by Danni Roan
Ornamental Match Maker Series
Loose Goose Christmas
Ornamental Match Maker Series
Danni Roan
Lisa Carter doesn’t have a care in the world, at least not as far as anyone can tell but now that her best friend has been swept away into magically marvelous matrimony she wonders how she will fill her spare time. The life of a personal assistant is hectic but now what will she do with her free time and who will remind her of those important things she tends to forget, like paying the rent or getting her oil changed? Brooks Vixen newly returned to Colorado is struggling deal with the unfamiliar responsibility as he helps to care for his ailing sister and her two small children. Disheartened by his sister’s condition he simply wants to find a little peace. Will one goose and a little nudge from Mrs. Claus be enough to bring them to a safe happily ever after?
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Chapter 1
“Lisa, you forgot a package,” Linda Alberton raced into the snow with the sparkling green package in her hand.
“I thought I had opened all of my gifts,” Lisa said taking the small square item and eyeing it carefully. “Who’s it from?”
“I don’t know,” Linda said, pushing a wisp of white hair from her eyes.
“I’ve really got to hit the road,” Lisa said eyeing the snow covered driveway and mound of fluffy white stuff on her car. “I’ll open it when I get home.”
“You be careful,” Linda said tucking her hands under the arms of her maroon and white sweater to keep them warm. “We had a wonderful time having you here even if Audrey’s run off with prince charming himself.” Linda grinned, her bright eyes sparkling like frost on the windows.
Impulsively Lisa grabbed her best friend’s aunt hugging her tight. “I love spending Christmas with the Ls,” she said backing off and moving to the driver’s door of her zippy red car. “I’ll see you all soon.”
Turning the key and shifting into gear, Lisa flipped on the windshield wipers and backed out of the farm house drive. She’d already stayed too long visiting the aunts and needed to get back to the city.
Peering through the streaks of ice on her windshield she slowly made her way down the lane. She’d had a fantastic week here at the farm with Audrey and her aunts known locally as the Ls. Linda, Lois, Louisa, and Lydia had been a second family to her since she and their niece had become best friends in grade school. That was why it hadn’t even felt awkward staying after Audrey ran off with a local cowboy.
Lisa peeked at the pretty green package on the passenger’s seat where she’d tossed it a moment ago and wondered which aunt had held back their gift. There was no telling what those four would get up to next.
Her backseat was already crammed full of warm woolen sweaters, caps, and scarves, as well as fudge, soap and lotion created by the Ls themselves.
The Alberton sisters were a force of nature in their own right and had managed to run the family farm and goat dairy successfully for years creating a niche market for their home spun and home crafted goods.
Linda the artist created all of the marketing and branding items for the soaps, lotions and other beauty items that Lois made from goats milk at the dairy. She also made pretty holiday crafts that were always in demand.
Louisa or Lou as everyone called her raised sheep and created custom and one of a kind sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats and anything else she could knit.
Lydia was rather the odd one out with her practical chicken and egg production but between them they managed the farm well.
Lisa chuckled for a moment thinking of Lydia’s comment about old hippies and new yuppies keeping them in business. Again her eyes traveled to the green package, and she felt the car slid sideways on the slick gravel as she gunned it onto the main road.
“Now why wouldn’t one of the Ls admit they had forgotten to give me a present?” she mused out loud as the wipers swish-swished over the ever decreasing haze of ice.
Lisa’s phone buzzed and she clicked the button to see her boss’s name appear. He’d called her in for an important meeting the following day cutting her Christmas vacation short, but at least Christmas Day traffic should be minimal at best.
The white fields of the Colorado landscape zipped by as she drove toward town, surfing the radio stations for more Christmas cheer. When Jingle Bell Rock came on she sang along thinking of Audrey and her sleigh driving cowboy.
As happy as she was for her oldest friend, she was already starting to feel a little lonely. Back home in the city she could always count on Audrey to meet up for dinner, or grab lunch, and on rare occasions she could even drag her to the mall to do a bit of shopping.
Unlike Audrey Lisa loved to shop; it was one of her favorite pastimes. There was just something tremendously rewarding about pairing the perfect outfit with the right person. Some days she dreamed of becoming a personal shopper for those busy people who thought that shopping was an Olympic event to be completed in the fastest time possible.
Her phone buzzed again and she caught a glimpse of the boss man’s message. Being the personal assistant to one of Colorado’s big business CEO’s was sometimes trying, but it paid well, and frankly, Lisa was good at it. Keeping someone else’s life in order seemed so much easier than doing it for herself. She seemed to always be forgetting something.
Making a fast turn through a small neighborhood, she groaned as her car made a soft lurch.
“Oh no, Oh no!” she pleaded, “not again.” Her eyes searched for the fuel gauge on her little red car as it choked and sputtered to a halt next to a mailbox bedecked with plastic poinsettias.
Reaching her hand through the steering wheel Lisa tapped on the display with a bright red nail but the gas indicator needle never budged from empty. Grasping the wheel with both hands Lisa rested her head against the black leather and closed her eyes.
It was Christmas Day in the heart of a Colorado Winter, there was no way road side assistance was going to get there any time soon.
“Drat. Drat, drat, drat,” she said mentally kicking herself for not filling up earlier, but, it had slipped her mind. She would have blamed the event on the whirlwind wedding of her best friend and the delightful Christmas holiday with the Ls, but this wasn’t the first time she’d forgotten and run out of gas. If truth be told it wasn’t even the second or third time.
Chapter 2
Lifting her head, Lisa watched a little girl running through the snow in her back yard of the little house she’d stopped in front of.
“Oh for the days of carefree living,” she said shaking her head as the little girl disappeared around the other side of the house.
Lisa smiled. “Maybe I have some gas in the trunk,” she whispered biting her lip. She remembered thinking that she really should carry a little extra with her for just such an occasion.
Climbing out of the car she made her way toward the trunk, holding onto the car for balance as she slipped and skittered on the icy berm.
The trunk latch popped at the press of her key fob and was just beginning to rise when an atrocious honking
and squawking made her half turn straight into the flapping and flailing white wings of a massive goose.
Covering her face for protection and with a soft scream Lisa toppled backward into her trunk as the feathered menace continued to flap and honk causing the trunk lid to close with Lisa curled in a ball on the dusty rug.
“Help! Help!” a little voice called in muffled tones outside the car. “Uncle Brooks, help! Oliver has attacked a nice lady and she’s trapped in her trunk.”
More honking and rattling could be heard outside while Lisa pounded on the lid of the trunk. “Let me out!” she wailed only stopping when a deep male voice called back to her.
“Where are the keys?” the resonant tones vibrated through the trunk and Lisa froze. “It’s safe to come out now, but I need your keys,” the man tried again.
“Oh,” Lisa squeaked pressing the button on the fob once more, an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks.
Bright white light blinded her as the trunk lid sprang open, and she blinked trying to see her rescuer.
“Let me help you,” the rich warm voice called as strong hands took her arm pulling her gently from the recesses of her car.
“Thank you,” Lisa said letting herself be guided into the snowy yard.
“Are you alright lady?” the little girl from earlier asked. “Sometimes Oliver gets kind of territorial.”
“I think I’m alright,” Lisa said looking down at her black leggings and oversized red Christmas sweater.
“I’m sorry about that,” the man spoke and Lisa looked up into the dreamiest hazel eyes she’d ever seen. “Oliver is Vivian’s pet goose, and he’s very protective.”
“Huh?” Lisa said, not hearing a word as she tried to memorize the man’s handsome features.
“This is my niece Vivian, and the goose is her pet, Oliver.”
“Oh, oh. I’m sorry,” Lisa said trying to shake off the daze she was in. “I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I ran out of gas.”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” the man asked again. “You seem a little dazed. Did you hit your head?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Lisa watched as he reached toward her with a large calloused hand and a shiver ran down her spine when he touched her hair.
“I was afraid Oliver might have hurt you,” the man spoke again as he offered her a long white feather he’d pulled from her short brown curls.
“I’m fine, really,” Lisa insisted. “I’m Lisa Carter by the way,” she said offering her hand. “I don’t suppose you have any spare gasoline around do you?”
“I’m Brooks, Brooks Vixen,” the tall, dark haired man said grasping her chilled hand in his “and I’m afraid we don’t’ have any extra gas,” he added reluctantly releasing her delicate fingers.
“Uncle Brooks, don’t you think we should make the nice lady a cup of hot cocoa or something? I mean after all it was my goose that attacked her, and I want to say I’m sorry properly.”
Lisa watched the man’s green gaze light with affection as he gazed down at his niece. “Why don’t you ask her?” he said pointing at Lisa. “Her name is Lisa, and she’s right here.”
“Lisa would you like to come into the house and have some hot chocolate with us. It’s the least I can do after Oliver was so mean to you?”
Lisa smiled, “Thank you, but I really need to get to a gas station. I have to be in town tomorrow for an important meeting.”
Brooks scratched at the stubble on his chin. “I don’t think any of the local stations are open today,” he mused. “You’ll probably have to get a lot closer to the city before you find anything open on Christmas Day.”
Lisa closed her eyes in frustration.
“Why don’t you come in and warm up,” Vivian said, “then Uncle Brooks can take you to the city. Won’t you Uncle Brooks?”
Lisa’s brown gaze followed the interaction between her two companions, and she had to smile. The child’s trust in her uncle’s abilities was touching but impractical.
“Let’s go talk to your mother first and see how she’s feeling, then we’ll decide,” Brooks said dropping his hands to the little girls shoulders. “You will have to share the hot chocolate with your brother you know, right?”
“Okay,” Vivian drawled reluctantly, “but I get the biggest marshmallow.”
“Miss Carter, if you’ll come inside, we’ll see what we can do to get you home.”
Lisa smiled falling into step with the little girl as Brooks ushered them to the front door. In the back yard she could hear Oliver honking softly as if in welcome.
Chapter 3
Lisa settled at the small kitchen table in the quaint cottage like home. The soft blue walls and darker blue cabinets were set off by white marble counter tops and shimmering nickel hardware. The whole place was cozy, warm, and homey.
“Vivian, go wash up and get your brother while I put on the kettle,” Brooks said, hanging his coat and the little girl’s on a peg. “I’m not very good at this sort of thing, so I hope you don’t mind a mix,” he said reaching into a cupboard for a tin of hot chocolate mix.
“In these temperatures anything hot will do,” Lisa said with a smile watching him move around the kitchen retrieving cups, spoons, and marshmallows.
“If you don’t mind my asking what are you doing out on Christmas Day?” Brooks asked. “Most people are home or at least not working.”
“I’ve been staying with my best friend’s aunts, but my boss needs me back tomorrow morning for a big meeting. Probably another merger or something,” Lisa said as if everyone did this sort of thing every day.
“So you’re holiday was cut short, that wasn’t very considerate.”
“It’s fine. My best friend got married, and as much as I love the Ls, I can’t spend two weeks just hanging out at their farm, besides the after Christmas sales will be starting and I don’t want to miss them.”
Brooks studied the pretty petite woman sitting at his sister’s table. Her dark curls were cut short and bounced when she moved her head.
“Come on Drew,” Vivian said walking back into the room with a boy of about four. “You sit here.” She finished pulling out a chair with a mutli-colored booster seat on it and helping the little boy up.
“This is my baby brother Drew,” Vivian smiled at Lisa. “He likes hot cocoa too.”
Lisa smiled at the little girl. She was a corker as the Ls would have said. Behind her she could hear Brooks stirring the cocoa mix and hot water together.
“Would you like milk in yours?” he asked politely lifting the gallon jug in his hand. “It cools it down for the kids.”
“No thanks,” Lisa said, “but can I have two marshmallows?” she winked at Vivian who smiled brightly.
“Me too Uncle Brooks,” the little girl chimed.
“And me.” Drew answered swinging his head to try to look around, making his almost black hair swish.
“If I didn’t know any better I’d say this is a conspiracy,” Brooks laughed placing cups, now overflowing with two huge marshmallows, in front of the children.
Lisa winked at Vivian who giggled then buried her face in her mug.
Brooks took a seat at the table watching the interaction of the lady who’d run out of gas in their front yard as she chatted with the children.
She seemed a natural with kids, unlike him who seemed to constantly be messing up and arguing with them.
With his brother-in-law deployed overseas, and his sister in ill health, he’d moved back to Colorado to pick up some of the slack, but he felt woefully unprepared for caring for children.
He hadn’t even seen Vivian let Oliver out of his pen before this whole thing happened. What if someone had been injured?
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Brooks finally asked the pretty woman who was sipping her hot chocolate while chatting with his niece and nephew.
“I’m not hurt, I promise,” Lisa assured. “I just need to figure out how to get home. Any other time I’d
just call Audrey, but she’s away on her honeymoon.”
“Is your gas gauge broken?” Brooks asked wondering how the woman had come to run out of gas on what was obviously more than one occasion.
“No.” Lisa said carefully avoiding his eyes. The man was a walking distraction. She was much safer talking to the children. Every time she looked at Brooks Vixen her head felt funny, and now that he knew she was a complete ditz running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, there was no point getting starry eyed over the man.
“Uncle Brooks, you could take her to town couldn’t you?” Vivian asked. “I can take care of mommy while you’re gone, and Drew promises to be good. Don’t you Drew?”
The little boy looked up from his mug a marshmallow and chocolate moustache making them all grin.
“I promise,” he said smiling wide.
“Sweetheart it’ll take me an hour to reach the city and then an hour back,” Brooks protested. “It’s not that I’m not willing,” he continued, “just that I’m here to look after you children.”
“Brooks?” a woman’s voice called from along the hall and a moment later a woman in a worn dressing gown crept around the corner leaning against the wall. “I thought I heard voices.”
“Carol, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” Brooks said jumping up and taking his sister’s arm. “Miss Carter, this is my sister Carol Taylor,” he introduced as he settled her frail form into a chair.
“Is that hot chocolate?” Carol asked smiling at Lisa. “I think I could keep some down.”
Brooks shot to his feet again flicking the stove to life and grabbing a mug.
“It’s nice to meet you Lisa,” Carol said her voice as weak as she looked. “Are you a friend of Brooks?”
“We just met,” Lisa said but before she could continue Vivian interjected.
“Her car stopped in our yard, and Oliver attacked her,” the little girl said nodding and making her rosy curls dance, “but now we’re all friends.”