Sugarplums and Second Chances

Chapter 4

While Wyatt was in school, Chase decided to show Courtney around Lake Endwell the next morning. Would she see its charm? Fall in love with it the way he had? He opened the door of the coffee shop and followed her outside, a to-go cup in hand. The sun was out, an inch of snow covered the bushes and trees, and everywhere he looked wreaths and red bows hung from doors and light posts. "Let me know if you want to duck into any of the stores."

"I will. This might be the cutest town in Michigan." Holding a takeout cup in her mitten covered hands, Courtney strolled next to Chase. "I can't believe I've never been here. How do you like living on the lake?"

"Love it." He glanced at her. Her words put an extra bounce in his step. They passed a jewelry store and the pizza joint. "Best decision I've made. The people here are nice, Wyatt's happy, and my best friend lives a mile away."

"Sounds as though you fit right in."

As if to prove her point, someone called, "Hey, Chase!" On the other side of the street, Tom Sheffield, loaded with packages, walked toward them. The Sheffield family was very active in Lake Endwell. They'd welcomed him with open arms. They had no idea how much their acceptance meant to him.

"Hey, Tom," he replied, waving.

"You're coming to our party, right? Next week Wednesday. The night before Christmas eve."

"Sure am."

"Bring your friend." Tom grinned and tossed his packages into a white truck.

"Who was that?" Courtney asked.

"Oh, that's Tom Sheffield. He owns a car dealership outside of town. The Sheffields are a big part of Lake Endwell." They kept walking. He couldn't get over how easy she was to be with—slim and cute and...

"How many Sheffields are there?" She sipped her coffee, glancing up at him with those big blue eyes.

"Let's see." He squinted, trying to keep them straight. "Tom, Bryan, Sam—the three brothers run the dealerships of Sheffield Auto—then there's Claire and Libby. They're the sisters. They're all married. All have kids. I think Bryan's wife, Jade, is pregnant again. Maybe Libby, too. I can't keep track. Jade and Libby own Shine Gifts down the street. Dale is the Sheffield patriarch. His sister Sally's husband Joe owns my favorite restaurant in town—Uncle Joe's Restaurant. I'll take you there sometime."

"I will never in a million years keep all that straight."

He laughed. "When you meet them, it will all make sense."

"I'm not surprised you fit right in." Her breath spiraled in the cold air. "You always had a knack for social connections."

Did he fit in, though? The Sheffields treated him like they did everyone else, but some people in town avoided him. He didn't blame them. Who wanted an ex-convict in their neighborhood?

They reached the end of the street. He pointed ahead where a paved bike trail wound past the town Christmas tree before edging around the lake. "Want to keep going? The gazebo has a great view."

"Sure." She tossed her cup in the trash bin.

The chilly air nipped at his cheeks. He stole a peek at Courtney. She had a serene expression on her face and easily kept pace with him.

"Just think, two years ago you and I were about as low as we could be." She flashed him a bright smile. "And here we are enjoying a winter's day. Hard to believe life has changed so much."

"It's good to see you enjoying this." Maybe he shouldn't have said that out loud. He cleared his throat. "Two years ago, I could barely imagine life out of prison. I kept all of your letters. On hard days, I would reread them." They stopped in front of a large evergreen strung with ornaments and lights. Benches surrounded it.