Once Upon a Winter, page 10
“Ready?” he asked, his hand on the door.
“Ready,” Laura confirmed, returning his smile.
The bell jingled softly as they entered, and Jessica looked up from behind the counter, her silver hair catching the light. She arched an eyebrow, clearly not surprised to see them.
“Laura, Cooper,” Jessica greeted them, her voice cool yet somehow welcoming. “Nice to see you! What’s this?” She fixed her eyes on the package.
Laura felt relieved to set the box on the counter and have it out of her hands. “This snow globe is… too much.”
Jessica’s brow furrowed. “Too much? How so?”
“It’s making things happen.”
“Things?” Jessica’s deep-blue eyes flickered with curiosity.
Laura nodded. “Things I didn’t ask for. And not just me. My sister was a little upset and said something she didn’t mean, and the snow globe made her wish come true. At least it didn’t do permanent damage, but there were broken bones. Well, one bone. Her big toe.”
Jessica’s face seemed to be stuck in a curious squint.
“But think of the possibilities. It’s scary.” The more Laura tried to explain, the less sense she seemed to make.
Cooper said, “It’s disrupting her life and mine in the process.”
Laura said gently, “We were hoping you’d take it back.”
Jessica said, “I don’t understand.”
Laura was desperate. “Please.”
Laura and Cooper exchanged looks, then Cooper said, “Look, I don’t believe in this stuff. To be honest, it sounds a little out there. But I can’t deny stuff has happened. Laura’s sure it’s the snow globe.”
Jessica shook her head as if confused.
Returning the snow globe was harder than Laura had thought it would be. “It kind of grants wishes, except they’re not really wishes.” When Jessica didn’t seem to register any understanding, Laura continued. “Do you ever talk to yourself? No, you probably don’t, but I do. It sounds crazy. But sometimes, I just voice my thoughts out loud without thinking. But since I got the snow globe, random things that I say seem to come true but not in ways you’d expect.”
“Such as…?”
Laura winced. There was no way around it; she needed to give at least one example, no matter how nutty she sounded. “Well, when I first brought it home, I set it on the mantel and noticed there was a guy outside the little house—which looks surprisingly like my little house, I might add. Anyway, I was just being silly. I said something about how I wished Santa would drop a hot guy like that down my chimney.”
She winced again and looked at Jessica. “I mean, people say things like that, don’t they?” She shrugged.
Jessica seemed like she might be considering it, although maybe she was just being polite.
Laura started to steal a glance at Cooper, but she couldn’t bear the thought of what she might see, so she focused on Jessica. “So, you’d think if it were just, you know, a typical magical… snow globe…” Now you’re sounding completely unhinged. “It would just drop a guy down my chimney. That would be the literal interpretation, right?”
Apparently, seeing that Laura was struggling, Cooper came to the rescue with his version. “Then Laura’s roof started leaking, and she called me to fix it.”
For the first time, Jessica looked as though she understood, and she turned to Laura. “That must be when you stopped in the shop, asking for a handyman.”
Laura felt oddly relieved. Something she’d said had made sense. “Yes! Exactly! So then Cooper arrived on my doorstep to fix my roof and the damage the leak caused.”
Jessica seemed to be waiting for something. Laura looked at Cooper as though he had the answer. Following Laura’s lead, Jessica turned to him too.
Cooper’s mouth opened, but nothing came out until he rolled his eyes and said, “She thinks I’m the guy she asked to be dropped down the chimney.”
“The hot guy?” Jessica corrected with twinkling eyes.
Cooper narrowed his eyes at her then moved on. “Since then, there have been a series of coincidences that may or may not be related to the snow globe. Either way, it’s causing some friction between us.”
Thoroughly embarrassed, Laura was beginning to wonder whether she should’ve just kept the darn thing, then Cooper said something she hadn’t expected.
Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Friction?”
Without flinching, Cooper said, “Yes, Jessica, friction. I like Laura, and I think she likes me. But neither of us will be able to discover our true feelings unless we get rid of that snow globe. Then we’ll know for certain that our feelings are real and not some snow globe love potion.” He winced, glanced at Laura, and looked straight at Jessica. “We can’t go on like this.”
Laura’s heart stopped for a moment. She hadn’t realized how close they were to… not being close. Cooper’s version of events sounded absurd. Worse yet, he was clearly over the snow globe and nearly over her.
Meanwhile, something in Jessica’s eyes made her appear on the verge of a smile. “Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it?” asked Laura.
“Of course,” Jessica said nonchalantly. “However, I must caution you. These snow globes have a way of—”
That got Cooper’s attention. “These? There are others?”
Jessica tilted her head matter-of-factly. “Oh. Didn’t I tell you?”
Laura almost shouted but restrained herself and let out a more modulated, “No! I think I would’ve remembered something like that!”
Jessica said, “Oh. Well, there’s a lovely man who makes these. He lives in the backwoods of Maine and makes one every year in his workshop.”
With a snarky look, Cooper said, “His name wouldn’t be Santa, would it?”
Jessica smiled patiently. “No, it’s Steve.”
Laura gave him a sideways nudge with her boot. If he didn’t lose the attitude, Jessica might change her mind.
Jessica said, “He’s a bit of a recluse. He comes in once a year, just before Thanksgiving, and drops off a snow globe to sell on consignment. I wouldn’t worry about the return. I don’t think he does it for the money. I mean, what did you pay, ninety dollars? One of those per year isn’t nearly enough to live on, is it?”
Laura felt guilty. “Look, I don’t need the money. If you would just take it back and maybe sell it to somebody else, everybody wins.”
“Well, that would spare me the awkwardness of explaining to Steve. He’s such a dear man. I’d hate to hurt his feelings.”
The whole situation was making Laura increasingly uncomfortable. “You mean he’s never had one returned before?” She found that hard to believe.
Jessica shook her head slowly. “Nope. Never.”
As if sensing that Laura was weakening, Cooper said, “Well, there’s always a first time, and this has to be it.”
Jessica picked up the snow globe. “I’ll just put this back on the shelf.” She passed halfway by and turned back to Laura. “I should warn you…”
Laura’s stomach sank. No, please. Not another warning.
“Steve mentioned once that the snow globes had a way of finding their way to the person who needs them.”
Laura nervously glanced at Cooper, wondering what Jessica’s cryptic words meant. What’s it going to do, hitchhike back to my house? She bit her lip and accepted the warning. “Oh. Well, I don’t need it, so… problem solved.”
Cooper ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe it was a mistake and Laura wasn’t the person it was meant for. So we’re doing our part to get it back to where it belongs.”
Jessica didn’t look like she was buying Cooper’s interpretation, but she returned the snow globe to its shelf.
Once it was safely in its place, Cooper said, “Thank you, Jessica.”
“Yes, thank you,” echoed Laura.
After wishing Jessica a merry Christmas, Laura and Cooper left the store. Outside, Laura shivered from more than the cold winter air.
Cooper said, “Well, that’s done.”
Laura sighed with relief. “Yeah, it is.” I hope.
Cooper pulled Laura into his arms and gave her a reassuring hug and a kiss on the cheek. He paused, his eyes fixed on hers. “What are you doing the day after tomorrow?”
“That’s Christmas Eve.”
“I know. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
He’d caught her by surprise. “I don’t really have plans. I used to go over to my parents’ house on Christmas Eve, but since I’ve moved, I don’t think they’d expect me to drive back and forth two days in a row, so… I don’t know. I guess I’ll be here.”
“What about spending Christmas Eve at my house? Nothing fancy, but I promise I’ll feed you. There might be a fire and possibly movies. What do you think?”
“Oh.” What did she think? In the back of her mind, she’d had the idea that he might lose interest in her once the snow globe was gone. But his invitation had planted a seed of hope. “I guess I assumed you’d spend Christmas Eve with your mother.”
“It’s a fair assumption, but she volunteers Christmas Eve delivering toys from a toy drive, so we always get together on Christmas Day. So if you haven’t got plans…”
Laura’s heart filled with warmth. “Yes—I mean, no. I haven’t got plans.”
“Good. Then it’s a date.”
A date. “Good.”
They stood smiling at one another until it became awkward. Cooper broke the silence with a grin. “Okay, then. Christmas Eve. See you later.”
“Bye.” Laura turned and started walking, barely able to remember where she was going. She was overreacting, yet she didn’t care. She was thrilled at the thought of spending Christmas Eve with Cooper. Then she remembered she hadn’t even asked what she could bring. And on Christmas Eve, she couldn’t show up without a gift. She still had some last-minute Christmas shopping to do, so she added one more item to the list and headed for her favorite shops.
Fifteen
The scent of fresh-brewed coffee and cinnamon filled the air as Cooper pushed open the door to the coffee shop. He spotted Enzo by the window and slid into the seat across from him.
Enzo spent the first fifteen minutes filling Cooper in on his life. Despite the endless flurry of child-centered activity that drove his friend to apparent exhaustion, Cooper envied him. Enzo might complain of fatigue, but to Cooper, it seemed like a very full life.
“Hey, don’t forget you’re babysitting next Friday.”
Cooper grinned. “It’s hard to forget since you remind me every time I see you.”
Enzo’s eyes darkened. “Look at me. This is the face of a desperate man. The wife and I need a night out, or we’ll both go insane.” His face brightened. “Not that they aren’t three little angels.”
Cooper chuckled. “Relax. I promise I won’t bail on you.”
Enzo exhaled. “Thank God.” He grinned, took a drink of his coffee, and set the cup down with a clink. “So. You and Laura…” Enzo suppressed a smile as he leaned on his elbows.
Cooper stared, too stunned to speak for a moment. When he did, he made no effort to hide his sarcasm. “I’m fine, Enzo. Good to see you too.”
Enzo’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Roof trouble, car trouble. What else could come next except love?”
“I’ve known her for ten minutes.”
Enzo leaned forward. “That’s how you know it’s real.”
Cooper frowned. “No, that’s how I know that it’s too soon to tell.”
Enzo shook his head. “Oh, come on, man. I’ve known you forever, which means, ten minutes or not, you like her.”
Cooper shrugged and flagged down a server so he could order his coffee. “Like is a fair assessment of the situation.”
“You ought to try lines like that on your girlfriend.”
“She’s not—never mind.” He had fallen right into Enzo’s trap.
Enzo leaned back, looking satisfied as he folded his arms. “Seriously, I’m glad you found someone.”
Cooper had to correct him. “May have found someone. There are… issues.”
Enzo nodded knowingly. “What, snoring? Flatulence?”
“No!” Cooper glanced around uneasily. “What made me think I could even talk to you about this?”
Enzo lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe thirty years of friendship?”
“Maybe. But so far, you’re making it worse.”
Enzo smiled warmly. “Sorry. You’d think I’d be better at old-married-guy advice by now. But I’m still as clueless as ever. Ask my wife.”
“I wouldn’t think of burdening her with my problems. She’s got enough grief in her life with you.”
“Yeah, lucky lady.” They shared a laugh, then Enzo grew serious. “So, what’s going on?”
Cooper sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s this snow globe.”
“Snow globe?”
“Yeah. She bought it when she moved into town, and…” He hesitated, dreading Enzo’s reaction. “It does weird things.”
Enzo stared blankly. “Weird things? Like what? Tap dance? Dice vegetables?”
Cooper narrowed his eyes. “Look, I know this sounds crazy, but it seems to grant wishes.”
Enzo raised his eyebrows and made little effort to suppress his amusement. “Where is it, ’cause I have a wish. I wish you made sense, but you don’t.”
Cooper shut his eyes and exhaled. He couldn’t blame Enzo. “There’s been a series of, well, let’s just call them coincidences. For starters, she kind of wished me into her life.” He braced for Enzo’s reaction.
Enzo was surprisingly serious. He nodded, clearly reflecting. “So she wished for a nut job to come into her life.”
Cooper’s patience was waning. “Hey, I’m the sane one. Not that she isn’t. That didn’t come out right.” He winced. “What I’m trying to say is that stuff happens. And I’m fine if she wants to credit the snow globe. But the thing is, I like her. If it weren’t for the snow globe situation, everything would be perfect.”
Enzo looked at his friend sincerely. “Perfect is a pretty strong word.”
Cooper nodded.
“I haven’t heard you use that in this context, like, ever.”
“I know.”
Enzo shook his head in disbelief. “I feel like we should get your shoes bronzed or something.”
Cooper frowned in confusion.
“You know, baby’s first love.” He smiled proudly.
Cooper stared and said blandly, “Ouch. My sides.”
Enzo studied Cooper. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time, but I seem to recall being happy when I fell in love.”
“Happy? You were like a puppy with a Frisbee, just bounding around with a permanent smile.”
Enzo nodded. “I was pretty happy. Still am. I’m just too tired to show it.”
Cooper laughed.
“So, what are you going to do?”
Still feeling troubled, Cooper said, “Actually, we just did it.”
Enzo raised his eyebrows knowingly.
Cooper grimaced in disgust. “Not that!” He rolled his eyes. “We just returned the snow globe to the store.”
Enzo lifted his palms. “Great. Problem solved.”
Cooper let out a weary sigh. “I don’t know. That’s what we’re hoping, but we’ll see.”
Enzo leaned back. “To be honest, I don’t see the problem. So she’s obsessed with the snow globe. I used to be like that with cars.” He sighed wistfully. “I miss those days.” He stared off into the distance with a dreamy expression until his watch alarm interrupted his reverie.
Enzo glanced at the time. “Gotta go.” He stood as if ready to leave then turned back. “Oh, don’t forget Friday!”
With a blank stare, Cooper asked, “What’s Friday?”
Enzo opened his mouth in apparent disbelief then chuckled. “Oh, you’re hilarious.”
Cooper grinned. “See you Friday.” He waved his friend off and leaned back in his chair to ponder his Laura situation.
Laura shut the front door and leaned against it with a tired sigh. The snow globe was back in Jessica’s hands, yet she didn’t feel the sense of relief she’d hoped for. All day, an unsettled feeling had lingered. She kept replaying their conversation with Jessica, unable to shake her cryptic warning.
As for Cooper, the snow globe no longer loomed between them. They were free to face the future unburdened. But the future was an unanswered question. What if Cooper’s feelings weren’t genuine? The thought gripped her heart with fear. If she lost him, her heart would break.
With a determined exhale, Laura tried to clear her mind. It was time to dig down and move forward.
Her phone rang. For once, she was grateful for the distraction. “Hi, Mom!”
“Hi, honey! I’m in town for the day to do some Christmas shopping. Care to join me?”
Laura hesitated, glancing at her growing to-do list on the counter. “Uh, sure.”
“Great! I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.” Her mother’s voice held a hint of excitement that seemed a little excessive but sweet.
Once the two of them arrived in town and were wandering through the festive shops along Main Street, Laura’s mother steered the conversation toward Cooper. “Delia mentioned that things are getting serious between you two,” she began, holding up a sparkling ornament for inspection.
“Serious might be overstating it at this point, but we’ll see.”
“That’s nice.” Her mother hesitated. “We like Cooper, but when Delia told us it was serious, we were concerned.”
“Concerned?” Laura echoed, feeling her heart sink. So much for a lovely day of holiday shopping with her mother.
“Your father and I just want the best for you,” her mother continued, her gaze fixed on the ornament. “Cooper seems nice enough, but we don’t think he’s right for you.”
“Really?” Laura sighed. “Well, I do.”
Her mother’s look made her cringe. “I know, honey, but we’ve always imagined you with… someone more ambitious.”
