Trent Wilkes’s office was on the top story of Water Tower Place, a skyscraper on Michigan Avenue famous for its tourist-friendly shopping center on the ground floor.
Neve arrived early and window-shopped to help calm her nerves. There was a line of people already snaking around Water Tower’s Garrett Popcorn Shop, waiting for the Chicago institution to open.
People wanted—no, needed—their fix this early in the day, Neve thought.
Neve had laughed when she moved to Chicago, and everyone told her that this popcorn was gourmet.
“Gourmet” popcorn, she thought. C’mon.
But it was true.
Garrett Popcorn was like eating a miracle, as if heaven had a popcorn machine and the kernels fell from the skies slathered in goodness.
Neve looked at her cell and moved toward the line. She could already smell it.
Neve’s favorite was the Garrett Mix, a combo of caramel and cheese, a salty-sweet mixture that made your taste buds explode.
And left your hands a mess.
Neve looked at her outfit. She was wearing a winter white pantsuit and a pretty holiday pin.
Just one bite of the cheese corn, a swipe of her hand or a dropped orange kernel and Neve’s outfit would be ruined.
That’s why they always give you a thousand napkins with your order, she thought. Step away from the corn, girl.
Neve meandered into the flagship American Girl store instead and stared into the dolls’ faces. Her mind instantly wandered to the letter Madge had sent her.
Is there still a little girl filled with hope and wonder inside of me? she thought. Or am I forever frozen at this stage of my life?
Finally, Neve walked over to the elevator, got in, hit the button for the top floor and took a deep breath. When the doors opened, her eyes widened.
Wilkes International was no typical corporate headquarters. Instead, it resembled Ralph Lauren’s lodge, a homey, rustic space filled with worn leather sofas and armchairs, old-fashioned hook rugs and an assistant perched behind a live-edge maple desk.
Neve turned left and right, just to make sure she was in the right place, and sighed when she saw the corporate logo on the wall.
The receptionist motioned for Neve to have a seat. Neve unbuttoned her coat, plopped on a comfy couch and thumbed through a magazine to busy her brain, scanning an article about a celebrity’s “heartache” over selling a home in the Maldives.
Please, Neve thought.
“Ms. Ford?”
Neve never knew how to react when someone called her Ms. In her heart, she was still a Mrs. She again thought of Madge’s letter.
I kept the family name, she thought, but not the family.
“Ms. Ford?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“Mr. Wilkes will see you now. Let me take your coat.”
Neve handed the assistant her coat and then followed her through a set of doors, down a long, hushed hallway and then into a massive office overlooking Chicago.
“Would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Water?” the assistant asked.
“No, I’m fine,” Neve said.
“Mr. Wilkes will be with you shortly,” she said. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Easy for you to say, Neve thought.
“Thank you,” she said as the assistant closed the doors behind her.
The city was spread out before her, Lake Michigan in the distance, and everything—the skyscrapers, high-rises and lake—looked so small from up here. Neve couldn’t help it: in order to calm herself, she walked to the window and pinched her fingers together to make the world look even smaller, more manageable.
“So that’s how you do it.”
Neve yelped.
“What are you doing in here?” she said, her voice high.
“It’s my office.”
Neve’s face flushed. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I was lost in my thoughts.”
“I could tell. I’m Trent Wilkes. It’s nice to finally meet the queen of Christmas, Neve Ford.”
Neve blushed again. “Thank you. And, again, I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. That’s what I meant when I walked in here—that’s how you do it, isn’t it? You envision the world in miniature.”
Neve nodded. Her body felt hot. She felt like one of her own windows, like this man could see through her, into her.
“Have a seat, please,” Trent said. “I mean, it’s our office.” He laughed, and the friendly sound eased Neve’s nerves.
Trent motioned for her to take a seat in a comfortable armchair near his desk. He sat in his office chair and took a drink of water. Then he smiled widely, which made his dimples seem bigger than the world beyond his desk.
“Thank you for meeting with me today,” Trent said. He was wearing a dark suit, crisp white shirt and beautiful silk bow tie striped with holly. “We think alike, it seems. I like your holiday pin, by the way.”
“It was a gift,” she said.
From my late husband.
“Well, it’s beautiful,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“I like your tie,” she returned.
“Thank you.” Trent looked at her and then at his computer. “As I said on the phone, I’ve been so, so pleased by your work for us these last couple of years. I feel like you’ve become a part of our team, although you run your own show.”
“I’m glad,” Neve said, crossing and recrossing her legs nervously. “That means the world. I’m so grateful for all the opportunities you’ve given me. I don’t know exactly how this all started or came to be, but I’m incredibly thankful. Working for you has changed my life.”
Trent smiled. “I was the one who discovered you, Neve.”
“Excuse me?” Neve sat forward in her chair. “You?”
“Well, my mother actually.” Trent laughed. “I grew up in Michigan. My family is from there. I keep close tabs on anything and everything happening in business, design, style, the holiday trends. The only way to keep so many arms of this corporate octopus swimming in the same direction is never to come up for air.” Trent moved closer to his desk and placed his elbows on it. “My mom saw you trending on Instagram a few years ago. She loved your bottlebrush-tree displays. She actually collects them herself. So does my grandmother. She showed them to me, and I knew immediately you’d be perfect.”
Neve’s mind whirled.
My Instagram account exploded after people knew what had happened to Jackson, she thought. The widow still embracing her love for her dead husband and the holidays. So many newspaper interviews. So many opportunities followed, mostly from people who felt sorry for me.
“You knew,” Neve mumbled. She looked at Trent. “You know.”
Trent stood and walked around his desk, taking a seat next to Neve.
“I do. I’m so, so sorry for your loss and all you’ve gone through.”
His voice was as hushed as his office.
“Thank you.”
Madge’s words filled her head.
You can run all you want, but you’ll never be fast enough to escape all the pain and memories.
“May I ask you a question?” Neve asked.
Trent nodded.
“Did you—” she began.
“No,” Trent said, cutting her off, as if reading her mind. “I didn’t hire you because I felt sorry for you. You need to know that. I respected that you created something beautiful from your memories. It’s what I try to do as well.” Trent leaned toward Neve and looked at her so intently, she could see herself reflected in his eyes. “We have a lot in common, it seems.”
He continued. “So you’re probably wondering why I asked you to join me today?”
“It crossed my mind,” Neve said.
Trent laughed, hard, and his dimples were on display again.
Jackson’s ghost, Neve thought. Sitting in front of me.
“Well, I have another business proposition,” he said. “I know it’s a bit last-minute, but it’s also personal, and I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”
“Go on.”
“Have you heard of Saugatuck, Michigan?”
“I have,” Neve said. “It’s on the other side of the state from where I lived, but I’ve visited numerous times. It’s adorable. Called the Art Coast, right?”
“That’s right,” Trent said. “And at the holidays it’s known as ‘The Cutest Little Christmas Town in America.’ I have a resort home there on the lake. The town is so quaint at Christmas. There are no chains or big-box stores allowed in town. It’s all independently owned stores, shops, restaurants and art galleries. All the little places come alive at the holidays.”
“And?” Neve asked. “How do I fit in?”
“The small businesses in town—like too many around the US—were deeply hurt by COVID. Some are still struggling to survive, and they need a big boost to end the year,” Trent said. “Many won’t survive without it. I’m chair of the chamber there, and I said I would step in and come up with a plan. Actually, I said a ‘big’ plan. Me and my big mouth.”
Neve cocked her head. “And how do I fit in exactly?” she asked again.
Trent smiled. “Well, you’re my big plan.”
He leaned over and swiveled his oversize computer screen toward them.
“This is a photo of downtown Saugatuck. I want you to design windows for the anchor shops in town.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am,” he said. “I was thinking a miniature Michigan brought to life—scenes of winter on the lake, in cottages, at the state park, along the dunes overlooking the lake, the chain ferry, the marinas… In essence, bring Saugatuck’s holiday theme—‘The Cutest Little Christmas Town in America’—to life in the windows.”
Neve shook her head. “Do you know how much time and effort that will take? I usually plan my designs months in advance. And I always work alone.”
Neve looked at Trent and removed an invisible piece of lint from her pants to try and cover her surprise.
“Not to mention that I live here, and I have a number of jobs left to complete for you,” she continued.
And there is no way I am returning to Michigan during the holidays, she thought firmly. My soul couldn’t take the pain. It would make everything real again.
“I know how busy you are,” Trent said. “And I know how hard it must be to return to Michigan again at this time of year.”
Neve jerked her head upright and stared at him.
“You could stay at my lake cottage,” Trent said. “For free. There’s a guesthouse overlooking Lake Michigan. And I could round up a team to help you if you need it. I would generate huge national and regional publicity for this. I know the morning shows would love to come to town to cover such a sweet, holiday story. It would be a boon to the town’s tourism and business, and a boon to your brand as well.”
“No, I can’t,” Neve said. “I just can’t. And I would prefer to pass on the publicity.”
“I would make it worth your while.” Trent opened a screen on his computer. “This is what I’ve budgeted.”
“Wow,” Neve said. “That’s quite generous.”
“No, Neve, this number is just your compensation,” he said. “And I’d personally cover all your design expenses. It would mean the world to me…” He stopped. “And I think it would mean the world to you, too.”
Neve stared at this man she barely knew, this man who looked so similar to Jackson, this man who seemed to know her every thought and action. The room began to spin. Neve took her fingers and placed them over Trent’s face.
“Are you minimizing me?” he said with a laugh.
“That has so many meanings,” she said, surprising herself, and matching his laugh. “Actually, I am. Sometimes, it’s the only way I can make sense of things.” She paused. “I’m sorry to get so personal.”
“That’s why I escape to Saugatuck, Neve. It’s small, too. It’s the only way I can make sense of things sometimes. I’m so busy running this company, I don’t have time for a life or a family of my own. There, especially at the holidays, I feel calm, like I have a deeper meaning. I feel like I can fade into a magical world for a while. I don’t feel so alone there.”
Neve stared at him.
“I’m sorry to get so personal, too.” Trent took a deep breath. “It would be a smart move for your career. And—” he hesitated, as if he was reading her mind again “—Saugatuck is far away from Frankenmuth. All the way on the other side of the state.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t,” Neve said.
“You can’t run forever, Neve.”
Her eyes widened at his words. They were Madge’s words.
“I…” Neve was about to say “no” again, about to stand and walk out of his office, maybe even run to another city to start over one more time. But outside, beyond Trent, snow began to fall. It felt like a sign.
“Look,” Trent said, again seeming to read her thoughts. “It’s snowing. Isn’t it beautiful to see it fall way up here? I love getting to see it before it ever reaches the ground.”
Neve felt as if she was in a snow globe. She could see Jackson driving away, she could picture her cottage in the woods and pines flocked in white. Neve closed her eyes for just a second.
I can see Michigan at Christmas, she thought. Perhaps I need to see Michigan at Christmas. To say hello again. And goodbye.
For the first time in ages, Neve’s broken heart fluttered.
“Okay,” Neve said. “You’ve got a deal.”