Bells are Ringing Read online

  Table Of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  Maple Sweet Potato Gratins with Ginger Pecan Streusel

  About the Author

  Christmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing

  Copyright @ 2021 Crown Media Family Networks

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Print: 978-1-952210-43-3

  eBook 978-1-952210-44-0

  www.hallmarkpublishing.com

  Prologue

  “Once upon a time…well, fourth upon a time, way up north in the tiny town of Evergreen, Vermont, there lived—”

  “There lived a woman who loved Christmas very, very, very much,” Hannah chimed in as she crossed the carpeted floor of the Evergreen Library’s reading room to stand next to Nick.

  Nick’s boisterous laughter erupted. “Well, if it isn’t Hannah Turner.” He glanced at Hannah and then out to the dozen or so people sitting in rows of chairs. Nick greeted tour groups weekly, and this one seemed captivated by his snowy white hair and full beard. His appearance along with that signature laugh made Nick the perfect spokesperson for a Christmas town such as Evergreen. “You’ve lived in Evergreen all your life, Hannah…why don’t you tell us a story about some of the people here?” he continued.

  “Thanks, Nick,” she replied, and tapped a finger to her chin. There were so many people in Evergreen whom she loved and admired, and the list of stories she could tell…well, Hannah’s busy schedule wouldn’t allow for her to stay that long. “Now then, I’ve lived in Evergreen all my life. I’ve seen people come and go. Our town vet, Allie, for example. She met her husband Ryan and her stepdaughter Zoe here.” Clasping her hands in front of her now, Hannah smiled out to the interested bunch whose attention was now focused on her.

  “A while ago, I watched my friend Lisa rediscover the magic of Evergreen, and then she bought Daisy’s general store and fell for Kevin Miller.” Hannah couldn’t help but sigh at that lovely memory. “And yes, I was here when journalist Katie Connell met her match at the library and landed the story of her life with Ben Baxter. And as if that wasn’t miracle enough that Christmas, my brother Thomas proposed to my good friend, Michelle, right there in front of everyone at the Evergreen Christmas Festival.”

  Not to fall too deeply into the memories without acknowledging some good points for herself, Hannah continued, “And I’ve had a few stories of my own. I wished on the snow globe for someone and…I found someone. I fell in love with my other best friend, Elliot. I guess you know what Christmas does to people around here.”

  Once she put it like that, Hannah tilted her head and recalled all the times she’d wished on that snow globe, only to have none of those wishes come true. Or at least she hadn’t noticed that any had come true, not until Elliot. And boy, hadn’t that still come as a complete shock to her? Who would’ve thought after all the years she’d known Elliot, and how much time they’d spent together at her parents’ Tinker Shop, that one day they’d look at each other and see something totally new, refreshing and spectacular?

  Trembling at the feelings that thinking about her romance with Elliot routinely brought, Hannah cleared her throat and smiled at Nick. “Anyway, this story starts with the Evergreen Christmas Museum. It’s the story of…well, of my Christmas in Evergreen.”

  Chapter One

  Elliot Lee smiled while standing in the Tinker Shop. Through the window he saw a light snow falling, covering the streets of Evergreen. Inside, amidst white beadboard walls and laminate countertops, the ornament-making class had just ended.

  Adding craft classes to the Tinker Shop had been Hannah’s idea, but Elliot had immediately approved. Welcoming the town inside the shop he’d purchased from the Turners, one of the oldest families in Evergreen, had been a stroke of genius. And if doing so had brought him just a little closer to Hannah, then he’d take that as a win too. In fact, anything that concerned him and Hannah was a total bonus for Elliot. How long had he dreamed of their becoming a couple? The years seemed to meld together as he watched her now, wearing dark jeans and a gray-and-white-checked sweater. Her hair was styled in long thin braids. Everything about her seemed the same as the young girl he’d fallen for when he’d first come to Evergreen as a ten-year-old boy—her quick laugh, the way her smile lit up her russet brown eyes, her eagerness to help any and everyone she possibly could. But then there were some differences now that they were a couple, or rather now that he’d finally admitted he was in love with her. Those differences started with his desire to do whatever he could to make her happy. With that thought, his mind circled back to the big thing he needed to tell Hannah, the thing that Elliot was certain would complete both their dreams and push them toward a new life together.

  “That looks great,” Hannah said to one of the students, her voice snapping him out of his private musings. “I can’t wait to see what you do next week when we try making wreaths.”

  The class began packing up the supplies they’d been using to decorate ornaments.

  “And don’t forget to sign up if you’re interested in our art of gift wrapping class. Presentation is key to a good gift!” he said as some of the students stood and put on their coats.

  “Bye, guys!” Hannah waved at a few of the students heading for the door. She stood at the end of one of the wood-topped islands smiling down at the leftover supplies—glitter, glue, plain white bulbs and more. “I don’t think my parents could have even imagined what this space has turned into. You’ve made it into something the community just loves,” she said, and paused again to wave and say goodbye to the last students exiting the Tinker Shop.

  Elliot was proud of the place as well; proud of all that he’d been able to accomplish in this town where he’d lived since he was ten years old. Hannah, on the other hand, had been here all her life, and so she had an even closer connection to Evergreen. Still, Elliot felt as if spending his teenage years here still made him a prominent citizen of the town. Right after high school, he’d left to attend college, and to see what the rest of the world had to offer. But he hadn’t had a moment’s hesitation to return to Evergreen when his mother became ill. Evergreen was a good place and the Tinker Shop had not only become a good investment, but had also started to feel like a part of him.

  “This is exactly what they would’ve wanted,” Hannah continued as she moved behind the island, reaching down to the drawers on the back side to begin cleaning up.

  Elliot loved hearing her approval and the thought that her parents would’ve approved as well. He’d ha
d the chance to get to know Isaac and Barbara Turner, and knew they were terrific people. They’d also produced one amazing daughter. “Couldn’t have done it without you, because someone had to carry on the Turner name,” he said.

  When she tilted her head and smiled at him, Elliot’s chest swelled with the love he’d had for this woman since he was in high school. Of course, she hadn’t looked at him as boyfriend material back then, but luckily, he prided himself on being a patient man. And eventually, well, last year at Christmastime to be exact, their time to be together had finally come.

  “Well, looks like we’re gonna need more space in here now that we’ve added repair and restoration services,” Henry said, coming into the back room of the Tinker Shop where they hosted their classes.

  Henry Miller, with his stocky build and lightly gray streaked brown hair, had been working the front of the store while they ran the ornament-making class. Now, he grabbed his hat and coat off the coat rack and prepared to leave.

  Elliot leaned on the counter where Hannah worked, folding his arms over his chest. “Imagine what we could do with a bigger space,” he said, and glanced back to see her putting the unused bulbs into a box.

  “Oh, yeah, imagine that.” Henry agreed.

  Elliot already had. In fact, he’d imagined it in great detail that he’d summed up into a five-page business plan. A plan he’d been trying to find the right time to discuss with Hannah. Now clearly wasn’t that time, since she hadn’t even responded to his comment. Maybe she hadn’t heard him. Hannah was known for getting lost in her own thoughts, especially when those thoughts circled around her extremely busy schedule. Between her job at the inn, directing the choir, helping out here at the Tinker Shop and the other things she was asked or volunteered to do, there was barely enough time for him in her life. How did he expect to share this new plan he had with her?

  “Thanks again for taking on the repair sessions,” he told Henry. “I really had my hands full with the art lessons.”

  “Oh, no trouble at all,” Henry said as he put on his coat. “It’s exciting to see how you’ve brought this place back to its roots.”

  “I didn’t have much of a choice—the sign outside says ‘Turner Tinker Shop,’” Elliot quoted.

  Now, Hannah did join in the conversation. “Hey, I told you, you should change the name.” She placed a few plastic bins she’d filled with clear bulbs on the shelves behind the counter.

  That was true; she had suggested he change the name of the shop and he’d considered it. He just hadn’t told her that part yet either. “People just keep bringing things for me to fix,” Elliot said, trying to focus on the current conversation. He was well aware that there was another very important discussion that he and Hannah needed to have, whenever he found the time to make it happen. “Especially now that everyone found out that last year, I fixed the snow globe.” He winked at Hannah. She’d been so upset about breaking Evergreen’s famous snow globe. Seeing her that distraught had made Elliot determined to get it fixed. It was important for both Hannah and the town. But the greatest reward had been seeing the smile on Hannah’s face when it was complete. He’d never forget it, or the longing glance they’d each known was opening the door to their love that night.

  To be fair, it hadn’t been Hannah’s fault that she’d bumped into Nick while holding the snow globe and the globe had slipped out of her hands and fallen to the floor. But watching her seem so torn up about it had compelled Elliot to offer to help fix it. He hadn’t realized that after all his years of knowing and liking Hannah and working at the Tinker Shop when her parents were alive that now such a traumatic incident would bring them together. Hannah had come by the shop every day after her shifts at Megan’s Country Inn to help him fix the snow globe.

  “That makes sense to me. The Turners, they could repair anything, but their real love was their art,” Henry said, looking from Hannah and then back to Elliot. “They’d be proud of what you two have built.”

  Henry owned the Christmas tree farm. His wife, Ruth, before she passed away, had been the town’s main event planner. His son, Kevin, had helped Lisa renovate Daisy’s Country Store, which Lisa now owned. And Kevin was now working with Hannah’s brother, Thomas, at the lumber mill Thomas had opened in Evergreen. That’s how things worked in Evergreen: one family connected to another and another. When he was growing up, Elliot had felt like an outsider looking in on all the close-knit relationships. After returning to town as an adult and purchasing the Tinker Shop, he became connected to Hannah and her family, something he’d never imagined happening.

  “Elliot built it,” Hannah said. “I just…”

  “Spend all your time here helping me.” He turned to look at her, feeling that warmth spread throughout his chest as it always did when they were close.

  Henry chuckled and waved before leaving. The bells above the door jingled with his departure.

  “Hey, I told you, you should change the name. My parents wouldn’t have minded.” Hannah came around to the other side of the counter where he stood. “I mean, now that it’s this hybrid art, repair, restoration shop. A multi-purpose space needs a...”

  “Multipurpose name,” Elliot said from behind her, looking up as she mumbled the same thing.

  “Exactly,” she said.

  “I’ve actually been giving that a lot of thought.”

  “Mm hmm.” Hannah never stopped moving. She was always doing something, not content to remain still for long. It was something that had appealed to him all these years: her energy and giving spirit. Lately, though, he’d begun thinking about what would happen if she didn’t have so much to do all the time. How would that affect their relationship? If she weren’t so busy doing everything for everyone in this town, if they could get away and just be Hannah and Elliot, in love and living their life together? What would that look like?

  If all went well with his plans, they could have that and more. The business plan and the loan application he’d submitted were just the first steps. Opening a second Tinker Shop was Elliot’s dream, but it wouldn’t work without Hannah by his side. If only he could figure out how to tell her that.

  He picked up the broom and began sweeping the floor, to keep his mind focused on the matter at hand.

  The grandfather clock chimed at that moment and they both looked at it. It had belonged to Hezekiah Beacon, who’d run the Evergreen post office for forty-five years before his retirement. After he’d passed away, Hezekiah’s grandchildren had brought the clock to the Tinker Shop to be fixed, but had never returned to town to claim it when it was done.

  “Aren’t you going to be late to meet Michelle and Carol before your shift at the Inn?” he asked. Remembering Hannah’s schedule could be difficult sometimes, but it was the only way Elliot was ever able to plan any time to be with her.

  “Yeah, well, I like hanging out here with you,” she said with a pout.

  “Hannah Turner,” he replied, and walked over to stand behind her. “Are you flirtin’ with me?”

  Hannah grinned. “A thousand percent, yes I am.”

  Elliot put the broom aside and moved closer to where she stood with her back facing him. Placing his hands on her hips, he spun her around. “Come here,” he said and pulled her in for a kiss.

  This was all he’d ever really wanted: to be with Hannah. There’d been so many nights he’d dreamed of holding her in his arms this way, of making plans for a future with her, spending the rest of his life with her. And now, they were here and…she needed to be somewhere else.

  “I got this. Go see your friends,” he told her, because he knew that friends and family were very important to Hannah. It wasn’t lost on him that Hannah’s schedule could be making it even more difficult to find the right moment to talk about his plans with her. It was just one more reason for him to want this change for them so desperately. Of course, if he’d been bold enough to tell her there was a
reason she needed to stay here and talk to him right now, she would’ve probably made him the priority, but Elliot wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t stop her from doing what made her happy.

  She didn’t immediately move, but continued to stare at him as if she knew something else was going on. That moment quickly passed and Elliot mentally kicked himself for letting the opportunity slip away again.

  “Don’t forget,” she said while putting on her coat, “We have decorating at the Inn later today.”

  He went back to his sweeping, this time because it was something to do, when he really didn’t know what to do where Hannah and this news he was keeping from her was concerned. “I’ll be there.”

  “Okay. Bye.” She waved and Elliot watched her walk out the door.

  For the next few moments, he simply stood there staring out the door, hearing those bells jingling. How many times had he watched her come in and out of this place, smiling, laughing, talking a mile a minute about whatever she planned to do next? More than he could remember.

  And how many times had he missed the opportunity to tell her how he’d felt about her? Too many to make any kind of sense, until finally the snow globe debacle had seized the opportunity.

  With a sigh, he leaned back against the counter wondering what it was about Hannah Turner that still kept him tied up in knots. And why, now, after they’d been dating for a year and had fallen head over heels in love with each other, did he still find it hard to talk to her about certain things?

  His parents hadn’t been the best communicators, which was the reason why their marriage had ended in divorce and Elliot’s mother had moved him here, a town she’d visited when she was a girl. His mother had wanted to get away from the city and the life of importance his father had built there as a restaurant owner. All along, she’d wanted a simpler life, one where her family sat down together to dinner each night and her only child could grow up with friends and being part of a thriving community. His father had wanted bright lights and success, and somewhere along the line they’d forgotten to tell each other about their differing plans.