“And you love me,” she said. “You can’t deny it. You listened to my cats’ advice. You couldn’t have heard it if you didn’t care.”
His arms had found their way around her, but he was still frowning. “It’s not that simple.”
“It’s very simple,” she said. “We have a chance to be happy together or to be miserable alone. Which—”
The door crashed open again, but this time Casey knew what to expect. She braced herself, burying her face against Mike’s chest as Gus leaped into the bathtub with them. Water splashed and wet fur stuck to her arm, but all she could do was laugh.
“Give your daddy a kiss, Gus,” she said.
Mike sighed. “I’m not his daddy.”
She laughed. “And Gus hates cats, I know.”
Mike kissed her. His lips were hard and wild and devastatingly thorough. When he lifted his head, they both could barely breathe. “Do I have to be your cats’ daddy, too?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Can I assume you don’t need that ride to Fort Wayne, after all?”
Casey turned. Melvin was in the doorway. She just smiled at him. “Nope. Thanks, anyway.”
“Then maybe I’ll be on my way.”
Mike raised himself up somewhat. “No,” he said.
Casey just stared at him. Were they going to have to fight this all out again?
“I really meant it about the weather,” Mike told Melvin. “Stay for lunch at least. The weather’s supposed to clear by then.”
Melvin nodded slowly, then with a sly smile took a step back into the other room. “I do think I’ll take a little walk, though. At least over to the house. Come on, Gus, we know when we’re not needed.” Gus trotted along after him.
“Thanks, man,” Mike said, and folded Casey in his arms again as the door closed.
Casey snuggled back down. “That was very very nice of you,” she said, and kissed his cheek. “Aren’t you uncomfortable?”
“I can think of several places where we could be a lot more comfortable,” he said, and found her lips. The water should have been sizzling by the time he pulled away. “Want to go look for some?”
“I’d love to.”
Epilogue
“You’re sure your parents didn’t mind you staying up here for Christmas?” Mike asked.
“They probably figured it was about time.”
They were snuggled up on the sofa, in each other’s arms. Gus was sleeping on the floor at their feet, the cats were in the easy chair and all the lights were off except for those on the Christmas tree. It had been a wonderful Christmas. Casey wiggled her feet in the big fuzzy cat slippers Mike had gotten her.
“So you were a hopeless cause, huh?”
“They’d even doubled the dowry, but no takers.”
“You mean I could have made money off this deal?”
“Watch it, fellow,” she teased. “I’m pretty tough.”
But Mike didn’t follow her joking lead. He was instead frowning at the tree, staring at a spot up near the top. She turned to look at it also, but saw nothing.
“What are you looking at?” she asked.
“That ornament,” he said. “I can’t figure out what it is.”
She moved so that they both could get up. She could see the one he was talking about now, and they walked over to get a better look. Mike reached up and unhooked it.
“It’s a pickle.”
“A pickle?” she cried. “There was no pickle ornament. I looked.”
“Well, that’s what this is.” He handed it to her.
It was indeed a pickle, but an old one. How had they ever seen it in the dim light? Carved out of wood and at one time painted green, it was now dull with age. The carving skill could still be seen, as well as two tiny hinges.
“It opens.” Casey fiddled with the tiny clasp.
It opened to reveal a tarnished brass plate. Casey held it up to the Christmas tree so that the light picked up the engraved words.
To my darling Stella—may your fondest wishes always come true. With all my love, Simon. Christmas, 1907.
Casey just stared at the words, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
“What’s it mean?” Mike asked.
She shook her head for a moment, then swallowed the sadness. “That we were all wrong. It was Stella he loved, not Priscilla. And from all I’ve read about his reticence, I bet he never told her.”
“But he did right here,” Mike said.
Casey just sighed. “She never got this. She died a few weeks before Christmas.”
“Oh.”
They looked at the ornament and then at the tree. An incredible sadness seemed to be in the room, but ever so slowly it lifted, until there was a rapture in the air that felt almost like the coming of spring.
“We got our most favorite wish,” Mike said, pulling her into his arms. “Didn’t we?”
She nodded, tears of joy filling her eyes. “And Simon made sure we didn’t repeat his mistake.”
“Wonder if he’s going to keep springing doors on us for the rest of our lives.”
Casey looked up into his face. “We’re staying here?”
Mike just shook his head. “Wouldn’t we be abandoning the house if we left?”
“Not to mention Simon and the rest of your family.”
“Both our families.”
* * * * *
eISBN 978-14592-7389-4
CHRISTMAS MAGIC
Copyright © 1997 by EAN Associates
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent. and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Printed in U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
Dear Reader
Title Page
Dedication
Books by Andrea Edwards
About The Author
The Christmas Pickle
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Copyright
Christmas Magic Page 24