Page 47 of Snowflakes and Sparks

“Well, are you? Staying?” she asked, keeping her voice down this time.

“I don’t know how that would work. Yes, I have feelings for Alex, big feelings even. But I don’t know if leaving everything behind for him would be a good idea. I’m also not sure if that’s what I want.”

“If you want my advice, follow your heart. There’s nothing worse than letting the one you love slip through your fingers. It’s scary, yes, but never knowing what could’ve been is even worse than that.”

“Don’t you think love is too strong a word? I like him a lot, but let’s be honest, I barely know him.”

Addy placed a hand on my arm. “Suzie, youknowAlex. You might not have spent a lot of time together yet, but from what I hear, your connection runs deep. Sometimes it doesn’t take a whole lot of time to figure out who your heart belongs to.”

“I did promise him we would find a way to make it work,” I said, Addy’s words resonating with me.

“See? That’s your heart talking right there.” She smiled and went to the kitchen to retrieve the last couple of cakes that needed to be cut for the event. I looked outside and saw Alex approaching the store. When he caught my eye, a big smile lit up his beautiful face and reached all the way to his eyes. My heart had already given itself to Alex, and my head better get used to it.

Chapter Eighteen

Alex walked in looking as if he was going to a fancy party instead of a walk through his hometown. I had to restrain myself from kissing him then and there.

“You look amazing,” I said.

“I have something special planned for tonight, and a special occasion calls for a special outfit, doesn’t it?”

“Hey, Alex,” Addy said, walking back in with the last cake.

“I’m about to start my round of all the stops in town and I thought I’d start here,” he said. “If there’s any last-minute problem or question concerning the Winter Walk, now would be the perfect time to let me know.”

I looked around the store at the yellow armchair decked out with a sheepskin blanket, the folded chairs with blankets on them and the Christmas tree shining in all its glory. “We’re all set here. No problems or questions.”

“We do have something fun for you,” Addy said. She walked over to the counter and took one of the calendars from the stack.

Alex whistled. “This looks great. And in such a short time. I’ve got to say I’m impressed.”

“You two look perfect together,” Addy said.

“We already sold about a hundred copies.” I tried to steer the conversation away from Alex and me being a perfect couple. It was not something I wanted to discuss with an audience around.

“The ladies at the signing liked what they saw.” Addy winked at Alex, who laughed at the comment.

“I don’t know whether to be creeped out or flattered by that,” Alex said, tucking the calendar under his arm. “Anyway, I’d better head out and check on the other shops participating in the Winter Walk, but I’ll be back around nine to pick you up.”

“Me?” I asked.

“Yes, you. Wear warm clothes. That’s all I’m telling you,” he said. Then he turned around and exited the store, leaving me wondering where he was going to take me.

***

Right on the dot, people started trickling in. I read a Christmas story every fifteen minutes, and after each one, Addy and I served hot chocolate, mulled wine and slices of cake to the participants. Time flew by and before we knew it, it was almost time to close up again.

“I’m so happy to see this store back in business,” an old lady with greyish hair said to me after the last reading. She had her hands around a cup of mulled wine and looked around with a contented smile. “Right there in the corner, where the notebooks are, that’s where we would meet for our weekly book club,” she said, pointing her long finger.

“Really? I didn’t know that,” I replied.

She nodded. “Oh, yes, there’s so much history in this place. There used to be comfy armchairs and a small table where we all gathered our treats. Cookies, cinnamon rolls… Irene even made a layered cake once for Christmas, little marzipan Santas on top and everything.”

I finished pouring a cup of hot cocoa and put the can down. “That sounds like a lot of fun. What kind of books did your book club read?”

“Romances mostly, although we did enjoy the odd thriller. Mind you, we spent most of the time talking about things other than books. It was nice to get out of the house and chat with like-minded people. We sure had a lot of laughs.” A sad look crossed her face for just one second.

“I never thought about having a book club in here. You make it sound absolutely adorable.”

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