A Merry Miracle In Romance (Christmas In Romance Book 2)

by Melanie D. Snitker

  With his heart in his throat, Baxter pulled to a stop in front of his grandparents’ house, relieved to see that Savannah’s car was still in the driveway. He knocked on the door several times. When no one answered, he walked next door to her parents’ place.

  Mrs. Miller answered with a worried look on her face. “Oh, Baxter. I didn’t expect to see you. I was hoping it was Savannah.”

  “She isn’t here?”

  Mrs. Miller shook her head. “No. The dogs got out through the gate, and she’s been wandering around the neighborhood trying to find them for the last couple of hours. I told her she needed to get home and warm up for a while, but she’s so worried about those dogs.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Miller. I’ll go see if I can find her and help out.”

  “I appreciate it. Tell her to call me and update me when she can, okay?”

  “I will.” He waved as he jogged back to his vehicle and started driving up and down the streets of the neighborhood. He finally spotted Savannah several blocks over. She had her hands to her mouth, and he could barely hear her calling the dogs’ names as she walked.

  He pulled up beside her on the street, reached across the cab, and opened the passenger door. “Are you crazy, woman? You’re going to freeze out there.”

  “I’ve got to find these blasted dogs, Baxter.”

  “I know you do. And we will. But we’ll search while you’re getting warmed up for a while.” He waved her in.

  She only hesitated a moment before she climbed in and closed the door behind her. Baxter took in her red cheeks and nose and knew she had to be miserable. He turned the heater on full blast then took her hands in his, removed the gloves, and winced at how cold and red they were. “Here, hold them over the heater vents for a few minutes.”

  Savannah complied. “I really need to get back out there.”

  “And we’ll roll the windows down and keep looking after you warm up a little.”

  She shot him a look that dared him to boss her around again. “What are you doing back? I didn’t figure I’d see you again for another eight years.”

  Yeah, he deserved that. “I did kinda pull a disappearing act, didn’t I?”

  “Yep.” She rubbed her hands together and put them back in front of the vents. That one word spoke of the hurt and confusion she felt. He more than understood where she was coming from.

  “Look, I came back to Romance hoping to make it my home again. Eventually meet someone and raise a family here.” He swallowed hard. It wasn’t easy to just put it all out on the table for her. “I thought I might have found that when we reconnected.” Her gaze swung to his and gave him the courage he needed to continue. “Then, when I found out you were going to take that job and be moving all the time… I guess I started wondering whether I’d been fooling myself. I know I seem like a rock-solid kind of guy, but I freaked out, Savannah.”

  She stared at him as though she weren’t sure what to think. “Why didn’t you say something? You never even gave me a chance to think about Jay’s offer. If you had, you’d have found out I turned it down.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Baxter tried to process what Savannah had just told him. She’d turned down Jay’s offer? “Why would you do that?” He turned in his seat so he could see her face more clearly. “This is your dream. You can’t just walk away from it.”

  “My dream is to open my own bakery one day.” She paused. “Here in Romance. This is my home, Baxter. I never intended to live anywhere else.”

  He’d never considered that option. He’d just assumed she’d move to wherever the opportunity might be. He’d always had respect for her, but it just jumped up a notch. That she wasn’t willing to sacrifice even the details of her dream showed a lot of integrity. “I admire that.” Her hands didn’t seem as red, so he pulled away from the curb and slowly made his way down the street in search of the dogs.

  “Thank you.” She tipped her head. “Besides, I talked to Jay. He agreed it made more sense for him to do the training, anyway. I’ll manage the store here in Romance. If everything goes well with the others, Jay said I might have the opportunity to buy it.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m happy where I am right now, either way.”

  She rolled down her window and leaned out as she called the dogs’ names.

  Baxter tried to wrap his mind around everything she’d told his as they toured the neighborhood. Large, fluffy snowflakes drifted through the windows to cover the armrest and their jackets.

  Savannah’s phone rang, and she answered it immediately. “Hey, Dad. Any luck?” Her face brightened. “Really? Okay, yeah. We’ll head that way now.” She ended the call. “Someone told Dad they saw two dogs that matched Nessie’s and Nellie’s descriptions running near the town square.”

  “Awesome. Let’s go.” He used the controls near him to roll their windows up and headed for the center of town. The place was a bustle of activity with people strolling in the snow, Christmas lights twinkling, and big red bows peeking out from underneath a layer of glittering white.

  Scott and Main Street were both lined with cars as guests gathered for Chase Lockhart and Izzy Sutton’s wedding. Izzy was well-loved in Romance and ran the Interlude Inn just down the street. The extra traffic made it a little more difficult for Baxter to make his way around the square.

  He was just starting to think Savannah’s dad was mistaken when they spotted the dogs. There, amidst a group of children, were Nessie and Nellie having the time of their lives. Savannah laughed and leaned her head against the seat. “I ought to be furious with them right now, but I’m more relieved than anything.” One boy threw a snowball, and Nellie caught it out of the air in her mouth before spitting it back out on the ground. Her antics had Savannah laughing even harder.

  He turned the engine off and met her in front of the vehicle. “Let’s get these dogs back to the house before they go off on another adventure.”

  They each lifted a dog into their arms, carried them to the truck, and got them back to his grandparents’ house. Savannah let everyone know the dogs had been found. The moment the furry trouble-makers made it into the warm interior, they curled up on the carpet in the living room and went to sleep.

  Savannah shook her head in mock disgust. “Just wait until I tell the Potters what you two did.” Nellie’s ear twitched once. Savannah turned to Baxter. “Thank you for helping me find them.”

  “You’re welcome.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about the other day.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry, too. For assuming you’d just skipped town again. I guess jumping to conclusions is something we both did a lot of this week, isn’t it?”

  They shed their coats and washed up in the kitchen. Savannah placed chocolate chip cookies in a colorful tin, and Baxter quickly moved to help. She told him about the apricot cookies, and he made her promise to bake some for him to try another time.

  When they’d finished cleaning up the kitchen, he reached for her hand and turned her to face him. “So, in the interest of making sure we’re on the same page… I’m staying in Romance.”

  She tried to suppress a little smile. “And I’m staying in Romance.”

  “You no longer hate my guts.”

  Savannah laughed. “And you no longer hate my cooking.”

  “Nope.” He snatched a cookie from the tin and popped it into his mouth. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”

  “Then we’re good,” she said, her voice soft.

  “We’re good.” He nodded toward the mistletoe that she’d left hanging from the doorframe. “What do you say? I hate for the poor thing to only have one kiss to its name all Christmas.”

  Savannah wrinkled her nose. “Nah. We don’t need mistletoe.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Before she could move away, he caught her around the waist with one arm and pulled her closer for a proper kiss.

  It didn’t last nearly long enough before she put a hand on his chest. “We’d better go next door. Th
ey’ll be wondering where we are.”

  “So I’m still invited?”

  “If you can behave yourself.”

  “That’s something I never promise.” He gave her a playful wink.

  ~*~

  When Savannah walked through her parents’ front door, hand in hand with Baxter, she earned several surprised looks from some of the guests. Her parents only nodded approvingly, and it was Katrina’s “Well, it’s about time” that had everyone laughing.

  The delicious aromas of turkey and ham filled the air while Christmas carols played on the stereo system in the living room. Compared to the frigid air outside, everything about the house felt warm and cozy.

  Savannah scanned the room until her gaze rested on Kyle intently watching through the front window. She lowered her voice for Katrina. “Have you heard from Don?”

  “Not since he landed in Portland.” She watched her son with worry. “He so wanted his dad to be here today. So did I. But the way all that snow’s coming down… I’m just trying not to worry.”

  Savannah put an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “He’ll be okay.”

  “Yeah, I know. I need to keep us busy, though. So now that everyone else is here, what do you all say we eat?”

  Kyle reluctantly came away from the window at the mention of food.

  Dad held up his hand. “I’d like to say a blessing over the food, if I may.” Everyone nodded in agreement and then bowed their heads. “Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many blessings you’ve brought to our family over the last year and the promise of new adventures that await. We thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus. And we ask that you continue to be with Don as he makes his way home.”

  As everyone chorused an “Amen,” a cold wind blew through the living room.

  They all turned to find Don standing in the doorway, snow on his coat and a smile on his face. “Amen.”

  “Dad!” Kyle raced through the room and into his dad’s arms. “I knew you’d make it!”

  Don hugged his son and then gave Katrina a thorough kiss before he shed his coat and joined the rest of the family. He glanced down at Savannah and Baxter’s joined hands. “When did this happen?”

  Savannah blushed as Baxter drew her close. He smiled at her in a way that sent warmth all the way down to her toes. “Let’s just say Christmas is a season of miracles.”

  “Hear, hear,” Dad said as he looked around the room at his family. “And I, for one, count the meal in that list of miracles. Come on, gang, let’s eat before Kyle over there starts wasting away.”

  “Grandpa,” Kyle objected, even though he was still the first to sit at the table.

  Savannah enjoyed every moment of the meal. The food was good, but having everyone she cared about at the table with her made all the difference in the world. When they’d all stuffed themselves silly, everyone jumped into helping clean the kitchen before collapsing in chairs in the living room to visit.

  Baxter caught Savannah’s hand and gently tugged her away from the noisy crowd to the Christmas tree. “I bought you a present.” The moment she tried to object, he put a finger to her lips. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a black velvet bag tied with a red ribbon, and laid it in her hand.

  “You didn’t need to get me anything.” Even as she said the words, curiosity had her fingering the ribbon. It pulled open easily. She carefully tipped the bag over, emptying the contents into her palm.

  A simple silver bracelet glittered in the lights from the Christmas tree. Attached to it were two charms. One was a tiny set of measuring spoons, and the other a cupcake complete with frosting and a cherry on top.

  “Oh, Baxter, it’s perfect.”

  He grinned as he helped her with the clasp. The bracelet fit her wrist perfectly. “There’s plenty of room for more charms.”

  “This is such a sweet and thoughtful gift.” She couldn’t believe how detailed the little charms were. “The cupcake is a good addition.”

  Baxter chuckled. “Yeah, I thought so, too.” His face grew serious as he softly touched her cheek with his hand. “I’m so in love with you, Savannah.”

  She reached up and covered his hand with her own. “I love you, too.”

  This time, when he kissed her, it was full of promise. In that moment, Savannah knew this would be the first of many Christmases in his arms.

  Celebrate Christmas in Romance

  Welcome to Romance — an Oregon town where love lingers around every corner and residents pull out all the stops for Christmas in Romance.

  Between odd animals, lost loves, second chances, hidden identities, a secret Santa, and bickering senior citizens, it might just take a miracle to bring everyone a happily-ever-after for the holidays.

  Settle in a chair by the fire, sip a cup of hot cocoa, and immerse yourself in the friendly town of Romance with this series of six sweet Christmas novellas from bestselling and award-winning authors.

  Sleigh Bells Ring in Romance by Shanna Hatfield - A determined widow and a persistent rancher need a nudge toward love.

  A Merry Miracle in Romance by Melanie D. Snitker - It’ll take a Christmas miracle to turn a grudging friendship into true love.

  Holding Onto Love in Romance by Liwen Y. Ho - A small town inn owner and a big time pop star need a reason to keep holding onto love.

  A Reel Christmas in Romance by J. J. DiBenedetto - Unwittingly engaged in the plot of a classic Hollywood romance, can two email pen-pals find their way to a happy ending?

  A Christmas Carol in Romance by Franky A. Brown - A bitter-on-love radio DJ and his girlfriend of romance past need a second chance.

  Santa’s Visit in Romance by Jessica L. Elliott - Santa's got his work cut out for him to help a reluctant couple find love during the holidays.

  Find out more about Romance, Oregon on Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/welcometoromance/

  ~*~

  Read on for a preview of

  Holding Onto Love

  by Liwen Y. Ho

  Gulp! Husband—that one word sent tingles down her back in a good way. She felt like pinching herself. The idea that someone as kind and charming as Chase Lockhart would want her was beyond her wildest dreams. She only hoped she would make Chase as happy as he made her.

  But what if she wasn’t enough for him? What if he hated being stuck in a small town when he could be traveling the world? These questions niggled at the back of her mind, planting seeds of doubt.

  Gracie must have noticed her hesitation. She tugged at Izzy’s hand. “You’ve got a future with Chase to build. You guys are going to have so many adventures together. Writing songs, going to music award shows, meeting famous people—I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll be busy with classes and Brady—” she blushed at the mention of her boyfriend’s name “—so, you don’t have to worry about me, or at least not as much as you usually do.”

  The earnestness in her daughter’s voice warmed her heart. Other than Chase, Gracie was the one person who could brighten her day with a smile, just like she was doing now. “How did I end up with such an amazing daughter?” She reached down to pull Gracie into a tight embrace, resting her chin on her blonde head.

  A loud bark made them both jump. They watched as Thor ran toward a tall figure clad in black jeans and a jacket hurrying up the front steps. The handsome face of America’s hottest pop sensation, hidden behind dark shades, greeted them.

  Izzy’s breath hitched to see Chase. He shook his head free of rain, causing a lock of dark hair to fall into his eyes. The smile that made every teenage girl in the nation swoon was aimed at her, bringing with it a ray of sunshine on this dreary winter day. No wonder she had fallen for him.

  “You guys started decorating without me?” Chase took off his sunglasses and hung them on the front of his shirt. He pretended to pout as he reached them. “If you had waited, you wouldn’t have needed this ladder. I would’ve carried you on my shoulders,” he added with a wink in Izzy’s direction.

&nb
sp; “So I could experience what it’s like to be a giant?” she teased him back. Thanks to the ladder, they were eye to eye for once.

  “Hey, the view’s great up here. I can easily spot things in a crowd. Just like how I spotted you.” He leaned in close and tipped Izzy’s chin up with one hand.

  Behind him, Gracie cleared her throat not-so-subtly. “I’ll let you two finish up here. I’m gonna make some apple cider for when you guys are done.” She patted her leg and called out to Thor as she walked off. “Come on, boy!”

  The dog barked again and ran after Gracie, only to return after a second. He raced toward the ladder and stood up on his front paws to give Izzy a parting kiss. In his enthusiasm, he knocked her completely off balance. Izzy yelped and scrambled to hold onto the ladder to keep from falling. Her feet slipped off the rung just as a pair of large hands caught her.

  “I’ve got you,” Chase exclaimed.

  He certainly did, in more ways than one. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Chase held her gaze. He pulled her close until their foreheads touched. With nary an inch between them, Izzy relaxed in his strong arms. “You were saying? You spotted me …”

  “Across a crowded supermarket. Over a bin of potatoes, if I remember correctly,” he added with a chuckle. “That’s when I knew you were the one for me.”

  She licked her lips. “Because I was picking out potatoes?” she asked with a teasing lilt.

  “Exactly.” Chase’s blue eyes twinkled. “You know how much I love to eat.”

  Izzy rolled her eyes. Chase was over six feet tall and all muscle. It seemed he could eat his weight in food, yet not gain a single pound. His quick metabolism was just one way in which they differed. It wasn’t the most extreme way though. The difference that worried her the most was their opposing lifestyles.

  He was a big-time pop star with upward of ten million followers. She was a small-town girl who loved staying behind the scenes. Why he had fallen for her was still a mystery.