Chapter 24

"What do you think about these sprinkles, Paige?" Josie asked, holding up a whimsical little container filled with green sprinkles. "They're shaped like little trees!"

It was a few days before Christmas, and Josie and Paige were wandering through the grocery store, collecting supplies for the holiday baking projects that Paige wanted to complete. Festive music was playing over the loudspeakers, and the grocery store smelled of spices and fresh bread. Josie was feeling in a holiday mood, and she was thrilled that she and Paige were out doing a project together like this. Her dreams of reconciling with her sister finally seemed to be coming true.

"I love those!" Paige gasped, peering at the sprinkles. "They're adorable!"

Then Paige glanced up, her gaze moving past the sprinkles, and grinned. Josie turned to see what her sister was looking at and realized that Wesley was standing at the end of the aisle, frowning down at a box of muffin mix.

"Hey, Wesley!" Paige called, and Wesley turned in their direction. Instantly a grin lit up his face. Josie grinned back at him eagerly.

"Oh, hi!" He hurried over to them, and offered Josie a gentle hug, and Paige a fist-bump. "I can't believe I didn't immediately notice the two women with long blonde hair." He laughed. "I must be really distracted."

"Over a muffin mix?" Paige asked him quizzically.

Wesley glanced at Josie and flushed slightly. "Over… well, just various things."

Josie pursed her lips to hide her grin, feeling butterflies of happiness swirl in her chest.

"I'm so happy we ran into you," she told him warmly.

"Yeah, so we can convince you to put back that muffin mix you have in your hands," Paige said, wrinkling her nose. "Don't buy that. Josie and I can make you some muffins from scratch if you want, can't we, Josie? Or better yet, we can teach you how to make your own. You're already a pretty decent baker."

"If you give a man a muffin, you feed him for a day," Wesley joked. Josie laughed, but Paige looked confused, clearly not understanding the reference. "I'll take the second option. You're a great teacher, Paige."

She laughed and pretended to bow. He glanced inside their cart and noticed all of the baking supplies that it was stocked with. "Are you guys planning on making tuna casserole?" he joked.

"No." Josie laughed. "These are for all of the Christmas baking plans that Paige has. She's had a couple of requests come in for people's holiday parties!"

"That's great!" Wesley gave Paige a high-five, and she flushed.

"It's just some cookies, and one cherry pie," she said. "But we're not just getting supplies for those. I also want to make an assortment of Christmas cookies and give out goodie baskets to all of our friends."

Josie grinned. "It's quite the undertaking. I'm helping."

"Am I your friend?" he asked eagerly, grinning.

"Wait until Christmas to find out," Paige said, smirking.

"Paige!" Josie yelped, but Wesley laughed.

"Well, I sure hope so. I can only imagine how amazing these cookie baskets are going to be."

For a moment, he and Josie stood there smiling at each other, until Paige cleared her throat loudly.

"We should get on with our shopping," she said. "We'll see you around, Wesley. Some of us sooner than others." She began to push the cart away, grinning slyly, and Josie gave him another quick hug before following her.

"That was fun running into him," she said as she caught up to her sister. She was a little breathless, and her heart felt giddy.

"Yeah, it was." Her sister seemed distracted as her eyes scanned a line of canned goods. After a pause, she said, "I have an idea."

"What is it?" Josie asked, thinking it was probably something to do with cherry pie filling.

Paige turned her head and jerked her chin toward Wesley, who was still frowning in concentration over items at the end of the aisle. "You should ask him if he has any Christmas plans."

"What?" She was taken aback by the idea. "I'm sure he…"

She paused. She knew his family didn't live in Blueberry Bay, and he hadn't mentioned any plans to travel. If he wasn't going home for Christmas, then it was likely that he was planning on being alone during the holiday.

"Go ask him if he wants to come and spend Christmas with us," Paige whispered.

"Are you sure?" Josie turned to her sister in surprise. "That's good with you?"

"Oh, sure. I like Wesley a lot. And I know it would make both of you really happy."

Josie beamed at her sister and squeezed her arm.

"Go on," Paige urged her.

"Okay." She smiled nervously and started to walk toward Wesley.

Her heart was fluttering, wondering how he would respond to the offer. Was it too forward of her? They hadn't been going out together for very long.

"Hey," she said, stepping up to him. He turned, surprised, and his face lit up in a grin when he saw her.

"You came back! What's the occasion?"

"Well, Paige and I have an offer for you." She spoke slowly, wondering how to word the question. "Do you have any plans for Christmas?"

His eyebrows lifted. "No, no, I don't." He shook his head. "There's a blizzard due to hit right around where my mom lives on Christmas Eve, so I decided not to travel this year."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugged, smiling. "It's okay. She's got her second husband and all her stepkids to keep her company."

"But you don't have anyone to keep you company?"

He shook his head slightly. "Not that I know of."

He realizes what I'm about to ask him, she thought, feeling her heart do a somersault. He looked like he was hoping she would ask him.

"Do you want to come spend Christmas with me and Paige?" she asked.

He grinned. "I'd love to! That sounds great." His eyes were sparkling.

"Really?" she asked, feeling a rush of relief. "Great!" For a moment, they just smiled at each other, and she felt tingles of excitement. I get to spend time with him on Christmas!

"What time should I come over?" he asked.

"Oh, how about eleven? I can cook us a brunch, and then we can hang out and play games or watch movies until dinner time?"

"That sounds fantastic! I'll bring some games I have. And I can contribute to the Christmas dinner. What were you planning on making?"

She laughed. "I don't know, to be honest. That was next on our agenda for this shopping trip."

"Well, if you want, we can keep shopping together," he offered, smiling shyly at her. "Then we can decide together what to make for Christmas dinner."

"Sure." She beamed at him. "Sounds great to me."

They walked back over to Paige, who was watching them with an impish smile on her face.

"You're coming over on Christmas?" she asked Wesley, her eyes twinkling.

"Yes, I am. Thanks for the invitation."

"Of course! Then I can show you how to make muffins while you're there."

They all laughed, and began to wander down the aisles together, discussing what to buy for their Christmas dinner.

"I'm going to make a French silk pie," Paige decided eagerly. "And decorate it with swirls of white chocolate dyed red and green."

"Wow, that sounds incredible," Josie said, pretending to swoon. "What do you all think about a roast duck for the main course?"

They gathered ingredients together eagerly, deciding that along with the roast duck, they would make sides of mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and roasted asparagus. For brunch, they decided on blueberry chocolate-chip waffles, sausages, and scrambled eggs.

"And I'll make some homemade sweet potato fries for us to snack on during the day," Josie offered. "Something healthy but delicious."

This feels so fun,she thought as they wandered the store together, talking excitedly about their plans and laughing together. And cozy! Now I really can't wait for Christmas.

* * *

Dane leaned back in his chair and stretched. He felt tired, but also satisfied. He was almost done with the article he was writing, and he felt proud of it.

He glanced out the window and saw that more snow was falling. He smiled to himself, knowing that Alissa was probably excited about it. It is beautiful, he admitted to himself. It glitters. It looks festive.

He rolled his shoulders back and dove back into finishing his article. He was eager to be done with it, because it was the last piece of work he needed to do before having a few days off for Christmas. He was looking forward to spending lots of quality time with his wife-to-be.

Alissa and Josie had both already gone home for the day, but he was staying late to finish up his last bit of work. Things were winding down at The Outlet for the holidays, but he wasn't going to slack off on the work he still needed to do.

There,he thought, finishing the last sentence of his article. That will do. He read through it, decided that it was just as great as he'd thought it was, and turned off his laptop with a sense of satisfaction.

He glanced at the clock. It's late, he thought. I wonder if Tidal Wave Coffee is still open? I could use an evening pick-me-up.

He left his office and put on his coat and scarf. He turned out the lights and locked the door of The Outlet. It felt strangely hushed and peaceful outside, with the snow falling lightly in the darkness. Hardly anyone was out on the streets of Blueberry Bay. They must all be at home, eating dinner and getting ready for Christmas, he thought. And trying to stay out of this snow. It's not bad to walk in, though. It's so light and feathery.

He tramped along the sidewalks to Tidal Wave Coffee and was pleased to see that the lights were still on. The coffee shop had been adorned with charming Christmas decorations, including strands of colored lights. He stepped through the doorway, brushing snow off his shoulders as he went, and a bell jingled overhead.

Michael was standing behind the counter, and he grinned when he saw Dane.

"Welcome in. What can I get for you?"

"Hey, Michael." He grinned back at his friend, and then glanced around the empty coffee shop. "Quiet tonight, isn't it?"

"Haven't had a customer in an hour. It's the snow, I think. Fine by me, though, I have a lot of thinking to do."

Dane stepped up to the counter and gazed at the menu. "You know, tonight I want to try something festive. Could I have a peppermint mocha?"

"Sure thing."

Dane leaned against the counter and watched the snow falling outside as Michael whisked up his drink with practiced dexterity. He noticed how warm the lights of the coffee shop looked against the glittering white outside.

"Too bad no one else is here," he told his friend. "It's very cozy in here with the snow falling outside."

"Yes, it is. Feels like some kind of alpine outpost or something, doesn't it? Very Christmassy."

Dane nodded, smiling at Michael's colorful imagination. "Speaking of Christmas, are you ready?"

Michael nodded. "I was early this year. I saw something a month ago I knew I needed to give to Caitlin. It's a silver necklace with a ruby pendant. She's going to love it. And I got her one of those fancy planners she loves." He laughed. "She's got every detail figured out, all the time. It's amazing. Are you ready?"

"I am." Dane took the finished drink his friend was handing him and took a sip. "Wow. That's incredible. No wonder people buy this stuff." Michael laughed and he continued. "I got her a cashmere scarf—a red one—and a gold wristwatch."

"Good to know! Caitlin was thinking about getting her a wristwatch—I'll have to let her know you already got her one."

"That's reassuring." Dane laughed. "I know it must be a good gift if Caitlin wanted to give her one. She knows Alissa even better than I do."

They grinned at each other. The two of them had become better friends since they started dating a set of sisters. They'd ended up spending a lot of time together that year, and Dane felt grateful for their friendship.

"We're lucky to be dating women like them," Michael said. "I've never known anyone like Caitlin, and I know how much Alissa cares about you."

"We are. Definitely lucky." He smiled at his friend. "You'd said you had a lot of thinking you needed to do. What about?"

Michael inhaled. "I'm thinking about proposing to Caitlin."

Dane's jaw dropped, and then he grinned. He clapped Michael on the shoulder. "That's great! I'm thrilled to hear that."

"Thanks." His friend grinned appreciatively. "I'm worried about it, though. What if Caitlin never wants to marry again, since her first marriage ended badly?"

Dane nodded, understanding his friend's concerns. "I hear what you're saying, but I think there's a good chance she'll want to get married again. Especially if it's to someone she really cares about." He reached out and fist-bumped Michael's shoulder.

"Thanks. I really hope so. I know she's the one for me."

Dane grinned. "I'm really happy to hear that. And I can agree with you. It's obvious to everyone who sees you two together that you're perfect for each other."

Michael grinned back. "It sure feels that way. I'm completely smitten with her."

"Just be patient for now," Dane urged him. "Give her some more time before you ask."

Michael nodded. "I will."

Their conversation turned toward the upcoming holiday, and their preparations for it. They continued to talk for a while, expressing how eager they were for Christmas to arrive.