The van-load of familiar teens pulled up but they didn’t tumble out exactly. Marnie even had to wonder if most of them were awake. But they were here. And so were most of their parents.
In fact, Posey was carrying over an armload of hot food trays, and even Barty, Gus, and Marv were helping in their elderly determined way, to unload tools from their hardware truck. Marnie had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as Chloe’s new husband, Ted hurried across the property to be sent into the depths of the chapel.
Callie Banning, along with her fiancé Dean and his little girl Eliza were handing out coffee and donuts from Frosty’s, while Nick Banning and his wife Gina were handing out worn hard hats and work gloves. And there was surgeon Jack Banning and his trauma nurse wife Sophie setting up a First Aid station.
Marnie couldn’t remember ever feeling so appreciated. And loved.
“I put out the call for help,” Sam whispered in her ear. “Told them you had a deadline to meet, weddings to hold and dreams to fulfill. Everything we bought before is being donated this time around. We’ve got electricians and contractors from over in Conroy County to come help. Some of the firemen are here to oversee the cleanup and make sure no one gets hurt. You give us a couple of days and that fire will be history, Marnie. Count on it. Everything will be back to exactly how you envisioned it and you can add your last touches.”
“This is what you’ve been doing?” She didn’t even try to stop the tears that plopped onto her cheeks.
“Mr. Fix It,” Noelle said then grinned. “Ha. I just came up with that. New nickname. Better than Sam the Man.”
“I kind of like Sam the Man,” Chloe said, pulling out her cell phone to start snapping pictures. “I think you’ll need to add these to your proposal so that school of yours sees what support you have here.”
“Can I help?” Marnie asked.
“Why do you think I bought you this?” Sam reached into a bag on the porch and pulled out a bright pink hard hat. “Miss Foreman. You tell us what you want and we’ll make it happen.”
“All these people. For the chapel.”
He caught her chin in his hand and kissed her on the mouth. “For you. Now come on.” Sam took hold of her hand and tugged her toward what minutes ago had been too painful a sight to behold. “Let’s get to work.”
~*~
A few minutes before midnight on December 20th, Marnie sat on a chair in the middle of Bells are Ringing, fingers hovering over the keyboard of her laptop, and marveled at the power of community.
Two days was all it had taken to restore every inch of destroyed space in the chapel. New hardwood floors and paint provided by Gus, Barty and Marv, of The Christmas Town Workshop. Thick new wreaths hung on the brand new doors donated by the Logan family along with the garlands stretching across windows, a gift from Murphy’s Tree lot. The new boiler had been replaced—by Nick and Sam this time, and paid for by the company that had accepted full responsibility for the fire. The four windows Sam had gone to such lengths to find and restore were a complete loss, but he and Nick built brand new ones that she loved even more thanks to them finding some undamaged wood trim from the original interior of the chapel.
She could look at every inch of Bells are Ringing and know who had helped, who had cared, and who had worked to rebuild her dream.
“Your town did you proud, Mom and Dad,” she said into the silence. How had she ever doubted she belonged? How had she thought she could ever be happier living anywhere other than Christmas Town?
The lighted table she’d talked about sat twinkling in the corner while the icicle lights she’d dreamed of cascaded down from the rafters amidst giant folds of fabric. Tiny crystal stars dotted the tops of the walls and captured the flickering flames of battery-operated votives nestled in inches of glitter and salt.
And her lampposts. Once black and rusting, they’d been given new life with bright white paint and flame shaped bulbs, giving the chapel an illusionary outside feel.
It was everything she ever could have hoped for. And more. This, this was her dream. And Sam had made it come true.
“Are you going to stay here all night?”
Marnie smiled at the sound of Sam’s tired voice. “I might.”
“You’re stalling. You’ve got your pictures. It’s finished, Marnie. Send the file already.”
Marnie shook her head and closed her laptop, set it aside.
He came over to her and stooped down, took her hands in his and pinned such determined eyes on hers she nearly balked. “I didn’t almost break my neck getting this place back in shape so you could pass up this opportunity. You’re submitting that project, Marnie. It’s what you want.”
“Is it?” Marnie wasn’t so sure anymore. How could she think about leaving Christmas Town? What was a diploma she could stick in a drawer going to give her that the townspeople hadn’t already? “Even if the school accepts it, there’s no telling what they’ll think or if I’ll get in.”
“You won’t know if you don’t try. You’ve been saying that for weeks.”
“But that’s just it. I don’t think I want to know. Sam, don’t.” She held up her hand and pressed her fingers to his lips. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. And I—” she swallowed hard. “I love you for it.” There. She said it. “The deadline’s past.” She’d let it pass. “And it’s okay. After the last couple of days, I can’t imagine selling this place, or not being a part of the weddings Christmas Town will host. I can put everything I’ve learned and done these last weeks to use. I can make this place perfect. I can be happy here.” Because when all was said and done, Christmas Town was home. Sam was home. “So it looks like you’re stuck with me.”
“I don’t want you stuck with me.”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “What?”
“No, no. That came out wrong.” He waved his hands even as the color dipped out of his face. “That’s not what I mean. I don’t want either of us to be stuck anywhere. I want whatever you want. What I don’t want is for you to ever settle. Marnie, please—”
“Stop.” She pressed her lips to his and willed him to bend to her wishes. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. Unless I’m the only one who’s in love here?”
“You know very well you’re not,” Sam said. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to show you how much I—” He stopped, took a deep breath and let it out with a smile. “I love you.”
“You’ve shown me every day of my life.” It was only now that she saw. “Now, how about we do that for the rest of our lives?”
He inclined his head, doubt still shining in those amazing eyes of his. “There’s nothing I want more.”
“Perfect. Give me some time to catch my breath and catch up on my sleep,” she added with a laugh. “Meet me in the bell tower the day after tomorrow and we’ll start something new.”
He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers, but a frown still marred his features. “It’s a date.”
~*~
“You’re late.” Marnie glared at Sam as he climbed the final steps into the bell tower, the cups in his hands steaming through the lid. “I thought we had a date.” She scrubbed the last bit of soot from the brass bell and bid a final farewell to the fire.
“We did. We do.” He grinned and set the cups on the railing. “Ah!” He slapped her hands away. “Not yet.” He pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Please, no more surprises,” she groaned. “I’ve had enough these last couple of weeks to last a lifetime.”
“Just one more. Your Christmas present. Yeah, hello. Mr. Morganstern? Yes, it’s Sam Collins. Sorry to call so early, but as we discussed…” he stopped, listened. “Yes, I have Marnie right here. Just a moment.” He handed her the phone. “It’s for you.”
“It’s going to take me some time to get used to your sense of humor after all.” She took the phone. “Hello?”
“Miss Wright? This is Ezra Morganstern of the Templar Design School. Merry almost Christ
mas.”
“Ah, thanks. You, too.” She spun on Sam and frowned. “What did you do?” she mouthed.
Sam shrugged and perched on the railing as he sipped his coffee.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Morganstern?” she asked.
“I received your final portfolio yesterday morning before I talked with Sam about your situation.”
“You did?” She narrowed her eyes on Sam. “But the deadline…”
“Deadlines aren’t always set in stone, or they shouldn’t be as Sam told me. He’s very proud of you as well he should be. What you’ve done with your parents’ wedding chapel is astounding, especially given the circumstances. It’s just the type of talent we like to nurture in our school.”
“Ah, well.” She cleared her throat. “I’m afraid I’ve had a change of plans—”
“I thought you might want to be aware,” Mr. Morganstern interrupted. “That we’re starting extension and online classes next fall. I know that’s a ways away, but the tuition would be significantly lower and it would allow you to stay in Christmas Town with your family.”
“It would?” Her stomach danced as if it suddenly had feet.
“If you’re interested, I can make the change to your application and put you on the top of the list for next year’s class.”
“You can?” Why couldn’t she seem to find more than two words at a time?
“Christmas Town sounds like a lovely place to visit. My wife and I are hoping to head your way after the New Year. I’d love to meet you and Sam in person, talk to you about our curriculum and give you an idea of what you can expect. I’ll be honest, Miss Wright. I’ve never had a potential student take on such a massive project. We want you as a student and I’m not one to take no for an answer.”
Her entire body charged like she’d stuck her finger in a socket. “Thank you, sir. I-you’ve given me a lot to think about. May I give you a call after the holidays?”
“You may indeed. And I’d appreciate some suggestions as to where we can stay when we visit.”
“Absolutely. Happy to. Thank you again.” She clicked off. And stared at Sam, her heart so full she could barely breathe. “I told you to let it go.”
“And I told you I wasn’t letting you give up on your dreams. Now you don’t have to choose. You can have it all.” Sam’s expression didn’t change an iota. “Including me.”
“What if I’d decided to go?” She set his phone down and sidled up to him, linking her hands behind his head and moving in.
“Then there would have only been one solution.” He kissed her quick. “I’d have gone with you.”
“You would?” Her heart lunged for him. “But Christmas Town is your home.”
“I thought you’d have realized by now,” he whispered and kissed her again. “You’re my home, Marnie Wright. You always have been.”
A Note from the Author
Thank you for spending some time with us in Christmas Town, Maine. I hope you enjoyed Marnie and Sam’s story. If you're so inclined, please consider leaving a review. I can't tell you how invaluable reviewers are for authors. We appreciate each and every one!
I'm one of those authors who writes across the romance spectrum, from sweet (Harlequin Heartwarming, The Butterfly Harbor series: THE BAD BOY OF BUTTERFLY HARBOR, 12/15), mainstream contemporary romance (ASKING FOR TROUBLE, HERE COMES TROUBLE and THE TROUBLE WITH NATHAN for Berkley InterMix) and starting soon, I'll be branching off into romantic suspense with The BONDED Trilogy (Harlequin Romantic Suspense). If you're looking for more short, sweet romance reads, check out my Lantano Valley novella series (books 1, 2, and 3 are currently available).
For more information on all these books, please visit me at www.authorannastewart.com where you can find links to my social media pages including Twitter (@ajstewartwriter) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnaJStewart). Sign up for my newsletter to automatically be entered into subscriber only giveaways. As always, happy reading!
Home by Christmas
Anna Adams
Copyright © 2015 by:
Anna Adams
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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150921.175516
Acknowledgments
To the real Margaret and Evelyn, my mother and my mother-in-law, because I miss you. To Sarah, Jen, and Alex, new moms with so many beautiful Christmases to come. To all my family, the best part of every celebration, and also, thanks to the authors in this set, who came to Christmas Town and made the holidays merry!
Praise and Awards
RT Top Pick
“…tender romance of watching two headstrong individuals fall back in love…will keep the readers engaged.”
~ RT Review 4 Stars
“Replete with richly drawn characters and emotional fervor...an emotionally gripping love story.”
~ RT Review Top Pick
Chapter 1
“Daddy, I want a donut.” Margaret Parker, six years old, grabbed her father’s sleeve and tugged him across the icy sidewalk to a donut shop called Frosty’s.
David Parker stared at the window, painted with snowflakes, candy canes, and bright green Christmas trees. Anywhere but Frosty’s.
Noelle Wright owned that shop. She’d worked in it when they were in high school, and after she’d left him in Boston, she’d come home to Christmas Town, Maine to work here again. Gossip from the few people who’d stayed in touch told him she’d saved every penny she could put together to buy it when the Lavoies sold and moved south to Virginia.
“Not now,” David reached back for his other daughter’s hand. Evelyn and Margaret might be twins, but they couldn’t be less alike. Margaret, dark and curious, Evelyn, fair and so self-contained David had to ask himself what she might be holding back.
Margaret planted her face in the window as his fingers scrabbled in the air for Evelyn, who was more interested in the horses and sleigh hauling Santa across the green toward the gazebo where he would distribute candy and hopeful promises to everyone lucky enough to land in Christmas Town, Maine this holiday.
“Oh, look at the chocolate ones.” Margaret splayed her hands on the glass. “I love chocolate, Daddy. Evelyn likes chocolate, too. We should get donuts.”
“Daddy, we don’t have to go see Santa, do we? I don’t want to see him. He didn’t tell me the truth last year.” Breaking off, Evelyn looked back at him, and stared at his hand as if she didn’t understand she should take it. “Do you believe in Santa, Daddy?”
“All I want is a chocolate donut,” Margaret said. “Let’s go in there.”
The shop’s door opened, and Noelle all but danced onto the sidewalk, her blonde hair floating on her shoulders, graceful, welcoming, and completely unaware he was there.
“Hello,” she said, holding a tray with small bites of miniature doughnuts on a paper doily. “Would you like to try a—”
She stopped, her smile fading as she saw David. She hadn’t seen the twins often enough to recognize Margaret in her window. He wasn’t sure she’d ever seen them.
David and his wife, Claudia, had divorced before the girls were two. Claudia had died just over a year ago in a car accident, and the girls had lived with him in Boston since, through days and nights of his distracted fathering. He’d planned to sell the vacation house in Christmas Town, but just after Thanksgiving, Evelyn’s teacher in Boston called him in to tell him his daughter was distracted and detached, and maybe even depressed. He’d hoped the children had healed after Claudia’s death, but the teacher had opened his eyes to some ugly reality. Evelyn had expected he’d miss the Thanksgiving play - which he had. Margaret had said he had to work, as if work mattered more than children.
He worked too hard, and the girls had started expecting him to put them last on his list.
A vacation coul
dn’t make everything right, but this season in this place had been special to him, and maybe it would bring comfort and joy to his daughters.
“Hello,” he said, his throat constricted. He hadn’t expected to be so glad to see Noelle. Sweet relief, as if he’d been starved for the sight of her delicate jawline, her eyes, green and wary, but so familiar. Had he ever looked into them and remembered how to breathe?
“David.” Her tone threw up an invisible wall, as if she were giving a name to something distasteful she hadn’t expected to find on her doorstep. Something she’d like to sweep up and dispose of.
But then she looked back at the girls staring at her, Margaret with a hopeful smile, Evelyn with suspicion. Noelle smoothed the frilly, vintage apron she wore with her shop’s name embroidered across the pinafore top. “These must be your little girls.”
“Margaret.” He put his hand on her head. She grinned up at him. “And this is Evelyn. Girls, meet Miss Noelle. She makes the donuts here.”
“I like chocolate,” Margaret said.
“She really does.” Evelyn studied the tray with increased interest. “Those are tiny.”
“But tasty. They’re little samples.” Noelle passed the tray in front of both girls. “Have one?” She glanced at David again. “If your dad doesn’t mind?”
“Thank you.” Margaret didn’t wait for David’s answer before she scooped up a little twist of dough topped with velvety chocolate glaze. She popped it in her mouth and chewed quickly, before anyone could snatch it back.
A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances Page 16