Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

The following Saturday, Chloe stood in her kitchen, placing the last elf costumes she’d made into a box. Oscar sat at the table, munching on his cereal while flipping through a picture book about dinosaurs.

The last week had gone incredibly quickly. In between working at the café, volunteering at The Welcome Center, and finishing the costumes, she hadn’t had a lot of time for anything else. She’d start editing Liam’s book tonight. With a little luck, she’d have most of it finished by Christmas Day.

“Mom, did you know some dinosaurs had feathers?” Oscar said, his big brown eyes wide with fascination.

“Is that so?” Chloe replied with a smile, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Maybe they needed them to stay warm.”

“Or to fly!” Oscar exclaimed, making whooshing sounds as he moved his arms like wings.

Chloe chuckled, ruffling his light brown hair. “Finish your breakfast, sweetheart. We’ve got lots of exciting things to do today.”

The first meeting of the volunteers who were decorating Main Street was being held this morning. Chloe was excited and a little nervous. She hadn’t been part of a community event of this scale before, but she was eager to contribute and make the holidays special for everyone.

When someone knocked on the front door, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel and went to answer it. To her surprise, Liam stood on the veranda.

“Good morning,” he said, his deep blue eyes meeting hers. He held up a folder. “I was on my way to the Christmas decoration meeting and thought I’d drop off some information Penny gave me. It’s about the history of your cottage and the others on Anchor Lane. I thought you might find it interesting.”

Chloe smiled and took the folder. “Thanks. I’ve always wished I’d asked her more about them when I moved here. Where’s Trixie?”

“She’s staying with a friend this morning. I thought It’d be easier than bringing her to the café.”

“That was a good idea. Would you like to come in? Oscar and I are nearly ready to go to the meeting.”

“That’d be great.”

When they walked into the kitchen, Oscar looked up from his book and grinned. “Hi, Liam. Where’s Trixie?”

“Hey there, Oscar,” Liam greeted. “She’s having a playdate with a friend’s dog. How are the dinosaurs today?”

“They’re learning to fly,” Oscar said earnestly, showing him the book.

“That sounds exciting.” Liam sat beside him and looked at the pictures. “Maybe they can join Santa’s reindeer this Christmas.”

Oscar’s eyes widened. “On his sleigh?”

“Santa might want them to help deliver the presents.”

Oscar thought about Liam’s suggestion. “They might be too big,” he said seriously. “Some Pterosaurs were bigger than any of the buildings in Sapphire Bay.”

Chloe watched a surprised smile appear on Liam’s face. What he didn’t know was that Oscar had memorized the name of at least fifteen dinosaurs. He knew what they ate, how big they were, and where they’d lived.

As Liam asked more questions about the dinosaurs, Oscar became more excited. It should have made her happy that they got along so well, and it did. But it also made her a little wary. Liam wasn’t staying in Sapphire Bay, and she didn’t want Oscar or herself to get hurt.

“Can I get you some coffee, Liam?” she offered.

“Sure, if it’s no trouble.”

She poured him a cup and took both their cups across to the table. “Tell me about the cottages. All I know is they were vacation homes for the people who worked at the steamboat company.”

Liam opened the folder and took out a handwritten document and some old photographs. “Penny found a lot of interesting information about the history of the cottages. What’s in here are copies of everything she found. I have my own copy, so you can keep these.”

Chloe glanced through the pages, then looked up at Liam. “This is amazing. I didn’t know the cottages were used for soldiers during the first world war.”

“They were a small part of a larger convalescence hospital. There’s an old black-and-white photo showing at least thirty tents around the edge of Flathead Lake. Someone must have thought coming to Montana would help the soldiers’ recovery.”

“I’m not surprised they came here,” Chloe said softly. “Sapphire Bay must have felt like paradise after what they’d been through. Are you including this information in your book?”

Liam nodded. “The soldiers and the medical staff who came before them had an enormous impact on the people who lived around Flathead Lake. After hearing some of their stories from their grandchildren, I had to include them in my book.” He took a sip of his coffee, then checked the time. “When did you want to leave for the café?”

Chloe glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Even though the café was only a few doors away, it always took longer to get out of the cottage than she thought it would. “We’d better leave soon.” She looked across at Oscar. “Sweetheart, can you brush your teeth?”

“Okay.” With his book tucked under his arm, Oscar hurried to the bathroom.

Chloe picked up Oscar’s bowl and cup. “Are you looking forward to hearing more about what we’re doing on Main Street, Liam?”

“I am,” he said with an easy grin. “Especially when I looked on the Internet and saw photos from last year. Sapphire Bay looked incredible.”

“And now you’ll be part of the magic,” she said with a smile.

Liam’s eyes filled with mischief. “As long as Mabel isn’t looking for a replacement Santa, I’ll happily be part of the magic.”

“I’m ready!” Oscar yelled as he rushed into the kitchen.

Chloe rinsed their dishes, picked up the keys to the cottage, and held out her hand for Oscar’s. “In that case, let’s go.”

The café was buzzing with activity as the volunteers gathered to discuss the Christmas decorations on Main Street. Liam looked around the colorful room. A few familiar faces were having breakfast, and a book club was meeting on the far side of the café. With the animated conversation going on, they must be discussing an interesting book.

He sat beside Chloe as she spoke to Mr. Jessop, the head gardener at the church, and the person who was in charge of the Santa float. Oscar was nearby, helping Shelley, Pastor John’s wife, hand out clipboards and pens.

“Thank you all for coming,” Mabel began, her voice carrying over the chatter. “Would everyone find a seat, please?”

By the time each of the volunteers found a seat, Mabel had handed out an agenda for the meeting and copies of the plan for Main Street. In a quieter voice she said, “This year, we’re aiming to make Main Street more festive than ever. We have new decorations and lots of ideas, but we need all the help we can get.”

After they’d ordered drinks and something to eat, Mabel gave everyone different tasks. Chloe was coordinating the storefront displays, and Liam offered to help her.

“The first thing you need to do is visit each store,” Mabel told them. “The committee provides a Christmas tree for the sidewalk in front of each business and fairy lights for the front of the stores. But we need to know how each business owner is decorating the interior of their store and if they’re happy to be part of other promotional activities.”

Liam nodded, then looked down at the next item on the agenda. Mabel had thought of everything, right down to where people could park their vehicles when they were decorating the stores.

“It looks as though everyone will be busy,” Liam whispered to Chloe.

“Mabel is a great organizer. I don’t envy the committee, though. I spoke to Shelley last night. Families are already calling the church to book seats on The Santa Express. Between that and the other events, the committee is super busy.”

Mabel had spoken about the steam train ride around Flathead Lake at their last meeting. With Santa’s elves handing out special treats, and Christmas music and stories galore, it was no wonder parents wanted to be part of the festivities.

He listened to Mabel talk about involving as many people as possible with their events. With that in mind, they broke into pairs, discussing different ideas for bringing visitors into the stores on Main Street.

Liam and Chloe worked side by side, discussing ideas for the displays. Chloe’s easy-going nature and creativity made the time fly by.

“Maybe we could incorporate some historical elements,” she suggested. “Highlight the town’s heritage along with the holiday spirit.”

“That’s a great idea,” Liam agreed. “We could use old photographs in the window displays, paired with vintage decorations.”

Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Exactly. It would make the displays different from previous years’ decorations.”

“What about the children from Oscar’s school? Would they want to be involved?”

Chloe tapped her pen against her chin. “We could ask the principal. The children could make ornaments to display inside each store. That way, we’re involving the entire community.”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” Liam agreed enthusiastically. “It’ll also bring families into the stores to see their children’s artwork.”

Chloe’s phone beeped on the table between them. She glanced at the screen, and Liam noticed a subtle shift in her expression—a flicker of tension that hadn’t been there before.

“Is everything okay?” he asked gently.

She hesitated before placing her phone face down. “It’s nothing urgent,” she said with a faint smile. “Just a message I’ll deal with later.”

“Okay.” Whatever it was had upset her more than she wanted to show anyone.

Chloe took a deep breath. “Maybe we can organize a small event to unveil the children’s decorations? It would make it a special occasion.”

That sounded like something they could easily do. “We could coordinate with the local schools and set a date that works for everyone.”

“Good idea.” Chloe wrote some notes while Mabel drew everyone’s attention back to the group.

After everyone sent her their ideas, the committee would go through each email and let everyone know which ones they’d incorporate into their plan.

As the meeting ended, everyone gathered their belongings. Liam placed his empty coffee cup beside Chloe’s. “Do you want to visit some stores this morning?”

She nodded, slipping her phone into her bag. “That works for me. We could start at the bakery at the far end of Main Street.”

“Perfect,” he agreed. He glanced over at Oscar, who was busy showing his clipboard to Shelley. “Oscar looks like he’s had a great time. I wonder how many dinosaurs he’s drawn?”

She smiled warmly. “He was concentrating so hard that there must be at least a dozen.”

They collected Oscar and headed toward the front door. As they walked outside, Chloe seemed distracted. The meeting had gone well, so that couldn’t be the problem. She must still be thinking about the message she’d received.

“If there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m here to listen.”

Chloe looked up, meeting his concerned gaze. For a moment, it seemed like she might tell him what was wrong, but then she offered a gentle smile. “Thanks, Liam. I appreciate it. Maybe another time.”

A sinking feeling hit him in his chest. He was disappointed Chloe didn’t want his help, but they hadn’t known each other that long. It took time to build trust—and spending a lot of time in Sapphire Bay was something he hadn’t planned on doing.

“First stop, the bakery,” Chloe announced, trying to lift the mood.

“Why are we going to the bakery?” Oscar asked.

Chloe looked down at her son. “Liam and I want to talk to Mrs. Pratchett about Christmas decorations.”

“Like tinsel and lights?”

Chloe’s phone beeped again. She glanced at it briefly, then slipped it back into her pocket. “That’s right.”

Liam saw her frown deepen but didn’t say anything. “You know, Oscar, the last time I was in the bakery, they were selling some new chocolate chip cupcakes. If it’s okay with your mom, I could buy you one. And if you’re really lucky, you could eat it while we discuss the decorations.”

Oscar looked up at Chloe. “Can I, Mom?”

Chloe’s sad smile made Liam’s heart ache. “That sounds like a delicious treat.”

Oscar looked at Liam. “I love chocolate cupcakes. Does Trixie like them?”

Liam shook his head. “Chocolate makes Trixie sick. But she loves the doggie cookies the pet store bakes. We could stop in there after we’ve been to a few stores and get Trixie something to eat.”

“Okay,” Oscar said excitedly.

As they walked along the street, Oscar chatted about school and what his friends were doing. Chloe didn’t say much, but that was okay. She had something on her mind and Liam was more than happy to fill the gaps in the conversation.

When they entered the bakery, the warm aroma of fresh bread and sugar greeted them. Mrs. Pratchett beamed at them from behind the counter. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite people! How can I help you today?”

Chloe said hello and began discussing the plans for Main Street. With another person serving Mrs. Pratchett’s customers, they were able to come up with some great ideas that would bring more people into the bakery.

Halfway through the conversation, Liam bought Oscar a muffin. Seeing him enjoy the chocolaty treat made Liam smile.

After they’d finished in the bakery, they continued down Main Street, visiting each store and gathering input from the owners. Even though Chloe had smiled and said all the right things, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that she still had other things on her mind.

By the time they walked into the pet store, Oscar was more than ready to choose a treat for Trixie.

“I think we made some great progress today,” Liam said to Chloe while Oscar studied the row of homemade treats.

“We did. I’m looking forward to seeing what the other teams have done.”

Oscar tugged on Liam’s hand. “Can we buy Trixie this cookie?”

He smiled at the bone-shaped treat that was the size of Oscar’s hand. “Trixie will love it. Why don’t you choose another one and I’ll put it away for a special occasion.”

Oscar grinned and raced back to the cookies, carefully selecting another one.

Chloe sighed. “Oscar’s had a great day, thanks to you. I’m sorry my mind was elsewhere for most of the day.”

“That’s all right. I’ve enjoyed today as well,” he replied sincerely. “If you need anything?—”

She gave him a small, appreciative smile. “I know. Thank you.”

Oscar arrived back and handed Liam a heart-shaped cookie. “Trixie will like this one, too.”

“I’m sure she will.” As Liam watched them leave, he hoped that whatever was troubling Chloe wasn’t too serious. He cared about her more than he’d expected, and that created other complications that he wasn’t ready to think about.