Page 19 of You Make It Feel like Christmas
Forcing herself to play it cool in front of Jake and Colt, Maisie grabbed some hot chocolate at a little street vendor before visiting a few more shops, walking beside her brother.
Though Nick didn’t say anything, just walked beside Colt or stood waiting while they poked around, his hands in his pockets, Maisie felt the tension pumping off him.
She didn’t know if it was because of the kiss or because he kept getting recognized.
Maisie assumed he enjoyed it, and maybe he had at one point, but there’d been a lot of drastic changes and events in his life.
Her heart hurt to think of him losing his mom even though he and Ellie had said the relationship was strained at best.
He didn’t talk to reporters but he’d had an altercation with one?
Nick was holding it together but now that she knew about his anxiety, about what he’d been going through, she wondered if he ever just craved space.
He wasn’t getting it right now. It felt like with every stop, more heads turned, the energy around them ramped up, and she became increasingly aware of feeling like people were staring.
Nick switched spots with Jake and walked close to Maisie.
For the first time, she wondered if this was how he felt all the time: on alert. Guarded. Watched.
They were headed back to the Jeep when an elderly woman with a fun rainbow cap stopped in front of them, staring up at Nick.
“I’m Hester Landly, the mayor of Merry. I saw you earlier and thought you looked familiar,” she said, her strong voice making up for her short stature.
It was Colton who reached out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. We love your little town.”
Jake also shook the woman’s hand but Nick stayed quiet, like he was waiting. Despite not having one clue where things were going with Nick, Maisie felt protective of him. Stepping closer, she looped her arm through his. He looked down at her, a small smile on his lips and surprise in his gaze.
Hester didn’t seem bothered by Nick’s silence. “You’re Nick King.” She pointed a bony finger at him, her bright-red nail polish a little ominous even if it was a great color.
“Yes, ma’am.” Nick nodded.
Hester scrunched her face, making the cap move a bit on her forehead.
“Call me Hester. We’re having our annual festival tomorrow.
It’s a celebration to welcome in the holidays and come together as a community to raise money for those in need.
We were in the news once, you know.” She gestured to the stores.
“It’s like an outdoor market, the kids’ choir and the church put on performances, there’s food, and all the money we raise goes toward helping those who can’t have a good Christmas. ”
“That’s lovely,” Maisie said. “Does your town have a newspaper and a photographer?” She did some freelance jobs for The Seattle Times now and again. She didn’t write the stories but she did send them photos that got used, which paid decently.
“We do. What we don’t have,” Hester said, stepping closer to Nick, having to crane her neck to keep looking at him. “Is a celebrity judge. Our sweet goat, David, is under the weather.”
Nick looked at Maisie, then Colton and Jake. He seemed to back up a bit like he wanted nothing to do with wherever this was going.
Jake was mouthing goat to Maisie as a small crowd gathered near them.
Turning toward Nick, not particularly thrilled with how many phones had been pulled out to capture photos, Maisie startled at the feel of his arm moving.
He pulled his hand out of his pocket and used it to pull her closer, settling it on her waist.
“David who?” Nick asked.
Hester’s brows rose. “David Rose. He’s named after the character in Schitt’s Creek . He nibbled on a poinsettia. He’ll be okay but I don’t think he’s up for judging the cookie competition.”
“What?” Nick’s stance stiffened as more people surrounded them. “What’s he the G.O.A.T. of?”
“I don’t understand the question, young man. Are you in town tomorrow? Is there any way we could convince you to step in for David? We’d greatly appreciate it and you’d get a dozen Christmas cookies for your help.”
Colton buried his face in Jake’s shoulder to hide his laughter.
Nick scanned the crowd while moving his hand to link his fingers with Maisie’s. “You said he was the greatest of all time. What sport does he play?”
Jake had one arm around Colton while someone in the circle showed him a photo on his phone. Jake laughed loudly.
“Goats don’t play sports. If you can’t do it that’s fine, but there’s no reason to be cheeky,” Hester said, crossing her arms as well as she could in her puffer jacket.
Nick took a small step back and Maisie felt the tension seeping into him like slow filling a balloon. She squeezed his fingers tightly and he gripped hers back.
“Uh, Nick?” Colton called. “They mean an actual goat.”
The guy beside him turned his phone to show a picture of a grayish-white goat with a big red bow around his neck.
Hester looked over to Colton then back at Nick. “Of course I mean an actual goat. What else would I mean?”
Maisie turned her face into Nick’s arm, biting her lip. Oh God. She was worried about him having a public panic attack and he was being asked to step in for a barn animal.
He dipped his head so his lips touched her ear. “You laughing at me, Maze?”
She nodded against his arm. “Yes. When was the last time you got asked to step in for livestock?”
“That would be never.”
She lifted her head and knew her smile was on the side of ridiculous as she beamed up at him. “Then this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”