Page 24 of Christmas at Wolf Creek

The door swings open, and I brace myself for the worst.

“Ella?” Jake Brennan steps out, his expression confused as he takes in my panicked state. “What are you doing back here?”

Relief hits me so hard my knees nearly buckle. “Jake,” I breathe, one hand pressed to my racing heart. “I thought... I saw someone...”

His confusion shifts to concern as he moves closer, taking in my pale face and shaking hands. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” I say automatically, though I’m anything but. “I just... I thought I saw someone I used to know. Someone who shouldn’t be here.”

Jake’s eyes narrow, and I see something shift in his expression—a hardening, a calculation. “What kind of someone?”

I shake my head, already regretting following the footprints, revealing my fear. “It doesn’t matter. I was mistaken.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “You’re shaking, Ella.”

“It’s cold,” I lie, wrapping my arms around myself. “I should get back to Nora and the others. The tree lighting...”

“Ella.” His voice stops me as I turn to leave. “If you’re in trouble, there are people here who can help. People who care about what happens to you and Nora.”

The genuine concern in his voice catches me off guard. Jake and I have been neighbors for years, but our interactions have always been minimal — polite but distant.

“Thank you,” I say softly. “But I’m fine, really. Just jumpy in crowds.”

He studies me for a long moment, then nods toward the square. “I’ll walk back with you.”

I don’t argue, grateful for his solid presence as we make our way back through the alley. The choir has finished their performance, and Mayor Thompson is back at the microphone, building excitement for the countdown.

“Ten!” the crowd begins chanting as we emerge onto the square. “Nine! Eight!”

I spot my family immediately—Kane standing with Nora on his shoulders for a better view, the others clustered around them, all looking toward the massive tree.

“Seven! Six! Five!”

I hurry toward them, Jake following at a slowerpace. Kane’s eyes find mine as I approach, relief washing over his features.

“Four! Three!”

I reach them just as Nora spots me. “Mom! You’re back! Quick, it’s almost time!”

“Two! ONE!”

The square erupts in cheers as the tree blazes to life, thousands of lights illuminating simultaneously in a dazzling display. Nora gasps in delight from her perch on Kane’s shoulders, her face bathed in the colorful glow.

“It’s beautiful,” Kori breathes beside me, slipping her arm through mine. “Are you okay? Kane said you disappeared suddenly.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her, forcing a smile. “Just needed some air. It’s quite a crowd.”

She accepts this with a nod, though I see the concern in her eyes. “Well, you’re back just in time. They’re about to start the caroling.”

As the crowd breaks into “O Christmas Tree,” I try to lose myself in the moment—the music, the lights, Nora’s joy. But my eyes keep scanning the edges of the square, searching for a figure that may or may not have been there.

“Wasn’t that amazing?” Nora exclaims when the tree lighting ceremony finally concludes an hour later. Despite the late hour, she’s vibrating with excitement, her earlier exhaustion forgotten. “Can we come backtomorrow to see it again?”

“We’ll see,” I say, taking her hand as we navigate through the dispersing crowd toward our cars. “It’s past your bedtime already.”

“But it’s Saturday,” she argues, then breaks into a huge yawn that undermines her point.

I laugh, pulling her closer to my side. “That was a persuasive argument.”