“Sound like you’ve been successful at the things that mattered. And here you’ve set your sites on saving jobs, And the town.”
“I’d settle for the city council and remaining business owners realizing that we need year round employment. That’s probably a long shot. But at least maybe the kids can have a decent holiday with a few gifts this year.”
She doesn’t realize her strength. She has heart, not dollar signs driving her.
“You don’t sound very happy in Albany. Would your family let you live here year-round, or do they rent the cabin?”
“No! We do not rent. A few friends of my parents have used it, and I come as often as I can. Dom uses it when he’s training up here. If my parents ever said they wanted sell or rent, I’d find a way to buy it from them. This is home. I have to make the job in Albany work. It lets me come here weekends.”
Passion. Wynter is pure passion and she doesn’t even see that it’s her talent.
After dinner, I do the dishes while she organizes everything, what’s done, what needs doing, and what she wishes she could do. She’s got drawings, notes, layouts for where the large and medium decorations go.
Refilling our cups, I catch her worrying her bottom lip. “What? What’s got you nervous?”
“I’m… scared. What if someone didn’t sign up and they show up anyway? What if we run out of food baskets? How do I turn someone away? What if a family has five kids and one basket isn’t enough to feed them all?”
“How many did you order?”
“Two-hundred and fifty families signed up.”
“Call your supplier and tell them to make it three-fifty. I’ll cover it. Whatever we don’t give away we can donate to your community shelter, the one attached to the VA.”
“What--no, Nico, that’s not?—”
“I know you weren’t asking. Iwantto help. We can ask family size when we hand them out, and if they have more than two kids they can come back at the end if we have extras. What about toys?”
“We had cards at a table in the grocery store. The kids filled them out.”
“What about getting extras of the most popular requests from each age group and some gift cards to hand out in a pinch? I’m with you, I’d rather have too much than not enough.”
“Niko, this isn’t…”
“Thisismy Christmas. I’m here, let me be part of the town for my own enjoyment. It will be nice to just be a regular guy. Place the orders. I’ll transfer you the money.”
A thought hits me. “Have they started the shirts with your brother’s picture?”
“They’ll start on them tomorrow.”
“Your dream is to have multiple versions and athletes, correct?” She nods. I pull out my phone and text my mother to see if she has usable photos of me. I don’t want the spotlight, but if a photo of me can help this town, then at least for once it’s a good cause.
“Manual labor starts tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to get some sleep.”
While she’s in the bathroom I put fresh sheets on the bed. Then I look at the couch, the same pullout I suffered on my first night when Dom was still here. No chance I’m trying that again. I can curl up on the regular couch, or even the floor by the fire and be far more comfortable.
CHAPTER 5
Wynter
Walking out of the bathroom I notice he’s made up the couch with a sleeping bag. Guilt pricks at me, I know how exactly how miserable a night on that thing can be.
He steps past me an arm full of sheets, nodding toward the freshly made bed. “Clean linens, fire’s stoked. I’m going to throw these in the wash. We can finish them in the morning. Get some sleep, Wynter. We’ll make this happen.”
By the time he returns, I’ve put the sleeping bag away. He stops beside the couch.
