Page 72 of Christmas Wishes

I rolled my eyes. Not at him, but at my laughable track record of reliability. “Every job I’ve ever had. Either I get bored and quit, get annoyed and quit, get fired, or get laid off because I’m disposable.”

Riggs’s stare made me squirm. He could spot my bullshit a mile away. “Tell me if I’m wrong, but have you cared about any of those jobs?Reallycared.”

The answer was obvious now, like a digital billboard in the middle of a dark desert. “No,” I said quietly. “Fuck. No, I haven’t.”

“But you care about this.”

I nodded, leaning against him, my face dragging across the shoulder of his coat. “A lot. What if I let people down? What if I start promoting products from small businesses, make promises, and then flake? What if I suck at it, and theonething I’ve wanted to do my entire adult life goes up in smoke? What do I do then?”

Riggs grabbed my chin between his cold fingers and angled my face toward him. “You’d find something else. Maybe you’re not the type of person who’s meant to do one thing their entire lives. Or maybe you’re meant to do this. You won’t know unless you try.”

Tears stung my eyes.

“How can you expect people to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself?” he asked softly.

How indeed.

Chapter35

Keaton

I was still mentally workingthrough my conversation with Riggs when we parked for the Lights Up Juniper Ridge event and parade a couple of hours later. Now that I thought about it, everything Riggs had said seemed obvious. I was terrified of failing at the one thing I actually cared about.

Riggs was right though. I would always land on my feet. After all the mediocre jobs I’d had, I owed it to myself to at least try to make the one job Ireallywanted a reality. Maybe that’s where I’d been going wrong. I’d never been invested in any of my previous jobs. Was that the secret? I just had to care to be successful and stick with it?

Downtown was bustling with people getting ready for the parade. There were groups of chairs roped off in front of businesses and clusters of people bundled for the brisk evening. Each lamp post was festively decorated with foliage wreaths wrapped in lights framing the lamp and a red bow hanging from the base. Twinkle lights circled the post up to the bow.

While Riggs and I wandered the streets, at least a half-dozen people approached to shake Riggs’s hand and thank him for his hard work helping them this season. We encountered Andrew and his family, and he smiled and waved. Seeing him gave me a small thrill because it reminded me of how Riggs hadthoroughlyshown his appreciation for my stepping in when we’d gotten home. He’d damn near sucked my brains out.

Riggs stopped and joined a line at a food booth without a word. I saw a sign for the popcorn booth I’d become a frequent flier at. Bless that man for his support of my peppermint popcorn addiction.I’m going to miss this so damn much. I easily got along with most people but rarely developed a connection like I had with Riggs. Even Doris and Evie. I felt like they actually cared about me beyond having a good time.

Riggs had given no indication that he was getting tired of me. This time, I was the one leaving.

I pushed those thoughts away. “What’s the plan for tonight?” We’d talked about going to the event, but not much beyond that.

“I thought we could watch the parade. After that ends, there’s the ceremony for the decoration awards. Once that’s over, a lot of people split off to go drive around and look at the lights in residential neighborhoods or walk around downtown to check out the businesses all decked out.”

The line moved forward. “You should do a parade float for your business. I bet you’d have the best one with your electrical knowledge.”

Riggs smiled. “Nico had been suggesting it for years, but we were always too busy helping other people with their electrical needs to work on our own. It could be fun though. Maybe next year.” He knocked his elbow against mine, smiling at me like it was something we could do together. It would be so easy to do it together. I could design it while Riggs brought my vision to life with his skills.

I saw the heart-breaking moment Riggs realized I wouldn’t be here next year. The smile slid from his face as he turned to face forward.

Fuck. Why did this hurt so much? I should be thrilled to be getting on the plane tomorrow and returning to Arlo and my family. I was excited to see my bestie, for sure, but I wasn’t ready for my trip to end. This town and its people had wormed their way into my heart.

We were quiet for the next few minutes until it was our turn to get popcorn. While sharing a bag, we wandered over to the town square. Neither of us mentioned tomorrow or what was to come after. It was like we’d silently agreed to pretend it wasn’t happening.

Once we reached the town square, I admired the tree covered with bright lights that Riggs had fixed last week. It made me think about Nico’s Christmas wish. I still wanted to do whatever I could to help make sure it came true.

“Hey, I want to put in a Christmas wish. When in Rome, you know?” Maybe I could get a little Christmas magic to help me figure out my brand name.

Riggs looked almost startled but nodded. “I’ll add one too. In honor of Nico.”

A table stood to the side of the tree, covered with slips of paper and pens. A couple of giggling teenagers scribbled notes before scurrying away to put them into the wish box. I selected a piece of paper and pen, then glanced at Riggs, who hesitated with his pen poised over his paper. Riggs caught my eye, and as I stared at him, I saw such longing there that it stole my breath.You’ll find someone who deserves you. I know you will.

My wish came to me in a flash. It wasn’t for a successful launch of my social media accounts and a career full of lucrative opportunities. It wasn’t that I would become a major name in the beauty industry.

I began writing.My Christmas wish is that Riggs finds happiness. He’s already loved by so many, and I want him to feel that love and live the best, happiest life possible.

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