Page 20 of Christmas Cove

America took stock of the items and closed her eyes. She flipped through the images she had stored in her mind from when Mr. Janowitz had pulled up the pictures on his computer a couple of days ago. The main street twinkled with thousands of mini lights glittering against the falling snow. Christmas trees dotted the storefronts, and wreaths hung from the streetlamps. She couldn’t do anything about the snow, but she could help with the twinkle.

With a smile as broad as the excitement she felt growing inside her at getting to decorate a space larger than her modest walk up, she rubbed her hands together. “Lights,” she said. “We should start with the lights.”

With her small band of helpers, America continued sorting the crates and containers, handing the lights to Leo, who relayed them to Edwin. Edwin stacked the goods on a dolly and made quick work of transporting it all to his truck. From one of the bins, she pulled out a red Santa hat with white fur and a small silver bell sewn to the tip. She donned the headgear and Leo grimaced. “What? It’s fitting, don’t you think?”

“No. This isn’t quite right,” Leo said while Edwin lugged crates out the door and to his own parked truck. Leo dug through a box and pulled out a brass bell and red tinsel garland. He handed her the bell. “Now you can order us all around properly.” He took the glittery garland and tied it around her waist like a belt.

“What’s this for?” she asked. “I feel ridiculous.”

“You look festive.”

America could do nothing but laugh. “This is what I asked for, I suppose.” She plucked a green tinsel garland from the same box and shimmied it in Leo’s direction.

“Oh, no! I don’t think so,” he said and walked backwards out of her reach.

America sprang into action and chased after the vexing man. “All is fair—”

“In love and war?” he said as he darted behind an old tractor.

“I was going to say, in Christmas Cove.” America used the tractor’s red painted metal wheel rim to fling herself around. She would cut off his escape route and tie him up in tinsel. Her thought made her laugh, and she nearly missed him crouching behind a hay bale. “If I have to be festive, so do you.”

Leo, seeing that she had cornered him, put his arms out. “I’ll play along for now,” he said and posed with his chin resting on his hands like a toddler beauty pageant winner.

She sniggered as she wrapped the garland around his neck like a scarf.

“Do you always get your way?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” America turned and walked towards the remaining crates. “If you mean that I don’t give up on what I want, then yes. I’m not a quitter.”

“I don’t know much about you, America Greene, but I’m starting to get the impression that if anyone can do the impossible, it’s you,” Leo said and caught up to her.

“And don’t you forget it,” she said and leaned towards him.

The two paused and locked eyes. America knew full well that she was teasing him with her proximity, but she let her breath linger between them. His eyes began to close as though he was expecting a kiss to follow.The poor fellow, she thought and nudged his shoulder out of her way.

“Nice try,” she said and picked up the next crate with more ease than she expected. It looked far heavier than it was, and the motion nearly flung her out of balance. Leo caught her by the waist and righted her for the second time. America wondered if she should keep a tally for possible repayment in the future.

Leo ran his hands through his tousled hair, the way she had seen earlier. “I’ll grab these last couple crates and meet you at the carriage.”

CHAPTER13

America plantedher feet on the wooden floorboards in the open carriage and stood. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mumbled.

“Whoa! What are you doing?” Leo said and fumbled the reins into one hand as he reached beside him to stabilize America at her waist again.

Threetimes, she thought.

“I have a plan,” she said. “Can you keep this horse going straight?”

“I’ll do my best,” Leo said and took the reins again with both hands.

America took a deep breath as he drove the carriage beneath the Main Street sign, and she lifted the brass bell high above her head. In a rhythm that matched Bingo’s trot, she rang the bell with more gusto than she ever had with anything else before. With each ding and dong, Christmas seemed to awaken a slumbering spirit within the town.

Her parade of lost toy soldiers, Leo, Edwin, and Bingo continued down Main Street. Edwin led the way in his faded blue Chevy truck. America and Leo followed behind in the carriage and she was glad that her clanging bell didn’t spook the horse. Bingo seemed to pick up his pace with the sound.

To her left, a woman poked her head out of a second-story window, no doubt to investigate the racket. Lights flicked on in a shop window to her right, and another window lit up down the street a little way. By the time they reached the white brick building at the end of the road, there were no fewer than a dozen curious spectators standing on the curb along the Main Street route.

“They’re either filled with Christmas joy, or they’re irritated about the show and are currently plotting a citizen’s arrest,” America joked.

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