Page 20 of Savoring Christmas (Sugarville Grove #8)

LOGAN

T he toy store bags swung lightly from Logan’s hand, their rustle blending with the faint strains of Christmas music coming from the skating rink.

They rounded the corner, and the sound changed, sharper now, punctuated by the scrape of blades on ice and bursts of laughter.

The temporary rink filled the center of the square, strings of white lights crisscrossing overhead.

In the light, skaters of all ages wove in lazy loops, their breath visible in small puffs, cheeks flushed from the cold.

And there, right by the rink rail, he spotted Max, with Charlie and Bianca, their gloved hands linked as they shuffled across the ice.

“Hey, guys!” Max called, spotting them. “Come join us.”

Before Logan could even think of an excuse, Mia’s eyes lit up. “It’s been years since I skated.”

“You skate?” Logan asked, surprised.

She smiled, a little mischievously. “Rockefeller Center, every Christmas I could manage the crowds and the tourist prices. Central Park when I needed somewhere quieter.”

He could imagine her in the city, looking beautiful as she spun around the ice. “Well then, you’re definitely coming out there with me.”

They traded boots for skates at the rental counter and the clerk agreed to keep watch over their toy store purchases.

“What about Cannoli?” Logan asked. “Should we tie her up right here so she can watch?”

“Oh no. She’s coming with us.” Mia tucked the dog under her arm, who peered out like she wanted to be part of the fun, her small ears twitching at the sharp bite of winter air.

As they stepped onto the ice, Charlie glided over to greet them. “Hey, guys. How’s class going?”

“It’s been really fun,” Mia said.

“Super fun,” Logan said. “But I’m not sure anything I make is ever going to be edible.”

“Good for you for trying, though,” Charlie said. “Even though I scolded my husband for tricking you with that last trivia question.”

“Turns out, it’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time,” Logan said, with a glance down at Mia.

“For me too,” Mia said.

“Will I see you at the cookie decorating party?” Charlie asked.

“We’ll be there,” Logan said.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mia said.

“Okay, have fun, you two. I should get back to my troublemakers,” Charlie said, before skating away to join her family.

“Are you sure you can skate with her in your arms?” Logan asked.

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Mia stepped onto the ice, her first push confident and graceful. By her second, she’d settled into a steady rhythm, movements fluid and sure, as if skating with a dog was the most natural thing in the world.

“You weren’t kidding,” Logan said, grinning as he matched her pace.

She looked over, cheeks pink from the cold, eyes bright. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

They fell into an easy loop, skating side by side. Cannoli sat calmly in Mia’s arms, her small face poking out from the sweater, completely unfazed by the gliding motion. More than once, Logan caught the amused smiles of other skaters as they passed.

At one point, Mia shook her head, laughing softly. “I’ll be the talk of the town. The eccentric chef who skates with her dog.”

Logan laughed. “There are worse things to be known for.”

After a few more loops, Mia passed Cannoli to Logan so she could skate freer, twirling once with surprising ease. Logan followed her, enjoying watching her.

Max skated up beside him. “Look at you. All domesticated.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Hardly.”

“You’re skating with a dog in a sweater,” Max said. “I rest my case.”

“You’re obnoxious.”

Max grinned. “Maybe. But, admit it—you’re two laps away from buying that dog her own pair of skates.”

Before Logan could answer, Cannoli gave a sudden wiggle, slipping right out of his arms. She hit the ice with a tiny scritch of claws, legs splayed for a second before she started a determined shuffle toward Mia.

Her little paws slid this way and that, sweater bobbing with every wobbly step, but somehow she kept moving forward, tail wagging like she was born for the rink.

The other skaters slowed to watch, laughter and cheers breaking out as the tiny dog navigated the ice. Someone shouted, “Go, Cannoli!” while a group of teenagers clapped in rhythm to her awkward little glide.

Bianca skated over to them, her eyes wide with delight. “She’s skating. Uncle Logan, she’s actually skating. Can we teach her tricks next?”

By the time Cannoli reached Mia, even people on the sidelines were grinning and calling encouragement. Mia scooped her up to a round of applause, holding her high like a champion figure skater with her gold medal. As the applause died down, Cannoli let out a proud little bark.

Bianca skated away, heading toward Mia and Cannoli.

“That dog’s famous now,” Max said. “You’ll have requests for her to skate every night.”

“This is how town traditions start,” Logan said, laughing.

“You look happy,” Max said. “Which is all because of me. So you’re welcome.”

“If this works out, you’re never going to let me forget it, are you?”

“Heck, no. This is the greatest accomplishment of my life,” Max said.

“I thought it was adopting Bianca and marrying one of the best women on the planet?” Logan asked.

“That too, brother. That too. Isn’t life sweet?”

“Sweeter by the day,” Logan said, meaning every word.

Logan arrived with Mia and Cannoli for the cookie decorating party after it had already started.

“You okay?” Logan asked as they headed up the stairs of his mother and father’s front porch.

“Sure. A little scared.”

He kissed her quickly before holding the door for her to proceed him into the house. “You’ll be fine. If you get overwhelmed, we can leave.”

He opened the door without bothering to knock. With the noise coming from inside, no one would hear them anyway. Coats were piled by the door, and from the kitchen came the chatter of voices and the smell of sugar cookies.

They followed the noise into the kitchen, where the warm, buttery scent of sugar cookies wrapped around them like a hug.

Laughter and the clink of icing knives on plates filled the air.

The big farmhouse table was crowded with Hayes family members, sleeves rolled up, heads bent in concentration as they decorated cookies in every shape imaginable—stars dusted with sparkling sugar, trees laden with green frosting, gingerbread men sporting lopsided grins.

A rainbow of sprinkles, bowls of glossy icing, and cooling racks of fresh cookies covered every inch of the tabletop, evidence of both skill and chaos in equal measure.

Grace was in her element, apron dusted in flour, and surrounded by her grandchildren.

“Mia, hello and welcome.” Logan’s mother drew Mia into a quick hug. “We’re so glad you could join us.”

“Thank you for the invite,” Mia said.

“We’re honored to have a real chef joining us,” Grace said.

Walter appeared behind her, already carrying a tray of sugar cookies ready for icing. “Hey, Mia. Logan. Good to see you.”

Patty arrived a few minutes later, her three children in tow. Molly stuck close to her mom, Benji stared wide-eyed at the table full of cookies, and little Daisy clung to Patty’s coat until Mia knelt down and coaxed her out.

“Come on,” Mia said softly. “Do you want to try decorating one?”

A solemn nod. “Yes, please.”

It didn’t take long for the kids to be folded into the chaos.

Molly settled next to Sophia Hayes, the two girls leaning over their cookies in concentration.

Benji teamed up with Jack, their hands soon very sticky.

Daisy sat beside Lily, happily smearing frosting across a star-shaped cookie before proudly showing it to Mia.

Logan caught sight of Max across the table, helping Bianca with a piping bag.

A year ago, she’d been a shy, quiet eight-year-old, fresh from Italy, stumbling over her English.

Now she was chatting easily with Lily, her words quick and confident.

Logan felt a little tug of pride for his brother. He’d done so well with her.

When the kids were deep in their decorating, Logan found Mia at the edge of the kitchen, talking quietly with Patty. He moved closer, catching the tail end of the conversation.

“… his name’s Grant Stratton,” Mia was saying. “He has a large property up north. Even further than the dairy farm. There’s a guest cottage, and he’s looking for a full-time housekeeper. Abby mentioned you, and he said he’d be happy to meet with you.”

Patty’s eyes widened, her hand instinctively going to Daisy’s shoulder. “Really? That’s amazing. But I’ve never worked for someone like that before.”

“It’s just an interview,” Mia said gently. “But it could be a good fresh start for you and the kids. He said to call him on his mobile. I’ll text you the number.”

Patty’s voice trembled slightly. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”

The moment was interrupted by a burst of laughter as Benji’s frosting bag exploded, showering Jack with green icing. His mother swooped in with a towel, and the kitchen returned to its happy disorder.

Logan leaned against the doorway, content to stay in the background for a moment and just watch Mia. She now sat between Daisy and Molly, working on a Santa shaped cookie. She looked completely at home here, even though he knew she’d been nervous to join them.

His mother bustled past with another tray of cookies, pausing long enough to pat Logan’s arm. “Logan, you’ll never believe who called me. Your cousin Roan. He’s been injured and can’t work as a stuntman any longer. Some kind of serious neck thing. He’s coming home. Next year some time.”

“To Sugarville Grove?” Logan asked.

“He said it was time to come back to the place he grew up,” Grace said. “Isn’t it strange? After all this time? I’ve only heard from him a half dozen times in at least that many years.”