Page 4 of A Perfectly Splendid Christmas (On the Way to Christmas)
Drew set two bowls of wet, stinky, tuna-flavored cat food on the kitchen floor in front of his two yowling cats. “It smells
horrendous, guys. Bon appétit.”
He leaned against the counter and shook his head as Thor, his large orange tabby, and Loki, his gray-and-white feline, scarfed
up the food as if they hadn’t eaten in a week. Then he crossed to the kitchen table and sifted through the pile of mail he’d
carried in from the box at the street, finding a couple of bills, a catalog, and a few advertisements.
After opening his refrigerator and studying the contents for a few moments, Drew pulled out a container of leftover chili
he had cooked over the weekend, and he sighed.
“Chili again,” he mumbled before pulling out a piece of wax paper, covering the container, and slipping it into the microwave.
He pushed a few buttons on the microwave and it hummed to life.
Drew retrieved a bowl, spoon, and a bag of shredded cheese while contemplating his day. It had started out ordinary, with
a typical day at school before rushing to the community center for the first choir practice. And the first practice was also
typical, with a mix of serious students and a few chatty students, but then his day took an unexpected turn when Kacey Williams
popped in out of nowhere.
Kacey Williams.
Never in a million years had he expected to see Kacey again. He smiled as he envisioned her. She was still one of the most
beautiful women he’d ever known with her hair the color of sunshine, deep-blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean, high cheekbones,
pink lips, a long neck, and that smile and laugh that seemed to always go straight to his heart.
That familiar longing and regret that had followed him around since his senior year in high school welled up inside of him.
Drew felt himself falling for Kacey when they were in middle school, but fear of losing her friendship had kept him from asking
her to be his girlfriend.
Then in high school they grew even closer, and he was certain he loved her. As senior year approached, he’d planned to ask
her to prom and declare his feelings for her. Then his nerves caused him to wait too long, and his so-called best friend,
Bennett Clark, beat him to it and asked her first. To make matters worse, Bennett not only asked her to prom but also asked
her out, and she accepted. Her relationship with Bennett not only shattered Drew’s heart, but it also came between them, leaving
their friendship awkward and strained, which was a clear sign she’d chosen Bennett over him.
If only he’d found the courage to be honest with her about his feelings, then maybe they could have been more than friends.
The beeping microwave pierced through his thoughts, and he fetched two pot holders before carrying the container to the table.
The cats, who had both licked their plates clean, sauntered toward his small family room, where Drew was certain they would
return to their favorite spots on the sofa and sleep away the evening.
Drew scooped chili into his bowl, added shredded cheese, and then began to eat while his mind continued to swirl with thoughts
of Kacey.
A few years ago, he looked her up on social media and was shocked to find that she was still single. He had always imagined
that she’d followed her dreams to Charlotte, settled down, and started a family. They shared a few short messages and then
their communication stopped when it seemed they had each run out of things to say.
And now Kacey was back in Splendid Lake. He noticed her left hand was free of jewelry, and he couldn’t stop the what-ifs from
rolling through his mind.
At the same time, Kacey had made it clear that she planned to go back to Charlotte. Still, renewing a friendship with her
would be a gift. In fact, just having her as a part of his life would be a blessing.
Drew’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket and found a message from his coworker, Garrett Douglas.
How was choir practice?
Instead of typing a response, Drew dialed Garrett’s number, and he answered on the first ring.
“Was it that bad?” Garrett asked. Children’s voices sounded behind him, and Drew imagined Garrett’s wife wrangling their two-
and four-year-old toward the bathtub.
Drew chuckled. “No, it was fine. I thought it would be easier to talk instead of typing. I had a full room. It was the usual
mix of serious singers and kids who were more interested in their own conversations.”
“Sounds like my math classes,” Garrett joked. “Did you apply for that music department head job in Newton?”
Drew scrubbed his hand down his face. “I’m considering it.”
“You should do it.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“You know I’m not, but it’s a great opportunity. You should give it a try and see what happens. It’s a nice pay raise.”
“I’ll check out the job post again.”
“Good. You’re a great candidate.” A voice sounded behind Garrett. “I’d better go. Duty calls.”
“See you tomorrow.” Drew disconnected the call.
After cleaning up the kitchen, he moved through the small family room, where his two fat cats snored on the sofa, and continued
down the short hallway past the one bathroom and toward the two bedrooms. While his little cottage could fit into the four-car
garage attached to his parents’ sprawling colonial, this little house was his. Well, technically it belonged to the bank until
he paid off the mortgage, but Drew had earned this home himself without his father’s help.
He stepped into the first bedroom, which he had converted into his office, and sat at the desk before powering up his laptop.
He clicked on the link he’d saved for the job and settled back in his chair as he folded his arms over his chest.
His mind spun as he perused the job post. Newton was nearly two hours away from Splendid Lake, so he would have to sell his
little cottage and move there. And by doubling his salary, it would give him the opportunity to buy a larger home—not that
it was important to him.
Drew rubbed the stubble on his chin. Applying for a job wasn’t necessarily a commitment. There were no guarantees he’d even
be considered for the position. So, it really couldn’t hurt to try.
He began searching through his files for his résumé. Garrett was right. He should at least apply and see how it turned out.
Saturday morning Kacey pushed open the door to the Coffee Bean, which was located across the street from the bakery, the bell
above her announcing her presence. While she enjoyed the coffee offered at the bakery, her sister only sold regular and decaf.
This morning she was in the mood for a vanilla latte, and she offered to pick them up for her mother, sister, and herself.
The shop was buzzing with activity as customers sat at the tables or in booths enjoying their coffee and pastries. A few others
stood in line at the counter, where the sisters and co-owners, Ava Burns and Brooklyn Waller, took and filled their orders.
Kacey stood in line behind a group of women who looked to be in their midtwenties and then slipped her phone and keys into
the pockets of her coat.
She took in the sisters working behind the counter and couldn’t help but think that they looked exactly the same as they did
when they were all in high school together. Brooklyn was twenty-three to Ava’s twenty-six, and although they had physical
similarities, those were hard to spot at first glance. They shared the same petite frame, warm smile, and friendly personality,
yet Brooklyn had her mother’s dirty-blonde hair and baby-blue eyes and Ava had her father’s wavy, dark-brown hair and coffee-brown
eyes.
Ava had married her high school sweetheart, Dylan Burns, who owned Burns Auto Repair with his brother. Kacey recalled seeing
Ava and Dylan walking arm-in-arm around high school, and it didn’t surprise her when she heard they had married.
When it was Kacey’s turn, she moved up to the counter and Ava grinned at her.
“Kacey!” she exclaimed. “I thought that was you. Are you home for the holidays?”
“I’m teleworking and staying with my mom for a while.”
“How fun! What can I get you?”
“Three vanilla lattes to go, please.”
“Coming right up.” Ava repeated the order to her sister and then told Kacey the total. “How’s your mom doing?”
“Great,” Kacey said as Ava ran her credit card. “She’s still working at the elementary school.”
Ava handed her the receipt. “I’m glad to hear it. It was good to see you! Have a great day.”
“You too.” Kacey moved to the end of the counter while Ava turned her attention to the next customer in line. She pulled her
phone out from the back pocket of her jeans and scrolled through her messages. When she heard someone call her name, she spun
as Drew approached her with a wide smile lighting up his handsome face.
“Drew. Hi.” She pocketed her phone and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
Drew nodded toward the menu. “Let me guess. You ordered a vanilla latte.”
“How’d you know?”
He scoffed. “Well, it wasn’t all that long ago when we’d hop in my mom’s old Beamer and go to that coffee shop over on Lincoln
Avenue. And you ordered the same thing every time.”
“You remember that.” She gave a little laugh as she took in the sparkle in his lush, green eyes. They always reminded her
of the grass in spring.
He lifted a dark eyebrow. “How could I forget?”
“Kacey?”
She pivoted toward the counter, where Brooklyn held a to-go container with three coffee cups. “Thank you so much.”
“Come back and see us,” Brooklyn said before fluttering off to fill the next order.
Kacey turned back to Drew. “I need to get to the bakery. My mom and I are helping Dani out today.”
She turned to leave when she felt his hand touch her elbow and gently turn her back around.
“Do you have plans tonight?”
Her heart stopped. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Would you like to have dinner?”
“Yes, I would,” she managed to say.
“Great.” He exhaled, sounding relieved. “What time will you get off work?”
“Six o’clock.”
“I’ll meet you at the bakery then.” He smiled, and headed for the line to order his coffee.
“Perfect. See you then.”
She felt a spring in her step as she carried the coffees out into the chilly morning and across the street to the bakery,
where she was greeted by the bell ringing above the door and the scrumptious smells of her sister’s morning baking. Had that
actually happened? Did she just agree to go on a date with Drew? She felt the smile on her face widen even more. But just
as quickly, she tamped down her excitement. It was probably just dinner between two friends who needed to catch up on each
other’s lives. Nothing to get excited about.
Mom stood at the counter, cleaning the glass case.
“I have coffee!” Kacey sang before handing her a cup.
Mom breathed in the aroma. “Oh my! It smells divine.”
Dani appeared from the kitchen with a tray of colorful iced cookies. “I was wondering if you got lost.” She set the tray of
cookies in the display case.
“There was a line at the Coffee Bean and I ran into Drew.” Kacey gave her a cup.
Dani grinned. “Is that right?”
“And what did Drew have to say?” Mom asked.
Kacey shrugged, trying her best to not make a big deal about it. “He asked me to go to dinner tonight.”
“He asked you out?” Dani pushed on Kacey’s shoulder. “I knew he always had the hots for you!”
“Yeah, right. That’s why he never asked me out. We were only friends, Dani.”
“I think he was too nervous to ask you out,” Mom said.
Kacey shook her head. “Why would he be nervous? We were best friends. He knew me better than anyone.”
“He probably didn’t want to ruin the friendship.”
“Well, we’re just friends now, and that’s fine. It will be fun to go out for dinner and get caught up.”
“But things are different now, Kacey,” Mom said. “You’re not kids anymore.”
“And I’m also going back to Charlotte. He’s made a life here.”
“You never know what might happen,” Dani sang before drifting back toward the kitchen. “Are you going to help me with these
cookies, Kacey? Or are you going to stand there and talk about Drew all day?”
Mom shrugged. “She’s the boss.”
“She’s always been bossy,” Kacey joked as she made her way toward the kitchen.
As she set her coffee cup on the counter and turned toward her sister, Kacey found herself wondering if they might be right
about Drew and the possibility of rekindling their friendship and maybe even something more.