The Asheville Christmas Tradition (Carolina Christmas #4)

20. Noelle

“You got that, Cass?” Noelle asked as the two of them pushed up from the frozen ground behind the tree. “All you have to do, according to our wonderful electrician known as Daddy, is flip that switch a minute or two after the whole tree lights. Go ahead, try it.”

Cassie, small enough that she could fit under the lowest branches, reached for the switch. “Like this?”

Immediately, the bottom three rows of lights on the tree came on.

“Now flick it back and forth a few times.”

Cassie did, making the lights flash.

“Perfect!” Noelle exclaimed, helping Cassie to her feet.

“I love this!” Cassie’s face was bright from the cold and excitement. “I get to be the ghost of Mr. Covington.”

“Shhh. No one can know,” Noelle said. “I’ll give you the signal and you slide under and do your thing.”

“It’s really nice of you to do this, Miss Noelle,” Cassie added, taking her hand as they walked around the massive tree. “I like making sure that old lady isn’t sad.”

“That’s sweet, honey. And speaking of, I see that old lady .” Noelle whispered the last two words. “She’s over there with Joanna and Tony and it looks like they need me. Go stay with Daddy over by that last booth.”

“’Kay. When do all the people get here?”

Good question. Noelle looked around the four-way intersection in the heart of town, down the roads, and to the park that had plenty of vendor booths, ready to sell candy and hot chocolate and homemade ornaments…but very, very few people.

Considering the festivities started in about an hour and the tree lighting was in two? Not good. By now, the place should be swarming with tourists and locals, easily a thousand or more.

They were lucky if there were twenty-five people, not counting the vendors—and there weren’t many of them.

“Soon, I hope,” she said. “But there’s still a power outage, and most people are staying tucked in by their fires, I’m sorry to say.” She gently nudged Cassie toward Jace as Tony Jessup waved her over again, looking serious enough that Noelle braced for a problem.

There’d been a mountain of them today, but she approached Tony, Edna, and Joanna with a smile.

“Hey, team,” she called. “It’s just about go time.”

No one answered, but shared looks that said…there was definitely a problem. How much worse could it get than sparse crowds and low lights?

“You better tell her,” Joanna said to Tony.

Noelle did not like the sound of that. “Tell me what?”

“The carolers backed out,” Edna said. “And Harry’s stuck at the tree farm.”

Which was why she didn’t get that last promised generator, she assumed. But the carolers? That wasn’t such bad news. “Okay,” she said brightly. “We have the tree and everyone can?—”

“And we need to take your generators,” Tony interjected softly.

“Excuse me?” She couldn’t have heard that correctly. “Take my… why ?”

Tony stepped forward. “We have multiple emergency situations that the fire department is handling,” he said. “Mountain Vistas Assisted Living is begging for additional generators, as their main backup failed.”

“Oh.” She put her hand over her lips. “That’s not good.”

“And there’s a list of local residents on oxygen and many of them are in need as well. The department just put out a call for volunteers to offer up their generators, and I was on my way to ask you if you’d agree to give up yours when I saw these guys.”

“You don’t have to ask,” Noelle said, pushing away disappointment at the very thought of freezing old folks or patients on oxygen.

No one was going to die so she could keep control and power. “I’ll get my husband to help you.”

“Some of the booth vendors brought flashlights and are using battery-powered LEDs,” Joanna said, stepping away. “But plenty of them needed the second generator, so I’ll go break the bad news.”

Noelle was about to follow Tony when she caught sight of Edna turning away as if she didn’t want anyone to see her face. No doubt she was embarrassed for fighting the suggestion that they use LEDs, too, and expected a snide, “I told you so,” from Noelle.

But Cassie’s little voice echoed in her head… I like making sure that old lady isn’t sad.

Out of the mouths of babes, right?

“Edna,” Noelle said, reaching for her. “I know this isn’t what you wanted.”

“It’s fine,” she said, blinking tears. “I’d like to handle the disappointment as well as you are.”

“Trust me, I’m breaking on the inside,” she said, holding Edna’s mitten-covered hand. “He’ll still be here,” she added. “I know he’s watching down remembering that last first kiss.”

The older woman looked up at her, all the sharpness gone from her expression. “It’s not really him,” she said softly. “I know that.”

“But it’s the idea of him,” Noelle suggested.

She nodded. “This silly tradition gave me a connection to him,” she whispered. “It was like I didn’t really have to say goodbye. But it’s been years now and I do have to say goodbye. It’s just so difficult when you love someone that much.”

Without thinking, Noelle wrapped the much smaller woman in a hug, adding a squeeze. “He was lucky to have a wife like you. And you never know—maybe the power will come back on in the next two hours.” She inched back and added, “If it does, Gil will get all the credit.”

Edna laughed and wiped a tear. “You go figure out how to break the news that there’s no tree lighting tonight. I’m going somewhere warm to get a cup of hot coffee. Oh, by the way, we’re not missing anything with those carolers.” She leaned in and whispered, “They’re always off-key.”

“Good to know,” she said on a laugh.

“And, Noelle.” She reached up and surprised Noelle with a mitteny pat on the cheek. “You’ve done a fine job on Gil’s event and I appreciate how you tried to keep up all the traditions. I hope you’ll do it again next year.”

“Of course I will,” Noelle promised, giving her another hug before heading over to where Tony and Jace were disconnecting the generators.

A few feet away, she spotted Hannah leaning over and chatting with a very animated Cassie, no doubt getting a complete rundown on what was happening. Or not happening, as the case may be.

How had this gone so far south? Why couldn’t Noelle fix any of this? Every time she solved a problem, a bigger one took over.

“You look like a woman on the hairy edge of tears.” Bitsy suddenly appeared next to her, a loving arm already around Noelle’s shoulders.

“This is not going as planned,” Noelle said with a bittersweet laugh as they hugged.

“How many times do I have to tell you that these are God’s plans, not yours?”

“Apparently many.” Noelle bit her lip and looked around at the meager crowds, the unlit tree, and the miserable faces of the vendors as they got the news about the electricity. “But maybe it’s in His plan to get the power back in the next…” She glanced at her watch. “Less than two hours now.”

“It might be, but it might not be,” Bitsy replied. “Whatever happens, He should be glorified.”

With her whole event crumbling, Noelle didn’t really want to get into a theological discussion with her passionately Christian aunt. But frustration nipped at her.

“Wouldn’t He be more glorified by a lit tree, some noisy but off-key carolers, and the joy of Christmas all around?”

“Hey, you guys.” Hannah came closer, holding Cassie’s hand, the two of them sharing a somewhat conspiratorial smile. “Mind if I take Cassie for a little bit of a secret mission? Just to my school.”

Noelle cocked her head, not sure why they’d go back to Hannah’s elementary school right now.

“She has an elf costume,” Cassie added quickly. “You know I wanted to wear one tonight.”

“But this whole thing is about to be over,” Noelle said.

“Maybe not,” Cassie said with undaunted and precious optimism.

She was about to argue but Cassie’s eyes were twinkling. If an elf costume would make her happy, why not?

“Okay. Stay in touch with me.” She gave Cassie a kiss and hugged Hannah, whispering, “Why are you doing this?”

Her friend leaned back and looked at Noelle, giving her a chance to see her curls had been tamed and she had a little more makeup on than usual.

“Not important. But don’t let Brandon Fletcher leave if—when—he shows up.”

Noelle was about to tell her that Brandon’s father wasn’t even here yet, but Cassie yanked Hannah’s arm, practically dancing on her boots to get that elf costume.

With a wave, they were off…just like Noelle’s generators and her crowds and her high, high hopes.

Bitsy put an arm back around her and squeezed. “Sometimes God teaches you a lesson about who is really in control.”

Noelle just looked around at the dimly lit disaster with no carolers, no heat lamps, no festive lighting, no piped-in songs, and as the clock neared eight, no buildup to the big moment.

“Lesson learned, Lord,” she said on a sigh. “Loud and clear.”

As darkness descended, a few more people—a scant few—showed up for the skimpy festival. Lit only by phones, flashlights, a few vendor booths that had LED decorations, and a bright full moon, Noelle did her best to socialize and connect with people.

After all, that was the original reason she’d signed up for this thing.

Eve and David and their kids arrived, all hyped for the lighting that wasn’t. Then Caro and Nate appeared with their two. Angie and Elliott joined them, with Brooke, the three of them howling with laughter like they were having the best imaginable time.

At least someone was having fun.

When Tony gave her the word that Duke Energy said it would most likely not restore the power until morning, Noelle had to make a decision.

Leaning into Jace, who’d stayed close to her, she whispered, “I guess I can’t put it off anymore,” she said morosely. “Even with people’s flashlights and phones, it’s really dark now and way past the scheduled time to light. I wanted to wait for Cassie and Hannah to get back, though.”

“Hannah just texted me,” he said, glancing at his phone. “They’re almost here…with a surprise. Any idea what it is?”

“I hope it’s a generator but I think it’s an elf.”

“Oh! There they are.” He squinted into the darkness over her shoulder. “Cassie’s the elf, but what are they carrying?”

She spun around to see Cassie and Hannah trudging toward them, each hauling a plastic bin.

“I told Aunt Hannah all my ideas!” Cassie called as they rushed to meet each other, dropping her bin and straightening her green elf hat. “And guess what she had at school?”

She popped open one of the containers…which was full of long, thin plastic glow sticks.

“We keep them in storage at school,” Hannah told them, glancing around the event.

“I told you we could use them!” Cassie exclaimed. “If we give one to everyone here, they can make a circle necklace but instead of wearing them, they throw them on the tree!” She flung out her hand to demonstrate. “And they can’t throw one unless they make a wish. And…and…” It was like you could see the wheels turning in her little head. “If they hook a branch, their wish comes true. It’s a new tradition!”

Noelle and Jace shared a look of true disbelief.

“Well, I guess a tradition has to start somewhere,” Noelle said, reaching to lift her little girl in the air. “Cassie, you are one in a million, you know that?”

She dropped her head back as Noelle spun her, giggling, but then grew serious and scrambled down. “We gotta pass out glow sticks! Help me, Aunt Hannah!”

Noelle turned to Hannah, who was not paying any attention, but looking everywhere in the small crowd.

“I haven’t seen him,” Noelle said, taking a not-too-wild guess who she was searching for. “But I heard Harry was still at the farm, so it’s possible they got snowed in up on the mountain.”

“No, no.” Hannah shook her head. “The plows came before I left him this morning?—”

“ Excuse me?”

“Nothing like that, Noelle. I got snowed in at the tree farm and…and we planned to meet and…never mind.” She shook her head. “It’s not important.”

But she sure looked like it was important.

“Maybe he heard the whole thing was being canceled for lack of light and power,” Noelle suggested.

She waved a glow stick. “Not anymore, thanks to your daughter. Come on, let’s pass the torches, so to speak.”

“I’ll help,” Jace offered. “Noelle, you should go up to the stage and tell these folks to start tossing and wishing. It’s a Cassie Christmas this year.”

Laughing at that, Noelle made her way to the small platform at one side of the tree. She climbed up and looked out at the thin crowd as they waved their glow sticks, the mood lifting with every stick as they figured out how to bend, crack, and create a little light.

“Okay, hey, everyone!” she called. Without a microphone, it wasn’t easy, but Uncle Sonny whistled for her and Eve’s boys yelled for all those gathered around to listen.

There couldn’t have been more than forty or fifty people, but they settled to listen to her, a few spotlighting her with their flashlights.

“We need Asheville to provide the light this year! So, make your glow stick into a circle…” She showed them how to connect the ends, having made many glow stick necklaces with Cassie. “And toss it on the tree! Make a wish and if you hook a branch, your wish will come true!”

She heard Cassie’s cheer, the loudest of all for the newest Asheville Christmas tradition.

But no one came forward.

“Come on! Like this!” Noelle took her glow stick, turned to the tree, and made a wish. A simple, secret wish that she fervently hoped would come true. Why not? She had nothing to lose and so very much to gain.

Then she flung it as Cassie had directed. It caught on a branch, the only light on twenty feet of darkness.

“Make your wish and help us light the Asheville tree!” she called out.

No one moved until Eve nudged her boys, who looked sheepish and not interested in going up to the front of the crowd and throwing a girls’ necklace at the tree. Well, not all of them. Little Sawyer was already twirling his circle around his finger like a gunslinger, eyeing the top of the tree.

“I bet I can get mine to the top!” he announced.

That got a cheer as he scrambled forward and Noelle could have kissed the child. “Don’t forget to make a wish,” she said.

“I wish I don’t get laughed at when I miss,” he joked, really winding up for a toss. “Three…two…one…here goes!”

He chucked the multicolored circle high in the air, snagging a branch about two feet from the top. There was more applause, and another little guy rushed forward.

“I can beat that,” he called, whipping his stick, but it landed under Sawyer’s.

“I got this!” James yelled out, followed by Bradley, then Josh, then at least six more boys and girls she didn’t know, all vying for the top.

Before long, the dads—and a few moms—were in on the game, every single one of them chucking their glow sticks—and coming back for second, third, and fourth tries. As they tossed, they wished.

Cassie came to Noelle’s side to watch, her whole face lit as bright as any Christmas tree as her ideas came to life.

“I wish for a car!” a teenage girl yelled.

“Wish again!” her dad countered from the crowd, getting a huge laugh.

“I wish for a puppy!” said a little boy barely old enough to get his glow stick halfway up the tree.

A few wanted PlayStations, one young woman asked for world peace, but a hush fell when Edna Covington came closer. She stood at the base of the tree for a moment, holding her glow stick, her eyes misty.

Enough people knew the folklore that nearly everyone gathered stayed still and quiet, waiting for the octogenarian to say something about Gil, the event’s founder, that would no doubt leave no eye dry.

But she turned to Cassie and held out her glow stick. “Your mother told me you have a beautiful voice, so I wish that you would sing.”

Cassie’s mouth opened to a sweet little O. “Really?”

“And hang that for me. No other wish, just a hello to someone special.”

Cassie nodded and held the glow stick close, with reverence. Silently, she walked to the lowest branch and hung it right where the flickering lights were supposed to be. Then she climbed up on the stage, fixed her elf hat, and opened her mouth.

“We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas…”

Instantly, the crowd joined in, singing a cappella , tossing colorful rings, and somehow changing the world from darkness to light.

Jace came closer, his expression as emotionally wiped out as Noelle’s heart.

“This is absolutely the best tree lighting ever,” he whispered to her. “You did it.”

“I gave up control,” she said on a laugh. “And look what happened!”

A couple in their thirties came forward and asked Cassie if they could sing, and she gave them the platform.

The small crowd, all bundled in parkas and scarves, formed a semicircle in front of them, and suddenly the man’s deep voice rang out with the words, “Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright…”

Behind her, Jace wrapped his arms around Noelle and nestled her into his chest while they stood transfixed by the notes and words.

“Someone’s calling you,” Jace whispered, reaching into her jacket pocket.

“Anyone I want to talk to is right here,” she said.

But he slid the phone out of her pocket and read the screen. “Janice Margolis?”

She gasped and spun around. “No! I’ll take that.” She seized the phone and scrambled out of the crowd, her heart hammering with hope.

A few feet away from the singing, she put a finger over one ear and, smashing the phone to the other, she answered with one question. “Did you get it?”

“Yes!” the woman said. “On Monday!”

“Hallelujah!” She practically danced as she disconnected the call, scanning the crowd frantically to find Angie and Elliott, the two of them standing much like Jace and Noelle had been.

She made her way to them, just as yet another singer climbed up and started singing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and the whole thing turned into a holiday talent show.

“Hey, you two,” she called, waving and working her way closer to her sister and her new man. “I have news for you.”

Angie and Elliott met her halfway. “You did it!” Angie exclaimed. “And even after they took your generators!”

“Sorry about that,” Noelle said. “But they went to a good cause and the fire department promised to get them back to the Biltmore tomorrow morning. And…” She bit her lip and nearly screamed with excitement as she looked at Elliott. “I told you I’d repay you.”

“It’s not necess?—”

“One of my best friends works at the Museum of Modern Art in New York,” she interjected, unable to wait another minute.

“Oh?” His brow lifted. “Got me an interview, did you?”

“So much better.” She reached out and took each of their hands in hers. “I got you Starry, Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh from Monday until the first week in January.”

For a moment, they both just stared at her, the only sound the raucous singing behind them.

“Did you hear me?” she asked.

Angie let out a shriek, turning to Elliott who threw his arms around her. They jumped a few inches in the air and then he planted a beauty right on Angie’s lips.

“I guess you heard me,” Noelle joked. “And are doing your best to keep that kissing tradition alive.”

They broke the lip-lock then both of them smashed Noelle in a hug.

Laughing, Noelle asked Elliott, “Will that save your job?”

“Are you kidding? I’ll probably get a promotion! Starry, Starry Night? How did you do that?”

“She owed me a favor and I passed it along to you. Merry Christmas to my new favorite couple.”

“I can’t believe this!” Angie exclaimed, hugging her so hard Noelle could barely breathe. “You are a national treasure, Noelle Chambers Fleming!”

“I’m not, but that painting is.”

Brooke came closer to find out what the excitement was, then Bitsy and Sonny, then Caro and her crew, along with David and the boys and before long, a tight circle of family had gathered for a spontaneous celebration that exceeded every one of Noelle’s highest hopes.

As they hugged and laughed and shared their joy, Bitsy sidled next to Noelle with that classic Aunt Elizabeth “I told you so” look on her face.

“I know, I know,” Noelle said. “His ways, His plans, His miracles.”

Bitsy just smiled. “And now, sweet girl, you’ve learned the lesson.”

Laughing, she turned to Jace, who had an utterly exhausted elf holding his hand.

Had she really learned the lesson, though? Was she going to force her own miracle, or let go of control?

Well, she’d made her wish. Would it come true?

As she put her hand on Cassie’s back—her little savior of the night—and looked into the eyes of the man she’d love until the day she died, Noelle already knew her wish had come true. She’d just have to find the right time to tell Jace her decision.