Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:29:42 -0600WeeblyMon, 06 Mar 2023 19:28:48 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-twelveTrudy looked around at the gathering of friends and family and felt a little shiver of happiness in her heart. 

When Ward had brought her home in the wee hours of the morning on New Year’s Day, after the wonderful event at the community center, he’d told her to be ready to go pick out rings the next day.

Sure enough, he’d shown up first thing in the morning, to whisk his bride-to-be into town. 

Valerie Leighton was honored to help them select two simple, elegant bands. 

And though Trudy insisted their engagement would be too short for another ring, Ward put his foot down. They left with an opal on an antique band so pretty that it made her cry when he knelt right there in town to ask her permission to put it on her finger.

Their very next stop was the county courthouse to apply for a marriage license. 

And all the days since then had been happy ones, full of plans for their small wedding at the Inn, followed by this amazing party. 

Though much of the Williams family was right here in Trinity Falls, the Sullivan clan had to be gathered from all over Pennsylvania. And then there were all their friends and neighbors. 

Everyone wanted to help. Alice Cassidy had her crew take care of cooking duty. Mallory, who owned the little bakery in town, was made the wedding cake. And the Williams cousins and their kids had been all over the inn hanging boughs of evergreens and baby’s breath. 

She hadn’t realized just how much she missed her family until they were all together like that, and she vowed to make more time to spend with them. 

Ward’s son, Will, had arrived yesterday, just in time to be his father’s best man. 

Alice Cassidy served as the matron of honor, looking lovely in her green dress while her husband eyed her flirtatiously from the front row. 

Though the wedding had been simple, the pastor told Trudy it was one of the most beautiful he had ever officiated. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the house, and Trudy herself had cried like a child when Ward slipped the ring on her finger, his steely blue eyes wet with unshed tears.

There was just something about weddings…

Now everyone was spread out all over the house, eating plates of delicious, home-cooked food and enjoying each other’s company. 

Trudy floated between rooms, finding it difficult not to play innkeeper. Three of her nephews had promised her they wouldn’t let anyone’s lemonade glass go empty, and she knew she could just relax, but old habits died hard. 

Everywhere she and Ward went, they were pulled into hugs and joyful congratulations. 

As the sun began to set, casting the snowy fields around the inn a shimmering pink, Trudy realized she needed a breath. 

She managed to slip out onto the sunporch without anyone noticing. 

It was cold as an icebox, but refreshing to her flushed cheeks, and the quiet felt good after a day of so much excitement. 

She looked out over the grounds of the inn, and then closed her eyes, trying to hear Philip’s voice one more time. 

I will always love you, she told him inwardly. You are a part of me, and that will never change.

She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she was certain she felt something, a warmth in the cold. And when she opened her eyes, there was a last burst of fiery beauty as the sun finished setting outside, that told her he was with her, that he was proud of her. 

The door clicked, and she turned to find Ward there, his blue eyes taking her in as if he couldn’t believe she was real. She knew the look, because it was the same one she’d been giving him almost every day. 

“Are you talking with Phil?” he asked softly. “I can go.”

“Don’t go,” she told him, shaking her head, tears of gratitude prickling her eyes as she held her arms out.

He closed the door carefully, then pulled her close. 

“You don’t ever have to stop talking with him,” Ward whispered into her hair. “Not on my account.”

“You’re not jealous?” she whispered. 

“I might be a little jealous,” he chuckled. “But mostly, I’m just grateful. I’m grateful to be with you. And I’m grateful to Phil for giving you a happy life. Frankly, I’m grateful for everything that happened to lead us to each other, Trudy.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she leaned back against his chest, looking at the holiday lights twinkling out on the lawn. 

“I could never take his place in your heart, and I’ll never try,” he told her. “I just hope you have room in your heart for both of us.”

“I do,” she promised him for the second time that day. 

She turned in his arms to face him. 

“Trudy, I think you have enough love wrap up the whole world in your beautiful heart,” Ward teased, cupping her cheek in his hand as if she were the most precious thing. “I’m just glad I married you quick, before someone else came along and swept you off your feet.”

She laughed.

“Don’t laugh at me, woman,” he teased. “I’ll sweep you off your feet right now.”

“You wouldn’t,” Trudy said, her eyes widening. 

But he was already lifting her up in his strong arms like she was light as a feather. 

“Ward,” she squeaked. 

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sweet sense of being at home.

“I’ve got half a mind to carry you straight upstairs,” he growled, pulling away. “But I know this family of ours wants cake. So I’m going to put you back down for now. But you can expect to be swept off your feet again when we have this place to ourselves.”

“It’s a date,” Trudy laughed as her feet hit the floor once more. “Let’s go eat cake.”

He opened the door for her, releasing the sounds of happy voices and the strains of a piano playing in the library. 

She smiled and stepped back into the liveliness of her beloved inn, and the people who made it special by being there. 

When Ward wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a squeeze, she felt a soul-deep gratitude, that of all the wonderful people here, he was hers and she was his.

She sucked in a breath, afraid she was going to start crying again.

But when Ward looked over his shoulder and winked at her, his twinkly blue eyes alight with joy, she laughed instead. 
​
This was happiness. And it was only the beginning.

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]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2023 02:45:55 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-elevenTrudy looked around at the group of wonderful women gathered around the punch bowl, and felt much better about being single. 

Half the ladies here had husbands who were off in the corner talking about the almanac, and about the poor soul who had bought Livingston Farm and instantly made himself the subject of all male gossip in Trinity Falls. 

No one had laid eyes on the mystery man yet, but everyone kept waiting for him to show up at some event or other. 

At any rate, Trudy would rather chat with Alice Cassidy and Leticia Webb about the Library Book & Bake Sale than get dragged on endless, awkward dates by some silly man who couldn’t decide if he wanted to court her or not.

Out on the dance floor, folks were dancing to a fun mix of country, 80s nostalgia, and Christmas songs. 

The organizers were fluttering around the side of the center that had been fixed up like a stage, getting ready for the auction. 

“Trudy,” Valerie said quietly, nodding toward the entry. 

Ward was headed in, chatting with a tall, dark-haired young man. 

“Oh goodness,” she said, turning her back and glancing at Valerie. 

“He’s coming this way,” Valerie muttered. 

In an instinct that could only have come of sheer desperation, Trudy looked around and saw Pete Anderson, the owner of Jolly Beans, was walking past. 

“Let’s dance, Pete,” she said, grabbing his arm and hoping he didn’t notice her slightly frantic tone.

“Oh, hi, Trudy,” Pete said, looking a little alarmed. “Sure. I’ll dance with you.”

She whisked him safely into the center of the dance floor, hoping Ward wouldn’t see her. 

Or if he does, he’ll see I’m in the company of another gentleman, she told herself. I won’t have to make awkward conversation with him.

Pete stiffly placed his hand on her waist and began to dance her around. He wasn’t a bad dancer, but his expression was a little too similar to the one he wore when he set up the coffee machines for her to think he was enjoying himself. 

“You look very nice tonight, Trudy,” he said politely, once they relaxed into the rhythm. “I like your scarf.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Ward’s voice said suddenly. “May I cut in?”

Trudy turned her head to see Ward looming over them. His jaw was clenched, and there was an expression of determination in his blue eyes. 

“Sure, man,” Pete said, somehow looking scared and relieved at the same time. “Have a nice evening, Trudy.”

“Trudy, I’m sorry about the other night,” Ward said, pulling her into his arms. 

She wanted to protest, but her pride was no match for the warmth of his arms and the magnetic confidence that radiated from him. 

“I like you, Trudy,” he told her firmly. “A whole lot, in fact. But I didn’t want to pressure you for more, and maybe scare you out of my life completely.”

“Ward, that’s so kind of you,” she said carefully. “But maybe it’s for the best that we just stay good friends. I haven’t dated since I was in my twenties, and I’m a bit set in my ways. My life belongs to the inn now, and—”

Suddenly he was pulling her close and crushing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

She felt herself melt like a chocolate bar in the sunshine, all her doubts fading to nothing. It had been too long since anything had made her feel so special, so wanted, so loved. 

“I’m very sorry,” he said softly, pulling back. “It seemed like we might be about to go off the rails, and I couldn’t that happen again.”

She went up on her toes to kiss him back, but he stopped her, holding her shoulders and fixing her in his cerulean gaze.

“Trudy, I’m a man who knows what he wants,” he said gruffly. “Casual just doesn’t work for me. And I’ve waited too long for you to take it slow. We can discuss the particulars, but if this is going to happen, then I want you wearing my ring before the cherry blossoms burst.”

Trudy broke into a smile, letting his words echo in her heart.

“Wait,” she said. “What do you mean you’ve waited too long?”

“You know how I told you the only woman to catch my eye was madly in love with another man?” he asked. 

Her mind went back to their first meeting, when she’d been helping one of the Cassidy boys find his mom. Ward had offered to help, but then disappeared before she had time to thank him.

“All this time?” she asked. 

“All this time,” he said, nodding. 

“I would be proud to wear your ring, Ward,” she told him. “And we don’t have to wait until spring. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I don’t want to waste a single minute.”

He pulled her close, swaying to the slow crooning of Elvis Presley’s Silent Night.

“Pete was right,” he told her. “You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she told him. “Valerie Leighton loaned me some pretty clothes, so that if you came and saw me you’d regret not making a move.”

“Did she now?” he asked, pulling back, his blue eyes dancing with merriment. “I think you look beautiful every single day. But it might please you to know that I was wild with jealousy when I saw you with Pete.”

“I didn’t want you to be wild with jealousy,” she told him. “I was just nervous.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “I almost didn’t come tonight.”

“Why did you?” she asked. 

“Because the only thing worse than facing you was the idea of losing my chance to be the luckiest man in the world,” he told her. “Also, I was advised by a very wise man.”

“Joe Cassidy?” Trudy guessed.

“What?” Ward laughed in a surprised way. “No, of course not.”

“Joe Cassidy is a very romantic man,” Trudy retorted. “Alice is a lucky woman.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ward said thoughtfully, smiling down at her. “They always seem like they’re having fun.”

“I think that’s the key,” Trudy said, nodding. “So who did you actually talk to?”

 “My son, Will,” he told her proudly. “He’s coming for a visit. You’ll meet him soon.”

She felt a little shiver of happiness when she realized that she would meet Will soon, and all the other important people in Ward’s life. 

“I can’t wait,” she told him. 

​He smiled down at her like she had given him the greatest gift of all, and they danced on, among a happy crowd of friends and neighbors.

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Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!]]>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 12:49:50 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-tenA few days later, Trudy sat in the library at the inn, watching Valerie Leighton lay out what looked like a thousand tubes of lipstick on her grandmother’s antique piecrust table. 

Trudy was already wearing a plain black dress and a glorious pair of knee-high, black leather boots that Valerie had brought over for her. 

The New Year’s Eve party at the community hall was tonight, and when she called Valerie to ask for a hand, the woman had practically flown to her side. 

Trudy had been hoping in the back of her mind that she would be attending with Ward Sullivan tonight, but that obviously wasn’t to be. She hadn’t heard a peep from him since the night of the festival. 

When she explained her situation, Valerie had assured her that if she couldn’t go with him, then the second-best thing would be to make him burn with jealousy, and that she was coming over immediately with supplies.

Valerie was the most fashionable person Trudy knew. She owned the jewelry store in Trinity Falls village, and lived in an apartment above it. She elevated the rural village like it was a Paris runway every time she decided to slink down the street for a coffee in one of her chic ensembles.

And now she was turning her skills on Trudy with a vengeance. It was Trudy’s good luck that they wore the same shoe size. 

“Let’s try Wicked Plum,” Valerie decided, sweeping up one of the lipsticks and facing Trudy. 

“Seems a little dark,” Trudy said weakly.

She had never worn much make-up. There was no point when she was running around the inn changing linens and leaning over a steaming pot of stew.

“It will bring out your hair,” Valerie said mysteriously.

Trudy didn’t fight her. The woman knew what she was doing. Though her hair was certainly not plum-colored.

Also, she could definitely wipe it off the moment Valerie was gone.

“So he took you out, showed you an amazing day, walked you to the door, stared at you, and then didn’t make a move?” Valerie asked as she applied the lipstick to Trudy’s mouth.

“Uh-huh,” Trudy replied, feeling a bit like when she was at the dentist’s office and they started asking her about business as soon as they had a handful of cleaning equipment in her mouth.

“Whoa, Trudy,” Chad said, walking into the room with a slight limp. “Look at you. Hey, Valerie.”

His voice softened around the jeweler’s name, and Trudy glanced over to see Chad gazing at Valerie in dazed way. 

It would almost have been comical if Trudy wasn’t so very fond of Chad, and so very certain that Valerie would never reciprocate his interest. 

Chad was kind-hearted, talkative, enthusiastic as a puppy, and wore his feelings on his sleeve. He was handsome, but in the rumpled, careless way Trudy associated with surfers in the movies.

On the other hand, Valerie was reserved to the point of almost seeming cold, until you got to know her. Her personal style matched her speech - crisp and minimalistic, with an edge to it.

​Trudy couldn’t imagine two more opposite people in all of Trinity Falls.

“There,” Valerie said suddenly, leaning back and smiling at her work like a cat looking at a bowl of cream.

“Looking sharp, Trudy,” Chad said, letting out a low whistle. 

She gave him a smile. Trading in the crutches for a boot had lifted his spirits, maybe that’s all it was and it had nothing to do with her fashionable young friend.

“Can I see now?” Trudy asked Valerie. 

“Not yet,” Valerie told her. “There’s just one more thing." 

She dug into her carpetbag and fished out a shimmering sheer scarf that reflected the firelight in all the colors of the rainbow. 

“Stand,” Valerie said in the tone of a drill sergeant.

Trudy leapt to her feet automatically at that tone of authority. 
She tried to hold still as Valerie lifted her hair to drape the scarf over her shoulders. 

When she had it where she wanted it, Valerie pinned the scarf in place with an antique-looking silver brooch shaped like a horse with a tiny green gem for its eye. 

“There,” Valerie said, looking Trudy over with as much satisfaction as if she had just given birth to her. “Now you can look.”

“I’ll just pop upstairs,” Trudy said. “I have a full length mirror on my closet door.”

She trotted up, bracing herself to hate her new look. 

There was nothing worse than trying too hard, in her book. It was better just to be yourself.

But somehow, when she opened the closet door, she was surprised and pleased at what she saw. 

The dress and boots were sleek and sophisticated, but the beautiful shimmering scarf with the little horse pin made Trudy feel like herself, but fancier. 

The lipstick actually wasn’t bad, and though she still couldn’t imagine how it would bring out her hair, she didn’t care. 

Humming to herself, she headed down the stairs and walked back toward the library.

She stopped just before entering though, because she could hear Chad and Valerie talking heatedly.

“I’m telling you, he’s a good guy,” Chad said. “He’s a gentleman. He just doesn’t want to push.”

“And I’m telling you that if a man is interested in a woman, the gentlemanly thing to do is to tell her so, or take some action,” Valerie lobbed back. “Not wait until the stars are in alignment or the universe gives him some stupid sign.”

“You can’t just kiss someone out of nowhere,” Chad said. 

“Why on earth not?” Valerie demanded.

Feeling like she might be overhearing something more than just an argument about her own love life, Trudy hurried in. 

“Thank you, Valerie,” she said. “I can’t believe what you’ve done with me.”

“I started with good raw materials,” Valerie shrugged, in what Trudy realized suddenly was a lovely compliment. “Ready to get this show on the road?”

“Very ready,” Trudy told her. “Chad, you don’t mind holding down the fort one last time?”

“What fort?” he asked. “These guests don’t even need us.”

He looked so downcast that she had to laugh.

“Don’t worry, love,” she told him. “We’ll have demanding guests in here in two days and you’ll forget all about this boring week.”

“Knock ‘em dead, Trudy,” he told her with a warm smile. 

She darted over and pecked his cheek before joining Valerie at the door. 

​“Don’t wait up,” Valerie quipped over her shoulder as they headed out into the cold, clear night.

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]]>Sun, 12 Feb 2023 17:12:06 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-nine-wardA few days after the festival, Ward paced the creaky wood floor of his cottage, phone to his ear.

If Will didn’t pick up, he wasn’t sure what he would do. 

He felt like his heart was catching on fire, and his bones were trying to erupt out of his body. 

“Will Sullivan,” his son’s familiar voice called out on the other end. 

“Son,” Ward said, feeling intense relief. 

“Hey Dad,” Will said, his voice sounding less hearty, and more like himself. “What’s up?”

“I think I need some advice,” Ward told him gruffly. 

“Wow,” Will said. 

“What?” Ward asked him, feeling cagey. 

“It’s just that my whole life, whenever I need advice, I call you,” Will told him. “It feels kind of good to be on the other end of the call.”

Pride in his son, and gratitude for their relationship, took the edge of Ward’s despair almost instantly. 

“I don’t know what you’ll make of this,” he said carefully. “But there’s a woman in town, a really nice lady.”

“Whoo boy,” Will said appreciatively. “It’s about time.”

Thank God, Ward thought to himself. Thank God for giving me a son who feels no jealousy, and only wants me to be happy.

“I’ve had my eye on her a while,” he said. 

“How long is a while?” Will asked, sounding fascinated. 

“Never you mind,” Ward told him. “Anyway, I got to talking to her at a dinner party the other night. Then we went for a walk in town.”

“Nice, Dad,” Will said. 

“And then we went to the Winter Wonderland Festival,” he said. 

“Oh, I used to love that,” Will crowed. “Do they still have the book sale, and the hamburgers?”

“Sure do,” Ward said. 

“So, did you guys have a good time?” Will asked. 

“We had an amazing time,” Ward told him, thinking back to Trudy’s smiles and laughter, and especially the fire in her green eyes when she opened the book to see his name in it. 

“So what’s wrong?” Will asked. 

“She was married before,” Ward said. “To a good man.”

“You were married before, too,” Will reminded him.

“It’s not the same,” Ward said wearily. “She and her husband were madly in love, and he died.”

“Oh, wow,” Will said. “So it’s complicated.”

“It is,” Ward said. “I like her so much. And I think she likes me, too. But she doesn’t want to like me.”

“Hmm,” Will said, allowing his father’s words to hang in the air. 

“Anyway, after the festival, when I brought her back to the inn, she seemed like she wanted me to kiss her,” he said. “But I didn’t.”

“Wait, she doesn’t live in Trinity Falls?” Will asked. 

“Of course she does,” Ward said. 

“You just said you dropped her off at the inn, and—wait, wait, wait, wait,” Will said. “Is it Trudy Williams?”

“Yes,” Ward said, bracing himself. 

Trudy was a good woman, and everyone knew it. But that didn’t mean Will would think they were a good match.

“Oh, I had such a crush on her when I was a kid,” Will said, a smile in his voice. “She’s so pretty, and she’s always smiling. Does she still wear her hair long?”

“Yes,” Ward chuckled. “And when did you get to have a crush on her?”

“We took an annual trip to the founders’ houses in elementary school,” Will told him. “The inn was always on the list, and Mrs. Williams made cookies for us, and told us stories. The cookies probably had a lot to do with it.”

“That sounds like Trudy,” Ward said fondly. 

​“So wait,” Will said. “You took Trudy Williams to the festival, drove her home, and it looked like she wanted a kiss, but you didn’t kiss her?”

“Yes,” Ward said, feeling miserable. “I knew she wanted me to in the moment, but I was afraid she would regret it after, and I’d lose her friendship. So I just hightailed it out of there, like a thief in the night. But when I looked in the rearview mirror, I saw she was still just standing in front of her own front door, looking like a puppy that lost its chew toy.”

“Wow,” Will said. 

“Did I mess it up so bad that it can’t be fixed?” Ward asked him.
 
“Dad, you and I are no good at this stuff,” Will said after a moment. “And it’s because we know each other so well that we don’t have to say much to know what the other is thinking.”

“Mm,” Ward hummed appreciatively. 

“But we can’t assume it’s the same with women,” Will said. “And I’m not just talking about you. I may have messed things up with Brittany, but that’s a talk for another day.”

“What?” Ward asked. 

Brittany was Will’s fiancée, and they were on their dream trip to Paris. Will worrying about her was far more important than Ward pining away for Trudy Williams, which, apparently ran in the family.

“I don’t want to talk about that right now, Dad,” Will said. “I want to talk about you. This is important. I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to do.”

Ward listened intently, feeling all the more determined to make things right with Trudy. After all, Will was onboard now.
​ 
And Ward would never, ever disappoint his boy.

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Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!]]>Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:21:18 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-eightBy the time they arrived at the Winter Wonderland Festival and found a place to park, Trudy was already laughing and enjoying herself. 

Ward had such funny stories about his son. While it was sad that things hadn’t worked out with his ex-wife, Nancy, it was nice that she and Ward seemed to keep things friendly enough that their son, Will, got plenty of time with both parents. 

“Here we go,” Ward said, opening her door for her. “Mind if I do the honors?”

“Oh,” Trudy said, looking down at the urn she was holding between her legs. “Um, sure.”

He leaned in, giving her a teasing whiff of his spicy aftershave.

She watched him lift the massive urn without batting an eye.

“What?” he asked, catching her looking.

“You’re very strong,” she said.

“Well, that comes from growing up on a farm,” he said, laughing. “But I’ll still use a hand walking with it to keep it balanced. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” she told him, hopping out of the truck.

She headed over and took one handle, leaving him with the other, and they walked very slowly from the street. The liquid inside wanted to slosh with every step. She found herself matching Ward’s pace in order to prevent a terrible spill. 

They made their way slowly past the community center, with the larger furniture items out in the parking lot for show. 

Sure enough, Betty Ann was chatting with a couple about a massive antique dresser. She gave Trudy a little wave as she walked past and Trudy nodded back, so as not to endanger the chocolate.

They walked past Valerie Leighton’s jewelry booth, where Valerie was disdainfully observing a pair of middle school girls who were exclaiming over tiny earrings that looked like raindrops hanging from a velvet tree. 

She smiled when she saw Trudy though, and gave her a little wave. Valerie had stayed at the inn until day before yesterday because of a leaky roof at her apartment. Trudy would never understand how she’d gotten a repairman out on Christmas day. But Valerie was tough and demanding, and people had a way of doing what she said without asking questions.

“Oh, now would you look at that?” Ward said, jutting his chin toward the booth for Carla’s Place. 

Natalie was playing guitar while Shane’s son, Wyatt, stood beside her signing his heart out to an old Johnny Cash song. The two of them looked like they had been playing together forever. It warmed Trudy’s heart to see it. 

“Thanks so much,” Shane said when they approached. 

“Oh, Trudy, is that your peppermint hot chocolate?” Ginny Davies asked with a big smile.

“It sure is,” Trudy said. “Once Ward and I get it up on the table, I’ll grab the cups out of my bag.”

Ginny unsubtly shifted her gaze to Ward, looking the professor in the cowboy hat up and down appreciatively. 

Trudy tried to ignore the little flare of possessiveness she felt. She didn’t own Ward Sullivan. And anyway, her feelings were complicated. 

A little voice in her head asked if that was really so.

Did there really need to be anything complicated about something so simple?

Once the hot chocolate was settled, she laid out cups, lids, and napkins on a weighed holder.

“You thought of everything, Trudy,” Shane said. “Thank you.”

“It’s an honor to be asked,” she told him.

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Shane Cassidy had always been a nice boy, and now he was a handsome man. Natalie was a lucky girl.

“I guess we’ll be off to check out the festival,” she told him. “But you let us know if you need anything, or if you just want a break to stretch your legs. I have experience at the front desk, after all.”

“Thank you kindly,” Shane said. 

“Shall we?’ Ward asked. 

She nodded, and they headed off further into the parking lot. 

There were little pop-up booths from some of the local shops and artists. And of course, there were tables of baked goods. 

At one table, Shirley Ladd was ladling out cups of her famous chicken and dumpling soup from a massive copper pot while two of her granddaughters cut and buttered thick slabs of her fresh homemade bread.

“Soup, Trudy?” Shirley called out to her. “It’s to benefit the local shelter.”

“Oh, hi, Shirley,” Trudy called back to her. “Ward, that soup is really delicious, and it’s a good cause. Can I treat you to lunch to say thank you for helping me out today?”

“Twist my arm,” he teased. “And don’t be silly. It’s a pleasure to spend the day with you.”

“Two please,” Trudy said when they got over to Shirley. 

“Well, hey there, Ward,” Shirley said. “Peter’s around here somewhere.”

“You two know each other?” Trudy asked with a smile. 

“Oh, Ward comes over to play cards with the boys from time to time,” Shirley said. “And Peter’s always shocked when he beats him.”

“Never play cards with a math man,” Ward joked, winking at Trudy. “Good thing for him we play for pennies.”

Ward waved her away when she tried to pay, and he asked Shirley to put his change in the collection box for the shelter, which made Shirley smile at him like he was a superhero.

They took their soup and bread and walked around, taking in the sights as they ate. 

Out on the far side of the field, one of the rangers from the National Park was using a chainsaw to carve an ice sculpture. It was too soon to make out what it was, but lots of people were gathered at a safe distance to watch, while the local news crew filmed. 

On the near side of the field, a snowman competition was being judged. Most of the snowmen were iffy-looking at best, but everyone seemed to be having a fantastic time. 

Joe Cassidy was acting as an announcer of sorts, sitting on a lawn chair with a karaoke machine and microphone, pointing out the highlights of each snowman, no matter how pathetic it might look.

Trudy couldn’t help but notice the sheriff and the new pre-school teacher were studying a particularly terrible snowman, their heads leaned together, while the sheriff’s boy leaned on the teacher’s hip, smiling up at her like she hung the stars.

“Hm,” Trudy said thoughtfully to herself. 

“What?” Ward asked. “Did you want to build a snowman?”

“Maybe later,” she laughed. 

The delicious scent of grilled meat and veggies wafted toward them from where the Trinity Falls Fire Company was making burgers, kebobs and dogs. 

“Hey there,” Ashton Beck yelled to them. “Shirley’s soup is the perfect appetizer for a cheeseburger. She’ll tell you so herself.”

“Maybe later,” Trudy said with a smile. “Have you had a good showing?”

“Almost out of dogs,” Ashton said proudly. “It’s a nice cold day, so people have good appetites.”

Ashton had been a star athlete, but he never let it go to his head. It was lovely to see him living here in Trinity Falls instead of disappearing to the city like so many promising young people did.

She couldn’t help noticing Ward stepping over and quietly shoving a bill in the collection can while she chatted with Ashton. 

He caught her glancing over and she smiled at him approvingly. 

“We always support our neighbors and our town,” she remembered her dad telling them whenever her mother scolded him for giving away a weekend in their best room for a raffle.

It seemed that Ward shared his values. Somehow, that felt like home to her in a way she had never realized she craved. 

“Did you want to look at the sale in the community hall?” Ward asked her as they waved goodbye to Ashton. 

She glanced up at him. 

He wore an expression so neutral it was clear he was trying hard not to wince.

“I’ve already got too many family antiques, there’s no room at the inn,” she quipped. “But thank you.”

He chuckled and shook his head. 

“You dodged a bullet, right?” she teased him. “But that was very nice of you to offer to go shopping for antiques. You’re a good man.”

“I don’t mind shopping,” he told her, his blue eyes twinkling. “As a matter of fact, I always make a point to pick up a book or two at the festival. You wouldn’t want to join me for that, would you?”

​“Ward,” she said, delighted. “I would love to.”

“Let’s go right away then,” he said. “I don’t want anyone else snatching up all the best ones.”

She laughed and they headed past the children’s activities on the way to the church entrance. 

Grace Cassidy and Chris Bell were standing by the church playground area, watching Shane’s daughter, Rumor, tear around with a couple of other kids. Grace was holding baby Izzy, who looked wide awake and excited. And Molly, the service dog, stood by Chris’s side. 

They looked so at home together. It did Trudy’s heart good to know they had found each other again at her beloved inn.

​When they got to the door of the church, Ward removed his hat with one hand and opened the door for her with the other. 

His silvering hair was a little too long, and she found herself wanting to brush it out of his eyes. 

“Thank you,” she said instead, stepping inside. 

After the cold outside, the church felt warm and cozy. A volunteer pointed them to the sanctuary. 

​The pews had been moved to the outside walls for the day, allowing space for long wooden tables of books. Light poured in through the stained glass windows, casting a rosy glow on everything within.

Just like always, the people browsing were quiet and respectful. The large, echoing space encouraged talking softly and moving silently.

She caught sight of one of the boys from the mechanic’s shop in town who had once fixed a flat tire for her, free of charge. She smiled at him and he nodded back, then turned his eyes hungrily back to the stacks. 

“What kind of books do you like?” Ward whispered. 

“All kinds,” she told him honestly. “But I have a soft spot for romance and mystery.”

“I like a good mystery myself,” he told her with a crinkly-eyed smile. 

They headed over to the section with the handwritten index card that said Mysteries.

“Oh, goodness, I don’t have this one,” Trudy said, spotting the newest Louise Penny book.

She lifted it up, feeling like she had just won the lottery. 

“Well, I’ll be,” Ward said, going still beside her. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Open it,” he said.

He leaned to look over her shoulder as she opened it. 

A handwritten name was in the top right corner of the title page, on a handsome bookplate with two rearing horses on it. It read:

From the Library of: Ward Sullivan

“No,” Trudy breathed. 

“What are the chances?” Ward asked softly. 

He was standing so close that she could smell his aftershave again. 

“I thought statistics would be more your area,” she whispered. “How many books did you donate this year?”

“A box, but only half full,” he told her. “Maybe twenty?”

They both looked around the room at the endless tables covered in books. 

“It was the first one you picked up,” he said, his voice awed.

They spent the rest of the day happily wandering the festival and talking to friends and neighbors. By the time the sun began to sink, Trudy was feeling sleepy and content. 

They had each picked up half a dozen books, enjoyed burgers with the fire crew for dinner, and even bumped into and visited with several of Trudy’s nieces and nephews.

The families with children were packing up now. And teens from Trinity Falls High were slinking around, buying up what was left of the baked goods and swinging on the swings, watching the sun go down. 

“This was so lovely, Ward,” she told him, a yawn interrupting the middle of his name. 

“I think it’s time to get you home,” he chuckled. “Ready for a ride, Trudy Williams.”

“Yes, sir,” she said with a smile.

When they got to the truck, he held her door open for her. 

As she sat and looked up at him, she felt a strange combination of excitement and familiarity. It was as if he was brand new to her, and yet somehow, he felt just like home. 

“Penny for your thoughts,” he offered, hesitating at her door.

“Save it for your card game,” she said. “I’ll tell you for free that I had fun today.”

“Me too,” he said, gazing at her in a way that made her feel melty inside.

He drove her home in silence, but it was a hopeful silence, full of possibility. When they reached the lake and the lane of trees, Trudy felt a certainty settle over her. 

It was almost like a physical sensation, yet nothing she could have described in words. She felt freed, and yet also perfectly anchored to her home and to herself.

This is my sign. 

Whether it came from Philip, or her memory of him, or her own innate sense of what she wanted and was ready for, it didn’t matter now. 

She willed herself to remain calm as her pulse thrummed. She wondered what would come next, even as she knew to her soul that whatever it was, she was ready for it.

The tires crunched on the gravel as Ward pulled up in the lot. 
When he came to her side to open her door, the last of the setting sun silhouetted him, and she was reminded of the cowboy on the billboards again. 

He offered her his hand to help her down, and she took it.

But when she was safely on the gravel, he didn’t let go. 

She felt as light as a feather as they picked their way through the snowy lot to the front door of the inn together. 

Every tiny detail seemed to illuminate itself to Trudy as they stepped up to the door. She felt the cold, fresh air in her lungs, drank in the scent of his aftershave mixing with the evergreen wreath hanging from its bronze hook. 

Even the twilight seemed to be playfully glimmering on the surface of the lake, and shimmering in the snow, putting even the twinkly Christmas lights of the houses across the lake to shame. 

“Trudy,” he said as they reached their destination, his voice a little husky. 

She turned to him, tilting her chin up to gaze bravely into those twinkly blue eyes. This handsome, math-loving cowboy was obviously meant to be hers. Both their fates had led them here, to her doorstep, on this magical winter night. 

He paused, studying her face, as if she might contain the answers to every mystery, mathematical or spiritual, in the galaxy. 

He’s going to kiss me.

She felt as light as air, as sure as the sunrise.

Then he looked away. 

“I’ll call on you again sometime,” he said roughly, squeezing her hand.

He let go, and turned and strode back toward his truck, his boots crunching in the snowy gravel.
​
Trudy stood outside her own front door for a long time, wondering what she had done wrong.

​​​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

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]]>Mon, 30 Jan 2023 22:55:21 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-seven-trudyTrudy hummed to herself as she poured the last batch of her famous peppermint hot chocolate into the oversized urn.

The Winter Wonderland Festival was a very special day in Trinity Falls, and Trudy had experienced it every year since before she was old enough to remember. 

Each year, between Christmas and New Year’s, the town and the Presbyterian Church partnered to provide space for every fun community activity imaginable. Between the community hall, the church, and the parking lot in between, there was so much going on. 

In the community hall, neighbors set up a huge shared yard sale with furniture, kitchen things, and other useful items. Betty Ann Eustace had been running the sale for the last twenty years, and she was a fearsome curator of content. Only useful items in good condition could be sold. And anything that didn’t sell was donated to a local charity at the end of the day.

An enormous used book sale took place in the church. Row upon row of paperbacks were available for a quarter each. Hardbacks and equipment manuals were fifty cents. With the light coming in through the stained glass windows, the space felt as magical and reverent as any library.

Trinity Falls had harsh winters, so even some of the folks you’d least expect liked to curl up with a good book during those snowy days. As a girl, she had been amazed to the see the names of various grown-ups around town scrawled into the covers of her beloved paperback hauls every year. 

In the parking lot between the church and community hall was where the real fun was for anyone who preferred socializing to bargain-hunting. Tables encouraging folks to join various clubs were set up between booths selling baked goods and handmade treasures. And the fire company always had a grill going with burgers and dogs. 

Bouncy houses, art activities and more were set up for the kids these days, too. Though when Trudy was a little girl, she had mainly looked forward to seeing her friends and riding their sleds down the small hill next to the parking lot that led down into the community college soccer field.

Visiting the festival each year was such fun, but she could never volunteer due to the number of guests she normally had at the inn during the holidays.

This year, she got to be a real part of it.

A sense of community pride warmed her chest as she untied her apron and hung it on the wall hook.

She had just opened her mouth to call Chad to help her load the urn, when she realized he couldn’t. He was still on his crutches.
“Oh dear,” she said to herself, checking her watch.

She darted out to the foyer to find Chad organizing the paperclips in the little cup at the desk. He had been doing stuff like this more often lately. She was sure he was getting bored. 

“What’s up, Trudy?” he asked her hopefully.

She made a mental note to come up with some easy tasks he could do while sitting down. The poor child needed to feel useful as badly as she did.

“Well, I’ve got myself in a pickle,” she told him. “I can’t carry the urn by myself, and I certainly can’t drive it over without someone holding it. I wonder if there’s time to call in one of the Cassidys to help out.”

“Oh, no need,” Chad told her. “I already called Ward.”

“You did?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Sure did,” he told her. “He had my number from when I special-ordered a replacement fixture for the third floor tub. He texted when he heard I was hurt, to offer a hand if needed. I figured he would’t mind an easy job like this.”

“Oh,” Trudy said, feeling her cheeks heat and hoping Chad didn’t notice.

She’d had such a lovely time walking with Ward the other day. But it hadn’t felt right to go back into town looking for him. And he hadn’t asked for her number. 

“He’ll be here in ten minutes,” Chad added with a big smile.

“Great,” Trudy said. “I’ll just go get ready.”

She jogged up to her rooms, trying to decide what to wear.

She had planned on a pretty, wintry outfit with a long skirt and boots, and an oversized sweater with her pearls. But now she wasn’t so sure. 

Would it look like she was trying to impress Ward?

“You can’t worry about that,” she told herself in the mirror. “You do you.”

But that didn’t mean her hands didn’t tremble a little as she tried to clasp her pearls. 

“You used to do this part for me,” she whispered to Philip.

She often whispered to him, and sometimes she swore she could hear him chuckle in response. 

“Does it bother you that I’m going to see your friend?” she whispered. 

Of course it had just been a walk, and now it was just a ride. But she sensed the intention behind Ward’s attentions, even though he was taking it so slowly that it was almost imperceptible. 

And she always told Philip the truth. 

She closed her eyes, wondering if she would hear his voice in her mind. But she heard nothing at all. 

Philip was gone. She knew that. But sometimes talking with him brought her comfort anyway. 

“Well, I’m on my own I guess,” she whispered to him, looking in the mirror again.

Though she sometimes thought of herself as an old widow woman, she was often surprised when she looked in the mirror. 
Her hair was still mostly chestnut, and she liked her distinctive silver streaks. She was fit and strong from hard work. And of course, her best feature had always been the sparkling green of her eyes, and they were the same as ever.

“I’m just going to have a fun day at the Winter Wonderland Festival,” she whispered to herself and to Philip. “We won’t worry about anything but that.”

As she headed downstairs again, she felt centered and good. And when Chad smiled up at her, she was able to smile back at him calmly.

“Ward’s here already,” he told her. 

“Where is he?” she asked, looking around the foyer. 

“He headed into the kitchen to get the lay of the land,” Chad said, looking impressed. “Wanted to know what he was up against.”

“I’ll just go help,” Trudy decided, heading to the kitchen. 

“Hello there,” Ward said, looking up from the urn with a smile.
 
He was so handsome in the soft light from the window that she was almost taken aback. 

“Hi,” she said, a little breathlessly. “Do you have a strategy in mind for getting it to the car? I was thinking we’d each take a handle.”

“And then what?” he asked. 

“Well, normally, someone else would drive and I’d hold the urn,” she said. “I’ve got a good way of doing it.”

“Let’s do that, then,” Ward said. “I can drive.”

Trudy bit her lip. She was intending on spending the whole day at the festival, but surely she could grab a ride home with a friend.

“Of course I’ll spend the day at the festival,” Ward said quickly, as if he had read her mind. “If you don’t mind a little company, I thought we could enjoy it together.”

“That sounds lovely,” she told him, feeling the rest of her doubts melt way.

He winked at her. 
​
And this time, she enjoyed the little thrill of awareness.

​​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
]]>Tue, 24 Jan 2023 12:39:39 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-six-wardWard gazed down at the sweet woman in front of him, unable to believe his eyes.

He knew Trudy was convinced she didn’t want a man. But after their caroling the other night, he’d felt like a coward not calling on her anyway. 

Sometimes we needed things, whether we want them or not.

For all her pretty smiles and friendships around town, he sensed a loneliness in her that spoke to his own solitude.

So when she showed up at the hardware shop, for all the world as if  she’d been delivered to his doorstep, he’d thrown caution to the wind and asked her to join him for coffee. 

Watching her take off like he’d threatened to set her on fire hadn’t hurt his pride near as much as he would have thought.

Instead, he’d felt a strange mix of sadness and merriment. 

The woman sometimes acted like she was a hundred years old.

But she was pretty as a picture, and she ran like a deer.

And now she was offering him a latte with an expression like a contrite schoolgirl.

How could he possibly resist those luminous green eyes?

“Want to walk with them?” he offered her, sensing her need to keep moving. 

Let her move with me instead of away from me, he thought to himself.

“That sounds nice,” she agreed quickly. 

He grabbed his latte and waved to Michael, the owner, who had already ensconced himself behind the counter.

“Have fun kids,” Michael yelled back.

Ward found himself placing a hand to the small of Trudy’s back to lead her out before she got thrown by anything else Michael might say. 

The owner was a sweet man, but subtlety wasn’t his forte.

​“I’m glad you swung back,” Ward told her, as they headed toward Park Avenue. “I was wanting to stretch my legs.”

“I guess you didn’t have to sit much as a professor?” Trudy guessed.

“Well, I did have to make plans and grade tests,” he said. “But I was more of what you might call a pacer in the classroom.”

“I can picture that,” she said, a faint smile tugging up the corners of her mouth. 

“I’ll bet your work keeps you on your feet, too,” he guessed.

“Normally it does,” she told him, her brow furrowing slightly. “But not this week.”

“Why not?” he asked. 

“These kids,” she said, sounding perplexed. “They rented the whole inn for a business retreat where they work all day and eat food from containers and don’t even want nice fresh sheets.”

“So you’re basically on vacation,” Ward said, feeling happy for her.

“I guess,” she said dubiously.

“You don’t want to be on vacation?” he guessed.

“Maybe I’m a fool,” she said with a self-deprecating smile. “I guess I just like to stay busy. Taking care of people is what I do best.”

He stole a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. 

There was no resentment in her expression. Only a sweet sort of longing, as if she didn’t feel like herself without guests to care for.

Ward knew that she and Phillip had not been blessed with children. He aslo knew that she had a soft spot in her heart for them, from the very first time he’d ever seen her. 

It was at the Trinity Falls Halloween Hoedown, shortly after Ward first arrived in town.

Trudy was helping a young boy in a Superman costume who’d gotten separated from his mother. The boy was on the edge of tears, and Trudy had been so kind and patient, telling the boy that he was even more brave than the superhero. And that even Superman got scared sometimes. 

Ward stopped to ask if there was anything he coud do to help, and when Trudy smiled up at him with those big green eyes, he’d almost forgotten how to speak. 

He had just decided he might be in love with her when her husband showed up with the boy’s mom. Ward had excused himself and moved on, but he’d never really been able to forget this woman who now walked beside him. 

He’d even seen how kind she was to the Garcias and their boy at Christmas dinner. She had a way of making people feel right at home, no matter where they were. 

He guessed that Trudy had turned all that love to her friends and the guests at the inn, anticipating their needs and fussing over them so they felt the warmth of her protection.

“I’ll bet Alice would put you right to work at the farm,” he said.
“If you were trying stay busy. I hear she took on a lot of baking for the fair.”

“She’s got plenty of hands to help in her kitchen these days,” Trudy smiled fondly. “And poor Chad is still using his crutches. I’m sure I’ll find plenty to do.”

Ward wasn’t at all sure, but he knew it wasn’t his place to advise her. 

“He’s a nice boy, your Chad,” he told her. “He comes to the hardware store all the time. He’s happy-go-lucky, but he seems like a hard worker.”

“That he is,” Trudy agreed. “And it’s nice to have company around the place, especially someone who’s always in high spirits.”

“That does sound nice,” he agreed.

“Do you have people in town?” Trudy asked.

“My son and his fiancée are in Paris for the holidays,” he said ruefully. “We’re pretty close, even though things didn’t work out with his mom. I’m happy for the kids that they had this opportunity, so I didn’t want to make him feel bad about his poor old dad being alone for Christmas.”

“Were you lonely?” Trudy asked worriedly. 

“You know it’s funny,” he told her. “After years of running around trying to make Christmas special for John, and for my parents when they were with us, I thought I’d enjoy a peaceful holiday. You know, take some time for reflection and gratitude before I make the transition into retirement.”

“Yes,” Trudy said. “That sounds quite nice.”

“I thought so, too,” Ward chuckled. “But I’ve never been so happy in my life as I was to hear from the Garcias with that invitation. Turns out, I miss all the running around.”

Trudy laughed, and the sound was like a bell in the crisp winter air. 

He glanced over at her again, unable to resist the sight of her long hair falling over the shoulders of her soft, green coat. Her breath danced from her in feathery plumes.

She noticed him looking, and her glance shifted down to the coffee in her hand.

He might have thought she was offended, except for the touch of color high in her cheeks.

Maybe…

He tried not to let himself overthink things. One step at a time. How long he might have craved her company meant nothing now. Only what she wanted, what made her happy. 

A friendship is better than nothing, he reminded himself. Take it slowly. Don’t scare her away.

“So what brought you to Trinity Falls?” Trudy asked as they passed the bakery. 

“I’ve been here decades now,” he laughed.

“You’ll be a newcomer until you sell your house,” she said, her eyes twinkling with humor. “Then the house will be Ward Sullivan’s old place, and you’ll be one of us.”

“But then where am I supposed to live?” he asked. 

“Welcome to small town America,” she teased. 

“Okay,” he said, smiling. “You win. I was a farm boy through and through. But my dad encouraged us all to join the service after high school. He fought in Korea, himself, and all his old service buddies are like his brothers. I got deployed to Grenada. When I got back, my dad insisted I take advantage of the opportunity to go to college, like he always wished he had.”

“Very wise,” Trudy agreed. “Though a bit of fresh air and exercise might have done you good after active duty.”

He stopped in his tracks.

“Ward, I’m very sorry,” she said worriedly. “I’m always speaking before I think.”

“No,” he told her quickly. “It’s just that I’ve thought that myself many times over the years. I worry sometimes it’s why my marriage didn’t work out, about everything I saw over there, and never had a chance to work through it. A lot of people might not think that way about Grenada, but armed conflict is armed conflict.”

“In those days, we didn’t understand what we were asking of our servicemen, no matter where they fought,” Trudy said. “The kids today would handle it better, not just try to pretend like nothing happened.”

“That’s what I like about you,” he said. “You and I have a little experience on us, but we don’t let it close up our minds.”

He was worried he might have overstepped or insulted, but she gave him a megawatt smile that he felt down to his toes.

“Anyway, I was always pretty good with math,” he told her. “But I fell in love with it in college, the mystery and symmetry of it. Next thing I knew, I was teaching. When it was time to move on and give my wife a little space to reinvent her life, Trinity Falls was the closest town to feel like home to me within an easy drive of her and my son. It’s a solid little college, nice folks in town, and I like to have space around me. Since then, the years just melted past.”

“That does happen,” Trudy agreed thoughtfully.

“Wish I’d been here longer, though,” he told her. “Maybe we would have known each other back in school. Though I’d have been a few years ahead of you.”

 “Hey Ward,” Joe Cassidy called out to him from the porch of Carla’s Place. “And Trudy Williams.”

Ward waved back as they approached, and Trudy gave a little wave, too.

“You two headed in?” Joe called to them. “Natalie just brought in a cheese tray, and I hear Shane’s stopping by with the kids in a few minutes.”

“Not today, Joe,” Ward told him. “We’re just taking a quick coffee walk before I have to head back to the hardware store.”

“What’s the matter with you Sullivan?” Joe cried with a big smile. “You forget what retirement means? You’re not even officially off the roster yet, and you’re already working again.”

“Not everybody has a horse farm for a playground, Joe,” Ward teased right back.

Trudy smiled indulgently at their banter, and he felt a sudden sense of being at home that almost took his breath away.

“Well, go on, take your walk,” Joe said. “I won’t stop you. Good to see you, Trudy.”

“You too, Joe,” Trudy said. “Give my love to Alice and the rest.”

They walked on, under the canopy of the snowy trees in companionable silence. 

Once in a while, he would glance over at Trudy and she would smile at him over the rim of her coffee cup, her green eyes twinkling.
​
In Ward’s heart, a fire of hope began to burn.

​
​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
]]>Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:58:32 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-five-trudyTrudy closed her eyes for a few seconds to clear her head, but Ward Sullivan still stood behind the counter when she reopened them. 

He was surprisingly handsome in brilliant light reflecting off the snow on the other side of the big front window. He looked like the cowboy on the old cigarette billboards.

And his eyes were so blue…

Before she could respond, he winked at her. Again.

She felt her cheeks heat.

“I took a part time job here, since I didn’t know what to do with myself after retirement,” Ward said. “I’m not much good at sitting quietly and relaxing.”

“Me neither,” Trudy heard herself say in a very natural voice. 

“Besides, I spend a lot of time here anyway,” Ward said. “I love woodworking.”

“It’s a lovely hobby,” Trudy told him approvingly. “Phillip enjoyed woodworking, too.”

“I know,” Ward said. “I bumped into him here all the time. He always had a project going.”

Trudy smiled fondly at the idea.

“Say, I’ve got a break coming up,” Ward said. “Would you like to grab a latte?”

Trudy’s heart began to pound.

He wanted to spend his break with her. He wanted her to go somewhere with him.

A beverage was involved. 

Was that a date?

“I-I I have to run, I forgot my library books in the car,” she stammered stupidly, spinning around and bolting out the door like a nervous teenager.

She slammed the door open again, sending the bells jangling, gulped in a breath of cold air, and headed down the street as quickly as her feet would carry her. 

She was practically jogging, in spite of the snowy sidewalks, when she made a sharp right onto Park Avenue and nearly knocked over a young woman carrying a cheese tray from the Co-op grocer’s.

“Oh, dear, I’m sorry,” Trudy said, then suddenly realized it was Natalie Bell. “Natalie, goodness. I’m so sorry.”

“No worries, Trudy,” Natalie replied. “I wasn’t looking where I was going myself, I dropped a glove somewhere around here and I can’t seem to track it down.”

“Let me help,” Trudy said, feeling relieved to have a project to take her mind off her embarrassment. 

“I crossed the street at the corner, from Jolly Beans,” Natalie said. “I came up from the Co-op to Jolly Beans and was headed back to Carla’s Place when I realized it was missing.”

Carla’s Place was Natalie’s grandmother’s house. When her grandmother passed, Natalie and her brother Chris decided to turn the house on Park into a gathering place for the elderly in Trinity Falls village, and name it after their grandmother. Natalie seemed to be constantly picking up donations from local businesses to drop off over there.

“Let’s head back to Jolly Beans,” Trudy suggested. “Maybe you dropped it when you were picking up whatever Pete was donating for Carla’s Place.”

“Good thinking,” Natalie said. “How are you doing? What brings you to town today?”

Trudy sighed and looked over at the girl. She was young, but she surely had more experience with potential new relationships than Trudy did. At least more recent experience. After all, Natalie and Shane Cassidy had just fallen in love.

“You know my Phillip passed a ways back,” Trudy said as they crossed the street. “Everyone always said I’d find someone else, but I never thought I’d want to. I still don’t think I do.”

Natalie nodded thoughtfully.

“I mean, in answer to your question, that’s not why I’m in town today,” Trudy said. “But it’s the reason I almost knocked you down.”

“There’s someone?” Natalie guessed. “And you saw them just now?”

“There is,” Trudy said nodding. “He seems very nice. But I think I just ruined it.”

“How so,” Natalie asked. 

They had reached Jolly Beans, but Natalie looked like she had no intention of going inside. She was fully focused on Trudy. 

Trudy might have hugged her if she wasn’t holding that big cheese tray.

“I was going to pick something up at the hardware store for Chad,” Trudy said. “And there he was, right behind the counter.”

“Professor Sullivan,” Natalie breathed. “He’s so handsome, Trudy.”

Trudy fought back the urge to giggle, but she must not have done a very good job.

Natalie grinned back at her conspiratorially. 

“Yes,” Trudy said with as much dignity as she could muster. “Anyway, he asked if I wanted to go get a latte and…”

“And what?” Natalie asked after a moment, her hazel eyes widening. 

“And I ran away,” Trudy admitted. 

“Y-you did?” Natalie asked, her eyes sparkling, as if she was trying very, very hard not to laugh.

Trudy nodded and then suddenly realized she wanted to laugh too. Giggles bubbled up in her chest and escaped from her lips before she had consciously decided to let it happen.

Then Natalie was laughing too, her shoulders shaking.

“That’s only a little strange, right?” Trudy gasped.

“Maybe he thought you forgot an important appointment,” Natalie suggested kindly. 

“Oh dear,” Trudy said. 

“What?” Natalie asked. 

“I think I shouted out something about library books,” Trudy said. 

“You did?” Natalie asked. 

“Probably?” Trudy guessed. “It all happened so fast.”

“I get that you weren’t sure you wanted to have coffee with him,” Natalie said. “But why run away?”

“I was just… overwhelmed,” Trudy said. 

Natalie lifted an eyebrow.

“I don’t even know what a latte is,” Trudy admitted, suddenly feeling weepy instead of giggly. “I’m out of my depth, especially with a college professor.”

“Well, now that part’s easy,” Natalie told her firmly. “A latte is basically a coffee with milk.”

“Really?” Trudy asked, stunned.

“Pretty much,” Natalie said. “They steam up the milk or something first, I think. But to me, it just tastes like coffee with lots of milk. It’s yummy.”

“Oh,” Trudy said. “Wow. Now I feel kind of silly.”

“I think you might have the wrong idea about Professor Sullivan too,” Natalie said. “Any man who takes a job at a hardware store has to be down-to-earth, right?”

Trudy thought about it and nodded.

“I guess it’s too late now,” she sighed. 

“I’ve got an idea,” Natalie told her. “Why don’t we go into the café together. Even if my glove’s not there, we’ll get you two lattes to take back to the hardware store.”

“What if he’s already decided I’m a too eccentric?” Trudy asked.
 
“Then he doesn’t deserve you,” Natalie said brightly.

The happy young woman sounded so confident that Trudy couldn’t help but think she must know exactly what she was talking about. 

She opened the door and gestured for Natalie to go first since she had her big tray. A delicious breeze of coffee and baked goods greeted them as they entered.

“Ahh,” Trudy said.

“Mm,” Natalie hummed at the same time. 

“Hey, Natalie,” Pete called out from behind the counter. “You left your glove.”

“Nice detective work,” Natalie told Trudy with a smile. “Thanks, Pete.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “Oh, you got a cheese tray from the Co-op, eh? My favorite.”

“You know you’re always welcome to visit Carla’s Place,” Natalie told him. “You donate enough I that ought to give you your own room over there.”

“This place keeps me pretty busy,” Pete chuckled. “But I’ll pop by and stick my head in, some point soon.”

“Great,” Natalie said.

“Hey Trudy,” Pete said. “How are you?”

“Just fine, Pete,” Trudy said. “And yourself?”

“Can’t complain,” he said, gesturing to the busy café with a smile. “I count myself a lucky man every day.”

“May I purchase two lattes to go, please?” Trudy asked him.

“What size?” he asked. 

“Medium?” she guessed.  

Natalie nodded approvingly.

“Coming right up,” Pete said, heading back to the coffee area.
 
“See?” Natalie said. “Easy peasy.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Trudy told her honestly. 

“I think I know a way you can,” Natalie said, smiling so that her hazel eyes crinkled up, like she had a fun secret.

No wonder Shane Cassidy’s kids had fallen in love with her.

“Whatever you need,” Trudy told her. 

“I’ve got a booth for Carla’s Place at the Winter Wonderland Festival,” Natalie said. “I just know more folks would come check it out if we had some of your famous peppermint hot chocolate.”

“Say no more,” Trudy told her. “I’d be glad to run over an urn and some paper cups with lids, that’s easy as pie.”

“Really?” Natalie asked, looking like she had just won the lottery. 

“Of course, dear,” Trudy said, smiling at her fondly. “But I would have done that anyway. I still owe you a favor just for you. Call it in anytime.”

“Two lattes,” Pete said, placing the two steaming cups on the counter. 

Trudy paid and grabbed her cups while Natalie waited. 

“Want me to come with you?” the young woman offered.

The temptation was immense, but Trudy knew this was something she needed to do alone.

“I’ll be just fine, Natalie,” she assured her. “You tell your family hello from me. Alice, too.”

Natalie smiled, her cheeks a little pink, as if it pleased her to think of the Cassidys her family.

A moment later, they were out in the shivery winter air once more. 

Natalie headed left toward Carla’s Place.

Trudy waved to her, took a deep breath, and then crossed the street on her way back to the hardware store. 

This time, she slowed down and enjoyed the wintry town decorations. The candy canes would still hang from the lamp posts until January, and most of the shops had kept up their Christmas things. 

Folks were bustling around, but at a slower pace than last week when everyone had been frantic to shop for gifts. Today, they were stopping to say hello, and browsing the outdoor sale racks a few of the shops had put out.

At last, she reached the hardware store.

It suddenly occurred to her that Ward might have run out for a coffee on his own, and she might be stopping in the hardware store with two lattes and no hands for shopping.

Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway, she reminded herself. It was one of her favorite quotes, and she always heard it in John Wayne’s voice, as if he had coined the phrase just for her.

She reached the door and was just trying to figure out how to get inside without spilling any coffee when Ward opened it for her.

“Hey there,” he said softly.

“I changed my mind,” she told him bravely, holding up the cups.
​
He smiled down at her, his blue eyes twinkling, and she felt a little shiver, like maybe he was a magnet and she was a bit of metal about to get drawn right to him.

​​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
]]>Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:58:02 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-four-trudyThe next morning went by in a blur for Trudy. 

The Johnsons arrived at eight on the dot, the earliest available check-in time. 
​
From the reservation, Trudy had expected a family with several grown kids, but it turned out to be some sort of internet firm called Johnsons, Pike & Hayes. The five young people were unrelated coworkers, and this week at her inn was meant to be some sort of working retreat for them while their offices were renovated. 

Other than asking permission to put a few things in her fridge, which of course she allowed, the young folks didn’t seem to want or need anything from her.

With Chad laid up, Trudy had been ready to carry a lot of suitcases for a traveling family. But each of the workers carried their own things to the various rooms, and they appeared to have packed light. 

Trudy busied herself in the kitchen instead. But when no one drifted down at ten for the free continental breakfast, she decided to stop up and see how they were settling in. 

She knocked on the door of the girl who had made the reservation, and seemed to be the leader of the group.

“Come in,” a cheerful voice called out.

Trudy opened the door to find the young woman with headphones on and her laptop open, typing furiously.

“Everything okay?” the girl asked.

Trudy suddenly couldn’t remember the girl’s name for the life of her. 

“I just wanted to make sure you all knew about the free continental breakfast downstairs, dear,” Trudy said with a smile. “I made fresh pumpkin muffins this morning.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the girl said with a horrified expression. “I forgot to tell you.”

“Do you have allergies?” Trudy asked worriedly. “I’ll do whatever I can to work with that and make you meals you can enjoy safely.”

“No, it’s not that,” the girl said. “It’s just that we’re all on Fit Challenge 7-12. It’s part of the retreat. We brought all our own food.”

“Those little containers in the fridge?” Trudy asked, trying to hide her horror.

“Aren’t they great?” the girl gushed. “They’re nesting containers made just for the program.”

“Wonderful, dear,” Trudy said. “So you won’t be needing breakfasts while you’re here?”

“No meals at all, actually,” the girl said. 

“No meals at all?” Trudy echoed in disbelief.

“Nope,” the girl said happily. “Just wifi connection so we can put in our twelve-hour days all week long. Fit Challenge 7-12 is all about working and eating in tandem for maximum efficiency. We won’t want housekeeping either. We’re on a tight schedule with this project.”

“I hope everything goes just the way you planned,” Trudy told her. “But if anything goes wrong with your containers, you can help yourself to anything you can find in the kitchen, or just let me know if there’s something I can whip up.”

“You’re so kind,” the girl said. “But I have to get back to my sprint now.”

Trudy looked around in total confusion. Where on Earth could the child be running to indoors?

“It’s a work term,” the girl confided. “For focused work efforts over a finite period of time.”

And now Trudy knew as much as she did before.

But she pasted on a friendly smile and gave a little wave before letting herself out and closing the door behind her.

Suddenly confronted with what practically felt like a week off, Trudy was surprised to feel a sinking sensation.

Phillip had always known exactly what he wanted to do with an unexpected day off. They had taken little trips to the arboretum, Cassidy Farm, or even into the city to the zoo.

But none of those things seemed like much fun without a companion. Chad was in no shape for walking, and most of her old friends were ensconced in obligations to husbands and children. As each year passed, she felt further from her old life.

She wandered downstairs to find Chad behind the desk, with his bad ankle resting on a small ottoman. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“Not one of them will want a bite to eat or a word of conversation all week long,” she told him sadly. 

“Sounds like a perfect job for me,” he declared. “You should take off and do something fun.”

“Oh, I couldn’t leave you. What if they need something carried?” she laughed.

“Do they really seem like they need anything carried?” Chad asked her.

“I’m a homebody,” she told him. “I’ll stick around. Maybe I can reorganize the kitchen again. Seems like there’s a better way to have things set up.”

“Whatever relaxes you,” Chad said. “Most likely, these guys will only call down if the internet goes out. And I can deal with the cable company.”

“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve an employee like you,” Trudy said, shaking her head. “But it must have been something lovely.”

“Oh, hey, there is one thing you could do for me if you end up in town,” Chad said. 

“Of course,” Trudy told him. “I wanted to return a few library books anyway.”

“Could you grab me some ceiling white paint from the hardware store?” Chad asked. “Just a pint in eggshell. I want to touch up the floor trim in the mudroom.”

“Of course, I’d be glad to,” Trudy said, happy to feel useful again. “I’ll just pop over there now.”

She bundled up and headed out to her car. 

It was plenty cold out, but the old station wagon started up, right as rain. Now that the roads were a little better cleared off than yesterday morning, she felt good about taking a slow journey to town. 

Trudy turned on the radio and was happy to find the Christmas station was still playing their holiday mix through New Year’s Day. She hummed along with the classics all the way to town, enjoying the sight of the snow-covered farms, trees and houses. 

She arrived to find the public parking spots out front of the hardware store were nicely shoveled. She parked, got out, and dug in her coat pocket for change to feed the meters. 

All around the village, people were pushing strollers of bundled up babies, carrying packages, and shouting hello to each other. 

It was lovely to be in the business section of Trinity Falls during the holiday season. In spite of the rising property taxes, there were usually plenty of retirees around town all year long. But Trudy loved seeing the young families enjoying time off from work.

She pushed open the door to the hardware store, inhaling the fresh scent of wood shavings and some kind of oil that always reminded her of her grandfather’s garage when she was a little girl. She had loved helping with his projects, whether he was building a step stool or oiling bicycle chains.

“Howdy, stranger,” a familiar voice said. 

She turned and was so surprised that she didn’t know what to say.
​
Ward Sullivan tipped his hat at her from behind the counter, his blue eyes twinkling.

​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
]]>Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:02:55 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-three-trudyWhen the truck finally rolled up to the front walk of the inn, Trudy was relieved to see that Chad had remembered to leave the front light on. 

Christmas lights were twinkling in the library as well, which meant the young groundskeeper was still up. 

Ward pulled the truck into a parking space, then turned off the engine and got out. 

“Oh, I’ll be fine,” Trudy said, fumbling with her door.

“Nonsense,” Ward said. “I’d like to see you to your door. The Garcias would never forgive me if anything were to happen to you, especially that little fella.”

“Mateo,” Trudy said fondly. 

She waited as he opened her door for her again. 

“He’s a great kid,” Ward said. “It’s good to have them all in town.”

Trudy nodded and sucked in a breath of the icy night air. 

The snow glimmered in the moonlight, and the world felt still, as if it were waiting for something important to happen.

When they reached the front door, Ward paused for a moment, as if he were waiting for something, too. And Trudy could only think of one thing that might be. 

A kiss.  

But that couldn’t be right. Could it?

Trudy felt a shiver of anticipation, and suddenly she wasn’t so sure  she would mind being kissed.

No, no, don’t give him the wrong impression.

“Thank you so much for the ride, Ward,” she said politely. 

“The pleasure was all mine, Trudy,” he said. “Hope to see you again soon.”

He gave her a warm smile and a wink and then he was moving through the shadowy night back to his truck.

Trudy hurried into the house and closed the door behind her, leaning on it for a moment to catch her breath and organize her thoughts.

But she hadn’t anticipated that Chad would be sitting on one of the lobby chairs, with his still-swollen ankle up on another. 

“Hey how was your night?” he asked. “Wow, nice jacket.”

“Oh, for heavens sake,” Trudy said, looking at the coat she was still wearing.

Obviously, Ward had been waiting for her to give his coat back, not wanting to kiss her. 

She laughed a little, shook her head, and shrugged off the coat.
Oddly, she felt a little lonesome the moment it was off. 

I just need a warm cup of tea, she told herself as she hung the coat on one of the hooks by the front door.

“What is it?” Chad asked.

“Oh, I borrowed the coat, and forgot to give it back,” Trudy said, too embarrassed to tell him the rest.

Chad grabbed his crutch and swung himself up onto his feet in a single fluid motion. The boy was so physically gifted that he sometimes seemed to defy gravity. Only a horrible blizzard and a window well hidden by snow could have caused him a bad enough fall to hurt himself.

“That coat is familiar,” Chad decided. “Who does it belong to?”

“Professor Sullivan,” Trudy said, resisting the urge to clam up. After all, nothing had happened. Ward was just a new friend.

“Nice guy,” Chad said approvingly. 

Goodness, but Trinity Falls was a small town. Her new groundskeeper was from two counties over, and still recognized the name and coat of a retiring community college professor who was probably twice his age.

“Yes, he’s very nice,” she agreed primly. “I hope you didn’t stay up waiting for me.”

“Are you kidding?” Chad laughed. “I was definitely waiting for you. It’s Christmas, time for a movie marathon.”

“A movie marathon?” she echoed. 

“In my family, on Christmas night, we all put on our gifts and watch movies,” Chad said. 

Sure enough, he was wearing the hat she had knitted for him. 

“What movies?” she asked suspiciously. 

Chad was lovely, but he had strange taste in movies. Half the time he seemed to watch mindless action movies, and the other half, he amused himself with incomprehensible independent films. 

At least they were incomprehensible to Trudy. Chad seemed to enjoy them. 

“Christmas movies,” he laughed, as if it were a silly question. “How about Home Alone?”

“It always seemed awfully violent to me,” she admitted. “But I do like the house, and the little boy.”

“Let’s do it,” Chad said. “I’ve got bowls set up for popcorn in the kitchen, and the kettle’s ready for your famous peppermint hot chocolate.”

“Go and sit,” she told him. “I’ll fix it.”

“No way,” he told her. “You have to go put on your Christmas pajamas.”

He was referring to the gift he’d given her of red and green flannel pajamas, which had almost made her cry because they reminded her of Phillip’s favorite shirt for chopping wood.

“That sounds nice,” she said. “I’ll come help once I get changed.”

She hurried up to her room, looking forward to a relaxing evening at home, and the chance to enjoy the Christmas spirit for a few more hours.

The pajamas fit perfectly. They were a little too big, just like she liked them. She shrugged on a fluffy cardigan and her favorite slippers and headed back down. 

Chad was still in the kitchen, carefully pouring heated chocolate into mugs. 

“You look great,” he told her enthusiastically.

She twirled to show him her pajamas, laughing a little.

“And you look happy,” he said when she stopped to face him. 
He tilted his head slightly, like a puppy trying to figure something out. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Oh, nothing,” he chuckled. “Come on, let’s get our snacks out there and start our movie. I can’t have you nodding off on me before the kid’s family comes home.”
​
“The family comes home?” she asked, widening her eyes.

“Oh, shoot,” Chad said right away. “I’m so sorry, Trudy. I didn’t know you hadn’t seen the whole thing.”

“I’m kidding,” she said with a smile.

“You’re a whole new woman,” he teased right back, shaking his head, as if in defeat. “How am I supposed to keep up with you now?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll manage,” she laughed, grabbing a tray to load up their snacks.

As they settled onto the big sofa, and Chad worked his magic on the remote, she gazed out the window. 

A few big, lazy snowflakes drifted down, sliding against the window glass and frosting the trees.

Trudy gave a sigh of contentment. Here she was, after a lovely party and caroling, ensconced in cozy pajamas in her beloved inn, getting ready to watch a Christmas movie with the closest thing to a son she had ever had. 

It was just what she wanted. 
​
So why was she still thinking about Ward Sullivan?

​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!]]>Tue, 27 Dec 2022 12:28:02 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-two-trudyTrudy smiled so much that her cheeks began to ache as the group of happy carolers traversed the little town’s collection of homes.
 
Away from the town, where her inn was located, the nearest neighbors could hardly be seen on a rainy night.
 
But here in Trinity Falls village, the homes were closer together, and all of the neighbors seemed to know each other well. Half a block’s worth of residents would all spill out onto their porches at the first sign of the carolers. When a song was over, they cheered and clapped for the Cassidy clan and their hangers-on, and even for each other when someone on a porch joined in. 

Most decided not to take their performances on the road, but one other family with kids did join the group as they traveled across the street to the houses around the corner from Trinity Falls Elementary. 

By this point, Trudy was starting to really regret her choice of coat. She hadn’t really warmed up like she’d expected. In fact, the wind was picking up a bit, and Trudy was trying hard not to shiver. But Mateo was in ecstasy chatting with his new friends, and she wasn’t about to cut his night short for her own sake. 

“Here,” Professor Sullivan said gruffly, shrugging off his coat.

“Oh, Professor Sullivan, I couldn’t,” Trudy said, shaking her head hard. 

“First of all, it’s Ward,” he said. “And of course you can. I’m already sweating.”

The coat did look nice and warm. And the last thing she needed to do was catch a cold. Important new guests were arriving tomorrow, and they had booked the whole inn. 

“Thank you, Ward,” she said, taking it. 

The coat smelled delicious, just like his fresh aftershave, with a spicier hint that must have been his own masculine scent.

She tried not to think about that and to just soak in the lovely heat.

“So what brought you the Garcias tonight?” Ward asked politely.

“They were staying at the inn,” she began explaining.

“No, no,” he said. “I know why they invited you. I just wondered why you came. I never see you out and about anymore.”

That stung a little. 

“I guess I’ve gotten a little less adventurous since I lost Phillip,” she admitted. “And of course, it’s more work running things at the inn by myself. I have Chad, but he’s so young, and needs a lot of direction.”

“I can understand that,” Ward said kindly. “You and Phillip were very attached.”

He had ignored her reference to work and gone straight to the heart of the matter. In a way, it was a relief to talk to someone about it.

“I loved him since I was in school,” she admitted on a sigh. “We were two peas in a pod.”

“You sure were,” Ward said with a smile. “I remember seeing you two around town now and again, always arm in arm. And of course I would bump into him pretty often at the hardware store. He always mentioned you.”

“He did?” Trudy asked. It was a treat to hear new things about Phillip, and it happened so seldom these days.

“Oh, yes,” Ward chuckled. “He would tell me what you were getting up to with your cooking experiments. And he always told me how your library was coming along.”

“He really supported my hobbies,” she said dreamily. “I know a lot of husbands wouldn’t want their wives spending so much on books.  But we were never blessed with children to spend it on. And Phillip insisted the books were good for my soul.”

“Sounds like you two had a very good thing,” Ward said, nodding. 

“We did,” she said, feeling the familiar ache of missing him. 

“It doesn’t get any easier, does it?” Ward asked kindly. 

“Nope,” she said. “You just get used to it. Were you ever married?”

“For a short while, when I was younger,” Ward said, shaking his head. “It didn’t go so well. After that, the only girl I ever had eyes for was wildly in love with another man. And then I got caught up in work and hobbies and the time just seemed to pass.”

Trudy nodded. The time had passed for her, too. When she lost Phillip, one of her friends liked to tell her that she was still a young woman. 

But when you had already been married to the kindest, funniest man in the world, you didn’t go trying to win the lottery a second time. 

Now she was comfortably settled into a life alone with her memories. And that wasn’t such a bad thing. 

Up ahead, Alice was knocking on the next door, and the neighbors were all coming out to cheer. Trudy focused on the songs and the happy feeling of being among friends. 

Each of the old Victorian homes was beautifully decorated with colorful lights and pretty evergreen wreaths. A Christmas tree or menorah, sometimes both, glowed in nearly every single front window. With the blanket of snow on the ground, she felt as if she were truly walking in a winter wonderland. 

Alice even rang the bells of the apartments over the shops in the village. 

The sweet young schoolteacher from Trinity pre-school leaned out her window, her winsome expression turning warm and happy as she listened to the carolers. 

“Hi, Miss Cabrera,” Rumor yelled to her when they were finished.

“Hello, Rumor,” the young woman called back to her. “Merry Christmas. What a wonderful singer you are.”

Rumor giggled and jumped up and down a little. 

“Want to join us, dear?” Alice offered. 

“Oh, I’d love to,” Miss Cabrera called back. “But my family will be calling in a few minutes and I can’t miss it.”

“Oh, no, you don’t want to miss the Christmas call,” Alice agreed. 

Miss Cabrera leaned back in and waved before closing her window, still with a happy smile on her face.

“She’s a sweet young woman,” Alice said. “Shame to see her spend the holidays by herself.”

“By this time next year, she’ll have found herself a beau,” Grace decided. 

“Definitely,” Natalie agreed. “She’s so nice with the kids. If she doesn’t have a boyfriend by next year, we’ll drag her to Cassidy Farm for Christmas.”

“You can count on it,” Alice said, wrapping an arm around Natalie and giving her an approving squeeze. “We won’t even give her a chance to say no.”

Everyone laughed happily at the idea of stout, good-natured Alice Cassidy whisking Miss Cabrera away for a holiday gathering without giving her a moment to protest. 

And Trudy absolutely believed it would happen. Alice was not one to see a person left out at the holidays.

By Trudy’s estimation, Marta Garcia was shaping up to be just the same sort of woman. Marta had seen Trudy’s loneliness and included her in their celebrations, somehow without letting Trudy feel like a bother at all. 

She was determined to return the favor somehow. This night had been downright magical.

By the time they finished their circuit, she couldn’t believe two hours had passed. 

Ward had stayed by her side all night long. It would have almost felt like a date, except that of course they were with a big group, and the only time she had ever really opened up was when talking about Phillip. 

“Thank you so much, Trudy,” Mateo said, scampering up to her as they approached his house. “This was really fun.”

“It was my pleasure, Mateo,” Trudy told him honestly. “I’m so glad your parents said yes.”

They and the Cassidy crew all hugged their good-byes, with promises to get together again soon. 

Then Ward was offering her his hand again to climb the stairs to the house. 

“Mom, Dad, we had so much fun,” Mateo shouted. 

His parents came to the door, looking much more relaxed in their matching Christmas pajamas.

“Well, we got dinner all cleaned up, the rest of the cookies baked, and the beds made up,” Marta told Mateo, pulling him in for a hug. “We even set up the bathroom things.”

“Trudy, I’ll drive you home,” Mr. Garcia said. “Just give me a second to get changed. I forgot all about that fact that we brought you here with us.”

“I’ll drive her,” Ward said quickly. “It’s no trouble at all, and you folks need your rest.”

“That would be wonderful, Ward,” Mr. Garcia said with such relief that Trudy didn’t dare protest. 

“Thank you,” she told him instead.

“We’ll see you soon, Trudy,” Marta said, pulling her in for a warm hug. “Thank you again for making our Christmas so perfect.”

Tears prickled Trudy’s eyes, and she gave Marta an extra squeeze before letting go. 

Then Mateo was wrapping his wiry arms around her for a hug of his own. 

“Thank you, Trudy,” he said.

“Thank you, young man,” she told him. “I’m so happy we could spend the day together.”

“I know we’ll see you soon,” Mr. Garcia said with a warm smile. “Now that you know how to make tamales, I can put you to work next time we have a party.”

She laughed happily as she turned to go. Ward was already opening the door and offering her his hand on the stairs again.

“Which one is yours?” she asked him, indicating the cars. She needed a distraction from the idea that she was about to be alone with him for the fifteen-minute drive back to the inn.

“The red pick-up truck,” he said with a smile, pointing to a newer American model.

“It’s very pretty,” she told him approvingly. “Phillip had a red pick-up truck, too.”

“Oh, that truck had way more character than mine,” Ward laughed. “Mine looks like a toy in comparison.”

She smiled at the idea that Ward had known Phillip well enough to remember his antique red pick-up truck. 

He helped her in, and then walked around to his side. 

It was hard not to notice what a gentleman he was. 

But Trudy wasn’t interested in anything like that. She really wasn’t. She had a very busy life, and she certainly didn’t need the kind of drama that was in the movies and the romance books she read. 

He got into the car and gave her a wink before starting the engine, and she was surprised to find that she didn’t mind.

Somehow, it all made her feel like a young woman again, like there was some kind of shared joke between them, and also a bit like he was telling her to relax - that he would take care of her.

​Somewhere in her belly, a single butterfly fluttered its wings.

​​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
]]>Tue, 20 Dec 2022 12:23:15 GMThttps://www.clarapines.com/trudy/chapter-one-trudy
Trudy Williams smoothed her skirt down over her knees and tried not to notice the handsome man with the close-trimmed beard who kept sneaking glances at her from across the big table.

After all, she was a married woman. Just because her husband had passed away some years back didn’t make her feel any less married.

Sometimes, she swore Phillip had simply headed down to the hardware store, or was in the next room, whittling away at a promising piece of pine. A man so alive and full of mischief couldn’t really have gone and died on her. It just felt impossible.

“Trudy, can I bring you another mug of cider?” Mrs. Garcia asked with a smile. “Or maybe another cinnamon cookie?”

“Oh, I couldn’t eat another bite,” Trudy told her hostess gratefully. “You and your husband are amazing cooks. Mateo, too. I still can’t believe you managed to do all this on your first day in a new house.”

The Garcias had been staying at Trudy’s inn during a big snow storm on their way into town. They had set foot in their brand-new house this afternoon for the very first time. 

“We couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t lent us so many cooking things,” Mrs. Garcia replied. “And yourself. We’re so glad you could join us today. Having company makes it feel like it’s really home.”

“I know just what you mean,” Trudy said. “Though, of course, I’ve always shared my home.”

“You told us the Inn had been in your family for several generations,” Mrs. Garcia said thoughtfully. “But I never thought about it as being in a permanent state of entertaining.”

“I’m a very lucky woman,” Trudy told her honestly. “I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather do with my life than care for guests at my great-grandmother’s beloved Inn.”

Of course, Trudy had plenty of her own family in Trinity Falls. But ever since Phillip passed, she’d spent more time working at the Inn, and less time going to family gatherings. She’d been planning to spend Christmas on her own, until the Garcias invited her to their impromptu feast. And now that she was here, she found that she was glad she came. Christmas really did feel better when it was shared. 

Trudy caught movement from the corner of her eye, and without meaning to, she turned to see that the man with the cowboy hat, Professor Sullivan, was nodding in agreement with her. Of course, he wasn’t wearing his hat at the table, but that was how she thought of him - the handsome man who always tipped his cowboy hat when she passed him in town. 

“History is important,” he said, when his twinkly blue eyes locked onto hers. “To know who we are, we have to know where we’ve been.”

“My husband used to say the same,” she blurted out without meaning to.

“Wise man,” Professor Sullivan said, nodding respectfully. 

“Check,” Mateo said excitedly from his chair opposite Professor Sullivan’s.

“Not again,” Professor Sullivan cried in mock dismay from his side of the chess board. 

Mateo laughed so hard that Trudy thought he might fall out of his chair. 

“Of course it’s funny to you,” the older man teased. “You’ve been shellacking me all night.”

Trudy tried and failed to hide her smile. 

Mateo was a bright, friendly young boy, but he was also nervous about coming to a new town and going to a new school. He needed all the encouragement and confidence he could get right now. 

Professor Sullivan was here to welcome the Garcias. He was retiring from Trinity Falls Community College, and Mr. Garcia was taking his place in the Math Department. 

She had seen Professor Sullivan around town over the years, of course. But this was her first time socializing with him.

He winked at her, and she felt her cheeks heat. 

He’s just being friendly, she told herself. It’s harmless.

There was a knock at the door, and Mateo shot out of his seat to answer it. 

The poor boy had been bouncing off the walls all evening. Trudy could hardly blame him. Mateo had been in the car with his parents through the snow storm, and then spent a few days cooped up in the Inn before they got dug out. Trudy could well understand why the poor thing needed to stretch his young legs.

“It’s Grace, and Chris, and Izzy, and Molly, and… a whole bunch of other people,” Mateo cried out from the door. 

​The sound of Jingle Bells being sung by a group of people poured into the house, and everyone got up to go to the door. 

Mr. Garcia dashed out of the kitchen with his apron on and a spatula in his hand, and placed his other hand on his son’s shoulder, smiling out at the visitors on the porch.

Mrs. Garcia moved to join them and Trudy took her place beside her, unable to contain her smile at the sight of most of the Cassidy clan, holding their carol books and singing their hearts out with varying degrees of skill.

Professor Sullivan came and stood on her other side. The scent of his aftershave washed over her. It was clean and crisp, with a hint of pine. 

She would have moved over to give him more space, but she was already right beside Mrs. Garcia. So she let herself enjoy the singing and the smiles and tried not to worry about him standing so close.

The song finished up, and everyone clapped and cheered. 

“We’re off to the next house, but maybe you all would like to join us?” Alice Cassidy offered with a big smile. 

The matriarch of the Cassidy clan had lovely kind eyes, and her chestnut hair was up in its signature bun, showing off streaks of shimmering silver. 

Flanking her were her son, Shane, with Natalie Bell and Shane’s kids, Rumor and Wyatt, her niece, Grace with baby Izzy in her arms, and Shane’s best friend Chris, with Molly, his service dog, at the end of a pink leash. Even more friends and family members stood behind them, spilling down onto the sidewalk.

“Can we, Mom?” Mateo asked, spinning to face his parents and jumping up and down a little. “Can we, Dad? Please?”

“We still have cookies in the oven, Mateo,” his mother said. 

“Please,” Mateo asked in a defeated way.

Trudy glanced over at his parents. What a day they’d had. She was certain all they wanted was to finish cooking and cleaning the kitchen, and then just make up the beds and get a little rest.

But Mateo had spotted those other children. 

Wouldn’t it be a blessing for him to have the chance to meet a few of his schoolmates before classes began?

“Mrs. Garcia,” Trudy said, turning to her new friend. “Would it be all right if I took Mateo caroling? I would bring him home in an hour or two. I do love caroling.”

“Mom, mom, mom,” Mateo began chanting hopefully. 

Mr. Garcia nodded at his wife with a smile.

“It’s Marta, Trudy,” Mrs. Garcia said, turning back. “And that would be wonderful, if it’s truly not a bother.”

“It would be my honor, Marta,” Trudy said sincerely. 

“Yes,” Mateo cried happily. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Now, go get your big coat,” Marta called after him. “And don’t forget gloves.”

“It’s not a rush,” Alice said kindly from the porch. 

“Would you all like to come in for cookies?” Marta offered. 

But Mateo was already bolting out the door again. Trudy was glad to see that he did have on a coat, and was hastily pulling on his gloves. 

“Maybe on the way back, dear,” Alice said with a smile. “I think for now, we’ll take advantage of having our energetic new singers.”

Trudy grabbed her woolen sweater coat from the hook by the door, wishing she had thought to bring something sturdier. She hadn’t expected to end up out in the weather. 

But it would have to do. And besides, after a bit of walking, she was sure to warm up nicely. 

“I’ll come along,” Professor Sullivan said suddenly, grabbing his coat and cowboy hat from a hook by the door.
She spun around, wondering if it was too late to back out.

“Someone’s got to keep an eye on the pretty innkeeper,” he said with a friendly smile and another wink.

Trudy made a sound that was sort of like a cough and a snort mixed together, and hurried out onto the porch. 

She caught the Garcias sharing a little smile as she turned to wave good-bye and she felt as embarrassed as if she were in the eighth grade all over again. 

I’ll just ignore him, she told herself. He can’t get the wrong idea if I don’t pay him any mind.

She let the others get a bit ahead, figuring she would just install herself next to Alice once he was out of the way. 
​
But when she reached the edge of the snowy porch steps, Professor Sullivan smiled up at her from where he was waiting on the front walk, and offered her his hand.

​Be sure to stop by each week for the next chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor! If you want to be sure you never miss a chapter, click here to sign up for my newsletter, if you haven't already!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!
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