A Little Mistletoe and Magic: Ho Ho Howls Romance Holiday Edition
Page 18
A fire burned in the grate, and two empty mugs sat on the coffee table with the remnants of cocoa in each.
“Jack?”
“Hey,” he said, walking in from the kitchen. “How are you feeling?’
She looked around her living room, more awake now. “How did I get here?” Trying to sit up, she winced. “How did you find me?”
“Jen, you dropped your glove at the tree lighting, and when you went to get up, you clocked your head full throttle. You smashed into some big dude’s elbow, pow! He’s in a cast to his shoulder, and you were knocked out cold with a concussion. Let me tell you, both Sam and I have had our fill of Silverton Memorial Hospital emergency room for one holiday season.”
She blinked. “I don’t understand. So you didn’t find me on the mountain, curled up in an old cabin with a black cougar and a newspaper from 1921?”
“Oh man,” he laughed, “you really hit your head hard.”
Sitting up, Jenny winced again. “I am so confused.” She shook her head, trying to remember anything Jack said happened. “It must have been a dream.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
Jenny filled him in, barely pausing for breath.
“Wow. Yours is far more interesting than mine, that’s for sure, though I can’t picture Tess as the Ghost of Christmas whatever.”
“Yeah, that was trippy.”
“On a happy note, the good news is Tess woke up this morning. No more coma. Sam says she’s going to be fine once she heals completely, so Merry Christmas.”
Jenny’s eyes widened. “That’s right. It’s Christmas Day.” She snickered, lying back on the couch cushions. “’It’s Christmas Day!’ said Scrooge to himself. ‘I haven’t missed it. The spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can.’”
“Dickens.”
She nodded with a laugh. “I want to go see Tess. I mean if that’s okay.” She sat up again, only for a wave of dizziness to hit.”
“Maybe you should wait a day or so. Or at least until you’re not in jeopardy of falling over.”
Jenny shook her head. “Tess was there for me in more ways than you know. I wouldn’t be here now, if not for her.”
“Okay, but you need to take it slow.” Jack helped her sit up without sending her into vertigo.
“You’ve got a deal.”
“Are you hungry? How about some breakfast?”
She nodded. “That sounds great. Concussion or not, I’m starving.”
Jack went to the kitchen, and Kitto jumped off the couch and padded to the front door. Jenny wasn’t going to bother Jack just to let the cat out, so she got up and padded in her socks to the door.
The cat took off the minute she opened the screen, darting down the steps to crawl under her car. Jenny stared at her sedan. The tires were caked with mud and snow.
“Jack!”
She turned from the open door for the foyer only to see a large black cougar sitting in the middle of the hall.
“Holy crap, now I’m the one having a brain bleed.”
In a snap and a flash, the big cat transformed, and Jack stood front and center in its place.
“You’re not bleeding, Jenny, and you’re not crazy. Talan wanted me to wait to tell you until you had made your choice.” He paused with a smirk. “We need to return his necklace to him before New Year’s Eve, so be prepared for a bit of a lecture.”
“You.” She found her voice, not listening to a word he said. “You’ve been in my dreams from the very beginning.”
He nodded. “Like the legend says, it’s the Ghost Cat’s job to watch and nudge when necessary. Though I never expected to fall head over heels for you.” He shrugged. “Chalk it up to the magic of Christmas.”
Jackson held up a sprig of mistletoe, and Jenny walked toward him, so they stood face-to-face.
“I think it’s the magic of Whisper Falls,” she replied, grinning at the muffled sound of children giggling.
He angled his head as if ready for a kiss, and his gorgeous grin made her stomach jump. All her aches and pains were a distant memory.
“Is that all?” he asked.
She shook her head. “How about the magic of new love and a Christmas gift of infinite possibilities?”
Jack grinned. “Meow to that.”
About the Author
Hi everyone! I’m Marianne Morea. I was born and raised in New York, and there’s nothing like the city that never sleeps to inspire sexy stories and romantic suspense. I began my career after college as a budding journalist, and later earned a master’s in fine art, from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, but it’s my lifelong love affair with words and books that finally led me to do what I love most. Write. I live in New York with my hubby and our three children, three dogs and one cat. I’m always interested in chatting with readers, so sign up for my newsletter and check out my Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram!
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