“I hope so. I wouldn’t want to fall short of our goal.” Cait hugged herself as a chilly wind whipped through the area. “Maybe we can get Melisa and Rob to find a push cart and sell hot apple cider to the people in line.”
“There you go,” Jenna said. “Great idea. It’ll keep people warm while they wait.”
“Remember, two minutes.” Cait put up two fingers in a victory sign.
“Five,” Larry replied.
“Three, and that’s my final offer.” Cait said, looking worriedly at the growing and shrinking line. “If only Brian were here, he could have driven that vintage fire engine he got when the senator’s wife passed away. It seats sixteen passengers, and we could have charged a load.”
“You’re right,” Jenna said. “Where is Brian anyway?”
“Out hiking.”
“Hiking?” A strange look of understanding passed between Jenna and Larry, but Cait had no time to worry what that was about.
Brian marched to his own drum, and her family would never understand him. Orphaned at eighteen, his parents had stipulated in their will that he get married before he could inherit their Richmond district house. He and Cait had been good friends in high school, so when he proposed, she decided to help.
No one in her family knew the details of their arrangement, because she and Brian spun a story of how they’d been in love since elementary school. It was true, at least on her side, and she didn’t dare question Brian in case he’d find someone else to pull off the charade.
Would she have been better off if he had?
She threw the troubling thoughts aside. She had an event to run, and not only run, she had to raise more money than the year before.
Continuing her crusade, Cait charged to the refreshment booth where Melisa and Rob served up hot chocolate and hot apple cider.
“Hey, everyone’s in the horse and carriage line. You should find a push cart and sell over there.” Cait pointed. “This is a bad location. It’s right next to the stage, and people are too busy watching the projection screen to drink hot liquids.”
“Cait, we’re selling as fast as I can mix it up,” Melisa said. “I don’t see a reason to push the drinks down the street. They’ll get cold.”
“If we had another pair of hands, we might be able to expand,” Rob said. “But as of now, Melisa and I are barely keeping up with demand.”
“Oh, I hate leaving money on the table,” Cait said, pointing to the line of people waiting for the carriage. “If Brian were here, he could have opened up a second location. Next year, we’ll station two refreshment stands.”
“Where’s Brian anyway?” Melisa said. “He never shows up to our family gatherings.”
“He’s out exploring his mind,” Cait said.
“But Connor said all the firefighters who were off duty would be here today.” Melisa’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe he went off on a retreat instead.”
“He needs time by himself, and honestly, with Mom and Dad living at our house, and all of the wedding planning going on, it gets really noisy.”
“It must be hard for him to put up with all of us.” Melisa put her hand on Cait’s shoulder. “Maybe you can see if either Grady or Dale can help.”
Grady was Jenna’s twin and back for the holidays. He was a smoke jumper who traveled to fight fires all over the world. Dale was the youngest Hart and still going to college. Unlike his older brothers, he claimed he wasn’t going into firefighting, preferring to study chemical engineering instead.
The crowd surged around the stage as Connor welcomed everyone to the lighting festival. Cait craned her neck, looking for her two single brothers. She could barely make her way through the crowd since people were pressed against each other like sardines. Everyone gathered around as Connor counted down.
“Five, four, three, two, one.” In a single, magical moment, everything on the block lit up at the exact same time. The tree glittered with a thousand points of sparkling lights, and the outlines of the grand old houses came to life, showcasing their magnificent turrets and ornately trimmed gables.
It was a magical moment, and Cait blinked at all the beauty surrounding her. People around her took selfies with their companions and hugged each other. Couples kissed, and parents pointed out Santa’s throne where Cait’s parents presided as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Everyone had someone to share the moment with. Connor and Nadine collected toys. Jenna and Larry took people on the carriage rides. Melisa and Rob sold refreshments, and both Dale and Grady, when Cait finally spotted them, had pretty dates dressed in sexy elf costumes.
Cait wandered down the street alone, blinking at the lights made blurry by tears welling in her eyes. She did so much for others and went out of her way to make them feel special, but no one seemed to care whether she was happy or not.
She planned birthday parties, bridal showers, family picnics, and welcome home parties. Every year, she printed out photos and created scrapbooks, although these days, she used an online site, ScrapCloud, started by one of Rob’s cousins to do all of her scrapbooking work.
But no one showered her on her birthday. No one threw parties to surprise her or took the time out to make her a scrapbook.
If she was brutally honest with herself, it felt a lot like even her own family wanted to get rid of her.
Cait wiped a tear from her eye and swallowed the truth. No one needed her, especially Brian, who’d rather be alone than sharing moments like this with her.
But then, if her family knew what she’d done and why she sold herself short by marrying Brian, they’d disapprove and disown her, and she’d be truly alone.
