Page 102 of Once Upon a Christmas Kiss

He continued to grin and stare at me in awe as if he’d discovered a rare edition volume in the library. He’d always loved old things. “I can’t believe you’re still here.”

Of course I’m still here!The wordsthreatened to spew from my lips.Instead, I maintained my happy grin and said, “Some things never change, huh?”

“It’s great running into you. I’m here for work. Staying at the Inn.” He pointed toward the Cherry Creek Inn, run by my best friend, Sierra.

I can’t believe she hadn’t given me a heads-up that Seth was back in town. “For work?”

“Yes, my company got the contract to renovate Cherry Creek Academy. I hoped you were still in town so we could catch up while I’m here.”

I’d heard that he’d become a restoration architect. Old books, buildings, and any kind of historical anything gave him a thrill—or it had back when we were kids. “How long will you be in Cherry Creek?”How long will I have to worry about running into you around every corner?This town was like that. Not quite big enough to avoid anyone.

He shrugged. “It depends on the weather. We’ll work through the holidays to get it done on schedule. We'll work on the library when the students return to classes.”

Thanksgiving was in three days, and we hadn’t yet gotten the expected seasonal snowfall. But the snow would come as it did every year. “Daddy has been volunteering at the school, helping to move some of the old furniture and books into storage to prep for the renovation. He didn’t mention that you were the one doing the work.”

“My company is SJ Renovations, so he might not have known. Mayor Gregson knows it’s me, but I guess he didn’t mention it to anyone yet.

The bell signaled that my orders were ready to pick up from the kitchen window. “Oh, I’ve got to,”—I pointed behind me.

“Don’t let me keep you. I’m here for a to-go cherry cordial order for old-time’s sake. The place looks great, by the way.” He looked around, appreciation in his expression.

“Thanks. I’ll put your order in. You can pick it up at the counter.” I nodded and spun on my heel toward the pickup window. Seth turning up here was like my past slapping me in the face. I used to think I would marry Seth Jacobs when we were back in high school. I’d loved him with every cell of my body, heart, and soul. Letting him go was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

I got swept up in the diner’s lunch crowd and dismissed him from my thoughts for the rest of the day. More precisely, I avoided thinking about him. As the owner of The Cordial Diner, I handled the business end of things, but I also waited tables, helped Roger in the kitchen, and served cherry pie and cherry cordial from the counter.

Daddy would be here soon to help out with the lunch rush. We were just getting some of the holiday crowd that would last until the first of January. Cherry Creek was a Hallmark-esque town with enough charm to sweep anyone off their feet. Between the gorgeous inn, the cherry grove, and all the quaint shops, our town made for a beautiful weekend getaway from Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and surrounding areas.

I wondered if I’d ever see Seth again, but I’d refused to allow myself the painful luxury of looking him up on social media. Rumors were tossed here and there from the few folks who tried to keep up with him online. No mention that he was coming back to Cherry Creek for an extended stay, though. That had been a complete surprise.

* * *

Seth had hoped he might run into Kayla while in town, but part of him wished she’d gotten out of Cherry Creek. Wished she was off having a life filled with adventures. Of course, her dad was here, as was the family business, so that was a lot to hope.

Kayla’s parents, Lloyd and Mary Doyle, were rooted in the community through generations of family. They’d long taken on the selfless job of bettering the community. They’d hired teens and taught them strong work skills and values, which aligned with their mission. It was devastating to so many when Kayla’s mom got sick before their high school graduation.

Kayla and Seth planned to attend The University of Tennessee in Knoxville together, but she delayed attending college to help her dad care for her mom. It was tough for Mr. Doyle to run the diner from early morning until late at night. Kayla had insisted Seth go to college without her. But she didn’t join him at UT sophomore year after her mom passed. Instead, she worked at the diner and attended a culinary school nearby, commuting from home.

They’d continued to communicate for over a year, but by the time graduate school came around, Seth had accepted a distinguished internship in upstate New York, so they’d lost touch. The years and distance had eroded their bond, and while Kayla was on Seth’s mind often, he was far too busy to visit Tennessee. Losing her was his greatest regret.

Coming back to renovate the Cherry Creek Academy was a dream come true. He'd been a boarding student at CCA, while Kayla attended as a local daytime student. He'd boarded because he was an only child whose career-driven parents didn’t spend time with him like Kayla’s parents had with her. Her family had been his family during those years.

It was evident by Kayla’s expression that she hadn’t known Seth was in town. He looked forward to setting things right with her while he was here. She was still as lovely as she’d been as a teen, though with more life experience and less starry-eyed hope in her brown gaze. He hated to think that he might’ve played a part in that.

“Seth, is that you?”

Seth was walking back from the diner to the inn when a man’s voice interrupted his deep thoughts from the past. He found himself staring into the eyes of Lloyd Doyle, Kayla’s dad. “Hello, Mr. Doyle. It’s great to see you.” They shook hands and slapped each other on the back.

“Son, it’s been a minute. What are you doing here in Cherry Creek?”

Seth brought him up to speed about the reno. “Kayla says you’ve been helping prepare things for us over at the school.”

“You saw Kayla?” Seth noticed a quick flash of worry in his eyes before it disappeared.

“Yes, just now at the diner. The place looks great, by the way.”

“That’s all her doing. When she took it over, she refurbished the original décor. She recovered all the booths and replaced the flooring and the counter. Then, she modernized the kitchen and put a computer system in for ordering and paying tabs. It all made my head spin, but it was exactly what The Cordial needed.” Mr. Doyle was clearly proud of Kayla’s accomplishments with the diner.

“She’s got an eye for it.” Seth was also super impressed at how well it had turned out.

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