Christmas on Main Street (18 page)

“I’ve missed a lot of things.”

Ava blinked at him for a moment, as if she wanted to ask him more but was hesitant. “Main Street looks like a lovely scene inside a snow globe!” Her smile remained bright, but there was a nervous edge to her voice.

“Yes.” Clint nodded. “You were right, Ava.” With the fat flakes swirling in the wind and colorful Christmas decorations everywhere, Cricket Creek glittered with Christmas cheer. “It’s truly magical.”

Ava’s smile widened, and she seemed to relax if just a little bit. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and she looked so adorable in the silly outfit that he wanted to lean over and kiss her. Something in his expression must have given him away because her smile faltered..

From that moment on, she kept her attention focused on the crowd. Disappointment settled in his gut, but he understood. He’d hurt her a long time ago, and they needed time to get to know each other again. But he knew he wanted to regain her trust. Fifteen years was a long time to be away, but there was still a strong bond between them. He could feel it.

A few minutes later, the parade and music halted once again. Noah and Olivia Falcon got out of the Corvette and headed over to the tall pine tree in the middle of the town square.

“It’s time for the lighting of the tree,” Ava explained.

A moment later, the tree exploded with color and the crowd roared with approval. The band started playing “O Christmas Tree,” and once again Cricket Creek became a collective choir. Ava, though, remained quiet this time. Halfway through the song, a single tear slid down her face. She quickly brushed it away, leaving Clint to wonder if the show of emotion was for the lighting of the tree or if it had something to do with him. Once again, he wanted to reach over and take her hand, but he held back.

Clint didn’t know if he could rekindle what they once had, but he was up for the challenge. He wanted to explain some things to Ava, and whether it closed the door between them or opened it for another chance, she deserved an apology.

Clint smiled softly. She might try to avoid him, but he was Santa Claus in Cricket Creek. He had that power, at least, and he wasn’t above using a bit of holiday magic of his own.

Winter Wonderland

“Rosie, get over here!” Ava called from her back door. Rosie paused from playing in the snow to look up at Ava. “Come on, girl!” Ava coaxed, but Rosie’s tongue lolled out of her mouth and she gave Ava that pleading look that said she wanted Ava to join her. “No, it’s too cold!” Ava shouted as if Rosie understood English.

“Don’t you want your treat?” Ava asked, but Rosie gave her an are-you-kidding-this-is-way-too-much-fun bark and then proceeded to frolic in the winter wonderland.

“You silly thing.” Ava shook her head and pulled the edges of her pink terry-cloth robe closer together. She couldn’t help but laugh when Rosie buried her nose in the snow and then flung some up into the air. The playful pup had shown up on Ava’s back deck one cold and rainy night three months ago and had been living with Ava ever since.

After closing the door against the chill, Ava shivered and then walked over to the kitchen counter to pour a cup of coffee. The fragrant steam cleared the remaining cobwebs from her head as she added cream and sugar. Rosie wouldn’t venture very far, and after she had her fill of the snow, she would come scratching at the back door begging for a treat.

Ava lived in the apartment above A Touch of Whimsy, making her morning commute to work a mere walk down the stairs. The open floor plan made the space feel bigger than it actually was and she liked the rustic beamed ceiling, hardwood flooring and exposed brick walls. Her furnishings were mostly purchases from antique and thrift stores in Cricket Creek, except for the sturdy kitchen table built by her father. Beautiful rugs woven by her mother added a shot of color that brightened the otherwise neutral decor. While Ava still enjoyed trips out to her family’s farm, she liked the convenience of being able to walk to many of her favorite stores and restaurants in town. Knowing how tough it was to stay in business, Ava preferred to spend her money locally. Now that the economy had picked up she shopped more often and it was such a blessing to see store owners thriving instead of the constant struggle.

After the snow flurries had turned into snow showers, last night’s festivities had been cut short in an effort to get everyone home safely. Thankfully, the squall had only amounted to an inch or so and the streets were already safe to drive. With no more accumulation in the forecast, the rest of the Main Street events for the weekend should go on without a hitch. Well, unless you included the return of Clint Sully, but Ava refused to think about him before finishing her first cup of coffee.

Cradling the warm mug in her hands, Ava walked over to the front window and looked down over Main Street. Bright sunshine had melted the snow on the pavement but it remained on the grass and rooftops, making the bright red Christmas bows and greenery look even prettier.

After yawning, Ava took a sip of the coffee she’d brewed extra strong since sleep had pretty much eluded her last night. All she could think about was Clint. She wondered what he looked like beneath the Santa beard and padded costume. He’d been tall and lanky up until senior year when he’d filled out, making him even more of a threat on the baseball field. Doubles and singles turned into home runs but he had remained fast on the base pads, rare for a catcher. She’d loved watching him play and almost never missed a game even if she had to stay up late doing her homework. Ava smiled at the memories that came flooding back. What would have happened if Clint hadn’t moved to California? Would they be married with a house full of children?

“Don’t go there,” Ava grumbled. “That ship has sailed.” She took another sip of coffee and tried to push thoughts of Clint from her brain. With an effort she started considering what to eat for breakfast when she spotted a black BMW Z4 convertible rolling down Main Street. Except for people like Ty McKenna and Noah Falcon, Chevys and Fords were the norm in Cricket Creek, and when the black beauty slid into a space across the street in front of Grammar’s Bakery, she watched to see who would emerge from the driver’s side. The door opened and long, jean-clad legs unfolded followed by wide shoulders in a black leather bomber jacket. A dark head of hair long enough for a girl to run her fingers through became ruffled in a sudden breeze. Silver aviator sunglasses glinted in the sunlight, shading his eyes, but Ava would have known that strong jawline and prominent nose anywhere. Her heart started beating faster.

Clint.

When he looked over at her shop Ava moved away from the window and flattened against the brick wall so fast that coffee sloshed over the top of her mug and splattered on her slippers. She wasn’t sure if he knew she lived in the loft apartment but she wasn’t taking any chances at being caught gawking at him. Still, she tiptoed—why she felt the need to tiptoe she didn’t know but she did—back over to the corner of the window. Pressing her lips together, she peeked past the chocolate-colored panel curtain that was almost always kept open to let in sunshine. Ava watched Clint pause in front of his convertible and dig into his pocket. A moment later he answered his cell phone. “Oh boy . . .” she breathed when got a nice shot of denim-clad butt beneath the black leather jacket.

Wow . . . Clint Sully was all grown up and looking mighty fine! The Santa belly had been all padding. She watched until he opened the door and entered the bakery and then decided that a bowl of Special K would be an excellent choice for her own breakfast.

Still, Ava stood there for a moment, gathering her wits and sipping her coffee. After inhaling a deep breath she blew it out and said, “Just act natural around him.” Taking her last swallow of coffee she added, “You know . . . casual.”
And whatever you do, don’t bring attention to yourself
, which was unfortunately something she had a knack for doing without ever trying.

Knowing she had to get downstairs Ava poured her cereal, wishing she had a banana to liven it up, and then got the treat out for Rosie. She waved the rawhide chew out the back door and finally managed to coax the happy puppy inside. “Hold still, you squirmy thing,” Ava pleaded with a laugh. After wiping Rosie’s wet paws with an old towel kept there for that purpose, she rewarded her dog with the chew. With her tail wagging furiously, true to form, Rosie scampered away to hide her beef-flavored treasure in back of the sofa.

“You should really mix it up with a different hiding place,” Ava suggested when Rosie came back to get her ears scratched. “But I understand. I do the same thing with my stash of Reese’s Cups.” While Rosie crunched her puppy chow, Ava ate her cereal even though a warm and gooey cinnamon roll from Grammar’s Bakery was calling her name. She suddenly remembered that powdered-sugar doughnuts and butter cookies had been Clint’s treat of choice and she wondered if that’s what he’d just bought.

“Who cares? Stop thinking about him!” Ava said so loud that Rosie paused in her crunching and gave her a you-humans-are-wacky look.
Perhaps you can’t stop thinking about him because you do still care
, argued the voice inside her head that she longed to silence. After an exasperated groan, Ava grabbed a pen and paper, another cup of coffee, and starting making a list of things to do in order to prepare for the crowd of people attending the rest of the weekend celebration. A Touch of Whimsy was a part of the Christmas walk open house later that afternoon but the entire day would be a busy one. Pete usually played Santa for a couple of hours in the afternoon. With a little of flash of excitement Ava wondered if Clint would show up instead of his dad.

“I hope not,” she mused out loud but then sighed. “Oh who am I kidding? But I’m just curious . . . nothing more,” she told herself. Maybe instead of trying to act casual she should just give him the cold shoulder? Pretend indifference? She closed her eyes and sighed, acknowledging that it was pretty doggone difficult to give a cold shoulder to a man who made you feel warm all over. The thought snuck into her brain that maybe this was their second chance but she quickly squashed it. Getting over Clint Sully had been heart-wrenching and she didn’t want to go through that pain ever again.

Even as she told herself that she wasn’t going to do anything special because Clint was in town, Ava took extra pains with her makeup as she got ready for her day. And although she usually pulled her hair into a ponytail, today she curled it into what her cute little clerk Ronnie would call beachy waves and then fluffed it around her shoulders. Since Ava often got hands-on with the toy displays she normally dressed in jeans and a casual button-down oxfords with her logo stitched above the pocket but today she opted for a festive red sweater with pearls, sewn into the neckline. She added a green silk scarf and knotted it halfway down her chest. After taking a step back to look at her reflection she told herself she was simply celebrating the season but she knew darned well why she was dressing up. But when the image of sexy Clint in his leather jacket and jeans filtered into her head she was hit with a flash of insecurity. Sadly ironic, since Clint had been responsible for making her, an outdoorsy farm girl, feel beautiful. It didn’t help knowing that he’d been living in LA on a college campus where all the women must be gorgeous. But then Ava fisted her hands on her hips and glared at herself in the mirror. Wasn’t she the one who stocked uplifting books on self-esteem and acceptance in the book nook corner of the toy store? Didn’t she always make sure that each and every girl felt like a princess at her Saturday tea parties? She was about to give herself an extended and much needed pep talk when her cell phone started ringing. Of course she never had the doggone thing next to her when it rang and had to hustle back into the kitchen and locate it.

When she saw that the screen said Grammar’s Bakery, Ava answered. “Hello.”

“Hey there, Ava, it’s Mabel at the bakery.”

“Oh, hi, Mabel. Are my cookies ready?”

“Yes, they sure are, sugar. I’ll have them delivered.”

“Oh, Mabel, I know you’re swamped. I’ll have Ronnie come over later and pick them up. I’m not going to put the cookies out until the Christmas walk open house or they will be long gone.”

“Are you always such a sweetie?” Mabel said. “But listen.” She lowered her voice to an excited whisper that had Ava’s heart beating a little faster. Ava actually held her breath so she could listen more closely. “That’s not the only reason I called.”

“What’s up?” Ava asked, even though she already had an inkling of where this was going.

“Guess who just stopped in here,” Mabel continued in a low voice, but she didn’t wait for Ava to answer. “Clint.” She paused and then said in a lower tone, “Sully! Clint Sully,” she then said together so that there would be no confusion.

“You don’t say,” Ava commented calmly.

“I’m not playin’! He said in all of LA there wasn’t a bakery as good as mine,” Mabel boasted and then lowered her voice again. “He’s single, Ava. I know ’cause I asked.”

“You asked?”

Mabel chuckled. “Hey, eligible bachelors in this little town are hard to find.”

Ava grinned. “Are you going to make a play for Clint?”

“Oh, I wish! Sugar, when he walked in, my brain went straight to you. Although I did admire how he filled out those jeans.”

“Miss Mabel . . .”

“He’s looking pretty doggone fly, I might add.”

“Fly?”

“Hey, my employees are mostly teenagers. They rub off on me. Mercy me, but I remember how cute of a couple you two made back in high school.”

“That was a long time ago,” Ava reminded her.

“Child, seems like yesterday to me,” Mabel said with a sigh.

A hot lump of emotion gathered in Ava’s throat.

“Anyway, there’s no need to send Ronnie over.”

“But—”

“When Clint saw your name written on the box of cookies sitting on the counter, he offered to deliver them to you.”

Ava’s eyes rounded and she stood up straighter. “Is he on his way?”

“Just finishing up his coffee and a second powdered-sugar doughnut. I’m so glad that I added that café section in the bakery. He’ll be over shortly, though, I imagine. Thought I’d give you fair warning. Hope I didn’t do the wrong thing,” Mabel added, but she didn’t seem at all concerned.

“No, of course not,” Ava assured her even though her heart continued to race. Matchmaking was a common practice in Cricket Creek. Ava supposed it was because in a small town everybody knew everybody. And Mabel was right. Eligible bachelors were a hot commodity in town, especially those over thirty.

“Well, I’ve got to get back to work. I love the Christmas season, but I’m already plumb tuckered out and it’s just started. Oh, would you just listen to me whine? It wasn’t too long ago that I wondered how I was going to keep the doors open and now I’ve expanded. I should count my blessings. Bye now, sugar.”

“Bye, Miss Mabel,” Ava said absently. After ending the call, she stood there for a second and then was suddenly galvanized into action. When she ran back into the bathroom to check her hair, Rosie seemed to know something was up and scampered after her as if she could somehow help. “Dear Lord but I’m
hot
and I don’t mean in a sexy way. I’m sweating! Why did I put this sweater on?” She looked at Rosie, who gave her another humans-are-wacky look. “And I think this hair is . . . eighties big.” She plucked at the sweater and then did an armpit check. “Oh, I
am
sweating!”

In a true panic, she yanked the sweater over her head but forgot about the scarf and somehow, someway, the entire thing became tangled around her shoulders with her arms stretched upward. “What the . . . ?” Ava tugged, nearly turning the slipknot on the scarf into a noose. The small tag on the scarf must have gotten snagged in the pearls.

“Grrr . . .” Ava tugged harder and suddenly found herself in a Houdini-type situation. This had happened to her once in a dressing room. She had found herself in a similar situation when she tried a dress on that had been two sizes too small and had to enlist the help of a clerk after she managed to zip it up but not down. But there wasn’t a clerk here, only Rosie, who wasn’t going to be any assistance. Ava wiggled wildly and at least managed to get the edge of the sweater down far enough to see. She looked into the mirror and decided that she looked like a red version of SpongeBob SquarePants.