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The December Market (Shelter Springs #2) 14 50%
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14

After a successful first day of the Shelter Springs Giving Market, Amanda had hoped every subsequent day at the market would go as smoothly.

Nope.

The moment she walked into the convention center after fixing breakfast for Rafe and Isaac, then spending a few hours at her downtown store, several people rushed over to her, brimming over with problems for her to solve. They ranged from a concern over the distant assigned parking available to vendors, a sliding window that was jammed in one of the kiosks and a large puddle on the floor in the corner of the convention hall that needed immediate attention.

She handed the parking and window questions over to various committee members but decided to check out the puddle herself.

“It’s grown bigger even since I first noticed it about ten minutes ago.” Victor Reed, who had a stall featuring his handworked leather items, gazed at her with wide, worried eyes. “Looks to me like the roof is leaking. I hope it doesn’t start leaking on my booth. Everything will be ruined.”

Since his booth was more than thirty feet away from the leak, she doubted that would happen. But she also knew Victor, who had served on her committee for the past two years, tended to stress about every detail.

“Don’t worry. I’ll ask the maintenance crew to put down some buckets for now and let the convention center team know so they can have someone come in to check out the roof tomorrow while we are closed. I’m so glad you brought this to my attention, Victor. Thank you.”

“I knew you would be able to handle it. You’re so good in a crisis, Amanda.”

“That’s very kind of you to say,” she said, meeting his wide smile with a much more restrained one of her own. Lately, Victor had started making a few comments that left her feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She had a feeling he might be trying to flirt with her and she wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

Victor was a very nice man but he was also in his late fifties and had never married, was balding and paunchy and had lived with his mother until three years earlier, when she went into a nursing home.

“How were your sales yesterday?” she asked politely.

“Okay. Not as good as last year’s first day, according to the data I’ve collected, but I’m hoping the few extra days of the market will make up for that. How about yourself?”

“I haven’t had the chance to do a day-by-day comparison to our sales of last year but they seemed pretty brisk. We were busy all day.”

“I hope this gamble of yours pays off,” he said, his tone shifting from flirtatious to doubtful.

Victor had been one of those in town who had argued against expanding the market, a small but vocal contingent that claimed the market had grown large enough. To handle the increased attendance, they should start selling tickets ahead of time.

She knew there were pros and cons to that option. Selling tickets would provide a new revenue stream to the foundation’s fundraising efforts but it might also be cost prohibitive for some families and seniors on fixed incomes who liked to come back to the market again and again.

After a few more moments of conversation, she was able to extricate herself. She found buckets and towels to mop up the mess and then talked to the maintenance crew about the problem. Later, she headed back to her booth to continue adding fresh inventory to their display before the doors opened.

She was rearranging a few items for better visibility when she saw Rafe walk in, moving with his usual determination.

He wore navy blue cargo pants, a white polo shirt with the fire department insignia and a red fleece jacket. Amanda couldn’t help noticing she wasn’t the only woman who watched him make his way to the first aid station.

Right before he reached to unlock the door to the small room, he shifted as if he felt her looking at him, and their gazes met before she could quickly turn away.

Amanda felt heat soak her cheeks. She had to hope he couldn’t see it from twenty feet away. Sometimes she really hated having red hair and a pale complexion that tended to show all her emotions.

She forced a smile and waved, then quickly shifted her attention back to rearranging the display, mortified that he had caught her staring.

She sensed his approach a few moments later, some stir in the atmosphere before she saw him. When she turned, she found him standing a few feet away, watching her with a look she couldn’t interpret.

“Is there anything I can help you do before the market opens?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m almost done. But thank you.”

“I have to tell you, breakfast was a big hit with Isaac. He hasn’t stopped talking about you and your bacon all morning long.”

She gave him a careful look to see if he was annoyed that she and his son seemed to have established a friendship. He didn’t look put out, only amused.

“You know what they say. The way to a six-year-old’s heart is through his stomach,” she said.

“Well, you certainly found your way to Isaac’s heart.”

“Have you finished your Christmas shopping for him?”

“Not quite. I have a few more things I wanted to pick up. He hasn’t given me any hints about what he really wants so I’ve mostly had to guess. I have a feeling there’s something big. I’m hoping if he stops by today to talk to Santa, I can take a break so I can eavesdrop on the conversation.”

“Smart. I guess parents must pick up those little tricks along the way.”

“Believe me, I’m no expert when it comes to parenting. I’m figuring out my way as I go along.”

“From what my friends who have children say, that’s what everybody does.”

“Some make it look so easy, though. Joe and Crista have two kids, yet they juggle everything without a problem.”

She thought of her friend McKenna and her husband, Travis, who had been in a rough place the previous Christmas. “That might only be your perspective from the outside. You never really know what people might be struggling through within the walls of their own home.”

“True enough.”

“Anyway, Crista and Joe can tag team when one of them needs a break or is doing something else, like Crista here at the market with her stall. You’re going it alone. Give yourself a break, Rafe. I think you’re doing a great job. Your son is sweet and kind and seems well-adjusted, despite everything the two of you have been through.”

He studied her for a long moment, then gave her a warm smile. For one wild moment, she thought he wanted to kiss her again. Something bright and sparkly flashed in his dark eyes and he even took a slight step forward.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on her perspective—Scarlet returned from refilling her coffee thermos in the hospitality room outside the convention hall that had been set up for vendors.

“Are you guys ready? We’ve got throngs of people lined up outside, eager to come in. Looks like the doors are about to open.”

Amanda glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly noon. Where had the morning gone?

“Ready or not,” Rafe said. “I better head back.”

She waved at him with one hand, then hurried to gather the boxes she had used to carry in the inventory and tucked them under the counter.

“That man is fine,” Scarlet said after Rafe had walked away.

Amanda frowned at her employee. “And too old for you. He has at least twelve or thirteen years on you.”

“Maybe I’m looking for a hot older man who can take care of me. I suspect Rafe would definitely take care of a woman, if you know what I mean.”

Amanda must have looked as shocked as she felt. Scarlet laughed. “I wish you could see your face right now. Don’t worry. I’m just kidding. For now, I’m fine with all the cute little puppy dogs who are my age. Anyway, I think that particular hot firefighter might be interested in someone else.”

She was relieved when the doors to the market opened at that moment and shoppers rushed in, saving her from having to ask what Scarlet meant.

Throughout the day as she dealt with shoppers and market problems alike, Amanda tried not to gawk at him every spare moment, though she found it ridiculously difficult. As she helped customers or worked to troubleshoot market administrative problems, she was constantly aware of Rafe out of the corner of her gaze.

Several hours after they opened, her feet ached and a tension headache seemed to grab hold of her skull with sharp talons. She was finishing the process of checking out a couple of customers, best friends who said they drove over from Boise specifically to shop at the market, when she heard a young-sounding voice calling her name.

“Hey! Amanda! Amanda!”

She looked up to find Isaac Arredondo running toward her. As was becoming his habit, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her headache seemed to lift in an instant and she felt a funny little lurch in her chest at his bighearted affection.

She hugged him back. “Hi. There’s my favorite snow shoveler.”

He beamed at her, shoving up his glasses. “I’m here with Ito . My grandpa. He brought me so I can go see Santa Claus.”

“That’s what you said you wanted to do this morning. How exciting.”

“Have you talked to Santa yet to tell him what you want for Christmas?” he asked, studying her closely.

Amanda thought of her quiet Christmases of the past few years, where she exchanged a few gifts with her grandmother and Griffin, when he was home. She would usually have a video call with her mother, and then try to order herself something special online that she wouldn’t normally purchase.

“Um. No. Not yet.”

“Do you want to come with us to see Santa?”

“I don’t think I can leave my store right now.”

“Sure you can.” Scarlet gave her an encouraging nod. “I can hold down the fort. Things have slowed down a little bit after the big rush of earlier. Go see Santa Claus with your friend here.”

“My name is Isaac,” he said cheerfully to her.

“Hi, Isaac. Nice to meet you. I’m Scarlet.”

“I have a friend named Scarlet, only she is six, like me, not a grown-up. She’s in my class.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah. And she doesn’t have blue hair, either. She has dark hair like me.”

He looked around as if making sure there was no one there to overhear, then lowered his voice to a whisper. “Once, she tried to kiss me under the table while we were having art class and both of us dropped our colored pencils at the same time.”

“Oh wow. Your Scarlet sounds fun.”

He grinned. “She is. When I told her not to kiss me, she wasn’t even mad. She just laughed and told me a funny joke. Do you want to hear it?”

He looked straight at Amanda and she nodded. “Sure. Go ahead.”

“Why is it so cold at Christmas?”

“Why?” She played along.

“Because it’s Decem-brrrr.”

He laughed uproariously at the joke and both Scarlet and Amanda laughed in response.

“That’s a great one,” Amanda said. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“My little nieces will love that one,” Scarlet said. She gave Amanda an encouraging look. “Go ahead and take a break. You’ve been working hard for hours, without even a bathroom break. You need to at least stretch your legs.”

She had a feeling Scarlet wouldn’t let up until she agreed. “Okay,” she agreed, taking off her embroidered store apron. “Let me grab my coat.”

The market Santa Claus was outside this year, set up in a charming small wooden chalet adorned with icicle lights. After she put on her parka, Isaac grabbed her.

“We have to get my dad. He and my ito want to come see Santa, too.”

Amanda instantly felt awkward and out of place. This was a family moment and she was only in the way. “Maybe you should let your father and grandfather take you without me.”

“Why? I want you to come, too.”

“Go ahead,” Scarlet urged with a not-so-innocent smile. Outnumbered, Amanda sighed, wishing she had time to freshen up her lipstick—an impulse that appalled her. She reached for the boy’s outstretched hand and walked with him across the way to the first aid station.

They found Rafe chatting with his cousin Izzy, wearing a matching paramedic uniform, and his father, Alberto, whom everyone called Al.

She saw Al and Izzy exchange a look while Rafe blinked with surprise. “Oh. Hi.”

“Dad. Can Miss Amanda come with us to see Santa Claus? She really wants to.”

Amanda gave Isaac a startled look, fully aware she had not said anything of the sort. Defending herself would only make her sound ridiculous, though.

Rafe looked at his son with a mystified expression. “Um. Sure. She can come with us.”

If she could have found a little magic Christmas sparkle dust in that moment, she would have happily used it to fly away from the noisy market and the entire Arredondo family.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” he asked his cousin.

Izzy gestured around the empty area. “I have no idea how I’ll handle this crowd all by myself.”

Rafe chuckled as he pulled on the red fire department fleece jacket she had seen him wearing earlier.

“I think I’ll stick around here and give you a hand, Isabella,” Al Arredondo said after a moment. “When we walked past earlier, there was a pretty big line for Santa. You might be a minute.”

“Are you sure?” Rafe frowned. “I know how much you enjoy watching the grandkids go see Santa.”

“I’m fine. Take some good pictures for me.”

Amanda felt heat rise from her neck to her cheeks. She knew exactly why Al didn’t want to accompany his son and grandson—because she was there and he didn’t want to be around her.

No matter how hard she worked to make Shelter Springs a better place—accepting every single committee assignment she was offered and spending long hours in boring meetings when she would rather be hiking or kayaking on the lake or working in her store—she would always remain Dennis Taylor’s daughter.

Certain families in town couldn’t seem to get past that connection, no matter how hard she tried to prove she wasn’t anything like her father.

How could she blame them, really? Her father’s actions had destroyed so many lives.

Four young people had died because her father had chosen to get behind the wheel while under the influence.

Amanda had known every one of those teenagers.

Rafe’s cousin—Izzy’s brother, Alex—had been a standout high school athlete with a basketball scholarship to a Florida university. He had been driving. Next to him had been his girlfriend, a cheerleader, Harper Peterson. She had been strikingly pretty, with big blue eyes and a wide smile. More than that, she had been genuinely kind, the sort of girl who was nice to everyone.

With them had been another couple, Alex’s friend and fellow athlete Wyatt Johnson, along with his date, Fatima Ali, who had been Amanda’s good friend and a fellow member of the swimming team and on track to graduate as the valedictorian of Amanda’s class.

All that promise. All that potential. Four young people who would never have the chance to see any of their own dreams—or their families’ dreams for them—realized. Because of Amanda’s father.

She didn’t know that anyone actively blamed her for the accident. Why would they? She had been a teenager too, wrapped up in her own pain from her parents’ divorce and the many years of bitter unhappiness in her home that had preceded it.

They might not actively blame her but she blamed herself. She could have tried to stop her father somehow. Hidden his keys, maybe, or called the cops to find him and pull him over.

Amanda had known he was spiraling out of control. She might have been the only one to see it. Griffin had been off to college, her mom was living in an apartment in Haven Point and Birdie had stopped talking to her son-in-law years earlier.

Instead, Amanda had seen him grab his keys, suspecting that he had already finished off a six-pack of beer. She hadn’t said a word as he drove off.

By that point in her life, she knew it was pointless. What could she possibly say that she and her mother and Griffin hadn’t already tried to say a thousand times before?

She should have tried one more time. Maybe that would have made the difference. Instead, her father had walked out the door, had driven to the liquor store and had sat in his car overlooking the lake for the next hour, drinking an entire bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

“I really don’t have to go with you,” she said now in an undertone to Rafe, pushing away the dark past.

He sent her a swift look. “You don’t,” he agreed. “I’m sorry Isaac dragged you into something you don’t want to do.”

“That’s not what I meant. I thought it was sweet that he invited me and I would love to go. But I didn’t think about how uncomfortable that might make things for your father.”

His forehead furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I know how your family must hate me.”

“Why would they?”

“Because I’m a Taylor. Because my father killed your cousin.”

She saw memories and old pain in his expression at the reminder.

“They don’t hate you. That’s absurd.”

She sighed. “You’re right. Hate is probably too strong a word. But I know that seeing me causes them pain. I’m a reminder of what happened to Alex. Of all the misery and grief my father left behind.”

“You shouldn’t think that. You were just a girl yourself. My family understands that.”

She did not want to argue with him, but it seemed suddenly important that he understand her perspective. “Intellectually, maybe. But I’m sure there’s some sort of instinctive reaction. Like muscle memory. I can’t blame them. I’m the same way. Whenever I see someone from your family or the other families who were so tragically impacted, I can’t help but remember everything that happened.”

“Even when you see me?” he asked, watching her out of those intense dark eyes.

She swallowed. “Not as much as I used to,” she admitted. “Now I tend to think about...other things when I see you.”

She had not meant to confess that particular tidbit of information. She regretted it as soon as the words escaped, especially when his gaze intensified and heat seemed to glitter to life between them.

Isaac, walking between them, tugged on his father’s hand. “Is that the line for Santa Claus?” he asked.

Rafe blinked a few times, then looked down at his son. “Looks like it, kiddo.”

Amanda was deeply grateful for the cold air, hoping it could ease the color in her cheeks she knew must be there.

What had she been thinking to blurt out something like that? He was going to guess correctly that she had a ridiculous crush on him. She had kissed him that morning as if she was suddenly in need of mouth-to-mouth, for heaven’s sake.

She wanted to figure out some way to backpedal, but nothing came to mind. To her relief, Isaac was chattering away to his father about the Christmas movie he had watched that afternoon with his grandfather and how Al had fallen asleep at the best part.

She was almost relieved a few moments later when Al Arredondo joined them in the queue.

Rafe looked surprised but pleased to see his father. “Papi. I’m glad you joined us.”

“Your cousin said I was getting in the way,” he said, his tone grumpy.

“Look, Ito . The line isn’t as long as you said it would be!” Isaac said in a gleeful tone.

“Lucky for us,” Al said. “Otherwise, my toes might get frostbite.”

Six or seven families were ahead of them in line. She recognized a few of them but not everyone. Unfortunately, one of the people she recognized was Lily Peterson Davis, whose older sister Harper had been killed in the accident.

She stood with her husband as well as their twin girls, whom Amanda thought were four or five years old. They were adorable, both wearing beanies that had two sparkly pom-poms that looked like ears.

Lily gave Rafe and Al a warm greeting. Her smile dimmed slightly when she spotted Amanda, though she greeted her cordially enough.

See what I mean? Amanda wanted to say, fighting the urge to give Rafe a meaningful look as she returned the greeting.

“We’re gonna see Santa Claus,” the twin with the purple beanie announced.

“And Mrs. Claus,” her sister said.

“So are we,” Isaac informed them. “I know what I’m going to ask him. Do you?”

The girls tripped over each other to talk about some of the things on their list. Isaac, Amanda couldn’t help but notice, stayed quiet about his list.

The men chatted easily and she remembered that Lily’s husband, Blake, must know Rafe and Al from the fire department. While Rafe was a full-time employee, Al had been a volunteer until he retired, and Blake was a volunteer now, working as a financial planner when he wasn’t driving one of the fire engines.

Amanda shifted in the cold line, feeling awkward and wondering again why Isaac had insisted she come along with him.

“The market is really lovely this year,” Lily said after the silence began to drag out uncomfortably. “I love that you moved some of the booths outside. It really brings a magical feeling to the season, especially when there is a light snow like this evening.”

Amanda looked around at the bustling shoppers, the small wooden shops and the Christmas tree that dominated the entire scene. “Thank you. It’s an experiment. I was worried people would mostly want to stay inside to keep warm. We went back and forth about where to put Santa and Mrs. Claus and we finally decided outside would be better.”

“I can see why. Keep the overexcited children away from all the fragile items inside.”

That definitely had been part of the discussion, but the main argument for moving the chalet outside had been for crowd control. It did add to the festive mood, though.

“Let us know how you like it out here. There should be suggestion boxes around the market or you can always email through the website. We’re always looking for input.”

“I’ll try to remember,” Lily said as a new group joined the queue.

Amanda saw with relief it was McKenna, Travis and their three children. Travis wore Austin, bundled up against the cold, in a baby carrier against his chest, and the boy beamed at everyone around him, his eyes sparkling with color from the lights on the Christmas tree.

McKenna hugged her. “What are you doing out here? Don’t tell me you want to sit on Santa’s lap, too.”

Travis grinned. “What’s your wish? Let me guess. You want a few more town committees to serve on.”

Amanda rolled her eyes, though she could feel herself flush. One of these days, she needed to learn how to say no.

“I’m not sure why I’m here, to tell you the truth.” She gestured ahead of them in the line. “My little neighbor Isaac asked me to come out with him. Scarlet persuaded me I needed a break and should breathe some fresh air.”

McKenna caught sight of Lily ahead of them and the two women also greeted each other with hugs.

The children obviously knew each other as well. “This is my friend Hazel,” Isaac announced. “She goes to my school.”

“Except we’re not in the same class because I’m in kindergarten.”

“And I’m in first grade,” Isaac said.

“We do get to sing together when we practice our school concert.”

While the conversation flowed around her between neighbors, friends and schoolmates, Amanda wanted nothing more than to slip away. She didn’t belong here. All of these people were part of a shared club, families with small children.

She thought again of her quiet holiday celebrations. She loved her family but sometimes she longed for something...more.

If her life had turned out as she had once planned as a teenager in love, she and Jake might have been here with these other parents, watching their children bubble over with holiday excitement.

They had both wanted four children and had planned to start their family as soon as they each graduated from college. She had even come up with names for them.

That girl who had so many dreams seemed like another person sometimes. Life had changed her irrevocably.

She was thirty-one now with no prospects of making a family with anyone, having children of her own.

She released a breath, pushing away the sadness. She was fine. Better than fine. She had picked up the charred remnants of the life she had once planned and had rebuilt it into a happy, productive existence.

She had a business she loved, she was slowly renovating her grandmother’s charming cottage, she had dear friends and her spare time was filled with volunteer work.

Instead of focusing on all the things she didn’t have, the dreams that were snatched away in the blink of an eye, she should direct her attention to the many things she loved about her life.

The reminder rang hollow even to her as she stood alone in the midst of a crowd of excited families, waiting for their turn to hand over their wishes to Santa.

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