“And it got dark and scary, Momma.” Mandy’s small voice quivered, her eyes still wet with tears but already regaining their childlike brightness.
“Mandy, you know you’re not supposed to ever walk away like that.” Emily’s voice wavered between stern and thankful, her arms never loosening their protective hold.
“So does that mean I don’t get the cookie you promised me?” The crowd around them erupted in warm, relieved laughter.
As the drama concluded, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and turned to find Tessa beside him. “Nice work,” she said softly, her voice carrying a note of admiration that made his heart skip a beat.
He shrugged, but a warmth spread through him at her words. “And you did a great job calming everyone down and getting everyone organized to search.”
“Years of triage. Keep calm and organize.” She shrugged.
Before he could say more, the mayor came up and congratulated him on finding Mandy safe and sound. Nora came over and hugged him. “Good job. Glad you thought to expand the search.”
Townsfolk he barely knew hugged him and shook his hand. Tessa stood quietly by his side, watching it all. The market gradually returned to its festive atmosphere.
Tessa looked up at him and grinned. “I’m pretty sure you’re the new town hero.”
“I just got lucky and looked in the right place.”
She laughed. “And you’re lousy at taking compliments.”
For the first time in days, he didn’t immediately pull away or make an excuse to leave. Instead, they stood together, watching as Emily Brown bought her daughter a cookie, the whole time holding tightly to the little girl’s hand.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” she said quietly. “Helping people. Making a difference.”
He nodded. “It’s why you became a nurse, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “Though lately, I’ve been wondering if I’ve lost sight of that somewhere along the way.”
The Christmas lights reflected in her eyes as he looked at her. “Maybe you just needed to come home to remember.”
She looked up at him and nodded slowly. “Maybe I did.” Then she smiled at him. “Come on, I’m going to buy the town hero a hot chocolate.”
She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, and they wandered slowly through the Christmas market. And hope began to grow in him. The hope that maybe he didn’t have to leave. Maybe he could finally find a place to belong. Maybe.
Chapter 14
Tessa’s hands still tingled with the lingering warmth of Beckett’s arm as they walked back to her father’s house through the snow-dusted streets of Sweet River Falls. The Christmas market lights twinkled behind them, causing shadows to dance across the pristine white ground. Neither spoke much during their journey home, both lost in thought about the evening’s events.
The search for little Mandy had awakened something in Tessa. For the first time in months, she’d felt that rush of purpose, that clarity that used to drive her through grueling ER shifts. Only this time, there hadn’t been the crushing weight of responsibility that had eventually broken her.
When they reached the house, her father was already asleep in his recliner, the television playing softly in the background. She gently draped a blanket over him, noting how peaceful he looked. The lines of worry that usually creased his forehead had smoothed out in sleep, making him appear younger.
“Should we wake him?” Beckett whispered.
She shook her head. “Let him rest.”
She motioned toward the kitchen, and Beckett followed. The quiet felt different tonight. Not tense or awkward, but thoughtful. As if they were both carefully considering what to say next.
She filled the kettle and set it on the stove. “I think I’ll have tea. Want some?”
“Sure.” He leaned a hip against the counter.
“You were amazing tonight,” she said finally, breaking the silence. “Finding Mandy like that.”
He shrugged, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Just did what anyone would do.”
“No. Not everyone would have thought to check the River Walk. Not everyone would have known exactly where to look.” She turned to face him fully. “You saved that little girl a lot of fear and her mother a lifetime of what-ifs.”
