by Davies, Cora
"Huh? This Molly thing? Are you serious about her?" Eli finally looked away from the clipboard to Jack, his eyebrows raised quizzically. "Because isn't she still with that dick Jeremy?"
"They're done." Jack was grateful for his friend's protectiveness. "Molly's with me, and I'm staying."
"Hey, cool man, but then maybe you should look at selling the formula. I'm fucking serious man, look at these numbers." Eli shoved the clipboard to Jack.
Jack looked over the totals, then let out a long whistle. "You are fucking serious."
"Yeah, we got parents asking where they can buy this back home. When it will be stocked in their store? Some of them have even come back a few times to Dickens, just to buy the beer. It's too late to get anything major going this Christmas season, but by next year? You could start seeing your blend on shelves at major super markets around the east coast."
"This could be my ticket," Jack said, feeling slightly stunned.
"This could be your fucking ticket." Eli jabbed him in the shoulder then laughed loudly. "Get more excited! You've got the girl, you're about to have the money."
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christmas Eve
"Are you wearing that little dress under all that?" Jack asked with a twinkle in his green eyes. Molly swatted his arm playfully.
"Can you believe it's Christmas Eve already?" Molly asked straightening out the tinsel on the Santa's Workshop Christmas tree. It was already their last afternoon as the Clauses. "After this, I won't have a concrete excuse to see you every day for so many hours. I'm going to miss you."
He stood up and took her in his arms. So many kisses since that first, and she still felt butterflies every time his mouth met hers. "You never answered my question." He started pulling at the enormous Mrs. Claus outfit.
"It's a secret," she said pushing his hands away.
"You're evil." Jack flipped the open sign over on the door.
"Evilly adorable?" she asked innocently.
Their shift went by faster than Molly expected. There was no rest and no breaks between the children. How the Boughmans did this for years, Molly did not know. But before they knew it, five hours had gone by and all the children were gone.
Molly peaked out the door to make sure no one was working their way down to the Workshop for a last minute visit with Santa, and she saw a ghost town outside. "Dickens season is officially over."
"That wasn't too bad. More work for me than last year, but not bad," Jack said smiling and pulling Molly in for a kiss.
"Mr. Claus, you're terrible," she giggled.
"I'm going to make sure Jessie locked up the rest of the shop before she left," Jack said pinching Molly's ass. "Then I'm going to get changed into something not so... red. I'll see you at your shop in about fifteen?"
Molly smiled as she watched Jack walk towards the other side of the store. The Boughman's niece had forgotten to lock up three times this month. Luckily Jack had noticed and began to check up after her. The poor girl was still getting her life back in order after a breakdown she had in New York last year.
Molly double checked the lock on the front door before stepping out into the crisp Christmas Eve air. A lot had changed in December, so much more than she ever could have wished for. She smiled at all the decorations left hanging from street lamps and the front doors of shops. The Workshop had been important to her as a child, but after this month, nothing could ever replace it in her heart during the holiday season. Not even the Dickens Village.
Molly unlocked the shop's front door and stepped in the dimly lit room. She reached for the switch on the wall and flipped it up. Nothing happened. "Great, that's all I need on Christmas Eve."
Maybe it was just a light bulb going out. She pulled out her cell phone and flipped on the flashlight app, illuminating the area in front of her. She walked to her front desk and bent over to flip on the master switch. Nothing happened. "Hmmm."
"Imagine my luck," a male voice said startling Molly. " The last store open on Christmas Eve, and it is run by the lady who changed my mind about just passing through town."
Cold steel pressed against her neck, and she realized it was a knife at the same time she felt a hand moving over her stomach and pulling her back. She smelt the foul odor of sweat, booze, and dirt. She recognized the voice now, McGinley. "Take me to the cash register."
"If you touch me-" she started but he interrupted by pressing the knife tighter against her skin.
"I'm not interested in you, stupid girl, I just want your money. Consider it a little payback for putting me on the radar of the local police." His voice was raspy, like he smoked too many cigarettes, and he began to cough against her hair. "If you do everything I say, and if I'm in a good mood afterward, I might even let you live when I'm done."
He pushed her around the desk and brought her to the cash register. She punched in the code and the drawer popped open. If she could only reach a few more inches, she could push the alarm button. But he pressed a bag in her hand. "Put the cash in here."
There was not much in the drawer, there should not have been any, but Molly knew the new girl she hired kept forgetting to put the money in the safe at the end of the night. He pulled her further from the alarm button. How do we get out of this one Mols?
"That's it? That can't be it. Where's your safe?" he asked pressing the knife just hard enough that Molly felt the blade dig into her skin.
"That door," Molly said careful to move her neck as little as possible. She inched her way towards the storeroom. If Jack looked in the window before coming in the store, he would see them. If they were in the storeroom, he would burst in and possibly get them both killed. I can't believe I finally got everything I wanted, and now I'm going to be stabbed on Christmas Eve.
"Stop moving so slow!" McGinley threw her against the counter and Molly took the moment to try and scramble away. He kicked at her leg and she fell to the ground. She crawled a couple of feet, but he grabbed her hair and pulled her back as she screamed.
Just as suddenly as he had grabbed her hair, he let go and hit the floor. Molly stood and backed away but stopped when she saw Jack. He was standing there with the baseball bat she had left by the front door the other night.
"Jack, oh my god Jack." She took a step to him, but stopped at the look in his eye. "Jack."
"Not right now Molly," he said looming over the man on the floor, smacking the bat into his other hand.
"Jack, he's down, let's call the police, okay?" Molly asked walking slowly to Jack. "Jack!"
He looked at Molly and dropped the bat until he held it in just one hand. His eyes seemed to clear. "Molly."
She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him with her behind the desk. She picked up the store phone, but found the line was dead. She pressed the alarm button, and put out her hand to Jack. "Give me your cell."
As Jack reached into his pocket to hand her his phone, he jerked forward without warning. He grunted, then slumped over and fell on the floor.
In Jack’s place stood McGinley, knife in his hand. "Why do you people keep wanting to call the police?"
"Jack!" she screamed as she fell to the floor over him. She wanted to make sure he was alright, but knew McGinley would be over the counter in just a moment for her blood, too. She grabbed the bat out of Jack's limp hand and stood upright. She turned just as McGinley lunged for her, and she swung the bat with all her might at the man's face. There was a sickening pop and crunch, then the man fell.
Molly sung praises for the Main Street softball team as she turned Jack over to find the wound. She found the place where he had been injured and grabbed a scarf from under the counter to stop the bleeding.
"Molly," Jack whispered her name. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes. Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing more fabric from under the counter to stop the bleeding as it began to soak his shirt.
"Is he down?" Jack asked.
"Um, you could say that," Molly forced a laugh.
"I love you Molly,�
�� Jack said. “I’ve loved you since the first second I saw you in high school, and I never stopped. Even when you stopped, I did not stop.”
“I never stopped either Jack. Even when I should have.” Molly did not take her eyes off his wound, no matter how much she wanted to look at his eyes. See the life on his face.
"Molly, you are so damn hard to save," he said. "I like that in a woman. Keep saving yourself Molly."
"I will. But, I promise I'll let you change my tire on a dark highway one night or something. Then you can say you saved me," she said between the tears. "Jack?"
Molly heard sirens in the distance. Not close enough. She rested against his back, allowing her head to slowly rise and fall with Jack's each breath. The movements came further and further apart, until they finally stopped when she heard the first steps of the emergency responders on the floor of her shop.
Epilogue
Christmas One Year Later
Molly looked out the front window to Jack's Bar. Correction, the empty building that used to be Jack's bar. She was alright most days, but some she missed having him across the street more than others.
She was not even supposed to here today. Two more days, and Rachel would officially take over as manager of Molly’s store, and tenant of the upstairs apartment. She was supposed to be home with her boyfriend cuddling in front of the fireplace.
"Okay, so I just jammed the door like this." Rachel was demonstrating at the back door. "Then the keypad started beeping, and the cops showed up. I had to give them all sorts of identification since my name isn't on the lease."
"Here, when that happens," Molly pushed buttons on the door. "See? And we will get you on the lease right after the holidays. You know no one is in their office this week."
"Including you," Rachel said goading Molly.
"I would be if I wasn't here," Molly said in a singsong voice thinking about her new office.
"No you wouldn't. You'd be having sex in front of the fireplace with your stud," Rachel teased.
"Honestly Rachel, if that's all, I do have other places to be, it is Christmas you know... You should go to your sister’s house, spend the day with your family." Molly said grabbing her purse.
“I will, I will,” Rachel said. Then as Molly stared at her, Rachel laughed and grabbed her purse and keys. “Okay, I’ll go now! Merry Christmas Mols, I love you. I’m so proud of you for getting through this year.”
“Shush, you’re going to make me cry. Go.” Molly pointed at the door and Rachel left. Molly looked around the shop once more, not believing she was giving up control to Rachel. Molly was going to be working on top of the mountain each day instead, in an office that overlooked the ocean. Molly left her little gift shop and started the drive home.
She was partway up the winding road, when there was a loud bang and she lost control of her vehicle momentarily. She pulled over to the shoulder and got out, walking around her new car. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
She blew her tire out, and she had no idea where to even start when it came to changing a tire. She climbed back into the car and called him. No answer on his cell, of course. Molly dialed the number to Eli’s house.
“Eli, it’s Mols. I blew out my tire about two miles away from home, could you-“ she paused as he spoke. “Thank you.”
Molly leaned back on the seat and closed her eyes, as she waited for her knight in shining armor to arrive and change her tire. She was almost asleep when Eli’s truck pulled up behind her.
She popped her trunk and climbed out of the car. “Thank you so much babe.”
“I’m just glad you called. How’d you know I’d be at Eli’s?” Jack said as he wrapped Molly up in his arms and kissed her. Eli waved from his truck.
“You didn’t answer your cell, which meant you guys were probably talking about how to drum up more business for the brewery again,” Molly said.
“You know me so well,” Jack smiled. He went to work changing Molly’s tire. The last year had been a whirlwind for them.
The wound Jack had received from McGinley had left him without feeling in parts of his body. After six months of physical therapy Jack had regained most feeling and movement everywhere.
Eli ran Jack’s bar those first few months until Jack decided to sell the business. A man from the West Coast bought it, then almost instantly ran it into the ground. At the same time though, Jack and Eli bought an old restaurant on top of the mountain, and started a small brewery. Molly even stepped back from the gift shop to help run the business end of things. It was slow going, but beautiful, and it was going to be a success. Molly just knew it would be.
Lucinda had passed a few months after Christmas, leaving Molly stock in her father’s business. It was worth enough money that Molly would never have to work a day in her life again if she chose. For now, Molly left the stocks in the care of a lawyer, not sure what to do with the woman’s generous gift. Jack and her were talking about putting her college degree and the money to use, and possibly starting a charity in the next few years. Molly had heard through Frank, that Lucinda left Jeremy a tiny stock portfolio.
Jack finished changing Molly’s tire and waved goodbye to Eli. Their friend drove away as Jack and Molly climbed into her car.
“You know what?” Jack said.
“What?” Molly said.
“I finally got to save you.” He laughed and leaned over to kiss Molly as she put the car into drive.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t remember that,” she said smiling. “Let’s go home, I thought I could put on my Mrs. Claus dress.”
“I hope you mean the little one,” Jack said tucking a strand of Molly’s hair behind her ear.
About the Author
Cora Davies holds a BA in English Literature and lives in Cheyenne Wyoming with her husband and 2 children. Cora started writing in a journal at the age of 5, then graduated to short stories a few years later. You can find her late nights next to the fireplace with a glass of wine and her laptop as she channels steamy romances onto the screen.
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Acknowledgements
Writing a book is like barreling into the darkness and begging your friends and family to wait for you on the other side.
A Christmas Affair could not have been written without the following people.
My husband, who works fourteen hour days but still makes me breakfast every morning.
My oldest daughter who helps with all the chores so I can get back to work quicker.
My writing buddy DMPaul, though our imagined worlds are millions of miles apart, the support and guidance I receive from you is more than I could ever hope for.
My best friend and reader Angela. You aren't afraid to tell me when I'm doing something wrong, not only in writing but also in my life. And that really should be the definition of a best friend.
To all my friends and family who put up with my dramatic mood swings as I throw myself back in forth between my imaginary worlds and my very real grown up world.
For Lori at Self Published Book Covers. The second I saw this cover, I knew I had found Jack and Molly.
And to all the readers who picked up this book either in hard copy or ebook and followed Jack and Molly's relationship to the very last stop.
And finally, to Charles Dickens, who without his stories, this one would not have been possible.
Coming early 2016
Role of a Lifetime: A Hollywood Romance
By Cora Davies
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