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Trudy 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!
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Ward 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! Trudy 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! The 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! When 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! |
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Click on the link below for each chapter: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Trudy's Holiday Suitor, Clara Pines copyright 2022
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