Chapter 9
nine
. . .
Tessa
I used to think goodbyes were clean. You pack your bags, you shut the door, you leave.
Moving from Mistletoe Bay to New York City for college and then my job? No big deal.
Turns out, the hardest departures happen when you don’t actually want to go.
The documentary team’s waiting for me in the city for a mid-project check-in, and I need to be on the road within the hour if I’m going to make the late evening production meeting.
But instead of packing, I’m standing in Nathan’s kitchen, barefoot, wearing one of his old sweatshirts that smells like him.
He leans against the counter in his uniform pants and a black Henley, arms folded, that unreadable expression back on his face. “You sure you don’t want to just borrow my truck?”
My car? Turns out it was totaled. Whoops. I’ve been using my mom’s car to get around for the last week while I do some car shopping online between work and spending time with Nathan— under the radar, of course.
We’ve actually avoided telling anyone about us …
yet. Enjoying being in our little bubble …
and the sneaking around part, too. Turns out Nathan has a little mischief inside of him after all.
Though I do think my parents are starting to get suspicious.
I shake my head. “The rental will be fine, Chief.”
His jaw ticks. “That tiny little car won’t handle well in bad weather.”
He’s been quiet all morning, the kind that indicates there’s more behind the silence than words can fix. I know he’s trying to be practical—Chief Hale, always in control—but I can see it in his eyes. The doubt. The what-ifs.
I reach for my camera bag. “It’s just a few days, Nathan. And there are no pending snow storms that I’m aware of.”
“Just a few days,” he echoes, the words coming out rough.
When I cross the space between us, his hand catches mine. Warm, calloused, steady. “You’ll come back.”
It’s not a question, but it feels like one.
I nod. “You can count on it.”
“Never thought I’d say this,” he whispers, holding me close. “But I’m going to miss the hell out of you, Pope.”
“I’m going to miss you too, Chief. What am I going to do without you bossing me around and keeping me out of trouble?”
Nathan chuckles gruffly. “I’m sure they’ve already sent out a BOLO in the big city.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not on a first name basis with the chief of police in New York.”
“Not sure that’s as comforting as you think,” he replies before kissing me on the forehead.
“Okay, big guy. The sooner I get on the road, the sooner I can get back here.”
He leans down and kisses my lips, making my toes curl and my heart flutter. “Love you.”
“I love you, too.” I kiss him back, hands fisted in his shirt and wishing I didn’t have to let go.
Resigned to the fact that this is happening, Nathan walks me to my rental car, kisses me again, and makes sure I’m safely tucked into the driver’s side. Then he stands at the bottom of the porch steps, watching me drive away until I’ve faded out of sight.
As I drive down Main Street toward Dockside Cafe people wave as I pass, and for the first time since before I left for college, I feel like one of them again. Not the girl who left, but the woman who came back and found something worth staying for.
I meet my parents at the cafe before heading to the airport. Mom’s already waving from a corner table, her Christmas-sweater enthusiasm on full display. Dad sits beside her, reading the Gazette, but folds it up and sets it under his coffee cup when I walk toward them.
“Sweetheart!” Mom beams, hugging me tight.
When she lets me go, she gestures to a coffee and peppermint cinnamon roll already on the table. “I know you’re on a tight schedule, so I ordered for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I slide into the booth.
“We watched your teaser segment last night. The shots of the tree-lighting were magical!”
“They turned out so well. I can’t wait to see what my boss has to say about them.” I beam with pride, while trying to ignore the way Dad is peering at me over his glasses.
“So,” he says slowly, “we heard you’ve been spending time with Chief Hale.”
Oh boy. Here we go.
So much for waiting until I got back to break the news.
Mom’s eyes sparkle. “Nathan Hale! That man, I swear he has aged like a fine Bordeaux.”
“Mom,” I groan, while Dad clears his throat. “Please keep your voice down.”
At this rate the whole town will know before I finish my peppermint cinnamon bun.
“He’s a good man,” Dad admits. “But, uh…he’s a bit—”
“Older?” I finish for him. “Yes, Dad. I know. He also happens to be the most decent, frustrating, wonderful person I’ve ever met.”
Mom gives a dreamy sigh. “You always did have a thing for authority figures.”
“Mom.”
“What? Remember that crush on your eighth-grade history teacher?”
I cover my face. “Can we not?”
Dad chuckles, then softens. “Look, Tessie Girl, your mom and I just want you to be happy. Nathan’s—well, he’s got roots here. While you’ve been gone a long time. You have a whole life in New York.”
“I know, but…uhm…I think it’s time I put down some roots of my own. Right here in Mistletoe Bay.”
They both look at me with curiosity and bewilderment for a beat. Then Mom reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Well, if you’re happy dear, then that’s all that matters.”
Dad is a bit more skeptical. “You don’t think it’s a little soon?”
I shake my head. “What have you and Mom always told me? When you know, you know. He truly makes me happy. I know it sounds crazy, and if anyone’s surprised by this development, it’s me. I never thought I’d fall for him. It just…happened.”
“And I assume he feels the same?” Dad asks.
“He’s all in,” I assure him.
Dad nods. “Then I expect to see you both for Christmas dinner this year. No exceptions.”
And just like that, it’s settled. Nathan is unofficially, officially, part of the family.
I finish off my sweet treat and coffee, then it’s time to hit the road.
Mom and Dad both hug me goodbye and tell me they can’t wait for me to get back into town.
They’re not the only ones.
Back in New York City, I wonder how I ever thought all this noise—cars honking, sirens wailing, people hollering—felt like home.
And I also wonder if I’m a walking cliche.
Small-town girl moves to the big city. Returns home for one reason or another and finds true love. Ends up moving back to the town where she grew up.
If I am, though, so what?
Because by the time I take the elevator up to the 5th floor, I’m already homesick.
The production office is chaotic—camera cases everywhere, editors arguing over lighting filters. My boss, Kendra, greets me with a half-hug and a latte. “Our golden girl returns! The footage from Mistletoe Bay is stunning.”
“Thanks,” I say, forcing a smile.
She flips through her tablet. “The network loves the nostalgia angle. They want to expand it—make Mistletoe Bay our signature series. Think Love Actually meets small-town charm. Rumor has it they’re going to want to see the summer nostalgia angle as well.
Life on the water, small town coastal community, you get the picture. And who better to make that happen? ”
Stay.
In Mistletoe Bay.
My shoulders relax, and I feel like I can finally take a deep breath. “You’re serious?”
“Of course. You have an eye for your hometown, Tessa. And for the record, that police officer? Perfect on camera. You two have chemistry.”
I nearly choke on my latte. “He’s not part of the story.”
Kendra smirks. “Oh, he’s definitely part of your story, sweetheart. Viewers eat that stuff up.”
I shake my head. Nathan would never agree to be in the spotlight. I’m lucky he agreed to the tiny glimpses that made it to the first cut. “He’s the Chief of Police, and soooo not interested in being in the limelight.”
“Hm. That’s unfortunate. Maybe you can convince him.” Kendra wiggles her brows.
Not a chance, but I don’t tell her that.
I leave the meeting with my heart pounding. Not from embarrassment, but clarity. I don’t want to come back here to prove myself.
I want to go home.
Where my heart is.
The next three days are a whirlwind of production meetings, editing, and planning for the rest of my time in Mistletoe Bay.
Friday afternoon, I walk into Kendra’s office full of determination and a plan.
“Tessa! Ready to head back to Mistletoe Bay?” she asks.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh. That sounds ominous.” Kendra takes her glasses off and sets them down on her desk. “I’m all ears.”
“First, I just want to say that I’m very thankful for the opportunity to see this project through. And I love the idea of this documentary turning into a fictional mini-series…”
“I’m sensing a but…”
“But,” I laugh nervously. “I’ve made the decision to stay in Mistletoe Bay after the holidays.”
Kendra smiles knowingly. Guess she’s not as surprised as I thought she would be. “It’s the Police Chief, isn’t it?”
My cheeks flush. “Something like that.”
“Mmhmm.” She winks. “Tessa, from the moment you walked in the door, you have proven yourself to be a hard worker. You’re a team player.
You have amazing talent and a great eye for capturing all the right moments.
I am sure that we can work out something to keep you on the team, especially through the summer, if not longer. ”
“Really?”
“Really, Tessa. For now, go home. Enjoy capturing all of the amazing things that Mistletoe Bay has to offer. I’ll talk it over with the other partners and see what we can do. I’ll have a solid answer for you after this project wraps. How does that sound?”
“Wow. Okay. Yes. Thank you, Kendra!”
“You’re welcome. Now, go get your man.” She shoos me out of her office.
I rush to my car with the few belongings that once occupied my desk and stuff them on the passenger seat of the rental car that is filled to the brim with things from my apartment that I didn’t want to leave behind.
I’ll still need to come back before my lease ends to get the rest of my things or sell what I don’t want anymore and turn in my keys.
But for now, I’ve got everything I want.
There’s no way I can wait even a moment more to head back home.
It’s twilight by the time I make it back to Mistletoe Bay. As I pass the welcome sign, I smile to myself as I glance down at the speedometer to make sure I’m not going even a hair over twenty-five miles per hour, even though I wouldn’t mind Nathan pulling me over again.
The town square is all aglow with twinkle lights and the Christmas Tree lit up at the center of it. I roll my windows down just to take a deep breath of the fresh air that smells like pine and peppermint.
Nathan’s cruiser is parked outside the station, his silhouette visible through the frosted window as I pull into an empty spot and turn off the engine.
I hover on the sidewalk for a beat, observing him hard at work while my heart beats faster in my chest, before pushing open the door.
He instantly looks up and smiles at my arrival. “You’re early.”
I shrug out of my coat. “Couldn’t stay away.”
Something shifts in his expression—relief and disbelief tangled together. He crosses the room in three strides and pulls me into him, his mouth finding mine with a hunger that feels like coming home.
When he finally breaks the kiss, he murmurs against my lips, “Tell me this means what I think it means.”
“It means,” I whisper, “I told Kendra I’m staying in Mistletoe Bay for good.
I’ll have to travel back to turn in my keys, and probably will have to attend meetings at the office once in a while.
But my boss said she thinks she can work something out.
If not, I hear that the high school could use a new drama teacher. ”
His breath catches. “You’re serious.”
I grin and put my hand over his heart. “I am. Turns out, the story I want to tell is right here.”
He kisses me again, slower this time, one hand at the back of my neck. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“Pretty sure I do,” I tease. “Chief.”
He groans. “You keep calling me that, and we’ll end up scandalizing the entire station.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time this station has been scandalized,” I whisper against his jaw.
“Home,” he orders. “Can I trust you to drive to my place without ending up in a ditch?”
I snort and roll my eyes. “Yes, Chief.”
Nathan smacks my ass. “I’ll be right behind you. Let me just give a report to Shane. I won’t be far behind.”
Reaching up on my tip-toes, I kiss him again and nod. “I’ll be waiting.