Page 31

I frown. “No, you didn’t.”

“Yeah.” He chuckles. “I did. You were walking like a woman on a mission, though. You looked like a pinball.” Gabe turns his attention up the road, and I fall into step next to him. “The town still does it up so big for Christmas,” he murmurs.

I hum. “It’s sort of our thing.”

“You should keep your head up. You don’t want to miss this.”

I try to take in Dasher Valley’s quaint downtown strip with fresh eyes—as fresh as my eyes can be after walking this street every day for the past five years. I’ve been so busy with my to-do list and my commitments lately that I haven’t taken the time to really appreciate what’s around me.

A dreamy glow cascades down from vintage street lamps. On the upper end of every pole, near the lanterns, there’s an evergreen wreath. They’re all different. Some have red bows tied to them. Others are studded with pine cones. Still, others are flocked and their glittery white tips sparkle. The poles themselves are wrapped in more garland with white twinkle lights intertwined.

All the businesses lining Rudolph Run are done up too, with twinkle lights lining roofs and windows. The oversized leaf-barren trees set off the road and beyond the buildings are wound with small glittery lights. They peek out over the top of the townscape and provide a warm, festive backdrop to our main street.

Up ahead is the town green, with the gazebo sitting center stage.

Gabe nods toward the structure. “Looks like that thing was taken straight out of a Christmas movie.”

“Couldn’t agree more. That’s what I was going for,” I add.

“You decorated it?”

“Nah, the ladies at Bows and Boughs did that.”

The boutique sits opposite my bookstore on Rudolph Run, and the owners, Naomi and Kyra, have become good friends. We’re putting on a wreath-making event together next week.

“They have a better eye than I do,” I tell Gabe. “But I did give it a fresh coat of white paint. Had to get it looking fresh for the holiday season.”

“You painted the entire gazebo?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” I hit him with a mock scowl. “I can be pretty handy when I put my mind to it.”

“But when did you find the time?”

I shrug. I worked three weekends in a row to get the painting done back in October, but there’s no need to draw attention to that, so I sidestep the question. “It turned out good, don’t you think?”

“It looks amazing.”

I smile. The white paint shines, and the lights wound around every pillar of the gazebo pop. The green swags of garland hanging from the roof make the space look like a holiday oasis.

“And Dash Away Books looks great.” Gabe gestures behind us in the direction of my store.

“Thanks.” I can’t help the sigh that escapes.

“What? You don’t agree?”

“No, I do. It’s just hard to know if what I’ve done with the place is enough. I mean, you said it. Look around. The rest of the town literally glows.”

“So does your store,” Gabe assures me. “The book tree is brilliant, by the way.”

He’s not wrong.

“It’s my crowning achievement.” I shoot him a small grin and then turn my attention to the town green.

Santa is parked in the center of the gazebo, with a line of kids and their parents in a rainbow sea of winter coats, knit hats, and long scarves. Excited squeals echo around the green, mixing with the hum of conversation and the strands of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” We rigged up an outdoor sound system just for this event.

“Whatcha asking Santa for this year?” Gabe asks.

“A Dasher Valley 8 appointment.”