Christmas Beau (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

O pening day of the Arts and Crafts Fair was busier than Scott had anticipated. This being his first year as a vendor, he hadn’t been sure what to expect, but he should’ve remembered that festival season in Christmas Falls was like Coachella—everyone wanted to be there.

Festival season ran for four and a half weeks and kicked off with a tree-lighting ceremony in mid-November. Every year since Teddy was born, they’d attended with Scott’s parents, but this year, Teddy had wanted to go with his friends.

It had been a kick to Scott’s sternum, knowing Teddy would rather hang out with them than with his old man. But Teddy was at that age where he was beginning to spend more time with his friends than with his parent.

Scott both loved that Teddy had good friends and hated that those same ones were stealing Teddy away from him. At the end of the day, though, it was something Scott was going to have to get used to. He’d had Teddy almost all to himself for twelve years. At some point, Teddy was going to spread his wings and fly.

Scott wanted him to spread those wings. Just... maybe not so soon.

So Teddy had attended the tree lighting without him last week while Scott had gone with his parents, and although it had been fun, it hadn’t quite been the same. Then Scott had seen Teddy after the ceremony, standing on the fringes of Sugar Plum Park as he’d enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate with his friends, and that kick to Scott’s sternum had eased a little.

Teddy had been having a good time, and that was all that mattered.

He came bounding up to Scott now with his best friend as Scott added more business cards to the pile on his table. In the three hours since the fair had opened, he’d only sold one quilt, but he’d had many people take a business card and a few ask about custom orders. This side hobby wouldn’t make up for not having a steady income, but every sale counted.

“Hey, Dad.” Teddy bounced on his toes. “Can I go with Yuri and his mom to The Snowflake Shack for lunch?”

From several feet away, where she stood at the end of the nearest aisle, Yuri’s mom waved at him. Scott waved back.

“Sure,” he said, pulling a couple of bills out of his wallet. He handed them to Teddy. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Teddy gave a half laugh. “Ugh, Dad. That’s not funny.”

“You’re laughing, though.”

“Just to make you feel better about your corny dad jokes.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Amused, Scott ruffled his hair. “Get out of here.”

“I was going to take Yuri Christmas shopping with me after lunch,” Anna—Yuri’s mom and Scott’s longtime friend—said once the kids drifted toward the exit. “I’m happy to keep Teddy with us while you’re here. Plus, it might stop Yuri from complaining about being dragged from shop to shop.”

“Only if it’s no bother.”

Anna squeezed his wrist. “Teddy’s never a bother. I’ll drop him back off later this afternoon.”

“Don’t let him guilt you into buying him stuff.”

She scoffed. “Please. I’m a single mom. I’m unguiltable.”

Scott chuckled as she departed as well, leaving him alone with his quilts.

Chatter filled the hall as shoppers browsed. On the opposite side of the room, carolers wearing red felt robes with fur-lined hoods launched into “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Near the front of the hall, the gift-wrapping station was doing a brisk business.

Scott’s stomach rumbled, and he contemplated asking his neighbor with the mala bracelets to watch his booth for him so he could grab a quick bite. He couldn’t ask Hank—the man had seen nonstop customers since the fair had opened.

People in this town certainly loved their homemade dog treats.

Movement in his peripheral vision snagged Scott’s attention, and he turned, plastering on his customer service smile.

“Oh. It’s just you.”

His mom huffed an amused breath. “ Just me? That’s the thanks I get for coming to relieve you for an hour so you can have lunch?”

“I take it back.” Scott kissed her cheek. “You’re a saint.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I called your father a doofus this morning.”

Scott snorted a laugh. “What did he do?”

“Made pancakes from scratch.” Mom shook her head, sending her cute white-haired bob swinging. “Forgot the sugar. They were tasteless.”

“It’s an honest mistake. Could happen to anyone.”

“It wouldn’t happen to him if he wore his reading glasses like he’s supposed to. He thinks they make him look old. I think they make him look distinguished, but does he listen to me? Noooooo, sir. And to make it worse, he’s been treating your dog like a queen since you dropped her off this morning. Ask me when was the last time I got treated like a queen.”

Scott kept his mouth shut. He didn’t dare touch that one.

Mom shrugged out of her plum-colored wool coat and glanced around for a place to hang it. “Where can I put this?”

Scott lifted the tablecloth draped over his table and gestured underneath, where he’d stacked empty boxes, extra business cards and security blankets, a few color-block-patterned quilts he didn’t think would sell but that he’d brought as backup just in case, and his own coat.

Mom grimaced but shoved her coat into one of the empty boxes. “How are sales?”

“Slow,” Scott admitted. “I sold a quilt this morning and one to another vendor last night.” Although Hank had yet to pay him. Not a surprise, considering he was a busy bee over there.

“It’s only the first day,” Mom reassured him. “And people often wander around a market first to check out what’s on offer, then come back to buy on their second pass.”

That was true. A few people had told Scott they’d be back before they left, though whether they’d said so to be nice or actually meant it remained to be seen.

Still, Scott hoped today’s slow sales weren’t a portent of things to come. If he sold all of his quilts, it’d make a nice little nest egg, and he might be able to buy more Christmas decorations and give Teddy the best Christmas ever in their new home.

Mom tugged up the sleeves of her sweater and looked around. “Where’s my grandson?”

“You just missed him. Anna took him and Yuri to lunch. In fact, if I leave now, I won’t be too late to join them.” Their meals would probably be delivered as Scott slipped into the booth with them, but he didn’t mind waiting for his own meal while they ate.

“Don’t leave before you tell me everything I need to know,” Mom said.

Scott gave her a brief rundown on his quilts, stressing how they were one-of-a-kind, machine washable, and pre-shrunk, then opened the payment app on his phone and showed her how to use it.

“Oh dear,” she muttered, his phone cupped in one hand. “This app may get the better of me.”

“Everyone here uses it. If you have any trouble, you can ask Samira to help.” Scott gestured to his mala bracelet-making neighbor, who he’d introduced himself to earlier.

“Okay,” Mom said, full of reluctance.

Scott bit his lip as his stomach made itself known again. “Maybe I should stay. I can order ahead from The Snowflake Shack and you could pick it up for me and bring it back.”

“Nonsense.” Mom swatted his arm. “I’ll be perfectly fine.” She navigated around the app, familiarizing herself with it. “You know, I think your brother was working on one of these payment app things recently.”

“Sean?” The skepticism that filled Scott’s voice couldn’t be helped. “Since when does he work?”

“Don’t be mean.” Mom swatted his arm again, not so gently this time.

“I wasn’t being mean,” Scott muttered. “Just honest.”

His younger brother was what Scott supposed people termed an investor , though what he invested in, Scott had no idea. Whatever it was, it kept Sean in enough money to flit around the globe as often as he wanted. He blew through town occasionally, bringing with him stories of ghost encounters in Prague, and scuba diving with sharks in the Philippines, and drinking a duke under the table in Scotland. He brought unique souvenirs for Teddy and stayed long enough for Teddy to get used to having his uncle around before he jetted out to some new exotic locale, leaving Teddy mopey for days.

Scott hated how Sean doted on Teddy when he was here but forgot about him as soon as the plane took off from Reindeer Runway, the local airport. Hated too how he landed on their parents’ doorstep without warning, expecting to be offered the guest bedroom as if he was owed it. Hated how he left a trail of broken hearts behind him—including Anna’s—whenever he arbitrarily decided he’d had enough of small-town life and fled for bigger pastures.

Scott loved his brother, he did. But he didn’t love the mess Sean often left behind. Last time, it had been Anna. The time before that, Sean had decided to paint the guest bathroom at their parents’ place, saving them the cost of hiring a professional, then left town with the job half finished. The time before that, he’d adopted Fallon from the local pet shelter, then left her with Scott and Teddy three days later.

Scott loved his dog, and if someone tried to take her from him, he’d chop their hand off.

He just wished Sean would demonstrate some responsibility.

“Do you want anything from The Snowflake Shack?” Scott asked his mom as he dug his coat out from under the table.

“Bring me back a strawberry milkshake.”

“Will do. Text me if you need anything.”

Mom waved his phone at him. “I’m keeping your phone.”

“Right. Text Anna then. Her number’s in there.”

“I’ll be fine.” She shooed him away. “Go have lunch.”

As he walked away, Scott glanced over at Bailey’s Dog Treats. If Hank wasn’t too busy, maybe he’d want to join Scott for lunch.

But Hank was deep in discussion with a customer about the benefits of pumpkin for dogs, so Scott turned away, buttoned up his coat, and headed out.