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Chapter 55
Talking and skating was hard at first, but after Memory made it around the lake once, she felt fairly sure that she wasn’t about to fall and bust her backside. Dak carefully let go of her arm for a second so that he could turn around the other way, and she was relieved when she could latch on to him again. By then, more people were arriving, and even though the area of the lake roped off for skating was fairly large, it would be more difficult to navigate with extra people sailing by. Dak was good at steering around obstacles though, so Memory decided to try to relax and let him take charge.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Dak said, watching where they were going and avoiding areas of congestion. “Why is the town called Christmas Falls?”
“What do you mean?” Memory asked, praying she could talk and skate at the same time.
“Well, there’s no river, no falls. Why Chri
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Christmas Memory Chapter 56
Slowly, Dak's head rocked back and forth. “I thought you looked familiar.”A smile spread across her face. “I left my shopping bag on the bench that day, the last time I went skating, and you brought it to me.”The crooked grin on his face confirmed she was right. “How did you know my name, though?”“Your friends. They shouted at you that they were leaving, and they called you Cody. I’ve always thought there was something familiar about your eyes, but I never put two-and-two together. Dakota... Dak... Cody. Of course, it makes sense now.”“Wow, Memory. That’s crazy.” He ran a hand through his hair, still smiling at her. “It was only a few moments of interaction at best. Although, I must admit, I had already spent a good deal of time staring at you that day. And you’re right... you did fall down a lot. I really wanted t
Christmas Memory Chapter 57
“What’s that?” He twerked an eyebrow at her, staring into her eyes.A reply on the tip of her tongue, Memory almost blurted out she knew where he could find a space that would work. But Lorelei shouting, “Aunt Memory! Uncle Dak!” had her head whirling around.Her niece was skating at her full-force. Memory turned, letting go of Dak, her hands out, hoping Lorelei knew how to slow down before it was too late. Apparently, she didn’t. The little girl skidded, her skates turning sideways as she tried to stop herself, but she didn’t do it in time. She collided with Memory, knocking her backward, and sweeping her legs out from under her.Memory’s arms went flying up, her feet shooting into the air, and the sky loomed overhead. She braced herself for the sting of ice connecting with her backside, but strong arms wrapped around her, swooping around her and catching her right befor
Christmas Memory Chapter 58
They skated on for a few minutes, not speaking, as Memory considered how wretched it would be to confess to Dak that she had true feelings for him only for him to say he had to go back to Chicago forever, and she’d have to choose between him and Christmas Falls. The thought of moving to the big city made her stomach queasy. Living anywhere but here was out of the question. She loved this town more than anything, and she wasn’t sure if what she felt for Dak was love or something else. She turned her head back in the direction where she’d last seen him, but he wasn’t there anymore. Looking around, she spotted him talking to Kim on the far side of the lake, and she didn’t like it, even though she knew there was no romantic intent there. Still, she couldn’t stop the tinge of jealousy at seeing him make another woman smile like that.“Listen, Memory, I just wanted to say... I’m really sorry I’m so bossy to
Christmas Memory Chapter 59
The bell that hung over the door had been ringing non-stop all morning, so much so that Ellie commented, “If it’s true that every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings, we’ve outfitted the Lord’s army today!”Memory agreed, but at least the constant stream of customers had kept her busy so that she couldn’t think about what she was going to say to Dak when they visited her grandma’s house. He might not even like it. None of the other properties he’d looked at in the past two weeks would work. Maybe her house wouldn’t either.A couple walked out carrying several bags worth of merchandise and leaving her and Ellie alone at last. Memory brushed her hair off of her forehead, happy to have a chance to breathe. It seemed odd she’d spent so much time worrying about Dak finding out about the house and wanting to buy it, and now she was going to offer it to him.&l
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Once he was behind the wheel, he asked, “Do you want to tell me where we’re headed?”“You’ll see,” she replied. “Just head north on Main Street.”He arched an eyebrow at her but pulled out of the spot without commenting. The street was busy with people walking and cars headed in both directions. Memory knew there were likely even more people in town now than in years past. The more houses that were transformed into hotels or B and Bs, the more crowded it would become.She gave him directions to the house, her stomach twisting the closer they got. Not only was she nervous about showing it to him, she was just as anxious about being there again. After the last time she’d come by, she’d spent the next few days missing her grandma more than usual.“Pull in here,” she said, pointing at the driveway.Dak’s forehe
Christmas Memory Chapter 61
Memory took his hand and led him up the stairs, noticing her bird friends were not on the window ledge. She unlocked the door, bracing herself against the musty smell that always hit her in the face. It didn’t smell like her grandma’s house, and she hated that.She let Dak take in the beauty of the foyer, the molding, the staircase, the flooring, and tried not to stare at the empty chair in the parlor. Once she was sure he’d had enough time to marvel over the entry, she took him to the ballroom.Pushing through the double doors, she stood aside and watched his face as he gasped at the beautiful space and the potential the room had to fulfill all of his dreams of creating a place where the older folks in town could gather and visit, hold get-togethers and parties, and find a warm meal on a cold day. She imagined there were lots of other groups of people who could use the space, too, and she couldn’t wait to hear w
Christmas Memory Chapter 62
Moonlight glinting off of the freshly fallen snow illuminated the house and gave it a soft glow that reflected even off the worn siding that desperately needed repainting. Helen stood in the yard for a moment, staring at the place she used to call home. She could’ve transported herself directly into the house, but she wanted to look at it again. Ever since she’d come back to Christmas Falls, she’d been avoiding visiting here, thinking it might be too painful. Now, standing outside, memories flooded her mind, most of them joyful ones.It needed some work, that was for certain. The blue tarps on the roof looked out of place and just wrong; that needed fixing quickly. But Helen realized all of this wear and tear hadn’t happened in the past year since she’d been gone. She simply must not have noticed before just how bad off the house was. Shaking her head, she muttered, “We’ll fix that,” and transported herself
Christmas Memory Chapter 63
It only took her a moment to spot the desk pushed up against a wall in the dining room. “There you are. Now, let’s see what secrets you hold.” She pulled open the middle desk drawer, surprised to find there were no papers in it at all. “Well, that’s odd.” All of the other drawers were empty as well. “I wonder....” Helen snapped her fingers and moved herself into her upstairs office.Stacks of papers sat on every surface, and she quickly realized her family had taken every piece of paper they’d found in the entire house and brought it here to look through. She glanced around and noticed old checkbook stubs, tax forms, car loans, and other important documents she would’ve had in her downstairs desk sitting on top of the desk in this room. This was where she kept papers for the store—personal papers had been kept downstairs, for the most part. Not that she never mixed things up.
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