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“She would have liked you,” Daniel said.

“I’d have liked to have met her,” Holly replied.

“What about you?” he asked. “When did you start drawing?”

“As far back as I can remember,” Holly replied, not looking up from her work. “I used to cover my school notebooks with doodles. Drove my teachers crazy.” A small smile played on her lips. “My dad encouraged it, though. He’d bring home these fancy colored pencils whenever he traveled for work.”

There was something in the way she mentioned her father—a warmth that had been missing when she spoke of her mother. Daniel filed that observation away, another piece of the puzzle that was Holly.

“What happened with your dad?” he asked gently.

Holly’s hand stilled momentarily. “My parents divorced when I was thirteen. Dad moved across the country and remarried.We stayed close for a while, but...” She shrugged, the gesture not quite hiding the hurt beneath. “Life gets complicated.”

Daniel nodded, understanding more than he could say. The loss of a parent—even one who was still alive somewhere—left marks that never quite faded.

“After that, for a while, it was just Mom and me before she remarried…” Holly continued, adding another heart to the steam rising from her drawn loaf. “She had very specific ideas about what success looked like. Art wasn’t on the list.”

“And yet here you are, creating beautiful things anyway,” Daniel observed.

Holly looked up, meeting his eyes with a vulnerability that made his chest tighten. “I guess some things are just part of who you are. No matter how long you ignore them.”

“Then maybe we should learn not to ignore them,” Daniel said.

“Maybe you’re right,” Holly replied.

Chapter Twelve – Holly

Holly’s cheeks ached from smiling. For the past few hours, she’d been elbow-deep in cakes and customers, serving people alongside Mina and Carl while Daniel stopped it all from descending into chaos.

Which was no mean feat. The morning rush had been exhilarating, a blur of friendly faces, Christmas orders, and the constant ring of the register. Now, as the afternoon lull settled in, Holly welcomed the chance to breathe. The bakery display cases, which had been packed with pastries, now stood mostly empty, with only a few lonely tarts. The wooden shelves behind the counter that had been piled high with an assortment of fresh loaves were empty save for crumbs.

“Well, team,” Daniel announced, glancing at the clock above the door, “it’s almost three. Time for us to pick up the munchkins.”

Holly hadn’t realized how quickly the day had passed. She wiped her hands on a towel, reluctant to leave this warm, fragrant space where she’d felt so immediately accepted. But excited to pick upthe munchkins. She had missed them.

She gnawed her bottom lip. If she’d missed them after only a few hours while they were at school, how was she going to feel when she left town?

Holly ducked her head and went out into the back room to wash her hands. She didn’t want anyone to see the tears glittering in her eyes. As for leaving, she wasn’t going to think about that now. Not today.

Maybe tomorrow… or the next day.

Holly dried her hands and swiped her arm across her eyes before forcing a smile as she went back out into the storefront. Daniel was waiting by the door.

“Ready?” Daniel reached for her new red coat and held it open for her. Holly turned and slipped her arms into the sleeves, the brush of his fingers against her cheek as he adjusted the collar, sending a shower of sparks down her spine.

Without thinking, she leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering closed for the briefest moment. She felt his breath catch, the small sound loud in her ear. Time suspended between them, fragile and electric.

“Don’t forget these!” Mina’s voice broke the spell as she thrust a white bakery box and a paper-wrapped loaf into Daniel’s hands. “Fresh sourdough and those chocolate cupcakes the kids love. Say hi to those little monsters for me.”

Daniel cleared his throat, his voice a touch deeper than usual. “Will do. Thanks, Mina. See you tomorrow, Carl!”

Holly followed him through the door, her heart still dancing to an uneven rhythm. Outside, the winter air bit at her cheeks, a welcome coolness after the warmth of the bakery. Bear Creek stretched before them, the main street lined with festive decorations and twinkling lights that would shine once dusk fell. Snow crunched beneath their boots as they walked toward Daniel’s truck. She wanted to take a snapshot of it and save it forever.

“It’s just so beautiful here,” Holly said, taking in the charming storefronts with their holiday displays.

“It is,” Daniel agreed, balancing the bakery goods in one arm while he unlocked the passenger door. “There’s no place I would rather be.”

Me neither, the voice in her head agreed as they reached his truck.