Rescued by the Magic of Christmas

by Melissa McClone

  Austin popped a few candy sprinkles into his mouth. “Santa’s going to love these cookies, Aunt Carly.”

  “Yes, he will.” She pointed to the red candies on the snowman’s chest. “I like how you used cinnamon candies for his buttons.”

  Kendall tilted her chin. “It was my idea.”

  “Was not,” Austin said.

  “Was, too.”

  Carly whistled. Both kids stopped talking. “It’s Christmas Eve. Santa still has time to take gifts off his sleigh.”

  The kids exchanged worried glances.

  She looked at them both. “Let’s concentrate on decorating the cookies and not arguing with each other, okay?”

  Kendall and Austin placed new cookies in front of them and set to work.

  “After we get home from dinner at the brewpub—” Carly placed candy sprinkles on the angel’s wings she was decorating “—we can make a plate of cookies for Santa and one with carrots and celery for the reindeer.”

  Kendall’s brow furrowed. “We’ve never left anything for the reindeer before.”

  Oh, Nick. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long. Forgive me.

  “Your daddy taught me to leave treats for the reindeer when I was a little girl,” Carly explained. “Don’t forget, Santa visits a lot of houses tonight, but it’s the reindeer who do all the flying. They deserve something to snack on, too.”

  Austin flashed her a grin. “Will you come back next Christmas so we can do this all over again?”

  Both kids stared expectantly at her. Carly took a deep breath. “I would love to come back, but we need to talk to your parents first.”

  “Oh, they won’t mind.” Kendall piped a red ball of icing on the end of a reindeer’s nose. “Mommy always says she wishes you lived closer.”

  Carly stared at the angel cookie in front of her. “Sometimes I wish that, too.”

  “Then move,” Austin said. “This is the best place to live in the entire world.”

  “Philadelphia’s not too bad,” she countered.

  Austin looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “But we’re not there.”

  She thought about his words. The kids weren’t there. Neither was Jake. But she hadn’t been trying to escape them, only the mountain, a constant reminder of all she’d lost. “You’re right about that.”

  They continued decorating cookies. Time seemed to fly. The sprinkles and colored sugars disappeared. Only a dab of icing remained.

  “Do you hear that, Aunt Carly?” Kendall asked.

  Carly realized she was humming along to the catchy Christmas carol spilling from the radio. Uh-oh. She wet her lips. “Hear what?”

  Kendall pursed her lips. “Jingle bells.”

  “‘Deck the Halls,’” Carly corrected.

  “Not on the radio, silly! Listen.”

  She listened and heard a faint jingling in the distance. “You’re right. It’s not the radio.”

  “I hear it, too.” Austin pushed his chair back from the table and stood. He looked up and down and all around. “Maybe one of Santa’s elves is checking to see if we’re being good.”

  “You never know,” Carly said. “Or one of the inns or resorts is offering sleigh rides tonight.”

  “I wish we could go on a sleigh ride,” Kendall said with a wistful tone.

  The longing in her niece’s voice made Carly want to flag down the sleigh right then and there. She might not be in a position to make Kendall a flower girl, but this was something Carly could give her. “We could find out how much a sleigh ride costs and see if they are doing them after Christmas.”

  Kendall grinned. “That would be so cool.”

  “Very cool.” Carly just hoped she could afford it. Seeing the look in the little girl’s eyes, she almost didn’t care.

  “Did you ever go on a sleigh ride?” Kendall asked.

  “No,” Carly admitted.

  Kendall’s face fell.

  “I went on a dog sled ride once, though,” Carly offered. She had begged and begged for years, but her parents always said it was too expensive.

  Austin stopped munching on a broken candy-cane-shaped cookie. “When?”

  Carly remembered the wind in her face as the team drove around Frog Lake one chilly afternoon. She’d helped care for the dogs afterward. “When I was fifteen.”

  “Did your aunt take you?”

  She laughed. “No, it was a special present from your daddy and…Uncle Jake.”

  Her brother had given her the gift, but Jake had played a role in the present. She suspected he might even have helped Nick pay for it.

  “Uncle Jake gives the best presents,” Kendall said.

  “He does.” The best kisses, too. Carly touched her lips with her fingertips. Careful. She knew more kisses were a really bad idea, but her lips seemed to disagree. Still she wasn’t about to have a fling during her winter vacation and risk losing Jake’s friendship forever.

  And her heart again.

  Austin cupped his ear with his hand. “Listen. The bells are getting closer.”

  Kendall ran to the living-room window. Austin followed at her heels. Carly took up the rear.

  “It’s on our street,” Kendall said. “Coming to our house.”

  The kids pressed their noises against the glass and sighed.

  “Look at the horse.” Wonder filled Austin’s voice.

  Carly looked out the window. A large, black horse pulled a red sleigh hung with garlands. Two bright lanterns bobbed at the front. A driver, wearing an old-fashioned stovepipe hat on his head and a cape around his shoulders, held on to the reins. “Do you see anyone besides the driver?”

  “Uncle Jake,” the two said at the same time. They jumped and shrieked.

  Who else but Uncle Jake? A warm and fuzzy feeling flowed through Carly. The only things missing were chestnuts roasting and carolers decked out in Victorian clothing. “He said he would pick us up, but I had no idea this was what he had in mind. Come on, guys, let’s get ready.”

  As the kids washed and changed clothes, Carly threw away what little icing remained, snapped the lids back on the cookie decorations, washed her hands and removed her apron.

  The doorbell rang. She smiled. Perfect timing.

  “Merry Christmas,” Jake said.

  Her heart expanded. His cheeks were ruddy with cold, but his blue eyes were so warm.

  “It’s not Christmas yet,” Kendall said.

  “True, but it will be in a few hours,” he said, looking stylish and handsome in his blue down jacket, olive-green pants and fleece hat. “That’s why I thought a sleigh ride tonight might be a fun way to go to dinner.”

  Austin jumped up and down. “It’ll be the funnest way ever.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Jake.” Kendall hugged him. “I bet no one else gets to do this.”

  “Let’s go, let’s go,” Austin sang.

  Carly felt a tingle as she watched the scene in front of her. The kids’ love and gratitude for Jake was just as strong as his for them. Lucky kids. But someone had to be practical. “Get on your coats, hats and mittens.”

  “What smells so good?” Jake asked.

  “We baked cookies for Santa,” Kendall said. “You can have one.”

  “I can’t wait. Thanks.” He looked at Carly and grinned. “Nothing like making Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve to put you in the holiday spirit.”

  Austin struggled with her zipper. “We’re going to make gingerbread houses, too.”

  “Our daddy used to make it,” Kendall added, jamming a hat over her blond curls.

  “I didn’t know that,” Jake admitted.

  “A Bishop family tradition,” she replied.

  “Maybe I could learn, too,” he said.

  “Sure.” She shrugged into her jacket. “Thanks for arranging the sleigh ride. It’s exactly what the kids need.”

  His gaze locked on hers. “I didn’t do this only for the kids.”

  Her heart bumped. Had he done this for her? “Oh. Well…”r />
  “We couldn’t all fit into a dog sled. I figured a sleigh was the next best thing.”

  His thoughtfulness, his teasing, warmed her from the inside out. And so did the look in his eyes. “The best,” she corrected. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” His smile widened. “Are you ready to go?”

  At that moment, she would have followed him anywhere. Not trusting what she might say, Carly nodded.

  “Hop on the sleigh, kids,” he said.

  Kendall and Austin ran outside, their footsteps crunching on the snow. Their laughter was a perfect complement to the jingle bells on the horse’s harnesses.

  Carly watched them. “The kids are so excited.”

  “What about you?” Jake asked.

  A beat passed. She didn’t dare look at him. “I’m pretty excited, too.”

  “The fun is only beginning.”

  Anticipation filled her. With the one-horse open sleigh in the driveway surrounded by all the snow-covered trees and delicate snowflakes falling from the sky, she felt as if she’d stepped into a greeting card.

  Outside, the cold air tasted like…Christmas. She smelled snow, pine and smoke from fireplaces. By the time she crossed the driveway, Kendall and Austin were sitting on either side of the sleigh driver. Carly could see their breaths, but the low temperatures didn’t seem to bother them one bit. Still, Jake covered the kids with thick blankets.

  Carly sat on the padded seat in the back. He joined her, his thigh pressing against hers.

  He spread a blanket over her. “Warm enough?”

  Any warmer and her blood would boil. “Very cozy, thank you.”

  “Well, if you get cold, I know how to warm you up.”

  She wondered what he had in mind.

  As the sleigh glided forward, the horse’s bells jingled, almost drowning out the kids’ conversation with the driver. Carly removed her camera from her purse and took a picture of them.

  “They’ll remember this forever,” she confided with a smile.

  Jake looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know about forever. I just want them to enjoy tonight.”

  “They will. They are.” She lowered the camera to her lap. “And if they ever forget tonight, they’ll have a photo to help them remember. I still have a picture of me with those sled dogs. Did I ever thank you for that?”

  “The sled ride was mostly Nick’s present.”

  “But it was your idea,” she guessed.

  “Big deal.” Jake took the camera from her and snapped her picture. The flash made her see spots. “Going on a dog sled ride for your birthday was all you talked about from the time you were ten. It didn’t take much imagination to know it was time to make it happen.”

  “But—”

  “Smile.” He held the camera out in front of the two of them and leaned his head against hers. The flash blinded her again.

  She blinked. “What nineteen-year-old guy would go to so much trouble?”

  “A guy who realized his best friend’s sister was growing up to be a beautiful young woman.”

  Carly’s cheeks warmed.

  Jake tucked a strand of hair back into her hat. The gesture was intimate, but felt so right.

  “You’re even more beautiful now, Carly.”

  Heaven help her. She forced herself to take a deep breath. “You’re really determined to make this the best Christmas ever, aren’t you?”

  The festive atmosphere in the brewpub couldn’t have been more perfect. The place was packed. Miniature lights around the bar flashed on and off. Small red foil-covered pots of poinsettias sat on each table. The fireplace crackled with a burning blaze. Conversations drowned out the Christmas carols playing on the sound system, but no one seemed to care. A few hardy souls at one table sang carols on their own. And the mouthwatering scent of the buffet had patrons thinking more about the tasty food than the beer on tap.

  Jake couldn’t be happier. No doubt his father would find something to complain about, but his father wasn’t here to dampen his mood.

  Satisfaction filled Jake as he stared from behind the bar at Carly and the kids eating dinner. All three were smiling and laughing. Fun times. Just as he’d hoped.

  He would return to the table once things settled down, but he needed to help his bartender keep up with orders right now. He handed a server three glasses—two porters and an ale.

  “Why don’t you take a picture of her,” a familiar male voice said. “It’ll last longer.”

  Jake didn’t look up. As he filled a pint-size glass with Nick’s Winter Ale, he thought about what Carly had said on the sleigh ride.

  And if they ever forget tonight, they’ll have a photo to help them remember.

  What was he going to have when this was over? A picture of Carly and a few memories? Or a whole lot of regrets?

  Jake set the drink on the bar. “Merry Christmas, Sean.”

  “Same to you.” Sean Hughes sat on the bar stool and raised his glass. “To Nick. Wherever you are, my friend, climb on.”

  Jake lifted his water glass into the air. “Hear, hear.”

  Sean glanced back at Carly and the kids. “You finally putting the moves on her?”

  Jake clenched his jaw. “Thinking about it.”

  “You’ve been going to an awful lot of trouble for her.”

  “Not just for her. The kids, too.” Jake placed his glass back under the bar. It hadn’t felt like trouble to him. “I’m only doing what needs to be done.”

  Sean swirled the beer in his glass. “Is that what’s best for Carly?”

  “Since when do you offer dating advice?” Jake asked, filling another Nick’s Winter Ale and two pale ales.

  Sean shrugged. “Nick would be saying the same stuff to you if he were here.”

  “If Nick were here, he would have punched me out as soon as he found out I’d kissed Carly.”

  “True, that,” Sean said. “I can punch you for him if it would make you feel better.”

  Jake handed a server two pints of amber. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  Sean took another swig of his beer. “Just remember she’s still Nick’s little sister. Not some flavor of the month.”

  “I know that.” But saying those words made the fact sink in.

  “Thanks for the beer.” Sean took a large swig. “Better get back to the parents’ house before Denali starts wondering where I’ve been.”

  “Denali is a dog.”

  “She’s still a female.” Sean downed the rest of his glass. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Jake filled another order, but his mind was on something else. Someone else. Nick.

  Sean raised a good point.

  What would Nick Bishop think about Jake wanting to be with Carly? He glanced at her and rubbed his jaw. Jake didn’t think he wanted to know the answer.

  Four hours later, Carly watched Jake. He sat in the middle of the living-room floor surrounded by pirate ship pieces. Frustration coupled with intense concentration creased his forehead. The look totally contradicted the carefree, almost messy style of his hair. Hair she wanted to brush her fingers through.

  Oops. That wasn’t being careful. Or smart.

  Time to put the brakes on whatever attraction she was feeling. Physical attraction, she amended. When she returned to Philadelphia after New Year’s, Jake would be out of sight. That would put him out of her mind and she’d be back to normal.

  “You need a mechanical engineering degree to get the damn thing out of the box.” He twisted the wire securing the hull to a piece of cardboard. “Forget about the packaging being kid-proof. This thing is fully adult-proof.”

  “I should have wrapped the box instead.”

  “And put this together on Christmas day with Austin standing over me asking every two minutes when it’ll be ready to play with?” Jake succeeded in removing the last piece. “No way. I’ve done this enough times to know better.”

  “I feel like a total newbie,” Carly admitted. “When th
e kids were younger, the presents were less complicated. A rocking horse, a toy box, a ride-on car.”

  “I remember those days.” He held two ship parts in his hands. “But you seem to know what you’re doing.”

  “Hannah’s list.” Carly arranged the presents under the tree. “Between that and you, I’ve had all I needed.”

  He gazed up at her. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

  “I’ll have to remember that.”

  “Just so you know. Being with you has been great.” The way his eyes looked at her felt almost like a caress. “And I wouldn’t have missed any of this. Christmas and kids go hand in hand. Wait until morning when Kendall and Austin run down the stairs, see the presents under the tree and scream at the top of their lungs.”

  “You must get here early to see all that.”

  He nodded. “Last year, Garrett and I took a long time putting together bikes for the kids so I ended up staying the night, but that made things easier in the morning. I didn’t have to get up so early.”

  Easier in the morning, but what about bedtime?

  The thought of saying good-night to Jake in the house alone filled her stomach with butterflies. Okay, they weren’t totally alone, but their chaperones were fast asleep, dreaming about sugar plums, snowboards and the hottest new video game platform.

  “I’m not fishing for an invitation if that’s what you’re worried about,” he added.

  “I didn’t think you were. And I’m not worried.” Darn. She sounded defensive. “I’m just not used to any of this.”

  “You mean, Christmas.”

  “Among other things.” Like him.

  “What other things?” he asked.

  Carly blew out a breath. “I know we’re just friends, but being with you these past couple of days has been like playing house.”

  His eyes gleamed. “You used to like playing house.”

  “I was eight, not twenty-eight,” she said. “Everything has been so wonderful. Tonight was simply magical, but it’s getting hard to tell what was pretend and what was real.”

  “It can be whatever you want it to be.”

  That’s what she was afraid of. Part of her wanted it to be real, but that would mean taking chances again.