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“Yes, but be warned that all that snow will probably fall off once you lift the tree up. You’ll be covered in the stuff.” Mabel watched as Izzy carefully fitted it into its stand and opened up the branches. “There should be decorations inside the box.”

Izzy found them, stored safely in a tin. “They’re beautiful.” She pulled one of them out, a wooden figure on a hand-painted sled.

“Look, a reindeer.” Elsie delved into the tin and Poppy joined her.

“I want one.”

“Don’t break it! It’s delicate.”

“They’re gorgeous. And unusual.” Taking extra care, Izzy hung one on the tree. “Where did they come from, Mabel?”

“I did a book signing in Sweden one year. I bought them there. The whole trip was a magical experience. We sat outside snuggled in sheepskin and warm blankets drinking glögg, Swedish mulled wine. No one seemed daunted by the snow. Those Nordic countries do winter well. I picked up a few ideas that prepared me well for life in our rural corner of Vermont.”

“They’re special. It must be great to have a talent like yours.” Izzy reached for another decoration. “Your books helped me through a really difficult time when I was young.”

Jason glanced up from the book he’d been flicking through and she wished she’d kept her comments more impersonal. She could almost anticipate his next question.

Fortunately, Poppy wasn’t interested in deep adult conversation, so Jason wasn’t given the opportunity to ask it.

“I want to decorate the tree.” Poppy grabbed the tin and she and Elsie helped hang the rest of the decorations.

Izzy had to admit that the finished tree looked pretty. Poppy had concentrated all the decorations in one place and it made her smile because she remembered doing the same thing herself. She’d been thrilled with her handiwork until her stepmother had seen it and redistributed the decorations as she wanted them. We have people coming over, she’d said. I want it to look good.

Her stepmother had a view of how the world should be and was determined that her life would match her expectations. Everything had to be perfect.

Izzy had given up on life ever matching her expectations. She’d finally accepted that the world that she imagined in her head didn’t match the world outside.

“It needs lights.” Elsie frowned at the tree. “It would be much prettier with lights.”

Izzy agreed. “Did you and Matt rescue all the boxes from the car?”

Jason closed the book. “Yes. At least, I think so. They’re in the hallway.”

“The large square one should be full of fairy lights.” She’d thought that a few photographs showcasing how the client’s house might look in the festive season would be a useful addition to the portfolio, but the client hadn’t wanted even a hint of Christmas in his home. “Fortunately for us, our client wasn’t big on fairy lights.”

Jason levered himself out of the chair. “Not his favourite time of year, I’m guessing, but I don’t suppose he’s the only one to feel that way.” He paused, as if he was going to say something else, and then nodded. “I’ll get the box.”

His gaze connected with hers as he crossed the room, and her stomach did a small flip. Why couldn’t he be the kind of guy who backed off from women with a complicated history? Why was he looking at her with warmth and understanding? It really wasn’t helping.

The problem with that one perfect night was that during the days and nights that had followed, she’d felt as if something was missing. One highlight followed by a hundred lowlights. Every time she looked at him she thought about it, and she didn’t know how to stop that happening.

She was so aware of him that she felt sure her feelings must be visible to others, but when she sneaked a glance at Brooke, she was talking to Mabel about the author events her parents had hosted in their bookstore.

When Jason carried the box in a few moments later, both the children fell on it.

“Not sure Santa can bring anything more exciting than that,” Matt said, watching as the girls strung the lights around the tree, standing on tiptoe to reach the highest branches.

“The lights normally go on before the decorations,” Brooke murmured, breaking off her conversation with Mabel, but then gave a shrug and a smile. “But who cares? Everyone seems happy. That’s all that matters. It’s going to look great, I’m sure.”

After the tree was decorated and the pancakes were cooked and devoured, they settled back in the library to put together decorations.

Outside, the storm still blew and the snow still swirled, but the children were too excited about the contents of the boxes to pay any attention to the vagaries of the weather. To them, it was little more than a Christmassy backdrop to their morning of cosy activity.

One of the boxes rescued from the attic contained ribbon, and Izzy selected a roll of wide red velvet and also a rich green.

“This is gorgeous. Much better than the ribbon I have in my box.” She set about making bows, with Elsie and Poppy helping.

“What are we going to do with them?”