Bells are Ringing Read online

  Elliot didn’t want that to happen with Hannah. He had to tell her about his goals and dreams since they involved her. She was such a huge part of this plan he’d set in motion a few months ago and he was excited to share it with her, to hear what ideas she’d come up with to add to it. He knew that’s what she’d do; it’s exactly what had happened when he’d taken over the Tinker Shop, and he’d loved every second of her being right there by his side. So why had he just let her walk out the door without saying anything?

  He had no clue, and when a group of carolers walked by singing “Jingle Bells,” he began humming the tune as well. Diverting his mind to the festiveness of the season seemed like a smart idea for the moment as he continued to sweep the floor.

  Chapter Two

  If there was one thing Hannah Turner loved, it was walking through the town of Evergreen. There was never a day where she’d see the same thing twice, even though the town wasn’t that big. And during the Christmas season, since Evergreen was known as a Christmas town, there were even more delights for her to spy while out walking.

  Today was an especially nice day, with the streets lightly lined with snow and Christmas carols playing through the loudspeakers in the Town Square. People—citizens of the town mixed with tourists—filled the sidewalks in their hurry to get into one of the quaint little shops along the square or one of the lovely restaurants that all served delicious holiday-themed dishes.

  “Hi, Mrs. Pringle,” she said with a wave as the older woman came out of Daisy’s and climbed into her car.

  “Hey, Hannah. You almost ready for the wedding? I hear it’s going to be the event of the year.”

  “Almost,” Hannah replied.

  Her brother Thomas was marrying Michelle Lansing, who was the first Black woman to be elected mayor of Evergreen, and one of Hannah’s closest friends. Michelle had been planning this wedding all year and on December 23rd, she was going to become Hannah’s sister-in-law. Hannah was just as excited about the event as Michelle was. She couldn’t wait to wear the beautiful silver gown Michelle had picked out for her, or to stand at the altar of the church watching her brother marry the woman of his dreams. With that in mind, she needed to stop by the cleaners on her way home today to make sure her dress had been steamed and was ready to pick up. Then there was the bridal shower. She had no idea what Michelle’s sister, Sonya, had planned. Since Sonya was the maid of honor, Hannah had tried to pull back from doing too much for the wedding, but Sonya didn’t live in Evergreen, so it made more sense for Hannah to take care of it.

  “Whoa,” Hannah yelled when she bumped into someone. “Oh, Nick. Hi!”

  “Well, hello there. Are you coming to mail a letter to Santa?” Nick, who always seemed to be around town, though she’d never known where he worked or lived, nodded down at the red mailbox marked “Letters for Santa.”

  “I’ll get to it, I’m just late meeting—”

  “Now remember where all that rushing about landed us last time,” Nick warned.

  Hannah smiled, noting the cheerful red plaid scarf Nick wore around his neck. “Oh, don’t remind me, I still have nightmares about breaking the snow globe.”

  “Nonsense, that was on both of us. We broke it, and I’ll disagree with anyone who says otherwise.”

  Hannah nodded. “Well, don’t worry, I tiptoe by it every time now.”

  Nick chuckled, a boisterous full-bodied sound that always reminded Hannah of the jolly Santa character in the old Christmas cartoons she loved to watch. “It’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities each day counting down,” he said and inhaled deeply, looking around the Town Square decorated in all its Christmas splendor. “Evergreen has that spirit. Everyone helping out.”

  “My parents used to joke that Evergreen was the kind of place that people would help out even if you didn’t need them to.”

  “They certainly made their mark on this town,” he told her.

  That comment made Hannah feel nothing but pride. How great was it to have everyone in town always talk about her parents with such respect, love and reverence. It still amazed her that she’d come from two such generous and talented people. She only wished she’d one day live up to the high standards they’d set.

  While she was lost in her thoughts, Nick looked down at his watch. “Goodness, is that the time?”

  Hadn’t he just warned her about rushing?

  “Good to see you, Nick!” Hannah yelled when Nick dashed off. “Bye!”

  She picked up the pace heading toward the Kringle Kitchen, the most popular restaurant in town. Carol and Joe Shaw, a couple who might’ve been in their early sixties, owned the place; they’d also been best friends with Hannah’s parents. The Kringle, as everyone in town lovingly called it, was also the home of Evergreen’s famous snow globe—the one Hannah would not be touching again anytime soon.

  “Oh, hi! Sorry I’m late, guys.” Hannah waved at the table where Carol and Michelle, who was maybe ten years younger than Carol, both sat waiting for her. Michelle’s hair was curly today, hanging down to her shoulders in that rich sandy-brown hue that Hannah loved. She wore a smart green and blue plaid jacket over a navy turtleneck, and she looked every inch the elected leader of Evergreen.

  “Oh, no, you’re not late at all,” Carol said as Hannah walked by her, taking off her coat. “You want some apple cider?”

  Hannah hung her coat on the back of the chair. “Yes. Please.” She took a seat and scooted her chair close to the table, being sure not to knock anything over. In the middle of each table there were red jars with branches of holly. Alongside that was a sleigh-shaped napkin holder and reindeer salt and pepper shakers. They were just a small part of the many Christmas decorations at the Kringle that made the place so festive and welcoming.

  “I just happened to use the recipe from the new Kringle Kitchen cookbook,” Carol said proudly, flipping back a strand of straight blond hair. She wore a white blouse with ropes of pearls, and a royal blue sweater that accented her friendly blue eyes. “First printing arrived yesterday.”

  “Congratulations, Carol,” Hannah said. “I can’t wait to buy a copy.”

  “Thank you.”

  Hannah had spent countless hours in this restaurant, studying while she was in school, and planning out aspects of her various jobs as an adult. This place was like a second home to her; besides that, because of her parents’ friendship with Carol and Joe, Hannah felt connected to them and everything they did.

  “So, ladies, the secret to the cider is adding the syrup from the Maple Syrup Sugar Shack,” Carol whispered conspiratorially.

  Michelle narrowed her eyes and nodded. “There’s gotta be a shorter way to that.”

  “I know, right?” Carol added with a chuckle.

  Hannah joined in, laughing lightly, as Carol walked away to get the cider. “So, Michelle, your wedding. What’s left to do? How can I help you?”

  “Well, there’s really not much left,” Michelle said with a shake of her head.

  “The key for me,” Michelle continued, “is keeping it small.”

  Carol returned with their drinks just in time to chime in, “Uh, are you sure it’s not too small?”

  Hannah had been thinking the same thing, but she hadn’t wanted to say it. After all, this was Michelle’s wedding and she didn’t want to overstep.

  “Well,” Michelle began. “That’s what we wanted. We met around Christmas, fell in love around Christmas. We wanted our wedding to be around Christmas.” She looked from Hannah back to Carol. “We don’t want to get in the way of anybody’s celebration, so a nice little ceremony on the 23rd, then we can spend our first Christmas together as husband and wife.”

  The collective “Aww” from Hannah and Carol was acknowledged by Michelle’s smile. Thomas and Michelle really were a very cute couple. Hannah had been ecstatic when she’d first seen the sparks flying between them la
st year when Thomas and his son, David, had come home for Christmas. Then, when Thomas decided to open a branch of his company here, Hannah knew Michelle had been a big part of that decision. She’d forever be grateful to Michelle for bringing her brother back home.

  “That’s so nice,” Hannah said. “You two are a perfect couple.”

  “So when does Thomas get back?” Carol asked while tossing a towel over her shoulder.

  Hannah grabbed a napkin to wipe her hands before picking up her mug to take a sip of cider.

  “As soon as he closes the logging camp for Christmas,” Michelle replied. “He waits for all of his employees to leave safely.”

  Something Hannah knew her father had done on plenty of occasions when bad weather was brewing here in Evergreen. Closing the shop by himself and driving the fifteen minutes to their house, where her mother would be nervously waiting, was nothing to Isaac. As long as his staff was safe, he knew he’d be all right.

  “Well, he’ll be fine, and we will just focus on making sure that your family gets in,” Carol said.

  Michelle sighed. “Yeah, that’s the other issue. My dad, Gordon. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but there’s something he’s not telling me.” Shaking her head, she continued, “Every time I ask him about his travel plans, he says he’s about to make them, but then he never gives me his itinerary.”

  Hannah stirred the two sticks of cinnamon inside her cider. “Oh, well, I’m sure he’s just busy. I mean, he’s not going to miss his daughter’s wedding.”

  Carol nodded her agreement just as David walked up to the table. The sixteen-year-old looked so industrious in his red Kringle Kitchen apron, and so much like Thomas, with the same almond-brown complexion and close-cut black hair. David was usually only with Thomas every other Christmas, and in those years, Thomas would come home to Evergreen, as he had last year. But this year, because of Thomas’s wedding, David’s mother had allowed him to spend the two-week Christmas break here and Carol had given him a job at the Kringle, just as she did with most of the teenagers in town.

  “Hey Aunt Hannah, can I get you anything? A peppermint hot chocolate? I’m getting pretty good at making them,” David said.

  “I’m sure you are,” Hannah replied and held up the mug she’d just taken a sip from. “But I already have an apple cider.” But then, watching the quick flash of disappointment on her nephew’s face, she continued. “How about you make me a hot chocolate for our Christmas movie marathon tonight?”

  “Deal,” David said. “I’ve gotta get back to work now.”

  “Oh, I love that kid,” Carol said as they all watched David walk away.

  “He’s a great kid,” Hannah said. “Having him stay with me while Thomas is away has been the best time. And he talks to Thomas every night about this job.”

  “So sweet,” Carol said. “Well, hey, I gotta go help out in the kitchen. I’ll be back.”

  When she was gone, Hannah looked over at the book Michelle had open on the table.

  “All white flowers and twinkle lights on frosted white tree branches, that sounds beautiful,” she told her.

  “I know, right?” Michelle beamed. “I wanted something simple, yet elegant. I’ve even decorated my whole house in sky blue, silver and white this year, so it’ll match the wedding colors.”

  “Oh, Michelle, that was such a lovely idea.” Hannah loved wedding planning almost as much as she loved Christmas. “It’s so creative, I can definitely see myself trying to think of something a little bit out of the box for my wedding.”

  Oh no! Had she said that out loud? Michelle tilting her head to stare at her basically screamed that yes, she definitely had.

  “You know, I was thinking about that the other day,” Michelle said.

  Hannah cleared her throat. “Thinking about what?” Because Hannah hadn’t thought about it that much. Certainly not every day since Elliot had told her he loved her.

  “About whether there’d be another Christmas proposal coming this year.” Michelle shrugged. “I mean, this is Evergreen and we’ve been known to have some love connections during the season.”

  “No, no, I don’t think…” She stopped, figuring that by the way Michelle continued to watch her, denial was probably useless. “What I mean is that it’s not something that Elliot and I have discussed.” And that was the truth: They’d never talked about marriage. Her conversations with Elliot mostly revolved around the Tinker Shop, new ideas for the Tinker Shop, what movies to watch and what to have for dinner. Funny how she hadn’t realized that until just this moment.

  “Well, we might just have to give Mr. Elliot a push,” Michelle added with a smile.

  “Please don’t,” Hannah insisted. “I wouldn’t want him to do something just because somebody told him to do it. Maybe he’s not ready for marriage.” Should she find out? Having a family she could love and cherish in Evergreen was all she’d ever wanted. If it wasn’t on Elliot’s list of things to do, wouldn’t it be better to know that sooner, rather than later?

  “No, I’m not gonna be that blunt. I’m talking about something like maybe purposely aiming my bouquet at you during the toss. You catch it and the rest is history.” Michelle sat back as if her idea was actually a brilliant one.

  Hannah wasn’t so sure, and her and Elliot’s future was not what she’d come here to talk to Michelle about. “Let’s just focus on your wedding for now. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

  Michelle didn’t look like she welcomed the shift in subject, but with a slow shake of her head she continued, “Anyway, you’re going to look stunning in your bridesmaid gown. Thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of this.”

  Hannah waved a hand. “Nonsense. There’s no thanks necessary. Do you know how long I’ve wanted a sister? I mean, Thomas is a great big brother, after we got past those years of him pulling my pigtails and breaking my dolls.” She laughed at the memory.

  “He loves you so much.”

  Hannah wondered if Michelle knew her eyes lit up each time she talked about Thomas. “And I love him, which is only one reason why I’m so anxious for you to become my sister-in-law.”

  “Oh, really, what’s the other reason?” Michelle grinned as she continued to flip through pages of the book.

  Of course, her question was just a joke, but Hannah answered anyway. “You’ve been such a great inspiration since you moved to Evergreen. I know you came here to visit while you and Allie were in college together, but when you got here, you just blended in and after a while we all started to think of you as if you’d been here forever.”

  Michelle sighed. “I know. That’s why I love this town so much. Everybody opened their arms to me when I moved here and started working as principal at the middle school. Then, when Ezra announced he was moving to Boston and Allie convinced me to run for mayor, the town voted me into office. I’ve never known a place like Evergreen before.”

  Hannah looked around. “There’s definitely no place like home.”

  Now it was Michelle’s turn to look at her watch. “Well, I hate to leave when I was the one who scheduled this meeting, but I have to get to an interview.” She closed her planning book.

  “An interview?” Hannah asked.

  “Yeah,” Michelle answered. “At the Evergreen Christmas Museum. I know I spearheaded it, but I don’t want to be in charge permanently, so I’m looking to hire a manager to take over.”

  Hannah had been to the museum, or what had been started in the old building at the end of the Town Square. She wondered what it would end up looking like and what types of things would be on display. There were so many great parts of Evergreen to spotlight, in addition to all its Christmas splendor. But before she could ask, Michelle was getting up from her chair.

  “Gotta go.” She hurriedly grabbed her book and coat and rushed toward the door.

  “Good to see you,”
Hannah yelled.

  “You too,” Michelle yelled back before heading out.

  Hannah sat at the table alone, still thinking about the museum, when moments later, the cuckoo clock chimed.

  “Oh, is that the time? I gotta get going too,” Hannah said, and began to get up, grabbing her coat.

  Time waited for no one, as her father used to say.

  Chapter Three

  A few years ago, Meg had decided to open a bed and breakfast. Ryan, Allie’s husband, and Zoe, his daughter, had actually been the very first guests. Since that time, tourists had steadily flocked to the Inn during their stays in Evergreen, making the place one of the local hot spots. Hannah had worked as a part-time clerk and computer guru since the opening, and today sat at her desk behind the check-in station listening as Meg welcomed yet another guest.

  “So it’s room number six and there’s cookies, pretty much always, on that tray,” Meg said to the lovely young woman who’d just checked in. “And welcome to Evergreen.”

  Looking up from her computer, Hannah watched Meg absently push her warm brown hair back behind one ear, revealing the small Christmas light earrings she wore today. Giving the guest her customary, yet genuine, smile, Meg pointed to the tray of cookies. The guest grinned in return as she selected a homemade chocolate chip cookie with red and green candy chips. When the guest waved at Meg and then Hannah, giving a salute with the hand that held her cookie and said, “Thanks,” Hannah happily waved in return.

  “Enjoy your stay,” Hannah heard Meg say, but she’d already turned her attention back to her keyboard.

  After Meg came over to her desk to hand Hannah a Post-it note with the guest’s name on it, Hannah commented, “That makes a full house.”

  “We’ve been full since Thanksgiving,” Meg added with an incredulous look on her face.

  Hannah nodded. “And now, guests are pouring in for the opening of the Christmas Museum,” she continued, and stood to walk a few feet to where a basket of red netting and other decorations sat.