by Mya O'Malley
If You Believe
by Mya O’Malley
Published by Astraea Press
www.astraeapress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
IF YOU BELIEVE
Copyright © 2014 MYA O’MALLEY
ISBN 978-1-62135-380-5
Cover Art Designed by CORA DESIGNS
For Alexandra and Alan.
Thank you for your love and encouragement.
Prologue
He stood, watching her, feeling every ounce of her pain, her anguish. He was probably the only one who understood what it was like to lose the person you loved, the person who was everything in the world to you.
If only he could just touch her, reach out to her, make her feel happy again. But that was just selfish on his part, wasn’t it? It wouldn’t be fair to Melody. Anybody could see that even three years later, she was still struggling. Hadn’t he always told her that if something happened to him, he would want her to fall in love again? It saddened him to think that if she continued down this cold and lonely path, she would be alone forever.
Melody had wanted it all, a home filled with children, a loving marriage. Thinking back to how happy they had once been, it broke his heart to see her this way, and it was always saddest to see her like this around the holidays, which were quickly approaching.
Jack’s mind was whirling with ideas, if only… He wished that he could talk to her just one more time, but alas, that was against the rules. If only there was some way, if only he could help her see the light. The corners of Jack’s mouth crept up as his mind took hold of an impossible thought. Would he be able to pull this off? If he did, could he ever be the same again?
Chapter One
Melody stacked the last book on the shelf and glanced around, feeling a sense of accomplishment for a hard day’s work. Gazing around her cozy bookstore, she took in the twinkling lights and decorations that were set up to help her customers get in the mood for the festive holiday season. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Melody knew there was nothing she could do to escape the holidays. If only she could put her heart into the joyous season. Christmas had always been her favorite time of year. Well, that was when she had Jack by her side. It seemed like her life was now neatly compartmentalized—before Jack, during Jack and after Jack. Each and every one of the Christmases she had shared with Jack had been amazing. He always said that it was the time for miracles. But Melody wasn’t one to believe in magic or miracles, especially now.
“Earth to Melody!” Cassie’s green eyes shined with warmth.
“Oh. Sorry. What was it that you were saying?” Plastering a smile on her face, Melody did her best to brush her melancholy feelings aside, at least for the moment.
“I was asking if I could leave. Everything seems in order.” Cassie’s eyes scanned the store.
Taking in the tiny café area, Melody noted that there were some desserts that still needed to be put away in the back room fridge. “Go ahead, I’ll get the rest.”
“Are you sure? I can stick around if you want.”
Who was she kidding? Knowing that her best friend was going out on a hot date tonight with a guy that she recently met, she figured that Cassie wanted to leap out the door.
“Nah, I got it. Go, and have a great time.” Melody knew that when she hired Cassie to be her right-hand gal, it would not be the typical employer/employee relationship. At least she could trust Cassie, though, and that was the most important thing. Besides, Melody was truly happy for Cassie. Her friend finally seemed happy after her recent breakup with Harry the Horrible, as the two women so fondly called her ex.
Approaching her friend slowly, Cassie cleared her throat. “What are your plans for the night?”
“I thought I’d just stay in, maybe catch up on some reading.” Knowing just how pathetic it sounded, Melody realized how good it was to have a friend in Cassie; she didn’t need to pretend with her.
“Mel, it’s Friday night. Are you sure you don’t want me to cancel with Trent? I mean I could…”
Brushing her long auburn hair to the side with a swipe of her hand, Melody exhaled. “Don’t you even think about it. Get out there and have a great time.”
“Love you!” Cassie winked at her friend and practically ran behind the counter to grab her bag. “Oh, and don’t wait up.” With that she was gone. Melody followed her friend’s path to the door and locked it behind her.
Not only was Cassie an employee of Melody’s, but she was also her roommate. Since Jack had passed away, Melody couldn’t stand being alone. At first, she had needed time to heal, but when time didn’t heal all wounds, Cassie had offered to help out her friend—keep her company, help with the bills. Melody couldn’t deny the fact that it wasn’t healthy to spend so much time alone, and she figured she could certainly use the extra money that her friend contributed in rent each month. Having a best friend close by was exactly what she needed, but there was that nagging feeling of guilt that had started to creep up on Melody lately. She hoped that Cassie wouldn’t feel bad when the time came to get on with her own life.
Melody shook her head to clear her thoughts. Cassie had been a real sweetheart, trying to play matchmaker about a year ago. All of the offers she had gracefully declined except for the one with that cute guy Mike which had ended up in disaster when he leaned in for a kiss after a pleasant dinner. It was no wonder the poor guy hadn’t called her back. Who could blame him after she had pulled away and burst into tears? It just wasn’t in the cards for her, Jack was her one true love and she would have to accept the fact that she might be alone for the rest of her life.
Making her way to the café section of her store, she grabbed the leftover slices of chocolate cheesecake and headed for the back room. The sound of the door opening startled Melody. Placing the serving dish to the side, Melody figured that Cassie must have forgotten something.
“Cass?” She called out. Nothing. Waiting a few seconds, she called out again. “Cassie? Is that you?”
“Are you still open?” She heard a man’s deep voice call out. Great, had Cassie forgotten to lock the door behind her again? No, she was the one who had locked the door behind her friend tonight. That was odd.
A young man about her age, early thirties, appeared before her. He was only slightly taller than her five-foot-six-inch frame. There was something strangely familiar about this man.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but we’re closed.” Melody offered him her best attempt at a smile, which probably appeared lame at best because of the fatigue that had set in after a long day at the store.
“Is this Melody’s Book Café?” His eyes were wide open and there was something unnerving about those eyes; they seemed so familiar, as if… shaking her head, Melody maintained her composure.
“Yes, it is…”
“Are you Melody?” He offered his hand to her.
Looking down at this man’s outstretched hand, she had no choice but to shake it.
Chapter Two
The electricity was undeniable. It was something that he should have considered, knowing how powerful their attraction and love had been in life. The look on Melody’s face was shock, confusion and curiosity all rolled into one. He would have to remember not to touch her again, it was simply too much of a risk to take. He knew that if his
cover was revealed, the rules stated that he could never make contact with her again.
“What was…did you feel?” Poor Melody peered at him with those gorgeous light brown eyes of hers. There was something different about her eyes now; once they had been filled with spark and mischief, but now they were sadder, as if the light had somehow gone out. The same eyes that had looked at him with varying degrees of emotions for all those precious years they had shared together. The same eyes that held him spellbound right now. Jack didn’t know what to expect; he had no way of knowing how hard it would be to not reach out and touch this woman who was his wife, the love of his life. She evoked so much emotion in him that he had to turn his head before she saw the tears that sprang from his eyes. He had known this would be hard, but Melody took his breath away. Melody was always beautiful, but now she also appeared slightly sad and fragile. Looking down at her so many times before, he knew of her sadness, of course, but standing right here beside her, Jack could practically feel her strong emotions within his own heart.
Since he had gone to great lengths to disguise his true identity, Jack would have to do better than this. There was no way that she could recognize him by his appearance. He was once tall, standing six foot three inches tall, maintaining a trim physique with messy light brown hair. He now stood barely five foot seven with wavy dark hair and a stocky build. The only thing about his appearance that Jack wasn’t able to change was his eyes. Nobody could change their eyes, because it was a fact that eyes were the windows to the soul.
Melody stood before him, her mouth gaping open as if she were caught in a spell. Think of something, quick, he told himself.
“Melody. I heard great things about your store. You see, I’m new to this area and I was just walking around and I figured I’d come check out your store.”
Melody appeared as if she had composed herself slightly. Clearing her throat, she finally spoke. “Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking.”
He really should have been more prepared. How could he have forgotten how inquisitive Melody was?
“Um, I’m from down south, Florida.”
“Whereabouts? I have a friend from the Orlando area.” He should have also remembered her old college roommate from Orlando. Was Miami far enough away to field off further questions?
“Miami.”
“Miami? What brings you all the way up north to the New York area?”
Wow, she should have been a lawyer instead of owning a business. “My job. I work in the city now and live here in the suburbs.”
“What do you do for work?”
Thinking quickly on his feet, Jack steered away from his real occupation in life, working for an insurance company.
“I work for a pharmaceutical company. I’m in sales.” That ought to do it. He was reminded of a time when Melody had quizzed him nonstop when they had first met, he had felt like he was interviewing for a job. They had laughed many times together over that memory.
“Oh. Well, who is it that recommended you to my store?” Her eyes peered cautiously through her striking auburn hair. The long hair that was always slightly out of place, always in her eyes. Wishing that he could reach out and touch her beautiful hair just once more, he reeled himself back in.
“Just some guy at a diner recently. He raved about the selection of books and the coffee. Hmm, if I recall, he also said that you have the best cheesecake in town.” That should do it. Melody loved to bake and could go on and on about her desserts.
And that she did, thank goodness for the distraction of a good cheesecake. When Melody had stopped gushing about how she prepared her cheesecake, she caught herself and chuckled.
“You must think I’m something, rambling on like this. I’m sorry, I just realized that I didn’t catch your name.”
My name, my name. Something unusual perhaps, but fitting for a friend. “Oliver.” Where did that come from?
“Oliver. Well, Oliver, I don’t usually do this because we are closed, but would you like to try some of the cheesecake? We happen to have some left over.”
“Oliver” could tell that he had gotten on Melody’s good side. She wasn’t a particularly outgoing person. As a matter of fact, she was usually pretty shy, but he was delighted to see that he had made an impression on her. Or perhaps it was just good business sense. Either way, Oliver had succeeded in completing the first step of his mission: meeting Melody.
* * * *
Melody couldn’t recall the last time that she had felt so comfortable with a total stranger. It wasn’t like she was even physically attracted to him, Oliver wasn’t her type at all. He was the complete opposite of Jack in every way. Well, in every way except for those captivating blue eyes. It was uncanny how much Oliver’s eyes reminded Melody of Jack’s eyes. It wasn’t just the color or the shape, but it was the intensity of his gaze. That was probably why Melody had felt so comfortable with him from the start.
“I know that you’re going to think this is forward, but would you mind showing me around town sometime?”
Melody sucked in a breath and inwardly panicked.
“My girlfriend is coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to show her around a bit.” He finished.
Melody’s shoulders visibly dropped as she let out a sigh. “Sure, yes, Oliver, I think that would be fine.”
Two finished slices of chocolate cheesecake and decaf coffees later, Melody realized this was the best evening she’d had in, well, just about three years.
Chapter Three
Now that he had succeeded in meeting Melody and was on his way to becoming a friend of hers, the wheels were spinning on just how to find the right man for his Melody. This was going to prove to be the most difficult part of his mission; how challenging was it going to be to find the perfect man for his wife? Nobody should ever have to find themselves in that situation, but what was the alternative? And he needed this plan to be in full swing just in time for Christmas. Oliver was permitted to attempt to complete his mission, but he had a time frame that he was bound to. The agreement was that he would make Melody fall in love by Christmas Eve. He had until midnight to be exact.
Thinking back to some of their mutual friends, Oliver shook his head again and again. All of these men were already married and the few who were not married or in a relationship weren’t good enough for her. What was he going to do? Thinking long and hard about all of the various possibilities, Oliver was still left clueless. What he needed was a distraction. Pulling on his jeans and heading out of the chain hotel that he would be residing in for the next several weeks, Oliver hit the town.
Angels got hungry, too, Oliver discovered. Was he an angel? Was he a ghost? He supposed it didn’t matter much what his title was; what mattered was finding a suitable man and pushing him toward Melody. Finding a decent looking pizzeria, Oliver settled into a booth as a young waitress, no more than twenty years old, handed him a menu. Never one to worry about his waistline, since he had a super quick metabolism in life, Oliver wasn’t about to worry now. Besides, it wasn’t even his body, right?
“I’ll have two slices of pizza to start off, then a salad…” The waitress smiled sweetly and turned to walk away.
“I’m not finished yet!” Oliver called out to the waitress, who spun on her heels and made her way back.
“I’m sorry, sir. What else can I get you?”
“Chicken Parm…” The woman started to walk off again.
Oliver chuckled to himself softly, secretly enjoying the look of horror on the poor girl’s face.
“Garlic knots, and then I’ll see what is on the dessert menu.” He actually winked at the girl before she scurried to place his order in the kitchen.
Realizing that he was on borrowed time, Oliver perused the dining area, finding nothing but family men and an old trucker seated by himself at the counter.
Oliver missed this normalcy of life on Earth. Taking in the people around him, he listened to a couple behind him make plans to see a movie the following night
. The family of four seated in front of him were laughing over something the toddler had said. Stealing a glance at the young boy, he felt his heart drop as he realized that he would never have the family that he had so desperately wanted. Being back on Earth wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, as his human emotions seemed to be getting the best of him lately. Pull it together, man, he told himself as a handsome man who appeared to be in his late twenties walked through the door.
Hmm. A little young, but perhaps there’s potential. Watching the man’s every move, he muttered in defeat as an attractive woman rushed through the door and stood beside him. Oliver noted that the couple appeared to be in love, the girl grabbed the man’s hand as they waited to place their order, chatting together. What was I thinking? Oliver asked himself. Did I think that the perfect man was just going to appear before me and bam! Melody falls in love?
The waitress appeared before him carrying the slices of pizza and the scent of garlic and tomato sauce. The first bite of pizza was enough to take his mind off the current dilemma he was facing.
* * * *
The holidays were everywhere; the sights, the sounds of holiday music followed Melody. It was strange, but Melody found herself thinking about Oliver several times the morning after their strange meeting, and somehow the thought of him comforted her and made the approaching holidays seem less formidable.
Shivering slightly, Melody bundled her scarf around her neck as she hustled to unlock the door to her store. Directly behind her, she heard footsteps. Spinning around, she saw Cassie.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Cass. I thought you were running late.”
Melody fumbled with her keys, determined to get inside where it was warm.