“Well, that will be perfect,” the mayor said, his deep voice booming in the large room. “Because Gabe just offered to pitch in, as well.”

“You asked,” Gabe said under his breath. “There’s a difference.”

Mal ignored him and continued speaking to Angi. “The two of you can coordinate the events together.”

“Just like Carrie and Dylan,” Josie from the dance studio shouted with a throaty laugh.

“Not like that at all,” Angi said as more people joined in with laughter and a smattering of applause. “I don’t need help.”

“Me neither.” Gabe moved closer to Mal. “This is a bad idea,” he whispered to the mayor.

“Why?” Mal turned to him as Angi joined them at the front of the room. The older man looked at each of them. “I understand that Carrie and Dylan had a history, but you two barely know each other. Unless you had some kind of secret dating life the rest of us don’t know about.”

“Who’s dating?” Josie, who sat in the front row, leaned forward in her chair.

“No one,” Gabe said through clenched teeth.

“Not even a little.” Angi offered a patently fake smile. “I’d be thrilled to work with Gabe. I’m sure he’ll have lots to offer as far as making this Christmas season in Magnolia the most festive ever.”

The words seemed benign enough on the surface, but Gabe knew a challenge when he heard one.

“I have loads of time to devote to this town,” he said solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. He glanced down at Josie and her cronies, and gave his most winsome smile. “I know it will make my grandma happy.”

As expected, the women clucked and cooed over his devotion. Angi looked like she wanted to reach around Malcolm and scratch out Gabe’s eyes, and it was strangely satisfying to get under her skin.

“Well, then.” Mal grabbed each of their hands and held them above his head like some kind of referee calling a heavyweight boxing match. “We have our new Christmas on the Coast power couple.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“MORE BERRIES. And can you fluff the pine boughs a bit more, sweetheart?”

Gabe turned on the ladder and looked down into his grandmother’s innocent hazel eyes. Eyes the same color as Gabe’s and his mother’s, although it had been years since he’d seen his mom in person. Poppy hadn’t even come to Magnolia when Iris had the stroke, although Gabe had wired her money from where he was stationed in the Middle East to cover the plane ticket. Enough for a first-class seat and plenty of extra to cover miscellaneous travel expenses. He’d thought the idea of flying first-class from New Mexico, where his mom had lived for the past fifteen years, might be enough of an incentive to get her to make the trip.

She’d taken the money and then refused to answer his calls or respond to emails or texts. He could only imagine where his cash had gone. More upsetting than that was the fact that his grandmother had been alone with no family at her side until Gabe managed to get back. Of course, she had lots of friends in the Magnolia community, but it wasn’t the same.