Page 35 of Sweet Summertide (Christmas Cove #4)

Theodor ran his fingers through his hair in a futile effort to fight against the wind whipping around to the back of the pickup truck where he sat.

He was minutes away from seeing Holly, and later they would learn who won the grant money.

He hadn’t seen much of Holly since their ice cream date in the boat.

The day afterwards, the Chamber of Commerce had their walk-through during the soft opening.

The most he had seen of her was a smile or a friendly wave from their respective shop windows.

He was impressed that her space had been ready in time for the review at all, though he suspected the majority of the work to fix what the fire had damaged was geared towards the forward-facing elements of her business and not the behind-the-scenes areas.

In addition to the countless workers, Holly’s father had also made several more appearances which only made him long to have his own parents’ support.

The last two weeks had shown him he could manage without his family’s assistance.

His savings would be enough to get him through the next month until his shop was making an income.

Though he didn’t need anything from them now, he still desired, like any child does, to win their approval.

This weekend was the last peaceful time he would have before his dream of being a full-time chocolatier could come true.

He could practically taste his impending success, and it tasted so sweet his mouth watered.

He’d come a long way in the past few weeks, not only with a boost of confidence in his life choices, but also letting his heart have a louder voice in his decision making.

He smiled at his wingman, Alfonso, sitting beside him in the bed of the truck.

“Why so happy, bro?” Alfonso asked with his own goofy grin splashed across his face.

The truck pulled up to the corner on Main and came to a stop.

“Blake Holly Hollis, that’s why,” Theodor said and jumped out of the bed of Leo’s red pickup alongside Alfonso.

His feet hit the cobblestones, and he brushed any dirt or bits of straw from his bottom that he might have picked up during the short trip.

Riding in the back of Leo’s vehicle was preferable to walking into town in this heat, even if it were in the exposed bed with only a horse blanket to sit on.

Alfonso patted Theodor’s back, and they stepped up to the sidewalk. “Millie drives Holly tonight.”

“I know.” Theodor came around the truck. He opened the passenger door and helped America out. Leaning in the doorway, he thanked Leo for the lift.

“Don’t mention it,” Leo said. “We were already headed this way. Do you need a ride back after the fireworks later?”

Theodor waved him off. “It’ll be cooled down enough to walk.”

“Good luck tonight,” America said. “You think you’ll win the grant?”

“I have as good a chance as anyone else. All the owners have worked so hard, and I think that Main Street is better for it,” Theodor said wondering if he really had a good chance.

“I think you’re right,” Leo said. “When I was mayor, I never would have considered that a friendly competition could have had such a big impact on the whole town. I’ll have to thank … the anonymous benefactor later.”

Theodor placed his hands on the hood of the truck. “You know who it is? Who’s giving the money?”

Leo zipped his mouth shut and patted Theodor square on his back as he came around to America’s side. “I can’t say, but you’ll find out tonight for sure.”

Theodor wished he had known who it was this whole time and could have sucked up or sidled up. “Thanks again for the ride. Have fun, you two.”

“You too,” America said and pointed at Theodor and then Alfonso. “Be good.”

Theodor chuckled in his throat. Alfonso was no doubt his best friend in town, and if he was totally honest, the Italian was probably the most loyal friend he had ever had.

It was a relationship Theodor knew he needed in his life.

He threw his arm over Alfonso’s shoulder, and they walked onto Main where the festivities were already in full swing and where he knew he would find Holly.

Groups of families and friends all moved in the same direction towards the old city hall.

Above him, string lights hung between the building rooflines, and red, white, and blue bunting decorated each light post lining the road.

All of Main Street screamed Fourth of July with patriotic streamers and wreaths adorning every corner.

All of the existing businesses were open.

The little boutique had a constant stream of shoppers coming and going.

A food truck, smoking some barbeque, had set up in front of an empty storefront.

Down by his shop, a young man stood below a shade structure making balloon animals for the kids.

Another shade tent housed a woman who was painting children’s faces with flags and butterflies.

A kid ran by, bumping Theodor’s elbow, and then another child pushed between him and Alfonso while brandishing a balloon sword and wearing a balloon pirate hat. “Reminds me of a Hallmark movie,” Theodor commented as he scanned the crowd for Holly’s unmistakable golden ponytail.

“What is Hallmark movie?” Alfonso said.

Theodor had only ever watched one a few years ago.

“When I had my wisdom teeth out, my grandma and I binged-watched a bunch of movies. It’s an American TV channel that plays these cheesy movies and shows that are so not realistic, but the stories show a kind of life that I think we all long for. A happy one.”

“ Si. Rai Movie in Italia same. Alfonso like the kissy kissy amore .” He made the smooching sound towards Theodor’s cheeks and swiftly took an elbow to the ribs.

“Look, look, look,” Theodor said and stopped in his tracks, pulling Alfonso to a stop beside him and patting his chest.

The crowd parted just enough for him to see the hottest women in town walking down the sidewalk towards them. Millie wore a white button-down shirt tucked into a pair of tiny denim shorts. She was cute, but Holly was … “Gorgeous.”

Her hips swayed back and forth along with her ponytail.

A fluffy blue ribbon floated on the breeze behind her head, and little red crystals glittered on the straps of her heels.

She wore a skin hugging white dress with red and blue sequin stars dotting the surface.

The whole Miss America ensemble left little to his feverish imagination.

“Go get your woman,” Theodor said to Alfonso who wasted no time jogging ahead towards Millie.

The action got Millie’s attention, and Holly searched the crowd of faces for a second before her gaze fell on him.

She stopped and smiled while preforming a little curtsy.

Theodor swirled his finger in the air, and she did a little twirl with her hands held out by her hips.

When she came all the way around, she kicked up her heel and tilted her head like a little girl showing off her new outfit and it was the best thing he’d seen in days, since their boat ride.

The Chamber had done their inspection a couple days ago, and he hadn’t seen her since, though he’d looked across the street dozens of times.

The wait was worth it. He liked seeing her all fixed up, but he had also enjoyed seeing her in her red one-piece bathing suit and matching linen shorts that she wore on their ice cream date.

He watched as she whispered something to Millie and skipped the short distance to where he had stopped, halting only when her body collided with his.

Holly reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek with her pillowy soft lips.

“Look at this.” She backed away, raised a brow, and started scrambling her hands over the little stars on her dress.

The red sequins flipped to gold and the blue sequins flipped and became silver.

Her face lit up with excitement at the trick.

“How long have you been waiting to show someone this dress?”

“Longer than I want to admit,” she said with wide eyes, waiting for approval. “I thought you’d appreciate the flair.”

He kissed her nose. “It’s adorable.” He pecked her lips. “And so are you.”

Theodor took her right hand and held it high over her head, leading her into a twirl like a dance.

“You might as well be Miss Independence Day in this dress. All you’re missing is a crown.

” He had an idea and, with Holly in tow behind him, hastened towards the young man twisting balloons under the shade tent.

He leaned in, cutting in front of a few patient children, and asked for a crown for Holly.

“What are we doing?” she said and giggled nervously. “I don’t need a sword or a poodle or whatever he’s making.”

Theodor placed a finger against her painted red lips and watched the boy go to work with a pair of golden balloons the length of his arm.

He twisted and manipulated the rubber to within an inch of its life, and after what didn’t seem like enough time to create such a masterpiece, the boy presented Holly with a grand tiara.

Theodor handed the boy a few bucks and fit the crown onto Holly’s head.

“My princess,” he said and bowed.

A little girl, maybe four years old, pulled on Holly’s arm and she squatted down to the girls’ level. “Are you a real princess?” Her clear eyes were opened wide with a smile to match.

“I am today. And you can be one too.” Holly removed the crown and stuck it on the girl’s head. “There, now you look like a princess too. All you have to do is be a kind person and hold your head up high.”

The girl turned to her father and pointed her finger at his face. “Bow down to me, servant,” she demanded, causing Holly to bite her lips between her teeth to stifle the giggle threatening to escape her throat.

“I tried.” Holly turned around and finally let out the laugh. “I have a surprise for you.” She led him down the sidewalk, not in a hurry, but determined.