Page 28 of Lighting Up Christmas

The call ended too quickly, although she needed to keep moving. She watched the screen go blank and glanced back into the dark park—and the hulk of the covered outdoor area that served as the backdrop for the summer outdoor concerts and festivals. This year the town’s city planners and city council had finally allowed local merchants, producers, and artists to create a Christmas Market in the park, happening next weekend. Riley had helped spearhead the effort, attaching her lighting display to the event, but she’d been kicked off the committee by Jeffrey Bane’s current squeeze and former homecoming queen.

“Next year,” she vowed again before turning away from the darkness. She hurried down the lit street, calling out greetings to people she knew—so many of them.

Her mood lightened even more, but she held up the tray of coffees as her reason for not being able to stop and talk.

She saw quite a few people gathered outside Sophia’s shop, commenting on the metal arch Riley had built and then used to display a few of her handmade lights created out of discarded band instruments.

“There you are.” Sophia met her at the door of her shop looking effortlessly glamorous in jeans, boots, a shimmery bronze tank top. and a chunky knit cardigan that had been made by a local knitter who was also a best-selling romance author. “As you can see, I’ve already started shopping.” Sophia indicated the sweater.

“You are not supposed to do that.” Riley fake scowled. “How am I going to buy you a fabulous present when you always buy things you like?”

“This, I could not resist.”

“You don’t even try.” Riley laughed. “Although you look…amazing as an adjective doesn’t do you justice.” Riley handed hera coffee. Then she found the two other volunteers—one of her high school mentees who had come with her mother—and gave them each a coffee.

The bass player was already set up and playing a Frank Sinatra classic, and as she grooved with the upright bass that was taller than she was, sang “Fly Me to the Moon.” It never ceased to astonish Riley the talent that lived in her town. Lakshmi had been singing and playing at local festivals and wineries since she was in middle school. She was in college now but home for the holidays.

She smiled at Riley. Riley held up the drink. Not missing a beat or a note, Lakshmi’s eyes lit up, and she jerked her head toward her amplifier. Riley set the coffee down, noting the waterproof curved liner on top so if there were any spills, her electrical equipment wouldn’t suffer.

“Smart girl,” Riley said.

“Peppermint mocha?”

“Of course.”

“Queen.” Lakshmi laughed, still playing but breaking off singing at the end of the first chorus. “Thanks. Any special requests?”

“Adele or Billie Eilish,” Riley said after a moment. “I love ‘Bad Guy’ and ‘Therefore I Am.’ Oh and ‘Come Out and Play.’”

“Jazz standards then,” Lakshmi teased.

Riley shrugged and smiled. She could name a lot of jazz standards, but she loved pop and alternative. “Thanks for coming tonight. It’s good to see you.”

Lakshmi wore a simple black, very short dress and shiny faux snakeskin Doc Marten boots. Sophia must have plopped the knit Santa hat on Lakshmi’s sleek dark head, because it was at a rakish angle and the puff ball bobbed along to the beat, bouncing on Lakshmi’s shoulders.

Sophia had commissioned them for every one of her volunteers so that they would look thematic and festive.

“Hat.” Sophia blocked her way and dangled Riley’s in front of her. “Against my better judgment, yours is emerald green because you bitch and moan about red. But I think you look adorable in anything, so put it on. You’re in the pop-up tonight.”

“I don’t really need a cap,” Riley said. “You have several other volunteers coming next week to help you in the Christmas market who—”

“Everyone wears one,” Sophia intoned.

“Yes, ma’am.” Riley fit the knit cap over her head. The extra-large puff ball dangled almost to her shoulder blades. She waggled her head and laughed. “I like this,” she admitted. “But I thought that I was going to be with you so we could scheme and gossip.”

“Change in plan.” Sophia firmly turned Riley around and gave her a push toward the pop-up.

Riley’s heart seized. There was Zhang, filling a galvanized bucket with a bag of ice. He set the bucket of ice on the large wine barrel that would serve as a table. Riley noted that the barrel had been modified with a door that hid two shelves and latched.

He looked like a young Keanu Reeves in the firstMatrix.

“You’re definitely in here with him,” Sophia whispered in her ear. “He looks good enough to eat but stern. I don’t want customers chased away. They need a little happy juice so they’ll pull out their wallets.”

“You are devious.”

“It’s called being a businesswoman. Go sprinkle him with your brand of festive so he can sell some wine and you can sell some lights and help launch successful holiday seasons for local artists.”

Riley was more than a little worried about the happy dance her heart was doing. And the warmth heating her chest.

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