Page 15 of Sweet Christmas Comeback
She felt it then—not just hope, but genuine confidence. The kind that came from solving real problems and seeing concrete results. The oven was fixed. The display case gleamed under its bright LED lights. The windows sparkled. The bakery was clean, warm, and filled with the sounds of actual business.
For the first time since arriving in Frost Pine Ridge, Jade allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, she could actually pull this off.
The bell over the door chimed, and Jade looked up with a smile, ready to greet another customer. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Cecily Glick.
Cecily swept into the bakery like a cold front, her cream-colored cashmere coat and severe chignon making the warm, cozy space suddenly feel smaller. Her gray eyes took in the bustling activity, the nearly empty display case, the obvious signs of a business that was thriving, and her expression grew pinched.
“Miss Bennett,” she said, her voice carrying a particular chill that could freeze hot coffee mid-sip. “I see you’ve been... busy.”
“Hello, Cecily,” Jade replied, forcing her voice to remain pleasant. “What can I help you with today?”
Cecily’s gaze swept the room, taking in every detail of Felicity’s decorating work with obvious disapproval. The garland, the twinkling lights, the festive ornaments—all of it seemed to offend her personally.
“I’m here on official business,” Cecily announced, pulling a heavy, cream-colored envelope from her ridiculously small leather handbag. “It has come to my attention that this establishment has made numerous modifications to its exterior appearance without proper approval from the Historical Organization.”
She placed the envelope on the counter with the precision of someone serving legal papers. “This is an official notice of violation. You have seventy-two hours to remove all non-period-appropriate decorations and return the building to its approved historical appearance.”
Jade stared at the envelope as if it might bite her. “It’s Christmas garland, Cecily. And some lights.”
“It is an unauthorized modification of a historically significant facade,” Cecily corrected, her voice dripping with false patience. “Furthermore, your recent... activities... have drawn complaints from concerned citizens about noise, increased traffic, and general disruption to the peaceful nature of our historic district.”
“Complaints from who?” Jade asked.
“That information is confidential. However, I can tell you that the concerns are serious enough to warrant immediate action.” Cecily’s smile was sharp enough to cut glass. “I trust you’ll comply promptly. The fines for continued violations are quite substantial.”
She turned to go, then paused at the door, delivering her parting shot with surgical precision. “It would be such a shame if all this... effort... were to go to waste due to a simple failure to follow proper procedures.”
The door closed behind her with a decisive click, leaving the bakery in stunned silence.
Jade stared at the envelope, her triumph from the morning’s repair success dimming. She opened it and scanned the official-looking document, her frown deepening.
“What does it say?” Mabel asked, moving closer to peer over her shoulder.
“Violation of Bylaw seventeen-point-four,” Jade read aloud. “Non-period-appropriate exterior decorations.” She looked up at the garland framing the windows—thick, lush, and undeniably artificial. “They don’t allow garland?”
“Well, that’s not so bad,” Mabel said, relief evident in her voice. “I was afraid she was going to shut us down entirely.”
Jade kept reading. “Actually... wait.” She pulled out her phone and did a quick search. “According to the town website, pine garland is specifically allowed for holiday decorating. It’s just that...” She looked at Felicity’s beautiful white and silver garland with its shiny bows. “It has to be actual pine. Not artificial.”
“Oh!” Mabel’s face brightened. “That’s easy enough. There’s a whole forest of pine trees in the back. We can just replace what’s there with real pine. Though Felicity’s garland does look stunning.”
Jade felt the knot in her stomach begin to loosen. “So we just need to swap out the garland?”
“Exactly. Cecily’s just being her usual nitpicky self.” Mabel waved a dismissive hand. “She probably spent an hour with a magnifying glass looking for something to complain about.”
Jade looked out the window at the dark stretch of evergreens. “It feels wrong just cutting branches off those trees.”
Mabel shrugged. “Well, technically those belong to Leo, so I doubt he’d fuss. Or we could stop by Brice’s tree farm—he’s got gorgeous boughs for garland. But maybe you should ask Leo. You were planning to talk to him about the festival routes anyway, weren’t you?”
Jade looked at her aunt suspiciously. “You’re not trying to play matchmaker, are you?”
“Me? Absolutely not.” Mabel’s expression was the picture of innocence. “I’m just being practical. Two birds, one stone, and all that.”
Despite everything, Jade found herself smiling. “Right. Practical.”
She walked to the kitchen and pulled out her notepad—the one where she’d already mapped out tentative routes and stops for the Tree Lighting festivities. She flipped through pages of careful planning: potential sleigh paths, cocoa station locations, timing estimates. Below her route sketches, she added, “Get pine garland - ask Leo about best branches.”
With only six days left until the Tree Lighting ceremony, there was no time to waste. She needed Leo’s input on which routes were actually feasible for the reindeer, how many passengers the sleighs could safely carry, and a dozen other logistics that required his expertise.
