Page 10 of A Perfect Christmas Dance (Kringle, Texas #7)

In the bakery kitchen the following morning, Nina kneaded a batch of sourdough, her last of the morning. Business had picked up the last couple of days, thank heavens.

A lock of hair fell loose from her bun and drooped into her eyes. Laughing, she blew it back from her face. Still giddy from the previous night, she sang “Christmas Cookies” under her breath.

She had a date. A real , official date with Ryan Danvers for tomorrow night. Her Christmas dream was coming true.

Today, Gee staffed the front counter, and his welcoming voice drifted into the kitchen. “How’s the arthritis treating you, Ruth?”

“Thank you for asking, Dr. Ellis,” Mrs. Claiborne said. “That Arthur Itis is a right constant pain, but I’m used to him. He lets me know I’m still alive. Give me a loaf of honey wheat and half a dozen black and white cookies, will you?”

“Sure thing.”

“Nina!” Ruth called, leaning around the counter to wave at her through the kitchen entrance. “I want to thank you again for helping out at the church last night. That angel looks stunning, and she’s a perfect addition to our pageant.”

Nina stuck her head into the storefront, her hands caked with flour. “My pleasure. Glad I could help. I hope the pageant draws a standing-room-only crowd.”

The jingle bells above the door jangled, and Nina glanced over to see who’d arrived.

Katherine Brothers stepped inside, as chicly dressed as before, and she got in line behind the last customer.

Nina’s stomach dropped. Uh-oh, what was that woman doing here? She rushed to the kitchen sink to wash the flour from her hands and popped back into the storefront just as Katherine reached the counter.

“I’ve got this, Gee.” Nina took hold of her grandfather’s shoulders and propelled him toward the kitchen. “Will you take the brownies out of the oven for me, please?”

Gee shook his head and blinked. “I-I… why can’t you just take them out?”

“Please,” she said. “For me?”

He shot her a puzzled expression but nodded and trailed into the kitchen.

Breathless, Nina turned to Katherine. “How may I help you?”

Katherine flicked a gaze around the bustling bakery. All the tables and chairs were full, and the line behind the woman grew as more customers came in and set the bells jingling again.

“Separating me from your grandfather?” Katherine asked.

“What?” Nina feigned surprise. “No.”

“Business has picked up.” A pleased look came over Katherine’s face. “That’s nice to see.”

“What did you need?” Nina asked, trying to cut the woman off at the pass. “Bread, cookies, pies?”

“Actually, I wanted to discuss the text you sent me.”

“As you can see, we’re swamped, so if you don’t have an order to place…” Nina waved toward the door. She shot a look over her shoulder to see Gee standing in the doorway between the storefront and the kitchen, watching her interaction with Katherine.

Undaunted, Nina addressed the customer in line behind Katherine. “What’ll you have, Mrs. Pierson?”

“I just need a minute of your time,” Katherine said, persisting.

Gee came over. “What’s going on, Nina?”

Briefly, Nina closed her eyes, collecting herself.

Katherine held out her hand to Gee. “Hello, Mr. Ellis. I’m Katherine Brothers. Nice to meet you.”

Gee shook her hand. “Welcome to Ellis Early Eats, Ms. Brothers. What can we do for you?”

Katherine transferred her gaze back to Nina. “Your granddaughter didn’t tell you about me?”

Now Gee was staring at Nina, too. “No,” he said, stroking his jaw. “She didn’t.”

Nina let out a sigh and sagged against the counter. “I have customers.”

“I need a dozen Parker rolls,” Mrs. Pierson said. “And a fruitcake.”

Nina moved to fill Mrs. Pierson’s order, wishing Katherine Brothers would just go away.

Katherine moved aside to let Mrs. Pierson up to the counter, but she didn’t leave.

Instead, she kept talking to Gee. “Mr. Ellis, I offered to purchase the bakery from your granddaughter a few days ago. She turned me down, but I was hoping to speak to you since you’re the owner on record and plead my case. ”

Gee frowned. “Offer? What offer?”

Katherine mentioned the purchase amount she’d told Nina, and Gee’s eyes widened.

He swung toward Nina. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ll leave you two to discuss,” Katherine Brothers said, looking pleased with herself. “You have my number, Nina.”

She walked out, leaving Nina with shaky legs and a sinking heart.

Gee took over the checkout, handling Mrs. Pierson’s purchase as Nina boxed her baked goods.

“As soon as things slow down,” he said. “You and I are gonna have a long chat, granddaughter.”

* * *

The bakery was finally quiet. The last customer had left, and the chairs were flipped up on the tables, ready for the morning rush.

Garrett sat at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee and glancing at the plate of cookies between him and Nina.

His legs ached more than usual these days, and he couldn’t help but notice how much more tired he felt after a long day.

He picked up a black and white cookie, bit into it, and savored the sweetness. “These turned out extra good today. Just the right amount of frosting. You do Ellie proud.”

The mention of his late wife, Ellie, always made him pause.

This bakery had been her dream. She was the one who loved every corner of it, from the smell of fresh dough to the smiles on the customers’ faces.

Garrett had stayed because it was her passion, not his.

The family kept the bakery going after she passed because selling the bakery meant letting go of Ellie.

But now? A lot of time had passed, and things had changed. His son and daughter-in-law had moved off to Arizona, leaving Nina at the helm with a bit of help from Garrett. His granddaughter had readily shouldered the burden, but had they all put too much on her slender shoulders?

Nina smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was distracted, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee mug. Garrett knew that look—she was lost in thought, worrying about one thing or another. Even when she was a little girl, she took on more than her share of responsibility.

“Honey?” He reached across the table to touch her hand. “You okay?”

Her eyes met his, weighed with exhaustion. “Just tired. The holiday rush takes it out of me.”

He set his cookie down and cut straight to it. “So,” he said, “this offer from Katherine Brothers… Why did you hide it from me?”

Nina’s shoulders stiffened. She cradled her mug closer, staring down at it. “I didn’t want to trouble you with it. We’re not selling, no matter how much she offers.”

He rubbed between his eyes with the pad of his thumb. His granddaughter looked smaller as if she’d shrunk somehow. “You love the bakery that much?”

She nodded and raised her head to meet his gaze. “Gramma loved it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I love honoring Gramma’s memory.”

“That’s not the same thing as loving being a baker.”

“It’s all I know,” she said.

“You’ve never had time to explore anything else.

I think selling the bakery is something we should talk about.

This place… it’s a lot of work, Nina. And I’m not getting any younger.

Soon, it will all be on you, and we just don’t have the money for you to hire help.

I hate to see you work yourself into the ground for something that’s not your passion. ”

“But selling it feels like surrender, you know?”

“Like finally admitting Ellie is gone?” he asked.

She nodded, her fingers tightened around the mug, and she blinked rapidly. “Yeah.”

“Letting go is hard,” he murmured. “But your grandmother didn’t expect you to keep her dream going. It was her dream. I’m not sure it’s yours.”

“It’s not, not my dream,” she said. “And the bakery is a centerpiece of the town square.”

“Wouldn’t it still be so with Katherine Brothers as the owner?”

“She did offer me a salary to stay on as manager and I could hire staff. I wouldn’t have to get up at three in the morning. I could finally have a social life.”

“Something you might consider since you and Ryan Danvers have been eyeballing each other.”

“Gee!”

“What? I’m not blind, girl. The man is interested, and if I’m not mistaken, you’re interested right back.”

She surrendered a shy smile. “I am.”

“Well, then…” He paused. “You’ll be twenty-six in a few months. It’s time to start thinking about what you really want out of life.”

“What about you and Jean Deerling?” Nina asked.

“She invited me to go to Padre Island with her for Valentine’s Day.”

Nina lit up. “Are you going?”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone at the bakery for four days, so I told her no.”

“Gee, forget about me. You should go if that’s what you want,” Nina said. She met his gaze. “I like her.”

Garrett pressed his mouth straight, suppressing the smile that wanted to spread over his face at the thought of Jean. “I do, too.”

“So you want me to sell the bakery?”

“It is a lot of money.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I love this bakery and the memories our family created here, but it’s not mine like it was Ellie’s. And I don’t want you feeling like you have to carry it all on your shoulders, Nina. If selling makes things easier, I’ll back you up.”

For a moment, Nina didn’t say anything. She just stared into her coffee, her face unreadable.

Then, slowly, her lower lip trembled. She caught it between her teeth.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to let it go, but Katherine’s offer…

it would take some of the pressure off. It’s been hard, Gee.

I didn’t want to admit it, but it’s been tough. ”

“It’s okay to let it be hard,” he said. “But it’s also okay to move on. Sometimes, letting go doesn’t mean giving up. It means making room for something else.”

Nina let out a shaky breath. Her eyes clouded with uncertainty. “I’m torn.”

“It’s not a decision to make likely. Don’t rush it.” He sent her a bittersweet smile, feeling nostalgia curl up against his heart. “Whatever you choose, I’ll back you up one hundred percent.”

Nina pushed back her chair. “C’mon,” she said. “I’ll drive you home. There’s rain on the way and with the temperature dropping, it could easily turn to sleet. I want to be in front of a cozy fire with hot cocoa and a Hallmark Christmas movie on when it rolls in.”

* * *

Ryan woke thinking of Nina and their date that evening.

He had a lot to do to get ready. First, his chores, then head to Kringle for a haircut.

His hair was getting shaggy, and he wanted to look his best for her.

He also had a few more party supplies to pick up before the Christmas party next weekend.

His thoughts traveled back to Nina and the church potluck. He recalled how the red and green holiday lights shone against her glossy black hair as they shared a meal at the communal table and how pretty her lips had looked, slick with pearly pink lipstick.

He dressed, drank a cup of coffee, and pulled out his phone, tempted to text her.

But what would he say? Good morning, gorgeous seemed too forward. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off. He set his phone on the counter and refilled his coffee mug.

It had drizzled last night, and the freezing temperatures formed icy patches over the porch and yard. Gingerly, he picked his way down the steps and across the yard to the barn, his mind jettisoning unbidden back to Nina.

Ryan breathed in the crisp air. He had been looking forward to this date ever since he worked up the courage to ask Nina to the tree lighting ceremony.

Mentally, he ran through his to-do list. Feed the horses, check on the pregnant heifer in the south pasture, and repair the fence near the creek.

Then into town for that haircut and pick up the last of the decorations for the party.

He hoped he had time to stop by the bakery and maybe say hi to Nina before their date.

Lost in thought, Ryan wasn’t paying attention and his bootheel hit a patch of hidden ice.

His coffee mug thrust upward into the air, flinging hot liquid over his coat. One leg flew out from under him. He struggled for balance, but his other leg twisted beneath him, and he heard a loud pop and landed flat on his back.

For a moment, he stared, stunned, at the sunrise. The cold from the frozen ground seeped through his clothes, chilling him to the bone.

Ryan lay there for several minutes, catching his breath and taking stock of the pain and his injury. His knee throbbed a sharp, insistent pain that made him grit his teeth. He tried to flex his foot, but a fresh wave of agony washed over him.

He struggled to push himself up, but his knee hurt so bad he flopped back down, huffing out big gulps of air. Too bad he’d given the ranch hands two weeks off. No one would come across him. He’d have to call for help.

Grunting against the pain, he fumbled in the pocket of his shearling coat, looking for his phone, and that’s when he realized he left it on the kitchen counter.

Son of a mangy biscuit eater.

The ground beneath him was colder than he would’ve thought possible. Melting sleet gave him the sort of injury he’d always expected to come from an opposing cornerback when he quarterbacked for the Kringle Yellow Jackets.

Yikes.

He glanced across the length of the yard between the barn and the house. It was a good hundred yards. With the throbbing in his knee, it would take hours to drag himself that far.

No one would come looking for him. Jenny was at home on bed rest. Scott was out of town for work. The ranch hands were all on vacation.

He was stuck. With a groan, he closed his eyes.

So much for his date with Nina.