Trudy's Holiday Suitor

Chapter Eleven

2/27/2023

Trudy 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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Chapter Ten

2/21/2023

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A 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.

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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Chapter Nine - Ward

2/12/2023

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A 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.

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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Chapter Eight

2/7/2023

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By 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.

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