Chapter 5
Chapter Five
The snow had lightened.
The wind however had picked up.
Felicity kept her head down. There wasn’t a chance she was falling again.
And she certainly wasn’t going to fall in front of her ex.
The memory of staring up at Justin as she was stretched out on the icy road sent a wave of heat rushing to her cheeks.
Could she have made a worse impression on him? A sigh escaped her lips.
She checked the time. If she hurried, she could make it to her old haunt before going to the café. Watching for any icy spots, she picked up her pace. A few minutes later, she neared Jingle Bell Books.
A smile pulled at her lips. From the outside, it looked exactly the same. Maybe there was something in her life that was the way she remembered it.
As she drew closer to the bookshop, the breath hitched in her lungs.
She’d started working there when she was sixteen.
She’d worked part-time during the school year, but when summer rolled around, she worked full-time.
And she’d saved every penny—okay, maybe not every penny, but most of the money—for college.
Even back then she knew she wanted out of this small town.
She peered in the window and saw the bookshelves were still overflowing with books. There were books on tables and books displayed in the window. The pent-up breath whooshed from her lungs.
A Help Wanted sign in the window drew her attention. Before she had a chance to give it a closer look, the owner, Connie Carmichael, saw her through the window. Her face lit up with a big smile, and then she started to frantically motion for Felicity to come inside.
There was no way she could walk away now.
Connie had been like a second mother to her when she was growing up.
Of course, Felicity had never said that to her mother, because she didn’t want to hurt her.
It wasn’t that she loved her mother any less.
It was that Connie understood her as a young adult instead of the child that her mother envisioned.
Connie cared about her and was always supporting her in whatever ways Felicity would let her.
Felicity grasped the brass door handle and opened the door.
The first thing that struck her was the scent.
It was a unique blend of vanilla, earthiness, and a little bit of mustiness from all of the old books that Connie insisted on keeping, even though people only ever glanced at them from a distance and rarely ever bought one.
She breathed in deeper. It was a scent that made her feel like she was home. At last, there was something that hadn’t changed in any discernable way. Her heart swelled with love and nostalgia. Being within the walls of Jingle Bell Books was exactly what she needed.
Tears rushed to her eyes. She attempted to blink them away just before Connie rushed up to her and enveloped her into a great big warm hug. That was all it took for the dam to break and the tears to splash onto her cheeks.
Felicity’s arms wrapped around her as she released a ragged breath and sank into the hug. At last, she was home.
When they parted, Connie said, “I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve really missed you.”
She swiped away the tears. “I’m sorry. I should have been back before now. There was just so much work.”
Connie nodded in understanding. “I’m surprised I didn’t hear you were coming home.”
“Well, actually I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Not even your mother?”
Felicity shook her head. “It was spur of the moment.” When she saw the confusion in Connie’s eyes, she knew she had to say more, but she wasn’t ready to admit that she had lost her job. Not yet. Not on her first day back in town. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make the trip.”
It was the truth. If she’d have gotten some interviews lined up, she would have stayed in the city. But that hadn’t happened. Everyone appeared to be taking an early holiday or something. But she wasn’t giving up hope.
“Well, I’m glad you could make it. But I understand about it being hard to take time off from work. I practically live in this place.” Connie waved her arms around. “And you have such a glamorous job as a New York City editor.”
“Assistant editor.” A frown pulled at her lips as she thought about the promotion that had been yanked out of her reach by Tanner and his sexy smiles.
“Oh, yes. But I’m sure you’ll be an editor in no time.” Connie smiled proudly. “I always knew you’d do great things.”
Felicity knew her friend meant well, but it heaped a bunch of guilt onto the sense of failure and disappointment that were already pressing down on her shoulders. After all of that, how was she supposed to tell Connie that she was let go from her job?
She shook her head. “I don’t do anything great.” And then she realized what she’d said. “I mean, my job is not a big deal.”
The smile was still on Connie’s face. “Tell that to all of the aspiring authors who sent you their books in hopes they would be the next Nora Roberts or Stephen King.”
“But I don’t buy their manuscripts.” She really didn’t. She just wrote up summaries and recommendations for prospective manuscripts, in addition to her other duties that include proofreading, editing, and other administrative tasks.
Connie continued to smile. “I love that you still have modesty. You’re still the same wonderful person who used to work here. If only I could find another you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh. It’s just been hard to keep help. The young people start here, but then they are either off to college or they find a better paying job.”
“I’m sorry. Is that why you have the help wanted sign in the window?”
Connie nodded.
It was then that Felicity noticed the fresh lines etching Connie’s face. There was a tiredness that showed in her bloodshot eyes and shadows beneath them. Her heart went out to her former friend and boss.
“You wouldn’t want your old job back, would you?” Connie’s voice drew her from her thoughts. Without giving Felicity a chance to answer, Connie rushed on. “Of course you wouldn’t. This is your vacation.”
The thought was tempting. She did need the money. The storage unit she’d gotten in New Jersey for all of her possessions wasn’t cheap. And she was going to need money to get another apartment when she moved back to the city.
But there was a part of her that didn’t want to go backward. She’d finally gotten out of her small town. She’d made it to the big city that never sleeps. She wasn’t ready to settle back into her old life.
Connie moved to a stack of cardboard boxes at the end of an aisle.
She picked up a handful of elementary school fiction books and placed them on the shelf.
“I’m just so glad you’re back.” She continued to rearrange the books.
“I’m sorry we can’t have coffee and catch up.
I’m just so far behind and now with the holidays, the work never ends. ”
“Here. Let me help.” Felicity grabbed a handful of books and moved toward the shelves.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
As they continued working together like the old days, Felicity slipped off her coat and pulled up the sleeves of her hoodie.
It felt good to be back here amongst the books.
And she found that helping out didn’t make her feel like she was a failure who couldn’t make it in the big city.
Instead, she felt good to have a purpose.
In the process, she was able to help an old friend.
When her stomach let out a loud rumble, she knew it was time for her to head over to the Kringle Cup Café. When Connie went to open the next box, Felicity said, “Why don’t you leave that there until tomorrow.”
Connie arched a penciled brow. “Why would I do that?”
“Because I’ll be back in the morning. I can work on this stock and anything else you need done.”
Connie gaped. It took a moment for her to gather herself. “But you can’t do that. You need to enjoy your holiday break.”
“I will. I always loved spending time here.”
Connie hesitated. “Are you sure?”
Felicity nodded. “I’m absolutely positive.”
“Okay, then.” A big smile lifted the corners of Connie’s lips, puffing up her cheeks. “I’m not going to argue with you. After all, you were my best employee.”
Felicity felt a need to clarify things. “But I can only work here until Christmas.”
Connie nodded. “I’ll take whatever time you have to spare.” When Felicity’s stomach rumbled again, Connie said, “Now go get something to eat, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
After a quick hug, Felicity slipped on her coat and headed back outside to find that the snow had picked up. Every building was coated in white stuff. It made her hometown look like it belonged on the front of a Christmas card.
She was happy that she’d made a trip to Jingle Bell Books. She’d needed something to go right about this visit. Maybe while she was having dinner, she’d check the online job site and see if there were any new listings. Because she was not staying in Kringle Falls. Nope. It isn’t going to happen.
Her future was back in New York. She refused to think about the fact that she no longer had an apartment. And her only friends were those from the office where she no longer worked. It was all her fault for letting her job take over her life. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again.