Chapter Two

Drake

As I move from the history stacks to the English literature section, I catch sight of a striking woman with fiery red curls dancing around her shoulders. When she turns and offers a bright smile, my heart stumbles as her eyes meet mine.

“Hi!” She waves, her smile lighting up her face. “I was hoping you’d be here today.”

I glance around, half-expecting someone to be behind me. I nervously run a hand through my hair when I see no one. “You’re looking for me?”

“You’re Drake Hudson, right?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“Then you’re the man I’m looking for.” She strides toward me, hand extended. “I’m Wynter Brody. The town has hired me to put together the Christmas festival you’re so graciously hosting this year.”

I blink, momentarily taken aback. “Oh, but that’s in three weeks.”

“Exactly. And it’s going to take me that long to decorate the library properly.”

The thought sends a jolt of anxiety through me. The library is my sanctuary, and the idea of transforming it into something festive feels wrong. “I thought hosting the festival meant decorating tables and maybe a tree.”

“Oh, no.” Wynter breezes past me, her enthusiasm palpable. “We’re talking hundreds of twinkling lights, at least four trees, a bar, a buffet table, and snowmen. We should definitely have angels and Santas, too. Oh, and a dance floor.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” I glance at the mahogany walls and shelves, picturing tacky strings of lights marring the beautiful grain.

“It might not be enough,” she replies, sweeping her arms wide. “We’re going to turn this place into a winter wonderland the likes of which this town has never seen.”

“I don’t know,” I shake my head. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

Her pretty smile fades, leaving a shadow of sadness in its wake. “Are you changing your mind?”

“Yes. I can’t do this.”

“I see.” She sighs, disappointment washing over her. “I knew this was too good to be true.”

“What do you mean?”

“This was going to be the first event for my new business.” Wynter shrugs, her voice sad. “Easy come, easy go. I never really thought I could be a business owner anyway.”

“Sure you can.”

“Not when I’ve been fired from my first job. But I get it. I was shocked when I found out the festival would be held here, anyway.”

“Why?”

“You’re the moodiest person in Pinegrove.”

“What?”

“Wait, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“But you did.” I glare at her. “Everyone thinks I’m moody?”

“Well, I may have exaggerated a bit.”

Is that really what the town thinks of me—that I’m moody? A surge of determination builds within me. I’m going to show them, and I’m going to show Wynter Brody that I’m not moody. I can be cheerful and festive.

With a deep breath, I meet her gaze, a newfound resolve sparking to life. “Alright, let’s do this. Let’s make this library a winter wonderland.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, and a hint of her pretty smile returns. “Really?”

“Really. But we’ll do it my way.”

Her smile broadens, and a flicker of excitement ignites within me—I’m the one who put it there. Maybe there’s a chance Wynter can help me embrace the Christmas spirit after all.