“Pretty good.” Boone glanced to Vivien, hoped his answer was truthful.
“Wow. Nice sweater.” He gave Boone a once-over, a hand covering his smirk.
Boone laughed. “Thanks. Just working our way through Vivie’s list.” He caught her eye, gave her a smile, hoping it told her the list was important to him because it was important to her. “How’s the Living Nativity?”
Peter looked at Vivien. “Actually, I tried to call you earlier. I can’t find a few of the costumes.”
“My phone isn’t working. You’ll have to call or text Boone to reach me.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t happen to know where the shepherd and angel costumes would be, do you? Could they be at the playhouse?”
Vivien set down her drink. “No, they should be at the church in the storage room with the manger and other set pieces. That’s where I put them.”
Peter shook his head. “Yeah, for some reason I haven’t found them. They might have been moved when the flooring was replaced last summer.”
Vivien pressed her lips together. “I’m pretty sure I saw them when we put the Vacation Bible School stuff away.”
“I’ll look again.” He put his hand on Boone’s chair. “I’ll let you two get back to your list. I’m going to grab a coffee and hustle back to the church. I think my sheep fell through, so I need to make a few calls.”
“Your sheep?”
“For the Living Nativity.”
“Sure. See you later.” Boone lifted his cup.
Vivien waved. “You’d better get baa-ck then,” she said, giving a surprisingly good sheep impression.
Peter pointed a finger at her. “Good one.”
By the look on Vivien’s face, she was proud of that quick quip. And this time, she smiled at Boone across the table.
“That was funny.”
She held a straight face for a beat before giggling. “I couldn’t resist.”
He loved hearing her laugh.
She looked at her watch and then scanned her list. “I’ll need to grab my mail while we’re in town too.”
“Is that on the list?”
She pointed to the well-worn piece of paper. “It is.”
“Well then—” His phone buzzed, and he pulled it from his pocket. Read the text. “Great. Jack says the battery chargers aren’t with the radios.”
“And that can’t wait?”
“If they weren’t shipped, then I need to follow up before the vendor closes for the holiday. I’ll have to check at the house. We need the radios—we can’t be sending out the team without communication equipment.”
“But do you have to do it right now?”
He couldn’t miss the disappointment in her voice and, shoot, he didn’t want to have to sidetrack to the house or HQ.
“I’ll be gone next week. You know that Caribbean honeymoon we planned?” They should have just planned a destination wedding like Caleb had suggested—or better yet, eloped. Because all this wedding stuff was starting to suffocate him. “Shall we go?” He stood and pulled his coat back on. “We can run by my place and see if I missed a box.”
She wrapped her hands around the tall cup and stared at it a moment before looking up at him. “You go ahead. I’ll wait here.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah. The dry cleaner isn’t open yet. Go ahead.” She waved him off, her voice quiet and resigned.
But even as he drove through town minutes later, Vivien’s disappointment gnawed at him, and he couldn’t help but think he’d gone right ahead and made the wrong decision.
CHAPTER 5
WEDNESDAY, 11:45 A.M.
Vivien had nearly had enough of the merriment and mistletoe. Everyone else seemed wholly unaffected by the calamities at hand—a winter storm, stranded guests, and disrupted flower shipments. Not to mention a catastrophic sled crash that could have resulted in a concussion, cast, or crutches.
And, okay, she hadn’t actually almost died while sledding, but still.
A wedding dress with crutches. Oh, that would probably go viral on her Instagram profile.
Everywhere she looked, faces were jolly and bright. And, well, certainly their Christmas would be white.
Kathy walked by, pausing to wipe down the vacated table next to Vivien.
“Where did your groom run off to?”
Good question.
Oh, she didn’t want to be jealous of Boone’s work. But home, being with family—those were pieces of the family she’d always hoped to have. The pieces she hadn’t had as a child herself.
And he’d bailed on her. Yes, she’d told him to go. But deep down, she’d been hoping he’d see it through her eyes. Put her first.
She gave a smile she didn’t feel. “He just had to go take care of something.”
“Ah. Got it. Can I get you anything else while you wait?” Kathy finished wiping down the table and scooted the chair back in.
“No. I’m good. Thanks.”
The carolers started in on another chorus. Everyone was sitting with someone.
Except her. The bride-to-be. No, she was not feeling comfort or joy.
Could she really give her whole heart, knowing this is who he was? Dashing off for this thing or that?
Don’t ever give away your whole heart.
Because if there was one place she really wanted to be center stage, it was in his life. And it had been different while they were dating. Separate houses. Time apart.
Plenty of margin to buffer other commitments.
Like his emergency callouts.
Oh, boy. A little self-realization cut into her. Like her community theater events and the crazy amount of time the rehearsals and performances took.
She grabbed her coffee cup and stood from the table, wove her way out the door, and stood on the frozen sidewalk. Shoveled snow mounded along the curbside, and footsteps left wintry prints where passersby had trod.
Her hat slouched forward on her head, and she tilted it back, snugging it into place. The post office wasn’t a long walk and, well, maybe the frosty air would cool her nerves.
Maybe.
Minutes later, she grabbed her mail from the post office box and tugged her glove off, the cold air stinging her bare skin. She shuffled through the bills, her fingers landing on a pamphlet for the coming Minneapolis theater season. My Fair Lady. Carousel. Into the Woods. The audition dates were posted next to the summer and fall show listings.
And a little familiar itch rooted itself. She could almost feel the warmth of the makeup table lights. See her reflection in the mirror. Hear the applause when the curtain fell.
I’m glad New York didn’t get to keep you. Emma’s words bit at her soul.
She ran her hands across the glossy cast headshots for the spring show, already cast, and a sharp blade of what-could-have-been sliced through her tender emotions. The life she’d left behind.
Chasing dreams.
She ambled back toward Java Cup.
Ahead, a door opened on the sidewalk, and the smell of baking bread swallowed Vivien.
“I’ve been looking all over for you!” Ree stood in the doorway of Flashy Fox Bakery. “What are you doing?”
“Getting the mail?” She waved her stack of envelopes and flyers.