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“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know about your wife.”

“Hm.” Henry nodded slowly, still focused on the extension cord instead of looking at Nicole. “You’d think I’d have figured out how to handle the season by now, but… well, Christmas was always her favorite time of year. She used to tag along on installations, sometimes even help. Or at least offer advice.” A small smile cracked the corner of his mouth. “Made everything more fun.”

Nicole felt her throat tighten with unexpected emotion. She could picture it: Henry and his Daisy working together, sharing the satisfaction of lighting up the town, going home together afterward to share the warm holiday glow. Her chest ached, thinking of her own past holidays, her husband and daughter there with her. Carl had chosen to leave, but she would still miss the warm familiarity of having family around her at Christmastime.

“This year has been different though,” Henry added, finally looking up to meet her gaze. “Having company during the work, I mean. It’s been… nice. I’d forgotten what it was like not to spend every day talking to myself.”

The admission seemed to surprise him as much as it did her, and Nicole saw a faint flush of color rise in his cheeks, as if he’d revealed more than he’d intended. She rushed to fill the sudden silence, feeling as if she should share something now that he’d opened up a little.

“Well,” she said quickly, “this is my first Christmas not being married. And my first without my daughter Amy—she’s overseas for school, and spending time with her new boyfriend’s family.” The words came out more easily than she’d expected. Maybe she’d needed someone to talk to more than she’d realized; Janet had been busy, and was emailing her about prospects for the house rather than picking up her calls. “I was dreading having nothing but time to sit around feeling sorry for myself. I’m grateful to have something to put my energy into.”

Henry nodded. “Staying busy helps,” he agreed. “Gives you something to focus on besides everything you’ve lost.”

They stood there for a moment in silence that was less awkward than Nicole would have thought, given what they’d just shared. The shop around them was quiet except for the soft hum of the lights, and Nicole realized that this was the first time since arriving in Fir Tree Grove that she’d felt remarkably peaceful. As if things felt more… right than they had in some time.

“Your presence has been an unexpected comfort,” Henry said suddenly, his voice so quiet she almost missed the words. “I didn’t realize how much I needed… well, I didn’t realize I needed anything. But having someone to share the work with, someone to talk to during the long days…”

He trailed off, clearing his throat as if realizing he’d said something more personal than he’d meant to. Nicole waited, sensing that he had more to say but wasn’t sure how to say it.

But instead of continuing, Henry cleared his throat again abruptly and took a step back, his expression closing off as he returned to his usual professional demeanor.

“Well,” he said, his tone becoming brisk, “we’ve got another full day tomorrow. The Clifton installation is going to be challenging, and we’ll need to get an early start if we want to finish before the weather turns.”

The moment of closeness was over, shut down as quickly as it had begun, and Nicole felt a flutter of disappointment that surprised her. For just a moment, she’d glimpsed something deeper in Henry Cline, a hint of what was going on beneath his quiet surface, and she felt a kinship with the man that she hadn’t had before. She had a strange urge to get to know him better, but it was clear that moment had passed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Henry said, already moving toward the door. “Seven-thirty sharp.” He headed for the door, and Nicole followed, her mind tumbling through a series of thoughts that felt as jumbled as she had peaceful a few minutes before.

It felt like they’d connected. Shared a moment. Suddenly, she wanted to ask him to come share a cup of tea with her at the bed and breakfast; talk more about their day and lights and Henry’s past and hers. But that was foolish, she thought.

They barely knew each other. He was her boss. And she’d come to Fir Tree Grove specifically to shed herself of all the complications she’d left behind, not add new ones.

Her former life had fallen apart spectacularly. She needed to build a new life here, from scratch.

That meant keeping things simple, for now.

She should, she knew, keep Henry Cline in her mind squarely as her boss, and nothing more.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Toy Chest buzzed with its usual midday energy as Vanessa restocked the display of wooden puzzles near the front window. The December sunlight streaming through the glass caught the dust motes dancing in the air, and the snow on the ground outside sparkled in the sunlight.

It was a gorgeous winter day, the sky clear and shining. She could hear the familiar sounds of children’s laughter mixed with parents’ patient suggestions to wait and see what Santa would bring, and the atmosphere filled her with contentment.

The bell above the door chimed, and Vanessa looked up to see Imogen pushing through the entrance with Katie in tow. The little girl was practically vibrating with excitement, her cheeks flushed from the cold and her eyes bright with the anticipation that only came with Christmas shopping for someone special.

“Miss Vanessa!” Katie called out as she rushed toward the puzzle display. “Mom is going to help me find the perfect present for Emma! She’s my very best friend in the whole world, and I want to get her something really special.”

Vanessa smiled at the ten-year-old’s enthusiasm. “Well, you’ve come to the right place, sweetheart. We have lots of special things that would make perfect best friend gifts.”

As Katie began examining the nearby shelves with serious, intense concentration, Vanessa glanced over at Imogen. Her friend stood just inside the doorway, unwinding a cranberry-colored scarf from around her neck, and there was something about her that made Vanessa pause.

Something was going on, she felt sure of it. Imogen had been inordinately happy for a while now, but Vanessa had been mostly convinced by her friend that it was the high of her first full holiday season together with Lincoln, and the overall glow of being in love.

But Imogen looked absolutely radiant. Her cheeks were flushed and pink, her smile stretched ear to ear, and she looked as if she were bubbling over with joy. Imogen was always a happy, optimistic person, but Vanessa felt sure that there was something more to it. She looked as if she were holding onto a secret that she couldn’t wait to tell everyone else.

“Hey,” Imogen said, unzipping her coat. “Katie has been bugging me to come in and help her pick out Emma’s present for a week now. I figured it was as good a time as any.”

“Perfect timing,” Vanessa assured her. “We’re running some holiday promotions today too.” She paused, taking in Imogen’s appearance once more. “You look… really happy today. Like, unusually happy. Even for you.”