Page 19 of The Bear's Christmas Wish
The lights cast a warm glow across his face, highlighting the small crinkles around his eyes when he smiled. And boy, did he smile a lot.
He was one of the happiest people she’d ever met. Filled with a childlike wonder for the season.
He was always there to help out, whether it was untangling lights, helping a child reach a higher branch, or simply sharing a joke or a kind word of encouragement.
Sarah found herself watching Michael more than the tree, the way his large, careful hands secured ornaments to branches, how he crouched down to Emmy’s level when she asked for help reaching higher spots.
There was something about Michael’s smile that gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling despite the cool night air. It wasn’t just polite or professional, no, it always reached his eyes, sometimes a little shy, but always genuine.
Once or twice, she’d caught him stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, before quickly turning his attention back to whatever ornament he was hanging.
Maybe he felt the same strange pull she did. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Sarah pressed her lips together, forcing herself to focus on the bauble in her hand. She was newly divorced and vulnerable. That’s all this was.
Perhaps subconsciously, she was simply after male attention to prove she was still desirable, still worthy of love after Liam had made her feel so utterly replaceable.
But what did it matter anyway? Emmy was the most important person in her world now. Sarah didn’t intend to parade a string of boyfriends through her daughter’s life, creating more instability when Emmy had already weathered so much change.
Though if she were honest with herself, she wasn’t thinking about a string of boyfriends. Just one. Michael North.
“Are you okay?” Pat asked.
Sarah jumped, nearly dropping the glass bauble she’d been absently turning in her hands. She hadn’t realized her mother was standing beside her, watching her face with knowing eyes.
“Yes,” Sarah said, her voice breathless. She cleared her throat. “I was just trying to decide where to hang this.” She held up the bauble, a blue glass ball with silver swirls that caught the light.
“Uh-huh,” Pat said with a raised eyebrow, her gaze drifting to Michael, who was watching them from across the tree but quickly looked away when he realized he’d been caught. Pat’s expression was far too knowing for Sarah’s comfort.
“Emmy’s enjoying herself,” Sarah said, changing the subject.
Pat smiled indulgently as they both watched Emmy and Maisie hanging glittering snowflakes on the tree. “She is. It’s so good to see her so happy.” Pat squeezed Sarah’s hand. “She deserves it.” Her voice softened. “And so do you.”
Tears pricked Sarah’s eyes unexpectedly. She focused on hanging the bauble through a mist of tears, blinking rapidly. Thelast thing she needed was to start crying in the middle of the town square, surrounded by people she barely knew.
“Mulled wine?” A middle-aged woman with warm eyes and a bright smile offered them each a steaming cup.
“Thanks, Cassia,” Pat said, accepting a cup. “This is my daughter, Sarah.”
“Good to meet you, Sarah.” Cassia handed the second cup to Sarah.
“Thanks, you, too,” Sarah said, grateful for the distraction as she accepted the cup. “This smells heavenly.”
Cassia smiled as she looked up toward the top of the tree, where the star would soon be placed. “Much like the North family providing the tree, the mulled wine is a Thornberg tradition, not that I’ve ever been a part of it. This is my first Christmas in Bear Creek.”
“It is?” Sarah asked, sipping the wine. The spiced warmth spread through her chest, easing some of the tightness there.
“Yes, I moved here earlier in the year,” Cassia replied.
“Cassia fell in love with a Thornberg,” Pat interjected, then added with a wink, “love has been in the air for the Thornbergs this year.”
Cassia chuckled. “It has. And the family has grown, with a few grandchildren added to the ranch and the vineyard.” She stroked her belly gently, and Sarah noticed for the first time the slight curve there. “It’s been a blessed year.”
Sarah felt a jolt of longing so intense it surprised her. She had always wanted another child, a brother or sister for Emmy. The timing had never been right with Liam. Now that dream seemed further away than ever.
“We should catch up over coffee sometime, Sarah,” Cassia said. “Or a cinnamon spice latte.”
“I’d like that,” Sarah replied. If she were going to settle here, she wanted to make new friends. And it would be good to trade stories with another newcomer to the town.
