Page 19 of Winter in Kentbury
Holden,
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the cash infusion you gave the shop. You didn’t have to do all this, especially adding that brand-new kitchen to the apartment upstairs.
Yes, I know, you’re my partner and also, I’ve complained endlessly about living off frozen dinners. I get that technically the apartment is part of the flower shop, which makes it yours too—but this was a lot. You went above and beyond, and I hope you know how much I appreciate it, how much it’s meant to me.
With all the changes, the shop feels like it’s come alive again. The renovations have done wonders. The space is brighter, the new counters and display cases make the arrangements look even better, and there’s a warmth here now that’s hard to describe.
And the website.
Ever since the new site launched, I’ve been getting inquiries from brides all over New England. I’m officially hiring someone to help with the orders now, which feels surreal—like the dreams I’ve had for this shop are finally taking root and growing intosomething real. It’s everything I hoped for, and more than I thought was possible.
But enough about me—I want to know how you are. Are you doing okay? How is therapy going? I know you said it’s hard, and I can’t imagine what it’s like, but I’m proud of you. It’s brave to confront everything head-on, to let go of what’s been weighing you down.
You’re fighting for yourself, Holden, and it’s inspiring. Knowing you’re working toward a healthier place has given me the push I needed to work on myself, too. I’ve started therapy again, to face my own issues and the walls I’ve built around myself. If you’re working toward a goal, then I want to work toward one too—something better, something lasting.
Thank you for being here for me, for this shop, for everything. I can’t tell you how much it means to know you’re still part of my life, even from afar. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s true—I’ll never be able to thank you enough.
Take care of yourself, Holden. Let me know how you’re really doing.
Yours,
Jenna
Chapter Fifteen
Jenna
I can hardly believeit’s winter again. The snow’s drifted into every crevice of Kentbury, frosting each rooftop and blanketing the square, giving it that storybook look the Winter Festival is known for. Even though I’m not officially part of the planning,I’m handling all the flower arrangements this year—only now, I’m finally getting paid for it.
Genie McFolley, bless her well-meaning heart, had been asking for donations left and right, as if the shop could keep running on good intentions. She never knew just how close I came to losing the shop, how hard it was to tell anyone—not even my grandparents.
Admitting it felt like saying I’d let my grandmother’s beautiful store slip through my fingers, even though that wasn’t the truth. I’d simply been charging the same prices she’d set years ago. The world had changed, but the shop’s prices hadn’t. She could afford to keep them low, using the income as a bonus rather than a necessity. But for me, it was my livelihood, my everything.
I head toward the festival square, taking in the bustling crowd, the bright holiday lights, and the cheerful decorations strewn across the shops. It’s turned into a holiday bazaar with stalls selling handmade gifts, ornaments, and steaming mugs of hot cocoa. People are setting up garlands along lampposts, and Christmas music floats through the crisp air, filling the square with warmth despite the chill.
And then I see him.
Holden. He’s standing near the edge of the square, looking around like he’s searching for something—or maybe someone. He’s bundled up, his coat collar pulled up, a hint of scruff on his jaw that somehow makes him look both rugged and impossibly handsome.
My heart skips, then races, and for a second, I can’t move. He looks different. Older, stronger, carrying something deeper in his eyes. But when he spots me, his face lights up in a way that melts any distance that was between us.
I barely have time to catch my breath before he’s walking toward me, then running, a grin breaking over his face. Inthat split second, the whole square, the festival, the people—everything fades into the background. All that exists is him.
Holden sweeps me up into his arms, pulling me close. The warmth of his embrace is like stepping out of the cold and into the coziest firelit room. I bury my face against his shoulder, feeling his heart beat fast and strong against me.
“I got here earlier than I thought,” he murmurs, his voice rough, like he’s been holding back a thousand words just to say these. “I was on my way to find you.”
I pull back, looking up at him, my hands still resting on his chest, feeling the solid warmth of him beneath my fingertips. He searches my face as if he can’t quite believe I’m here in front of him. Then, before I can say anything else, he leans down, capturing my mouth in a kiss that sends a spark through every inch of me.
His lips are warm, insistent, and I feel his hand cup the back of my neck, pulling me closer, deepening the kiss. The world blurs around us, and all I can feel is him—his mouth moving against mine, the quiet, desperate hunger in his kiss that says everything words never could.
He kisses me like he’s making up for all the time we spent apart, for every moment he held back. His other hand slips to my waist, pulling me so close I can feel his heartbeat against mine, steady and real.
A soft sigh escapes me as I let myself melt into him, letting all the feelings I’d been holding back pour out in this kiss. My hands slide up to his face, feeling the warmth of his skin, the roughness of his stubble, grounding me in the reality of this moment.
It’s fierce, raw, and I feel like I’m drowning in him, in the heat that builds between us, in the way his thumb brushes gently along my jaw, in the way his lips seem to memorize every curve of mine.
When we finally break apart, I’m breathless, my cheeks flushed. Holden’s eyes are dark and full of something that sends shivers down my spine, and I can’t help but smile as I look up at him.
