“Next year’s festival,” Clark confirmed, jumping to his feet and taking her with him by their interlocked hands. “And you can make that call because you, Miss Kate Buckner, are the new Director of Festival Operations for The Christmas Company.”

“Me?” She choked on the word, yanking her hand back so she could place it firmly over the place where her heart beat, presumably to keep it from running out on her.

“Miss Carolyn’s looking to retire. She wants to enjoy the festival as a guest next year, and she recommended you for the job.” The idea came to him this morning when Miss Carolyn complained about hurting her back moving one of the props around the town square. She muttered something about getting too old for this, and Clark offered her a generous retirement package. Apparently, she’d been wanting to quit for some time but didn’t have the money. Now she did, leaving an opening for an upstart Christmas fanatic to take over. “I don’t think there’s a person in the entire world who would lead this company better than you.”

Even when presented with her dream job, Kate stayed hung up on one thing in particular. She held his hands so tight he wondered if she was trying to keep herself from flying into the clouds with joy. He certainly was.

“You aren’t ending the festival?”

“You were right all along. The festival is good for the soul. Even if it loses Woodward Enterprises a few dollars every year.”

In the grand scheme of a billion-dollar company, that’s all it was. A few dollars to make people happy and sustain an entire town? Yeah, now Clark saw the appeal of such a setup. Kate swallowed hard.

“I don’t know what to say.”

He pulled her close.

“Say you’ll make next year the best Christmas ever.”

“Nothing could ever beat this one.”

Her head rested on his chest, where he hoped it would always remain.

“Miss Kate Buckner, would you do me the honor of giving me a second chance?” All of a sudden, music struck up from the bandstand at the far end of the square, grand and sweeping, as Clark ordered. The finale was meant to happen at 10 o’clock sharp, and a check of his watch affirmed Miss Carolyn’s devotion to timeliness. “And dancing with me?”

“I’d be delighted.”

They swayed in the cold air, accompanied by the roaring band down the street. Completely content. Completely at peace. Clark never knew such happiness. Not in his entire life.

As the song barreled towards it climax, Kate’s eyes widened in awe and she pulled away from his chest so she could open herself up to the heavens.

“Snow!” she exclaimed, another delicious smile overtaking her bright features.

“Yeah,” Clark confessed. “I told them to turn on the fake stuff. I thought it would add to the atmosphere.”