Chapter Nine
HOLLY
T here are so many lights.
Sure, there are lights and festivals in the city, but nothing like this. Not even in the suburbs.
Lights are strung between the houses, making an avenue of lights that can be seen from the next town over. Some houses have themes of either Christmas villages with blow ups and robotic moving animals and Santas. Others are a mix of lights that look more like a jumble of holiday decorations strewn across yards.
“This is…something,” I say, my eyes darting from house to house.
“I probably shouldn’t have started you on this street. They go a little overboard,” Rex chuckles beside me.
Tag lets out a small bark beside him, giving Rex the dog equivalent of a side eye.
This dog is growing on me.
“So are there judging requirements? Different categories?”
“No, or if there are, no one knows what they are. Everyone just writes their favourite house on a ballot back at the square and the winner is the one with the most votes.”
“So like a popularity contest?”
“Yes, and no. People here don’t really vote for their friends or family; they just vote for who they like the best. I may not have been in town long, but I know that everyone here just wants to have fun and enjoy the holiday. There aren’t any politics or arguments. Just plain ol’ good fashioned Christmas fun.”
The concept of a town, or any group of people really, gathering together and having fun without any other motives, is really stunning to me.
Maybe this little town isn’t so bad after all.
“Come on, let me introduce you to some people. They’ll be able to help you with your blog.”
Rex places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward an elderly couple admiring one of the houses. I try to ignore the butterflies in my stomach that flutter at his touch, but it’s getting harder and harder to ignore.
You’re only here for another couple of days. Don’t get any ideas.
“Mr. and Mrs. Dexter? I’d like to introduce you to Holly,” Rex says, drawing the attention of the couple while not removing his hand from my back.
“Rex, dear, I’ve told you to call us John and Millie,” the woman says with a bright smile. “It’s so nice to meet you, Holly. I’ve heard you’re joining us in town for a little while.”
“Yes, just until my car is fixed.”
“Oh, well, I hope it’s for longer than that. I hear you’ve been a real addition to our town.”
“I have?” My mind races, trying to think of what I might have contributed to the town at all in the day I’ve been here.
“Oh, yes, especially with your blog. We love that you’re drawing attention to our little town,” John says. “Plus, we’re happy to see Rex here smiling again. It’s been a while.”
I don’t look over at him, but I feel Rex stiffen beside me. I don’t want to add to that, so I choose to ignore, hoping Rex appreciates the change in subject.
“Rex says you can tell me a thing or two about the town for my blog. Would you mind if I record our conversation on my phone so I can write about it later?”
“Oh, not at all. We would love to help any way we can,” Millie answers.
I shift, pulling my phone out of my bag, finding myself brushing up against Rex. My heart races, but I try to play it cool, especially when I find him relaxing into me, his hand shifting to my hip to steady me as I pull up the recording app on my phone.
“How long have you both lived in Candy Cane Creek?” I ask, trying to focus on my blog and not the hunky Christmas-loving lumberjack beside me.
“Oh, our whole lives! I can’t say we’ve ever really been too far away from here,” Millie answers, looking up lovingly at her husband.
“We took a brief trip to Alberta once when my brother got married forty years ago, but that’s true, I don’t think we’ve ever travelled too far from home.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. What is it about the town that makes you want to stay so close?”
John and Millie look at each other with such love and happiness that I feel a pang of loss. It’s not for what I lost with Josh, because I don’t believe we ever looked at each other like that. If anything, it makes me realize what I was missing when I thought I had everything. What I’m still missing.
“It’s home,” John says, not looking away from his wife.
“It’s where our friends and family are—for the most part.” She gives her husband a final smile before turning her attention to me. “Plus, the town itself is like an extension of us. The people here are family, even if they aren’t blood. There’s a sense of community and belonging that I don’t think we would ever find anywhere else. That’s what made you stay, isn’t it, Rex?”
I look up at him, seeing him even more uncomfortable by our attention, even if it’s only the four of us.
He clears his throat before answering. “Uh, yeah.”
He removes his hand from my waist and leans away slightly. I bite my lip and look down, immediately feeling the loss of his touch.
I try my best to brush off the thought of it, knowing it must be hard to be constantly reminded of his wife. I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing someone you thought you were going to spend your life with. Yes, it hurt when Josh left, but that’s a different kind of hurt than what Rex went through.
I ask John and Millie a few more questions about the upcoming events and the town in general, trying not to overthink Rex looking off into the distance beside me, seemingly in his own little world.
I thank the couple as they stroll off to look at the rest of the lights, leaving me with Rex and Tag. The mood has shifted, and now I feel like I’m intruding on Rex. As if me being here has stirred up emotions that he’s not ready to deal with.
“Rex, I—”
“Should we move on to the next street?” he interrupts.
I open my mouth to answer, thinking that it’s best if we focus on my blog and not on whatever might or might not have been happening before we spoke with John and Millie, but I’m interrupted once again by a growl and bark from behind Rex. I peek my head behind him to find Tag growling and barking at an inflatable of Max with fake antlers on his head, standing next to the Grinch. Tag jumps at the blow-up dog and rears back when the fan inside of the sidekick makes it move. I guess to Tag, it looks like this gigantic dog is trying to start a fight.
“Is he okay?” I ask.
Rex snaps out of his thoughts, looking down at me. “Huh?”
“Tag. He seems to have taken offence to Max there.” I nod to the scene behind him, just in time for Rex to lunge and sink his teeth into the fabric.
“Tag! No!” Rex yells, reaching for Tag’s collar and pulling him back just in time for the grinch and his faithful sidekick to deflate.
“Seriously, Rex? Another one?” a man yells as he comes storming out of the house in front of us.
“Another one?” I ask, turning to Rex as he physically wrestles with his dog.
The man approaches us, hands on his hips. “This is the third one, Rex.”
“I know, I’m sorry, Mark. I’ll get you another one tomorrow.” Rex sighs, finally getting Tag to settle at his side. The dog has a smug look on his face—one I didn’t even know dogs could have. Whatever battle the dog thought he was in, he’s clearly convinced he won.
Mark shakes his head as he unplugs the now torn blow up and picks it up. “I’m going to have to buy stock in the company that makes this if he keeps this up.” His tone says he’s not overly upset, which is amazing considering what just happened, and it not being the first time.
“It won’t happen again, will it, Tag?” Rex asks, narrowing his eyes at his dog, not taking his hand off Tag’s collar.
Tag lets out a sound that I can only compare to a grumble as he looks down at the ground.
Mark gives one more shake of his head before turning and walking back to his house, shoving the tattered decoration into his garbage can as he goes.
“So, this has happened before?” I ask.
“Uh, yeah. Tag seems to like to enter into a battle of the Christmas dogs with Mark’s blow ups.”
“Right,” I counter, not sure what else to say.
This town keeps getting more and more interesting. Or maybe it’s just the man beside me and his quirky dog.