A Merrily Matched Christmas

by Virginia Nelson

  “Wait!” she said.

  He froze, which was kind of a crime since his mouth was doing such nice things when she’d stopped him.

  “Why weren’t you surprised?” she asked.

  “Over the duration of my time knowing you, Veronica, I’ve discovered you’re a lot of things. You’re effervescent, bubbling life into the mundane and enough to make anyone smile. You’re kind, giving of yourself to this town and the people around you with an almost shocking selflessness. You’re absentminded, sometimes so wrapped up in your projects that you don’t notice things around you…”

  “I’m very observant,” she muttered, scowling at him.

  “You didn’t notice the geeky math nerd across the office was fascinated with you for the better part of the last year.”

  “Wha—?” she blinked at him, touching his face gently. “Do you mean the incredibly brilliant man with the lumberjack beard?”

  He scraped one hand down his beard while arching a single brow at her. “Lumberjack?”

  “Sexy lumberjack,” she modified.

  “I’ll take it,” he said amiably. “Anyway, you’re beautiful, but you’re not subtle. You’ve been throwing women at me for weeks.”

  “So you knew what I was doing the whole time?” She scooted away from him, sorry for the loss of warmth, but thinking it through. “Is that why you sabotaged all my efforts?”

  “Hey, that first one, you dumped coffee on me. I didn’t sabotage anything.”

  She considered it and him. “You’re trying to say that you knew about it and you intentionally ruined all my attempts?”

  He nodded, picking up the bag that he’d dropped during all the kissing. “Yeah. I figured eventually you’d whittle your way through the population of the town and get to the one girl I did kind of have a thing for.”

  For a second, her stomach bottomed out. There was a woman he was interested in?

  Then it clicked and she stopped to stare up at him again. “Me?”

  “Yeah, you.”

  “But I’m—”

  Again, his fingertip covered her lips. “Remember what I said about insulting Veronica. I’m her biggest fan. I don’t like it when you talk smack about her.”

  A little piece of her started to bloom, and she tried to squash it down.

  Tried to remember all the reasons why she was the absolute worst possible person for him to date in the entire town. Wasn’t she flaky? Silly? Too colorful to the point of being ridiculous? And she was clumsy and…

  Well, hell. She might be something very special indeed if a guy like Elijah thought she was hot.

  “So, if I’m getting this right, you want to date me?” she repeated for clarification. He opened the passenger side door, letting her get in, and went around to the driver’s side without answering.

  Once he’d gotten in, he passed her the brown paper bag.

  She glanced inside. There was only one item left in the bag. It was a sheet of stickers—gold stars. “What is this for?” she asked.

  “For when you finish your little projects. I figured every time you met a personal goal, you should give yourself a little gold sticker. My theory is that part of the reason you’re not nicer to Veronica is that you don’t realize how wonderful you really are. I think it is my new job to remind you. If you look in the back seat, I’ve got a chart started for you.”

  He pointed a thumb toward the back seat, so she reached back and grabbed the poster board folded in half from the back seat. As he blasted the heat, she buckled up and sat back to consider the board he’d created. There was a completely random list of things on the page, each followed by a golden star. Topics included things like helped old lady Marsden with her groceries. Streetlight sale planning committee Monday through Friday—with a gold star for each day. Got Martha a cup of coffee at work because she was on deadline.

  A lot of them were little nothing things like that, which Ronnie didn’t think deserved gold stars or even to be remarked upon, but apparently Eli found them important. And maybe they were.

  Maybe she was doing some great stuff and didn’t give herself enough credit.

  The last thing on the list was ‘Get Eli a woman.’

  “There’s a star next to this, and I haven’t actually accomplished it,” she pointed out.

  “You were looking at the wrong women,” he said with a shrug. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

  Tears splattered on the poster board.

  “Aw, hell,” Eli said before pulling over the car. “I was kidding. You didn’t make a mistake. It was a joke.”

  Ronnie shook her head at him. “That’s not why I’m crying, genius.”

  “Genius,” he agreed. “Not mind reader.”

  “This is probably the sweetest thing anyone ever did for me, you sexy lumberjack.”

  “Donuts,” he replied, toying with her hair.

  “What?” she asked, confused, but he was tugging her close and she wasn’t sure she cared about words at all right then.

  “Donuts,” he repeated, pecking a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I like my women with sprinkles. I like you.”

  And when he kissed her, she was really and truly glad that he did. She couldn’t help but smile and he leaned back enough to say, “What?”

  “I thought this whole thing was kind of a mess, but I’m a really good matchmaker, aren’t I?”

  “The best,” he answered. And then they didn’t talk at all for a very long time.

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  Ronnie beamed at him, herding the woman in his direction. The meager winter sunlight glinted off the new diamond on her ring finger, and Elijah smiled to himself. It blew his mind that they’d found each other and managed to make it work. There were some bumps along the way—no relationship was completely perfect, after all—but they’d found their groove. He’d never forget the way she looked in her pretty ivory gown with autumn leaves sprinkling the air like confetti thrown by nature to celebrate their wedding day. He was happy.

  And he was surprised to find that was more than enough.

  “Hey, Eli, I want you to meet someone,” Veronica bubbled. “This is Joy. She just moved to town a few weeks ago, and she’s still getting to know everyone.”

  Smirking, Eli tilted his head at her. “I thought you were done playing matchmaker, minx.”

  His bride blushed prettily, the color almost a perfect match for the somewhat faded peekaboo color in her hair. She needed to have it redone, and probably hadn’t found the time to schedule it. Eli made a mental note to not only schedule her a day to get the hair redone, but also a mani-pedi and maybe a massage. The last time he’d scheduled her a day to herself like that, she’d come home all melted bones and smelling sweet. They’d made love on the stairs, unable to even make it up to their bedroom.

  Totally worth the cost of a spa day for his girl, in Eli’s opinion.

  “Actually, I am trying to kind of set you up,” his wife confessed.

  He arched a brow at her. “Another project?” he inquired.

  Her smile was a little secretive, and he couldn’t resist any longer. He tugged her to his side, to that place that seemed uniquely made to hold just her and that felt a little empty when she wasn’t near.

  She sighed, melting into him, and went up on tiptoes to gift him with a quick peck. “Kind of one of my projects. But it is that one we’ve been working on together.”

  His hand dropped to her belly, protecting the tiny bump that was a little bit his and a little bit hers. “Oh really?” he asked.

  “Yeah, she’s setting up a daycare here in town. I thought maybe we’d go tour it in advance. Possibly get put on her wait list, if we both like it.”

  “Nice to meet you, Joy.” The other woman exchanged some small talk with them, agreeing to give them a tour on Wednesday so long as they were available. As soon as they’d finished chatting, Eli steered Veronica away and headed for the gazebo.

  Snow drifted down, and the same lights as
they’d hung the year before illuminated the area. The choir was just getting set up, so he took a moment to kiss Veronica before they started. After a few moments, she bit his bottom lip.

  “No surprise bag this year?” she asked.

  “It is behind that bush over there,” he admitted. Even after all this time, the breathlessness and pout to her well kissed lips pleased him. She was so petite and delicate, she just made him feel stronger by being around.

  With a girlish clap of her hands, she left his arms to retrieve her bag. Inside was a blanket, hand warmers, and a thermos of her favorite coffee—as was tradition. But he’d tucked a little something special in, too.

  “What’s this?” she asked, shaking the wrapped box in curiosity.

  “Open it,” he said.

  Inside the pretty jewelry box, he’d hidden a set of car keys. “Car keys?”

  “Yup,” he said. “And I’ll schedule the oil changes, so you don’t have to bother with that stuff. You stick to your projects, and I’ll stick with what I do best.”

  She twined her arms around him, sharing the blanket as she curled into his side to listen to the caroling. “What’s that, if I may ask? Is it being dead sexy? Wonderful? Perfect and brilliant, all at the same time?”

  He smiled into her hair, inhaling her scent. He’d never tire of this vivacious and sweet woman. “Nope. But I’ll take all those, too, since you’re handing out compliments.”

  “So what do you do best?” his wife asked.

  “I take care of you so you can take care of everyone else.”

  She teared up a little, but he was getting used to that. She wasn’t used to being loved to the best of his ability yet.

  He’d work on that. It was his new favorite project.

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author Virginia Nelson is the hybrid author best known for The Penthouse Prince. Aside from that, she’s the mother of three wonderful biological children and tons of adopted kids and critters. Virginia is a graduate of Kent State University with an Associate of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in English and a current student at Seton Hill University where she’s pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction. Sometimes called the rainbow unicorn of romance, she’s also far from perfect and she knows it. You can find out more about her—including where to find her on social media—on her website.

  Books for sale. Snark for free.

  virg-nelson.com

  A Christmas Prayer

  by River Ford

  Newly divorced, Lindsey leaves Idaho for the first time in her life. Abandoned by her husband, she prays that taking her two year-old daughter east to live close to family will give them both the life they deserve. Unfortunately, a car accident leaves her stranded in the middle of Wyoming.

  Jake's felt like something's missing for a while. He's finally turned to prayer for guidance. Almost immediately, he get's to rescue a beautiful woman and her adorable daughter.

  Could love be the answer to both of their prayers?

  Chapter 1

  Jake Wilson balanced his coffee mug in one hand and flipped the blinker to merge onto the highway with the other. His four-wheel drive truck didn't have any trouble with the hard packed snow of the on-ramp. The highway was mostly empty, as he had expected. He settled in for the short trip to town and the breakfast he knew his mom would have waiting for him.

  Four years earlier, he'd bought the family farm after graduating college. It would be a while before he had it paid off, even though he got it for a great deal. It was everything he'd ever wanted. Too bad he was running away from it again, but the house had felt quieter than usual lately.

  I know something's missing, God. Open my eyes so I can figure out what it is. That silent prayer had become more of a plea the last few months. Maybe I wasn't ready for the answer before, but I'm listening now.

  With a sigh, he let his mind drift to the various projects his family had planned for him. After inheriting a large Victorian near Saratoga, Wyoming, his mom decided to turn it into a hotel. Since Jake's workload was lighter in the winter, he was the designated strongarm. He didn't mind. Hanging out in town with family was better than sitting alone in the middle of nowhere.

  Maybe it's time to let Mom set me up. For the first time in years, the thought of dating didn't terrify him. Perhaps he'd finally been alone long enough.

  A semi barreled up behind him and flew past, blowing up a whirlwind of snow.

  "Slow down, buddy." Jake muttered. He coasted for the few seconds it took the powder to settle and reveal the road once again.

  He shook his head at the other driver's recklessness, then noticed a car inching along ahead of them. The semi closed the distance and the car disappeared in the backlash. Everything seemed to pause while Jake waited for the car to emerge from the cloud. He finally saw it drift into the left-hand lane. The driver must have panicked because they overcorrected and plowed into the snowbank crowding the right-hand side of the road.

  Jake pulled off the road a little past the car. He could hear the hiss of steam. The driver cut the engine, and the motor clicked a few times before the road fell silent once more. The front of the car was buried in the snow and it listed toward the passenger side which had slid off the shoulder. He could see motion through the partially covered window. His momentary relief faded when he heard a pitiful cry that turned into the all out wail of a young child.

  He rushed to the back door and yanked it open, noticing several things at once. A little girl, maybe two or three years old, strapped safely in her car seat. Although red-faced from screaming, she seemed fine otherwise. The other point of interest was the woman twisting around from the front seat in an effort to reach her child. Her big blue eyes stared up at him. She too had tears running down her face.

  "Is she okay?"

  The heartfelt plea moved Jake back to action. He crawled in at the same time the car shook from another passing semi. As soon as the girl noticed him, she stopped crying and held up her little arms. Jake unbuckled her.

  "Dadda!"

  The woman let out a hysterical laugh combined with a sob. She returned to the front and tried to get her door open, but she couldn't push through the weight of snow.

  "Hold on, let me help." Jake put the girl on the seat. "Sit still while I help your momma."

  "Hungy." She whimpered, but didn't move.

  Jake doubted the little one would stay put for long. He kicked and clawed away snow until he could drag the front door open. As soon as he did, the woman rushed past him and grabbed her daughter. He watched as she touched the child's head, arms, legs, face. Her tears flowed faster, but she didn't make a sound. Her daughter however started to squirm.

  "Want Dadda. Hungy." She wiggled while her mom squeezed her close, rocking her back and forth.

  "That's not daddy, sweetie." The woman glanced at Jake for a moment before turning her attention back to her daughter. “Sorry about that.”

  He waved her concern away, but he was curious why the little one didn't recognize he wasn't her dad.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" Jake could see the ugly red abrasion across the woman's neck. Probably from the seatbelt. Her face was also pink from the airbag as if she'd been slapped. "Does that hurt?"

  Apparently satisfied her daughter was okay, she finally looked up at him. "I'm fine. Thank you for your help though."

  Her eyes looked haunted, her blonde hair a little on the dirty side. He glanced around the car and noticed 5-hour shot bottles strewn on the floor, but no other signs of food or drink. Jake looked closer at her hands. They shook, even though she tried to hide it.

  "Let's get you to town." He waved toward his truck.

  "We'll be fine, really. Thank you though." A flash of fear moved across her face.

  "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can't leave you here. It's only two degrees, and even the igloo you've created won't be much help. Can I at least call someone for you?" Jake pulled out his cell phone.


  "Um, a local tow truck?"

  "You're in luck. I know the best." He held out his arms to take the toddler. "In the meantime, let's get you in my truck where it's warmer."

  He could see the struggle in her eyes. She clung to the child a moment longer, even though the little girl had turned to reach for him.

  "I just want to help." He spoke as softly as he could. "It will be a while before TJ can get out here for your car. Let me take you to town."

  "Okay." She reluctantly passed over her daughter and proceeded to unbuckle the car seat. "Her name is Katie."

  "Hi there, Katie." The little girl was a warm and wiggly mass in his arms. He chuckled when she patted his face with both her hands.

  "Hungy, dadda."

  "I'm so sorry she keeps calling you that, and she has a one track mind when it comes to food." The mom backed out of the car, dragging the carseat with her. "We were hoping the next town wasn't too far down the road."

  "Saratoga is just ten minutes away, and my mom will have a smash bang breakfast ready." Jake couldn't help but like the way Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. It sparked something he never thought he'd feel. He knew he'd think about it for a long time. "Katie's sweet. What's your name?"

  "Lindsey." She glanced up at him, then back at the ground for just a second. He could almost see the struggle as she forced herself to meet his gaze.

  "Nice to meet you, Lindsey. I'm Jake." He held out his hand. She shook it cautiously. He noticed her hands still trembled, and he didn't think it was all from the shock of the accident. He recognized the caffeine jitters from his late night study sessions at college. "Come on, let's get you warmed up. Do you have a bigger coat?"

  "Yes, I'll get Katie's too." She dove back inside and came up with the coats, a purse, and a diaper bag.

  He didn't know how she carried it all and the car seat. "Need help with that?"

  "Nope, mom skills. Normally, I'd have to hold Katie too." She tried to give him a smile, but her obvious weariness washed it off too quickly.