“Evergreen Express. We do a pretty good job of spreading Christmas cheer.”
“We?” Excitement danced in her eyes. “Are you from Evergreen?”
Ben couldn’t hide his pride. “Born and raised.”
“Wow. I’ve been reading a lot about it. It’s been getting a lot of press.” She whipped out her copy of Vermont Traveler magazine, opening it to a dog-eared page, which she began quoting from. “With a world-renowned Christmas Eve festival, Evergreen, Vermont remains a must-see destination for anyone seeking the magic of the Christmas season.”
“All true.” His playful side-glance, he offered no apology. Those things were what he loved about his hometown. “People have a hard time believing it, because at first glance, the articles make us all seem like we’re wandering around under the spell of some kind of peppermint gas leak and we’ve lost our Christmas-addled minds.”
“Like this?” Katie held up the magazine article. “You have five Christmas tree farms. Not tree lots, but farms?”
“The town is in a pine forest,” he explained. “They grow almost as fast as we sell ’em.”
“A local coffee shop called the Kringle Kitchen?”
“Yes, but it’s not named after Santa Claus.”
“Or is it?” She narrowed her eyes.
“No, really, it was originally a bakery that made kringle—”
She raised her hand to stop him mid-sentence. Her voice went up an octave as she went on. “—that also has a snow globe said to grant Christmas wishes.” She rested the magazine in her lap, then shifted her gaze toward him, eyes narrowed with a crooked smile.
Even he was amused. “Okay. Yes. But. The snow globe draws a lot of tourism. And it—” He paused, unable to hold back a laugh. “I get how it sounds, but that snow globe also sort of works?”
She rolled her eyes. “It grants your wishes?”
“I mean…kind of? Not mine specifically, but people I know. Yeah.”
She didn’t look the least bit convinced, but she didn’t seem offended either, and the bottom line was no matter how cynical she seemed at the moment, she was headed for Evergreen. In a few hours, she’d see and experience it all firsthand.
She pressed her lips together, and he could tell before she even opened her mouth that she was getting ready to come out with a zinger. Here it comes.
And she didn’t let him down.
Sitting straighter in her seat, she cocked her head and grinned. “So does the town just magically disappear after Christmas, only to reappear at the first snowfall?”
“Like Brigadoon?” Did she really think the musical reference joke would be lost on him?
She responded with a resounding, “Yes!”
“No. They’re the next town over.” He remained deadpan, enjoying the challenging banter. “We’re rivals because we do fewer musical numbers than they do. But our football team is much better.”
“Good to know.” She pushed her hair back over her shoulder.
Not only pretty, but smart. He was glad to have landed the joke. Not everyone got his sense of humor. “I’m Ben. Baxter.” He extended his hand across the aisle.
“Katie Connell.” She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” He could feel his cheeks reddening, but he couldn’t help it. Her playfulness was fresh, enjoyable. “So, what brings you to Evergreen?”
“Some time off. I had a busy year. I published a novel a few years ago, and since then, I’ve been working on some freelance assignments, and I’ve been doing a lot of reading. When I heard about your town, I thought I should come check it out.”
She’s a writer too. They might actually have something in common, or she could be one of those journalists looking to make fun of Evergreen. It happened all the time. Curious which camp she fell into, he leaned back in his seat. “So, are you also going to be writing about this place?”
“No, you know, I plan on experiencing Evergreen,” she answered almost too fast. “At some point I have to start working on my second novel, and I think it might be good for me to take a break. Clear my head. Change of scenery.”
As the train rounded the next corner, he pointed out the window. “You’re in luck, because scenery is something we do have.”
A flicker of excitement played on her lips as she twisted in her seat to get a better view. She lifted her phone, momentarily forgetting she was nearly out of battery. “Oh, wow.” She gasped, taking in the view of the evergreens against the mountainside’s glistening snow.
“We’re almost there.” Watching her take it all in was like seeing it again for the first time himself.
“I can’t wait.” Katie hugged her things to her chest. “It’s gorgeous.”
The Evergreen Express slowed, its whistle blowing as they inched along to a stop at the train station in Evergreen, Vermont. The depot was small, but with two chimneys puffing white smoke, even with the rooftop covered in snow, it seemed cozy and inviting. Decorated with the same garland and wreaths as the inside of the train, it appeared as if Santa’s elves had been hard at work here too.
The train conductor announced, “Last stop, Evergreen, Vermont.”
Ben let Katie leave ahead of him.
She rolled her bright blue suitcase to the door, and the porter carried it down the stairs. “Thank you.” She grabbed one of the brass rails to steady herself down the steps, extending the handle on her bag. Stepping out of the way, she seemed a little lost as she merged into the throng of locals bundled in their winter coats, hats and scarves, anxiously searching for familiar faces.
Ben exited right behind her with his briefcase, glad to see her slow down and turn back with a smile.
“Wow, would you look at this?” She lifted her hands out as if she might catch the tiny snowflakes floating to the ground around them.
He couldn’t help but enjoy her excitement. “Can I offer you a ride to town?”
“Oh, thanks, but everything I’ve read mentions it’s a beautiful walk.”
“It is a nice walk.” Surprisingly, he was disappointed she refused. He thought their interaction had been fun. Even borderline flirty. Wishful thinking. Shaking it off, he pointed behind him. “So, the center of town is pretty much that way, and that’s where all the action takes place.”
“All right.”
“Okay. See ya.” He turned to go to his car, feeling the teensiest bit of rejection.
“I guess, uh…” He turned just in time to see her do a playful jazz hands as she said, “Merry Christmas!”