Harlequin Superromance December 2013 - Bundle 1 of 2: Caught Up in YouThe Ranch She Left BehindA Valley Ridge Christmas

by Beth Andrews

  “Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!” Aaron bellowed.

  Carl spotted Santa and ran over to him. “Hello, Carl,” Aaron said. “I have a present for you.” He handed the little boy a gift. Carl crawled off his lap, sat on the floor and began to shred the wrapping paper in earnest.

  “And, Boyd, Santa has a present for you, too. I’m sorry, but despite my best attempts, the elves couldn’t figure out how to wrap this one. You see, it’s come to my attention that Valley Ridge Farm and House Supplies has experienced some major changes. First of all, it has a new owner—” Aaron pointed to himself “—a brilliant, insightful comedian who’s almost ready for prime time.”

  Maeve chuckled, which made Aaron smile beneath his white beard and mustache. “He has renamed it VR Supplies. I know, it’s not overly inventive, but at least it’s much shorter.”

  “Congratulations,” Boyd said.

  “And secondly, before the sale even went through, my uncle’s manager, Tom, put in his two weeks’ notice. He’s accepted a new position at a store in Erie. That means we have an opening. And rumor has it that you have managerial experience. VR Supplies would be honored if you’d agree to take a full-time position with us.”

  Josie started to cry. Great, heaving sobs as she hugged her huge stomach.

  “I think there’s a chance Santa has one more present for you,” Maeve whispered to her friend. “Hold it together for another minute.”

  As if on cue, Santa handed Josie a small box. “There’s one last gift for all three of you...well, three and a half. There’s a certain movie from years ago where a newspaper editor tells a little girl named Virginia that Santa does, in fact, exist. Well, that newspaper editor was right. Santa exists here in Valley Ridge. And it’s Santa and the community of Valley Ridge who are giving you this gift.”

  Josie was still sobbing as she unwrapped the small box and removed the single key.

  Maeve almost laughed through her own tears when she saw that Aaron had found a keychain with a bell to hang the key from.

  It tinkled softly as Josie lifted the key.

  Josie held the key out for Boyd to see, then turned to Aaron. “I don’t understand.”

  “I think Maeve should explain,” he said quietly.

  “This house,” Maeve said. “It’s for you, Boyd and Carl if you want it. The entire town worked to get it ready.”

  Josie didn’t say a word. She sank down on the couch and stared at the key.

  Boyd shook his head. “That’s wonderful, but even with the new job, we can’t pull together a down payment, much less monthly payments.”

  Aaron shrugged. “That’s something that we can work out. The house is owned by the Valley Ridge Home For Christmas Foundation and it’s been set up to make the houses affordable. All you need to know is if you want it, it’s yours. You can pull the RV over tonight and unpack. Carl could wake up here Christmas morning. Everything else will get sorted.”

  Boyd looked to Josie who nodded.

  He turned to Aaron. “I’d say we’d pay you back, and we will pay back the money, but the rest of it? There’s no way to pay you back for that. I don’t know what to say, how to thank you.” He extended his hand.

  Aaron stood and shook it. “You should know this was all Maeve.”

  Boyd laughed, tears running down his face. “Of course it was.”

  Everyone else in the room cheered and clapped.

  Maeve protested, “It wasn’t all me. It was everyone. The tree came from Colton’s farm, the butcher block in the kitchen came from Gabriel—but you know that because you found it when you cleaned out the garage, Boyd. Practically the whole town was here, putting up drywall, painting, fixing the porch or the roof. Mrs. Keith and Ray installed the tile backsplash in the kitchen. This house wasn’t all me. It was all of us, and a lot of people who aren’t here. They donated time, or items...”

  Carl was sitting by the Christmas tree playing with his Noah’s Ark. He took a wooden elephant and whacked at a branch, which sent a bell ringing.

  Quietly, Boyd said, “Josie told me that everything happens for a reason. Now, Maeve Buchanan, you can protest, but I’m sure that if I asked anyone here who should get the credit, they’d all say you. And while I’m a proud man, I’m not too proud to say thank-you.” He turned and nodded at the group. “Thank you, to each of you. Thank you for making us a part of the community. I can’t think of a better place for us to live and raise our children.”

  Josie hadn’t said a word until now. But once Boyd finished, she clambered to her feet and pulled Maeve into her arms and hugged her. “Thank you. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a friend like you, but I’m so grateful.”

  When Josie finally let go of Maeve, Boyd said, “Why don’t you give us the tour of our new home?”

  * * *

  AARON WAS CERTAIN he wasn’t the only one with a tear in his eye as he watched the Myers family accept the house. Maeve led the new home owners to the coat closet. “This is where the tour starts. Of everything in the house, this is my favorite part.” She opened the door. “Everyone who worked on or donated to the house signed here on the inside. We wanted some way to remind you of all the people who care. This is Valley Ridge, New York. We’re a community, but more than that, we’re a family. And you all have a home here, and with us.”

  Josie traced some of the letters and studied the names, as if hoping to memorize each one. “It’s amazing.”

  Aaron followed as Maeve escorted them from room to room. She didn’t just show them the rooms, she introduced them to the people who’d worked on them. “...Mayor Tuznik donated and hung the new light, and Mrs. Esterly sanded all the baseboards.... Pete at the grocery store stocked the pantry and fridge. JoAnn, from the bed-and-breakfast, donated the bedding. Her mother made the quilt on your bed.... Hank gave you that big cast-iron pan. It’s a Griswold. They used to make them in Erie, which is about a half hour away....Gabriel, Geoff and Colton are all local vintners and they stocked the wine rack. They said you should toast the new house, after the baby comes of course. Vera made all the doilies....”

  Each item, each project. She remembered who was responsible and made sure she gave them the credit.

  She didn’t take any credit for herself, but Aaron could see from everyone’s expressions that they all knew who was responsible for it all coming together.

  Aaron now knew without a doubt that Maeve’s motivation for everything she did was her beautiful heart. She’d believed the saying on the wall hanging in her kitchen 100 percent. I can’t save the world, but I can try.

  She enjoyed every moment of showing off the house. He could see how happy she was with this gift. The girl who’d once been homeless was giving someone else a home.

  He could only imagine how much that meant to her.

  She was on the other side of the room, standing with her mother, stepfather and Hank—the man who’d given Maeve and Renie a hand when they’d needed it the most. The three newly married Valley Ridge couples were in another corner, talking and laughing.

  The whole room was filled with people in small, intimate groups and Aaron felt out of place.

  “Santa, will you come sit with me a moment?” Josie called when the tour had wound down.

  He smiled at Valley Ridge’s newest resident. “It would be my pleasure.”

  “I have a couple of things I need to say to you. The first one is thank you. Thank you for Boyd’s job.”

  “He’s earned it. He’s already an asset. And I have to have someone I can trust to take care of the day-to-day business. I’ve got my own work and while I want to be involved in the store, I can’t really run it.”

  “And thank you for the house,” Josie continued. “Maeve told me you’re the one who bought it and then donated it to the foundation.”

  “I bet she didn’t tell you th
at I actually screwed up her plans. She was prepared to buy it with her own money.”

  Josie looked at Maeve and shook her head. “You’re right, she didn’t.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll ever really understand Maeve, but I plan to stick around and try to, even if it takes the rest of my life.”

  She patted his knee in a motherly way. “It took you long enough to figure that out. I knew as soon as I saw you both together.”

  He laughed. “And I’m willing to wait for her to figure it out, as well.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to take her very long, but you may need to help convince her.” Josie grinned. “You know I’m cheering you on.”

  “Thanks,” Aaron said, grinning back “I’ll need all the support I can get.”

  * * *

  ONCE THE IMPROMPTU PARTY HAD wound down. Aaron offered to drive the RV over to the house for the Myers.

  He parked the RV and handed the keys to Boyd, his new employee.

  “I’m going to miss seeing that from my kitchen window and knowing you were only steps away,” Maeve said.

  “Valley Ridge is small enough I don’t think it will take that many more steps to come over. And you know you’re welcome at ours anytime,” Boyd said.

  “Merry Christmas. I hope this is only the first of many happy ones. And you’re still invited to dinner tomorrow at Mom’s,” Maeve told them.

  “We wouldn’t miss it,” Josie promised.

  Maeve wished them good-night and insisted they get indoors before Josie caught a chill. Maeve took Aaron’s hand and they strolled down the front walk. She turned around and looked back at the bright house, the tree merrily lit in the front window. “I can’t believe we got it done.”

  “You’re the only one who can’t. Everyone else knew that if you set your mind to it, it would get done one way or another.”

  “I didn’t only do it for them. I did it for me, too.” She knew she’d changed, but it wasn’t the house that was the catalyst. It was Aaron. “Will you spend Christmas Eve with me?” she asked. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to wake up on Christmas morning with Aaron at her side.

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  They cut through the parking lot. She glanced at the store—at Aaron’s store. “VR Supplies, huh?”

  “It’s easier to fit on shirts.”

  He took her hand and they walked home without saying another word. Simply holding his hand and walking in the light snow was perfect.

  Once they were at her place, she plugged in her tree lights and scanned the pile of DVDs. “How about A Christmas Carol—”

  Aaron laughed. “Is this the last one?”

  “There are a couple more. This is the ’04 musical version.”

  He wasn’t nearly the Christmas movie connoiseur that Maeve was, but he knew this one. “Jesse L. Martin’s in it, right? My sisters made me watch it.”

  She flipped the case and stared at the credits. “I’m not sure.”

  Aaron didn’t want to watch the movie. He wanted to talk to Maeve. He wanted to tell her why he was staying. He wanted to tell her what he was feeling. He wanted to be with her for all her Christmases. He had told himself he’d be patient. Hell, he’d told Josie that he was going to be patient. But his patience was at an end before the movie was.

  As he watched Ebenezer yet again, he had an epiphany.

  He grabbed the remote control and hit Pause. He turned to Maeve. “I just realized, I’ve been living one of your holiday movies.”

  “Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey?” she teased.

  He shook his head. “I’m Ebenezer freakin’ Scrooge. And you’re the ghost of Christmas present.”

  She sat a little straighter and turned to face him. “I’m a ghost?”

  He nodded. “And Boyd, Josie and Carl? They’re the ghosts of Christmas future. Because of you, I helped them and that means I changed their future.”

  She frowned. “I don’t think you’re hitting the mark on this comparison.”

  “Close enough. You get the point.”

  “So, if that’s the case, who’s Christmas past?”

  “My ex. Signing the divorce papers wasn’t enough. I needed to talk to her, to resolve things between us. I was so bitter. I thought it was about the money. To be honest, I wanted it to be about the money. That would have absolved me from any fault. If she was a coldhearted money-grubbing ex, then it would be all on her.”

  “But that wasn’t the case?” Maeve asked.

  “No. No, it wasn’t. Tracey did get a share of the money I made from my program in the settlement, but she was more than entitled to it. Obviously she didn’t write the code, but she put up with me while I did. She was my sounding board. She took care of everything else—she took care of me—in order to let me concentrate on my work.

  “I became so obsessed with my work that I forgot what mattered. I’m embarrassed to say that she spent more holidays with my family than I did. I didn’t even notice she’d gone back to school. What she asked for in the divorce wasn’t anything more than what she deserved, because what she asked for in our marriage, I couldn’t—wouldn’t—give her.”

  “And blaming her was easier than dealing with yourself?” Maeve asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

  “Yes. I’ve had my three visits this holiday season. I’ve seen what I’ve done wrong, and I’m being offered a chance to do better.” He held her hands. “And I want to do better. I want you, Maeve. I love you. I know it’s happened fast. But I can’t control it. And nothing will change how I feel. I love you.”

  She was quiet for a long time before she said, “Ever since I lost my father, I’ve felt homeless. When I bought this place, I thought I’d found it. Somewhere I could put down roots. Somewhere that was mine. Somewhere I would always belong. But Josie showed me that home isn’t a place. It’s not a roof over your head, or the walls that surround you. It’s a person. Or a family. I’m beginning to believe that my home is with you.”

  He kissed her. “I don’t want to rush this. I want to do normal things—I want to date you. I want to go out to dinners, watch the sun set together. I want to take you to the movies, and go to book club with you. I want to see where it leads, but I think I already know.”

  She quoted the inscription in the book he’d given her, with a few changes. “Aaron, May you treasure the memories of our Christmases past. May you relish each moment of our Christmas present. And may we have many, many Christmases future to explore. All my love, Maeve.” She smiled and added, “Merry Christmas, Aaron. I love you.”

  “Merry Christmas, Maeve. I love you, too.”

  EPILOGUE

  BOYD HELD THE door open with one hand, and secured Carl on his hip with the other. The bell on the door jingled merrily. “Happy New Year and welcome home, Mrs. Myers.”

  Josie stepped into her house, the newborn in her arms. She smelled the Christmas tree and felt a special warmth that had nothing to do with the heating. It had more to do with the bell that Boyd had given her for Christmas—a bell he once thought they’d put on a house in North Dakota—and more to do with the lights, which Boyd must have switched on. The feeling came from the fact that she was home.

  “Welcome home, Maggie,” she whispered to her daughter as they stood in the entryway.

  Boyd set Carl down and took off his coat. “Josie, go and rest. Carl and I have everything under control.” He held out his arms for Maggie to allow Josie to take off her own coat. She hung it on the peg.

  “Now, relax,” Boyd commanded.

  Normally Josie didn’t take orders well. Who was she kidding? She didn’t take them at all. But today, she wanted to do nothing more than sit in her own home and rock her daughter while her husband and son took care of things. She kissed
Boyd’s cheek as she took the baby from him. “I don’t mind if I do.”

  The rocker sat in the corner. She rocked Maggie as Boyd built a fire with Carl’s “help.”

  Home.

  Josie was home.

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang. She knew she had a certain redheaded angel to thank for setting this all in motion.

  “That must be dinner,” Boyd said with a smile. She marveled that he seemed so at ease with the idea of someone making them supper and delivering it, too.

  She knew that he hadn’t permanently put away his pride. It was that he had faith in a future here—he had faith that he’d find a way to pay back any kindnesses anyone did for him.

  She could hear Maeve arguing at the door about not wanting to disturb anyone, but Boyd insisted she and Aaron come in.

  Maeve was right, Josie wasn’t up for company, but Maeve wasn’t that. Maeve could never be company. She was family.

  “Come in, please?” she called. “If you don’t, I’ll have to get up and come see you.”

  That did it. Maeve and Aaron both walked into the living room. “I’d like to introduce you all. Maeve and Aaron, meet Margaret Maeve Myers. Maggie, actually.”

  “Oh,” Maeve said and she quietly stepped forward.

  “Would you like to hold your goddaughter—that is, if you agree to be her godmother?” Josie asked.

  Boyd chuckled and she realized that her husband was back to being the lighthearted man she’d married. Thanks to Aaron and Maeve, his spirits had been lifted. If for nothing else, she’d owe them her eternal gratitude.

  “That was my wife asking if you and Aaron would consider being Maggie’s godparents,” he clarified.

  “Oh, Josie, you know we will.” Maeve stood with the baby in her arms, swaying side to side. And Aaron looked at her with such love in his eyes that Josie knew that he and Maeve were going to make it.

  “You seem like a pro, Maeve,” Josie said.

  Carl ran over to Aaron, and he picked up the child. Josie sat in her rocker, in her living room, with the glow from the tree and the fireplace bathing the room. She watched her two friends hold her children with clear affection.