A Magical Thanksgiving

By Lynn Hones

It's fall, and Mia can't help but feel unsettled. It happens every year, but she didn't know why. Then a mystery man enters her shop and shows interest in a painting she has struggled to complete. Samuel intrigues her, and they both seemed drawn to each other by something neither can explain. Suspicions are confirmed when the town's time capsule is opened Thanksgiving weekend. Will voices from the past bring happiness for the future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Nov 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781487427306

Book preview

Dedication

To Marty

Chapter One

Mia walked through the doors of Captain Cook’s Coffee, or the Tri C to locals, and sat at the counter. She loved living in a town where her coffee order would be up and running before she said a word, and true to form, Lizzie put her cappuccino down in front of her.

Gotcha covered, Miss Mia.

Thanks, hon. Mia tucked her long brown hair behind her ears.

How are you this morning? Lizzie said.

Good, I’m good. A weak smile crossed her lips. Why couldn’t she answer truthfully? She felt as if she were crumbling inside. This time of year always made her feel off, unsettled, and she didn’t know why. Lizzie was good at making things seem fairly normal.

Mia and Lizzie both grew up in the Harbor, and as with any small town, they felt it was more a family than a community. Being Homecoming weekend, spirited people were in fine form. Parents took part in the festivities this year as much as the children. Grandparents wore school sweatshirts, too. The town involved anyone and everyone who had or were about to graduate from Harbor High.

A newspaper lay on the counter next to Mia, and she picked it up.

The front page had a picture of the magnificent, albeit old school. The article talked about tearing down the old school and building a new one in its place. Harbor High was built in 1941, but the alumni felt it could hold on for a few more years. Not a soul wanted it to happen, and not being well-versed in all things political, Mia wasn’t sure how it got passed by the council in the first place. But progress was progress.

After serving other customers at the counter, Lizzie walked back to Mia while wiping her hands on a towel, then adjusted her kerchief on her head, tilting her chin toward the newspaper. Unbelievable that they will tear her down. We had some good times there, didn’t we, Mia, my girl? She picked up a pot of coffee and warmed up a customer’s mug.

A group of cheerleaders came in and sat in a booth. Mia envied their carefree laughter, their unadulterated joy of living.

She put a five on the counter and bidding her friend goodbye, lay the paper just where she had picked it up. She smiled at the little group of young girls as she passed their table. They wore mums, Mia’s least-loved flower. They reminded her of fall. Their giggling was the last thing she heard before the ding of the door ushered her out.

Was I once that innocent? Was I ever that happy?

She wrapped her jean jacket around herself. Fall had come early this year, and she needed more layers to stay warm. Although it was only a short walk to her own shop, she hated the cold. If it dipped below seventy, she’d be taking all her sweaters out of the trunk at the end of her bed and hanging them up. Fall left her with a sense of... She couldn’t quite put it into words. Something undone. That was it. She felt there was something she needed to do but didn’t know what it was. It lurked around the corner every year at this time.

She put her skeleton key in the lock and turned. The door to her shop swung open, and the tingling of the bell announced to no one she was there. The smell of cinnamon hit her, and she smiled. It was her favorite fall smell. Others preferred candles named banana muffin or peach cobbler, but cinnamon comforted