“I’d like that.” After she said the words, she realized she meant them. She and Vanna had been good friends in high school, but they’d drifted apart after graduation when their lives took different paths. She pulled out a business card and gave it to her. “Give me a call, and we’ll figure out a time.”
“Great.” Vanna pulled several coins from the register. “Here’s your change.”
“Keep it.” The coins clinked against the glass tip jar, echoing in the emptiness. Brenna licked her lips. She’d come in for a purpose, and now she had to face the truth. “What’s happened here?”
A shroud of sadness covered Vanna. “Ever since the factory closed, Noel hasn’t been the same.”
“Wait, the factory closed? When?”
“Right before Christmas two years ago.” Vanna tilted her head. “I’m surprised no one told you.”
Brenna blinked, absorbing the shock, then frowned with a mix of embarrassment and sorrow. “I’ve kept my distance since…”
Understanding dawned on Vanna’s, and she offered a gentle smile. “Your dad was a pillar of the community. We all miss him.”
The lack of judgment from Vanna shaved a layer from Brenna’s guilt. “Even with the factory closed, what happened? There are hardly any Christmas decorations anywhere. What about the festival next weekend?”
Vanna swallowed. “There is no festival this year.”
She gasped. “What? How can that be?”
“There’s no money in the town budget. A lot of families had to move when the factory shut down and that affected the remaining businesses, which in turn cut the town’s revenue.” Vanna gestured her hand in a wide circle around the bakery. “I’ve been fortunate, but there are months I’m even struggling to turn a profit.”
“What about tourism? That’s always been a huge industry for us.” Her last word caught her off guard. More than a decade after she’d moved away, and three years since she’d stepped foot in town, she still considered herself a Noeler. Some things never changed no matter how hard she tried to put it behind her.
“Even that’s dropped off.” Vanna sighed. “The world’s changed. People are too busy to celebrate Christmas anymore, let alone take time off to visit a Christmas-themed town.”
“There has to be a solution. This is Noel—we are resilient.”Are you? Then why have you stayed away for so long?Ouch.
“We tried, but we got hit with one storm after another. Eventually, our spirits wore thin.”
Brenna shook her head. “Then we’ll just have to give them a boost.”
A sad smile flickered on Vanna’s mouth. “If only it were that simple.”
“I know I’ve been gone, but this is my home.” Pride welled in in her chest. “I’ve run from the memories of Dad, but in the process, pushed aside many great ones. Growing up in Noel gave me an idyllic childhood that many kids only dream of.”
“It makes me sad that my own children won’t experience that.” Vanna’s gaze shifted to a family photo hanging on the wall. “They’re too young to remember the good days.”
Determination took root and sprouted through Brenna’s soul. “We’ll get those days back. I might not be able to solve all the problems, but I won’t leave until Noel regains it’s Christmas spirit.”
“If only it were that easy.” Vanna stepped out from behind the counter and walked to the door to turn the sign fromOpentoClosed. “I don’t want to be a negative Nancy, but it’s bad. Stick around long enough, and you’ll see for yourself.”
“It might be so, but isn’t Christmas the time for miracles?”
“We definitely need one.” Vanna removed her apron and hung it on a peg.
Taking the cue, Brenna held up her bag. “Thanks for the Danishes. Give me a call, and we’ll get together. Have a happy Thanksgiving.”
“You too.”
Brenna left Honey’s Bakery, weighed down by guilt and remorse. How could her hometown disintegrate and she knew nothing about it? It wasn’t right. Vanna hadn’t sounded hopeful, but Brenna couldn’t believe this was the end of Noel as she’d known it.
She’d go home, talk to her mom…and sister…and gather more information. Knowledge was power, and with that, she’d find a way to bring Christmas back to Noel.
