Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The sun was just setting as Vanessa was bundling up to go meet Imogen and Katie the next evening, to go to the holiday market.
She had to admit, she was intrigued. She’d been thinking about it all day, and now she put a little more effort into being festive for the occasion.
She’d decided to wear her other coat, a bright red peacoat that was fancier than what the locals wore, but it wasn’t as if she was really fitting in anyway.
Everyone knew at this point that she was Mabel’s granddaughter from out of town.
She layered a warm black cashmere turtleneck underneath it, with jeans and her black heeled boots.
She knew they were impractical, but they were the only boots she had, much like the beanie with the little pom on top that she knew stood out.
She opted for a pair of silky black faux fur earmuffs that she’d found at the Holly and Ivy Market instead, which wouldn’t fit in that much more, but were at least a little less obvious.
Tugging on her leather gloves, she was ready to go.
Outside her window, the sky was streaked in brilliant colors, the sun sinking fast and creating a gorgeous display over the snow.
She stood there for a moment, just looking at it.
Sunsets in San Francisco were beautiful over the harbor, but she couldn’t recall ever really paying attention to them for more than a second.
She’d certainly never taken the time to just enjoy one like she was right now, taking in the beauty of the snowy landscape.
As she walked toward the spot where she was meant to meet up with Imogen and Katie, twilight rapidly setting in, the town began to light up all around her.
It was stunningly beautiful, she thought, looking at all the white and multicolored lights as they flickered on.
They were draped over shop displays and street entrances, wrapped around some of the streetlights and trees.
It was like nothing she’d ever seen anywhere else, and she took it all in as she walked, remembering this same view as a child, walking with her parents.
It didn’t hurt, the way she thought it would. It made her chest feel soft and warm inside instead, at the memory of sitting on her father’s shoulders looking at the lights as they walked.
Imogen and Katie were standing at the entrance to the holiday market, and Katie was bouncing in place, practically glowing with excitement.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Imogen said with a bright smile, and Katie nodded enthusiastically.
“Mama promised hot chocolate!” she told Vanessa excitedly, and Imogen laughed.
“We have it at the shop, of course, but I still try to keep it as a special treat. And outside, snowy hot chocolate is better than anything else, isn’t it?” Imogen asked her daughter, and Katie nodded again, bouncing on her toes.
“Hot chocolate sounds perfect,” Vanessa said, and the three of them headed toward the vendor near the entrance of the market.
Katie and Vanessa both got peppermint hot cocoa, Katie with extra whipped cream, and Imogen opted for the salted caramel hot chocolate.
As they waited for their drinks, Vanessa looked around, amazed at how quickly the market had come together in the main square of the town.
She’d seen them setting up earlier in the day, but now it looked like something entirely different, a vibrant collection of festive booths, games, and food and drink vendors.
Twinkling lights and garlands were hung all around the booths, and the market was filling up with people, the lively chatter and the beginning of Christmas music filling the air.
“Let’s walk around,” Imogen said once they had their drinks in hand. “I can’t wait for you to see all of it.”
They’d just begun walking past the first couple of booths—one for wreath-making and another selling the handmade soaps that Vanessa had purchased at the Holly and Ivy Market—when a tall, lean man with rumpled dark hair and green eyes came toward them, raising a hand in greeting at Imogen.
“Who is that?” Vanessa asked curiously, and Imogen smiled, tugging Katie to a stop gently as the man approached.
“Vanessa, this is Lincoln Blackwell. Lincoln, Vanessa Stewart. Lincoln owns the local skating rink in town. And Vanessa—”
“Mabel’s granddaughter. I heard you were in town, helping with the toy shop.” He reached out to shake her hand, and Vanessa returned it.
“It’s nice to meet you.” She glanced at Imogen. “This is the skating rink where you said they use your chocolate for the hot cocoa stand?”
Imogen blushed slightly, and Lincoln chuckled. “We sure do,” he said with a grin. “Best chocolate you can find in New England.”
“I don’t know about that,” Imogen said with a hasty laugh. “But it does seem to get the job done. Kids and parents both love it.”
“Gotta have a warm drink out by the ice.” Lincoln smiled. “I haven’t seen you two at the rink this winter, speaking of that.”
“The shop has just been so busy,” Imogen said apologetically. “Which is good! But hasn’t left a lot of time for getting out and about.”
“Well, I can understand that. How about you?” He glanced at Vanessa. “How long are you in town for?”
“A week or two,” she said carefully. “Just until my grandmother doesn’t need my help any longer.”
“Well, hopefully you get to stick around for Christmas.” He looked back at Imogen, his smile widening. “Don’t be a stranger all winter, all right? Come by the rink and skate. I’ll even give you half off.”
“We’ll see, if I have time—” Imogen started to say, at the same moment that Katie piped up.
“Yes! Skating!”
“She’s got the right idea.” Lincoln grinned. “See you around.”
The entire interaction made Vanessa curious, as she watched. There was definitely something about the way Lincoln and Imogen talked to each other—the way they looked at each other, even, that made her wonder exactly what their relationship was.
“How do you know Lincoln?” Vanessa asked curiously, looking over at Imogen as he walked away.
“Oh—” Imogen waved a hand. “We’ve been friends for years.”
“Just friends?” It surprised her a little that she let the teasing question slip out.
It was unlike her to pry like that, especially since she didn’t know Imogen all that well.
But she felt lighter than she could remember feeling in a long time—maybe ever—and it might have been the Christmas spirit getting to her just a little bit.
“Just friends,” Imogen confirmed. “I mean, we used to date way back in high school, but so much has changed since then. Now we really are just friends.”
“I see. Well, he seems nice.” Vanessa let it go, but privately, she wondered if that was entirely true. She didn’t think she was imagining the connection she’d seen between them—the way Lincoln’s gaze lingered on Imogen or the way she blushed a little when he teased her.
“Come on,” Imogen urged, as Katie ran ahead in front of them. “I’ll show you the rest of the market.”
There was a lot to see too. The market was clearly a place for all of the craftspeople of Fir Tree Grove to show off their holiday wares, and the market was bustling with shoppers, both tourists and locals.
They passed a stall with homemade candles in an array of holiday scents—fresh fir, pecan coffee, gingerbread vanilla, cranberry apple and spiced cinnamon and hickory—and another with homemade knitted stockings in a wide variety of patterns.
There were stands selling pies and chutney and cookies and jams, and a butcher’s stall from the local farm with fresh cuts of meat as well as pre-made charcuterie boards and homemade jarred glazes and dips.
There was a wreath-making stall, vendors with mulled wine and hot cider, and one selling beautifully carved wooden toys.
Another had a variety of hand-blown glass ornaments, and Vanessa stopped at a stall selling homemade bath products and skin care.
There was a gorgeous soaking tub in her room at Hearthside, and she considered the idea of taking a long bath before she curled up in front of the fire with her book.
Both of those things sounded incredible, and it made her wonder why she hadn’t done them sooner.
She had a bathtub in her apartment at home, and even though she didn’t have a fireplace, she could have had a similar night in anytime she wanted.
She had just never made time for it before.
As she browsed through the items, picking up an eggnog-scented bath bomb for herself, she saw a lovely gift box of bath salts sitting next to the small pile of bath bombs.
It had four separate scents—cranberry orange, peppermint, vanilla pecan and apple cinnamon—and she thought that Mabel would love it.
She purchased it and the bath bomb, just in time to hear Imogen telling Katie that it was fine if she went and got in line for the apple bobbing game.
Vanessa turned around with her bag in hand, about to suggest to Imogen that they get something to eat from one of the food vendors while Katie was bobbing for apples, when she saw Jackson walking toward them.
“Fancy meeting you here.” He grinned, taking a sip from his cup of what smelled like hot apple cider with cinnamon. “Out soaking in the holiday cheer?”
“Imogen and Katie invited me to come out with them,” Vanessa said with a smile.
“Is there anything like this back in San Francisco?” he teased lightly, and Vanessa found her smile widening a bit.
“I’m sure there is,” she said with a small laugh. “But I haven’t ever made the time to check it out. So this is a first for me—since I was a kid anyway. And I don’t really remember coming to this as a child. Maybe they hadn’t started it up yet.”