Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
R andy held the door open for Evie as they left the historical society. Evie was lost in thought, her expression pensive.
“That was quite the story about the town sending Warren the Christmas package after his mom died, wasn’t it?”
“It was. And I’m so glad he made it back from the war. He looked very happy in that photo with his family.”
“So far we’ve had good luck figuring out the story behind each item, haven’t we?”
“We have.” She nodded.
“You know, with all these memories we’re discovering, maybe you’d want to decorate the cottage for the holidays. It could be a nice way to honor your grandmother and the traditions she kept alive. Would you like that?”
Evie hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “I… I don’t know. I was kind of going to ignore the whole Christmas thing this year.” She laughed softly. “But that sure isn’t working out like I planned, is it? What with the Christmas box and baking Christmas cookies.”
He grinned at her. “No, not exactly like you planned.”
They locked gazes, and for a moment he was afraid she would reject the idea.
“You know what? Yes. Let’s decorate the cottage. Nana would love that.” She frowned. “But I don’t have a tree. Nana would have nothing to do with an artificial tree. Always a real one.”
“Then let’s head to the Christmas tree lot and get you a tree.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Proud of himself that he’d convinced her to decorate, he took her arm and led her to the truck. Truth be told, he just couldn’t image Miss G’s cottage without holiday decorations.
He opened the truck door for her, and she climbed inside. They made their way to the local Christmas tree lot, just down the street from The Sweet Shoppe. The scent of pine and the twinkle of Christmas lights greeted them as they entered. Evie’s eyes lit up, the holiday spirit seeming to wash over her as she took in the rows of beautiful trees.
Christmas music drifted over the lot as Evie carefully looked at tree after tree. “It has to be a balsam fir. Nana says that’s the best tree and is the most aromatic.”
As they continued looking, he wondered if she would ever make up her mind. But the concentration on her features as she carefully inspected each tree amused him. It was so like Miss G when he’d taken her to pick up her tree. Must run in the family.
Finally, she came to a stop in front of a stunning balsam fir, its branches full and even, the perfect shape for decorating. She circled the tree, taking in its beauty from every angle. Then she turned to him and threw out her arm. “Ta-da. This is it. It’s perfect. Just like the ones Nana would pick out.”
“This one it is, then.” His heart warmed seeing the look of joy on her face.
They paid for the tree, and he placed it in the back of this truck for the drive back to her cottage. Once inside, Evie pointed. “It goes right by the window over there.”
He laughed. “I’m well aware of where it goes. I’ve set up Miss G’s tree for her ever since I moved next door.”
She turned to him, surprise in her eyes. “You did? I didn’t know that.”
“Yep. And helped her decorate it. She always repaid me by inviting me for a nice dinner and sending me home with leftovers and a plate of cookies. I always told her I got the better end of the arrangement.” He grinned.
“I’m glad you were here to help her with things like that.” She frowned. “I should have made time to come back here more. Nana never complained and traveled to see me. Said she knew I was busy. But… still… I wish I would have made more of an effort to come here.”
“I’m sure Miss G understood.”
“I’m sure she did. But it didn’t make it right.” She shrugged. “But she always said we end up where we’re supposed to be. I guess I was meant to live in the city.”
“Well, she’d be glad that you’re decorating the cottage now. Miss G did love the holidays.”
“She would be glad, wouldn’t she?” Evie’s lips curled up in a gentle smile. “Let’s get the stand for the tree and get it set up. Then we can haul out the decorations.”
Soon they had the tree in the stand and Evie commanded him to turn it this way and that, move it to the right, to the left. He smiled to himself. It was just like putting up the tree for Miss G.
After the tree was exactly like Evie wanted it, they strung the lights on it. She disappeared into the storage room and returned with a box of Christmas ornaments.
Her excitement as she remembered so many of the ornaments tickled him. Each one brought a wide smile to her face. The Rudolph ornament she’d made for her grandmother when she was a little girl. A replica of the lighthouse here on Belle Island. A small silver ornament frame with a photo of Evie and Miss G. One by one, they hung them on the tree.
Finally, it was time for the tree topper. She got out the stepstool and climbed up on it. He handed her the star, keeping a hand on her back to make sure she didn’t fall. Once it was secure atop the tree, she climbed down and stood back, hands on hips, very much a carbon copy of her grandmother. “Okay, now we need to plug in the lights.”
He did as requested and watched while Evie stood, mesmerized by the tree.
“It’s… so beautiful. Just like how I remembered it.” The emotion was evident in her voice as she choked on the words.
“Miss G would be so happy to see this,” he said softly, knowing he was telling the truth.
She turned to him, her eyes glistening with wonder. “Thank you for helping me with this.”
“My pleasure.” And he meant it. He was fairly certain he’d enjoyed it as much as, if not more than, Evie.
“I should probably let you go. I’ve monopolized your whole day,” she said.
“Not before we get out the caroling mice.” He looked at her in mock horror. “Those have to be set up.”
She laughed out loud. “Nana always insisted they be put in a different spot each year.”
“Then I’ll be sure to tell you if you’re repeating a spot she put them out in over the last few years.”
They found a place for the mice on the bookshelf, standing on a copy of “A Christmas Carol” for a special touch of festivity. He assured her she’d found an original spot. Then she set out the Christmas angel and wound it up so they could watch it spin slowly in circles as the sound of “Silent Night” drifted through the room.
She turned to him. “This has been the best day that I’ve had in a very long time.”
“You know what? Me too.” And he realized it was the best day he’d had in as long as he could remember. Evie was so easy to be with, and he loved seeing her eyes light up with treasured memories.
She grinned. “Now, I need to keep up Nana’s side of the bargain. Only I don’t have anything here to cook. How about I take you out to eat? Looks like we’ve worked right through lunch. You must be starving.”
“I wouldn’t say no to lunch.” And it would mean he could spend more time with her. Startled, he realized it was something he wanted more and more with each passing day.
“I could take you to The Sweet Shoppe,” Evie suggested. She’d loved the loaf of bread she’d gotten from them at the open-air market and the cinnamon rolls Randy had brought. And she’d heard they had sandwiches at lunchtime.
Randy looked at his watch. “Ah, a bit too late. Julie closes at two in the afternoon.”
Oh, bummer. She scrunched up her face and thought for a moment. “Magic Cafe?”
“I never say no to Magic Cafe.” He grinned.
“I could go for a fried grouper sandwich. And hush puppies. I love Tally’s hush puppies.”
“Me too. Sounds like we’re ordering the same thing. Want to walk or drive?”
“Let’s walk if that’s okay with you. I love being able to walk to so many places here on the island.”
It was a short walk to Magic Cafe, and Tally greeted them with a smile. “Late lunch for you two today?”
“Randy was helping me decorate for Christmas.”
“Ah, good. Can’t have a bare cottage this time of year, now can we? Genevieve did love her holidays. Come, I’ll get you a table near the beach, just like you both like it.”
She turned to Randy. “You get a table at the edge near the beach? I know some people don’t like it because it’s a bit sandy under the tables there.”
“My favorite spot,” he assured her.
They both ordered and Tally brought them large glasses of sweet tea. Evie took a sip, savoring the flavor. “They don’t know how to make sweet tea up north. They just dump some sugar in iced tea and call it good.” She shook her head. “I do love coming down here and getting real sweet tea.”
“Sounds like you’re liking a lot of things down here. Walking to places. The tea. Decorating the cottage.”
“I am enjoying myself.” She paused, frowning. “I thought it would be terrible coming here. All the memories of Nana. And it was hard at first, and sometimes I expect to turn around and see her coming out of her kitchen.” She shrugged. “But, as the days go by, I find that it’s… it’s more comforting in a way. More than I expected.”
“I’m glad.”
She grinned at him. “And some guy talked me into decorating and actually enjoying the Christmas season. Who knew?”
He laughed. “Right, who knew?”
She looked out at the gulf as contentment spread through her. The rhythm of the waves as they rolled to shore was so comforting. It felt so right to be here. At least for the holidays. She’d stay here that long, she promised herself.
Just then, Tally returned with their orders, the tantalizing aroma of fried seafood wafting through the air.
“Here we are,” Tally announced cheerfully, placing two plates before them.
Evie’s mouth watered as she took in the sight of the fried grouper sandwiches. The golden-brown fillet, crispy and perfectly breaded, peeked out from between the soft, toasted bun. She took a bite, closing her eyes to better savor it. The grouper was tender and juicy, a perfect contrast to the crunch of the breading. She chased it with a hush puppy. Tally’s hush puppies had a slight tang to them, with deliciously crunchy outsides and rich, sweet corn inside, the perfect complement to her sandwich.
She looked over at Randy as she wiped her napkin over her mouth. “These are as wonderful as I remembered.”
“Can’t beat ’em anywhere. That’s for sure,” he agreed as he popped one into his mouth.
As she reached for her glass of tea, a thought struck her. “You know,” she began softly, “I hadn’t realized how much I missed this place, this way of life. It’s like… like I lost part of myself when I was away.”
He took a sip of his tea, his eyes thoughtful. “Sometimes, you need to come back to where you felt you belonged to remember who you are.”
“I think you might be right.” Because this was the most content she’d felt in a long time. And instead of the pain of missing Nana stabbing her every waking moment, she felt close to her grandmother here. Almost as if she were right here with her.