Page 7 of Forever and Other Lies

“Get your hands off me, you big buffoon,” she muttered.

“You love it,” he whispered in her ear before lowering her feet to the ground and stepping back.

“I didn’t need saving,” she said through clenched teeth as she turned to face him.

“I’ll remember that next time.” Why had he even bothered?

Chapter 3

Why had he even bothered? That man was no one’s hero, least of all hers. So why had he stopped to help last Friday when they’d been unloading the armoire? Gritting her teeth, Jayna pushed Derek out of her mind and focused on the armoirethat now stoodfor sale inJamie’sstorefront.

How did Jamie refinish it so quickly? It looked amazing.But as Jayna stared at it,all she could visualize wasDerek Brennan holding her in his arms.

The man was an ape.A great smelling ape.

She blinked and forced her focus to the armoire once more. Jamie had outdone herself with this piece.She’drepainted half a deep blue and the other half white. Where the blue met the white, she painted blue and white flowers that blended the two colors in such a unique way. Simply stunning.

‘You love it,’he’dwhispered in her ear when he caught her mid-fall. Yeah right! She blinked again. A weeklater,she stillcouldn’tget him out of her mind. So not a hero.Morelike a zero.

Stop thinking about the ape.

Tonight was Midnight Madness and the annual Christmas window display contest. She turned her attention to the two front windows of the store. Wow, both windows looked incredible.

Last weekend,shehad scoured the stockroom, looking for inspiration. And there she found it, nestled in the far corner, covered in dust and spider webs, an unexpected gem—a replica leg lamp from the beloved classic,‘A Christmas Story.’Why had Jamie kept this hidden away? It was perfect and sparked what she hoped would be the award-winning idea.

They recruited Jessica to help andspentthe entire day on Sundayexecuting her idea.The left window would transport shoppers into the cozy living room of‘A Christmas Story’,while the right window would pay homage to the second most iconic Christmas movie. In her opinion, that could only be ‘Christmas Vacation’.Amidst the carefully curated scenes,Jamie’srefurbished furniture would shine and hopefully not only win the contest but also boost sales.

The leg lamp cast a warm glow from its perch atop asmall,cherry wood table in the cozy ambiance of the first window.Nestled beside it, a beautifully refurbished armchair invited guests to sink into its’ embrace.Jamie’s craftsmanship showed in every detail, from the refinished electric fireplace to the restored vintage Persian rug. A towering Christmas tree stood beside the fireplace adorned with glittering ornaments and beneath its’ branches sat the familiar red foil box. It was the gift Ralphie had been obsessing over—a Red Ryder air rifle.

While the first window captured her initial vision, it was the second display that held her heart. Paying homage to the chaotic charm of ‘Christmas Vacation’, they had set a beautifully refinished oak harvest table using key pieces from the dinner scene in the film.

Jessica hadDIY’da remarkably lifelike deflated turkey out of Papier-Mâché. Using silicone, Jamie had painstakingly recreated AuntBethany’sinfamous green Jello mold. She had even included the embedded cat treats. The branches of the second tree hadbeen strippedand spray-painted brown, mirroring the burned tree from the movie, with a stuffed squirrel and a cat nestled underneath its’ boughs.

She opened the front door and stepped onto the sidewalk, eager to see the storefront from a customer's perspective as Jamie pulled off the brown paper that had kept it hidden. The countless hours spent perfecting the window displays were evident, and excitement and pride surged through her. They had truly captured the magic of the holiday season. No amount of money could buy the deep satisfaction she felt; it was all a result of hard work and dedication—something her mother and father would never understand.

Her parents had both been born into wealth, marrying in their early twenties. It had been an arranged marriage that had not been written in the stars but had been featured in Forbes magazine. The union had joined two powerful families. They had dutifully produced an heir, unlocking both of their trust funds. Unlike her parents, Jayna had no interest in accessing her substantial bank account. The money felt tainted, having turned her parents into stereotypical trust fund babies, a fate she was determined to avoid.

Normally, Jayna never touched her trust fund except to make charity donations, but she dipped into it to finance Jamie’s dream of becoming a business owner after several banks rejected Jamie’s loan applications. Jayna provided all the funds needed to start Yesterday and Tomorrow, a very wise and satisfying investment. Winning the contest tonight would bring yet another kind of satisfaction.

In the tight-knit community of Blythe Landing, the annual Christmas window contest was the holiday season's Super Bowl. The quaint main street transformed into a winter wonderland, with dazzling lights and storefront windows showcasing over-the-top, imaginative themes. Shop owners were determined to out-sparkle the others and the competition turned fierce and secretive. Brown butcher paper covered the windows, which would not be unveiled until the eve of Midnight Madness. Everyone had their eyes on the same prize: the highly coveted title of ‘Best Christmas Window’.

For Jayna, the annual competition was more than just spreading holiday cheer or attracting new customers. She poured her heart and soul into every tiny detail, driven by an intense desire to win. The thought of losing yet again churned in her gut like a bad fruitcake. This year, she was determined to leave her rivals in a cloud of tinsel and glitter, proving once and for all that she was the queen of Christmas displays. She wanted first place so badly that she could taste it.

Strolling both sides of Main Street, she surveyed the competition with a critical eye. Everyone had upped their game this year. ‘Notion for Lotion’, Leighton’s store, boasted a very impressive display, as did ‘Frank’s Ice-cream and Sweet Shoppe’. However, it was Frank’s window that set the bar. He won every year.

Scrutinizing his display, she wrinkled her nose in disdain.It was the same scene that he always showcased, merely adding new pieces.Frank had designed a miniature village that was an exact replica of Blythe Landing during the holiday season.This year, hehadintroduced a skating pond with tiny skaterswho actually glidedacross the ice.She rolled her eyes and begrudgingly admitted that it was an incredible display.

She glanced at her watch as she crossed the street. Ten to six, almost time to open. A group of four individuals, each holding clipboards, ambled down the sidewalk, pausing at each storefront. The judges. Her eyes widened. Ophelia Meddler was among them. Since when had she become a judge?

“Red alert! Judges are two stores up, and the Meddler is one of them.” Jayna was breathless as she rushed into the store.

“Yeah, I heard that,”Jessica said, pausing as she filled a shelf with antique snow globes.

“Why?” Was the universe out to get her?

“What happened to Earl Taylor?” Jayna’s frown increased. Nick Taylor’s grandfather had a great sense of humor. He would fully appreciate their window displays.

“Earl and Norm got creative, turned a riding lawnmower into a snow plowandEarl was thrown off it,”Jamie answered, looking up fromchangingthe cash register tape.

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