out the guys in Meadowood tonight. Um. Raincheck on dinner?”
Darcy felt her mood deflate again. These ups and downs were getting exhausting. “Oh, okay. Is everything alright?”
Meadowood was the next town over from Misty Hollow and was quite a bit bigger. The crime rate had increased over there in the last few weeks as Christmas got closer. It wasn’t unusual for that township to ask for help from the surrounding
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