5. CAMI

5

CAMI

H ank Garrison’s General Store was alive with holiday spirit as we crept closer and closer to Christmas. Now that it was December, the world was completely covered in snow, and it was a winter wonderland out there. Every inch of Silver Ridge had been transformed into something straight out of a fairy tale.

Despite the freezing cold—I wasn’t used to the harsher Montana winters after making a life in Denver, where it was at least fifteen degrees warmer—I loved every minute of it.

The old shop had been a staple in Silver Ridge for generations, and now, with Christmas around the corner, it was brimming with wreaths, twinkling lights, and rows of festive knick-knacks. Hank had asked me to “work my magic” on it, as he’d called it. He’d asked for me to bring the same festive cheer as in the diner, and I was more than happy to oblige.

Since the drawing and the opportunity to showcase my talents for decorating things, I’d been receiving requests for more jobs non-stop.

I was happy about it—it kept me busy, and it allowed me to build the kind of life here I hadn’t imagined I could ever have again. When I’d fled Denver with my tail between my legs, clinging onto my last shred of dignity, I would never have imagined I would find a place that felt like home.

I stood on a stepladder, adjusting a garland that stretched across the store’s front window. Outside, the snow had started to fall again, the kind of soft, gentle flakes that made the whole town look like it was wrapped in a snow globe.

“Looks perfect, Cami!” Hank called out from behind the counter. He was dressed in his usual flannel and jeans, his rugged face softened by a genuine smile. Hank was one of those guys who always made you feel like you were part of something bigger, everybody’s grandfather, like I could go to him and cry on his shoulder or ask for advice if I wanted to.

“Thanks, Hank. I just thought the garland would make the window display pop a little more,” I replied, stepping down from the ladder. I tilted my head to the side and squeezed one eye shut to try to see the full effect before I nodded, satisfied. “And the new Christmas lights you got in are amazing. They really add that vintage feel.”

Hank nodded with a pleased smile. “Glad you like ’em. I thought they were a bit over the top, but you know what you’re doing. You’ve got a real knack for this, you know that? Ever since the Secret Santa event, people can’t stop talking about you. I’ve had more customers in here than ever, and I think it’s ’cause the whole town’s got a little more spirit thanks to you.”

Warmth washed through me and I was proud of my work. It was a nice feeling that so many people liked what I did. It was so easy to impress people here. They didn’t try to judge me before they knew me.

Besides, this wasn’t just about decorating; it was about bringing something special to the people here, something I hadn’t felt back in Denver.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I excused myself to check it. It was a call from Emily Dawson, the librarian I’d helped decorate her library just last week.

“Hey, Emily! How are you doing?” I asked, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder as I rearranged a display of ornaments.

“Oh, Cami, I just wanted to call and say thank you again. The library looks incredible, and I’ve had so many compliments. You’ve really brought the magic of Christmas back to Silver Ridge.”

I smiled, feeling a rush of satisfaction. “I’m so glad you’re happy with it! That’s what I love to hear.” I wondered if I could ask for a review online, but decided against it for now. I still had to set up my social media correctly. For now, it was just my personal page.

“And, listen,” she continued, her tone becoming more businesslike, “I was wondering if you’d have time next week to help me with a special corner? I was thinking we could add some festive touches around the counters and create something magical for the kids’ area. Face paint? An elf station where they can make their own tree ornaments? I’m going to ask Hank to be Santa for a day and they can sit on his lap and ask for gifts!” She laughed. “Do you think he’ll go for that?”

I glanced at Hank. “I’m sure he’ll love it.”

Emily laughed again, thoroughly amused at the idea of Hank in a red suit and hat.

I was about to respond when my phone pinged again with another incoming call—this time from Jake O’Hara, who wanted to bring some festive cheer to his saloon. I couldn’t believe how fast things were picking up.

“I’d love to help, Emily. I’ll give you a call later today to set something up and we’ll bring the magic.”

After hanging up, I answered Jake’s call, scribbling down a few notes about his request for holiday displays that would fit in with his rodeo-style saloon. The excitement of new opportunities and the sense of community filled me up in a way that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I was so aware of how different it was compared to what I’d had in Denver. Funny, I’d really thought I was happy there. Before the shit had hit the fan, of course. But now, even along with my heartache and the smarting humiliation that had followed my messy breakup, I was still happier here than I’d been in a long time.

I looked around at the bustling store, watching families and kids pick out ornaments and decorations. The cheer was infectious, and it was proof that every little detail—every light, every garland—made a difference. For so long, I’d answered calls, jumped when someone snapped their fingers and barely got a “thank you” or a “good job.” And although I’d gotten paid, that had started to drag me down.

Being acknowledged and appreciated, I’d realized, was a lot more important than I’d thought at first.

Being seen was heavily underrated.

I moved to the back of the store, where Laken was busy organizing a stack of gift boxes. Laken was one of those people who always had a smile on her face, no matter what. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she wore a forest-green sweater that matched her bright, curious eyes.

Rae had told me she’d come to Silver Ridge with her own past and her own secrets, that I wasn’t alone because so many people had grown up here. It made me feel like less of an outcast.

Laken had a warmth about her that made it easy to talk to her. Rae had introduced us when I’d just arrived, and Laken was another friend who was there for me through thick and thin.

“Hey, Cami,” Laken said, stretching her back until it popped. “Busy day, huh?”

“It’s shaping up to be the busiest season so far,” I said with a grin. “But I love it. This stuff keeps me going.”

“Those decorations look amazing,” Laken said, wiping her hands on her apron. “You’ve got a real talent for this. I mean, we’ve had decorations around town for Christmas in previous years, but nothing like this. How did you get into this kind of business?”

I leaned against the shelf, enjoying the chance to take a breather.

“Oh, I don’t know. I guess opportunities present themselves and you take it. Life takes you in all kinds of directions sometimes. Back in Denver, I used to run an event and decorating business. It started small, just helping friends with parties and local events. A lot like here, actually.” I glanced around. “It grew pretty fast.”

“And it turned into a business?”

I nodded. “I never dreamed I would become an events coordinator. I think when I was young I wanted to become a teacher, actually.” I tapped my chin, trying to think back that far. “But when I started helping out with decorations and organizing events, it turned out I was pretty good at it, and I actually loved doing it. It just made sense to make a living of it.”

“If you do what you love…” Laken started.

“You won’t work a day in your life,” I finished with a chuckle. “Exactly.”

Laken opened another box with box cutters, carefully putting the blade on the shelf before she lifted the flaps.

“So, how do you go from a successful business in the city to leaving it all behind for lil’ ol’ Silver Ridge?”

I hesitated, the familiar knot tightening in my chest. It was a simple question—a normal one, even. But it was the question I hated most. It made me think back to the past I was trying damn hard to forget. It reminded me of everything I’d lost.

“It was… complicated. Sometimes life just throws a curve ball at you and before you know it, you’re somewhere else.” I tried to keep my tone light, but I could feel the weight of the past pressing down on me.

Laken grinned. “I get what that’s like. Believe me, a few of us have stories like that around here. Silver Ridge has just as many newcomers as it has legacy families, and there are a whole bunch of us who know what it’s like to start over. It must have been hard to walk away from something you built yourself.”

“It was,” I said softly.

The memories of Denver flickered like ghosts in the back of my mind. My business had been everything to me. I’d thought Dylan and I could build an empire. His business and mine, running side by side. Our forces joined. A power couple. Serena had worked at the business with me. It had been a treat to have my best friend by my side as a business colleague. Hell, as a partner. We’d done it all together and we’d been inseparable. Like sisters more than anything else.

But then I’d found out about the two of them, and betrayal had twisted what I loved into something I couldn’t bear to look at anymore. The idea of my business being hers now, and with Serena and Dylan walking the path that should have been reserved for me, made me feel sick.

“Sometimes, you just have to start over. You know?” I hoped Laken wouldn’t see the despair and turmoil that still came back and slapped me in the face when I wasn’t looking.

Laken nodded, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of understanding in her eyes. “Yeah, I know. And for what it’s worth, I’m glad you ended up here. Silver Ridge needs someone like you.”

I smiled. “I love being here. Everyone is just so nice .”

“That’s what it’s like. They’ll kill you with kindness, if anything.” Laken laughed, and I joined in, glad to talk about the present again rather than the past.

Denver was a chapter I wasn’t ready to revisit, but it always lingered at the edges of my mind, a bitterness over what I’d lost.

“Let’s finish this up so that we can take a coffee break. Or an eggnog break—I think they still have a special on at the diner.”

I chuckled and finished up the last of the decorations while Laken chatted about the weather, about her boyfriend’s log-cutting business and how no work meant she could see him more, and a lot of other things that turned into a gentle hum that soothed me. It was easier to listen to someone else, getting lost in their world, than to think about my own.

If I’d been completely alone, my mind would have driven me crazy.

I flashed on Mason, on his intense eyes, the way he carried himself as if he was always waiting for something to happen. How did he manage being alone without his mind driving him crazy? Or maybe he didn’t have the kind of past that haunted him, lingering, never quite letting go.

And if that was the case, I was jealous.