“Now I only do what I want. I only talk to who I choose. I’ll finish my contract and after the season decide if I’m coming back. Because gossip columnists have been stalking me for a scoop, I decided to stay away from my family this year. My brother pretended to be me and went to Switzerland, rented a lodge then snuck out and went home. Hopefully that will keep the vultures at bay for a while.
“Dom offered to let me hide out here and said something about needing muscle.”
The pain in his eyes is so raw it makes my throat sting.
But I won’t pity him. I’ll give him purpose. “Lucky you. I can keep you busy and out of the public eye.”
CHAPTER 4
Nico
I can’t believe I just bared my soul. She didn’t judge, didn’t doubt. She just listened. Outside my family, has anyone ever done that?
The decision hits me fast and clean.This is my last year on the circuit. The moment I think it, a weight lifts. For the first time in years, I feel free.
“What about you?” I ask. “You’re here for your hometown, right? What do you do?”
“Me? I’m an event organizer.”
“What kind of events?”
“Spring Festivals. Turkey Trots. I’ve done a couple weddings. This year I get to do my first Christmas festival.”
“The only one you sounded excited about was the Christmas. What’s different about it?”
“The town. The kids.”
I raise a brow. “You said you spent a lot of time here growing up. Where did you actually live?”
“San Diego for ten years,” she says. “It was ok, but I like four seasons. Mountains. Cold. Fresh air. We spent summers here and every Christmas. Mostly with my grandparents. It felt likea fairytale. No rich or poor—just kids playing and parents who knew each other. Our parent’s portfolio didn’t matter to anyone.
“But the town is dying. A lot of the old families sold their homes, and the newcomers barely show up. Half the houses are investment rentals now. It’s completely different from what it was.”
Her voice tightens with conviction. “Holiday celebrations need to be free for everyone. We need to invest in the people, not always what makes the most profit. Bring back the events that use to matter. Halloween parties that drew from all around. Fireman pancake breakfasts. Street dances. Free skiing and skating.
“If tourist come, great. We want them to shop and eat in the local places. Yes, we need more of those, too. But losing the local garment business is going to kill us. Seasonal employment isn’t enough and the town will eventually shrivel up. We have to have someone—or something—to fill the gap.”
“You sound driven.” I study her. “You mentioned the mayor. Have you thought of running for office?”
She laughs. “I’m not a politician. And not that many here remember me anymore.”
“You said you’re still friends with the woman from the coffee shop. And the town knows you’re organizing the holiday charity. They’ll know you when it’s over.”
She snorts. “My own parents don’t think I can pull this off. They think it’s a pipe dream to try and save the town. That this will flop like everything else I’ve been emotionally invested in. I don’t have a super talent like Dom and my parents.”
“What do your parents do?”
“Dad’s a coder and program developer. Mom’s a financial advisor for people with more money than sense.”
“You mentioned things you tried didn’t worked out?”
“Oh, tons. Junior high I was a prima ballerina—zero balance. In high school, statistician, economics. College? Accountant, political science, public administration, pre-law, advertising.” She waves a hand. “I’ve tried everything.”
“How did you end up as an event planner?”
“I helped all my friends plan parties, then weddings and honeymoons. A local promotion company in Albany was hiring and I needed a job. A friend pushed me to apply. My first assignment was for the local animal shelter, and it did well—we saved a lot of animals. Then a Thanksgiving mini-marathon race for cystic fibrosis—record sign-ups that year. Then a fundraiser to save the towns oldest building and landmark—we met our goal.
“Then there was the big failure. The town’s accountant hired me to make him look good. Hard to do when he was a wife beater. I wasn’t sorry he lost.”
