Page 39 of Sweet Christmas Wish
As he spoke the sun, which had been sinking toward the far horizon, finally dipped out of sight, leaving the sky painted with pinks and golds. Derek watched the sunset, in awe of its beauty and honored to share it with Lacy’s grandfather. Although cold now to his bones, Derek’s heart was alight with warmth and peace.
“Nicholas,” he said finally, rising to his feet. “I hope that I can have your blessing to marry Lacy. It would mean the world to me if you could send me a sign that you approve.”
Derek held his breath, waiting and hoping against hope. He knew that the most likely scenario was that nothing would happen, but still he hoped.
A moment later, as if directed by an unseen hand, a light, fluffy snow began to fall, just over Derek and Nicholas’s gravestone. Derek looked up to the sky, laughing a little.
“Thank you, Nicholas,” he said, directing his voice toward the heavens.
The peaceful moment was perfect, more perfect than Derek ever could have hoped for. He looked down at Nicholas’s gravestone one last time.
“Goodbye, Nicholas. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
With that, Derek turned and started up the cemetery path once more, his heart entirely full.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Sarah took one last look in the mirror, checking her hair from all angles. It wasn’t the exact blonde she used to be, but at least it wasn’t traffic-cone orange anymore. It was almost back to normal, but most folks wouldn’t even notice.
Of course, it was her own head, so she could tell the difference, but it was subtle enough that she knew she wouldn’t need to be self-conscious about being seen in public. Satisfied that she passed muster, she headed down the stairs to the bakery. She’d already baked all morning, wearing a ballcap just in case, but she’d gone back up to her apartment to primp a little extra.
Not because of Will, she told herself,but… just because.Definitely nothing to do with him.
Down in the bakery, she walked through the dining area, surveying it critically to make sure everything was in its place. The pastry case was fully stocked, none of the napkin dispensers were empty, the tables were wiped down. It all looked fantastic and ready for opening.
She walked to the front door and flipped the sign to “Open” and then headed over to the front counter. What really sounded like the perfect way to kick off her workday was a good coffee, but Will wasn’t in yet to make it for her. Sure, he’d be in any minute, but, she wondered, what if she surprised him by making her own coffee? She could prove she’d been learning while watching himandhave the satisfaction of drinking a coffee she’d made all by herself on the new-fangled machine. Surely after all the drinks she’d watched Will make, she could figure it out for herself.
Eyeing the machine a bit distrustfully, she tiptoed closer to it, as though it might try to jump at her and scare her. When she realized what she was doing, she laughed self-consciously.
Sarah Langston, you’re losing your mind. It’s a coffee machine, not an ax-murderer. Pull yourself together!
Remembering that the first step Will always seemed to take in the morning was to turn on and preheat the machine, she reached around the side and flipped the switch, causing it to whir to life. So far, so good. Next, she measured out the ground beans into the waiting measuring cup.
Didn’t he always tamp them down?
She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like a good idea to mimic him, so she did her best to tamp them down, only spilling a little, for which she was inordinately proud.
Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. When she tried to pull her first shot, she kept it on too long. A quick sniff test and taste test quickly—and disgustingly—revealed that she’d over-extracted the flavors, leaving her with a bitter, astringent coffee that was undrinkable. Undeterred, she squared her shoulders and tried again, dumping out the failed coffee.
Moving too quickly, she spilled the ground coffee again when she poured it into the measuring cup. Frowning, she tamped it down with a vengeance and went to pull her first shot. In the meantime, she poured out some milk and tried to use the steam wand to heat it, but she somehow managed to miss the milk and steamed her own hand.
Yelping in pain, she dropped the small tin pitcher of milk, splashing it all over the floor and the countertop. She held her hand close to her chest, feeling incredibly stupid.
As if on cue, Will chose that moment to push open the front door of the bakery. The bell jingled happily, announcing his arrival, and Sarah whirled around, almost slipping in the spilled milk on the floor and having to grab the countertop to keep her balance.
“Are you all right?” Will called, rushing over to help her.
She held up a hand, stopping him before he stepped in the milk. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she grumbled. “Just entirely embarrassed.”
Will looked around at the spilled coffee grounds and the puddles of milk everywhere. “What on earth happened in here?”
Sarah sighed. No matter what she tried to do, it seemed like lately all she did was end up making a fool of herself. And always when Will could see it. The one person she wanted to impress, she ended up consistently making mess after mess. From showing him her incredibly hopeless account books to her hair dye mishap to this, it seemed like she couldn’t do anything right.
“What you’re seeing is the aftermath of my disastrous attempt to make my own coffee.”
Will surveyed the mess, his eyes twinkling as he tried rather unsuccessfully to hold back a laugh.
“Go ahead,” she said dryly. “Let it out.”
