Page 101 of Meet Me on Mistletoe Lane

“Okay.” I sighed. I did love making lists.

James slid out of the booth and helped me into my coat before putting on his own. “Can I walk you home?”

“Sure,” I said, smiling.

We were quiet for most of the walk until we turned down my street.

“Did I do something wrong the other night?” he blurted. “I mean, the kiss. Was…Should I not have done that?”

“What? No.” I stopped and faced him. “I thought the kiss was…nice.”

He pursed his lips. “Nice like, ‘Wow, can’t wait for another one,’ or nice like, ‘Meh, I’ve had better’?”

I laughed and hooked my arm through his, leading him toward my driveway. “Definitely nice like ‘Wow, can’t wait for another one.’ ”

He exhaled dramatically and put a hand over his chest. “Whew. Thought I had really lost my stuff there for a moment.”

I bumped his arm.

We stopped at the bottom of my front porch steps, and I was overcome with déjà vu, waiting for Marco or Nico to poke their head out of their windows next door and heckle us. But they didn’t. In fact, the entire street was quiet except for some kid playing basketball a few houses down.

“So, I’ll see you tonight, then?” James brushed something off my shoulder.

“Eight o’clock by the big Christmas tree,” I replied.

“Operation Ho Ho Humbug will commence once again.” He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss before heading back to the B&B.

I smiled as I watched him walk away.

And later, that same smile returned after I had made two lists and a pile of “maybe” clothes as I ran my fingers along the large map that hung over my desk, stopping at each red dot.

I had so many places I wanted to go, and now I finally get to cross off one of them.

This was my time to do what Dad and I had planned out years ago.

To get out, explore, try new things.

Like kissing a boy I had only known for a couple weeks.

My door flew open, and Leo came bounding in like a puppy, landing on my bed with a loud thump.

“Mom said I could join Marco and Nico’s team for Jo’s candy cane hunt!” His powdered-sugar-covered lips broke into a wide smile.

Someone has been in the pizzelle tin again, I see.

“Come on! We’re going to be late!” He hopped off my bed and squeezed me around my waist before running out of my room. Several thumps and a door slamming shut later, I watched my little brother hurry across our yard toward Marco and Nico’s, where they were waiting by their front porch steps. Marco scooped him up and threw him on his shoulders before the three of them galloped off under the streetlights, and something heavy pressed itself against my chest.

Yes, I did have so many things I wanted to do and to see.

But how do you leave a place that already has so much of your heart?

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Jo stood on a bench near the big town square tree, shouting through Mayor Moore’s megaphone. “Thank you for coming out for Mullings Creek’s first-ever Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt!”

A crowd of about two dozen people clapped and cheered.

Amazing turnout for something created so last-minute, but then again, when Jo had her mind set on something, she always delivered.

“My friends and I will be handing out your first riddle momentarily. Once that happens, you and your team will need to solve that riddle, which will lead to the next location where another riddle and a candy cane will be waiting for you. And don’t worry, we’ve mixed up the order for each team so you can’t just follow one person around all evening, Marco.”