Celebrate in Good Hope (Good Hope #22)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Voices raised in song grew louder the farther Roe strolled beside Boone down the snow-dusted sidewalk. She found herself humming along to a familiar tune.

“What is this?” Boone turned to her as if expecting her to know why the street and sidewalks ahead were crowded with singing people.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Other than…”

He inclined his head. “Other than?”

“I was at a mall in Minneapolis once where there was a pop-up concert.” She smiled at the memory. “We were all just going about our business when suddenly someone at the food court began to sing. Others joined in until there was this whole group singing.”

“It was planned?”

“There seemed to be a core group that started things, but other people joined in. It was incredible.”

“I wonder who got this one started.”

Roe noticed that there appeared to be a lot of high school-aged students. She thought she recognized Brynn Chapin as one of the students in the heart of things. “I’m betting that someone on the Christmas planning committee recruited students from the music or choral classes at the local high school to get things started.”

Boone’s lips curved upward. “When my sister and I were kids, our mother made us go caroling with her and her friends.”

“Then I’d say tonight is your chance to revisit those roots, only on a grander scale.”

“I don’t think?—”

His lukewarm protest was brushed aside as Roe grabbed his hand, weaving her way deeper into the crowd. Once they were surrounded, she smiled at Boone. “Let me hear that singing voice.”

The melody shifted from a rousing rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” to the more soul-stirring “Silent Night.” The audience followed the teenagers’ lead by turning on their phones’ flashlights and lifting them high, making it look like the still night air was filled with dozens of candles.

“All is calm. All is bright…”

Roe’s rich alto and Boone’s surprisingly pleasant baritone blended with the other voices.

As they continued to sing, Roe felt tears sting her eyes as the spirit of Christmas wrapped around her heart.

When the last note ended, a watchful waiting occurred for a minute until someone called out, “That’s it for tonight. Merry Christmas.”

All around her and Boone, people called out the greeting to one another.

“Merry Christmas,” Roe said to an older woman who stood beside her, wearing a bright red cape coat.

“Merry Christmas to you, my dear.” The woman shifted her gaze from Roe to Boone. “And to you, as well.”

At that moment, Roe recognized her. “You’re Etta Hawley. We met at the pond. ”

The woman smiled. “I am so happy to see you and your young man taking advantage of all this town offers.”

Roe thought about clarifying that Boone wasn’t technically her “young man,” though, after last night, he was more than a housemate. Since he didn’t say anything, she didn’t either.

“We were just at the playhouse—” Roe began.

Etta clasped her hands together. “Don’t they do a fine job with A Christmas Carol ? No matter how often I’ve seen it performed, it always causes me to reflect.”

“I feel the same. Each time I see it, I vow to be more kind and giving to others.”

“The story does bring out the best in us. Well, you two have a lovely evening.” When Etta turned to leave, Roe stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I have a quick question.”

Etta smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“Do you know if this,” Roe gestured with one hand to the dispersing crowd, “was a spontaneous or a planned event?”

“Planned,” Etta said immediately. “I’m a retired teacher. A former colleague at the high school gave me the heads-up. Loretta told me this was planned, but it was meant to look spontaneous.”

Roe pulled her brows together. “I wonder why they didn’t announce it was happening ahead of time so everyone could be here to participate.”

“From what I was told, the intent was to see how well this was received before planning another.”

“Looks like a hit to me,” Boone said, speaking for the first time.

“I agree.” Etta favored him with a smile. “When they do another, which I assume will happen, it will be advertised not only in the Open Door but in storefronts and lodging places.”

“The Open Door is an online newsletter that gives visitors the inside scoop on what’s happening in the community,” Roe told Boone, recalling what Dakota had said. “There’s even a gossip column.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see the two of you mentioned in that column.” Etta’s eyes sparkled with good humor.

At that moment, Etta reminded Roe of Mrs. Claus. She’d have to ask Dakota if the former schoolteacher had ever played that role on the stage.

“Why would we be mentioned?” Boone asked, appearing puzzled. “We’re not from here.”

“NFL star and Dakota’s bridesmaid, living together in Krew Slattery’s new million-dollar cabin.” Etta chuckled. “It sure beats hearing about who spent seven nights sitting on a barstool at the Ding-A-Ling flirting with the bartender.”

Boone chuckled, a pleasant rumbling sound. “I see your point.”

“Now, I must tootle.” Raising her hand in a little wave, Etta hurried off.

“Toodle?” Roe turned to Boone and arched a brow.

Grinning, Boone lifted both hands. “I don’t even want to speculate on what that means.”

Roe looped her arm around his. “I’m glad we came upon this when we did.”

“I am, too.” Boone’s expression turned serious. “The play and then the caroling… It’s starting to feel like Christmas.”

“You know what would really make it feel like Christmas?” Roe spotted the coffee cart on the street corner.

Boone followed her gaze, and a smile lifted his lips. “Hot cocoa?”

“I was thinking gingerbread latte. Although that may be too much to expect.”

“You don’t ask, you don’t get.” He took her hand. “C’mon, let’s check it out.”

They stood in line for several minutes. Apparently, they weren’t the only ones who thought something hot to drink sounded good on this cold winter night.

When they reached the front of the line, Roe didn’t recognize the man serving drinks with quick, efficient movements, but the girl handling the orders and the money was familiar.

“Happy Holidays.” The slender, blond girl flashed a smile. “What can I get you?”

“You’re Brynn’s friend,” Roe observed. “You were with her during the Christmas Stroll.”

Confusion filled the girl’s blue eyes. “Did we meet?”

“Oh, you don’t know me. I’m helping Gladys out at the playhouse. That’s how I got to know Brynn.”

The look in the girl’s eyes said she wondered where this was headed. “I’m Zoe Goodhue. And yes, Brynn Chapin and I are friends.”

The man in line behind Roe shifted from foot to foot and muttered something under his breath.

“We’d like one hot cocoa and one gingerbread latte,” Boone ordered, as if it was a given that the cart could supply both.

“That will be—” Zoe began.

“I’ve got it.” Boone had a twenty in his hand but paused when he noticed a large glass jar that said Giving Tree Donations on the front. “You can put the change in there.”

“Thank you.” The girl turned to the man. “Did you get their order, Dad?”

“I did, and I have it ready.” With his dark hair and dark eyes, the man couldn’t have looked more different than his daughter, Roe thought.

Then again, like Roe, Zoe probably took after her mother.

“Thank you,” Roe told the man, who was already working on the following order, and then turned to the girl. “Merry Christmas.”

Zoe pressed two cookies wrapped in cellophane into her hand .

“What is this?” Roe asked. She hadn’t heard Boone order any cookies.

“Merry Christmas from the Daily Grind.”

“Thank—” But Roe didn’t have a chance to finish as the girl had already turned to the next customer.

Roe slipped the sugar cookies into her coat pocket.

She and Boone were several feet away when Roe’s lips lifted in a rueful smile. “I’m sure they, and everyone around me, were thinking, ‘Who’s the crazy lady, and why doesn’t she just shut up?’”

Boone took a sip of his cocoa and chuckled. “I’m sure no one thought that.”

“Then you didn’t hear the guy behind us.” Roe sipped the latte and sighed. “This is so good.”

She glanced around. Everywhere she looked, there were people in warm winter coats and gloves and many wearing hats. Yet, no one rushed to get out of the cold. Instead, they seemed to enjoy the lights and being out with others.

While there were plenty of Christmas events in Minneapolis, the holidays couldn’t compare to here. Roe liked the atmosphere in Good Hope and understood why tourists arrived in December every year to savor the magic.

“What would you be doing now if you were still in Minneapolis?”

Boone’s question jolted Roe’s attention back to him.

She thought for a moment. “I usually went out on the weekends. You know, to cocktail parties with friends or to a club to dance. Occasionally, I’d take in a theater production. What about you?”

“The same, except I didn’t attend too many theater productions.” His smile quickly faded. “The guys on the team, especially the younger ones, are crazy for the club scene.”

“I used to love it,” Roe admitted. “But the last few years, it, well, it wasn’t as much fun. ”

“I hear you.” He chuckled. “I feel like some old guy saying this, but it seemed just like more of the same.”

“You had a girlfriend. You wanted to spend time with her.”

“Actually, Celine loved to party. She especially liked being seen at the clubs with a Grizzlies player.”

“Not with just any player—with you.”

“I think, for Celine, we were interchangeable as long as we were first string.” His tone was matter-of-fact, and his expression gave nothing away.

“I don’t think any woman who truly knows you, Jason Boone, could ever consider you interchangeable with another man.”

“That was it, then.” His hold tightened on her arm when they hit an icy patch of sidewalk.

“What was?”

“She didn’t know me. I certainly didn’t know her, not really. It was the same with Ella, and we’d dated for three years. In many ways, we were still strangers.” Boone took in a breath and let it out. “I suppose that sounds bad.”

“I’m not one to judge.” Roe’s lips lifted in a rueful smile. “I can’t recall the last time I had a relationship that dipped below the superficial. After all those years of not letting anyone get too close because I knew I’d eventually be moving on, keeping my distance became second nature.”

Boone chuckled. “We make quite the pair.”

She laughed, but when her gaze settled on his, blood slid through her veins like honey, spreading warmth throughout her body.

“I have an idea.” Boone took her hand and pulled her along, stopping at the curb’s edge.

A gorgeous carriage sat there, its body the color of ripe cherries and its runners a burnished gold. Other than a spot for the driver, a man wearing a long flowing coat and a top hat, this was a smaller sleigh with room for only two passengers .

Undoubtedly, that was why this one had no one waiting, while the other two larger sleighs down the street had lines.

“Merry Christmas,” the driver said with a pleasant smile. “Would you like to go for a sleigh ride?”

“How long a ride will it be?” Boone asked, making Roe wonder if he was in a hurry to get home.

“That’s up to you.” The man smiled. “And the demand.”

The man gestured with his head toward the other sleighs. “They’ll likely only do twenty-minute rides. I can do as long or as short as you like.”

“Let’s do an hour.” Boone glanced sideways at Roe as if to make sure that time frame was okay with her.

“I’ve never been on a sleigh ride,” Roe admitted.

Taking that for a yes, Boone reached over, opened the door and held out his hand to help her step inside.

Instead, she handed him her drink. “You can help me more by holding this.”

A second later, she reached down to take back her drink, and Boone joined her in the sleigh. The driver, a handsome older gentleman with silver hair and a bushy mustache, introduced himself as Len Swarts before handing them a buffalo plaid sherpa blanket to place over their laps for extra warmth.

Roe had wondered if excluding Len from any conversation would be awkward, but that question was answered when a Christmas medley began playing from his iPhone.

As the sleigh lurched forward, the colorful holiday harness worn by the white horse and covered with bells jingled. It added a festive touch, especially with the Christmas music wafting from Len’s phone.

Roe pulled the blanket close. The combination of the cushioned seat and the blanket’s warmth relaxed her completely.

She took a sip of her gingerbread latte and sighed in contentment. “I’m glad you saw this. Taking this ride is the perfect end to the day. ”

“When my sister and I were kids, my mom always dragged us to one holiday event or another.” His lips lifted, and she heard the fondness in his voice. “But we never did a sleigh ride. When I saw the horse and carriage, I thought of your moon and stars.”

Roe inclined her head.

“Just because we didn’t get to do it as kids doesn’t mean we can’t do it now. I agree that this is a good way to cap off the night. Not quite as good as last night.” He paused and shot her a wink. “But I’m having fun.”

They rode silently for several minutes as Len took them by houses brightly decorated for the holidays, then turned down a road where there was nothing other than the night sky filled with the moon and a million stars.

Roe leaned her head back and glanced up at the heavens. “My puny moons and stars are nothing compared to this.”

His arm stole around her shoulders, giving her extra support as she studied the heavens. “I’ll never forget your moons and stars.”

Her heart warmed. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“I mean it.”

Cupping his face with her hand, she kissed him. As desire surged, she realized her mistake. She wanted him even more now than she had last night, if that was possible.

With great effort, she pulled her mouth from his. Focus on something else .

“You know, every time I see a performance of A Christmas Carol , I’m struck by the timeless lessons.” She chuckled. “I never leave without resolving to make changes in my personal life.”

He toyed with a lock of her hair with his gloved finger. “What kind of changes are we talking about?”

Roe found it difficult to think with him so close, so it took her a few heartbeats to get her thoughts in order. “You know, things like keeping in mind that my actions and attitudes not only affect my life but the lives of those around me. Like you, for instance. ”

A startled look crossed Boone’s face. “Me?”

“Think about it. If I’m negative or down on life, it could bring you down.” Under the blanket, Roe reached over and grasped his hand. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for that.”

“I understand the point you’re making, but it’s also important that you’re honest with yourself and with me.” Boone met her gaze. “If you’re feeling down, let me know. Don’t shove down your emotions because you think you have to be a Polly Perfect.”

Roe chuckled. “Polly Perfect?”

“It was something my mom used to say to my sister.” Boone grinned. “I’d forgotten all about that.”

“I know you said you stayed with your dad after the split. Did you see a lot of your mom and sister?”

“Not as much as I’d have liked. My life was training, practice and games. We tried to find the time, but it was difficult.”

Roe couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be so involved in something that it consumed her entire life.

“Sometimes I’d go see them when I had a week off.” He took a contemplative drink of his cocoa. “It was awkward. The closeness we once shared wasn’t there anymore. My life was as much of a mystery to them as their lives were to me.”

“Was there ever anything else you wanted to do?”

He hesitated. “You’ll laugh if I tell you, just like my father did. It is pretty funny, I guess.”

Roe guessed it hadn’t been funny to him. Not at the time. “I won’t laugh.”

“I wanted to write.”

“Books?”

“Told you it was funny.”

“What kind of books? Fiction? Nonfiction?” With him so involved in football, she could see his topic being something related to the sport.

“Fiction. Space opera.”

“I don’t know what that is, but it sounds intriguing. ”

“Probably the best example that most would recognize is the book Dune by Frank Herbert.” Boone continued without giving her a chance to respond. “Space opera is a subgenre within sci-fi and fantasy. It focuses on grand, epic narratives in interstellar settings with themes of heroism and large-scale conflicts.”

“I’d love to read what you’ve written.”

“I haven’t completed anything. Every so often, I’ll pull up the manuscript and add another chapter. But there is usually no time. And really, what’s the point?”

Something told Roe not to push. “Do you ever regret all the time and effort you put into football?”

“No.” In the dim light, his eyes were unreadable, but his voice was firm and didn’t waver. “I love the sport. I always have. My teammates are my best friends. Getting drafted out of college was the happiest day of my life.”

Roe knew what it was like to work for a goal and to achieve it. That’s how she’d felt when she’d learned she’d gotten the job in Minneapolis. It had been as if she’d been rewarded for all her hard work.

“This time in Good Hope has been good for me,” Roe confided. Though he didn’t ask how or why, she continued. “I’d been so focused on my career, there was little time left for anything else. Oh, I participated on a TeamWomen committee, but it wasn’t because I wanted to support their mission, though I did believe in it. My participation was a calculated move, a way for me to build community contacts.”

“That was where you met Dakota.”

Roe realized he really had been listening to her when she’d spoken of how she’d met Dakota.

“Yes, her friendship turned out to be a wonderful side benefit of joining that committee. The point I was trying to make, very badly, is that I can identify with Scrooge. He neglected his family and personal relationships and focused instead on accumulating wealth.” Roe chuckled. “Though working behind the scenes in theater is hardly a road to wealth—not like being a star NFL player.”

Boone only nodded.

“My short time here has made me realize I want connection. I’m ready to find a place that I love where I can do what I love but also settle and put down roots. Where I can have friends and relationships outside of my job.”

As emotion rose to clog her throat, Roe fought to steady. “When they called me in and told me the children’s theater was letting me go, it cut me off at the knees. I understood the money issues, but it taught me that no matter how much I tried to convince myself that the theater world was my family, it wasn’t. I was expendable and likely forgettable. I bet, even in this short time away, there are people who are having trouble recalling my name.”

Boone had never released her hand, and now he squeezed it. “I assume you have some thoughts on what you want to happen moving forward.”

“Though there are no guarantees, I will look for something stable, even if it’s not the highest-paying position. It will also need to be located where I would want to live long term. Nothing too hot or too cold. Like Goldilocks, I hope to find something that is ‘just right.’”

“It appears you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

“Yes,” she said, “and no. The play tonight helped put some of my tangled thoughts in order. I’ve been struggling with where I should apply. Now, I know why I was hesitating.”

“Are you still planning to talk to Fin to see if she has any suggestions for you?”

“I am. It will be easier now because I’m clearer in my own head about what I’m looking for.” She thought about refocusing the conversation on Boone, asking if he would give writing a try if returning to the NFL proved impossible .

She decided there was no reason to put negative vibes into the atmosphere.

Unlike her, he had a job that wanted him back.

They rode in contented silence for several minutes, his arm around her shoulders, their fingers entwined beneath the blanket.

Roe wasn’t sure when her mood changed from contentment to longing, from feeling relaxed to feeling like every nerve ending in her body was firing.

When she slowly turned her head toward him and found him staring at her mouth, the desire that had been heating in her veins surged.

Leaning close, she brushed his lips with hers. “Merry Christmas.”

His hand released hers to slip around her waist, pulling her to him as his mouth closed over hers.

The kiss started out slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. She wasn’t sure when exactly warmth became heat, and desire coursed through her veins like a runaway river. All Roe knew was that, like last night, she didn’t want him to stop.

She lifted her hands and slid her fingers into his hair, holding his head as they continued to kiss.

When his tongue swept along her lips, leaving fire in its wake, she opened her mouth, and he plunged inside.

Roe gasped as sensation after sensation washed over her, leaving her weak and breathless and filled with overwhelming need. She couldn’t find her control. It was as if she were in a car with the foot pedal pushed to the floor.

The exhilarating ride had her pressing her body close, cursing the coats and sweaters that separated them.

She flung off the blanket. She didn’t need any more heat. She was burning up. Burning with a need for him that could be quenched only one way .

“We’re nearly back, folks,” the driver said without looking around.

His words, underscored by amusement, were like a splash of cold water.

Roe pushed back from Boone, her breath coming in little puffs.

How had she let things get so out of control?

She didn’t know why she’d thought the question. Roe already knew the answer.

It was how Jason Boone made her feel. All there and gone.

Roe exchanged a rueful smile with Boone as the sleigh slowed to a stop.

What had happened between them in the tent hadn’t been a one-off, destined never to happen again. Instead, she knew now that what had happened last night was destined to happen again and again, until they finally said good-bye and returned to their real lives.