Of course, he’d see Melody and Libby around town, or maybe exchange pleasantries across the fence that separated their properties, but there would be no more dinners together, no more special moments shared, or cuddling together beneath a blanket.
He believed this was the right choice for him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he also believed his decision made him a coward.
CHAPTER SEVEN
IT WAS CHRISTMAS Eve day. Libby and Melody spent much of the morning popping popcorn and stringing it with a needle and thread to make garland for the tree.
Melody was determined not to think about Jake. They’d spent wonderful times together, and although she’d hoped for something more, she was also a realist. She couldn’t change the decisions he made.
If what Laura had said the day before about him perhaps being afraid to love again was true, then Melody felt sorry for him.
Clutching grief and fear so tightly would ensure that he would always be alone, and that was just too sad for her to think about.
Libby flapped from the table to the microwave and took out the package of popcorn that had popped a few minutes before. Her tap shoes had made happy sounds since the moment she’d put them on. And this was important to Melody, that Libby have one of the best Christmases of her life.
Knowing a snowstorm was due to hit later in the day, late last night after Libby was asleep Melody had sneaked out of the house to the trunk of her car to retrieve all the presents that would arrive overnight, special delivery from Santa.
She’d taken them to the dance studio and hidden them in the closet, knowing that Libby would have no reason to go where only costumes hung and spare tap and ballet shoes lived.
After storing the wrapped presents, she’d changed into a leotard and a gauzy blue dance skirt and danced for half an hour. Most nights, she spent time in the studio dancing when Libby was in bed.
“I can’t wait,” Libby said, and strung another piece of popcorn. “I just can’t wait until tomorrow morning. I don’t think I’ll ever sleep tonight.”
“You have to sleep. Santa only comes when children are sleeping and dreaming of sugarplums and mistletoe,” Melody replied with a smile at her daughter.
“We have to remember to use the magic potion we bought on my pillow tonight,” Libby said. “Then I’ll dream of everything Santa is going to bring me.” She giggled. “You’re going to be so surprised.”
Melody looked at her daughter worriedly. “You do know that Santa doesn’t always bring every single thing you ask for.”
“I know,” Libby replied. “But he knows how important this thing is.” She threw two pieces of popcorn into her mouth.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be stringing them, not eating them,” Melody said, and Libby laughed.
Although Melody was concerned about whatever secret Libby believed Santa would bring, she hoped that Libby’s disappointment when it didn’t show up would be overridden by the presents Melody had bought.
The morning passed quickly, and they finished the popcorn strands and carefully placed them on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Melody had strung white lights on the tree earlier, but they wouldn’t officially decorate until after dark.
They ate lunch, and then Melody brought out several rolls of aluminum foil. “Now we can make beautiful silver stars to go on the tree,” Melody said.
“Cool. This was a good idea, to do a tree with stuff we make. Is Cowboy Jake coming over later?”
“No, I’m sure he’s got things to do at his own house to prepare for the snow that’s supposed to come.”
Libby flapped to the window and peered outside. “No snow yet,” she said, and then returned to the table, where Melody showed her how to fashion stars from foil wrap.
The two worked on the stars for the next two hours, and then when they decided they had enough, Libby decided to work on construction-paper ornaments.
As she worked at the kitchen table, Melody made a cup of hot tea and found herself standing at the window that gave her a view of Jake’s place.
What was he doing? What would he be doing tonight and tomorrow in his house alone while all over town families would share the holidays?
Her heart ached not only for herself, but also for him. She blew on her tea and then took a sip as her gaze went to the dark, gloomy sky overhead. It appeared low and heavy, as if ready to let loose fat snowflakes at any moment. The wind had picked up, coming from the north and portending a frigid night. Thankfully, she was prepared with enough wood stacked by their fireplace to help warm their living room for the next couple of days.
The town had plenty of activities planned both tonight and tomorrow, but she had a feeling no matter how much it snowed the streets and sidewalks would be quickly cleared to accommodate the festivities.
She gazed back at Jake’s place one last time, and then moved away from the window. Although things hadn’t gone as she’d hoped they would with Jake, she had a lot to be grateful for this year.
She and Libby had truly found their home here in the small town where mistletoe was honored and joy seemed to abound. Her dance business was thriving, as was her daughter, who was now humming “Frosty the Snowman” as she cut out a variety of circles that would become decorations for their tree.
The town had welcomed them as their own. Both she and Libby had forged friendships and moved on from the loss of Seth. It was healthy for them to let go of their grief and to embrace all that life had to offer them.
She was blessed with or without Jake in her life, and although her heart ached with a new loss, she knew that she wouldn’t close herself off, refused to be anything but open to whoever might walk into her and Libby’s life in the future.
They were seated at the kitchen table for dinner when it began to snow, small little glittery flakes that shimmered in the illumination from their outside Christmas lights.
“Oh, Mom, isn’t it beautiful?” Libby exclaimed as she danced in front of the window.
Melody moved to stand just behind her daughter and peered out into the darkness that had fallen unusually early due to the storm. “Breathtaking,” she replied. “The storm moved in a little earlier than the weatherman said it would.”
She couldn’t see Jake’s house in the darkness and with the snow swirling in front of the window. Let it go, she told herself.
She patted Libby’s shoulder. “How about we finish up our dinner, and then I’ll build a fire in the fireplace and we’ll decorate our tree for Santa?”
“Okay.” Libby hurried back to the table, her face animated with excitement as she chattered about the imminent arrival of Santa and how nice it would be that his sleigh would have a bed of snow to land in.
Melody smiled at her daughter. Maybe Jake was right after all: Christmas was for children, and adults just got through it. She hadn’t realized until now that she’d somehow hoped for a Christmas kind of miracle between her and Jake.
But there would be no miracle of love for her this year. Even though she’d felt love in her heart for Jake, even though she had thought his feelings for her were the same, it hadn’t been a miracle. It had simply been a mirage.
* * *
IT HAD BEEN one of the longest days in Jake’s life. He’d puttered around the house for most of the morning, replacing a sticking doorknob on a bedroom door and repairing a faucet in the bathroom that had an irritating drip, anything to keep his mind off his neighbor and her precocious child.
He spent the early afternoon stacking more firewood both inside the house and outside on the porch, and then checked the barn to make sure there was plenty of hay for the horses.
It was after four when he saddled up a horse to head to the pasture, his goal to herd the cattle closer to a shed and a stand of trees where they could shelter through the worst of the weather.
&nbs
p; He tried not to glance at his neighbor’s place, but his eyes and his brain seemed to have different ideas. Their outside lights were turned on, shining merry illumination across the darkening and gloomy day. The scent of a wood fireplace lingered in the air, and he knew that Melody had probably built a fire.
He focused his attention away from the house that looked so inviting and instead pulled his collar up closer around his neck to ward off the frigid air. Not only did the air hold the fragrance of woodsmoke but also the scent of snow.
The forecast had been for the storm to move in around seven that evening, but it felt as if it was already upon them. He located the herd at the far end of the pasture, quite some distance from the sheltered area where he wanted them.
He’d just started moving them when the first snow began to fall. Tiny crystals quickly covered the shoulders of his coat. He pulled his hat down lower on his forehead as the wind began to blow and visibility became more difficult.
“Come, bossy,” he yelled at the cows, his usual term that got them moving. He circled around to the back of the herd, his horse, Hercules, dancing his feet to get the cows surging forward.
He had them almost to the shed area when the wind once again picked up and the icy snow drove straight into his face, stinging his cheeks and frosting his eyebrows.
The snow flew sideways with the treacherous wind, and it didn’t take long for Jake to realize the cows would have to be okay where they were. He needed to get out of the elements.
The visibility was now at zero, and his face felt frozen in place. He headed in what he thought was the direction of his barn, and after a few minutes stopped Hercules and gazed around.
The world was white, with no sign of the barn or his house. He realized his sense of direction was gone, and he no longer even knew for sure which way to go.
His face was numb and an inner chill stole through him. He needed to get back to the house...but which way should he go? For the first time in his life as a rancher, he was afraid.
He should have been out here earlier in the day to move the cattle. The moment it had started to snow he should have headed home. Instead of working, he should have sought shelter.
Too late now, he told himself. He needed to get to shelter, both for himself and for Hercules. The horse moved restlessly beneath him, as if eager to move, to at least work up some body heat.
Once again Jake gazed around frantically as he attempted to get his bearings. There, not so very far away, he saw through the storm a shimmer of a star.
Melody’s place.
He was far closer to her house than he was to his own. Allowing the star to guide him, he nudged Hercules in that direction.
At least there was a small barn where Hercules could ride out the storm. And heat...there would be heat in Melody’s house. He felt more than half-frozen and needed some warmth.
He drew closer and more Christmas lights shone, outlining her house and the windows. He reached her property and the small barn, grateful to see that it not only held a couple of bales of hay but also a water trough and a faucet to fill it.
Shivering uncontrollably, he made Hercules comfortable. He considered remaining in the barn with the horse for the night, but knew that would be foolish. There was no telling how long the storm would rage, and he needed to get warm before hypothermia set in.
Whether he desired it or not, it looked as though he would be spending Christmas Eve with Melody and Libby.
CHAPTER EIGHT
MELODY AND LIBBY had just finished making sugar cookies for Santa’s treat and had moved into the living room to begin decorating the tree when a knock came from her front door.
“Maybe it’s Santa bringing my special present a little early,” Libby exclaimed as she flapped her tap shoes toward the door.
“Only Santa would be out on a night like this,” Melody replied as she walked to the door and pulled it open. “Jake,” she gasped.
He stood on the porch as if unable to move. His eyebrows were hidden beneath a cover of ice, his face was pale and his lips held a faint blue hue.
“Get in here.” She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside, and then quickly closed the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s a long story,” he said. He shivered and took off his snow-covered hat and coat and hung them on the coatrack near the door.
“Come on.” Melody once again took him by the hand and pulled him down the hallway to the spare bedroom. “Get out of all of those wet clothes and I’ll give you a blanket to wrap around you.”
She grabbed a throw stored on a top shelf in the closet and tossed it on the bed. “Let me know when you have those clothes off and I’ll get them into the dryer.”
She stepped out of the room and closed the door, wondering what had happened to him. She didn’t want to entertain any hope that he’d suddenly realized he was falling in love with her and had forged his way through a blizzard because he couldn’t wait another moment to tell her.
He opened the bedroom door, jeans and shirt in hand while the other hand clutched the beige blanket around his chest. He still looked frighteningly cold. “Go lie down on the sofa. I’ll be right there,” she commanded.
She raced into the laundry room off the kitchen and threw the clothes into the dryer, then poured chicken broth into a cup and popped it into the microwave.
Libby came into the kitchen. “What’s he doing here?”
“I guess Santa dropped off an early Christmas gift,” Melody said lightly.
“Cowboy Jake is not from Santa and he shouldn’t be here,” Libby said. To Melody’s surprise, she stomped out of the room and into the living room.
Melody grabbed the warm broth from the microwave and hurried after her daughter, afraid that Libby might tap-dance on his head.
Jake was on the sofa with the blanket pulled up to his chin. He took the cup of broth she offered and between sips told her that he’d gotten lost in the storm and only the star on top of her house had saved him.
Libby stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him. “All I can say is it’s gonna get crowded in here after Santa comes.” Her tap shoes made unhappy sounds as she walked to the tree. “And we were going to decorate our tree before you showed up.”
“I’d love to watch you decorate your tree,” he replied.
“Are you warm enough?” Melody asked worriedly. At least some of his natural color had returned to his face.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” He handed her the now-empty cup. “I hope you don’t mind that I put my horse in your barn. I’ll probably owe you a bale of hay.”
“Nonsense. You don’t owe me anything,” she replied and took the cup back into the kitchen, oddly disappointed that he was here only because he’d gotten lost in the snowstorm.
She returned to the living room and tuned the television to a station that was playing all Christmas music. She’d like to just go about her evening plans with Libby, but it was difficult to ignore him when he half sat up and the blanket fell to expose his broad bare shoulders and his magnificent chest.
She moved to the window and peered outside. “You’ll be here for the night,” she said. “It looks like a blizzard out there.”
“Mom...the tree,” Libby said with a touch of impatience.
Melody turned and smiled. “Yes, it’s time for us to make our beautiful tree.”
They began by stringing the popcorn strands around the tree, Melody acutely conscious of Jake’s dark gaze following her every movement. There was also the problem of his wide expanse of bare chest, which kept her more than a little distracted from the task at hand.
By the time they had strung the popcorn garland and had begun to hang the construction-paper ornaments Libby had made, the dryer buzzed.
Melody excused hersel
f and hurried to the machine, hoping his clothes were dry enough to put back on. The thought of a near-naked Jake on her sofa spun all kinds of ridiculous fantasies in her mind.
Thankfully, the clothes were ready and by the time he redressed in the bedroom and returned to the living room, Melody and Libby were hanging aluminum-foil stars.
“Libby, if you want to hang them up high, then I could lift you up,” he offered.
“Okay,” she agreed with a happy smile, her earlier bad mood when he’d first shown up at the door apparently forgotten. “And maybe you could reach to put the new angel on the very top.”
“I think I could manage that,” he agreed.
Melody’s heart squeezed with emotion as she watched Jake pick up her daughter and help her place the stars in the upper branches of the tree. She’d envisioned this picture in her mind, but in her fantasy he’d been here with them because he wanted to be, not because he had been stranded there.
Still, he appeared to be making the best of a bad situation, and she intended to do the same. No matter what the circumstances were, he was a guest in her home.
Once he had placed the angel atop the tree, they all stepped back. Melody placed her hand on the switch that would turn on both the twinkling little white lights and the colorful angel on top.
Libby giggled when Jake insisted they all do a countdown to the lighting event. They counted backward from five, and when they got to one, Melody flipped the switch.
“Oh,” Libby said breathlessly as the tree lit up the dark corner and the angel on top turned green, and then pink and then purple. “It’s so beautiful.” She raced to Melody and hugged her around the waist. Then, to Melody’s surprise, she ran to Jake.
“Cowboy Jake, isn’t it the most wonderful tree ever?” She threw her arms around his waist. “Thank you for helping.”
Jake appeared stunned by Libby’s affectionate behavior.
“How about cookies and milk before bedtime?” Melody said in an effort to rescue him. It worked. Libby immediately released him and tap-danced her way to the kitchen.
A Mistletoe Christmas: Santa's Mistletoe MistakeA Merry Little WeddingMistletoe Magic Page 7