Chapter 12
Tessa adjusted her festive red scarf and rubbed her gloved hands together as she surveyed the Christmas market taking shape around her.
Sweet River Falls’s town square had transformed overnight into a winter wonderland, with white twinkling lights strung between lampposts and evergreen garlands wrapped around anything that didn’t move.
Vendors hustled to set up their booths before the official opening in thirty minutes, their breath visible in the crisp morning air.
“Perfect timing,” Annie called, waving from her Bookish Cafe booth. “I could use those extra hands.”
She walked up to Annie’s booth. “What do you need me to do?” She eyed the half-assembled display of holiday-themed books and the large coffee dispenser that needed setting up.
“Could you arrange those books while I finish with the coffee station? The Christmas romances sell like crazy this time of year.” Annie pointed to several stacks of books with festive covers.
She picked up a book with a snow-covered cabin on the cover. “People really read these?”
Annie laughed. “Oh, honey. They can’t get enough of them. Something about the holidays makes everyone want a happy ending.”
As she arranged the books by color and size, creating an inviting display, she found herself smiling at the predictable but charming titles: Mistletoe Magic, Christmas at the Lighthouse, The Holiday Swap.
She hadn’t been much of a reader in recent years, but there was something comforting about these books with their promises of holiday cheer and guaranteed happy endings.
“There you go,” she said, stepping back to admire her work. “The holiday books are all set.”
“You’ve got quite the eye for display.” Annie glanced at her watch. “I’m just going to pop over and speak to the festival coordinator. Back in a flash.”
Tessa adjusted the handwritten price tag on a jar of Annie’s hot chocolate mix and stepped back to survey the display.
The Bookish Cafe booth looked festive and inviting, with twinkling lights strung along the awning and the stacks of holiday-themed books arranged beside specialty coffees and homemade treats.
Annie returned to the booth. “It looks great. I really appreciate the help.” Annie poured each of them a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “We’ve got fifteen minutes before the official opening. Just enough time for a quick break.”
She accepted the cup gratefully, wrapping her gloved hands around its warmth.
The morning air was crisp and cold, and her breath formed little clouds that dissipated in the winter sunshine.
All along Main Street, other vendors were putting final touches on their booths, creating a bustling energy in the town square.
“I forgot how beautiful this all is,” she admitted, taking in the garlands of pine strung between lampposts and the enormous Christmas tree standing proud in the town square. “Denver does Christmas big, but it’s all so commercial. This feels...”
“Like home?” Annie suggested with a knowing smile.
She didn’t answer immediately. Was Sweet River Falls still home? The word felt complicated now, loaded with memories both painful and precious. Yet standing here in the heart of town, surrounded by familiar faces and traditions, she couldn’t deny the pull she felt.
“Maybe,” she finally said. “Parts of it, anyway.”
Annie squeezed her arm. “That’s a start.”
Across the market, she spotted Beckett helping Nora set up the Sweet River Lodge booth.
He worked methodically, arranging wooden ornaments on a display rack while Nora chattered away beside him.
Even from this distance, she could see the tension in his shoulders and the careful way he kept his head down.
He’d been like that for days now, ever since the note.
Their easy conversations had dried up, replaced by polite but distant exchanges.
He left rooms when she entered them and made excuses about projects that needed attention.
The connection they’d been building had fractured, and she felt its absence like a physical ache.
“Has he said anything to you?” Tessa asked, nodding toward Beckett.
Annie followed her gaze. “Not directly. But Nora mentioned he’s been spending more time at the lodge workshop. Said he’s making Christmas gifts.”
“At least he’s still showing up. That takes courage.” She took a sip of her hot chocolate.
“More than most people have,” Annie agreed. “Your father told me Beckett was thinking of leaving town after his program ends next month.”
The news hit her like a punch to the stomach. “He never mentioned that to me.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to,” Annie said gently. “Sometimes it’s easier to slip away without goodbyes.”
Before she could respond, the town bell rang out, signaling the market’s opening. Almost immediately, shoppers began flowing into the square, bringing with them laughter and holiday cheer.
“Tessa Grant. Is that you?”
She turned to find Mrs. Hughes, her high school English teacher, beaming at her. The woman looked exactly the same, down to her silver-rimmed glasses and colorful scarf.
“Mrs. Hughes! It’s so good to see you.” And it was, she realized. There was something comforting about being recognized and having history in a place.
“I heard you were back in town. How wonderful that you’re here for the holidays.” Mrs. Hughes accepted a cup of peppermint hot chocolate from Annie. “We’re all so proud of you, you know. Our hometown girl saving lives in the big city.”
She felt a flush of embarrassment mixed with something like pride. “Oh, I’m just doing my job.”
“Nonsense. It takes a special person to do what you do.” Mrs. Hughes patted her arm. “Your mother would have been so proud.”
The mention of her mother should have stung, but instead, it warmed her. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
As Mrs. Hughes moved on, Tessa found herself smiling.
Throughout the morning, similar encounters repeated themselves.
People she hadn’t seen in years stopped by, not just for coffee and books, but to say hello, to welcome her back, to tell her they’d heard about her nursing career.
Some asked about her father’s health, expressing genuine concern.
For the next few hours, she found herself too busy to dwell on thoughts of Beckett’s potential departure. She rang up purchases, wrapped books in festive paper, and chatted with townspeople who remembered her from before.
“Remember when your mom organized that summer reading program?” Mrs. Snyder asked as Tessa handed her a package of specialty teas. “My Tommy never picked up a book willingly until she got him hooked on those adventure stories. Changed his whole school experience.”
“I didn’t know that,” she admitted.
“Oh yes. She touched so many lives here.” Mrs. Snyder patted Tessa’s hand. “You have her smile, you know. It’s lovely to see you again in Sweet River Falls.”
As the woman moved on to the next booth, Tessa realized she had been smiling for hours without having to force it.
The tightness that had lived between her shoulder blades for months had loosened slightly.
Her hands, which sometimes trembled when she was overwhelmed at the hospital, were steady as she counted change and arranged displays.
“You’re a natural at this,” Annie commented during a brief lull. “Sure you don’t want to trade emergency medicine for small-town retail?”
She laughed, surprising herself with how genuine it sounded. “I don’t think my student loans would appreciate the career change.”
“Fair enough. But it’s nice to see you enjoying yourself.”
Was she enjoying herself? She considered the question as she rearranged a display of bookmarks.
The constant pressure of the ER, where every decision could mean life or death, was absent here.
So was the gnawing anxiety that had plagued her in Denver, the fear that she wasn’t good enough or that she would make a catastrophic mistake.
Here, selling books and hot chocolate at a Christmas market, the stakes were beautifully, wonderfully low. No one would die if she recommended the wrong novel. The world wouldn’t end if they ran out of peppermint cocoa before noon.
“I guess I am enjoying myself,” she admitted. “It’s been a while since I did anything just for the joy of it.”
Annie nodded, understanding in her eyes. “Sometimes we forget there’s more to life than just surviving it.”
By noon, Tessa’s cheeks hurt from smiling, and she realized with a start that she was actually enjoying herself.
When was the last time that had happened?
Here, in the crisp mountain air surrounded by familiar faces and the scent of pine and cinnamon, she felt something unfamiliar stirring inside her. She felt contentment.
“Earth to Tessa,” Annie waved a hand in front of her face. “You were a million miles away.”
“Sorry,” she said, refocusing. “Just taking it all in.”
Annie smiled knowingly. “It’s different coming back as an adult, isn’t it? You see things you missed before.”
“I guess I never appreciated how connected everyone is here.” Tessa refilled the cookie tray with gingerbread stars.
“That’s Sweet River Falls for you. For better or worse, everyone knows everyone.”
The afternoon wore on, and Tessa found herself periodically glancing toward the Sweet River Lodge booth.
Beckett remained there, working steadily alongside Nora.
He seemed to have relaxed somewhat, even smiling occasionally as children admired the intricate wooden ornaments he’d crafted.
Once, he looked up and caught Tessa watching him.
For a brief moment, their eyes met across the crowded market, and Tessa felt a flutter of something warm and hopeful in her chest.
Then someone stepped between them, breaking the connection, and the moment passed.
Around three o’clock, Annie left to replenish their dwindling stock of hot chocolate, leaving Tessa to mind the booth alone. She was just finishing a sale when she heard her name called.