Page 122 of A Very Merry Mistake

“Wait, are you serious?” Hudson asks.

“Yeah. A state trooper pulled me over and made me miss the Christmas tree lighting.”

Hudson chuckles. “Ahh yeah. The troopers can be dicks. They never give anyone a break.”

“He thought I was drunk and made me take a sobriety test,” I explain.

A howl of laughter escapes Jake. Then I notice we’re being watched by everyone who is waiting for him. His eyes meet mine.

“You good?” he asks, and places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

“I am now,” I whisper.

Jake loads the tree in the back for me, then opens my door. I step up and climb inside, then roll down the window. He leans against the truck. “Let me know about Christmas,” he says.

I meet his eyes. “I’ll be there.”

“What are your plans today?”

“I’m not sure,” I say. “I haven’t fully decided yet. Want to get home before it starts raining.”

“Whatever you do, have fun. If you struggle with that tree, call me?”

“I’ve got this,” I say. I’m stalling because I’m not ready to leave yet, but I force myself to go.

He looks as if he wants to say something more but doesn’t. And I understand why I need to earn his trust again. It will take time for us to get back to where we were.

I drive away, and when I look in the rearview mirror, I feel happiness because it’s not goodbye. This time, it’s a new beginning.

Cars are parked on the side of the road and are stacked nearly to the farm’s exit. I make my way back to town. It’s crowded, and the sidewalks are full of people in heavy winter coats and mittens. Carolers are on each street corner singing. Magic fills the air, the magic of Merryville.

By some Christmas miracle, I find a place to park that’s not too difficult to pull into, even though I have no idea how far forward I need to be. When I get out, I see the back of the vehicle is still in the street, so I climb in and pull forward. Eventually, I’ll get this right.

I tuck my hands into my pockets and slide into the home goods store. Inside, it’s full of Christmas decor, dishes, decorations, pretty much everything I need. A woman strolls from the back of the store and greets me with a grin.

“Hello! Lookin’ for anything in particular?”

“I just moved into a house and have nothing but a couch and a bed. So I need everything.” I look at the living room display with mantel decorations over the faux fireplace, a beautiful Christmas tree with snowflake ornaments and white lights, and a rug that’s striped like a candy cane.

“That’s exciting. Congratulations,” she offers.

“Thanks.” I turn and study the display. “Can I purchase this?”

The woman is confused. “Everything?”

“Yeah, I’d love to have my living room look exactly like this. It feels very cozy.”

“The furniture, too?”

“Yes, please.” I sit on the large leather recliner. Closing my eyes, I imagine myself in my house taking a nap, and then I turn and look at her over my shoulder. “Do you work on commission?”

“I do,” she confirms.

“Great. I’d like that dining room setup, too,” I tell her. She excuses herself to grab a pen and paper to write everything down.

The table is large enough for eight people and has a long red-and-white Christmas runner down the middle. Silverware is rolled into red napkins with gold reindeer embellishments. The chairs are carved from wood with high backs. I don’t plan on having that many people over, but maybe I’ll make friends or invite JJ’s family for dinner. “Oh, I need dishes. Plates, pans, skillets, pretty much everything. Especially coffee mugs.”

She leads me over to a wall with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with individual items and sets. I point at some white ones with gold trim and smile. “Those will be perfect.” I turn to her and read her nametag. “So, Magnolia, how difficult would it be to deliver this stuff to my place today?”

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