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to do this with her. Why him?
    â€œIt has to be you,” she whispered as they both reached for the pin on the floor and her mouth was just inches from his ear. “It’s a small town, Nate. If we find a local guy to do this, people will get the wrong idea.”
    â€œI see.” He scooped up the cold metallic snowflake and placed it in her open palm.
    She glanced down to fasten the snowflake onto her black sweater, then raised her head to look deeply into his eyes. “Thank you.”
    He had said “I see” not “I’ll do it,” but as he looked into those big, clear eyes shining with hope and gratitude, Nate couldn’t help believing he had just made a commitment—one that he would do everything within his power to keep.

Chapter Five
    â€œH ave I told you lately just how proud I am of you?”
    â€œI haven’t really accomplished anything yet, Mom.” Addie looked up from the bowl of cold cereal she had been eating over the kitchen sink.
    â€œYou’ve accomplished more than a whole lot of people, sweetie. You found what you wanted in life, and you worked and studied and found a way to make it happen. Even if it doesn’t work out the way you had always hoped, you took a shot.”
    She smiled as her mother, dressed in a pink-and-yellow chenille bathrobe, with her platinum-blond hair wrapped in curlers, took a seat at the vintage-style chrome-and-turquoise Formica table. Holding a cup of coffee the size of most soup bowls in one hand, the older woman propped up her pink caribou feather mules on the chair across from hers, then clicked the computer mouse to make the flat-screen monitor spring to life.
    â€œI guess I learned a few things from my mother,” Addieteased lovingly. “I can’t believe you developed your own Web site and blog just to put our house on the Internet.”
    Bivvy took a sip from her cup. “Wave to the people, darling.”
    Addie stepped back from the sink, mortified. “People can see me?”
    â€œI added a live Web cam this year.”
    It was still dark outside. Dark everywhere except the McCoys’ front yard, that is. There the electric radiance shone in through the small window over the sink to illuminate Addie’s simple black-and-white outfit and uncomplicated breakfast fare with a green-then-red-then-blue-then-amber glow.
    â€œNo one can really see you, but if you wave they might be able to see some movement. Try it and I’ll let you know.” She pointed toward the window, one hot-pink acrylic nail glinting in the light from the computer screen.
    â€œNo.” Addie curled her bowl close to her body and shrank back another step. “Mom, that is an invasion of my privacy.”
    â€œSweetie, the camera takes a long, wide shot. You can’t see the doors or any windows but that small one right over the sink. I don’t think, if a body didn’t know it was there, that a person could see it.” She snapped her fingers. “Now wave and let me see for sure.”
    Addie set her bowl down, spun on her heel and headed for the bedroom.
    â€œIf you can’t do this, how are you ever going to put yourself on display in Goodwin’s windows?” her mother called out from her spot in front of the computer.
    Addie stopped in the hallway. “I am just doing a fewrecipe and craft demos during working hours, Mom. No big deal.”
    â€œIs that what they did that first time?” The quiet clickety-clack of the keyboard fell silent.
    â€œGoodwin’s doesn’t sell all the kinds of stuff it used to back then. We’re using what we can—small appliances, household goods, some of their Christmas home décor that fits the tone.” She gestured weakly.
    â€œNothing like the good old days, huh? That store used to have a little of everything. In fact, it used to take up most of the block.”
    â€œThey still own the building next door and keep all the