Offering his arm, he escorted his sister up the stone steps.
“You should have seen your face,” Lucy giggled. “For a second, I thought you might fall and break your neck.”
“So did I,” he chuckled.
“Well, you might want to grab the railing, because I have another surprise.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Kat told me about the inn.”
Jack paused at the top of the stairs. “She did?”
“Yep. And that’s not all.” Lucy’s grin widened. “She offered me a job.”
“A job?” Apparently, the shock had reduced his vocabulary to one-syllable words.
“She said the inn probably won’t be ready until the fall, but when it is, she’d like me to decorate it.”
Whenever Jack didn’t think he could possibly love Kat more, she proved him wrong. “What did you say?”
“I already told Dad to look for my replacement.”
“Seriously?”
“Staging houses is fun and all, but decorating a historic inn would be an exciting challenge. Kat says she wants it to have modern comfort while also remaining true to the original architecture with period-appropriate whimsy and charm. Honestly, the job is a dream come true.”
As Jack listened to his sister, a lump formed in his throat.
She may not realize it, but her dream wasn’t the only one coming true.
* * *
After the ceremony, the town square buzzed with merriment as wedding guests mingled with carnival goers. Lighthearted games and lively music paired with the tantalizing aroma of candied chestnuts and spiced apple cider to create a magical winter wonderland.
Basking in their newlywed glow, Penny and Colt disappeared in the crowd of well-wishers, and Lucy scampered off to greet old friends. For a moment, Kat felt as if she and Jack were the only two people in the world.
Her heart full, she leaned against him, enjoying the weight of his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“I have to hand it to Mayor Burns,” Jack said with a bemused chuckle. “The Christmas Carnival wasn’t the worst idea, after all.”
Kat smiled in agreement. “The storefront displays look wonderful.”
As they strolled the town square, they admired the abundance of creativity, pointing out their favorite features.
The hardware store had built a sleigh using an assortment of tools and household fixtures, and Mac’s Mercantile constructed a life-size Santa Claus out of produce and food staples, right down to the cauliflower beard and a belly made from a literal bowl full of jelly.
When they paused in front of Jack’s Diner, Kat’s heart warmed as her gaze rested on their arbor covered in frosted mistletoe. They’d also added ribbons and baubles, along with crystal icicles, and in Kat’s opinion, the entrance to the diner rivaled the gateway to the North Pole.
“Are you ready for the big reveal?” Jack glanced at the clock tower on the courthouse. “I set the timer so the lights would go on at exactly six o’clock.”
When the big hand hit the twelve, the arbor illuminated in a flash of glittering light.
Kat gasped as the gold and silver bulbs twinkled amid the lush greenery. “Jack, it’s beautiful.”
Even though she’d designed a similar display in Starcross Cove, the splendor of what she’d created with Jack far surpassed her expectations.
“Care for a closer look?” Taking her hand, he led her beneath the archway.
