Maggie looked at her watch. “We’re half an hour away from launch.”
Finn said something in a low voice to Oliver, who quickly began to put away the game. As Oliver tidied up, Finn walked over to the front counter and pulled something from the shelves underneath.
“I have something for you,” Finn said, holding out a gaily wrapped present. His expression was sheepish.
“What? Is this for me?” Maggie asked. She felt a little bit awkward about accepting a gift from Finn after things had fizzled out between them.
Finn nodded and pushed the gift toward her. “Today’s a big day. I’m happy for you, Maggie. It’s been a pleasure working side by side with you to get the shop up and running. Tobias would be over the moon.”
“Should I open it now?” she asked.
“Go for it,” Finn said with a grin.
Maggie began unwrapping the gift, marveling at Finn’s mastery of gift wrapping. Once she’d ripped away the paper, Maggie took off the top from the square box. The moment she laid eyes on the rounded glass orb, she let out a squeal.
“Oh, Finn. It’s magnificent,” she said. She pulled the snow globe out of the box. It was a beautiful winter scene of a skating party at a lake. She shook the snow globe, admiring the delicate flakes that floated down on the scene.
“I could tell by the way you’ve been admiring the snow globes here in the store they were something you really admired. I also knew it wasn’t something you would buy for yourself. You always think of others first.”
“Do you like it, Mom?” Oliver asked. “Finn ordered it all the way from Montana.”
Maggie reached down and tweaked Oliver’s nose. “I don’t just like it. I love it.” She met Finn’s gaze. “I’ll treasure it forever.”
The magnitude of Finn’s gift lifted Maggie up to the stratosphere. Only Finn could have figured out her lifelong love of snow globes. Only Finn would have had the foresight to order her such a meaningful gift and present it to her on such a special day.
As they locked gazes, a buzz of electricity passed between them. Awareness flared in the air. She didn’t know what else to say without sounding sappy. Maggie hoped she wasn’t wearing her heart on her sleeve, because at this moment the love she felt for Finn threatened to burst out of her heart.
She loved him. And she couldn’t imagine not loving him. Not ever. Even though she knew they couldn’t be together, that knowledge did nothing to change the way she felt.
A rapping noise echoed on the door. The sound of the doorknob rattling soon followed. Maggie felt her palms moisten with nervousness. It was hard to believe the moment had arrived. Keepsakes was about to open its doors.
“I think we have our first customers,” Finn drawled. He looked at his watch. “And ten minutes early no less.”
“Can I open the door?” Oliver asked.
“Why don’t we do it together?” Maggie suggested, placing the snow globe back in its box and tucking it away behind the counter. With a deep breath, she headed toward the door with Oliver by her side and pulled it wide open, letting out a shocked sound as she saw a line of people waiting for entry. In all of her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined so many people showing up all at once.
“Welcome to Keepsakes,” Maggie said in a cheerful voice.
“Thanks for coming,” Oliver chirped, a big smile plastered on his face.
Excitement hummed and pulsed in the air as the townsfolk poured through the doors of Keepsakes. A little bell jangled every time a customer walked in. The smell of peppermint wafted in the air thanks to an essential oils diffuser. They had set up a little sidebar table with eggnog and apple cider doughnuts. Every customer was given a raffle ticket for a chance to win holiday prizes. A festive vibe radiated in the shop.
Hope floated in the air around them. She prayed her efforts to bring Keepsakes back to life would make Uncle Tobias proud.
Maggie greeted each and every customer. She felt very grateful for the bustling crowd. Finn was working the register and using his charm to sell additional items to customers once they were at the counter, checking out. Despite what had transpired between them the other night, they were working together to ensure the success of the grand opening.
At Finn’s suggestion, Maggie had framed a black-and-white photo of Uncle Tobias and hung it in a prominent place on the wall behind the cash register. It brought tears to her eyes to acknowledge how her uncle’s kindness and generosity had affected so many lives. Maggie couldn’t count the number of townsfolk who had approached her and recounted heartwarming stories about him.
With only an hour to go until the shop closed, a tall, good-looking man with gray-blue eyes walked in and a hush fell over the store. Maggie frowned as she looked around her. Hazel’s jaw was practically on the floor. People were whispering and talking behind their hands. She swung her gaze to Finn. A myriad of expressions crossed his face—shock, recognition, joy.
Suddenly it hit Maggie like a ton of bricks. Although twenty years had passed since she’d last seen him, she felt fairly certain about the man’s identity.
It was Colin O’Rourke, Finn’s absentee father.
* * *
When Finn swung his gaze up from the cash register and spotted his father walking through the doorway, it felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience. He blinked once, then twice. He hadn’t been mistaken. Colin O’Rourke had finally returned to Love, Alaska. The years had been kind to his dad. He was still a man who could turn heads by walking into a room.
Finn stepped from behind the cash register. In a few easy strides, he’d managed to intercept his father. They were the same height, Finn realized with surprise. For some reason, he always thought of his father
