Page 28 of A Bright Winter Season

“And clearly, sharing meals brings people together,” Samantha said, gesturing with a dramatic flourish at the food-covered table in front of them.

Vivian laughed. “Oh, you’re all darling. Thank you. I’m glad we’re putting this event together as a family.”

“I am too,” Julia said. “I know it’s going to be wonderful. You just forget about the McCormicks and focus on having fun. This Christmas event is going to be spectacular.”

Vivian smiled, feeling encouraged by Julia’s words. Soon the conversation changed to other subjects, and the room was filled with the sounds of laughter and bantering again. Vivian still felt a little ruffled by the news of what the McCormicks were trying to do, but she felt grateful to be there with her supportive children, enjoying a delicious meal and looking forward to Christmas.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Hazel pushed open the front door of the pub, taking a deep breath. She loved the moment of stepping out of the cold and into the warm, cozy restaurant. The smell of garlic and other seasonings lingered in the air, and her stomach growled a little, reminding her that she was late for lunch.

I ate so much at breakfast though,she thought cheerfully.Mom really outdid herself with that food. It was amazing.

She began to whistle a little as she walked over to the front window. In her hand was a stack of posters, and in her pocket was a sheet of clear sticky tabs. She was on a mission to hang posters about The Lighthouse Grill’s community Christmas event all over town, and her first stop was there in the pub itself.

She set the posters down on the wide windowsill and set to work hanging up one of the posters in the window. She smiled as she looked at the beautiful design that Alexis had come up with. She thought the posters looked homey, charming, and eye-catching.

I’m sure we’re going to get a lot of people to come to this event,she thought as she pressed the poster against the sticky tabs, making sure it would stay stuck to the window. She had the poster facing the sidewalk outside, so that anyone walking pastthe pub would see it and be able to read it. For good measure, she hung up a second poster directly behind it, this time having it face the inside of the pub.

She began to go through a mental checklist of all the other places she wanted to hang up her posters. She definitely wanted to put some up in Ocean Breeze Café and Seaside Sweets Bakery.

And there’s the library, and the hardware store, and the banks,she thought.I’m glad it’s not snowing anymore! I’ve got quite the hike ahead of me.

She started to make her way back to the front door, but then she paused as she noticed Jacob on a ladder in the corner of the dining room, working on replacing the air vents.

He was standing at the top of the ladder, reaching down for a tool that was resting on a lower rung. It was clear that he was having trouble reaching, since he was holding a vent part in place with his other hand. Although Hazel knew that Jacob was a professional and she was sure he had everything under control, she decided to go over to him and see if he needed any help.

“Hey.” She walked up to his ladder, smiling. “You need one of those arm-extender claws. You should add one to your tool chest.” She picked up the tool he’d been reaching for and handed it to him.

“Thanks.” He grinned. “That’s a good idea. Either that or I could just have you around all the time to help me out. That would be the other solution.”

Hazel chuckled. She had to admit to herself that there had been a time when such a comment from him would have sent her hopes skyrocketing, but she kept her emotions in check. After all, he was dating someone else. There was no need for her feelings to get out of whack in response to a sweet comment like that.

“How about you just call me if you ever have another reaching emergency?” she teased. “I can be here in ten minutes.”

He laughed. “Sounds like a plan.” He went back to working on the air vent, smiling as though their conversation had made him happy. She watched him for a few moments, curious about his work.

“How involved is this job?” she asked. “Pretty tricky?”

“Oh, not really. There’s some stuff that requires precise accuracy, but it’s not a difficult task overall. I mean, I won’t actually need anyone’s help to complete it, knock on wood.” He winked at her and knocked on the molding. “It won’t take me all that long, and it’s nothing I can’t handle on my own.”

“Mm, seems like you can handle everything on your own except figuring out how to reach your tools without my help.” She grinned at him, and he started laughing.

“Well, like we said, if I get stuck again I’m going to call you and you’ll be here in ten minutes. You promise, right?”

“Cross my heart.”

She was about to tease him even more, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Alexis had paused in her work of waiting tables and was watching the two of them interact. Alexis had a suspicious, almost gleeful, smile on her face.

Hazel decided that if she was making Alexis think that there was something going on between her and Jacob, it was time to leave. After all, he had a girlfriend, and she didn’t mean to flirt with him. She didn’t want anyone to misinterpret her friendliness toward him.

“I guess I’d better go,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I’ve got to hang up the rest of these posters around town.”

“Well, if you’re ever too short to reach something and you need a ladder or a tall man, call me. I promise to be there in ten minutes.”

Hazel laughed again, delighted by his teasing. “Yeah? Perfect. I’ll keep you on speed dial.”

Grinning at each other, she and Jacob said goodbye. Hazel waved breezily at Alexis before stepping back out into the frosty air. She held the posters with one hand and tucked her other hand into her pocket. As she started to walk toward Ocean Breeze Café, she couldn’t help thinking about her bantering with Jacob and smiling.

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