'Tis the Season for Love: A Charity Box Set

by Maggie Dallen

  She gave him a small smile, happy for his support, but felt guilty all the same. Yes, her play had won, but that didn’t mean much now. Not when she’d had to cancel it at the last minute.

  It was at that moment that a familiar song caught her notice. The first few notes perked up her ears and then her feet came to a complete halt. Those were the notes she’d written – the first few lines of her musical. What were they doing, playing those songs? They didn’t belong out here.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Pastor Steve shrugged and grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. He gestured toward the front of the procession and wagged his eyebrows, as if to challenge her to find out for herself.

  Pushing through the crowd, Eve worked her way toward the front. She had to blink a dozen times as she stared up at the city gazebo before she could realize what she was looking at. There were her set pieces. A heavily pregnant Amanda strolled in front of them, a hand on her swollen belly. Laurie, as the angel, stood on a platform in the back with a brilliant spotlight aimed at the back of her head that lit her up like an other-worldly creature.

  That was when Jordan’s voice began to ring out across the dark night. Eve’s heart did a flip flop, not daring to believe what she was hearing. It couldn’t be him. Not now. He was back at home, working under that awful boss of his. He’d said goodbye to Snow Pines forever.

  But that was definitely his voice.

  With his gorgeous tenor, he hit every note with perfect accuracy and stomach-dropping beauty. He then stepped out from behind a pillar, a microphone in hand and Daisy’s leash in the other. Eve gaped up at him leading the ecstatic golden retriever onto the stage, not sure whether to cry or laugh or simply stare.

  He’d stayed in Snow Pines. Even with his job on the line, he’d risked everything to put on her musical. She couldn’t believe what she saw.

  The show was better than every rehearsal they’d had. Everyone hit their timing perfectly. The little ones actually behaved and drew laughter from the crowd. Amanda belted out her solo with heart-felt vibrato. And Jordan – the real star of the play – moved through each scene with a sincerity so strong that it brought tears to the corners of Eve’s eyes. Gone was the stiffness and the sullen actor. In his place was a man who truly believed in romance.

  It was over before she could breathe again. The actors bowed and she threw her hands together with as much effort as she could muster, causing the palms of her hands to sting. The crowd cheered around her and several people clapped her on the back as it began to die down. Eve didn’t care, she only had eyes for Jordan. For the first time that night, his gaze drifted to hers. They each held it for several long moments before he lifted the microphone to his mouth again.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the lady of the hour? Our writer, director, and all-together artistic genius, Eve Walker.”

  Several hands helped to lift her on stage as the audience roared. Eve felt her cheeks burn bright and she joined the cast in a line. Jordan held out his hand to her. A smile lit up his face from ear to ear. He pulled her in close when she placed her hand in his, wrapping his other arm around her.

  “I’m so sorry for what I said,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. The crowd continued to clap.

  “I’m sorry, too,” he whispered back with a wave at Pastor Steve. “I’m sorry what you had to go through with your sister. I understand now why you freaked out.”

  She looked up at him. The stage lights that had been moved to the park nearly blinded her. “You do?”

  “Yeah.” He gazed down at her, a smoldering expression burning in his eyes. “But just know this, Eve Walker. You may be stubborn and bullheaded, but I can be just as stubborn. And despite my promise to myself to never fall in love, I have stubbornly fallen in love with you. That’s what you did to me, Eve Walker. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  She grinned as a warm feeling emerged from her stomach and entered every limb in her body. Reaching up for his shoulder, she pulled him down into a kiss that only served to fuel the warmth and cause the crowd to whoop and holler. Daisy stood up on her hind legs, pawing at them and licking their arms with as much happiness as any dog deserved to have. When they finally parted, Eve grinned out from the stage, truly happy and satisfied.

  “I love you, too, Jordan Davis,” she said with a soft sigh. He squeezed her hand in response. And the two of them took a final bow, before running off the gazebo and into the lighted park for some much needed privacy.

  Chapter 15

  Eve’s foot teetered on the top of the ladder as she stretched to wind the last few feet of white ribbon around the wooden beam of the gazebo. Just a couple more inches left. The place was beginning to look like a wintry palace, complete with hundreds of strands of white lights, yards of sheer tulle, and glass snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. Only a few more days until the big day. She couldn’t believe it was already here. It seemed like they’d planned for this event forever.

  “Don’t fall,” Laurie called from below. She had a tight grip on each side of the ladder, her knuckles white. “Please be careful.”

  “I’m almost there,” Eve responded through gritted teeth. She had to finish the job and it had to be perfect. “One more inch.”

  Her foot slipped from the rung, tipping her over the side of the ladder. She careened headfirst toward the floor, shrieking in surprise. Waving her hands in giant circles did nothing to stop her quick descent. It wasn’t until she felt strong arms surround her and cradle her head did she stop flailing and blink up at the bright ceiling.

  “Just in time to save the damsel in distress,” Jordan said, smiling down at her. His blond hair had grown over the past year, just long enough to fall sexily into his blue eyes and take the wind out of Eve’s lungs. “Didn’t I tell you to let me do all the ladder work?”

  Eve picked herself up and wiped imaginary dirt from her knees. She huffed and threw the empty ribbon spool over her shoulder. “I’m an incredibly self-sufficient woman, Mr. Davis. We’ve been together a year. You ought to know that by now.”

  “I do.” He grabbed her hand and yanked her forward, wrapping his arms tight around her waist. “And I love that about you.”

  She laughed as he covered her mouth with his. Their bodies pressed together, hands roaming over each other’s shoulders. It wasn’t until they heard someone clear a throat that they pulled apart with sheepish grins.

  “You’d think they were the ones getting married in a few days.” Rhiannon stood on the top step of the gazebo looking in. Her face flushed in a pretty pink shade that complimented the excited sparkle of her eyes. “Kissing under my gazebo. Stealing all my luck.”

  “Stop stealing my lady’s luck,” Ash demanded, as he ascended the stairs and grabbed Rhiannon’s hand. He wore a black pea coat over an expensive suit and shiny Italian leather shoes. His brown hair hung over his ears in a wavy rugged style. He winked at them and smiled mischievously. “Seriously, guys, you don’t want to make this bridezilla angry. She’s scary when she’s angry.”

  “I’m not a bridezilla!” Rhiannon punched him on the shoulder and glared at him with mock anger.

  “See?” Ash’s eyes got wide. “Bridezilla’s already coming out. Everyone run!”

  They all broke into laughter as Ash pressed a kiss to Rhiannon’s forehead. The thought of Rhiannon as a bridezilla made them all smile. If anything, she was the opposite of the domineering and demanding bride.

  When the church they’d wanted to get married in closed down for an emergency roof renovation, Rhiannon had simply looked for other options and found the city park. It made complete sense to marry there. This was where they’d first come together as a couple. Despite the cold of the late December month, they all had no doubt it would be a beautiful wedding.

  “How’s the job, man?” Ash asked Jordan as they shook hands. They stood back to let the women gather and discuss the status of the decorations.

  “Awesome.” A warm smile
lit up Jordan face with boyish energy. “It’s everything I hoped for. Eve’s old professor is the best boss anyone could want. They’ve even let me start doing two days in the office and three at home so I can be back in Snow Pines for most of the week.”

  “That’s great!” Ash chewed on the inside of his cheek and frowned. “I wish I worked for a football team. Free tickets to every game? I’m so there.”

  “Yeah, well, you own your company, so I’m not going to feel sorry for you,” Jordan replied with a laugh.

  He grinned, flashing his perfectly straight teeth. “Touché.”

  “Alright, boys, time for you to do your thing,” Eve said, shooing them. She winked at Jordan and then waved them away again. “We’ve got a bachelorette party to get started. No boys allowed. Or dogs for that matter.”

  Ash and Jordan groaned with grins plastered on their faces as Daisy and Oliver came racing back up to the gazebo. As Ash picked up the scruffy little terrier he and Rhiannon had adopted two years ago, Eve bent down to give Daisy a hug.

  After the excitement of last Christmas, she hadn’t been able to say goodbye to the sweet pup. Her parents had agreed full-heartedly to let her keep the golden retriever. They’d all fallen in love with her, Jordan most of all. The three of them were inseparable. And as Jordan kissed her and led Daisy away, Eve couldn’t help but feel a bit sad to see them leaving. But that feeling soon went away when she remember the exciting night they had ahead of them.

  “Okay, ladies, first we get dolled up,” Eve announced with a clap of her hands. “Then, our first stop is at the diner. Can’t have a bachelorette party on an empty stomach.”

  “And then a surprise at my place,” Laurie added with a wink.

  “Guys!” Rhiannon held up her hands. “You don’t have to do this. I’m fine with just having a movie night or something.”

  “You’re the first one of us to get married.” Eve pressed her lips into a hard line. “You don’t get to chicken out. I need this. You need this. It’s happening.”

  “OK, fine. But when its your turn, I’m returning the favor.” She gave her a wicked grin. “So anything that happens tonight, will be ten times worse for you.”

  Eve held up her left hand. “There’s no ring on this finger.”

  “Yet!” Laurie shouted.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if your Christmas present this year is a tiny little box,” Rhiannon added with another wicked grin. “I heard him and Ash whispering. Those boys are up to something.”

  “Whatever.” Eve waved her arm, but a pleased smile stretched across her lips.

  “I guess that means no more single ladies nights down at the bowling alley,” Laurie said with a pout. She shrugged her shoulders and gave a helpless sigh. “I guess I need to find myself a new set of friends.”

  Rhiannon and Eve began comforting her all at once, throwing their arms around her and pulling her into a hug.

  “We’ll still go with you!” Rhiannon exclaimed. She rubbed a hand down Laurie’s arm. “I don’t care if I have a ring on my finger, I’m not giving up on my bowling streak.”

  “Wasn’t that a streak of gutterballs?” Eve asked, her eyebrows raising.

  Rhiannon shrugged. “It’s still a streak. I’ve got a reputation to protect.”

  They all broke down into laughter, wiping at the corners of their eyes with their gloves to keep their tears from freezing in their eyelashes.

  “Thanks, guys,” Laurie said with a final dab at her eye. They began to walk toward Eve’s car parked along the curb. “Glad to know I can still count on you.”

  “Oh, you can count on us.” Eve opened her door and slid inside. She waited for the others to take their seats before she continued. “I happen to know that you can count on us to find you a hottie at Rhiannon’s wedding. Apparently, she’s got someone lined up for you.”

  “What?” Laurie perched on the middle of the back seat. “What do you mean?”

  “Ash has a cousin who’s going to be one of the groomsmen,” Rhiannon explained. She watched for Laurie’s reaction in the rear view mirror. “I’ve never met him, but I guess he’s a really solid guy. Has a consulting business or something. He’s been single for a year now and Ash thinks you guys could really get along.”

  Laurie sucked in her cheeks and stared out the window. “I don’t want any setups, guys. That makes me feel even more pathetic than I already am.”

  Rhiannon and Eve exchanged glances in the front seats.

  “It won’t be a setup,” Eve explained. “More like, a calculated introduction. If you like him, go for it. If not, don’t worry about it.”

  “He could be really sweet,” Rhiannon added. “Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  Laurie twisted her coral colored lips into a doubtful frown, her green eyes blinking twice before she tilted her head to the side and glanced at her friends. “Alright, I give up. Bring him on. I probably won’t like him anyway.”

  “That’s the truth,” Eve said with a laugh. “I’ve never met a pickier girl.”

  “She’s not picky.” Rhiannon slapped Eve’s knee playfully. “She just knows what she wants.”

  “Hmmm…” Eve shrugged. “I don’t blame you there. I certainly know what I want.”

  They paused for a moment outside the gazebo, watching the men get into their cars on the other side of the park. Eve’s eyes shown bright as she watched Jordan pull the collar of his winter coat up closer to his skin. The last year had been the very best of her life. It was hard to believe twelve months had already come and gone.

  After he’d surprised her with that performance of her play in the park, they’d hardly spent a moment apart. Even with his job commuting back and forth for the Vikings, they’d built their relationship into something beautiful. She couldn’t imagine falling for anyone else. Jordan was her man – the only man for her.

  She let a wave of emotion pass through her as she scanned over her guy, every line of his face burned in her memory, every plane of his muscles. Those big, strong hands that gripped onto hers so fiercely. The smile that didn’t apologize for the happiness he felt. And all the little scars and history that made him into the man he was today. She loved it all. And it certainly wasn’t the cold that was causing her to shiver.

  “Do you really think he’s going to pick out a ring?” she asked, looking across the middle console for assurance.

  “Definitely,” Rhiannon and Laurie rang out together.

  If he asked, it certainly wasn’t a secret what her answer would be. She’d known almost exactly a year ago around Christmas time. If Jordan Davis asked her to marry her, she’d scream yes at the top of her lungs, until the whole world knew it. There was no doubt in her mind, they were meant to be together.

  Love certainly wasn’t the straight and clear path she’d always imagined it to be – but as it turned out, love was definitely worth the struggle.

  Lacy Andersen is the author of several series, including the Billionaire Matchmaker, Faking Ever After, and her personal favorite, the Rock Valley High – I Dare You To series. When not writing or dreaming up stories to tell, Lacy is busy running after her kiddos, watching Netflix with her husband, or reading the latest releases. She has a serious addiction to cotton candy, loves to win any type of game (she’s fiercely competitive), and is currently planning her next trip around the world.

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  Keep reading! My Christmas Wish by Gina Azzi is up next!

  All are welcome to celebrate Christmas with my family. Apparently, even my new boss.

  When his holiday plans change at the last minute, my brothers invite Finn Anderson to spend Christmas with us.

  Now, a man I've crushed on for far too long, a man I'll be working under just next month, is helping me hang a Christmas wreath and walking around my kitchen in reindeer pajama pants.

  And it is messing with my head.

  Finn's presence unnerves me. His bright blue eyes see everything, cutting m
e to the core. His easygoing sense of humor causes my heart to race. And don't even get me started on his accent.

  Things between us have always been friendly, but now, they're smoldering.

  This holiday season, I'm wishing for Finn.

  My Christmas Wish is a prequel to One Last Chance, Daisy and Finn's spicy workplace romance set in Edinburgh, Scotland. It can also be read as book 3.5 in The Kane Brothers series.

  Chapter 1

  "He's coming here?" I ask my best friend, Sierra, hoping she doesn't catch the quiver in my voice.

  She nods, not bothering to look up from the social media content she's creating for her paintings at an art gallery. "Yeah. The weather in Scotland is so bad at the moment that flights are being diverted. I mean, he could probably fly into another airport and spend Christmas with friends, but why do that when he's got family right here?" She points to herself, glancing up at me, and I manage a weak grin.

  "Right. When does he land?"

  "In a few hours. Listen, I hate to ask you this, but would you mind picking him up from the airport? Unless you have a shift at Cork's?"

  I work a swallow, my hands curling into fists as I try to regulate my breathing. My stomach clenches, uneasiness rocking through me at the thought of being alone in a car with Finlay Anderson, my future colleague-slash-sort-of employer. He also happens to be the insanely hot cousin of my best friend, Sierra. A guy I have no business hardcore crushing on. Yet, here I am, giddy at the thought of seeing him and dreading being alone with him. Basically, acting like a thirteen-year-old version of myself. How can I get out of this?