“Want to get a beer?” Mason suggested. “Adam’s just winding up his stint as Santa.” The firefighters of Avalon took turns donning the red suit each afternoon. “He could meet us at Hilltop Tavern.”

“That’s okay. I’m meeting my sisters and their husbands and kids. They’ve just been to see Santa. Adam is under orders to tell us what the kids asked for.” He shook hands with Mason and headed out into the wintry afternoon.

“You look superpensive,” said Darcy Fitzgerald, approaching him on the frosty sidewalk. “Am I interrupting something?”

He was ridiculously glad to see her. “Just an age-old argument with my father.”

They fell in step together. “I assume it’s the father in your head,” she said.

“He’s one of my permanent residents.” Logan tapped his temple.

“You, too?” She grinned. “I sometimes have that dad. My mom, too. It’s funny how much influence our parents have on us.”

“True. I think about that a lot because of Charlie. I want to be the kind of father he actually likes having in his head.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“I’m working on it. I’m trying my best to do a good job. For Charlie and for...” He stopped talking. He’d nearly said Charlie and his future siblings. What a boneheaded thing to say. “So,” he said, changing the subject, “how was skiing and riding today?”

“Awesome, as I’m sure you knew it would be.”

“After the snow last night—yeah.” Just the mention of last night made him think about walking with her in the winter woods, kissing her in front of the fire... He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing her right then and there. “Where is everyone?”

“India and China are taking everyone to see Santa now, and then there’s apparently some kind of parade. We’re supposed to rendezvous in the church parking lot.”

He nodded. “There’s a parade every Friday evening in December leading up to Christmas. Charlie has never missed a single one. The town kind of goes overboard for Christmas.”

She looked around the lavishly decorated and lit village square. “I noticed. I really like it. Can you actually skate on the lake?”

“Can I skate? No. Can the ice hold me? Yeah, probably through February.”

“I could teach you to skate.”

“I’ll hold you to it. So, what does a big-city girl think of Avalon?”

“It’s lovely here. You’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place.” She looked around at the shop windows, the people strolling from place to place, her eyes shining. “I love all the lights and decorations this time of year.”

“No regrets about missing out on your family’s holiday?”