Page 61 of A South Hill Christmas Keepsake
This time, she wasn’t planning the moment. She was living it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Nate hadn’t slept much after the tree lighting, or all the activities of festival weekend, but by Christmas Eve morning the tightness in his chest had finally eased. Some things can’t be fixed all at once, only lived through, one good deed at a time.
That afternoon, he and Hannah Leigh walked down Main Street with their arms full of packages. The air crisp and ringing with the jingle of shop bells and the crunch of footsteps on frosted sidewalks.
“Feels like Santa’s sleigh,” she said, shifting a gold-foiled box full of homemade gifts for special folks in town from Winnie under her arm. “Except we don’t have eight tiny reindeer to haul this stuff.”
Nate grinned and bumped her shoulder. “But we’ve got the prettiest elf in three counties, and that’s even better if you ask me.”
She shot him a teasing look. “You’re a flirt.”
“I can’t help myself when I’m with you.”
The sound that escaped her was light, effortless and full of light. “Come on, Romeo. Mrs. Jenkins is next on the list.”
At the little white house on Elm, the smell of ham and cloves met them before they could knock. Mrs. Jenkins flung the door open, flour dusting her apron and cheer lighting her face. “Oh, my stars! What have you two got there?”
“It’s from the church circle,” Hannah Leigh said, handing over the bundle. “Cookies, cider mix, and one of Aunt Winnie’s cranberry chutneys.”
“Your aunt’s chutney could cure the blues.” Mrs. Jenkins pressed her hands on top of Hannah Leigh’s. “Bless you both. Please thank her for thinking of me.”
From porch to porch, door to door, they carried warmth in brown paper and ribbon, each thank-you another flicker of peace settling deep in Nate’s chest.
By the time they made their last stop, the sky had deepened to that inky winter blue, and carolers had gathered outside the Colonial Theatre. Their voices rose beneath the glittering marquee:
MERRY CHRISTMAS, SOUTH HILL
Across the square, Nate spotted Margaret Jane stepping carefully down the church steps, her hand looped through Mayor Collier’s arm. The man who’d been alone most of Nate’s life suddenly looked lighter, like someone remembering joy. Margaret Jane said something, and his uncle bent close, smiling in a way Nate had never seen before.
“That’s a surprise—and super-fast,” Hannah Leigh murmured, her breath visible in the cold air beside him. “But they make a cute couple.”
“I guess when the history’s that old, it’s not too hard to rekindle from the memories,” Nate said with a grin. “Birdie’s gonna have a field day with that one.”
“She’ll probably take credit for it.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.” He placed a hand on her back as they climbed the church steps. “Come on, before she writes our headline too.”
Inside, candles flickered along the pews. Fresh garland twined among white poinsettias, and the stained glass cast soft colors across the walls. Nate and Hannah Leigh slipped into a row near the back when the pipe organ began to play. A deep tide of sound rose through colored light. The notes rolled slow, and steady, settling the air until it felt like the whole church was breathing with them.
He glanced at Hannah Leigh beside him. The candlelight brushed gold across her face. She looked peaceful, more sothan he’d seen her in weeks. He reached for her hand without thinking, fingers brushing hers before lacing them tight. He felt incredibly thankful for her return and this new opportunity.
When the service ended, the congregation spilled into the midnight air. As if Heaven had been waiting for its cue, snow fell, soft, glimmering, and as light as forgiveness.
The square burst with cheers and playful chatter.A child caught flakes on her mitten, holding them up like jewels.
Aunt Winnie threw her arms wide. “Well, if this isn’t the good Lord’s final decoration, I don’t know what is!”
Nate laughed, the sound rising from somewhere deep and settled. He turned to Hannah Leigh, her face tilted to the sky, flakes catching in her hair.
“Looks like South Hill got its Christmas miracle,” he murmured.
She met his eyes and smiled. “More than one, if you ask me.”
Something in that look told him she wasn’t talking about the weather.
Nate’s phone buzzed, the message from his friend blinked across the screen.Check your email. Think I found your Henry Bell.
