A Hero’s Christmas Hope: Holidays in Heart Falls: Book 3

by Arend, Vivian

  “What?” he demanded, half laughing.

  Madison shrugged. “I’m trying to be polite.”

  “Oh, please. Like you’re not dying to simply spit out exactly what’s on your mind.” It might have been years, but that was Maddy to the core.

  She pushed past him into the master bedroom and was now pointing at his bed. “You’re kidding me. What the hell is that?”

  Ryan sighed. “It’s a bed, Maddy.”

  “For a kid.” She whirled on him. “Let me guess. When you moved in with your parents, you were in the same room as Talia, so two single beds were the limit.”

  “Right.” He didn’t say anything about not being able to stand to keep the queen-size mattress Justina and he had shared.

  Madison sniffed at his neatly made twin that was pushed up against the far wall under the window, leaving a wide expanse of open carpet. “I guess this setup gives you room to do workouts at home, or some such nonsense.”

  “Yup.”

  She stalked across to his bathroom and peeked in, her expression brightening slightly. “At least you couldn’t mess up this room. Nice huge shower, dude. And that soaker tub is probably great after a callout.”

  “Which reminds me. One second while I make a call.”

  “Don’t mind me. I’m going to snoop through your closets, looking for more skeletons.” Madison gave his bed one more disgusted glance, shook her head, then left the room.

  It shouldn’t take long to arrange for her car to be pulled from the ditch. “Hey, Mack. Got a minute?”

  Having a best friend married to a mechanic was handy.

  “We’re just hanging out. What’s up?” Mack asked.

  “Does your lovely wife have time to tow a car out of the ditch?” Ryan asked. “I have a friend visiting who had a bit of bad luck on the Nelson corner. If Brooke can’t do it tonight, tomorrow will be fine.”

  “One second, and I’ll pass you over.” Mack spoke in the background, and then suddenly it was a female voice on the line.

  “You want us to bring the car to the shop or your house?” Brooke asked.

  “If it’s running, the house. It’ll need a new airbag installed, but for now, it would be good if Madison could grab what she needs. I’m pretty sure the keys are in the ignition.”

  Brooke laughed. “You really think a little thing like no keys would stop me? Please.”

  Ryan caught himself grinning as he stepped back into his living room. “I know Mack is off tonight, so you guys should stay for a while. I’ll introduce you to Madison.”

  “Deal. Shouldn’t take more than an hour,” Brooke promised.

  Maddy was in front of the fridge, eyeing the calendar attached with brightly coloured magnets when he gave her the update.

  Her eyes sparkled. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

  “That’s what friends do,” Ryan insisted.

  She nodded then made a face. “Can I have a hug?”

  Damn. It hadn’t been a normal greeting from the start, but he was shocked that it had taken this long for her to ask.

  Madison was a hugger.

  Ryan didn’t answer, just opened his arms.

  She stepped against him and curled her arms around his torso, nestling in like it was years ago and miles away. A place where they’d watched each other’s backs and given each other exactly what they needed. Friends who cared about the little details and the big ones.

  He held her carefully, worried about squeezing her bruises too tight, but as their breathing synchronized, heat wrapping around them like a cozy blanket, it wasn’t just him giving to her anymore.

  His soul felt lighter knowing Maddy was here. That she cared enough to ask about his daughter, his parents, to notice his single bed.

  She gave to him so easily in a brief time—it had to be that ride-or-die friendship she’d mentioned, and he was so grateful she’d dropped in out of the blue.

  Eventually, Maddy patted his back. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “Me too,” Ryan confessed. He kissed her forehead, same as he’d do to Talia, then gestured Madison toward the living room. “Let’s relax until your car gets here.”

  “Goodie.” Maddy stole the calendar off the fridge then settled on the couch, motioning him over. “Relax means ‘Ryan gets to tell Mad how long she’s allowed to hang around and bug him’. Because I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  Ryan sat in the armchair across from her. Not because he was uncomfortable sitting beside her but because she always did this. Whatever magic Madison Joy possessed turned people into blabbermouths.

  They’d jokingly labelled it the bartender gene.

  It was true that many in their field had the ability to make total strangers up and spill their most intimate secrets in a shockingly short period of time. Only it wasn’t supposed to be that way between them.

  Best friends, yet somehow the entire conversation over the past hour and a bit had been ninety percent about him. His life, his daughter, and his parents. His history.

  He met her gaze straight on. “Put the calendar down, Maddy.”

  “But we need to plan,” she insisted.

  “We need to talk,” he returned before correcting himself. “You need to talk. You haven’t told me a single thing beyond you decided to come for a visit.”

  She hesitated. “Oh, right.” A decisive nod followed. “It’s not that I’m trying to hide anything, really,” she said sincerely, “but I did show up unannounced. You’re too nice a guy to tell me to take a hike, so let’s nail down the details now, and then I can relax.”

  That made sense. “You have all your stuff in your car.” He raised a brow as he watched her, silently encouraging her to fill in the gaps.

  Madison sighed. “I have a job in Toronto starting January fifth. So I need to head out early enough to make it without driving like an accident waiting to happen. I figured I’d stick around Heart Falls for two weeks, staying in a motel, then leave before the holidays so I’m not in the way.”

  “Nice try.” For a second, Ryan’s temper flashed. Where was she planning on spending the holidays? Alone in some motel room? “Forget the two-week thing. Also, forget the motel bullshit. You’re staying with me and Talia for the entire time, and that’s final.”

  “But I—” She slammed her lips together, took a deep breath, then dipped her chin. “Fine. No, not fine. Wonderful. Thank you, and that’s awesome, and I am so looking forward to it. But just so you know? If I stay, I have a few fix-it items I’d like to play with. Don’t say no.”

  3

  Ryan’s face was priceless in that moment. Madison leaned back on the couch and crossed one ankle over the other. “Is it a deal?”

  He folded his arms. “Is this fixer thing of yours still as obnoxious as it was back in high school?”

  “It’s even better,” Madison shared. “Or worse, I suppose, depending.”

  A snort escaped him. “Oh, great. That made total sense.”

  “Doesn’t need to make sense,” she pointed out. “You just need to agree to do the things I suggest.”

  Ryan shook his head, but he wasn’t disagreeing with her. “Let me get a drink. If you plan on reorganizing my life, I need a bracer.” He rose to his feet. “What do you want?”

  “Ginger ale.”

  He nodded without questioning her choice and headed to the kitchen.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to discover it was her other brother.

  “Hey, brat,” she said easily, watching Ryan move in the kitchen. “I thought you were visiting Middle Earth tonight.”

  “Intermission,” Kyle said in a low whisper. “Hey, just wanted to let you know everything’s okay.”

  A deep sense of relief welled up, but Madison fought to keep it from her voice. “Of course it is. You know between Aragon and Gandalf, things will be fine. And don’t discount Samwise—”

  “I know, I know. I need to read the book because Samwise is never an asshole or mean to Smeag
ol. The book is better than the movie, and all the rest of it.” He mock-gagged.

  “Actually, the movie and the book are equally great and terrible for different reasons. Pick the one you enjoy the most.” Madison mouthed thank you at Ryan as he put a glass on the table in front of her. “Thanks for the update, bud. Anything else you need?”

  “Nah. I’m glad you’re gone. I’m taking over your room tomorrow,” Kyle shared.

  That was a disaster she was happy to miss—the twins fighting over her teeny room. “You do realize that your current room is way bigger than mine, especially if Joe moves out.”

  “Yours has a window that doesn’t face the back alley.”

  “Happy fighting, then,” Madison said. “I’m at Ryan’s. Gotta go, ’kay?”

  “Okay. Can I call you tomorrow?” Kyle asked it really soft and fast.

  Her brothers were going to break her damn heart. She answered him gruffly so she didn’t push him further toward tears, which would totally embarrass him, even with them so many miles apart. “I guess. Now go away.”

  “Love ya.” He was gone even as she whispered I love you back.

  Ryan watched silently. She wiggled her phone then dropped it on the table and grabbed her glass. “My brothers are making sure that I haven’t forgotten how to use technology in the few hours since I left.”

  His face softened. “How are they?”

  “Great,” she said cheerfully. “They’re both at the university, if you can believe it.”

  “Damn, already?”

  “Time passes. Just like Talia’s magically ten, the boys hit eighteen. Bonus, in the past couple of years, they finally figured out how to hand in assignments on time. Which will be helpful going forward.”

  The doorbell rang. Ryan frowned but rose to answer it.

  She followed after him, peering over his shoulder to discover a very solidly built man with dark hair standing on the front stairs. A tall woman with a ponytail was climbing down from the tow truck parked on the street outside Ryan’s house.

  “Hey, Mack. Brooke.” A trace of shock tinged Ryan’s voice. She leaned out a little father and spotted her car, the paint job a little worse for wear, still attached behind the truck. “How did you get it out of the ditch that fast?”

  The brunette sidled up to the man on the porch. “I grew up in Heart Falls, so I know all the secret back routes. There was an old gravel road about five feet from where the car landed. Once I got her hooked up, it was simple to pull her out.” Brooke’s gaze lifted past Ryan to meet Madison’s. “Hey, there.”

  “Hi.”

  Ryan backed up to let the other couple pass. “Come in, and I’ll introduce you properly.”

  Both Brooke and Mack examined Madison sharply as they left their shoes at the door and stepped into the front foyer.

  “Oh, right. My face. The airbag,” Madison offered as an explanation.

  Understanding dawned on Brooke’s face. “Which reminds me. Since the air bag was deployed, I have to bring the vechicle to the shop. It’s not legal for you to drive her over.”

  Mack actually stepped forward, leaning a little closer as he eyed her carefully. “Looks as if you got off lucky. And unlucky, to have the air bag trigger. You couldn’t have been moving very fast by that point on the hill unless you were really gunning it on the highway. And I doubt that, considering the road conditions.”

  Ryan put a hand to Mack’s shoulder and pushed him aside. “I already gave her a physical, so stop hovering.”

  “Sorry, occupational hazard,” Mack returned easily, holding out a hand to Madison. “Mack Klassen. Canadian Air Force, retired, and now with the Heart Falls fire department.”

  As Madison accepted the handshake, she didn’t bother to hide her smile. “Ah. One of Ryan’s. I’m not offended. I’m surprised you didn’t try to casually check my pupils or take my pulse.”

  “Give him time,” Brooke said, extending her own hand. “Brooke Klassen. And Mack is one of Ryan’s, but he’s mostly mine. We’ve been married since last March.”

  “Congratulations, a few months late,” Madison said with a grin. She glanced down and decided what she was wearing would do.

  Ryan misinterpreted her move. “Want me to grab your suitcase out of the car?”

  “No problem, I can do it.” She twisted toward the door.

  Two male bodies blocked her way.

  “Go. Sit,” Ryan ordered. “Mack and I will grab your stuff while you and Brooke get acquainted.”

  “Testosterone has been activated. No use in arguing with them,” Brooke assured her. “Come sit down so I can ask you what work you want done on your vehicle. I’ll order in a replacement airbag to start, which will take at least a day.”

  Madison nodded at Brooke before turning to meet Ryan’s eyes. “Don’t bring everything. Just the suitcase in the back seat. Oh, and the box on the passenger seat labelled Making Mischief. That’s all I need.”

  The two guys headed into the blustery weather. Madison was happy to remain in the warm house.

  “I got myself a drink already,” Brooke told her, striding into the living room.

  Which meant Madison felt no guilt at returning to her previous spot on the couch. She grabbed the fuzzy blanket that had been draped over the back, spread it over her legs, then picked up her ginger ale. “Thank you for bringing my car.”

  “Seriously, it wasn’t a problem. I’m glad you weren’t hurt more. You must’ve pissed off the airbag sensors just enough when you left the road that they malfunctioned.”

  “I wondered what had happened. I mean it was bumpy, but I didn’t slam into anything,” Madison told her.

  Brooke waved a hand. “Oh, I could tell from how the car was sitting that you did a good job hitting the ditch. No, sometimes airbags malfunction. I’m a mechanic, so if it hasn’t happened to me personally, I’ve heard the story from someone.”

  The front door opened. The guys carried in her two items and headed into the guest room as they chatted easily.

  Madison focused on Brooke. “When you install the new airbag, do you recommend any other tune-ups? I’ll need to drive cross-country in a few weeks, so I want it to be roadworthy.”

  “I’ll do an overall maintenance check,” Brooke assured her. “And double-check the other airbags. But seriously, don’t go thinking you did something wrong. I once had an airbag go off on me while I was in the middle of working under the dashboard. Damn thing hit me in the solar plexus so hard, I couldn’t breathe. That was fun. Twisted half in, half out of the car, gasping for air like a fish out of water.”

  Mack and Ryan had rejoined them. “When was that?” Mack asked.

  Brooke wrinkled her nose. “About three years ago. You should’ve seen the bruises.”

  “I think I will,” Madison said dryly, but she winked. “So, tell me about Heart Falls. What do I need to do while I’m here?”

  “That depends on where you’re from,” Brooke said dryly.

  “Surrey,” Mack and Ryan answered at the same time.

  Brooke’s husband grinned at Madison. “Hanging out at the fire hall involves lots of late nights and long conversations. Ryan’s mentioned your name often.”

  “Every time I told him a high school story about getting in trouble. It was really tough to leave you out of it,” Ryan admitted.

  Madison pressed a hand to her chest. “Me? I’m sure you have me mistaken with some other hell-raising individual.”

  Brooke’s eyes brightened as she smiled. “Oh. You’re the one Ryan used to get detention with.”

  “There really is no use in denying it,” Ryan said. “Although, Maddy is also the reason I survived calculus class. So, I should give credit where credit is due.”

  “That’s neat that you guys go back that far,” Brooke said.

  “Best friends for a lot of years,” Madison said contentedly. “Plus, I introduced him to Justina. I get credit for that one as well.”

  Ryan grinned. “You totally set us up.”

>   Brooke sipped her drink, her gaze darting between Ryan and Madison in a way that said her mind was whirling. But instead of asking a personal question, Brooke gave an answer to the one Madison had originally asked. “You should do a tour of all the hotspots in town. My shop, the fire hall.”

  “Definitely the fire hall,” Mack said quickly. “Tomorrow is teambuilding night. We’ve got a potluck dinner and movies—one for the kids and one for people who don’t want to watch Frozen for the twelve-millionth time.”

  “Some people are missing their funny bone,” Brooke teased. “You still don’t know all the words.”

  Mack glared.

  “Seriously, you need to let it go…”

  He tickled her.

  She wiggled away, fighting to keep from spilling her drink. “Stop.” Brooke put the glass down and then turned back to Madison. “Other places include coffee at Buns and Roses, a trip to Fallen Books—that’s our specialty indie store in town. The animal shelter is fun to visit, if you’re at all interested in dogs, cats, and other critters.”

  “If you want to go for a horse ride, we’ve got a bunch of different options we can arrange,” Ryan suggested. “Oh, and you know, if you feel like it, I suppose I could take you to Rough Cut.”

  “A bar? That’s a bit on the wild side, isn’t it?” Madison grinned at him. “Honestly? I can’t wait to see the place.”

  * * *

  Sitting with his friends, with Madison there, talking about the fun activities they should enjoy while she was around, somehow made December feel a lot more festive than it had earlier in the day.

  Ryan had to admit—something was off this year. Even Talia seemed reluctant to get into the holiday spirit.

  He’d pulled out the decorations a few days ago, and usually that would have triggered his daughter to dive in and demand they put everything up immediately.

  She’d barely glanced at them this go-round.

  Now that Madison was here, though, he could change that. Once Talia was home tomorrow, they could all put their heads together and come up with ideas on how to make the holidays extra special, including planning Talia’s birthday party.