“Charley, are you okay?” Mary asked again.
“Simply placing a name inside a mailbox works?” she uttered faintly.
Mary furrowed her brows, tilting her head to one side. “Mailbox?” And then she nodded with understanding. “Not any mailbox, dear. But to answer your question, yes, it does work.”
“No.” Charley swiftly cast a glance at Mary. “That was impossibly fast.”
“Well, Santa can deliver toys all over the world in one night, so one little name in a mailbox...” Mary shrugged. “Looks like you have some catching up to do.” She nudged Charley toward Jack before she attended to her other guests.
Charley gulped, still hearing her heart hammering.
“Charley Dawson.” Jack shook his head in disbelief. “How the heck have you been?”
A rush of heat flooded her cheeks. She couldn’t get over how Jack’s sixteen-year-old round baby face had matured into strong, chiseled angles. And though his blue-gray eyes were framed with laugh lines, they were still very distinct and intense. “Good. Uh...”
Her mind was spinning. Pushing aside how gorgeous her ex-boyfriend was, she couldn’t figure out how he was standing in front of her. The Scrooge Legend wasn’t real. Challenging Santa to find him for her couldn’t be real, either. She was a grown woman. She knew that. It had to be something else. It was too much of a coincidence for both of them to be staying at the same bed-and-breakfast in the middle of nowhere. Another tiny gasp escaped her lips as she suddenly remembered the fortune cookie saying YOU WILL REUNITE WITH THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. No. Not possible. Was it?
Nerves took control of her. Not knowing what to do with herself, she grabbed two mugs of hot cider off the table and thrust one at Jack. “Have some cider.” She tried to take a gulp but discovered it was still very hot. “Oh! It’s hot. Be careful.”
“I figured it would be.” He looked at her curiously before blowing on the cider. He took a tiny taste, not taking his eyes off her. “I can’t believe we’re both staying here.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” She flashed him an insecure smile. “What are the odds?”
“Seventy-six million, two hundred thirty thousand, eighty-nine to one.”
Charley gawked at him.
“Kidding!” He grinned. “I have no idea, but I’d bet it’s a high number, especially since I was booked at another B&B until they had a flood.”
“A flood?”
“A mischievous kid left the water running.”
“Oh!” She immediately took a drink of cider, covering the fact that she had absolutely no idea what to say to him.
He jammed his hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “Do you still live in LA?” he asked, checking out a plate of appetizers.
She hated how he appeared to be so incredibly relaxed, and she was ready to jump out of her skin. He was acting like he’d seen her a few weeks ago. Calm down. Just breathe.
“Yeah.” She forced herself to sound casual. “I work at the magazine Authentic Lifestyles. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
The crease between his brows deepened. “I don’t know that one,” he said, and she wondered if he was happy to see her or if he was just making conversation. “Not much time to read magazines with my job.”
Play it cool. “What do you do?” she asked nonchalantly.
“I’m a police detective in Denver.”
“A detective? That must be exciting,” she replied enthusiastically, attempting to hide her surprise. She always thought he’d be an attorney like his dad.
“It’s not as glamorous as Hollywood portrays it to be. There’s a lot of paperwork and hours digging for answers. I probably spend seventy percent of my day doing research on anyone and everyone connected to a case.”
Did you ever think of doing research on me? She felt herself blushing at the thought. Change the subject. “So, do you come here often?”
Jack laughed and she instantly closed her eyes in dread, totally embarrassed by her stupid question.
“What I meant was why are you in St. Nicholas?”
He took a slow sip of cider, then spoke in a warm, buttery tone. “I’m here on a case.”
She shut the sound of his sexy voice from her mind, determined to stay on topic. “Really?” She raised her brows. “Ya got trouble, right here in St. Nick’s City?” she joked.
“With a capital T.”
She blasted him with a big grin. “You remember.”
“How could I forget? Our school put on the worst production of The Music Man ever.” He cringed. “And you made me sit through it.”
“Our friends were in it. We had to support them.”
“Yeah, I’ll never forget what you told them when they asked your opinion. You said their performances were ‘so incredibly original.’”
“I said that?” Charley laughed. “I can’t believe you remembered that.” She couldn’t stop smiling, thinking back. She and Jack had been considered the perfect couple. They had so many of the same interests. They loved baseball, volleyball, and surfing. They spent hours at the beach together. They rarely disagreed with one another because they thought alike, often sharing the same viewpoints. Their taste in music was even the same. Their favorite bands were Coldplay and Green Day. All of their friends told them they would end up married to each other, and Charley believed them. She thought Jack had believed them too. Maybe he did at one time, but that was long ago.
They fell into an awkward silence. It felt like they could simply pick up where they left off, but she knew that sort of thing only happened in movies. He had crushed her years ago and she needed to keep that in mind. “You were saying you were on a case?”
“A potential one,” Jack answered vaguely.
“Can you give me a hint?”
“Yes.” He leaned into her, lowering his voice. “But later.”
It was then that Charley understood magnetic attraction. Without warning, she felt her body being pulled to his, and he must have felt it, too, because he pinned her with his gaze. Her pulse raced and her cheeks flushed as he brushed his arm against hers.
Jack cleared his throat, breaking eye contact as he stepped away from her. “What about you? Are you here on vacation with your husband?” He checked out her hand.
If he was asking her, there was a good chance he was still single. Charley indirectly eyed his left hand. No ring—though he could have left it at home. “No, Detective.” She held up her left hand, finally feeling like she was on equal footing with him. “I’m as free as a bird.”
He offered a crooked smile, and she couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed that she caught his less-than-subtle question or if he was pleased with her answer.
“If you’re not on vacation, what’s brought you to St. Nicholas?” he asked.
“I’m kind of on a case myself. I received a complimentary week here, so I thought I’d check it out.”
Jack’s face registered surprise. “At this B&B specifically, or could you have used your free week at any of the B&Bs?”
“No, just here. Why?”
“A friend of mine stayed at another B&B for free.” He scanned the room, as if he were trying to find a criminal lurking within the bed-and-breakfast guests. “Is this B&B one of those timeshare deals?”
“That’s what I thought!” She couldn’t believe how, after fourteen years, they still thought alike. “But, no. It isn’t.” She moved closer, speaking in conspiratorial tones. “I took the free week because I’m determined to get to the truth behind the Scrooge Legend.” Recognition flickered across his face. “I take it you know what I’m talking about.”
Jack nodded. “Any Scrooge who enters the town will end up loving Christmas as much as Santa.”
“That’s the one, though my understanding is that the legend’s purpose is to get to the root of why someone doesn’t like Christmas.
It focuses on why a Scrooge is so unhappy.”
“Interesting. You know, I think your invitation is connected to what I’m investigating.”
“Are you serious?” Could the legend be a front for criminal activity? Talk about debunking a story. It would be her biggest reveal of fact over fiction ever.
“Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?” His intense gaze instantly held her captive.
“Oh...uh...” she stammered. He sure knew how to take her off guard.
“What I mean is, we can share information,” he clarified.
“Oh. Right. Yes.” She waved away the embarrassing thought that he had actually asked her out on a date. “That’s a good idea. To share notes.” She nodded enthusiastically for good measure.
“Great.” He glanced at his phone. “I’ve got to take care of something for work, but why don’t we meet back here around six? We can grab a bite in town and talk about it.”
“Sure,” she said casually, feeling ridiculous at how she had jumped to conclusions. “See you then.”
Charley’s thoughts were spinning as he walked away. He glanced back at her, and she felt mortified that he’d caught her staring at him. She flashed him an awkward, fractured smile. Adding to her embarrassment, she then gave him a hesitant wave before he turned and climbed the stairs.
What was wrong with her? It was absurd to think he could be interested after fourteen years. Then again, he had turned around to look at her. Was it possible? No, she was an old friend helping him out on an investigation—she was sure that’s what he thought of her.
Charley bit her lip. What was she doing? He broke her heart when they were kids. He could easily do it again. Stop! Stop thinking about him. You have no idea if he’s married or has a fiancée or is even interested. Most importantly, you shouldn’t care.
“Jack’s a handsome one,” Mary said, cozying up next to her. “How do you two know each other?”
“We were high school sweethearts.”
“Oh, how wonderful.” Mary didn’t move, still looking toward the stairs where Jack was only moments ago. “And here you are, together again.”
“Not together.”
“Not yet,” Mary sang, arching a brow, then left her alone with that thought.
Chapter Nine
“Charley Dawson,” Jack whispered as he strode down the hallway with his room key in hand. She looked amazing. How they managed to be in the same place at the same time, he’d probably never know, but he wasn’t going to question it. Maybe the Big Man upstairs was looking out for him after all.
He opened the door to his room, threw his key on the table, and stared out the window. How was she still single? She was smart, funny—oh, man, if she wasn’t beautiful. Those luminous forest-green eyes of hers still sparkled when she smiled, and her gorgeous sun-kissed hair brought back so many memories of them spending summer days on the beach together. He remembered what Felicity had said about unexpected things happening in St. Nicholas. What an understatement. How incredibly lucky he was to see Charley again.
He unzipped his bag and began unpacking. It was hard to believe how only yesterday he had resigned himself to a single, solitary life. Over the years, he’d never wanted to get too involved, never wanted to commit past tomorrow with anyone he’d dated—except Charley. With her, he had been all in—at least, until he and his family moved out of state.
Weeks after the move, he’d handled things poorly with her and that was on him. Thinking back, his teenage self had figured it would all work out. But one month went by, and then two. He’d known they’d be going to separate colleges. How could any long-distance relationship survive that? Seeing no future for them, he let the relationship fall apart.
But he never stopped thinking about her. He kept tabs on her throughout the years. It was easy to do as a detective. He’d probably never admit it to her, but he’d known she worked at the magazine before she told him. He even knew where she lived—though that was it. He wouldn’t dig into her personal life. It wasn’t right. Besides, if he had learned she was happily married with children, it would have crushed him.
Jack hung his shirts in the closet, thinking about how nervous she looked when they made eye contact. He’d been fairly nervous himself. His heart had been going a mile a minute. He thought he’d covered better than she did, but still, if she had known what a wreck he’d been, she would have laughed.
How many times he had picked up the phone to call her... He’d wanted to explain what happened so that maybe she would give him a second chance. But he always talked himself out of dialing her number. Believing he would never find someone like Charley again, he buried himself in his work and learned how to become emotionally detached. He thought remaining indifferent would help him deal with his lost love, but it didn’t. Sometimes it was all he could do to just get to the end of the day.
Of course, something stirred inside him the second he’d laid eyes on her. His buried emotions shot through him and surfaced within seconds. That scared him enough to have him retreating back to his room to regroup. He needed a game plan. He had to figure out if it was at all possible...the two of them...together again? Could he explore the possibility without either of them getting emotionally hurt in the process?
Jack finished emptying his suitcase, zipped it up, and set it in the corner of the room. What was he thinking? Charley might not even want to go down that same road with him again. She didn’t exactly jump at the chance to have dinner with him. When she didn’t reply, he immediately felt stupid for asking. At least he was able to think fast and cover his fumble by highlighting the work angle. Unfortunately, now it would have to be about work. He shook his head, disappointed.
Jack’s cell abruptly rang, startling him out of his thoughts. “Captain Wollin. I was just about to call you.”
“How’s it looking up there?”
Charley immediately came to mind. It was strange enough for him to run into his high school girlfriend, but then to discover she’d received one of those mysterious complimentary weeks at a B&B—well, that was a little too coincidental. He was sure Captain Wollin would agree.
“There was a flood at the B&B Braca stayed in, but the good news is I’m at the one where your brother stayed.”
“I thought they were booked.” Wollin sounded surprised.
“They didn’t have a room available until today, but something seems off about these B&Bs.”
“I knew it! Do you want me to send Adam or Kenny up there to help you?”
Jack thought about it. He was already distracted by Charley and needed to stay focused on his job. Yet how could he ignore the gift he’d been given to reconnect with her again? He’d been so lonely over the past decade. While all his buddies were getting married or having their first child, he couldn’t commit to any woman long enough to have a serious relationship. As his friends began to move on without him, he began to feel a deep void overtaking his life that pushed out love and commitment and his ability to build a lifelong partnership with someone he truly loved. If he was being given a second chance with Charley, he couldn’t squander it. “No need to send them. It might draw too much attention. Let me get to digging and if I find it’s too much, I’ll let you know.”
“All right, Jack. Keep me posted, and be safe out there.”
He hung up wondering if he was being foolish. He wasn’t in high school anymore. He lived in the real world where dreams were dashed and fairy-tale relationships were just that—a fantasy that rarely existed outside the mind of the dreamer.
Jack stared out the window, watching the late afternoon sun retreat behind a thicket of trees. The Christmas lights outside turned on, illuminating the bed-and-breakfast property. It was beautiful, he had to admit, even though Christmastime wasn’t very merry for him anymore. It hadn’t been for a long time.
The massive number of lights reminded him of his early childhood wh
en decorating his house was a whole thing—a tradition that lasted for days. That was before his uncle disappeared. Then a cloud fell over the season. He’d been miserable during the holidays for years—until he met Charley. Though they had shared only one Christmas together, she’d helped him to enjoy it again. Once he had moved away from her, he went back to dreading the season. Was it a coincidence he’d run into her three weeks before Christmas? For years he’d hoped he’d see her again, and now it had finally happened. Maybe the realist could have faith in the dreamer once again.
* * *
After assessing that none of the other B&B guests were considered Scrooges, Charley politely excused herself. She needed to get to the post office for some answers before it closed. She was a woman grounded in facts and science, not fortune cookie sayings and magical mailboxes. For all she knew, whoever invited her had also managed to get Jack up to St. Nicholas under false pretenses. But why?
The post office was located on Holly Street, another beautiful area of St. Nicholas. It reminded her of the architecture in the Swiss Alps—white stone buildings framed with steep, black roofs. Enormous clock hands adorned the entrance to the town hall, and next to the town hall was an equally impressive post office.
When she opened the door, she assumed she’d see one or two mail service windows sharing space with a copy center and an office supply store, but that wasn’t the case. The massive building was for the post office only. It had ten service windows and not one was closed. She’d never been inside a post office where all the windows were open. It seemed overkill for such a small town. Then again, maybe not. The line was out the door, spilling into the lobby and weaving around the area near the box rentals.
Knowing it would take forever to get up to the counter, she turned to leave when a woman standing in line said, “It moves fairly quickly, especially when all the windows are open.”
The woman scooted a box forward with her foot since her arms were loaded down with other packages. “And if you have to wait in line for more than ten minutes, they give you a voucher for a free hot chocolate, redeemable at any St. Nicholas café.”
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