Page 24 of Christmas Cove

“He’s driving me bonkers. He asks me every three and a half minutes if I need anything or if my water has broken. I’ve been keeping him busy with little projects around the farm. That helps.”

“He’s getting more lights?”

“Ha. Ha. No. Well, maybe actually. I’m not sure about the lights. You never can have too many.” She smiled. “He was getting some things for the bonfire.”

“That’s tonight?” Leo said.

Jenny shook her head while finishing another bite. “Tomorrow, I think. He looked at the weather and it seemed like the best night to do it before that cold front comes in next week. You gonna go?”

Leo looked back up the street, where a very enthusiastic America teetered on a ladder, hanging wreaths on light poles and fluffing every red bow in sight. Her white teeth glowed, even at the distance, and her laughter carried in the air to his ears. “I think I just might go this year.”

Jenny made a teasing noise like that of a seventh grader and nudged her shoulder against his. “I didn’t know you were sweet on anyone. Do tell.”

“I’m not sweet, exactly.” Leo said. “Charmed though.”

Jenny stood and propped her tote back on her shoulder. “Whoever she is, you’re a lucky guy.”

“Isn’t that backwards, the saying?” Leo ran his fingers through his hair, like he did when he was nervous.

“Nope,” she said. “You thought I was going to say that whoever she is, she’s a lucky girl. But anyone who knows you, knows that it’s the other way around. Someone who can put up with you is a gem. Don’t let such a trinket go.”

He should have argued, but Jenny was right. He would be the lucky one. Leo locked onto America, surrounded by an ethereal haze, perhaps from the interplay of sun and fog, but the effect was the same. She had appeared in town like an angel sent from heaven.

Sensing his focus, she waved at him to join her near the fountain.

“It was nice to see you, Jenny. Tell Cam hello for me.”

Jenny began across the street and paused. “Do you need his help with all this?”

“I’ll let him know. Thanks.” All the support and offers of help filled Leo with gratitude. He’d become mayor right before the storm and had never felt more like a real mayor than he did at that very moment. Mayors would always have some crisis or thing to fix, and as he approached the fountain, he was proven correct. “What happened?”

“Edwin thinks it’s the breaker,” America said. “You want to check it out?”

Leo took her by the hand and spun her towards the building. They would be checking it out together. He hurried up the steps, skipping every other one, and pushed into the grand hallway. Once in the mayor’s office, he opened the electrical panel and checked each breaker.

“None of these tripped. It must be the main,” he said and closed the box.

“Where’s the main?”

“You’re not going to like it,” he said.

“And how would you know what I do or do not like?”

“I know you like Christmas, very much.” He took her hand and led her down the hallway to a back staircase that led both up to the second floor and down to the cellar, off the main level. “It’s now or never?”

America chuckled and pulled back on his hand. A worry line creased between her brows, and he wanted to massage it away with his thumb. “You’re worried?”

“Remember when I asked you if you were going to murder me?”

“What is it with you and the murder stuff?” He thought quickly how he would explain away a murder and produced nothing. It just wasn’t in him, which begged the question, why was it something on her mind?

“My assistant, Poppy, forced me to binge watch true crime shows last summer, and now I can’t help it,” America admitted, and her cheeks flushed. “I don’t mean to offend you. You seem like a non-killer.”

“How can you be certain?” Leo growled and felt ridiculous for having done so, but couldn’t take back the noise. So, he pretended to clear his throat with a cough instead.

“I just know things.” She winked, and it about undid him. “Let’s get going.”

Leo led the way, happy to be in front of her, and not stuck behind her where he would be forced to admire her mahogany brown curls twisted into a blob on top of her head. In front of him, a dim safety light illuminated the treads down to the basement. He had only been downstairs a handful of times. With virtually no town business to attend to, there was no need to be in the office, and thus, he had no reason to visit the downstairs level.

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