Christmas Comes to Main Street (18 page)

M
olly opened the oven door and set a tray of sugar cookies in the oven. She carefully set the timer—something she'd forgotten to do with the last batch—and then turned to her sister. “What else can I help with?”

Kara gave her a tired smile. “I feel guilty. I should really be the one helping you!”

“With what?” Molly asked, frowning.

Her sister stared at her in disbelief. “Your wedding, of course!”

Oh. That. Molly brought a wooden spoon to her mouth and licked the sticky and sweet batter from it. “It's okay,” she said. “You know I've had it planned for years anyway. Besides, I feel like we made a lot of progress and it's only been a week. I took Mom over to the stationery store to the see the invitations. She liked the same ones we did, but I let her think she persuaded me.”

Kara laughed. “Any more luck with her present this year?”

Molly set the spoon back in the bowl and brought them both to the sink. “Nope. Have you given it any more thought?”

Kara expertly piped some royal icing on the roof of a gingerbread house she was making for the school librarian. “Oh, I was thinking a candle. Maybe a picture frame…” She met Molly's gaze, and both girls winced. “It should be the thought that counts, right?”

“It should,” Molly agreed. “But Mom can sometimes be hard to please.”

“Tell me about it.” Kara sighed, and her brow pinched as she concentrated on her task. “Has she… said anything to you about the bakery?”

“This place?” Molly thought back. Most of her conversations with her mom had been about
The Nutcracker
or the wedding. The wedding. Just the thought of it made her stomach knot. She set a hand to it, trying to settle herself. “Not really. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” Kara said, but her voice was abnormally high, and Molly wasn't buying that fake nonchalance.

“You're doing a great job,” she said, coming to set a hand on Kara's shoulder. She watched as her sister's hands worked, swiftly and expertly, until the last piece of the house was complete. She stared at the finished creation, marveling in the details, a flicker of pride mixing with those same old doubts. “I'm really impressed. You have a lot more going for you than I do.”

She looked away from the house, wondering what she had to show for herself. Certainly not a beautiful bakery, or a happy customer, or a gorgeous gingerbread house.

She glanced down at her finger. She had a diamond ring. And a gift registry. And a perpetually upset stomach.

“Me?” Kara set the piping bag down and stared at her sister. “You're the one who's getting married.”

Molly sighed. “I suppose I'm just anxious about taking time off work,” she fibbed. “Thanks for letting me help out today. It keeps me busy. And it's a nice break from decorating the house. Speaking of which…” She walked over to the corner of the room where she knew Kara was keeping her entry, but her sister darted to stop her, using her arms to barricade her.

“Nope. Sorry, not until it's finished.”

“Top secret, huh?” Molly just smiled. “You're really not going to let anyone see it until then?”

“Well…” Kara's cheeks flushed, and she pushed past Molly, not meeting her eye, as she began wrapping the gingerbread house in cellophane.

Molly turned, watching her sister in suspicion. “Well… well, what? Don't tell me you let someone else see your creation and not your favorite sister!”

“You're my only sister,” Kara commented, giving a rueful smile. “Besides, I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened. Nate stopped by and—”

“Nate?” Molly cocked an eyebrow as she leaned a hip against the counter. “Mrs. Griffin's nephew?”

Kara took her time cinching the plastic wrap and securing it with a bright green bow. A stall tactic, Molly surmised.

Finally, Kara turned to her. “That's right. We've been… spending some time together. He's… very nice.”

Molly was nodding her head, eyeing the nervous twitch in her sister's gaze. “Nice…”

Kara wiped her hands on her apron and huffed out a breath. “That's right. He's very nice. He brought me soup—”

Molly felt her eyes widen. “He brought you soup.”

“I was sick,” Kara explained hurriedly.

“He brought you soup when you were sick,” Molly said slowly. She couldn't hide her smile any longer. For as long as she could remember, she was the one always falling too hard and too fast for every guy who gave her a second glance, and Kara… well, Kara didn't fall hard at all. Until, perhaps, now. She felt a sting of something sharp. Jealousy, she realized. And happiness, too, of course. Kara deserved to find someone special. They both did. “He certainly does sound nice. Cute, too.” She remembered the thick brown hair and warm eyes from Anna and Mark's party.

Kara just gave a casual shrug. “You think so? Maybe. I never really noticed.”

Molly stared at her sister, watched as she washed a dish, then set it to dry, her back purposefully to the room, her cheeks still on fire.

“You kissed him!” she cried in delight.

Kara whipped around, but the look in her eyes said it all. “What? What are you talking about?”

Molly waved a playful finger at her. “Kara Hastings, you can't lie to me. I know you too well. Besides, don't you want to dish the dirt?”

“Dish the
dirt
?” Kara scoffed.

“You know, tell me how it was. Was it good? I bet it was good.” Molly blinked rapidly as she chewed her thumbnail.

Kara gave her a long, hard look, her hands on her hips, but Molly wasn't backing down. Finally, Kara's mouth curved into a small, knowing smile. “It
was
good,” she whispered, and then laughed.

Molly giggled and clapped her hands. “I knew it! When did this happen? What's going on? Are you going to see him again?”

Kara dropped onto one of the stools clustered around the kitchen island. “You're asking every question I'm thinking. The guy lives in Boston…”

“So? So do I! You can visit me more often.”

Kara pulled a face. “I have this bakery. You see how much time it takes. I'm in no position to be leaving town for weekends, and I don't even know if that's what Nate is looking for. It was just a kiss. A nice kiss. Who knows if it will even happen again.”

“Do you want it to happen again?” Molly asked, reaching for one of the cookies she'd slightly burned earlier.

Kara gave her a slow grin. “Do I ever.”

The oven timer buzzed, and Molly snatched an oven mitt. She smiled as she pulled the cookies from the oven, but her heart felt a little heavy. She was happy for her sister, of course she was. After all, she'd had how many boyfriends over the years while Kara… Kara never seemed to find anyone that sent her heart aflutter.

And now, well, now the situation was a little reversed. And could you really marry someone who didn't make your pulse skip a beat at least every once in a while?

Molly didn't think so. And that… that was a problem.

Kara stopped and counted to three in an effort to steady her racing heart before she turned the door of the Main Street B&B. It was a busy day at the bakery, but Molly had offered to handle the counter so that Kara wouldn't be in any rush from her errand. In fact, Molly had encouraged her to take all the time she needed, with a suggestive grin.

Kara glanced around the lobby, which had slowly transformed day by day, holding her breath as she swept her gaze for a hint of nut-brown hair and a smile that could thaw the snow right off her boots.

But all she saw were a few guests and, to her slight dismay, Mrs. Griffin.

“Well, there you are!” the innkeeper said, pushing past a box of decorations to greet Kara near the door. “It's hard to believe the holidays are already nearing an end. I've gotten used to having you pop by each day.”

“I've looked forward to it quite a bit,” Kara said, even if her motives might have been more centered on Mrs. Griffin's handsome nephew. Her chest squeezed when she realized just how quickly the time was passing. Christmas was now just around the corner, coming to an end right when she was finally starting to enjoy the holidays.

“I have to say, these snowflake cookies have been quite a hit for my holiday tea.”

Kara smiled, grateful for the compliment. “I suppose Christmas Eve will be your last holiday tea?” It had been a steady gig, one she had benefited from greatly, and another reminder that the holiday rush was almost behind her and that business would surely slow when it did.

Valentine's Day would be popular, she knew. She already had some ideas for her menu then. But she had to brace herself for a slow January. And possibly a few other months throughout the year, too.

She thought about Nate's comments on her pricing. She probably could have charged a bit more for those gingerbread houses—she hadn't really assessed what was fair or what people were willing to pay. She didn't want to take advantage, but they did consume a fair bit of time. She'd definitely raise the price a bit next year. If she was still in business by then.

“Yes, Christmas Eve is the last tea of the season,” Maggie sighed. “Makes me a little sad, honestly.” Her eyes turned a bit misty for a moment, but as Kara's frown grew, Mrs. Griffin straightened her shoulders and gave a quick smile. “Well, I shouldn't take up too much of your time. This must be a busy time of year for you.”

“It is,” Kara agreed. “And I still have the Holiday House contest entry to finish.”

Mrs. Griffin's expression turned quizzical. “The entry? Are you decorating your apartment?”

“No, I…” Kara hesitated, wondering why Nate hadn't mentioned his challenge to his aunt before. “I'm entering a gingerbread house, actually.”

“A gingerbread house!” Maggie's green eyes were wide in astonishment. “How perfectly clever.” She gathered her hands into fists near her chest, her eyes darting to the left.

“It was Nate's idea, actually,” Kara said, wanting to give fair credit where it was due.

Mrs. Griffin's snapped to hers. “Nate? My nephew Nate?”

Kara nodded. “That's right. I teased him about helping out with your entry, and he sort of dared me to do it. I'm glad he did,” she added, smiling to herself. She planned to work on her project tonight, considering she'd be busy with her friends at the Winter Festival tomorrow. It was a big event in Briar Creek, and one she hadn't missed in all her life. One of many traditions that made her love this town so much.

“Nate is the best person to be helping me out with the decorations,” Maggie said, and Kara bit back a smile. Didn't Nate's aunt love any opportunity to brag about him? She listened patiently, enjoying a little insight into this increasingly irresistible man. “He's quite an artist, actually. Won the school art prize every year. Even had a few pieces in a magazine.”

Kara blinked. This wasn't a side of him she'd ever seen. “Really? Then why didn't he go on to pursue it?”

Maggie shrugged. “I don't know. I tried to commission a painting from him the other day and he told me in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't do it. Oh, if you saw some of his creations. He has a gift, I tell you. A raw talent.”

Kara mulled this over, remembering what Nate had said about his aunt being upset with him. She could only assume the two were related. It wasn't like Nate to say no to his aunt—from what she had seen, he patiently put up with the somewhat demanding woman, feeding into her whims, doting on her every wish, and helping out around the inn.

“Ah, there's my little Nate now!” Mrs. Griffin cried, swooping her hands together as she beamed at the staircase.

Sure enough, Nate was already at the bottom, his hand on the banister, his smile suspicious. He was anything but little, though, with his broad shoulders and thick biceps that pushed against the camel sweater he wore. A little jolt zipped down her spine, and Kara wondered if the thrill of seeing him would ever fade.

“Why, Nate, we were just talking about you!” his aunt crooned.

Nate met Kara's eye as he came over to join them, and she wondered if he was thinking about last night nearly as much as she had since he'd eventually left her apartment. “All good things I hope.” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Of course!” his aunt said, and Kara sensed a secret smile pass between herself and Nate.

“Your aunt was telling me that you're quite the artist,” she said, lest there be any confusion she'd been talking about the kiss they'd shared instead.

Nate's eyes lost their gleam. His jaw pulsed as he pulled in a breath. “I see.”

Kara opened her mouth to say something but stuttered on her words. Whatever the reason, this was most definitely a sore subject. “I was just bringing over the cookies for the tea,” she said quickly, happy for a reason, however painfully obvious, to change the subject. Turning to Mrs. Griffin, she added, “I'll be bringing tomorrow's order over early, since I'm closed due to the festival.”

“Oh, the festival. I hate to miss it myself, but duty calls. I might pop in for a bit where I can, and Nate will be there, won't you?” She gave her nephew a smile that said there was no room for argument.

Nate smiled patiently at his aunt. “Wouldn't miss it.”

Satisfied, Mrs. Griffin took the box of snowflake cookies and turned to talk to a guest.

Alone, Kara felt her pulse begin to race with anticipation, wondering if something would be said about the kiss, or if she should apologize for mentioning something that was clearly so sensitive to Nate. Curiosity built, but it wasn't her business, and in a town like Briar Creek, where everyone found a way of having an opinion on everything, she valued privacy.

“So what's this festival I've inadvertently agreed to attend?” Nate asked in a low voice, so soft and smooth that it made Kara stiffen with pleasure. He was standing close to her, close enough for her to take in his soft hazel eyes and drop her gaze to his lips, the very ones that had touched her own just a mere matter of hours earlier…