Winterfest.”
“Winterfest?”
Sam nodded, her eyes shining with excitement, a fever Flynn could almost imagine catching. “The town recently started holding this really big Christmas celebration. C. J. Hamilton does it up big, bringing in all kinds of decorations and moving props. He dresses up as Santa, and his wife is Mrs. Claus. Even Earl gets into the spirit. This year, I hear he’s dressing up as an elf and handing out candy canes to all the kids who come to Santa’s workshop. That alone should be worth the price of admission, which is free anyway. It’s a really fun time.”
What it sounded like was another date. Another temptation. Another opportunity to be alone with Samantha Barnett.
And a bad idea.
“It’s, ah, not really my cup of tea. Besides, I should probably be working on my article.” He slipped off his skates and put his shoes back on, as a visual and physical reminder of getting out of here.
“The Winterfest starts at night. You have plenty of time to do your article and anything else you might want to accomplish today.” She took off her own skates, then met his gaze. He found himself watching her mouth move, fantasizing about kissing her again. And again. “You should reconsider. You’ll be missing something really cool. Trust me, Winterfest is fun for more than just kids. I love going.”
“I’m not much of a Christmas person.”
“Oh. Well, it was just an idea.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t.” She tied her skates together, then slid her feet into her boots.
“It’s just…” He paused. “Where I grew up, Christmas wasn’t a big deal.”
Sam smiled. “When I was a kid, Christmas was the biggest day of the year. My family was total Christmas-holics, and after my parents died, my grandmother did Christmas up even bigger, as if to make up for losing my mother and father.” Her smile died on her lips, and her gaze drifted to the skaters rounding the rink. “I miss those days.”
“What happened?”
“My grandmother isn’t there like she used to be.”
Flynn opened his mouth, as if he intended to ask her what she meant by that, then closed it again. Sam regretted saying anything at all. She had done her best to keep her grandmother’s condition private, from everyone in town. Not just to protect Grandma Joy, but to prevent the inevitable questions. The visitors who would stop by to see Joy, and be hurt that she didn’t know them. The pity parties, the people who wanted to help lift the burden from Sam’s shoulders.
No one understood this burden couldn’t be lifted. Her grandmother didn’t remember her. Didn’t know her. No amount of sympathy would ever change that.
So Sam kept the details to herself, told people Joy was happily living a life at a retirement home, and buried herself in her work. Carrying on her family’s legacy, living up to generations of expectations—not from her grandmother, but from this town. There’d been a Barnett behind the stove at Joyful Creations since it had opened, and that’s what customers expected when they walked in the door.
Even if a part of Sam wanted to walk out that door one day and keep on walking. To pretend that she didn’t have those responsibilities waiting for her every morning. To imagine a different life, one that was more—
Complete.
“This Winterfest thing is probably the social event of the year, huh?” Flynn said, drawing Sam out of her thoughts.
“It is. People look forward to it. Myself included.” She laughed. “I spend days baking like crazy before it, to supply the festival’s stand, while a few people work the downtown shop. We get a lot of out-of-towners for Winterfest, so it’s a busy day for all the stores around here.” Sam rose and put a fist on her hip. “It’s a big deal, for those who dare to go. So, do you?”
One corner of Flynn’s mouth curved up. “Are you challenging me?” He took a few steps closer, the distance between them shrinking from
“Winterfest?”
Sam nodded, her eyes shining with excitement, a fever Flynn could almost imagine catching. “The town recently started holding this really big Christmas celebration. C. J. Hamilton does it up big, bringing in all kinds of decorations and moving props. He dresses up as Santa, and his wife is Mrs. Claus. Even Earl gets into the spirit. This year, I hear he’s dressing up as an elf and handing out candy canes to all the kids who come to Santa’s workshop. That alone should be worth the price of admission, which is free anyway. It’s a really fun time.”
What it sounded like was another date. Another temptation. Another opportunity to be alone with Samantha Barnett.
And a bad idea.
“It’s, ah, not really my cup of tea. Besides, I should probably be working on my article.” He slipped off his skates and put his shoes back on, as a visual and physical reminder of getting out of here.
“The Winterfest starts at night. You have plenty of time to do your article and anything else you might want to accomplish today.” She took off her own skates, then met his gaze. He found himself watching her mouth move, fantasizing about kissing her again. And again. “You should reconsider. You’ll be missing something really cool. Trust me, Winterfest is fun for more than just kids. I love going.”
“I’m not much of a Christmas person.”
“Oh. Well, it was just an idea.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t.” She tied her skates together, then slid her feet into her boots.
“It’s just…” He paused. “Where I grew up, Christmas wasn’t a big deal.”
Sam smiled. “When I was a kid, Christmas was the biggest day of the year. My family was total Christmas-holics, and after my parents died, my grandmother did Christmas up even bigger, as if to make up for losing my mother and father.” Her smile died on her lips, and her gaze drifted to the skaters rounding the rink. “I miss those days.”
“What happened?”
“My grandmother isn’t there like she used to be.”
Flynn opened his mouth, as if he intended to ask her what she meant by that, then closed it again. Sam regretted saying anything at all. She had done her best to keep her grandmother’s condition private, from everyone in town. Not just to protect Grandma Joy, but to prevent the inevitable questions. The visitors who would stop by to see Joy, and be hurt that she didn’t know them. The pity parties, the people who wanted to help lift the burden from Sam’s shoulders.
No one understood this burden couldn’t be lifted. Her grandmother didn’t remember her. Didn’t know her. No amount of sympathy would ever change that.
So Sam kept the details to herself, told people Joy was happily living a life at a retirement home, and buried herself in her work. Carrying on her family’s legacy, living up to generations of expectations—not from her grandmother, but from this town. There’d been a Barnett behind the stove at Joyful Creations since it had opened, and that’s what customers expected when they walked in the door.
Even if a part of Sam wanted to walk out that door one day and keep on walking. To pretend that she didn’t have those responsibilities waiting for her every morning. To imagine a different life, one that was more—
Complete.
“This Winterfest thing is probably the social event of the year, huh?” Flynn said, drawing Sam out of her thoughts.
“It is. People look forward to it. Myself included.” She laughed. “I spend days baking like crazy before it, to supply the festival’s stand, while a few people work the downtown shop. We get a lot of out-of-towners for Winterfest, so it’s a busy day for all the stores around here.” Sam rose and put a fist on her hip. “It’s a big deal, for those who dare to go. So, do you?”
One corner of Flynn’s mouth curved up. “Are you challenging me?” He took a few steps closer, the distance between them shrinking from
Similar Books
