The Christmas Bliss Romance Collection

by Jennifer Youngblood

  He made a face. “Nah. I’m more of a waffle man, myself.”

  “I’ll take pancakes over waffles every time.” Haven looked at the fluffy circles of goodness on her plate. “Especially if they look like this.”

  “Thank you,” Marguerite beamed. She shot Wyatt an irate look. “I’m glad someone in here enjoys my cooking.”

  He held up his hands. “Hey, now. I love your cooking. I was just in the mood for toast.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Marguerite muttered, shaking her head as she turned back to the cooktop.

  It was fun watching the playful banter between Wyatt and Marguerite. Haven poured a generous amount of syrup over the pancakes and plopped on a dollop of butter. She cut off a section and placed it in her mouth, savoring the delicious taste. “You’re missing out,” she taunted Wyatt.

  “You tell him,” Marguerite encouraged.

  “It does look good. Let me try a bite.” He reached for her fork, cut off a large piece, and placed it in his mouth. “It’s good.” A teasing light came into his eyes when he realized Marguerite was watching. “Still not as good as waffles.”

  Marguerite muttered something unintelligible under her breath, shaking her head.

  Haven couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious that Wyatt loved teasing Marguerite and knew just which buttons to push. She thought about the phone call she’d received from Trinity. The story was getting out. Had Wyatt heard any news about it? If so, he was certainly taking it in stride. Her question was answered in the next second when his phone rang. The corners of his lips turned down as he pushed out a breath. “It’s from my office. I’m sure they’ve heard about the treasure. It was on the news this morning and all over the internet.” He stood. “Excuse me while I take this.” He left the room.

  Marguerite turned to face Haven. “Tell me more about the treasure,” she prompted, interest glimmering in her dark eyes.

  Haven sighed, putting down her fork. “We stopped at a bed and breakfast in North Carolina. We weren’t looking for any treasure, simply trying to help someone,” she began, relating the story.

  “That’s crazy,” Marguerite said. She laughed under her breath. “Of all the people to find it—two people who don’t need it, the son of a billionaire and a clothing designer.”

  Haven forced a smile. “Yeah. Ironic, huh?”

  “What’re you going to do with the treasure?”

  “I’m not sure.” Haven shrugged. “We haven’t discussed it yet.”

  Marguerite gave her a wise look. “You’ll know what to do, when the time is right.”

  “I guess.” Haven stared down at her plate as she picked up her fork and dragged it through the syrup.

  “You’re good for Charlie.”

  Haven’s head shot up. “Huh?”

  Marguerite offered a matronly smile. “He’s happy with you, happier than I ever remember seeing him. The two of you are good together.”

  “Thank you.”

  Youthful voices carried in the air as Connor and Noah came skipping in.

  “Good morning,” Haven smiled.

  “Hello,” Connor answered. Noah only grinned.

  “Are you boys hungry?” Marguerite asked, wiping a hand on her apron. “Would you like some pancakes?”

  “Yeah,” they shouted, sitting down at the breakfast table across from Haven.

  Connor looked around. “Where’s Charlie?”

  “He had to take a phone call, but he’ll be right back,” Haven assured him.

  “Charlie’s gonna play football with me,” he announced, his face splitting into a wide grin.

  Noah’s face crumpled, tears gathering in his eyes. “Not me. I have to practice my letters.”

  Marguerite shook her head, muttering under her breath.

  Haven felt for Noah. She got up from her seat and went around the table, sitting down next to him. “Hey,” she began gently, touching his arm.

  Large, crocodile tears rolled down his cheeks.

  Marguerite’s face clouded, and Haven could tell from her stormy expression that she would’ve given Aubrey a piece of her mind had Aubrey been present.

  “What if we turned your letters into a fun activity?” Haven asked with a lilt in her tone.

  Noah sniffed, looking surprised. “What kind of activity?”

  “Can I do it too?” Connor asked.

  “Yes, you both can.” Haven looked at Marguerite. “Do you have any construction paper?”

  Marguerite held up a finger. “Yes, we do.”

  “How about glue and scissors?”

  Marguerite smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “We can make Christmas ornaments out of letters.” Haven grinned at the eager expressions on the boys’ faces. “We can decorate them with macaroni and beans.”

  “Sure thing. Let me just finish these pancakes.” In deft movements, Marguerite flipped them over and placed them on plates. A couple minutes later, she placed them in front of the boys.

  “We don’t wanna eat,” Noah protested. “We wanna make ornaments.”

  Haven stood and went around to her original seat. “All in good time. Eat first. Then we’ll make the ornaments.”

  “All right,” Connor sighed, reaching for the syrup.

  Marguerite wiped her hands on her apron, giving Haven an appraising look. “You’re a woman of many talents.”

  “Thank you.” A wave of warmth flowed through Haven. She was glad she could contribute, share a bit of herself with Wyatt’s family in an unobtrusive way.

  “I’ll be back shortly with the supplies,” Marguerite said, walking briskly out of the kitchen.

  The boys had just polished off the last bites of their pancakes when Wyatt returned. His rigid expression let Haven know that the conversation hadn’t gone well. Her heart dropped. Had he discovered the truth? Her chest tightened, and for a second, she couldn’t breathe. She willed herself to calm down. “Is everything okay?” she squeaked.

  He slumped down in the chair beside her. “That was my office manager. She reamed me for not telling her who I am. She says my patients have been calling. They’re confused, many of them feel betrayed that I kept them in the dark. The staff is ticked.” He rubbed his jaw, chuckling humorlessly. “No good deed goes unpunished, right?”

  “Right.” She touched his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  He forced a smile. “It can’t be helped. We were trying to help Lillian.” He let out a long breath. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to do damage control … once everything settles back down to normal.”

  Normal? If it meant losing Wyatt and going back to the way she was before, Haven wanted no part of normal.

  Noah got up on his knees. “We’re gonna make ornaments out of letters,” he announced, pointing at Haven. “She’s gonna help us.”

  Wyatt turned to her in surprise. “What’s this about ornaments?”

  “Noah wasn’t happy about having to do his letters, so we’re making Christmas ornaments out of them,” Haven explained.

  A crooked smile stole over his lips. “That’s brilliant.” Wyatt gave her an adoring look.

  She felt like a flower basking in the glory of the sun. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “What’s this I hear about ornaments?” Beverly asked, entering the room. “Good morning,” she practically sang to Wyatt as she kissed his cheek. She was impeccably dressed in a caramel sweater and sable pants.

  “Morning, Mom,” Wyatt said.

  “Good morning, Brynn,” Beverly said brightly, touching Haven’s arm. “I trust you slept well last night?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Haven caught a whiff of Beverly’s sophisticated perfume.

  Beverly sat down beside Connor and Noah. “How are my little ruffians?” she joked, ruffling their hair and kissing their cheeks as they tried to dodge her kisses.

  “You little stinkers,” Beverly laughed.

  “We’re making ornaments out of letters,” Noah announced, his face shining with eagerness.

  “Brynn
’s idea. A way to work on letters and still have fun,” Wyatt said.

  Beverly gave Haven an appreciative smile. “A fabulous idea! Can I help?”

  “You sure can,” Marguerite said as she came back into the room, her arms loaded with paper, glue, scissors, and even glitter. She dumped the items on the table as Connor and Noah began rifling through the construction paper to choose a color. “I’ll get the macaroni and dried beans.” Marguerite tilted her head, her finger going to her mouth. “I know I have some yarn somewhere. Where did I see that yarn?” she mused, a furrow appearing between her brows. She held up a finger, her face lightening. “Oh, yeah. I remember. I’ll be right back.”

  “See what you started?” Wyatt laughed.

  Haven pulled out several sheets of paper. “Let’s do every letter of the alphabet. We’ll draw them in block letters and decorate the inside. Better yet, Noah, can you draw the letters for us?”

  Hesitation seeped into his eyes. “I don’t know all of them.”

  “We’ll help you,” Beverly said, reaching for a sheet of paper. “Let’s start with A.”

  Marguerite returned with the yarn. “Found it.” She placed it on the table and turned to Beverly, her hands coming together. “Now, what can I get you?”

  Beverly pursed her lips. “I think I’ll have a cup of coffee and toast.”

  Wyatt burst out laughing. “See, I’m not the only one.”

  Beverly looked confused. “What?”

  “Margie and Brynn were giving me grief about choosing toast over pancakes. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  Beverly chuckled. “Trust me, if I didn’t have to watch my diet, I’d be eating Marguerite’s pancakes.”

  Marguerite shot Wyatt a vindicated look.

  He held up his hands in defeat. “All right, I hear ya.” Wyatt leaned back in his seat. “So, Mom, are you ready for some Ding Dong Ditching?”

  “Yes, siree,” she smiled as Marguerite handed her a steaming cup of coffee. She curled her fingers around the cup, taking a sip. “It’s my favorite time of the year.”

  While they were outside the night before, cuddled by the fire, Wyatt explained Ding Dong Ditch to Haven. Throughout the year, Charles and Beverly kept a lookout for people who needed help. They, or rather Marguerite and Ralph, assembled boxes of goodies—food, blankets, scarves, money, personal notes—and the entire family delivered them to the recipients. They’d put the boxes on the porch, ring the doorbell, and run. Haven was looking forward to the experience. Emotion welled in her chest as she thought of something her dad used to say. A person can never go wrong helping others. She looked down at the table, blinking a few times to clear the moisture from her eyes. Luckily, no one saw. Her dad would be proud that she was participating in such a worthy event. Hopefully, this good deed would help to make up for her deception. She and Wyatt had tried to do a good deed for Lillian, but it had blown up in their faces. Wyatt seemed to be sifting through his damage. Unfortunately, for Haven, the worst was yet to come.

  Half an hour later, they were putting the finishing touches on the ornaments when Aubrey and Christopher entered the room. “What’s all this?” Aubrey asked, frowning.

  “Look, Mom.” Connor held up the ornament he was working on. “We’re making letters.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Yep, it was Brynn’s idea,” Wyatt said proudly, his smile widening as he held Haven’s gaze. “A way to get Noah’s work done and still have a bit of fun.”

  “I wrote all of the letters in the alphabet,” Noah said.

  “You sure did.” Beverly tousled his hair. “You did very well.”

  “Can we hang them on the tree?” Connor asked.

  “You sure can,” Beverly said, “after they dry. Let’s put them on the tree in the family room.”

  “With the Christmas Star?” Noah asked, his eyes shining with wonderment.

  “Yes.”

  Aubrey sat down, yawning. “Sorry, I overslept.” She looked around the table. “I appreciate y’all entertaining the boys and helping Noah with his homework.” Her gaze lingered on Haven as she offered a slight smile. Haven took it as a truce. She was happy and willing to smooth things over with Aubrey.

  “You’re welcome,” Haven said, flashing a friendly smile.

  “There’s bread over here for toast and plenty of coffee,” Marguerite said. “Help yourselves.”

  Subtle grins passed between Haven, Beverly, and Wyatt. Marguerite had waited hand and foot on everyone else, but that courtesy didn’t extend to Aubrey and Christopher. Haven admired Marguerite’s sass.

  Wyatt looked at the clock on the microwave. “Welp, I’ve gotta finish getting ready for Ding Dong Ditch.”

  Connor’s face fell. “What about throwing the football?”

  “We did the ornaments instead, buddy,” Wyatt laughed.

  Connor let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I guess.”

  “We’ll do it again soon,” Wyatt promised.

  “When?” Connor asked, his expression perking up.

  “Maybe this afternoon, when we get back from Ding Dong Ditch.”

  “Yes!” Connor punched a fist in the air.

  Wyatt stood. “All right, folks. We’ll see y’all after while.”

  “Later, alligator,” Noah sniggered.

  “After while, crocodile,” Connor responded.

  Haven scooted back her chair and stood, her gaze sweeping over the boys, Beverly, and Marguerite. “Thanks for making ornaments with me.”

  “It was fun,” Beverly said. “I really appreciate your thoughtfulness to Noah.” Beverly cut her eyes at Aubrey, as if waiting for her to say something.

  Aubrey cleared her throat, trailing a finger through her short hair. She shifted in her seat. “Yes, thank you.” Her features softened a fraction. “Yesterday … I may have misjudged you.” Color seeped into her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

  “No worries.” Haven smiled. “Thank you. You have wonderful sons.”

  Aubrey’s face lit with pleasure. “They are pretty special, huh.” She winked at her boys, casting them loving looks.

  “See you turkeys later.” Wyatt winked at the boys who both laughed.

  Ralph came into the room in a bluster. “It’s colder than a boardroom of lawyers out there.” He suppressed a shiver, taking off his gloves and removing his knit hat.

  Wyatt and Christopher laughed at the joke. “Hey,” Aubrey protested, making a face.

  A sheepish grin stole over Ralph’s thin lips. “Sorry, I forgot there was a lawyer present.”

  “Let me get you a cup of coffee to warm your bones,” Marguerite said.

  “What’s the word?” Beverly asked, giving Ralph a tentative look.

  He rubbed a hand over his bald head. “The wolves are prowling.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Beverly’s lips turned down, the lines around her eyes and mouth tightening.

  Wyatt looked back and forth between Beverly and Ralph. “What’s up?”

  “Reporters are everywhere,” Ralph said.

  Haven jerked, her stomach dropping like an elevator cut loose from the cable. She looked at Wyatt whose face had turned several shades darker. He balled a fist. “It’s Christmas, for crying out loud! Why can’t they just leave us alone?”

  Beverly flashed him a sympathetic smile. “You already know the answer to that. The media has always been fascinated with our family—add Brynn and the treasure to the mix, and you’ve got a media frenzy.”

  Haven’s shoulders tensed. This whole thing was going to blow up in her face.

  “What’s going on?” Aubrey demanded.

  “On the way here,” Beverly explained, “Wyatt and Brynn stopped at an inn. In trying to help a lady find her wedding ring, they found the Yates Treasure.”

  “Never heard of it,” Aubrey said dryly.

  Christopher touched his glasses. “I have. An eccentric billionaire hid a box of treasure and has been leaving vague clues to its whereabou
ts for the past decade.” He gave them an incredulous look. “You found it?”

  “Yes.” Wyatt chuckled humorlessly. “Or rather, the eccentric billionaire struck up a conversation with us at the inn, then sent us off in search of her wedding ring the next morning.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, she knew we’d find the treasure.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Christopher laughed.

  “Not when you’re Charles Davenport, II,” Wyatt countered, eyes narrowing.

  “Or when you’ve been living and practicing medicine under your mother’s maiden name,” Aubrey added in amusement.

  Wyatt shot her a look that could kill, but Aubrey only laughed. “I knew your double life would catch up to you eventually,” she said glibly.

  “You don’t have to act so happy about it,” Wyatt scoffed.

  Haven’s body felt like it was roasting from the inside out, to the point where sweat was trickling between her shoulder blades. Double life? Aubrey and the rest of Wyatt’s family had no idea how much worse this thing could get. Why did Haven have to fall for the son of a wealthy family? Why did they have to find the blasted treasure? Why couldn’t she have met Wyatt a normal way, where he could’ve gotten to know her as herself?

  Ellie rushed into the room. “What in the freak is going on?” She threw up her hands. “I go outside to get a notebook out of my car and I’m swarmed by reporters, thrusting microphones in my face, wanting to know what I think about Charlie and Brynn finding some treasure.” She shot Wyatt an annoyed look.

  Beverly stood. “All right. Everybody calm down.”

  Ellie gritted her teeth. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

  “Charlie and Brynn found some lost treasure on their way here,” Aubrey said dourly. “Now, it’s wrecking our Christmas.” She glared at Wyatt and Haven.

  “A treasure?” Ellie’s eyes rounded. “What type of treasure?”

  Aubrey blew out an exasperated breath. “Must we launch into another explanation?” She stood and went to the counter where she plopped two pieces of bread in the toaster and pushed down the lever. She rested her back against the counter, folding her arms over her chest. “There goes Ding Dong Ditch. Too bad,” she said flippantly.