No Ordinary Christmas

by Belle Calhoune

  Awareness pricked at the nape of her neck. A quick glance around confirmed that all eyes in the crowd were focused like laser beams on her and Dante. It seemed as if everyone she’d ever known in Mistletoe was gaping at them. Teachers. Her pastor. Neighbors. Friends. Her family. Dante’s mother. Nick and Miles. A cheer rose up in the crowd and people started enthusiastically clapping. Heat rose to her cheeks. She hadn’t expected all this fanfare.

  Dante threw back his head and chuckled. “We’re getting a standing ovation.”

  “Spoken by a true actor,” Lucy said. “You really do love the spotlight, don’t you?”

  Just then Mimi walked up and held out her hand to her son. “I think you’ve set tongues wagging enough for one night. Why don’t you take me for a spin on the dance floor? It’s been a while.”

  Dante took his mother’s hand and said, “Let’s do this, Mama.”

  Lucy stood on the sidelines watching as Dante twirled his mother around the dance floor. They looked incredibly sweet together. Mimi was so petite and bubbly. The height difference between mother and son was about a foot, which was an adorable visual.

  Lucy made a point to stand in an area out of sight of prying eyes. It was nice to watch the action unobserved. She let out a little squeal of surprise as she clapped eyes on Denny and Nora. They were dancing to the holiday music, and from the looks of it, having a grand old time. A romantic at heart, Lucy saw a lot of possibilities for them as a couple. There was something so magical about this time of the year. Anything was possible. Although Lucy really did believe in holiday magic, she wasn’t holding on to any fantasies about her and Dante.

  Something was nagging at her. A bothersome feeling that she wasn’t enough for a man like Dante. Ever since he’d left Mistletoe, Lucy had asked herself if Dante had viewed her as unworthy of his time and attention. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have worked harder to keep her in his life? He was now a celebrity who could be with any woman of his choosing. According to Dante, that woman was her. And it felt oh so amazing to be wanted. Wonderful and terrifying at the same time. But she couldn’t stop worrying when the rug would be pulled out from underneath her again.

  Chapter Seventeen

  As the Christmas Frolic came to an end and the evening sky began to turn a gorgeous shade of velvety black, the crowd thinned out on the town green. Tired babies were asleep in their mothers’ arms. Couples were walking hand in hand. Lights were extinguished. Quiet settled over Mistletoe as the dark of night set in, even though the town tree continued to shine.

  Dante stayed around to assist in breaking down Santa’s Village and to help transport boxes and concession items to nearby vans. When it was time to head home, Dante couldn’t find Lucy. Had she left without saying goodbye? Or had they simply not crossed paths? It had been a wonderful evening, full of amazing moments. He would have liked to tell Lucy how he felt about this spectacular day and closed out the evening by holding her in his arms.

  On the drive home, his mind wandered over the day’s events. The Christmas Frolic had been enjoyable on so many levels. He’s gotten to spend time with his mother, Nick’s and Lucy’s families, as well as Lucy herself. Playing the role of Santa had allowed him to do something for Lucy, who was always doing things for everyone else. She wasn’t the sort of person to ask others for help, so filling the gap when she’d needed someone meant a lot to him.

  As soon as Dante walked in the house, he heard a commotion coming from the back. His mother’s voice rang out sharply. He followed the sounds down the hall until he reached the kitchen.

  “What’s going on?” Dante asked, immediately sensing a panicked vibe in the room. Troy was standing next to their mother with a distressed expression on his face.

  “A pipe burst in the basement of the hardware store. One of the employees happened to be there using the photocopier after hours, so he alerted me. I called the emergency plumbing service, but it may take them a while to get there. Can you head over there with me? We can try to bail as much water as we can before they get there.”

  “Of course. Let’s go. Grab some buckets from the garage and a wet vac if you guys have one.”

  “While I do that, get Nick on the phone,” Troy said. “Maybe he can help us out.”

  Dante quickly dialed Nick, who promised to meet them at the shop in ten minutes. Thankfully, Miles was at a sleepover with his best friend. Troy and Dante hopped in Troy’s truck and they raced over to the hardware store. Nick arrived moments after they pulled up in the back lot. He jumped out of his car with a bucket in each hand.

  In the basement, Dante was up to his knees in water, as were Troy and Nick. They worked nonstop for a solid hour, bailing out buckets of water and tossing them out the back door like a well-oiled machine, until the emergency service arrived. By the end, the muscles in Dante’s arms burned from repetitively filling and heaving buckets of water. He was sweaty and grungy. And he’d worked up an appetite. But he wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here aiding his brother and helping to rescue the family business from water damage.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Nick,” Troy said, shaking his hand and pulling him into a tight hug.

  “We really appreciate it,” Dante added. Nick helping them out didn’t surprise him at all. He was loyal to a fault and one of the best friends he’d ever had. Dante wasn’t even sure anymore if he had friends in California who truly had his back. And what did that say about his life in Los Angeles?

  “That’s what friends are for,” Nick said. “I’m here anytime you need me.”

  Dante heard that a lot in his line of work, but not many people meant it. Not like Nick did. With each and every passing day Dante was connecting the dots and realizing his life wasn’t all it could be. There were things missing from his world—things he was finding all around him in Mistletoe.

  Once they were back at the house, Dante and Troy both headed off to take showers. Their clothes were sopping wet and emitting a foul odor. After he got out of the shower, a knock sounded at his bedroom door. When he opened it, Troy was standing there.

  “I’m heating up some pizza if you want some,” Troy offered. “It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be right down,” Dante said, feeling pleased at Troy’s invitation. They’d united for a common cause: to save the hardware store from disaster. And it felt like they were brothers again. Dante couldn’t put into words how happy it made him. He’d been carrying the weight of their estrangement on his shoulders. Suddenly, he felt much lighter.

  As he arrived in the kitchen, Troy was taking the pizza from the oven. He’d already set the table with plates, utensils, and mugs for two. The kettle on the stove began to squeal.

  Troy divvied up the pizza with a pizza cutter and brought the pan over to the table. He poured hot water in each of the mugs. “Hot cocoa,” Troy announced. Dante stirred the drink and moaned as the smell of chocolate rose to his nostrils. He took a huge swig, allowing the warmth to comfort him. The hot shower had been nice, but standing in water for over an hour had chilled him to the bone.

  Troy sat down across from him and placed a few slices of pizza on his plate. “You did a good thing playing Santa Claus today,” Troy said. “It meant a lot to everyone.”

  “Thanks. I heard you suggested me for the job,” Dante said with a raised eyebrow. “Remind me to return the favor someday.” Dante bit into a slice, relishing the flavor as it landed on his tongue.

  Troy let out a hearty chuckle that seemed to emanate from deep down inside of him. Dante had always loved his brother’s laugh. It was great to hear it again. “I couldn’t do it myself. Jimmy would have figured out it was me. That kid deserves to believe in Santa Claus for a few more years at least.”

  Dante nodded, feeling moved by his brother’s words. “Lucy told me about you and Jimmy’s mom. Her name is Noelle, right? The two of you look good together,” he acknowledged. “And Jimmy is an amazing kid.”

  “The best,” Troy said. “They’ve been through a l
ot, so my goal is to make their lives better. Noelle is the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known. I really feel lucky to have found her.”

  Dante cupped his hands around his mug. “It sounds serious.” He couldn’t remember the last time his brother had spoken about a woman with such reverence.

  “I suppose it is. Noelle makes me want to be a better man. I want to take care of them.”

  Dante leaned forward in his seat. He splayed his hands on the table. “You’re good at taking care of people. Way better than I am,” Dante admitted. “You took care of Dad when he was sick and now you’re Mom’s support system. I never said thank you, but I want you to know how grateful I am.”

  Troy locked gazes with him. “That’s good to hear. For so long it seemed like you didn’t care. I know you sent money and took care of the medical bills, but you weren’t around much.”

  “I always cared, Troy. That never changed.”

  Troy focused on his mug, idly stirring the contents with a spoon. “That’s what put a wedge between us. When Dad was sick all I wanted was for you to be here with us, but by the time you came it was too late.”

  “And I’ve had to live with that knowledge. Trust me, it’s been painful. I shouldn’t have listened to him when he told me to finish the movie I was making overseas. My place was here with my family.”

  He swung his gaze up. “You talked to him about it?” Troy asked, sounding incredulous.

  “Yeah. Numerous times. But I should have known better. He was sick, and I should have jumped through hoops to come back to Mistletoe. If I’m being honest, I was afraid.”

  “Of him being sick?”

  Dante bowed his head. He hadn’t told a single soul about his fears. It had been difficult to admit even to himself. “Yeah. There were so many years when we were at odds, so it was scary to suddenly feel as if he was slipping away from me before I could make things right. To be honest, I didn’t have a clue how to make it happen.”

  Silence stretched out between them.

  “I know you think he didn’t believe in you, but he did,” Troy said, looking down and fiddling with his fingers. “He just couldn’t stand the thought of you leaving, so he tried to make you stay by not encouraging your acting aspirations. I think he was scared for you.” Troy massaged the bridge of his nose. “I heard him talking to Mom one night about it. He’d heard a lot of stories about bad things happening to teenagers who went to LA to pursue their acting dreams. He didn’t want you to become one of them.”

  Dante steepled his fingers under his chin. “That sounds like him, you know. He always did things to protect us. I always thought he was trying to clip our wings,” he said, shaking his head, “but he wanted to keep us safe like any parent would.” He let out a brittle laugh. “And he was right to be worried. California was a tough place to navigate. I struggled in the beginning.”

  Troy locked eyes with him. “I had no idea. You didn’t tell us.”

  Dante nodded. “I know. That’s my bad. I wanted to do it on my own and not bog everyone down with my problems, especially after the way I left.”

  “All the more reason to be proud of all you’ve accomplished. I should have said it before, but I’m proud of you. And I killed that article about you. I never really intended to print it. That was a draft copy you saw that day. I was just blowing off some steam.”

  Relief swept through Dante. He’d been hoping Troy had changed his mind about the article, but he hadn’t wanted to ask. With the press still linking him with Missy and making up stories about an affair, a local article written by his own brother would have created a media frenzy.

  “Lucy told me about the items Dad hung up at the shop. The articles. Press clippings.”

  Troy nodded. “Yeah. Of course. He was a proud father. Would you really expect any less of him?”

  Dante ran a hand over his face. For so many years his emotions had been bottled up. He and his father had never managed to air out their issues. They’d tiptoed around each other rather than bringing it out into the open. “We had a lot of unfinished business. There was a lot of stuff we didn’t hash out. I really wish we had.” He wondered if he would ever move past this profound regret.

  “At least you were communicating. Talking. That’s what matters most of all. He knew you loved him and vice versa. Beating yourself up isn’t going to change anything, Dante. All you can do is to move forward.”

  “When did you get so wise?” Dante asked. Troy had matured over the past few years. No doubt it was a result of their father’s illness and subsequent death. As caretaker and emotional support system, Troy had been as solid as a Maine oak tree. He’d filled a role Dante hadn’t been able to.

  “I was born that way,” he said with a grin.

  “You planning on putting those things back up on the walls?” Dante asked, trying to keep his expression serious.

  “Are you kidding me?” Troy asked. “Not a chance. I figure you already have a big head from all those Hollywood folks stroking your ego.”

  Dante shook his head and chuckled. “I can always count on you to keep me grounded, Troy.” It was nice to sit with his brother and share a pizza and some laughs. It was long overdue.

  “Are we good?” Dante asked, holding his breath as he waited for Troy’s response.

  Troy sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “On one condition.”

  “Lay it on me,” Dante said. He was eager to hear Troy’s stipulation.

  Troy grinned. “Jimmy really wants to meet Inferno. I told him that I might be able to hook him up with a meet and greet.”

  Joy swept over him. It wasn’t a magic fix, but he and his little brother were on their way to being back on track. “Absolutely. Let’s get him down to the set so he can watch us shoot some scenes.”

  Troy leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. “What I said to you about Lucy…I was dead wrong. If you want to start things up again with her it’s none of my business.”

  “We’re only hanging out. Nothing serious. Like you said, I’m heading back to California right after Christmas.” He shrugged. “One of my main goals was to see Lucy face-to-face and apologize for the way I left town. She hasn’t said it in so many words, but I think she’s forgiven me. We’ve managed to get our friendship back.”

  “Just friends?” Troy shook his head. His mouth had a skeptical twist. “I saw the way she was looking at you today at the festival. She’s in deep, Dante. And if you want to know the truth, I think you are too.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The library was a much quieter place now that Dante and his team had finished shooting there. Lucy no longer found herself distracted by the possibility of seeing him in the middle of her workday. On the downside, Lucy had gotten used to seeing Dante and watching the movie being filmed. It had livened up her world, much to her surprise. One thing had been abundantly clear throughout the entire process: Dante West was a genius. He managed to cull brilliant performances from his actors, and the scenes she’d watched always shone. Although he was a fine actor, Lucy thought he was an exceptional director. She had a feeling his film would be well received, and it might earn Dante some awards come Oscar time. His career could permanently change from actor to director.

  Lucy smiled as she watched Denny and Nora leaving the library together. They were a full-fledged couple now, which made Lucy smile every time she saw them. Right now they were holding hands as they called out their goodbyes to her and exited the library. She sighed. Seeing them together reminded her of the early days of her relationship with Dante. Lucy hoped they never had to weather any of the storms she and Dante had gone through.

  A few minutes later Lucy locked up and headed out the front doors of the library. The ringing of the church bells sounded melodic and peaceful. They usually rang in the evening only to herald special occasions. Lucy had forgotten about the yearly gathering across the street at St. Mark’s Church. It was a holiday candle ceremony to honor the memory of all th
e loved ones who’d passed away in the Mistletoe community. She’d always thought it was a beautiful way to honor those who were no longer with them. Lucy walked over to where people stood with candles in their hands. Although it wasn’t a huge crowd, it was nice to see so many turn up to honor their loved ones. The flickering candles looked so beautiful set against the darkness of night and the blanket of snow on the ground. It was somber yet lovely.

  “Here you go, Lucy.” Miles, Nick’s son, handed her a candle. With his pecan-colored skin and fine features, he was a carbon copy of his mother.

  “Thanks, Miles,” she said, wishing things were different for him and Nick. Kara had been such a force of nature. She’d been the foundation of their world. She imagined the ceremony provided them comfort at such a difficult time of the year. Although the holidays were always spectacular in Mistletoe, it was heartbreaking for families who were grieving a loss. Her mind swung to the Wests. She wondered if they were somewhere in the crowd holding candles for John.

  Lucy lit her candle and stepped toward the back of the crowd as the ceremony began. Names were called and families were allowed to light one of the bigger candles at the front. Much to Lucy’s surprise, Dante stepped forward when his father’s name was called. He stood among the others as a prayer was recited and the candles were extinguished. As she turned to put out her own candle, she spotted Stella’s ex, Rafe, huddled up with his wife. Just the sight of him filled her with distaste.

  She couldn’t even imagine how difficult it was for Stella to constantly cross paths with him in their small town. Lucy’s hand clenched at her side. She had never had the opportunity to tell him off after he’d ditched her sister at the altar. At the time, Stella had been in a pretty fragile state and Lucy hadn’t wanted to make matters worse.

  And now he was standing mere feet away from her with a wide grin showcasing his pearly whites. Humph. He was cheesing it up while her poor sister was still licking her wounds. It didn’t sit well with Lucy. Not one little bit.