The Holiday Secret (Castle Falls Book 4)

by Kathryn Springer

The charm was a memory, he’d said. But as beautiful as the bracelet was, Ellery knew she wouldn’t forget any of the moments she’d spent with Carter over the past few days.

  “The volunteers will be in costume when they arrive but Rebecca Tamblin, Pastor Seth’s wife, thought it would be wise to have the props here in advance,” Karen went on. “That way they don’t have an angel without a halo or a wise man who forgot his frankincense.” Karen chuckled. “I’ll walk down there and see if they need help.”

  “I’ll go,” Ellery offered quickly, afraid that Karen would overdo it if given the chance.

  She grabbed her coat off the hook in the back entryway and jogged down the shoveled walkway.

  “Ellery!” Lily propped a cardboard box on her hip and waved. Her lavender ski jacket paired with slim-fitting ponte leggings tucked into leather boots struck the perfect balance between UP practicality and urban chic. “We were hoping to see you.”

  “The guys are coming by in a little while but we wanted to see if you needed any help setting up.” Maddie transferred a box to Anna and grabbed another one from the back of the van. She wore a swing coat made of gray wool and a matching cloche. “Aiden mentioned you were handling all the food prep on your own.”

  “But...you must have a million things to do before the wedding,” Ellery protested.

  “Sunni and my mom have everything under control,” Anna said. “Cassie and Chloe wanted to come along and spend some time with Isabella, if that’s all right.”

  “We brought some dolls for her to play with.” One of the twins held up her backpack.

  “And horses,” her sister added. “Dad said those are her favorite.”

  Dad.

  Ellery realized how little she knew about Liam and Anna’s story but it was obvious Anna’s twins had already embraced her brother as part of the family.

  “Bea should be home any minute,” she told them. “You can wait for her in the family room if you’d like.”

  Cassie and Chloe looked at Anna for permission and she nodded.

  “Go right through the front door and Karen will show you where it is. You can grab a cookie in the dining room on your way through,” Ellery told them.

  “Okay!” The girls linked arms and dashed up the sidewalk.

  “So, we’ll unpack and organize all of this and then you can put us to work,” Lily said briskly.

  At the moment, Ellery felt more overwhelmed by the generous offer than the evening’s event.

  “I don’t know what to say...”

  Maddie patted Ellery’s arm. “Don’t say anything.” Her voice dropped a notch. “When it comes to the Kane family, I’ve learned that it doesn’t do any good.”

  “She’s right.” Lily grinned and linked her arm through Ellery’s. “We girls have to stick together.”

  “I’m anxious to see what Liam and the guys accomplished yesterday,” Maddie said.

  “And meet the infamous Sugar,” Anna added.

  Ellery was swept along with their laughter into the barn.

  The women were comfortable in any setting, it seemed, and moved in the synchronized choreography of people accustomed to working together. Ellery absorbed every bit of information she could about her brothers while they unpacked the boxes.

  “Liam and Aiden were surprised Carter agreed to host the live nativity,” Anna said.

  “I don’t think Carter had a choice.” Ellery smoothed the wrinkles from a shepherd’s robe. “They were very persuasive.”

  Maddie’s fern-green eyes went wide and Lily cupped her hand over her mouth.

  “What did I say?” Ellery looked from one to the other in confusion.

  “It’s not you.” Anna was struggling to hold back her laughter. “Carter isn’t the kind of guy who changes his mind unless he has a really good reason.”

  A smile passed around the circle and Ellery suddenly realized why.

  They thought she was the reason.

  “It’s not like that.” The words rushed out before Ellery could stop them. “Carter... He’s been hurt. It’s hard for him to trust.”

  “Because of Jennifer.”

  Ellery stared at Maddie. “You knew her?”

  “Enough to know she was stringing Carter along. Jennifer wrote a travel blog and stopped in Castle Falls for a few weeks one summer. The number of people following her went off the charts when Carter started appearing in Jennifer’s photos.

  “She documented their courtship and everyone started clamoring for more. The next thing I heard, they’d gotten married on Mackinaw Island, a few weeks before Carter’s deployment.”

  “But people don’t get married for a publicity stunt,” Ellery protested.

  “It depends on the kind of person they are,” Maddie said. “Jennifer was beautiful and ambitious and I think she was willing to do anything it took to rise to the top.

  “No one really knows what happened after that. Jennifer moved back to Chicago while Carter was serving overseas. I’m guessing when family life became a liability instead of an asset, she wanted a divorce.”

  “Wow.” Lily breathed the word. “I think I’d have a hard time trusting anyone after that, too, but you can’t give up on Carter, Ellery. We’ve all witnessed the amazing things God can do in a person’s life.”

  “Witnessed and experienced,” Anna added candidly. “I wasn’t very trusting when I met Liam. Ross, my first husband, was abusive. I couldn’t see myself ever marrying again.”

  “And Maddie turned Aiden down when he asked her on a date.” Lily smiled at her friend. “She was the only one who couldn’t see they were perfect for each other.”

  “It’s true. When Aiden asked for my help with some research, I tried to convince myself he was no different from anyone else who came into the library. I had a lot of fears and insecurities and the thought of falling in love was as terrifying as bungee jumping off Eagle Rock.”

  “I’m not in love with Carter,” Ellery choked out. “I barely know him.”

  The three women exchanged another smile.

  “But sometimes,” Anna said softly, “you just know.”

  * * *

  Carter knew he was in trouble when the Kane brothers cornered him behind the woodpile.

  “You’re going to have to find a better hiding spot next time,” Aiden said. “We’re professionals.”

  “I wasn’t...” Carter stopped. Because he kind of was. But not from them. From himself. His feelings.

  Ellery.

  Because she was getting under his skin. Big-time.

  “I thought you were in the barn, getting things ready for tonight.”

  “We’re finished.” Brendan bent down and started tossing pieces of kindling into the bin.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Moving this project along.” Liam yanked the ax from the chopping block. “Your mom invited us in for a cup of hot chocolate and many hands make light work, right?”

  No one waited for Carter to answer. In twenty minutes, his “unit” had chopped and stacked enough firewood to last until the new year.

  The women had already shed their outerwear and were clustered around the fireplace in the gathering room, drawing from its warmth.

  And inevitably, Carter’s gaze was drawn to Ellery.

  For a woman who’d willingly spent the last few days preparing for a community-wide event, the guarded smile on Ellery’s face looked out of place.

  He couldn’t imagine Lily, Anna and Maddie were to blame. All three had a reputation for welcoming people into the community. Which left...him.

  For the hundredth time that day, Carter questioned his decision to give Ellery the charm bracelet.

  Now who was guilty of overstepping?

  Carter realized he’d been caught staring when Aiden’s elbow dug into his ribs.

  “Hel
lo? If I stopped in the middle of traffic like that I’d get a parking ticket.”

  “You might get one anyway,” Carter growled. “I know your license plate number.”

  Aiden wasn’t listening. He’d loped over to Maddie’s side and wrapped his arm around her slender waist. “Hey, beautiful.”

  Maddie, sweet, introverted librarian that she was, rolled her eyes. “Your ancestors might have been able to get away with blarney like that, Aiden Kane, but I’m completely immune to your charm.”

  Her wide smile said otherwise.

  Karen swept into the room with a tray of cookies and Carter was relieved to see her energy had returned.

  “Here you go!” she sang out. “The girls are having a tea party in the living room, so I served them first, but there’s a hot chocolate station and more snacks in the dining room.”

  Lily had drifted over to Brendan’s side and he looked as smitten as his brothers when she tucked her arm through his. “Thank you, Karen.”

  “I’m the one who should be thanking all of you.” Karen set the tray on the coffee table. “The wedding is in less than forty-eight hours and you gave up an entire afternoon to help with the nativity.”

  Carter felt a sudden shift in the climate of the room.

  Liam stepped closer to Anna and reached for her hand. “Sunni and Nancy have everything under control.”

  “I’ve no doubt they do!” Karen tossed a smile over her shoulder when she reached the door. “I’m going to peek in on the girls, but I expect everyone to have a plate and a cup of hot chocolate in their hands when I get back.”

  No one moved.

  “Aiden—” Brendan reached out his hand but Aiden shook his head. With a murmured “Excuse me,” he strode out of the room, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

  Anna turned her face into Liam’s shoulder and released a quiet sigh.

  Carter frowned. He’d seen Aiden interact on numerous occasions with his future sister-in-law and hadn’t picked up on any strain in the relationship. It seemed impossible he disapproved of Liam’s upcoming marriage but a quick glance at Ellery told Carter the same troubling thought had occurred to her, as well.

  “Aiden is thrilled our family is expanding,” Lily said, almost as if she’d read their minds. She glanced at Brendan, a question in her eyes and he, in turn, looked at Liam.

  “But he’s upset because we’re still missing one,” Liam said slowly.

  “One what?” Carter asked.

  “Member of the family.” Liam drew Anna into the circle of his arms. “It’s common knowledge around Castle Falls that we were in a bad situation before Sunni and Rich took us in. Carla, our biological mom, didn’t exactly keep it a secret that she wished she’d never had us. What she didn’t tell us was that we had—have—a sister.”

  Carter heard Ellery pull in a breath and realized she was as stunned as he was by Liam’s quiet admission.

  “I overheard a conversation between Carla and someone from the adoption agency when I skipped school one day,” Brendan said. “I assumed she’d hidden her pregnancy from everyone and given the baby up for adoption after it was born. Liam and Aiden...they’d gone through enough, so I didn’t tell them until last summer.”

  “You were just a child yourself and you were protecting your brothers.” Lily’s voice was gentle but firm, evidence they’d had this discussion before. “By not changing your last name to Mason after Sunni adopted you, you left a door open for her to find you, too.”

  “I waited too long.” Guilt flashed in Brendan’s eyes. “If it hadn’t been for me, we could have found her years ago.”

  “Lily is right, Bren. You can’t beat yourself up,” Liam told him. “Anna can attest to the fact that when you told us about our sister, the first emotion I felt was relief. I wouldn’t have wanted her to go through what we did as kids. Aiden was the one who moved forward. He convinced Maddie to help him find her before the wedding.”

  “Aiden didn’t have a lot to go on, though. It was a closed adoption with a private agency and we didn’t know her birthday or even her name...” Brendan’s voice thickened. “Maddie was able to track down Carla’s best friend and found out more details.

  “Apparently our sister had some medical problems when she was born and ended up in the NICU for several months. A woman who volunteered at the hospital spent a lot of time with her and somehow convinced Carla to grant her and her husband temporary guardianship. It wasn’t supposed to be a permanent situation but the couple ended up adopting her instead.”

  Brendan paused and glanced at Liam, almost as if he were hesitant to continue the story.

  “And this is where the story begins to sound like one of those made-for-television movies,” Liam said. “We assumed Carla had terminated her parental rights right away, but the adoption wasn’t finalized until our sister was five years old.”

  Carter heard the tension flowing through Liam’s voice. “I’m guessing there’s some significance in that?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Brendan and Liam tossed another look back and forth. “Aiden was five years old at the time, too.”

  Before Carter’s brain finished connecting the dots, Aiden appeared in the doorway.

  “My sister and I...we’re twins.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Twins.

  Ellery stared at Aiden with new eyes as her mind struggled to process everything she’d just heard.

  Her throat tightened. And tightened. Until barely a whisper of air could get through.

  She was the “research” Maddie had mentioned? The reason the couple was together?

  “I’m sorry.” Aiden made a beeline for Maddie’s side again. “I had to take a few minutes...get my head on straight again and remember that God’s timing is perfect.”

  Brendan’s expression softened. “We all need to remember that.”

  “The agency won’t turn over her records?” Carter asked.

  “We wrote a letter explaining the situation but they wouldn’t budge. Some hotshot attorney sent us a letter saying that our sister was out of the country and they’d make a recommendation—” Aiden put air quotes around the word “—based on the information, but that was weeks ago. We might have to accept the fact she doesn’t want anything to do with us.”

  Ellery flinched at the pain in his voice.

  “Don’t give up yet. You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.”

  Ellery felt another internal shock wave and blindly reached for the back of the closest chair.

  Carter. Encouraging Aiden to...to hope.

  “I know,” Aiden said. “But like your mom said, the wedding is less than forty-eight hours away and we really wanted her to be there...” His voice trailed off as Anna’s twins rushed in, their laughter chasing the shadows from the room.

  “Something’s wrong.” Aiden rubbed his eyes and pretended to blink. “I’m seeing double.”

  “You always say that, Uncle Aiden!” One of the girls said.

  “How am I supposed to tell you two apart when you always dress alike?”

  “We didn’t try to pick out the same outfit.” Chloe looked at her sister’s matching sweatshirt and jeans. “It just happens.”

  “Don’t bother trying to figure it out,” Liam said with a laugh. “I’ve been told it’s a ‘twin thing.’”

  “Miss Karen says it’s time for hot chocolate,” Cassie announced.

  Aiden tipped his head to one side. “If hot chocolate gets cold, then what do you call it?” he mused.

  The twins erupted into giggles and a fissure of grief opened up inside of Ellery.

  Her parents had to have known about Aiden when they’d adopted her. If what her brothers had said about their home life was true, shouldn’t they have intervened on his behalf, too?

  Tears scorched Ellery’s eyes as she walked down the ha
ll. Carter fell into step beside her. She felt, rather than saw, his sideways glance.

  “That was quite a story.”

  Ellery managed a nod. What she really wanted to do was step into Carter’s arms, rest her head against the solid warmth of his chest and tell him it was her story, too.

  Ellery just didn’t know how—or when—she could fill in the missing pieces.

  Brendan had said he’d waited too long to find her, but when it came right down to it, wasn’t she guilty of the same thing?

  Would her brothers understand why she’d kept her identity a secret? Would they forgive her for having doubts of her own?

  God, I know I made a promise to Jameson, but I can’t put my brothers through any more pain. Aiden said he trusts Your timing and I will, too. Please give me an opportunity to tell them the truth.

  Bea had gotten there ahead of everyone else and was helping her grandmother add more snacks to the already generous buffet.

  Ellery’s stomach felt like one gigantic knot but she grabbed a ceramic mug decorated with sprigs of holly and reached for the carafe of hot chocolate and filled her cup. Turned and almost ran into Liam.

  “Wow.” He was looking down at Ellery’s cup with a blend of amusement and disbelief.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No.” A smile rustled at the corners of Liam’s lips. “There’s only one other person I know who sprinkles popcorn on their hot chocolate instead of marshmallows.”

  He pointed at Aiden’s mug and Ellery saw a layer of popcorn bobbing on the surface of the hot chocolate.

  They’d been raised in different homes. Led completely different lives. And yet they had this crazy, quirky little thing in common.

  Ellery felt an inner nudge and drew in a shaky breath. Smiled at Aiden.

  “It must be a twin thing.”

  Carter tensed at Ellery’s side and Brendan took a step forward. Stopped.

  “Ellery.” He stared at her as if the scales had dropped from his eyes. “You. You’re...”

  Ellery swallowed hard and nodded.

  “There were reasons I didn’t tell you.” Reasons that seemed ridiculous now.