“Six!”
“Five!”
People glanced our way. Scarlett’s eyes kept me anchored. She wasn’t hiding. She wasn’t flinching. And she wasn’t letting go of my hand.
“Four!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
Her thumb brushed gently against mine, grounding me as the whole crowd shouted?—
“ONE!”
The tree exploded with light. Hundreds of bulbs blinked on at once, warm and bright, throwing a golden glow across the snow-covered square. Gasps rose from the crowd, followed by applause and a few scattered whistles.
But Scarlett wasn’t watching the tree. Her eyes were on me.
Someone nudged me from behind. I turned to see Shane standing there with Caitlin tucked under his arm.
“Don’t let us interrupt,” Caitlin said, her eyes twinkling as she looked between Scarlett and me. “We just wanted to see the two of you make up in person.”
Shane shook his head. “Ignore her.”
“Ignore him,” Aiden said, coming up behind him. “He doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body.”
Scarlett laughed softly, and the sound unraveled the knot in my chest. Before I could respond, Levi wandered over, hand in hand with a woman I recognized as his brother’s ex, Brooklyn. Shane gave me a steady nod, the kind men give when they want you to know you’re welcome to stand beside them.
Brooklyn practically vibrated with excitement. “I am absolutely loving this energy. The lighting, the romance, the snow? It’s stunning.”
“Please don’t record them,” Levi murmured, reaching for her phone.
“But it’s so romantic,” she whispered back with a grin. “If we don’t document it, did it even happen?”
Across the square, a small commotion caught my attention. Cullen lifted a little boy up to see the tree better while the woman next to him tried to stop the kid from dropping kettle corn all over his dad’s hair.
Scarlett followed my gaze and smiled. “Looks like the whole town is out tonight.”
“Anyone need more cocoa?” My brother’s girl, Natalie walked up with Kacen right next to her. “Kingston, don’t let him talk you into doing something stupid.”
“I’m right here,” Kacen said as he handed Scarlett a cup of cocoa. “And I only talk people into stupid things when it’s fun.”
“Not tonight,” Kara said. I recognized her as the owner of the local bookstore I’d financed. We’d talked on the phone once but had never met in person. She offered a small smile. “Tonight is supposed to be good.”
Ty looked at her, softened, and slung an arm around her shoulders. “No one’s going to cause any trouble tonight. We’ll make sure of it.”
Scarlett leaned into my side. Not enough to draw attention, but enough that I felt the warmth of her shoulder against my arm. The gesture was small but changed everything. She anchored me and made me feel grounded.
Ruby barreled over next in a long red coat, her jingle bell earrings bouncing. She crossed her arms and gave me a glare frosty enough to freeze anything within a ten-foot radius.
“Kingston Raines, you made her cry again,” she said.
Scarlett groaned. “Ruby.”
“It’s true,” Ruby insisted. “I saw her earlier this afternoon and I could tell she’d been wasting more tears on you.”
“Ruby,” Scarlett repeated, burying her face in her scarf.
