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“Uh-huh,” Stan said, and Henry could hear the amusement in his voice. “And this wouldn’t have anything to do with, say, that she’s very pretty? Or sweet? Or that you’re finally taking an interest in someone?”

Henry felt heat rise in his cheeks, grateful that Stan couldn’t see his reaction through the phone. “Stan, can you help her or not?”

“Relax, Henry. I’m just giving you a hard time. You know I’d do just about anything for you, especially after all the years you’ve kept our electrical systems running smoothly.”

“So there’s space available?”

“Well, it is pretty last minute,” Stan said, and Henry could hear him shuffling through what sounded like paperwork. “Most people book their spots months in advance. But as it happens, the Joneses had to cancel their booth yesterday—their daughter went into early labor, and they’re flying out to be with her and the new grandbaby.”

Henry felt a surge of relief so strong it surprised him. “That’s wonderful. I mean, not about the early labor, but about the booth space.”

Stan chuckled. “I know what you meant. And Henry? You must really like this woman to go out of your way like this. I’ve known you for a long time, and I can’t remember the last time you asked for a personal favor.”

The observation hit closer to home than Henry wanted to admit, even to himself. Stan was right, he didn’t like asking others for things. The fact that he was calling in a favor for Nicole was definitely out of character.

“I just think she deserves a chance to share her work with the community,” Henry said, avoiding Stan’s implication about the nature of his feelings for Nicole. “It’s really good. She’s very talented.”

Stan chuckled. “So you said. Fair enough. But I’m going to need some details if I’m going to make this happen. What’s her name, and what kind of knitted goods are we talking about?”

“Her name is Nicole Peterson, and she makes beautiful scarves, hats, gloves… all kinds of wearable knitted things. She’s very skilled, even though she claims it’s just a hobby.”

“Nicole Peterson,” Stan repeated, and Henry could hear him writing. “I’ll need her to come by my office tomorrow morning to fill out the paperwork and pay the booth fee. Can you make sure she knows that?”

“Absolutely. Stan, I really appreciate this.”

“Don’t mention it. And Henry? I’m glad to hear you taking an interest in someone again. Daisy wouldn’t have wanted you to spend the rest of your life alone.”

The mention of his wife’s name sent a familiar pang through Henry’s chest. It made him immediately want to pull back from any thought of ‘taking an interest,’ but he just nodded, even though Stan couldn’t see him.

“I’ll talk to you soon, Stan. Thanks again.”

After he hung up, Henry sat alone in his shop, staring at his phone and trying to process the conversation that had just taken place. Stan was right, he was going out of his way more than normal for Nicole. And he did feel something for her, something that was entirely unexpected.

It had all been meant to be innocent. He’d needed an assistant and she needed a job. But he was looking forward to seeing her every day, more and more. He liked her company, her sense of humor, her smile and her laugh. He found himself looking forward to her questions, her observations about the job, the way she approached each new challenge with determination and good humor. She was tough, smart, practical, and just… fun to be around. He liked her.

He thought he might like her as more than just an assistant.

More than that, he had begun to notice things about her that had nothing to do with Christmas light installations or scheduling appointments or her work ethic in general. The way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear when she was concentrating, or the way her laugh reminded him of Christmas bells. The way she got a little emotional every time she saw someone overjoyed by the job they’d done on lighting a house.

And now here he was, calling in favors and going out of his way to create opportunities for her, acting like a man who was… what, exactly? Interested in someone who might just be passing through?

Or she might not be. He still didn’t really know what her story was, and he hadn’t shared that much of himself either.. The thought was scary, that he might be opening up to someone new. He’d closed himself off to all of that, finished that chapter for good, he’d thought. He’d made himself a life that he could live alone. Letting someone new into that carefully constructed space felt like the ultimate betrayal of the life he had shared with his wife.

But as he sat in the gathering darkness of his shop, Henry found himself thinking about what Daisy would actually want for him. She had been the most generous, loving person he had ever known, someone who had wanted happiness for everyone around her. Would she really want him to spend the remainder of his years alone, rejecting the possibility of companionship and joy?

The answer, he knew, was no. Daisy had loved him enough to want him to find happiness again, even if that happiness came from someone else. She had been secure enough in their love to know that caring for another person wouldn’t diminish what they had shared together. She’d want him to be happy, no matter what that meant.

The realization was liberating… and overwhelming. If he allowed himself to pursue whatever was developing between him and Nicole, he would be stepping into uncharted territory, risking the comfortable isolation he’d felt safe in for so long. There would be no guarantees, no promise that things would work out the way he hoped. He didn’t even know if she was staying in Fir Tree Grove.

But there would also be possibility. The chance for conversation and companionship, for shared meals and comfortable silences, for someone to care about his day and look forward to seeing him, to make plans with for the future. He didn’t really have a future right now, he realized, just a day to day. He could have more than that. He could have a partner, have someone whose happiness mattered as much as his own.

And even if it wasn’t Nicole, just trying with her would make it possible for him to be open to it with someone else. Just considering it gave him more of a future than he’d had in years.

He thought about Nicole’s face when he had suggested the holiday market, the way her eyes had lit up with excitement. Making that call to Stan had been worth it just to see that reaction, to know that he had played a part in encouraging her to take a risk on herself.

And maybe, Henry thought as he finally turned off the shop lights and headed toward the door, it was time for him to take a few risks of his own.

CHAPTER NINETEEN