Page 35 of Christmas Promises

“And I think I’d be a fool not to take her up on it even though it’s not the wisest decision financially. There’s something about this place that feels so right to me.”

“Despite the quietness of it?”

“Because of the quiet. I can hear my own thoughts here, instead of having them drowned out by the noise of the city.”

“I want you to stay. Very much.” That slipped out before he could stop himself.

“I’m glad.” She sighed, nestling closer. “I never imagined this would happen. The day of the wedding, I thought I might die from pain and embarrassment and yet here I am—with you on a sleigh ride. Nolan Hayes, my dream man. Isn’t life strange and beautiful?”

“Am I really your dream man?”

“Since the moment I met you. No one ever measured up to you.”

“I’ve felt the same way about you.”

“Aren’t we lucky, then? To have found our way back together?”

“Yes, we are,” Nolan said. “Very lucky.”

The horses shook their heads and whinnied, as if encouraging this second chance at love.

9

LANEY

Laney woke the morning after their date at Mia’s with a text from Nolan asking if she’d like to go with him to get his very first Christmas tree for his first Christmas in his newly remodeled home. She replied that she would love to but had to work until three. He suggested he pick her up at the bookstore, and they could head out when she was done with her shift.

She spent the morning helping customers and unpacking books for holiday displays. She’d yet to mention to her aunt that her parents wanted to come visit for Christmas. During her lunch hour, she stopped by the back office where Aunt Edna was doing paperwork.

“Do you have a minute?” Laney asked.

“For you, always.” Edna set aside her pen and gave Laney her full attention.

Laney sat in the guest chair, splaying her hands over her knees. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a red-and-white-striped sweater that looked like Christmas candy. “Mom texted the other day. She wants to visit for Christmas.”

“Here?” Edna’s eyes widened.

“Yes, that’s what she said. I told her I’d talk to you about it to make sure you were all right with the idea. They would stay at the inn.”

Aunt Edna looked down at her desk for a second before answering. “I don’t know how much your mother’s told you about our upbringing.”

“Not that much.”

“We were very poor, especially after our mom died. Your mother and I basically raised ourselves. He wasn’t much of a parent.”

“She’s mentioned that but never elaborates.”

“She told me once she didn’t want our bad childhood to rub off on you. Christmas was especially bleak. Our dad had a bad habit of spending his money on drink, so we never had enough to eat.”

Laney felt sad thinking of the two little girls at Christmas without presents or warmth, not to mention food. “Mom always gave me the best Christmases when I was little.”

“That’s one of the magical things about children and Christmas. No matter what the adults might feel about the holidays, children make us want to make it special for them.”

Where was her aunt going with this?

As if she asked the question out loud, her aunt said, “The reason I bring this up—I haven’t celebrated Christmas in years. Usually, I just spend the day in my pajamas watching movies and eating food, which is bad for me. Grace always asks if I want to join them, but it’s too hard to be around a happy family on Christmas Day.”

“Is that what you want to do this year? Stay at home?”

---