A Christmas to Cherish (A Festive Christmas #4)

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“ R emind me again why we’re not headed to Grandma and Grandpa’s right away.” Jules appeared in the doorway to the bathroom, auburn hair pushed to the side and an oversized Christmas sweater hanging off her delicate frame. “I know we got in late yesterday, but shouldn’t we see them right away?”

Emma picked up her brush and pretended to sort through the tangles. “They’re late risers now, sweetheart, so I thought we could walk around town for a bit. Give them a chance to have breakfast and go through their routine.”

And it gave her a chance to figure out what on Earth she was going to tell them.

A perfunctory hello didn’t seem like it was going to cut it.

Nor did shoving Jules in their faces and praying it thawed some of the ice.

It’s not like it’s a complete surprise. Your dad did send you that letter, after all.

Except she hadn’t heard from him since then, and she’d already placed several phone calls to her assistant, Roger, who was holding down the fort until she returned, and still had no news for her about the developments in the divorce case or missed calls from her dad.

At the thought of her most recent case, Emma scowled, familiar frustration bubbling to the surface.

How can one man be so hard to track down? she mused. How’s he still missing when I have some of the best people looking for him, including his own lawyer?

Mr. Anderson’s lawyer couldn’t dodge her calls forever.

After running a towel through her hair, Emma stepped back into the room and tried to place all her worries about the Anderson case on the back burner. She went over to the suitcase propped open by the side of the bed, taking out a blue fleece sweater and some dark jeans, all while trying to ignore the niggling voice in the back of her head. Jules was studying the flurry of snow outside their window as Emma laced up her boots and straightened her back.

You can do this, Em. Today is going to be a better day. You’ll see.

On the tips of her toes, and not wanting to run into anyone she knew, lest she be dragged into inane small talk, Emma led Jules down the carpeted stairs, past the people milling outside the dining room area, and into the snow-covered landscape outside. Shivering, Emma zipped up her jacket, pulled down her collar, and peered at the sun set against a backdrop of bright blue clouds. With a smile, Jules looped her arm through Emma’s and pulled her down the stairs of the front porch.

“It’s a lot more scenic than I expected,” Jules commented, her eyes darting back and forth. Emma knew she was taking in the festive garlands on every streetlamp and the decorations around each corner. “I feel like we landed in one of those Christmas movies.”

Emma snorted. “Yeah, that’s kind of how it’s always been.”

Growing up, Emma had always thought it was a little too much, especially when it felt like the holidays were an excuse to dress everything up and pretend nothing existed outside the bubble. Everywhere she looked, it screamed Christmas advertising with its bright colors. Despite her initial aversion, Emma was surprised to realize how nostalgic it all made her, especially when a group of kids raced past throwing snowballs at each other and shrieking.

It took her back to evenings spent playing with her friends, when everything in the world seemed possible.

A smile hovered on Emma’s lips as they strolled down Railroad Avenue and in the direction of Millbrook Fork, the oak trees just as tall and majestic as she remembered. Next to Rockport Housing Authority, a bright neon sign pulsed in front of a coffee shop, where a group of people huddled outside, music spilling out onto the streets.

Jules tugged on her arm. “I’ve heard of this place. The cab driver told me it’s one of the best places to get coffee. Come on.”

Before Emma could protest, she was being dragged through the double wooden doors. The smell of icing, sugar, and cinnamon hit her first, followed quickly by the distinct aroma of pumpkin spice and freshly brewed coffee. Emma blinked, and the rest of Harper’s Brew came into focus, revealing vinyl booths on one side, a group of tables scattered throughout, and a bar that housed an impressive array of drinks.

Jules pushed her way through the crowd and steered them toward a table in the back, next to the windows. As soon as they sat down, a cheer rose through the air, and Emma glanced over her shoulder. She smiled when she spotted several foldable tables in the back, along with a group of people in aprons and a slew of sprinkles and piping bags littering the few empty surfaces.

Another cheer rose through the crowd, and Emma shook her head slightly.

She couldn’t believe they were still hosting decorating contests.

Jules’s blue eyes were wide as she glanced around, eagerly drinking it all in.

Emma’s smile faded as she picked up a laminated menu and skimmed through it.

Had she been too hasty in keeping her daughter away from this place?

Had she let her own pride keep Jules from experiencing the sense of joy and community Rockport encompassed?

Growing up here wasn’t all bad, remember? It’s certainly a better place to raise a family.

And over the years, she had considered it.

She’d even come close to moving back a few times, but something always stopped her. After the fallout with Mom and Dad, Emma told herself it was the bitter memory of last being here, of having to replay the harsh words she’d exchanged with her parents on a relentless loop inside of her head. Even now, she was half-expecting to see them step out from behind a corner and point a finger at her until she left.

Emma had no idea if her parents were right to call her a sellout, but she had often wondered over the years.

Had turning her back on that part of her really hurt them that much?

Had all of her success come at a heavy price, one she would never be able to pay?

“I think it’s some kind of cookie decorating contest,” Jules mused, her lips lifting into a smile. “It looks like fun.”

“It usually is,” Emma replied, her eyes still fixed on the menu. “People tend to get competitive though. I’ve seen tables get turned over and full-on brawls break out over a loss.”

Jules chuckled and twirled a lock of hair around her fingers. “It can’t be that bad.”

Emma lowered the menu and looked directly at her daughter. “You know, I remember you taking part in a competition or two when you were little.”

Jules’s face lit up, her eyes practically glowing. “I don’t remember that at all.”

Another jolt of guilt coursed through Emma, prompting her to put the menu down entirely and link her fingers together. “I’ll see if I can dig up some pictures.”

Jules had been so young then, so full of life, and Emma wanted to share that part of her life with her daughter.

She’d wanted Jules to know what Rockport was like.

Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t worked so hard to keep her hometown in the past.

Sitting across from Jules and seeing her hum along to the music and drink in the festive atmosphere, Emma began to wonder, for the umpteenth time, if she’d made a mistake keeping Jules away.

“Well, look at what the cat dragged in. Do my eyes deceive me, or is that Emma Sullivan in the flesh?”

Emma glanced up, the polite smile dropping when she took in the voice’s owner.

There was no mistaking the wavy hair that curled at his ears or the almond-shaped, chocolate-brown eyes that stared at her, the same familiar twinkle lingering in their depths.

The room around her faded as Emma sat there, gawking at Jack Harper as if he’d stepped out of one of her dreams.

Other than a few streaks of silver in his hair and a line or two on his face, he looked just as he did the last time she saw him, standing in the doorway of her parents’ house with the same easy smile.

Was she dreaming?

“Mom.” Jules waved a hand in front of her face, a furrow between her brows. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

Emma snapped to attention and offered Jack a weak smile. “Yes. Yeah. Hi. Jack, is that…is that really you?”

“Hey, yourself. Yeah, it’s me. The one and only.” Jack glanced between them, and his smile grew wider when it settled on her daughter. He stuck his hand out and waited. “I don’t know if you remember me, but we met when you were a little girl.”

Jules shook his hand and offered him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, no.”

Jack withdrew his hand and stood up straighter, pausing to tuck his flannel shirt back into his jeans. “That’s all right. I remember you. You look exactly like your mom.”

Jules gave her mother a knowing look. “You two know each other?”

“Knew each other,” Emma replied hastily. “It was like a lifetime ago.”

Jack gave her a confused look, a furrow appearing between his brows and his eyes tightening slightly, but said nothing.

Jules cast another glance at the menu and stood. “Can I have a pumpkin spice latte and some figgy pudding? I’m going to go check out the competition in the back.”

Without waiting for a response, Jules sauntered off, swallowed whole by the rambunctious crowd talking over each other.

Emma sat up straighter, aware of Jack’s eyes on her face. “So…”

“So…” Jack dragged out the syllable, his smile sending a swarm of butterflies straight to her stomach. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

Emma cleared her throat. “It was kind of a last-minute thing.”

“Well, order whatever you want, on the house.”

“The owner won’t mind?”

Jack tilted his head to the side, his smile growing wider. “No, I don’t mind. Unless you know something I don’t.”

Color crept up Emma’s neck and cheeks. “Right, Harper’s Brew. I should’ve known by the name…”

Except she hadn’t given it a second thought.

She’d wondered about Jack over the years, but each time she did, she stopped herself from dwelling too much.

They had, after all, wanted different things out of life, and if college hadn’t gotten in between them, something else would’ve.

Still, she couldn’t deny the quiet thrill that raced through her at seeing him again.

“I’ll get you a caramel macchiato, half and half milk, right? We’ve also got fresh blueberry muffins.”

Emma’s stomach dipped. “You still remember.”

Jack stopped writing and looked over at her. “Yeah, of course I do. Some things you don’t forget.”

Emma held his gaze, and the world around her slowed down again. “No, I guess not.”

Silence stretched between them.

“You should drop by later so I can give you a tour of the town.” Jack tucked the menus underneath his arms, the scent of his woodsy cologne wafting over her. “Everything is pretty much the same except for the roof of the library.”

Emma gave him a half-smile. “They finally fixed that, huh?”

“And there’s Wi-Fi almost everywhere now,” Jack added with a chuckle. “Took a few town meetings to get that off the ground, but here we are. The old seats at the theater were even upgraded.”

“It’s like a different town,” Emma joked, her chest tightening and her head feeling light. “Are you sure I’ll be able to recognize anything?”

Jack laughed, a deep rumbling sound that stirred something within her. “I’m sure you’ll manage. You know what they say about taking the town out of the girl…”

Emma cleared her throat. “Yeah, I guess.”

“So, you got some big client in town that you’re defending or something?”

“Or something,” Emma responded, pausing to glance over his shoulder at Jules, who had a smattering of flour on her nose and a dusting of sugar on her apron after joining in the competition. “We’re just here for a little while. You know, doing this and that.”

Jack took a step back and shot her another smile. “Well, when you’re done with this and that, you should stop by for a cup of coffee when it’s quieter. I’d love to catch up.”

Emma’s cheeks burned red. “I’d like that.”

“See you around, Sullivan.” He spun on his heel and strolled off, each step measured and brimming with confidence and surety. As soon as he reached the bar and greeted the people leaning over the table, a cheer rose through the crowd, and Emma found herself staring at him.

Same old Jack.

He still knew how to charm and work a crowd like it was nobody’s business, but only she knew the kind of person he was underneath the mask.

Jack was the boy she’d fallen in love with during high school, who had seen her exactly for who she was and hadn’t bolted in the opposite direction.

Seeing him again after all this time was a little like being off-kilter while the rest of the world spun on its axis.

When a blond waitress with a bright smile brought their order over, Jules came back with a ribbon and a plate of cookies, which she set in the middle with a triumphant smile.

In the background, Christmas songs continued to play on a loop, encasing Emma in a bubble, the same one that had always surrounded Rockport.

But she knew it wouldn’t last long.