Page 27 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage (Jonathon Island #6)

Chapter Twelve

W hile helping to set up the Christmas ball probably shouldn’t have been on her list of things to do today, Bronte had to admit the break from staring at the ever-blinking cursor was nice.

After writing (or staring at the aforementioned blinking cursor) for most of the morning, Jonah and Bronte had bundled up and hiked to the Grand Sullivan Hotel.

The main part of the hotel still resembled a snow-covered construction site, but at five stories high with a tall veranda and the long summer porch, the Grand Hotel really would live up to its name once it was finished.

Bronte really wished it would have been possible to have stayed there.

But if she had stayed there, she probably wouldn’t have met Jonah or Mia or Dani or anyone else.

Speaking of Dani, she was in full boss mode and approached them, clipboard in hand, as they were stashing their coats with the pile from the other volunteers.

“Jonah, can you help Arnie finish hanging ornaments from the ceiling?” Dani asked, consulting her clipboard before turning to Bronte. “And Bronte, if you can help Mia and me finish up with the bows for the centerpieces, that would be great.”

In all the charity events she had been to over the past few years, Bronte had never been to a Christmas ball, much less helped set up for one, but Dani was really outdoing herself. The pink-and-white-striped walls of the ballroom were lined with Christmas trees of all sizes.

Jordi, along with a woman who looked like an older version of her, strung white lights on each of the trees.

Mia and another woman sat at a table, fingers threading through ribbons, making elaborate bows.

Cody and Liam were setting up round tables in neat rows, leaving an open half-circle in the middle of the room for a dance floor.

Jonah squeezed Bronte’s hand and joined the pastor, who tottered on a ladder, trying to attach another ball ornament to the ceiling.

“That’s an interesting concept,” Bronte said, watching as Pastor Arnie finally got the ornament attached to the ceiling and climbed down to choose another one.

“Thanks.” Dani put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as they watched Jonah climb the ladder this time, Pastor Arnie handing him one of the oversized ornaments. “I loved the idea of covering the ceiling with Christmas balls.”

“It looks great. I thought the hotel burned down though. There doesn’t look to be any damage in here.” Bronte motioned to the room.

“You probably can’t tell from outside, but this building doesn’t actually connect to the hotel, so other than a few superficial issues, it was spared from too much damage. Come on.” Dani motioned Bronte with her head. “Let’s get to work on the bows.”

Bronte followed Dani over to the table where the two other women were quickly tying bow after bow. How would she ever be able to keep up?

“Bronte, you know Mia.” Dani held a hand in Mia’s direction. Mia glanced up and smiled at her, then Dani turned to the forty-something woman sitting across from Mia. “And this is Janine Dirks, she’s the president of the Jonathon Island Historical Society.”

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Janine said, nodding her hello. With her red hair and large glasses, she looked the part for a president of the historical society. Janine held up her hands, fingers tangled in ribbon. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”

Bronte smiled, taking the seat next to Mia. “That’s okay, it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s really easy,” Dani said, taking a seat across from Bronte and picking up a spool of ribbon.

“You measure out about this much”—Dani stretched out a piece of ribbon and showed Bronte—“and then one, two, three, and four—and voilá, a bow.” Dani held the velvet red bow she had somehow looped together in front of Bronte.

It looked easy enough, but after three tries, Bronte’s bow still looked lopsided. “I don’t think I’m being much help.” Bronte held up her one sad bow.

“That looks great,” Mia said, folding together two more bows and adding them to the pile.

“I agree,” Janine said, plucking the bow out of Bronte’s hand and adding it to the stack.

“The trick is not to overthink it. Mia, you want to help me get the tablecloths on the tables? It looks like Liam and Cody are just about finished putting them up. We’ll probably need to steam the tablecloths first, then we can start getting the centerpieces together. ”

Bronte grabbed another piece of ribbon and tried to twist it into submission as Mia and Janine pushed away from the table.

“So,” Dani said once they were alone. “You and Jonah?”

“What about me and Jonah?” Bronte ducked her head to hopefully keep Dani from noticing her face turning red.

She hated her body’s response. “There’s nothing going on between us.

” Why did she feel the need to add anything?

Now it looked like she was trying to hide something.

Which she wasn’t. There wasn’t anything to hide.

Her thoughts drifted back to their kiss. She had almost convinced herself it had been a figment of her imagination.

“Mm-hmm. That’s not what Liam said.” Bronte could feel Dani looking at her. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re good for Jonah. He seems happier when he’s around you.”

“Jonah just seems like a happy guy in general.” Though she didn’t hate the idea that she, of all people, made him happy.

“Oh, he is, but he’s had some rough times, just like all of us at some point or other.”

“Like what?”

“Jonah won’t talk about it, and he’d kill me if he ever found out I told you, but seven years ago, he was engaged. Bree, a girl we grew up with.”

Bronte swallowed. Jonah had mentioned having his heart broken by someone, but he hadn’t mentioned they’d been engaged.

Dani glanced over her shoulder as if making sure no one was listening in before continuing.

“He and Bree were high school sweethearts, and everyone thought they’d end up together, but after dating for years, he came home on leave one month, and they just broke it off.

No one really knew what happened, and between you and me, I don’t think he ever really got over it. Until now.” Dani wagged her eyebrows.

“Oh.” Bronte wasn’t sure what to do with this information, and why was Dani telling her all this? Was it some offhanded way of giving Bronte her blessing? Did she even need Dani’s blessing?

No, she didn’t, because nothing was happening between her and Jonah, and nothing ever could.

“All I’m saying is, if you think there might be something there, and I really think there is, you should go for it.”

“I don’t know.” Bronte added another wonky bow to the pile. “Truth is, I’ve sworn off love.”

“Maybe you’re finished with love, but it might not be finished with you.”

Bronte bit her lip. Her heart warred within her chest, beating so fast she felt like it would pop out at any moment. Jonah was so different from Brad. But did she really think she could take a chance again?

“Lights are done, Dani.” Jordi slid into the seat next to Bronte, and Bronte couldn’t have been more thankful for an interruption from her swirling thoughts and all this talk about love.

“Thanks, Jordi.” Dani picked up her clipboard and checked something off.

“Is everyone still planning on going to your place tomorrow to get ready for the ball?” Jordi asked Dani as she picked up a stream of ribbon and tied it into a bow. Bronte grinned, seeing that Jordi’s bow resembled her lopsided bows more than Dani’s perfect one. “You too, Bronte.”

That was right. Jordi had promised she had a dress Bronte could borrow for the ball, but Jordi sounded like she was inviting her over for a party. “I thought I’d just swing by and pick up the dress you had for me.”

“Oh, no. I have so many that you should probably pick which one speaks to you the most, and we’ve planned a whole shindig.

Besides us”—Jordi circled a finger that encompassed her, Bronte, and Dani—“it’ll be Mia, Lily, and Sadie—have you met Lily and Sadie yet, Bronte?

You’ll love them. We’re all going to meet at Dani’s house to get ready. It’ll be like prom all over again.”

“I never went to prom.”

Dani’s and Jordi’s mouths gaped open.

“What?” Dani said at the same time as Jordi exclaimed, “Seriously?”

Bronte nodded. “I actually grew up in foster homes, and the week before prom, I had to move homes, which also meant moving high schools, and I didn’t really feel like going to a prom where I didn’t know anyone.”

“Then I’m really insisting,” Jordi said. “You have to come.”

“Yes. We’re going to have so much fun,” Dani chimed in. “Jordi has the best dresses. I might steal one from her stash as well. Oh, and I’ll be bringing snack food from the pizzeria. So make sure not to eat before you come.”

“I don’t know how you stay so skinny when you live above the pizzeria, Dani.” Jordi pinched her friend’s side. “I’d be eating there every meal.”

“You get used to it after a while.” Dani batted Jordi away.

“Why do you have so many dresses lying around, Jordi?” Bronte tried to think of her wardrobe back at home and was pretty sure she only had one formal dress that Lexi had made her purchase for a big awards ceremony a couple years back.

She had worn it once and wanted to donate it, but Lexi talked her into keeping it for any other formal event she may, or may not, attend in her lifetime.

A lot of good it was doing her now, sitting at home in her closet.

“I used to do a lot of pageants.” Jordi shrugged.

“Why’d you stop?” Bronte asked. She remembered Jordi mentioning her pageant days the morning she had met her.

“It was time. So, it’s settled then.” It wasn’t lost on Bronte that Jordi had skipped over giving them the real reason she no longer did pageants. “Dani’s apartment. Tomorrow at noon?”

“I can’t wait,” Bronte said, only a little surprised to find out that it was true.

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