Page 38 of Christmas Cove

“Before the storm?”

“I moved here and bam! No cove. And soon after, no Christmas either.”

She could feel his anger rise. She held his hand. “There was no way for you to know.”

He picked some grass and threw it into the flames. “I know. It’s just so sad, you know?”

“I can see that.” America paused. “But look around. Look what we’ve done in just a few days. Perhaps this isn’t the end of Christmas at the Cove. It can’t be.”

“Can’t it though?” He took both of her hands in his and pressed them to his chest. “All I have . . . all we have is in here. In our hearts. This place included. It’ll be in people’s hearts and memories for what? Another generation? Anyone who knows this place and how special it was will all be gone before too long—”

“We won’t let that happen. I promise,” America said.

“You can’t do that, America. In a couple of days, you’ll leave this place and never look back. To you, this is just an assignment, but this is my life.” Leo began to throw things back into the basket.

America was at a complete loss for words. Was he correct? Would she leave in a few days and be done with this place? How could she know for sure, and how could she promise anything to him? He was, like he rightly pointed out, just an assignment.

Without warning, he got up. “I had a great night tonight, but it’s time for me to go. I’ll see you tomorrow and take you to Elizabethtown. Is ten o’clock a suitable time?” he said.

CHAPTER20

With a stackof freshly printed and still warm fliers in her lap, America shifted her weight away from Edwin sitting on the driver’s side of the truck bench.

“Pa, thanks for taking me into Elizabethtown on such short notice,” America said.

He had offered to take her into town when Leo couldn’t make it to pick her up. Leo’s excuse had been something about a sore throat, but she suspected the truth had more to do with their conversation at the bonfire. He probably needed some time to think after she upset what would have otherwise been a perfect date.

She admitted that she could use some time alone with her own thoughts, too. Going to Elizabethtown seemed like the perfect diversion from her unexpected infatuation with the very handsome, very eligible young mayor. In the meantime, Edwin offered to help hand out the fliers while attending to some other business in town. America planned to pass out the fliers on her way to the library.

“And thanks for driving me down Main Street so that I could snap some photos of all the work we did. I’m really grateful to have met you this week,” America said as the gray scenery screamed by outside her window.

“Can I ask you something, city girl?” Edwin said.

“What’s that?”

“Why do you care so much?” he asked and cleared his throat. “About helping my little town, I mean?”

“For starters, I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year,” she began. “It’s not the presents, or the dinner parties for me. It’s a holiday where people come together. Everyone is a little more kind, a bit more generous with their time, and everything glitters. The snow, the ornaments, the twinkly lights, they all scream the Good News.” A smile pushed her cheeks up. She could speak about this particular topic for as long as someone was willing to listen.

Edwin made a noise in his throat that indicated he was listening but hadn’t yet heard a clear answer to his question. “That’s a very political answer. I know there’s more.”

“You are correct, and far too wise for your own good,” she said. “To be honest, I always spend Christmas with my parents, but this year they jetted off to Italy for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to trace my mother’s heritage. And… let’s just say, when I came here, to the Cove, I was expecting a wholly dissimilar experience to the one I was dumped into.” America shifted her position on the truck bench and looked at the side of Edwin’s face. “I’d never seen such a sad place. Everything here was dull and lifeless. No offense.”

“None taken,” he smirked. “Though, Carol might think differently. Everything offends her these days.”

“You know? She told me to kick you for calling her Scrooge?”

“That sounds right. But she probably didn’t tell you why I call her that.” His brow over his right eye lifted with his cheek.

“Do tell,” she said, glad to be talking about something other than herself.

“I was sweet on Carol. Oh, decades ago when we were in high school. She was on the dance team, and she was magnificent. I joined the basketball team just to see her dance at half time. We never spoke, not more than ahelloorgood game,until it was time for the winter formal.”

“Let me guess,” America snuck her words in between his breaths. “You asked her to the dance, and she said no?”

“Actually, she said yes,” he laughed as though he was still in shock after all these years. “I was just as surprised as everyone else. Carol never went steady with anyone in high school.”

“Then what happened?”

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