Chapter 8 Charlie #2
Charlie’s attention sharpened. “A tech company? Do you know which one?”
“I’m afraid I don’t remember the name,” Gloria said apologetically. “But I know it was in West Palm Beach. William worked in West Palm Beach for almost twenty years. He was making quite a name for himself in corporate law.”
“What made him come back to St. Augustine?” Charlie asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer.
Gloria’s expression grew sad. “When Harrold died, someone had to take over the family business. The shipping company, this shop. They both needed leadership. William’s mother was too grief-stricken to manage everything alone. So William came home.”
“That must have been difficult,” Charlie said. “Giving up his career to step into his brother’s shoes.”
“It was,” Gloria confirmed. “But William never complained. He sold his share of the law practice, moved back to St. Augustine, and threw himself into learning the family businesses. He eventually sold the shipping company a few years ago. He said his heart wasn’t in it the way Harrold’s had been.
But he kept the shop because it was a piece of his mother and her heritage. ”
Charlie made notes, her mind working through the implications.
William had been a corporate attorney for a tech company in West Palm Beach.
That kind of work would have given him significant financial resources and connections.
And coming back to take over family businesses would have given him even more wealth.
“So William’s been running the shop for fifteen years?” Charlie asked.
“That’s right,” Gloria said. “And doing a wonderful job of it. He’s expanded the inventory, maintains the Christmas traditions, and keeps the magic alive for new generations. His mother would be proud.”
“His mother has passed away?” Charlie asked gently.
“About ten years ago,” Gloria said. “Cancer. It was hard on William, losing both his brother and his mother within five years. But he had the shop and his friendship with the Christmas family to keep him grounded.”
Charlie felt a strange stirring in her mind, as if pieces of a puzzle were trying to fit together, but she couldn’t quite see the full picture yet. William, a corporate attorney for a tech company in West Palm Beach. That felt significant somehow, though she couldn’t put her finger on why.
“Thank you, Gloria,” Charlie said. “This has been very helpful.”
“Of course, dear,” Gloria said. Then she brightened. “Oh, before you go, would you like to make a donation and put a wish on the wishing tree? It’s a Christmas tradition here at the shop. All the donations go to local underprivileged kids, so they get a bit of Christmas magic too.”
Charlie looked up at the enormous tree standing in the corner of the shop.
It was at least twelve feet tall, covered in colorful wish cards hanging from red ribbons.
Tiny lights twinkled among the branches, and at the very top sat the most beautiful antique angel Charlie had ever seen.
It caught the light through the crystal star on its wand, sending rainbows dancing across the ceiling.
“Sure,” Charlie said, smiling. “I’d love to.”
Gloria handed her a small card and a pen. “Just write your wish and hang it on the tree. And don’t forget to make a small donation to the jar.”
Charlie took the card and moved toward the tree, thinking about what to wish for. There were so many things. She could make a wish for the inn to be saved, for Holly and Jack to find happiness, for Jane and Gabe’s future, and for her own upcoming marriage to Logan.
She was about to write when movement outside the shop window caught her attention.
A young woman stood on the sidewalk with a small boy, maybe six or seven years old. The woman was trying to smile, but Charlie could see the sadness in her eyes, the exhaustion in the set of her shoulders. The boy was tugging on her hand, pointing excitedly at the shop.
Charlie moved closer to the window, unable to help overhearing their conversation through the old glass.
“Mommy, can I go make a wish on the wishing tree?” the boy asked, his voice bright with hope.
His mother glanced into the shop window, her smile faltering. “Maybe later, sweetheart,” she said, her voice gentle but strained. “We have to get to the hospital.”
The boy nodded, his excitement dimming. “I know. But I thought if I made a wish, Daddy would wake up from the coma.”
Charlie’s heart lurched in her chest. She felt tears sting her eyes as the woman knelt down to her son’s level.
“Oh, honey,” the woman said, her voice breaking slightly. “That’s so sweet. But maybe on the way home, okay? We don’t want to be late for visiting hours.”
The boy, Mikey, Charlie heard his mother call him, nodded solemnly, and they walked off down the street toward the hospital.
Charlie didn’t even feel the tears slipping down her cheeks until Gloria’s voice made her jump.
“Sad story, that one,” Gloria said softly, having come to stand beside Charlie at the window.
Charlie wiped at her eyes. “Do you know them?”
Gloria nodded. “Yes. The father is Tony Reeves. He’s part of the St. Augustine Sea Rescue team.
About three weeks ago, there was a terrible accident.
A family’s boat capsized during a sudden storm, with a father and his eight-year-old son.
They were thrown into the water.” Gloria’s voice grew heavy with emotion.
“Tony and his team responded to the distress call. They managed to save the boy, but during the rescue, Tony was struck in the head by debris. Part of the boat’s mast had broken off in the storm.
The impact was severe. He’s been in a coma at Flagler Hospital ever since. ”
“That’s horrible,” Charlie whispered, her heart breaking for the family. “And his wife and son...”
“His wife, Sarah, has been at the hospital every day,” Gloria said. “Young Mikey, too. The boy asks to come make a wish at least once a week, but Sarah can barely afford the parking at the hospital, let alone donations for wishes. It’s heartbreaking.”
Charlie looked down at the blank wish card in her hand, then back out the window where Mikey and his mother had disappeared around the corner.
She knew what her wish would be.
Charlie moved to the donation jar and pulled out her wallet, slipping in several bills. Far more than the suggested donation. Then she returned to the tree and wrote carefully on the card:
“I wish for Tony Reeves to wake up and go home to his family.”
She hung the card on a branch next to a small crystal cupid figurine that dangled from a golden ribbon. As she stepped back, a flash of sunlight came through the window, catching the crystal cupid. For just a moment, it looked like the figurine winked at her.
Charlie blinked and looked again, but the cupid was just a simple ornament, reflecting light as crystal does.
“How silly,” Charlie murmured to herself. This town, the wishing tree, and Julie Christmas were all rubbing off on her. She was starting to believe in magic.
“Thank you, dear,” Gloria said warmly. “I’m sure your wish will find its way to where it needs to go.”
“I hope so,” Charlie said. She glanced at her watch and realized she’d been at the shop longer than intended. “I should go. Thank you for talking with me, Gloria. And if William comes back and wants to reach me, he knows where to find me.”
“I’ll let him know,” Gloria promised.
Charlie left the shop and walked back to her car, her mind full of what she’d learned. William Moore, corporate attorney for a tech company in West Palm Beach. That detail nagged at her, as if it should mean something important. But she couldn’t quite connect the dots yet.
She’d been planning to head straight back to the inn, but as she passed a row of shops decorated for Christmas, Charlie found herself drawn in. Just a quick stop, she told herself. Just to pick up a few gifts.
Three hours later, Charlie emerged from the last shop, laden with bags and packages.
She hadn’t meant to take so long, but once she’d started, she couldn’t stop.
Gifts for Logan, for Holly, for Jane and Gabe, for Trinity and Maddy, for Christopher, Isabella, Julie, William, and for everyone who had made this Christmas season so special.
By the time Charlie pulled up to the Christmas Inn, her arms were full and her feet were tired. She struggled to manage all the bags as she walked through the front door.
“Charlie! Oh my goodness, let me help you!” Julie’s voice came from behind the front desk, and she rushed over to take several bags from Charlie’s overloaded arms.
“Thank you,” Charlie said gratefully. “I didn’t mean to buy so much, but once I started...”
“I understand completely,” Julie said with a knowing smile. “Christmas shopping has a way of getting away from you. Where would you like these?”
“The library, if that’s okay,” Charlie said. “I cleaned out a closet in there that I can use to hide everything until Christmas.”
“Perfect,” Julie agreed, and they walked together through the inn toward the library, Charlie juggling bags and Julie carrying the overflow.
As they walked, Julie’s expression grew thoughtful.
“You know, there was a tragic story that happened in St. Augustine a few weeks ago. A sea rescue team member named Tony Reeves was badly injured during a storm rescue. He’s been in a coma for weeks.
His wife and young son have been keeping vigil at the hospital, hoping for a miracle. ”
Charlie’s steps slowed. “Tony Reeves? I just heard about him. I was at Moore’s Treasures and Treats earlier, and I saw his wife and son outside the shop. The little boy wanted to make a wish for his father.”
“Mikey,” Julie said softly. “Such a sweet child. The whole town has been praying for Tony’s recovery.”
They reached the library, and Charlie unlocked the door. As they carried the bags inside and started stashing them in the closet, Julie continued talking.
“But it seems that Christmas is working its miracles again this year,” Julie said, her eyes twinkling with that special light Charlie had come to recognize. “Because just about an hour ago, Tony woke up.”
Charlie froze, a bag of gifts suspended in midair. “What?”
“It’s true,” Julie said, her smile widening. “I got a call from a friend at the hospital. Tony opened his eyes about an hour ago. He’s awake and responsive. The doctors say he’s going to make a full recovery.”
Charlie’s heart began to pound. An hour ago. She had made her wish at the wishing tree before that. She’d hung her card next to the crystal cupid, and the figurine had seemed to wink at her in the sunlight.
“That’s... that’s wonderful,” Charlie managed to say, though her voice sounded strange even to her own ears.
Julie looked at her with those knowing eyes, that gentle smile that suggested she understood far more than she was saying. “I do love a good Christmas story. Especially the ones where wishes turn into miracles, and those miracles spread good fortune to others who need the same hope and healing.”
Charlie sank into one of the library chairs, her legs suddenly weak. “No, that’s still... it’s not possible.”
“What’s not possible, dear?” Julie asked innocently.
“Nothing,” Charlie said, feeling foolish. It was just a coincidence. “Coincidence is such a strange thing.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Julie told her.
“Well, it certainly wasn’t my wish that came true,” Charlie said before she could stop herself.
“Wish?” Julie looked at her curiously, but Charlie had a feeling Julie already knew what Charlie had wished for. Why else would the sly woman tell her the story about Tony Reeves?
“Wishes don’t come true. Especially in such a short span of time! That’s ridiculous.”
Julie sat down across from Charlie, her expression gentle and wise. “Why not? What makes you so certain that magic doesn’t exist? That wishes can’t come true when they’re made with a pure heart and selfless intention?”
“Because I’m a lawyer,” Charlie said weakly. “I deal in facts and evidence and logic. Not in magic and wishes and—” She gestured helplessly. “Not in crystal cupids that wink.”
Julie laughed, a warm, rich sound. “Oh, Charlie. You’ve been working so hard to save the inn through legal means, research, and logic.
And those things are important. They matter.
But sometimes, the most powerful force in the world isn’t logic.
It’s love. It’s hope. It’s the belief that good things can happen to good people. ”
Charlie thought about the wishing tree. About Tony waking up exactly when she’d wished for him to. About Trinity wishing for her father to come home, and Gabe appearing at the inn. About Holly wishing for…
Wait. Had Holly made a wish? Charlie didn’t know. But Holly had found Jack, and Jack had found Holly, and they were both healing from their broken pasts.
“That’s ridiculous, we’re grown adults.” Charlie snorted. “Are you seriously trying to convince me that the wishes on that tree come true?”
“The ones made with love and hope and pure intention?” Julie said. “Yes. They have a way of finding their path.”
Charlie leaned back in her chair, her mind reeling. She’d made a wish for a stranger’s father to wake from a coma. And he had. Within an hour.
What did that mean for all the other wishes she’d been holding in her heart? For the inn to be saved. For Jane and Gabe to find happiness. For Holly and Jack to overcome their obstacles. For her own future with Logan.
“Don’t overthink it,” Julie said gently, as if reading Charlie’s thoughts. “Just believe. Just have faith. The rest will work itself out.”
After Julie left, Charlie sat alone in the library, staring at her notes about William Moore and his time as an attorney in West Palm Beach. About the mystery benefactor paying off the inn’s debt. About all the threads she’d been trying to weave together with logic and research.
And then she thought about the wishing tree, the crystal cupid, and Tony Reeves opening his eyes.
Maybe, Charlie thought, there was more to saving the Christmas Inn than legal strategy and financial maneuvering.
Maybe there was magic, too.
She just had to be willing to believe in it. Something sparkled on her desk, and her eyes widened. In front of where Julie had sat was a crystal cupid tree ornament like the one that was in William’s shop.