Love In Store Books 1-3: Collection of three sweet and clean Christian romances with a London setting: The Wedding List, Believe in Me, & A Model Bride

by Autumn Macarthur

  That was taking nice too far, even for someone as kind as Nick.

  Please God, let him really love me. Let him forgive me for rejecting him. Let him kiss me like that again. Let him be the one You’ve created for me.

  Heart hammering in her chest, she steeled herself to open the door and walk towards the Grotto. Her hands clenched tight on the Santa sack.

  Nick sat in the Grotto, surrounded by plush crimson fabric, fake snow, and twinkling lights. Dressed in full Santa outfit, complete with hat and beard, he looked oddly different from the Nick she knew.

  Those storm dark blue eyes above the fluffy white beard held mingled optimism and wariness. His hands clutched the arms of Santa’s throne, white-knuckled.

  It seemed he felt as nervous as she did.

  Hope stirred, a quiet flutter in her heart. She longed to run to him and throw herself into his arms. But she had to be sure how he felt first.

  “Nick, thank you for meeting me. I wanted to give you your Christmas present in person.” She smoothed sweaty hands down the side of her red velvet dress. “We match. You’re Saint Nick, I’m Mrs Claus.”

  Amazing she could speak at all, even if all that came out of her mouth was inane chatter.

  Nick’s gaze stayed focused on her, his intensity taking the breath from her lungs.

  “Now I know how you got into the store. Looks like I won the dare.”

  She did a little twirl for him, the skirt belling out around her, and curtsied.

  His voice choked. “Cara, I’m not a saint. I’m a very human man. You don’t know how hard it’s been to get through today without coming to find you.” He smiled. “The only Christmas present I want is to claim that kiss you signed your email with, and to hear you tell me you love me as much as I love you.”

  Warmth flooded her. Her pulse pounded in her ears, almost deafening her. It was a wonder Nick couldn't hear it from where he sat.

  She smiled at him.

  The dazzling beam of the smile he returned told her he must already know, without her even needing to say the words. Her love must be shining in her face.

  “Nick, you’ve been so kind. I… I wasn’t ready to hear the truth yesterday. I wasn’t ready to believe.”

  Joy sparked his eyes. “And… are you now?”

  She nodded. “There's one thing I need to do first. Then you get your Christmas present.”

  She dragged a chair over to the security camera on the wall, climbed up, and put a paper bag over the lens.

  “That buys us at least half an hour before Harry in Security notices,” she explained. “Of course, he may have seen what I just did and come investigate. But I know his routine. We should be good.”

  Nick said nothing, but his cheeky grin suggested he was certainly thinking things.

  Her cheeks warmed. “I know we won’t be doing anything we’d be ashamed to have people see, but I‘m not sure I want film of this to appear on You Tube tomorrow.”

  Nick laughed. “That’s the trouble with publicity. This has been the most public courtship in history.” He grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want this videoed for our children to watch?”

  Their children?

  Her heart swelled, warm and sweet. She took the paper bag off the camera again and jumped down from the chair.

  “And now will you come here. Please?” He patted his lap in invitation.

  “Not yet. You've given me so much. I wanted to give you something first.”

  He made a sound that was almost a groan, but nodded.

  Cara pulled the flat parcel from her sack and handed it to him, then stood back, clasping her hands together to stop them trembling. Her heart felt as if it could jump right out of her chest as she watched him untie the ribbons and peel back the shiny paper Maddy had given her to wrap the book in.

  He opened the book and leafed through the pages.

  Slowly, so slowly.

  At more than one point, a laugh escaped him. By the end, tears glittered in his eyes.

  Dear God, she'd moved this strong man to tears.

  She let go the breath that she’d held, burning in her lungs while she watched.

  He looked up from the book, wonder in his eyes as he gazed at her.

  “You made this?”

  She nodded.

  “Is it true?”

  Cara wasn’t sure she could trust her voice. She swallowed hard before she answered. “It is. I realised after you left yesterday that the most important lines of the song came next. Believe in me.”

  Her voice came out as wavery as her smile, but she managed the words. “Nick, I believe in you, and I believe in God again. But I need to know, do you believe in me, too?”

  Nick laughed, like a man who’d just had his own heavy burden lifted, the way God had taken hers yesterday.

  “I do.” The words sounded like a vow. “So now will you step close enough that I can give you the last thing from the song?”

  She didn’t just step towards him. She ran the few paces that separated them.

  Nick slid an arm around her and pulled her close.

  She snuggled into him. It felt right and natural to be back in his arms, as if it was where God wanted her to be. “This isn’t in the song.”

  Cara felt as much as heard his answering laugh, a vibrating rumble through his chest.

  She pulled back, so she could look into his eyes. What she saw there fountained joy right through her.

  “Nick, you've shown me how to feel again. I’ll probably always struggle with the guilt, but I can believe what happened with my parents wasn't my fault. I’ve phoned my old pastor to set up grief counselling. I know God forgives me. I know I love you. I might still be prickly at times, and a drama queen, until I learn not to be, but I’ll always love you.”

  “So tell me Cara, what do you want for Christmas?” he murmured hoarsely.

  “You, Nick,” she whispered. “I want you for Christmas.”

  Nick's smile faded.

  “No.” The word fell, flat and heavy as a stone between them.

  Her newfound confidence crumpled like a balled up sheet of newspaper. Her ribs squeezed in, tightening her chest. She'd got it so wrong.

  She moved to push herself off his lap, but his arms tightened around her.

  “No,” he repeated. “You can't have me just for Christmas. I want us to be together all year round.”

  She looked up at him and touched his cheek, tremulous and disbelieving. But what she saw in his eyes persuaded her she could trust his words. Nick meant what he said. Somehow, wonderfully, gloriously, she could trust him.

  Her heart blossomed.

  “I love you, Nick. When we're together, it's always Christmas in my heart, now you've given it back to me.”

  “Christmas, or your heart?” he asked. His smile was back, the smile like sunshine that had broken through her walls of guilt and pain and helped her live and believe again.

  “Both. You thought you were just giving me Christmas, but you helped give me back my lost faith, and my heart. I thought I'd lost them for good. So now I can give my heart to you.”

  Nick pulled her to him. It felt like coming home, home to the shelter of his arms.

  He tilted her face up to his, and gazed into her eyes. Every cell of her body vibrated with awareness of him. The connection between them stretched endlessly. Then at last, he bent his head toward her.

  And raised it again almost immediately, with a laugh.

  “I can’t kiss you with this beard in the way.”

  He pulled it off his face.

  Cara reached up for him as he reached down for her. Their lips met in the middle, in a long, deep, satisfying kiss that dizzied her and chased away any lingering doubts.

  She felt oddly bereft when he drew back to look into her face.

  “There's still one more thing from the song I need to give you,” he said.

  He shifted her on his lap so he could reach into his trouser pocket.

  “Santa suits have pocke
ts?” Cara giggled. “This day is full of surprises.”

  Nick pulled out a small white box. “I bought this for you in the antique market. It's not a proper engagement ring. That will have to wait. I mean, if you'll marry me?”

  His usual confidence emptied from his face, leaving him open and vulnerable before her. For the first time, she realised the power of his love for her.

  But she had one last doubt to lay to rest. “You’re not just saying that because of the newspaper story? We know we did nothing wrong, and I don’t care what the newspapers say. I need to be sure you really mean it. I need to know you’re asking me for the right reason.”

  “I mean it. I love you, Cara. God sent me to London to meet you.” He smiled, and lifted a hand to tenderly touch her face. “I did some thinking last night. I’m quitting the soap. I talked to Simon about taking a full-time volunteer job at the shelter next year, while I find out what God wants me to do. That might mean moving home to America. If I go back, I want you to come with me.”

  He sat her in the throne, and dropped to one knee in front of her.

  “So, Cara Talbot, Queen of Christmas, will you marry me?”

  She reached up a hand and stroked his face, the slight stubble rough against her finger tips. “Yes. Yes and yes and yes.”

  “Good,” he said simply.

  He popped open the little white box and slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. It fit perfectly. She turned it in the light. The rose gold band held five small coloured stones in a row.

  “It's a Victorian name ring. The first initials of the gems spell out a message. So you have sapphire, amethyst, nephrite, topaz, and agate.”

  “Santa? You found a ring that says Santa?” Cara laughed and threw her arms around Nick. “I don’t want any other ring but this. You’ve won the dare, utterly and completely.”

  He touched her cheek, so sweetly and softly. “You’ve already done the forfeit, Mrs Claus. But I have one more thing to ask. Please, spend Christmas with me and my family? You still have the room at the inn, and we’ll be in a house just across the green.”

  The humility in his voice shocked her. As if he feared she might say no, go back to her flat to be Ms Scrooge. As if she’d choose a cold lonely Christmas over his love.

  “Of course I will. I'd love to meet your family, Nick.”

  He hugged her. “Good. Two more things, thinking of family. I want you to let me hire a private investigator to find your father, so you know what happened to him. And I want to pay back the money he stole from the pension fund. You shouldn’t have that burden on your own. It’s too late to get it to them for Christmas, but we can give those old employees of his a happier New Year.”

  Smiling, Cara reached up and laid her hand flat on his cheek, warmed right through by his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Nick. I love the thought of how good that will be for them.” She loosed a grateful sigh. “And for me, too. My days of struggling with burdens on my own are over. Oh, I must tell you about William and Mrs P.” She told him the whole story.

  Nick laughed. “I’m glad. It’s a day for happy endings. Christmas is the perfect time for a prodigal to return home.”

  Holding hands, they ran down the stairs, still dressed as Santa and Mrs Claus. They stopped to wish Harry on the security desk a happy Christmas. Nick passed him a handsome tip as he unlocked the door for them.

  “I’m going to need the original of that tape, and exclusive rights, Harry.”

  For the first time in eleven years, Cara saw Harry smile.

  They stepped out into a true winter wonderland. Fresh snow had fallen, and lay glittering under the street lights.

  “A white Christmas in London. So rare. Doesn't it feel like it's been specially arranged for us?”

  Cara nodded. “We've been blessed.”

  He pulled her into his arms where she belonged, and they kissed again, twined around each other.

  Cara held her hands either side of his face and gazed into his eyes, revelling in the feelings that rioted in her. “I'm so glad I met you, Nick. This will be the best Christmas ever. The first of many more to come. Together.”

  “Yes. I want to grow old with you. I never thought I’d say that to any woman, but you showed me how to love. Come home with me, I cannot wait to introduce you to my family. We have a wedding to plan. I warn you, no matter what else you have in mind, Dad will want to marry us, and my sisters will want to be bridesmaids. Don’t let them rush you.”

  Cara smiled up at him. “Being rushed sounds wonderful to me.”

  Hand in hand, Mr Unattached and Ms Scrooge walked along the snow-hushed street together, headed for a home full of love and laughter. Above them, the church bells rang out, a choir sang carols in the distance, and a bright star glinted through the clouds.

  It was Christmas Eve, and all was well in their world.

  British English Glossary

  As some of the British English terms the characters use may be new to readers, here are meanings for those most likely to be unfamiliar.

  Please let me know if there are other British-isms in the book that you’d like defined!

  Barbara Cartland – a prolific British writer of historical romances, and a society figure, well known for her love of pink and her heavy make-up. Her obituary here.

  Chocolate teapot – sarcastic saying, implying something or someone is of no practical use. However a real chocolate teapot has in fact been made!

  Church of St Martin in the Fields – lovely Baroque church off Trafalgar Square, famed for its work with the homeless and for wonderful music

  Custard slice – a pastry consisting of very firm set custard between two layers of sweet puff pastry, and iced on top. BBC Food recipe for custard slice

  Dogsbody – a person who is given boring, menial tasks to do. US equivalent would be a gofer

  Famous Five – adventuresome group of children in a 1940’s and 50’s book series by Enid Blyton

  Fortnum & Mason – upmarket food store in Piccadilly, renowned for their gift hampers and afternoon teas

  Hamley’s – the oldest toy store in the world, and a wonderland for kids young and old!

  Jumper – sweater

  M & S – Marks and Spencer, British department store best known for ready meals and underwear (rumoured to be worn by the Queen)

  Mince pie – small sweet pie filled with minced dried fruit. Although most commercially sold mince pies now are vegetarian, the filling is called ‘mincemeat’ as traditionally minced animal fat was mixed with the fruit.

  Pram – short for “perambulator”. A baby carriage or pushchair.

  Pub – public house. A bar or inn.

  Queue – a line of people waiting their turn

  Selfridges – high-end UK department store, voted ‘best department store in the world’ and known for designer brands

  Sleeping rough – homeless, living on the streets

  Acknowledgements

  Above all, thank You to God, for all Your goodness and the blessings You give me when I least deserve it. I hope I appreciate it all, and feel the joyous gratitude it truly merits.

  Thanks to Joan Javits and Philip Springer for writing the song “Santa Baby” back in 1953, and to all the talented singers who’ve recorded it over the years. Like Cara I worked in retail where we got to hear it many times a day. Unlike Cara, I smile when I hear it!

  Thanks to the Christian Indie Authors group and especially Jan Edttii Thompson, for support, fellowship, and so much learning. I’m very glad you’re there.

  Much love and appreciation to my oh-so-talented writing buddy Shannon, for all the red pen, snail eyes, giggles, and girly chat. Someone needs to keep me in line and God may have landed you with the job!

  As always, thanks to my husband Arthur for his patience, support, and for being a man who does his own ironing. I love you, now and always.

  Copyright 2014 © by Autumn Macarthur

  First Kindle Edition, October 2014. First released in the
collected edition, December 2014.

  Published by Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming

  http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— for example, electronic, photocopy, recording— without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotations in printed or broadcast reviews.

  If you obtained this book in any other way than downloading it from Amazon or as a gift directly from the author, please be aware you are reading a stolen copy! Your support and respect for the work of this author by purchasing a copy instead is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Edited by Laurie Sanders and beta read by Shannon Marie

  A Model Bride

  Love in Store Book 3

  Autumn Macarthur

  Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.

  Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others.

  Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.

  Philippians 4:8 TLB

  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me.

  Psalm 57:2 ESV

  About ‘A Model Bride’

  New Year, new love?

  When Tiffany Gallagher flies to London from L.A. to spend the holidays with her family, she hopes the media interest in her actor brother will be enough to get her sketches to the hands of the right fashion designers. Volunteering at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day and getting nowhere with designers aren't part of her plan. Nor is having to travel with Mac, the wounded and cynical Scottish photojournalist also volunteering at the shelter, to get the New Year’s Eve she'd dreamed of, an Edinburgh Hogmanay.