Page 5 of Never Sleigh Never

“We used to, years ago. And now, we will again.” I swipe a flier from the top of the stack, thrilled with how the elegant winter wonderland design turned out after I spent hours on it, and pass it to her. “Thanks to me.”

“What?”

“And Thomas Crawford.”

“Shut up. Now, I know you’re making this up.”

I ignore the outburst. Gabby’s a born and raised, bona fide New Yorker, and you can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl with this one. “When I was young, the festival was this big annual event everyone looked forward to, but for some reason, it fizzled out years ago. I figured it’s high time we brought it—and some holiday magic—back to Magnolia Point.”

She scans the flier. “Cara, this says the festival is in two weeks.”

I busy myself straightening a display of sparkly clutches. “Thirteen days, to be precise.”

“But how can you organize an entire festival in two weeks?” Gabby presses. “Even with Thomas Crawford—and let’s circle back to that bomb you tried to slip in, hoping I wouldn’t notice.”

Did not. I swear.

“Especially since just the other day,” she continues, waving the flier in the air, “you recited a list of holiday plans, a mile longer than Santa’s Nice list, you wanted to do with Wayne.”

The mention of Wayne makes my tailbone sting like a thousand tiny needles stabbing in unison. He might not be the reason it hurts, but he’s certainly the cause for my chest feeling like an oyster’s been cracked open and emptied out.

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. I wish I didn’t have to tell her the truth, but there’s no way I could lie to anyone, let alone Gabby. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the avalanche of questions she’ll no doubt have. “The festival is to fill my time over the holiday season because Wayne broke up with me.”

Gabby gasps and rounds on me. “What? When?”

I force a laugh, trying to downplay the entire wretched situation. After all, you’d think I’d be used to guys breaking up with me by now, thanks to how many times it’s happened this year, but it still smarts. “Sunday. At the ice rink.”

“While you were ice skating?”

“I wish. At least, that way, we wouldn’t have had a captive audience.”

“He did it in front of other people?” Her outrage is apparent. And comforting.

“Only a bunch of EMTs in the first aid tent while one was wrapping my wrist. I should have sold popcorn.”

“Oh, honey.” Gabby’s face softens, and she pulls me in for a tight hug.

I sink against her, surrendering to the sympathy for a brief second before I step back and busy myself with the printer. “It’s fine,” I insist. “Really. I’m fine. More than fine, actually. It’s for the best. Plus, Wayne was—”

“A complete jackass.”

“No!” Fervent denial spikes in my throat, but then it catches, and I can’t force out the words to defend him.

“Admit it, Cara,” Gabby continues, “Wayne was too… Well, he wasn’t right for you; that’s for sure.”

Wasn’t right for me?I thought he was a perfect match, although now, I realize how wrong I was.

“It doesn’t matter,” I insist, tapping the stack of fliers on the counter to straighten them. “I’m swearing off men for the holidays, which is why I’ll have time to focus on the festival and bring some joy to Magnolia Point.”

The way her jaw drops you’d think I told her I was becoming a nun. “Swearing off men?”

“Yup.”

“That’s two items to circle back to now,” she says, wiggling two fingers in the air. “Maybe, I should start a list.”

I roll my eyes and bite back a smile. “You can add it to my new miles-long one over there.” I dip my chin toward the yellow legal pad on the counter.

Maybe, that was a bad idea the way her brows shoot up again when she spots it. “Are you sure you’re not taking on too much, Cara? Especially after—”

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