Page 36 of The Christmas Blueprint

Sophia had a lovely voice. She nudged him hard in the ribs, and he saw Harlow looking up at him. It hit him then. Kids made you be honest with yourself. But they also dragged you into community. He’d made a promise to Hunter. He’d moved back to his hometown. Accepted a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ job. He could silently sulk and tell himself he was doing an okay job and count the days, or he could go all in and really live and thrive and do an excellent job. Meet the challenge head on and wrestle it into submission to the best of his ability.

Did you do your best at that moment in time?

His mother’s voice. Something she’d always ask whether things had gone well or he’d struggled and failed. Her blue-gray eyes had been so steady, her touch warm, commiserating, yet demanding total honesty from him—something he’d forgotten how to give.

She was here—probably everywhere in Bear Creek. He’d known all along.

Was he doing his best as the new part-time city planner? Was he determined to give the town his best? Was he doing his best as Harlow’s temporary guardian? Was he doing his best collaborating with Sophia?

Full disclosure: he definitely was not.

Killian sucked in a deep breath, stared at his candle, and let his baritone roll out exhorting those of faith, but also, he hoped it called to others who had stumbled like him and were trying to make their way back. And maybe by making an honest run at something, he could re-find his faith in himself and so much more.

Chapter Eleven

“Killian.” Riley wasat his side, tugging on his sleeve, hissing his name.

He blinked, feeling like he was waking from a dream. It was like they were still kids. She had always been interrupting everything, wanting to share something or have him help her with some mad scheme.

“Killian, I need your help.”

Not a dream. Riley was still here in the park as they gathered around the dark towering Douglas spruce that had been the town’s Christmas tree for longer than he’d been alive.

“With what?” What could he possibly sort for her now? She was a thriving businesswoman who’d stepped up to run Flanagan & Sons Electric and now she’d created a Christmas Light Garden. She’d been interviewed by the local press and Medford, Grants Pass, and Ashland. He’d heard Riley on the regional NPR station. The local news was here.

“Killian.” She tugged him out of the flow of people with an occasional muffled “excuse us.”

“Stop.” Panic coated his throat. “I can’t just wander off.” He tried to extricate himself from Riley’s tenacious grip. “I have to watch Harlow, Hunter’s daughter.”

“Why, what’s she going to do?” Riley asked.

“She’s nine. I have no idea.”

“Probably no crimes or sneaking off with boys yet. That will come more like twelve or thirteen.”

He gaped at her. “That soon?”

Poor Hunter.

Riley laughed. “Maybe. I wasn’t sneaking off with boys, but then none of them wanted to sneak off with me as I was in a very prolonged awkward stage that’s still sort of happening. I had to chase Zhang and pin him to the ground with a Christmas tree. Do you know that was when he realized he was more intrigued by me than irritated?”

None of that made any sense, but Riley often rambled.

“Don’t look so nervous. Soph will watch Harlow and fight off any preteens, and I won’t knock you over, electrocute you, or poke you with a tool.”

“What do you need my help with?” He might as well comply. Riley was relentless.

“Just a couple of work things,” she said. “I want to check for glitches, and I just need an extra hand and a brain.”

“I’m not an electrician,” he objected.

“You went on millions of jobs with Dad. You had a gift.” She sounded like their father.

“Hating every minute. I got a college degree and two masters’ so I didn’t have to do that,” he said.

“La de da.” Riley tugged him farther away from the crowd.

“I wasn’t bragging. I was just saying I never got any formal training or my electrician certs like you have,” he said with dignity, texting Sophia as he spoke and asking her if she’d keep an eye on Harlow. She’d understand that he’d been Riley-jacked and was not trying to foist Harlow on her.

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