Rescued by the Magic of Christmas

by Melissa McClone

  Just like your daddy was to me, she thought with a pang.

  Jake arrived with four smoothies in a drink tray. He handed a cup to each of them. Carly appreciated his thoughtfulness, but then again, as he’d proven buying those things for the baby, he was that kind of guy. Friend, she corrected.

  “Thanks.” She sipped her pink smoothie through a straw. The cold liquid tasted so good going down her throat. “Raspberry. My favorite.”

  “I know.”

  Carly was flattered he remembered after all these years. When she was around Kendall’s age, maybe a little older, she’d memorized all of Jake’s likes and dislikes. Not that bringing him a frozen Milky Way bar had endeared her to him in the slightest. He hadn’t noticed she existed. At least not in the way she’d wanted him to notice her. They’d been like a Western Meadowlark falling in love with a Chinook salmon. Two different creatures. Two different ecosystems. The two weren’t meant to be together. She stirred the smoothie with her straw.

  “Look, it’s Santa.” Awe filled Austin’s voice. “He must have finished feeding the reindeer.”

  The delight in the boy’s eyes brought a smile to Carly’s face. The way the children responded to the holiday was almost magical. She’d forgotten about that.

  Santa hobbled past, using a cane as he walked. Not bad. Real beard, wire-rimmed glasses and rosy cheeks. He was better than some of the other Santas she saw when she was a kid.

  “Sorry that took so long, children,” Santa said. “But Vixen and Dancer wanted seconds.”

  The kids giggled.

  “Do you think he brings his cane with him in his sled?” Austin whispered.

  “I don’t know,” Carly answered honestly.

  “You can ask him,” Jake said.

  Soon the line moved, and before she knew it, they were stepping through a white gate that had silver snowflakes painted on it. As Kendall watched the dancing penguins, mimicking their movements and singing along to their song, Carly videotaped her.

  A singing snowman captured Austin’s attention. He made Jake explain how everything worked, from the robotic movements to the sound coming from a tree. Jake’s patience reminded Carly of her father. Her nephew’s curiosity reminded her of Nick.

  She pushed aside the bittersweet thought. This needed to be a happy day for the kids. The best Christmas ever was going to be a tall order for her and Jake to fill.

  “Do you know what you’re going to ask Santa to bring you?” Carly asked.

  Both kids nodded.

  “I want a snowboard,” Austin said. “And a pirate ship.”

  “I want an iPod,” Kendall said. “And makeup. But Santa already knows this because we sent him a list. We’re here for the picture today.”

  Too smart for her own good. Hannah and Garrett had better watch out. “You can still tell him in person.”

  “Do you know what you’re going to ask Santa for, Aunt Carly?” Kendall asked.

  “I have everything I need right here.” Carly glanced from Kendall to Austin, and then looked over at Jake. He looked so comfortable here, surrounded by this manufactured North Pole and the two kids. The way he casually rested his hand on Austin’s shoulder made him seem more like a dad than a family friend who’d been made an honorary uncle. Carly had never imagined Jake Porter as a father before, but now she could see it so clearly. Her mouth went dry. “No need to ask for anything else.”

  Kendall pouted. “It’s Christmas. You have to want something, Aunt Carly.”

  “Maybe she wants Santa to bring her a boyfriend.” Jake emphasized boy.

  Kendall drew her brows together. “That might be hard for Santa’s elves to wrap, Uncle Jake.”

  Carly struggled not to laugh.

  “If you tell Santa what you want,” Austin said to her, “you’ll get a candy cane.”

  “A candy cane, huh?” Carly asked. “Maybe I’ll have to think of something. Got any ideas?”

  “A video game system,” Austin suggested. “Or a robot.”

  The line moved forward.

  “Perfume might be nice,” Kendall said. “Or a fiancé. If you had one of those I could be a flower girl finally.”

  Carly smiled. “Perfume might be an easier order for Santa to fill and it will fit into my stocking. Though I appreciate the other suggestions.”

  “Especially the fiancé,” Kendall said.

  Carly didn’t want to get into that discussion. Boyfriends and fiancés meant more complications. She had enough right now. She caught Jake’s eye, and her stomach tingled.

  Darn him.

  “Do you know what you want Santa to bring you, Uncle Jake?” Austin asked him.

  “Not yet, but I still have a few minutes to figure it out.”

  “Better hurry,” she said.

  His lips curved into a slow, easy grin. “I don’t like rushing.”

  A devilish gleam filled his eyes, hinting at things she could only fantasize about. Forget the snow outside, she suddenly felt hot.

  “But I’ll think of something. I don’t want to miss out on a candy cane,” he added.

  Peppermint kisses, anyone?

  She sipped her drink. “This smoothie really hits the spot.”

  One of Santa’s elves, a young woman wearing a floppy hat, green costume, red-and-white-striped tights and pointy-toed shoes with bells on them, took their photo order. Kendall and Austin sat on Santa’s lap. Another female elf told the kids to smile and snapped pictures. After the third flash, Carly lost track of the number of photos taken. Santa asked the kids what they wanted and gave each one a candy cane.

  “It’s my aunt’s turn,” Austin announced.

  Santa motioned her over.

  Carly gulped. This was the last thing she had expected or wanted, especially with the long line of children waiting behind her and Jake watching her.

  Santa patted space next to him. “Come sit and tell me what you want for Christmas, Carly.”

  She sat on the arm of his chair, feeling self-conscious. “I just came for a candy cane.”

  “You have to believe,” Santa said.

  “I gave up believing a long time ago,” Carly muttered, too low for the children or Jake to hear. Six long years ago, when her love and her hopes had died on the mountain.

  “Still, there must be something you want,” Santa said.

  She caught her gaze lingering on Jake and looked away. “No, thanks. Too risky.”

  The mall Santa must have followed her glance. “Life is about taking risks…and love makes those risks worth it even if we end up disappointed or hurt.”

  Carly thought she would fall off the chair arm in embarrassment. “I’m not looking for love,” she assured him.

  Especially not with Jake.

  “Ah, but love may come looking for you,” Santa said. With a warm smile, he handed her a candy cane.

  She ducked her head as she accepted it. “I don’t think so.”

  As she stood, Carly noticed Jake watching her. Surely he hadn’t heard her. His cell phone rang, and he answered it.

  “One more thing before you go.” Santa kept his voice low. “You used to enjoy the holidays so much. There’s no reason you can’t feel that way again. All you have to do is give Christmas another chance.”

  “How—?”

  “It’s Uncle Jake’s turn,” Kendall said.

  “Merry Christmas,” Santa said.

  Carly walked to the cashier in a daze. She looked over the pictures of the kids with Santa, picked one and paid her money.

  What was going on? When did mall Santas decide to dispense advice along with candy canes?

  Not that she was going to listen to him. Carly knew better than to take risks. That was one reason she had wanted to keep her distance from Jake Porter. The guy had heartbreak written all over him.

  And why would she want to give Christmas another chance? She was willing to do what it took for the kids’ sake, but that was all. That was enough.

  Besides, no seasonal mall hire
could possibly understand what she’d been through. Who was that guy anyway? Take away the red suit and the glasses and…he still looked like a perfectly cast Santa.

  Coincidence. That was all. He’d made a lucky guess. No reason to be baffled or bothered by what he’d said.

  Carly followed the path out of the North Pole Village. The kids stood with Jake, who held a candy cane in one hand, his cell phone in the other.

  “Garrett called,” Jake said.

  “Is my mommy okay?” Austin asked.

  Carly drew the two kids close to her.

  “Absolutely,” Jake said. “She and the baby are fine.”

  “Baby?” Carly held her breath.

  “By C-section.”

  Something must have gone wrong. No doubt there was a story behind Hannah’s needing an operation to deliver the baby, but the kids didn’t need to hear it.

  “So do I have a brother?” Austin asked.

  “Or a sister?” Kendall asked.

  “A brother,” Jake announced. “It’s a boy.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  AT THE HOSPITAL, Jake walked with Carly to the gift shop. The bounce in her step brought a smile to his face. She hadn’t seemed this happy at the mall.

  “Isn’t he the cutest baby?” Carly gushed about her new nephew even though she’d seen him for all of five minutes before letting the family have alone time together. “He looks like Hannah. Well, around the mouth. I think he has Garrett’s chin.”

  “And his hair,” Jake joked, shortening the length of his stride so Carly wouldn’t have to hurry to keep up with him. Garrett was starting to go bald.

  She continued as if Jake hadn’t spoken, still on some kind of weird baby high. “Tyler Michael Willingham is a great name.”

  “It’s an okay name, but Tyler Jacob Willingham would have been better. They could have called the kid T.J.”

  Her mouth quirked. “You do know Michael is Garrett’s grandfather’s and father’s name, don’t you?”

  Jake shrugged, happy he’d made her smile. “Guys don’t talk about names much.”

  “Not unless they are female names. I remember how you and Nick used to talk about girls.”

  “We only said those things because we knew you were listening.” He laughed at her shocked expression. “Come on. Did you really think we didn’t know when you were spying on us?”

  She pursued her lips, making them look even more kissable than ever. “And I thought I was so clever.”

  “You were, but we were more clever.”

  Mischief gleamed in her eyes. “At least you told yourselves that.”

  As he laughed, a warm feeling built up inside him. He hadn’t seen her in years, but since her return they had picked up right where they’d left off. Jake didn’t know too many people he could do that with. “I’m glad you’re back. I’ve missed you, Carly Bishop.”

  “Me, too,” she said. “You, I mean.”

  She stumbled over her words as if she were tongue-tied or embarrassed, the way she’d done when she was a young girl. Years ago, Jake hadn’t known why, but he liked thinking he might be the reason today. He stood taller. Each thing she did, every word she said, made him want to learn more about the woman she’d become while living in Philadelphia.

  An elderly man pushed a gray-haired woman in a wheel-chair toward them. His bony fingers wrapped tightly around the handgrips, and he took short, careful steps.

  Carly moved to the right side of the hallway. Jake followed her, noticing the way her jeans fit. The couple passed by.

  She stared after them. “The way that woman placed her hand on his was so sweet.”

  He’d missed it.

  “I used to want to be like that,” she said wistfully.

  “Old and gnarled?”

  She gave him a look. “I meant in love.”

  Jake shrugged. Love came with too many strings. People wanting him to change or be something he wasn’t. At least that had been his experience with his parents and with women, but he wasn’t about to discourage Carly. “All you need is to find the right guy and in fifty years you could be like them.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “It could be if you keep your eyes open. He might be closer than you think.”

  Especially if he was right here with you now.

  Whoa. Where had that come from?

  Carly drew her brows together as if confused.

  That made two of them.

  He liked her kisses. He liked her. But the next fifty years…Jake rubbed the back of his neck. He was used to thinking in days or weeks, not years.

  “What I mean is don’t close yourself off to the possibility of meeting the right guy or you could miss out,” Jake clarified.

  “I’ll take that into consideration.” She stepped around an empty gurney. “So are you as happy as Austin that Hannah had a boy?”

  He was happy Carly had changed the subject. “Boy or girl, doesn’t matter. I’ll have this one on skis before he can walk.”

  “How can you ski if you can’t walk?” she asked.

  “I’m sure if he can stand, there’s a way,” he said. “And if not, I’ll load Tyler into a pack and ski with him on my back.”

  Carly raised her eyebrows. “You think Hannah’s going to allow this?”

  “She might mellow with baby number three.”

  “She’s always been overprotective.”

  “I’m embracing the glass-half-full approach to life.”

  “I haven’t figured out what my approach to life is yet,” Carly admitted. “One day at a time has been my motto.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself.” She stopped in front of the gift shop. “So what do you think? A stuffed animal and flowers?”

  “I bought the baby a polar bear, but another kind of animal might be nice.”

  “Let’s see what they have.” Carly walked into the store, stopped and turned. Her smile lit up her entire face. “You bought Kendall and Austin bears.”

  Her remembering pleased Jake. “Kids like bears.”

  Carly nodded. “It’s a very special tradition you started. Both Austin and Kendall still sleep with those bears on their beds. I’m sure Tyler will be no different once he’s old enough.”

  “Each kid is different.”

  “You sound so much like a dad.”

  “Nope,” he said. “Just a guy who watches kids every now and then.”

  “Just a guy, huh?” She shook her head. “I think one stuffed animal is enough for a newborn.”

  “Yes, but flowers for the new mommy are a must.”

  “So Hannah gets flowers even though it’s not a date,” Carly teased.

  The dinner conversation at the Italian café came back to him. “Dates are only one time I bring flowers. Hospital visits are another,” he explained. “But tomorrow I want to bring a small tree with lights and decorations. They can’t spend Christmas in the hospital without a tree.” He noticed the blank stare on Carly’s face. “Hannah had a C-section like Tim Moreno’s wife. That means she’s going to be in the hospital for a few extra days. She won’t be home for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.”

  Carly’s face paled. “I didn’t even think of that. The kids—”

  “Will be fine,” he said. “Remember what we told Hannah.”

  “The best Christmas ever.” Uncertainty filled Carly’s voice.

  “We will make this happen.”

  “We? I really appreciate all the help, but you have the brewery and your own family—”

  “Stop.” Jake stared into her eyes. “I’ve got the brewery under control no matter what my father thinks. And second, you guys are my family. Why would I want to spend Christmas in some fancy hotel eating overpriced food and being told I bought the wrong gift cards for my parents when I could be having fun with all of you?”

  “Well, when you put it that way.” Carly’s tone was light, but she wasn’t smiling. “Don’t your parents mi
ss you?”

  “Not really. They liked the idea of having a child more than having a real child. Besides, I’ll never live up to my father’s expectations so not being around him much saves us from arguing more.”

  Compassion filled her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “No worries,” he said, not wanting her pity. “It’s the way things turned out. But at least now you know I’ll be here to help. That’s what friends are for.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” He wanted to reach out and touch her, but controlled the impulse. “You can always count on me, Carly. Don’t ever forget that.”

  That night at the house, Carly laid out rolls of wrapping paper. The kids, exhausted from their busy day, were already sound asleep. She wondered how much sleep she’d manage tonight.

  Jake carried a large black plastic bag full of items into the living room. She stared at the muscles beneath his shirt. Definite hard body. “This is the last of the presents.”

  “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “Pretty indispensable, huh?” he asked.

  “In some instances.”

  Carly didn’t like that. She depended on one person only—herself. It was easier that way. Less complicated. And yet she couldn’t have given the kids the Christmas they deserved on her own. She needed Jake. His help, that was.

  He set the bag next to the others he’d brought down from the attic. “What next?”

  A nervous breakdown.

  Carly realized she was crunching a roll of blue-and-white snowflake wrapping paper. She loosened her grip and set the roll on the floor. She struggled to hold herself together, feeling as if she were about to unravel. She’d gone eight rounds with Christmas today, and felt emotionally raw. But it wasn’t only the holidays she’d been battling. She’d been fighting her feelings for Jake, too.

  She hadn’t felt this vulnerable in years. The conflict inside her was talking its toll. If Jake knew how she was feeling, she’d be in big trouble.

  “Nothing,” she answered finally.

  Best to send him on his way before he figured it out, or worse, she threw herself into his arms and couldn’t let go.

  Carly had a late, emotional night ahead of her. A box of tissues and chocolates were definitely in order along with the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows.