Mr. Hastings was on Cherrywood’s chamber of commerce? A flicker of interest hit me. How did that even work? “Yeah, just… thinking. I didn’t realize how much effort goes into keeping a town like this running.”
Laney tilted her head, studying me like she always did when she knew there was more I wasn’t saying. “It’s not exactly glamorous, is it?”
“No,” I admitted, a smile tugging at my lips. “But it’s… honest. You can see the impact. Everyone here knows each other, looks out for each other. There’s something refreshing about that.”
Her gaze softened, and she slipped her hand into mine. The gesture was small, but it steadied something in me I hadn’t realized was off-balance. “You sound like you actually like it here.”
I laughed, though there was more truth in her words than I was ready to admit. “Maybe I do.”
It was the place where my wife had fallen back in love with me. It was the place she was happiest. I’d been so focused on hustling, making a name for myself, forgetting what life was about. When Petra admitted how she had forgotten how to live, that hit me too. Was it really living when I spent all my time at work? Was it living when all I felt was stress and worry?
It was the moments like tonight, like Laney holding my hand and smiling up at the stars that brought me back. What if every night could be like this? The thought remained with me as we shopped the small booths.
Later, as the rink cleared, I found myself near the hot chocolate stand again where Sean and a few others were chatting. He waved me over, and I joined them, nursing the last of my cocoa.
“We were just talking about our struggles with the off-season,” Sean explained. “December’s great, but after that, business slows to a crawl. Half of us barely scrape by until summer.”
Another shop owner chimed in. “We’ve tried promotions, events, you name it. But it’s hard to bring in steady traffic.”
I listened, my mind already racing as Laney stood a few feet away, deeply engaged with a group of women her age. Maybe she knew them. Maybe they just met. With her in my peripheral, I spoke to Sean. “What about digital marketing? Online promotions? You could attract people from nearby cities.”
Sean shrugged. “We don’t have the resources for that kind of thing. Most of us are lucky if we can keep the lights on.”
“What if you pooled your resources?” I said, the idea formingas I spoke. “Create a unified strategy to market the town as a destination—not just in December but year-round.”
The group exchanged skeptical glances, but I caught a flicker of interest in Sean’s expression. “That’s a nice idea,” he said, “but who’s got the time—or the know-how—to make it happen?”
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I glanced at Laney again, her laugh carrying over the ice. For the first time in years, I felt something shift in me—not ambition, not obligation. Purpose.
And maybe, just maybe, this little town had more to offer than I’d ever expected.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LANEY
The warm glow of the town’s Christmas lights reflected off the ice as Connor and I strolled hand-in-hand, still buzzing from the Zamboni chaos. I thought we were heading back to my parents’ house, but before we could turn the corner, a woman dressed as an elf stepped in front of us, holding a clipboard and grinning ear to ear. She seemed familiar but wasn’t someone I went to high school with.
“Ah! You two are perfect!” she exclaimed. “We need more participants for the Holiday Scavenger Hunt. You’re officially drafted.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “Laney, this is all you.”
“Don’t you ‘this is all you’ me,” I said, poking him in the side. “You’re doing this with me. We can’t let the elf down.”
“No, you can’t. Plus, Laney, your mom told me you’ve been taking photos of all the events the last few weeks and haven’t participated in them.” The woman winked. “She may or may not have told my mom to find you.”
“And your mom is…” I asked, trying to see why she seemed so familiar.
“Becky.”
“Ah yes. You’re Katie!” I beamed. “You just had twin girls. Congrats!”
“Thank you.” Katie blushed as a radio crackled. She held up a finger and responded. “I found two more, so we have at least twenty now.”
“Ten-four, Buddy.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “They called me Buddy because of the yellow tights, which is my fault. I chose this outfit.” She paused and smiled again. “Thank you both for doing this.”
“Did we have a choice?” Connor asked, his tone playful.
