Page 39 of Christmas for Keeps

“Can’t you get the parts faster?” I asked. “Express shipping or something? I’m visiting and need to go back to Boston soon.”Fantastic, Connor—you want to pay for overnight shipping on half a car. Did you suddenly get rich overnight?

The mechanic shook his head. “We’ll get it done as soon as we can, but I think January second is a realistic estimate. I’m sorry.”

Zach let my hand go and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “No worries. You don’t go back to school until the ninth, right?”

I nodded.

“Then waiting on the car is no big deal. It’s actually a bonus because I want you to stay as long as you can.”

Tearing up, I hugged him and held on for dear life.If he wants me to stay as long as I can, his feelings must be real, right?

After the mechanic promised to call as soon as the car was ready, Zach and I went downtown. Stowe was even more enchanting in the daylight than it had been when we drove through the night I arrived. This time, I could appreciate its charm without the tension of battling a blizzard and being in a car accident. Zach drove us down the main street, which was lined with shops, most of them decked out in festive holiday decorations. Along the sidewalks, the trees sparkled with lights that cast a cheerful glow on the overcast day. People hurried about, undoubtedly on last-minute shopping errands.

Zach asked, “Anything special you want to see before we eat lunch and brave the grocery store?”

“Let’s check out some of the shops. We might see something for…”

Pulling into a parking space, he asked, “Might see something for what?”

“Never mind. It would sound dumb.”

He turned off the engine and faced me. “Nothing you can say will sound dumb. Tell me.”

Be brave, Connor. If you’re in, you’re in.“We might see something special to take home for our first holiday back together.”

His broad grin helped me relax. “That’s so sweet, Con. You never know what we might find.” After unbuckling his seat belt, he leaned over to kiss me. A spark flew between us, and Zach pulled back wearing a big smile. “Static electricity. That’s a good sign.”

We got out, and he led us up the sidewalk. When we came to a shop advertising art and handcrafted pieces, he stopped and squeezed my hand. “Should we go in? They sell things made by local artists, mostly on consignment.”

“Do they have anything of yours?” I asked.

“Not at the moment, but I’m working on something for them.”

“Then, by all means, lead the way.”

We made our way through the shop, and Zach gasped at a display of blown glass ornaments. “These are amazing. This is hard to do.”

The pieces were incredibly beautiful, and we took a while making our choices. He loved a blue crackled-glass ornament with a brass acorn suspended inside, and I found a gold-flecked glass sphere containing dried mistletoe. While we admired our selections, I held the mistletoe ornament over his head and kissed him.

He smacked his lips when I drew away. “Very nice, but not long enough.”

“Well then, why don’t you show me how it’s done?” I lifted the ornament over my head, and he gave me a longer kiss. Breathless when he stepped back, I said, “That was much better. You sure know what you’re doing.”

He nudged me with an elbow. “Stick with me, babe. We’ll make all kinds of magic.”

A middle-aged woman with red hair and green eyes approached us, and Zach introduced me to Liz, the shop’s owner. They fell into a conversation about one of his paintings she’d sold, and then talked about the woman who’d made our ornaments. I left them to talk and looked around. Soon, I found a display of 3-D ceramic plaques, and one in particular had me putting a hand over my heart.

A young artist with dark hair stood before an easel with a palette in one hand and a brush in the other. Leaning in, he chewed on the brush handle, closely examining his canvas as if deciding on his next move. The view was from the side, and his expression uncannily resembled one I’d seen Zach wear many times. In fact, the artist bore a striking resemblance to Zach. When a clerk approached me, I asked her if someone had used Zach as a model. She said no, that the model was the artist’s son.

The plaque would make a perfect gift for Zach. After gazing at it for another few seconds, I turned back to the clerk—a young woman with lavender hair and friendly blue eyes—and asked the price.

“It’s usually three hundred dollars, but we’re having a sale on these pieces, so it would be two-twenty-five.”

I inspected the plaque again, trying to decide. It would be Zach’s holiday present, and I didn’t mind spending the money, but uncertainty about the car repairs made me hesitate.

Apparently sensing my indecision, the clerk said, “We might be able to knock a little more off the price since you’re Zach’s friend. Would you like me to ask?”

My heart raced, not because of my indecision, but because the plaque was so perfect for him.Damn the car bill!I was saving a lot by staying with Zach. “I want it, but I can’t take it with me now since it’s a present for Zach. If I pay you, could you hold onto it for a little while? I’ll think of an excuse to come back and get it.”

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