“Nope.” Katie laughed, then her gaze filled with warmth. “Speaking of babies, you look like you’re glowing, Laney.”
“What? No. I’m not… glowing?” I barked out an awkward laugh and pulled at my scarf. “Not glowing.”
Shit. There was no way she could know. No way she could tell! Did Connor notice? Did he think something was different? My heart raced and my palms sweat, and did the temperature rise somehow?
“You’re happy.” Connor pulled me under his arm, kissing my temple again. “That’s what she means.”
Katie nodded. “He’s right. You look happy. Have fun tonight. I’m gonna be running around all night playing emcee, host, and trash pickup.”
“Wait, why are you doing all three? Shouldn’t you be home with your babies?” Usually there was an entire crew helping with these events. Now that she mentioned it, there were significantly fewer people out in the town center than normal.With Christmas nearing, there should be hundreds of people here.
Katie shrugged. “Short-staffed. Can’t afford to pay people as much. Every year the events get smaller.”
“That’s… so sad,” I said, the weight of Katie’s words settling heavily in my chest. “Cherrywood without the festivals wouldn’t be the same. So the town is losing money?”
Katie nodded, her expression tight. “Small businesses are really struggling. My uncle had to pick up another job because the shop wasn’t bringing in enough. And he’s not the only one.”
I frowned, glancing at Connor. He stood beside me, his hand resting lightly on my back, and I could see the gears turning in his head. The CEO in him never switched off—not that I wanted it to right now. This was the kind of thing he could actually help with, wasn’t it?
Connor’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What’s the biggest challenge for the businesses?” he asked Katie, his tone calm but probing. “Is it competition, fewer visitors, or something else?”
Katie let out a sigh, crossing her arms against the chilly evening air. “It’s everything. The big stores out on the highway make it hard to compete on price. And after the holidays, we just don’t see enough people coming through town. Summer tourists help, but the other seasons are tough.”
“That makes sense,” Connor said, his brow furrowing. “Have you thought about ways to draw people here outside of the holidays? Cherrywood has so much charm—it feels like the kind of place people would love if they knew about it.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little at how natural he sounded,like he’d been part of Cherrywood for years instead of just a couple of weeks.
“We’ve tried a few things,” Katie said, her voice hesitant. “Like promotions and sales. But most of us don’t have the time or money to do much more. I know for me, the gardening shop takes everything I’ve got to keep it running.”
Connor nodded, his gaze sharpening. “You wouldn’t have to do it alone. If the businesses worked together—shared costs and responsibilities—you could make it work. A little collaboration could go a long way.”
Katie looked at me and then back at Connor, her lips quirking into a small smile. “You sound like you’ve thought about this before.”
“He’s full of ideas,” I said, unable to keep the pride out of my voice.
Connor shrugged, his focus still on Katie. “It’s about finding ways to make Cherrywood’s charm work for you. This town has so much heart—people just need to see it.”
Katie let out a thoughtful hum, her gaze distant as if she were already imagining what that might look like. “It’s a nice idea, I’ll admit.”
My stomach twisted at her words. It was subtle, but I could see the flicker of something in Connor’s expression. He didn’t respond right away, his eyes drifting over the festive lights and the town square. For a moment, I wondered if he was picturing it too—a life here, building something for Cherrywood.
I reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. He looked down at me, his gray eyes softening, and for the first time that night,I let myself hope. As Katie excused herself to check on her booth, I leaned into him, my cheek brushing his shoulder.
“You really think something like that could work?” I asked quietly, my heart pounding just a little harder than I expected.
“It makes sense. Transitioning to more modern marketing techniques is what makes or breaks towns like this. The tourism is going to keep it going but how to show it off? There could be a whole rental business here, the whole Airbnb thing. This is the perfect getaway for those who live in the city and want to escape.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze continuing to move up and down the street. “Anyway, if they focused on the future, they could turn this town into a destination spot.”
I shivered. I loved hearing him talk about saving Cherrywood. He frowned and rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “Are you cold? Do you want to head back?”
“And not do the scavenger hunt?” I arched a brow. “That would put us on the front of the town paper.”
“Honey”—he laughed and tugged one of my curls—“we’re already gonna be on it. We almost destroyed the rink, or have you already forgotten?”
Snorting, I stared at the list Katie handed us. “Wow.”
“What is it?” He leaned over, his breath hitting my cheek and making me warm head to toe. His hand still rested on my back as he laughed. “This list is something else.”
Guess the Weight of the Gingerbread Baby—Head to the local bakery and guess the weight of the giant gingerbread baby on display. Bonus points for taking a silly photo pretending to cradle it.
