Chapter 3
EVE
Iwas busy between renovations at the inn and coordinating holiday events for the town. The only new thing we were doing this year was the parade.
We wanted to see how things were before we made any more changes.
Then there was the issue that some of the restaurant and shop owners were against any change and didn't want us to host a parade.
They worried that it would impede shoppers from entering their stores, but I wanted to see if it would draw more people to the town overall.
At the same time, I needed to coordinate with the fire department regarding the holiday party we were hosting in the ballroom. Frank wanted my point person to be Maddox. The guy who probably hated Christmas.
I could sympathize with his situation. It had to be tough to lose your wife and the mother of your child. But that didn't mean that I wanted to be the recipient of his brand of grouchy.
But I couldn't host the party without talking to the guy in charge of the event. We'd texted about Sofia needing a dress, but he hadn't reached out since then. I figured he'd ignore a text about planning the party, so I called him.
My office was on the second floor of the town-hall building. It felt a little like I was the mayor, even though we weren't an official town.
Everyone came to my office to spout their grievances about the town and each other. Sometimes I felt like a therapist, so I should be used to dealing with difficult people. But something about Maddox had me chewing my nails while I waited for him to answer.
On the fifth ring, he finally picked up.
"Maddox Knight."
I twirled a strand of my hair. "Hi, Maddox. It's Eve.”
He cleared his throat. "I know.”
I wondered if he was going to try and get out of it. "If you don't think you have time for it, I can talk to Frank for you."
"It's not that. I haven't planned it before. I don't know what to do any more than you do."
"Planning events is kind of my thing. If you let me know what's been done in the past and how many people you're expecting, I can handle it." There'd be little need for us to interact.
"Let me see what I can find out. Why don't you plan to come over for dinner one night this week, and we can go over everything?"
"Do you really think that's necessary?" I had a feeling that he was different around his daughter, less irritated and grumpy. I wasn't sure I could handle a nice version of Maddox.
"I don't have a lot of time. I'm a single dad, and I work long hours at the fire department. If you want to get this thing planned, we'll need to multitask. I need to feed my daughter, and you need information about past holiday parties."
I chewed my lip, wondering how this was spiraling out of control so quickly. "I was thinking that you could email me the details, and I could take it from there."
"If you're waiting for me to write an email, you'll be waiting a long time."
This time, I sighed. "Let me know when and where."
"Don't make it sound like such a chore. I promise my daughter doesn't bite." His voice was softer.
I had to bite my lip hard not to retort with But you might.
"I couldn't do any of this without you, so thank you."
"Wait. You're not mad anymore?"
"For now, Frank is the chief, and I have to do everything I can to prove I'm capable of handling his job."
That made sense. But I couldn't forget how grouchy he was at the prospect of being in the parade, much less working with me.
I could separate our initial encounter from everything else. All that mattered was that the party was a success. He'd get the promotion he wanted, and I'd get fire trucks in the parade. "Any chance you can be the Santa on the fire truck?"
He growled. "Don't push your luck."
I couldn't help the laugh that rang out. "You're too easy to tease."
He was quiet for a few seconds, and then he said, "I'll be in touch, Eve."
Then he hung up, and I was left thinking about how nice my name sounded on his lips. There was a kinder, softer side to Maddox, and I had a feeling it was all his daughter's doing. Or maybe that was the guy he was before life dealt him a blow.
Natasha and I had inherited my parents' estate and used the cash to buy Mistletoe Inn and the surrounding property. We spent our life savings on it, and we had a lot of people relying on us. I couldn't get distracted by a rough-around-the-edges firefighter who was a softy underneath.
I didn't have long to think about it before there was a knock at my door. I wished that I had quiet to work, but part of the job was being accessible to townspeople and visitors. I was the one that greeted everyone with a smile and had an answer to any problem.
"Come in," I called, hoping it wasn't one of the shop owners who was against our new ownership. After my phone call with Maddox, I felt a little off-kilter.
Bill opened the door and stepped into my cramped office.
My office had a window that overlooked the town, two guest chairs, a metal file cabinet, a leather couch, and a desk. There wasn't room for anything else.
I stood. "Bill, so good to see you."
From his disgruntled expression, I assumed he wasn't pleased to see me.
He sat in one of the guest chairs.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
"I'm not happy about the parade that you're planning in town. I'm worried about the parking and whether shoppers can get to my store."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that I enjoyed that puzzle I bought last week from you. Let me show you the picture."
I'd done the puzzle on my kitchen table, and it was still set up. I hated to take it down when it took so much time. I scrolled through my photos until I found it. "It was the Christmas one you had in the window."
Bill leaned over the desk to see the image.
"I worked on it on the kitchen table. I can't eat there now, but it was worth it."
He frowned. "You could use a puzzle board and then move it whenever you needed the table to eat."
"I've never heard of a puzzle board."
Bill pulled up a photo of one. "It has borders around the edge so your pieces won't fall when you move it and drawers to organize your pieces."
I smiled brightly. "That's amazing, and it would solve all my problems."
"I'll set one aside for you."
Bill loved puzzles, and they were something I enjoyed too. So it was easy to connect with him this way. I prided myself on connecting with people, but it was always genuine. "I'll stop by as soon as I'm done here tonight."
"I close at seven," he reminded me gruffly as if he wouldn't wait a minute longer.
"I'll make a point to stop early then."
"There's this new company I started working with, and the pieces are real wood. They are specially cut to spell out words in the puzzle and various objects, like wreaths and trees. You have to see it in person."
"I'd love to." I set my phone aside and folded my hands together. "Now how can I alleviate your concerns about the parade?"
"Where will everyone park?"
I smiled because I'd already drawn a diagram to share.
I pulled it up on my screen and tilted it toward him.
"I was going to email this to everyone, but here it is.
We've added parking in a nearby field, and we've hired ten parking attendants to direct traffic.
We'll keep in touch via cell phone so that we can handle any issues that might arise. "
"What about the parade participants? Will they be blocking access to the shops?"
"I thought long and hard about that issue, Bill, and this is what I came up with.
" I pointed at the diagram to the left of the lot.
"This is where the parade participants will line up, but we'll direct them to the grass area here, so that everyone else can easily access the sidewalks and Candy Cane Lane on foot. "
Bill nodded. "What about during the parade? Will you want the shops closed?"
"I was hoping you'd have someone who could man your counters, because some people will want to leave the parade early to shop."
His eyes widened in surprise.
I wanted to head off any concerns, so I'd brainstormed with Natasha every possible scenario. "The parade is our way of reminding people that we're still in business. We want them to have a good time and come back again."
Bill nodded. "You've thought of everything."
I smiled. "Do you have any other worries? I'd love to know them so we can come up with a solution."
"I'll call you when I do."
I stood and walked around my desk. "I'd love that. Feel free to stop me on the street or even in the coffee shop when you see me. I like to think of myself as accessible to everyone at any time."
"That's nice of you," Bill said.
I'd connected with him through puzzles and, hopefully, made him feel confident that any issues would be addressed.
"This town is my number one priority." I wasn't dating anyone. I didn't have kids. There was nothing to distract me from making it the best it could be. There was the little issue of Maddox, but the party would be over before I knew it, and everything would go back to normal.
"As it should be," he said gruffly.
I sighed, knowing that winning over Bill would be a long process. "Thank you for coming by, and please feel free to do so whenever you have a concern."
He nodded and then stepped outside.
I moved toward the window to watch him walk down the sidewalk to his shop. The town hall sat on the square, defined by the Christmas tree and Santa's workshop.
I could see everyone coming and going. It felt good to know that this was all mine, but at the same time, it was a lot of pressure. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass.
I met with Natasha to plan the parade and other events, but I didn't tell her how many times a shop or restaurant owner stopped in to discuss their concerns. I didn't want her to worry or be stressed out. She was busy enough with the inn and renovations.
This was supposed to be my job, and I prided myself on being successful in everything I did, whether that was good grades in college or stellar job performance. I wanted everything to run smoothly, even if my chest was tight more often than not and I had trouble sleeping.
Everyone's issues and concerns ran through my head on repeat. But that was part of the job. This was what I'd always wanted. A town to run. I might not be an official mayor or event coordinator in a real town, but this was close enough for now.
This job was important, and I wouldn't let my sister down, or any of the owners who relied on us to keep this place running.
It might have been a lot of pressure for one person to handle, but I could do it. Everyone was counting on me.
I briefly closed my eyes. I'd handle this thing with Maddox and get back to what really mattered: the town and Mistletoe Inn.
We'd gotten everything we'd ever wanted. The only thing was we had to lose our parents to have the capital to make our wishes come true.
Sometimes, I felt guilty for having what I did. But then I refocused on what mattered, ensuring everything ran perfectly. I wouldn't let anyone down.