Page 3 of Sweet Christmas Wish
The thought cheered her somewhat and, by the time she’d swallowed the last of the muffin, she felt rejuvenated again and ready to tackle some of the tasks that had been waiting while she’d run around helping customers all morning.
Humming along with the Christmas music playing over the speakers, she began gathering the stack of receipts by the register and putting them into an orderly pile. She would reconcile those later when the shop had closed and she was placing orders for more baking supplies—especially flour.
She could never keep enough flour on the premises with the quantities of pastries she churned out daily.
Picking up a rag and a broom, she set to work tidying the dining area, wiping down the tables and sweeping up the crumbs that dotted the floor. Soon enough, Sweet Thing was looking cozy and clean once more, much to Sarah’s satisfaction.
She was just about to tackle the back counter, which was overrun by the random odds and ends that had accumulated throughout the busy morning—a box of single-use plastic serving gloves, some more receipts she’d missed, a stack of brown paper bags and to-go boxes, some random Post-it notes reminding her to order more sugar—when the bell above the door jingled. She turned around, her face lighting up in a smile as she saw Lacy Preston walk in.
Lacy, a newcomer to town, had quickly become one of Sarah’s good friends. Lacy was a high-powered career woman who split her time between St. Louis and Snowy Pine Ridge after her grandfather, the town’s beloved Nicholas Spielman, had passed away and left her his enormous mansion as an inheritance. The petite spitfire had come to New Hampshire almost unwillingly, but Sarah had been pleased to watch Lacy’s transformation as she had renovated the mansion and fallen in love with the town.
“Lacy! I’m so glad you’re back!” Sarah called, coming around the counter to pull Lacy into a warm hug. She pulled back to study her friend. “Did you get a haircut?”
Lacy tucked her short, honey-brown hair behind one ear. “Good eye,” she said with a laugh. “Just a trim, though. I don’t usually stray far from this particular hairstyle.”
“Well, you look fantastic, as always.”
“You know how to make a girl feel welcome,” Lacy teased.
“Speaking of which, can I get you something? Pastry? Muffin? It’s on the house.”
“Ooh.” Lacy looked through the glass divider to study the pastries. “How about a lemon poppyseed muffin?”
“Coming right up!” Sarah went back around the counter to serve up the muffin.
“You’re too good to me. At this rate, I’ll never leave Snowy Pine Ridge for my business trips back to Missouri.”
“Why do you think I give you so many free treats?” Sarah wiggled her eyebrows at Lacy, who rolled her eyes and chuckled.
“Well, if that’s your evil plan, it’s definitely working. I cut my trip short, honestly. Couldn’t wait to be back here.”
Sarah leaned against the counter, spearing her friend with a knowing look. “Oh, I don’t think it’s my pastries—delicious as they are—that pull you back to our little town. If I were to guess, I would say your reason for coming home is six feet tall with freckles.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Lacy laughed, sticking out her tongue. “I’ll never tell.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. It’s clear as day to anyone with eyes just how crazy you and Derek are about each other.”
“Yeah… we don’t hide it very well, do we?”
“Nope,” Sarah replied cheerfully. “Seriously, though, we’re all happy that you and Derek found each other.” She pursed her lips, giving Lacy a conspiratorial look. “If I were you, I’d snatch that boy up and marry him. He’s a keeper, you know, and you don’t want a good man like that to get away. Not that he’s trying to get away from you, Lace—he’s obviously head over heels for you. But still!”
“Oh, Sarah, ever the matchmaker.” Lacy took another bite of her muffin and gave Sarah a thoughtful look. “You know, before you start giving me a bunch of advice, maybe we should talk about howyou’redoing. Aren’t Michelle and Kyle coming to visit? Are you excited?”
Sarah smiled, a little touched. Usually Sarah was the one supporting others and giving advice, but sometimes that meant she got forgotten about.
Lacy, however, was a true friend and never failed to see how Sarah was really doing. The truth was, though, Sarah wasn’t doing too well right now, and she hated to give anything less than a cheerful response. It wasn’t easy to admit that her life was anything less than happy, especially when she worked so hard to be a cheerful force in the community.
“I’m super stoked about Michelle’s visit,” Sarah responded. “I always miss having my sis around, so it’ll be super nice to have her here for the holidays.”
“I bet! It’s got to be nice to have family coming to visit.” Seeming to notice Sarah’s smile drooping, Lacy leaned forward, her brow furrowing. “Is something wrong?”
Sarah sighed. “No? Yes? I don’t even know anymore…”
“I’ve been there,” Lacy said sympathetically. “What’s going on?”
“I guess I’ve just been feeling a little… stuck. Like life is moving for everyone, but not for me.” She mustered up a smile, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and putting on her cheery voice. “I’m sure it will pass, though! I’m hoping that the New Year will be a turning point for me.”
“Keep a weather eye out. I have no doubt something good is coming for you. You never know when a surprise will walk through your door—after all, that’s exactly what happened to me.”
