Her Miracle Man

by Nikki Duncan

  Every flicker of white resembled a glistening tear someone had shed. It was sad, but the colored lights offered the uplifting side. For every tear there was something to smile about. Something to celebrate.

  Jennalyn slipped her hand into her pocket and rubbed her gloved thumb over the crackled quartz Ryland had given her the night before. He’d explained that the green stone helped open the heart chakra. With the heart chakra open and healthy it was easier to accept love and friendship. Rubbing the stone now, though she couldn’t actually feel the glide of the polished surface against the pad of her thumb, she embraced the calming sensation that swept over her.

  “You’ve gone quiet.” Ryland spoke low and close to her ear. The smile that hadn’t left his face or his voice had grown subdued.

  “Just thinking.”

  “Remembering?”

  She nodded toward Viv. “Sabrina chattered from one topic to another like that. Few things would hold her focus for more than a few minutes before she’d jump to the next story.”

  “It was part of her charm. Just as it’s part of Viv’s.”

  Ryland’s hand still rested warm and sure on her neck. His touch roused her awareness on one level while helping her relax on another. He’d proved himself to be a generous lover, but more importantly he was showing himself to be a great friend.

  He seemed to understand her and her hesitations. He didn’t push when she wanted to pull back, but he didn’t allow her to retreat when she needed to move forward. It was a balancing act she’d witnessed while watching her parents. It was something she’d always wanted, but had never actually found.

  The taste of it now was a tempting draw she wasn’t sure she would be able to walk away from when A Month of Miracles ended.

  “Oh my gosh!” Viv’s exclamation pitched on a high squeal on the last syllable. She stopped before a window filled with glass statues. She flattened her hands on the glass and pressed her nose to the pane. “Look at them.”

  Frolicking in and over a thick bed of artificial snow was a family of fairies. Like the lights all around, the fairies were an array of colors that ranged from pale to vibrant. There were boy and girl fairies. They ran and skipped and jumped rope. Others, the ones suspended from thin wire, soared or dove or danced in the air.

  “Their wings are so pretty.”

  “Do you have a favorite?” Ryland asked.

  “That one.” Viv pointed at a blue fairy so light it was almost clear. Spread wide to the sides and opened at the tips in wide fans that led to five detailed points, each wing curved in what looked like an invitation for a hug. “Look at her eyes.”

  Following Viv’s instruction, Jennalyn looked at the eyes. They were a brilliant blue, almost teal, with a few flecks of silver shooting through the irises. “She’s stunning. The artist didn’t miss a detail.”

  “Not one,” Ryland agreed with Jennalyn as he moved toward the shop door. “I think this fairy needs a home.” He winked at Viv as she followed him. “Maybe with a young girl who will always admire her?”

  “Do you mean it?” Viv’s voice whisked across the air, shocked and hopeful.

  “Of course I do. I also think she should have a friend or two.” Ryland brushed a gloved hand over the girl’s hair, hesitating just long enough for Jennalyn to wonder if he was imagining how things might have been with Elise. When he pulled his hand away, rubbing the tips of his fingers together as if he was savoring a moment he already missed, she had no doubt.

  The man’s generosity was boundless, but it was nothing compared to how he would have been if his own daughter had lived. Elise Davids would have been a seriously cherished fairy princess.

  The movie played across the screen-covered building with Jimmy Stewart’s voice coming through the speakers that had been placed throughout the Circle. Ryland and Jennalyn sat to the left of Viv and her parents.

  The press of Jennalyn’s body against Ryland as his arm circled her and held her close to his side negated the discomfort of sitting on concrete steps. Her warmth penetrated the layers of clothes and eased into him. Angling his head, he rubbed his cheek along the top of Jennalyn’s. The softness of her knitted hat tickled. It was a simple pleasure he hadn’t expected to find during A Month of Miracles.

  He enjoyed every moment with her. Whether they were in a crowded arena, a firehouse having a food fight, decorating the Christmas tree in her living room or sitting on cold concrete with thousands of other people, he enjoyed her. Through no intention of her own, she helped him embrace fun. The days grew brighter, and each one with her near had him wanting more desperately to make sure Jennalyn enjoyed as many moments as possible.

  Rubbing his cheek against her again, he breathed her in. Her scent wafted around him. Her spirit—sexy compassion—whispered through him.

  “You’re a nice guy, Ryland Davids.”

  Ryland flexed the arm he had around her shoulders, brought her closer for a beat. “You’re not so bad yourself, Jennalyn James.”

  They spoke in undertones, trying not to disturb the other movie watchers. “You would have spoiled Elise rotten.”

  Talking about his daughter and how things might have been should hurt. He never talked about her because of the expectation of pain. With Jennalyn there was only a feeling of rightness. “What makes you think that?”

  “Viv only had to say the fairies were pretty and you were taking her inside to buy her some.”

  “She wanted one, even if she was too polite to ask.”

  “But you didn’t stop at one.” Jennalyn lifted a hand and covered his.

  Her fingers curled into the curve of his palm, linking them for however long she was willing. She had allowed him into her bed and to spend the night. She’d been genuine, but a part of her had pulled back the moment he released the tie.

  “I like to see beautiful girls smile.”

  “You seem to have a knack for making it happen.”

  “You sound as if that’s a bad thing.”

  “Not bad.” She shrugged, her shoulder rising and falling against his. “Just another layer of your perfection.”

  He chuckled. “I am not perfect.”

  “Says the man paying for A Month of Miracles out of his pocket when he could use hospital funds.”

  “Shh. We agreed to keep that between us.”

  “I’ve told no one.”

  “Not even Chrissy?”

  “Not even Chrissy.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “Though I don’t fully understand the secrecy. And the accounting department at the hospital surely knows.”

  “These gifts are typically easier for people to accept when they seem less…”

  “Involved?”

  “Personal.”

  “No.” She shook her head, stopping with her face half buried in his neck. “I don’t buy that reason.”

  “Are you calling me a liar?”

  “I’ve spent enough time with people to come to a different conclusion.”

  “Like what?”

  “You don’t want them to know you are the one granting their miracles.”

  “If that was so true I wouldn’t be so openly generous with the gifts.”

  “Please. You know as well as I do that they think you’re spending hospital money. That’s when they think about the financial side of things.”

  “You think too much.” And her thoughts hit too closely to home. People in his position were expected to make a lot of money. The reality of it either attracted people who thought negatively about the wealthy or those who wanted special favors.

  “I think you’re too perfect.”

  “I swear I’m not.”

  She shook her head again and shifted her gaze back to the movie. For the rest of the movie and then through the process of getting out of the crowds, Jennalyn spoke only to Viv and her parents. When they’d split off from the Nortons, Jennalyn slid back into silence.

  She still hadn’t said anything more when Ryland pulled into her driveway and slipped the car into park.
The silence, which hadn’t bothered him before, began to wiggle beneath his skin in a discomforting way.

  Staring forward, he drummed his fingers on the wheel. He wanted to say something that would make sure the night didn’t have to end. Simultaneously, he couldn’t presume he had an automatic invitation to follow her inside. He needed her to know she had her space even if he preferred she not take advantage of it.

  God, he hated complications.

  Nothing was coming to him, so he resorted to what made sense and came easily. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the gemstone he’d picked out for her and offered her the iridescent rock.

  “Ryland?”

  “It’s a tiger’s eye.” Thinking about the meaning was a reminder that he needed to be like the animal the stone was named for. Patient.

  “And you picked it out because…”

  “Tigers are known for their strong determination and patience. They can focus on a desire for days at a time until they attain even the most impossible.”

  She looked from the stone still in his palm to him. “You have to have a flaw.”

  “Didn’t we go through this earlier?”

  “And yet you continue to show how great you are.”

  “For the record,” he whispered as he placed the stone in her hand. “You’re pretty fabulous yourself.”

  Jennalyn said nothing. Instead, she drew in a deep breath and held it for a few beats before slowly exhaling. “Speaking of desire, there’s something I’ve been thinking of.”

  “Really?” He traced the edge of her ear and lingered, rubbing the patch of skin showing above her scarf. “You going to tell me about it?”

  “Maybe.” She covered his hand with hers and leaned across the dividing distance. Squeezing his fingers, she eased closer to the console. Closer to him.

  He shifted closer until he bumped the console. He rested his left hand on her hip. The warmth that was becoming a commonality when around Jennalyn sparked into flames of desire. Orbs of light floated across his field of vision, illuminating her in a halo of brilliance.

  “Do you want to come inside?”

  He didn’t miss the implication of her question, or the fact that she was still holding something back. Neither would he leave her and miss a moment of the pleasure he found in her company. “I would love to come inside.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mass Ave Toys had been transformed from its typical toyland to a winter toy land. Stepping through the glass doors was like stepping onto a movie set for the toyshop at the North Pole.

  Toys of every size, shape and type were everywhere. Children-centric Christmas carols, currently one by the Chipmunks, played through the sound system. The staff was dressed like pointy-eared elves wearing red aprons covered with embroidered candy canes spelling their names.

  White twinkle lights wrapped the red support beams, turning them into floor-to-ceiling candy canes. Stuffed animals and baby dolls wore miniature Santa hats or held the reins to reindeer. The windows had been painted for the holiday.

  The paintings along the front of the building brought the toys inside to life as they engaged in a snowball fight with different parts of Mass Ave behind them. The large arched window inside had been decorated with a Norman Rockwell–type scene where a man handed a stuffed bear to a child in a wheelchair.

  “This place looks amazing.” Jennalyn scanned the store, taking in every detail her brain could process.

  “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” Angela, the store’s manager, greeted her with a smile and firm handshake.

  “Love, not like. Angela, it’s Christmas perfection.”

  “We have the sleigh all set up for Nancy’s signing.”

  Jennalyn followed Angela around the fun and playful toy displays to the open space in the middle of the store where a life-sized sleigh dominated, but instead of reindeer two miniature ponies were hitched to it. Itty, a palomino the color of hay with a white mane and tail was on the right. Bitty, a black pony with a white sock on his back right foot was on the left. Each one had white spots on their coat, just as they did in the books about their adventures.

  The unique part about the sleigh was that the doublewide bench seat had a shelf type desk that extended from the back for half the seat. It was the perfect setup for an author appearance, because the author could sit on the inside and sign the book while the visiting child could sit beside them. Pictures turned out perfectly, without the worry of trying to find a convenient way for kids to stand beside the author.

  “Chrissy told me you were doing amazing things in here.” Jennalyn ran a hand along the mane of Itty. “This is beyond amazing.”

  Mass Ave Toys’s owner had proven herself to be a brilliant business owner over the last several years. Jennalyn had chosen her store because of its stellar reputation and the confidence that the staff would put a great event together. The transformation they’d put the store through surpassed the highest expectation.

  “I couldn’t have done it without an awesome staff. The funding from A Month of Miracles certainly didn’t hurt.”

  “Ryland is all about granting dreams this month.”

  “Speaking of that.” Angela set to work tweaking the display of Itty and Bitty books around the sleigh. “In addition to the first hundred kids receiving a free book, every parent who brings a child in today, even after the signing, will receive fifty dollars in merchandise.”

  “That’s new.”

  Angela smiled. “A Month of Miracles has taken on a life of its own.”

  “Chrissy mentioned that it was getting a bit of publicity.”

  “A bit?” Angela asked. “Jennalyn, you can’t turn on the TV or radio or pick up a paper without seeing or hearing about it.”

  “I’ve been so wrapped up in the individual events, I guess I’ve been in a bit of a bubble.”

  “Welcome to the reality of what you’ve helped kick off. Clubs, associations and businesses all around the area are doing things on their own to grant wishes.”

  Chrissy had tried to tell Jennalyn about the publicity, but she had been distracted by the events, the kids she’d been meeting and Ryland. When she made it into the office she was swept into a haze of calls from new clients and working on the finishing touches of A Month of Miracles. Leaving the details of the business to Chrissy for the month, she’d apparently missed the magnitude of how much momentum A Month of Miracles was picking up.

  “And this is your gift?”

  “Mine and about twenty other businesses who went in with me.”

  “Wow.” It had occurred to her to ask for sponsorships. She’d suggested it in the early planning stages, but Ryland had requested that they keep things a little lower key. It seemed the low-key approach wasn’t working out as he’d hoped.

  “Given the circumstances, I was a little surprised when Ryland asked that I not mention his name in the press release for today.”

  “He didn’t want the publicity?”

  “Apparently not, but I’m not sure he’s going to be able to avoid it. There are some big-name sponsors backing us.”

  “I’m sure he’ll handle it.”

  Thirty minutes later when Ryland walked into the toy store, Jennalyn was still surprised by what she’d learned. Approaching him while Angela worked to get the guest author, Nancy Carpenter Czera set up, Jennalyn debated whether or not to ask about the media.

  “You’ve knocked another one out of the park, Jennalyn.”

  “I only picked the location and the author. The rest was Angela and the staff.”

  “Modesty. I like it.”

  As simple as that, the decision was made for her. “Speaking of modesty, why haven’t you mentioned how much attention this month has been getting?”

  The too-perfect man who’d been whittling his way beneath her skin shrugged. The shrug was his pink-cheeked show of embarrassment. “We talked about this.”

  She glanced around to make sure they were secluded enough not to be overheard by the mingling
shoppers. “We talked about you not wanting people to know you were footing the bill. We didn’t talk about why you want to keep it a secret that you thought up A Month of Miracles.”

  “Jennalyn.”

  “Someone is going to out you, Ryland. Possibly today.”

  “No.”

  “Do you know that Angela has twenty additional sponsors for today? They’re giving every parent who walks in this door a certificate for fifty dollars so that every child has a special gift under their tree this year. The media isn’t going to skip covering a day like today.”

  “The patients I’ve invited will not give anyone my name. I expect the same from you.” His tone hardened, allowing no room for argument.

  Then, before she could respond, he turned and walked away, heading toward two kids who’d just come into the store with their families. He smiled at the girl who couldn’t be more than five and the boy who was maybe three. Something was off about the way Ryland moved, but Jennalyn couldn’t see past the distraction of agony that ripped through her heart as if she’d been stabbed by a heated ice pick.

  She was okay with his stance on his privacy.

  She was not okay with the unspoken suggestion that she would be the one to reveal his identity.

  He’d made a point of asking for her trust, of letting her know she was safe with him, but when the moment came to test her he doubted his decision to give her the same. How could he ask her to give him something he wouldn’t give in return? And why should she consider giving it?

  Tension pinched the muscles between Ryland’s shoulder blades and radiated up his neck. The day had started out on a low with news that Bria, the little girl who’d been so joyous during the magic show a few short weeks ago, had suffered a setback in her health. Things weren’t looking good for her, and though the news was to be expected given his job, the expectation never made the sadness easier to take.

  Topping off the unnecessary pain of a child he’d come to care personally for with the idea that he might be announced as the backer to A Month of Miracles toppled things into the shitty category. He couldn’t think about the possibility of being revealed or the ramifications of what might happen if he was.