by Danni Roan
Lisa mingled with her guests while Brooks took his sister’s hand and carefully led her to the dance floor chatting happily.
“So what do you think little sister?” Brooks said. “New Year, new lease on life?”
“That’s exactly what I think,” Carol smiled. “We’re only promised today Brooks; we should embrace it.”
A gentle tap on his shoulder made Brooks step away and he let Dan, the buttons on his dress uniform gleaming, pick up the waltz.
As the cake was cut, and the guests began to leave Brooks took Lisa’s hand. “You ready?” he asked kissing her fingers, with a sultry smile.
Bidding farewell as the party turned from wedding celebration to New Year’s Party, they drove the short distance to Lisa’s apartment building where they’d spend the night before heading out on a short honeymoon.
Parking in Lisa’s space Brooks hurried around the car helping her out then scooping her into his arm as they approached the door.
A smiling Mr. Withers pulled the door ajar congratulating them warmly as they disappeared into a new life.
As the door swung shut behind them the sound of cheers and chimes as the clock turned from one year to another.
“Happy New Year!” Brooks said leaning in and kissing Lisa.
“Happy New Life!” Lisa said as the kiss ended, and they started their life full of hope, joy and a new dedication to understand miracles.
***
Mr. Withers pulled a shimmering green card from his pocket turning it in his hand as it caught the beam of the streetlight dazzling.
Taking a pen from his inner pocket he scribbled a note on the back of the card then read it before carrying it to the mail box on the corner.
Matrimonial Magic Managed the words scrawled across the card in a stiff script.
“Well that went better than expected,” Mr. Withers said to no one in particular, pulling open the drawer of the mail box and dropping the card inside.
“I wonder who will be next.”
Epilogue
James collapsed into a chair with a sigh, he had never been so happy to see Christmas end. Christmas was the busiest time of the year and he was glad for the work, but it was not his favorite holiday.
This year between Lisa’s wedding rush and Audrey getting married and leaving him to finish out the season, he was wrung out.
Now that the year was ending he was booking a vacation somewhere warm and isolated where the only party he needed to worry about was a party of one.
He knew that Christmas was always crazy, and this year had seemed to push the madness to the brink. Too many people all wanting something from him, all stressed by shopping, wrapping, baking, and decorating. His nerves were shot. “Season of cheer my…”
“What are you doing there?” Audrey asked dancing toward him, interrupting his dark thoughts, as someone started a countdown for the old year to end.
“I’m contemplating a new line of work,” James said teasing as he tossed his hair out of his eyes. He hadn’t even had time to get a haircut with so much going on, and he suspected that his thumbs might be permanently stuck in text position.
“I think the Ls are looking for you,” Audrey teased making him jump to his feet and look around him in fear.
“That was not nice,” James chided as her recently acquired husband, Holden, walked up handing Audrey a drink.
“You look like you’ve been rode hard and put up wet,” Holden teased shaking James’ hand. The first time the cowboy had met Audrey’s partner he’d worried she was romantically involved, but they had simply been friends for a long time; a surrogate brother of sorts.
“I think I need a break,” James admitted collapsing back into his chair. “I’ll have to see what the boss lady thinks,” he added with a grin.
“I say we have a light schedule between now and Valentine’s Day so go,” Audrey offered with a smile. “It will give me some time to sort out my new living arrangements as well,” she added with a glance at Holden.
James curled his lip as if something had left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Yeah! My favorite holiday,” he said sarcastically.
Audrey laughed taking Holden’s hand. “James doesn’t believe in romance,” she laughed. “He’s as big a hum bug for Valentine’s day as he is for Christmas.”
“You’re kidding?” Holden looked between his wife and her business partner. “You plan all of these parties and weddings, and you don’t believe in love?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe in love. I don’t believe in all of this romance nonsense. More people would be better off in this world if they simply agreed to love each other and made it happen.”
Audrey shook her head. “He’s broken,” she said with a kind laugh. “What can we do?”
Holden patted James on the shoulder just as he saw Louisa making her way toward the other man a small blue package in her hand.
“Trust me my friend,” Holden said preparing to leave. “The romance stuff is pretty nice.”
“James. James, don’t you ignore me,” Louisa said descending like a battleship in full sail. “This package has been sitting on my mantle since Christmas day, and you know I pack up all of that fluff on the first day of the New Year.”
Louisa thrust the package into his hands forcefully enough to make him take a step back. “There now go find a pretty girl to dance with,” she finished turning and waving at her sisters. “I’m going home.”
James looked down at the little package in his hands and shook his head. Christmas was over; he’d worry about this later.
Finding his computer bag he shoved the sparkling box into its depth with his planner, and then made the rounds one more time before heading out the door, hoping for a little rest in the New Year.
Yes, it was time for warmer climes, lapping waves, and a good long rest away from weddings, couples, romance, and meddling aunts.
Pulling his phone from his pocket he opened an app and scrolled through images of white sandy beaches and azure seas.
With a few clicks, he had booked a flight, a shuttle, a bungalow, and was now wearing a smile as he walked out the door and hailed a taxi. “He who travels light, travels fast.” He intoned as he slipped into the car, giving his address to the driver. “Keep the meter running,” he said striding into his apartment only moments later.
***
James crossed his ankles leaning back against the lounge chair and sipping his iced drink then nodded his sunglasses back into place.
The smell of coconut oil and pineapple filled his head pushing away the pine and holly of the past month as it danced on a light tropical breeze.
Gentle waves lapped at the sand under his chair and a gull cried in a cloudless sky as a warm sun caressed his skin.
The beach was largely empty this early in the morning, but he watched an elderly couple scroll along the sand hand in hand chatting quietly.
James chuckled at the man’s bushy white beard and portly build. His red Bermuda shorts covered in huge yellow hibiscus hinted at someone else escaping the frozen north.
The older man waved as he walked by hand in hand with a slim gray haired woman whose bright eyes sparkled at him out of a rosy face. Gazing at them he could image each dressed in red velvet and ermine trim. Christmas really had gotten to him this year.
Something in the back of his mind made James wonder if he’d met the cheer couple before. There was a sense of familiarity about them, but he shrugged it off.
Christmas was still dogging him, and he brushed of the notions of Mr. and Mrs. Claus walking along a tropical beach away as easily as a gnat.
He was tired. Chuckling James lifted his glass to the couple. If Santa were real, he was probably as ready for a vacation as James was.
Leaning back against his chair, James let the sound of the rolling waves sooth his weariness as he drifted off to a well earned sleep. There would be no sugar plums dancing in his head, bikinied babes dancing in the surf, maybe.
The End
From the Cattleman’s Daughters
Katie
Fiona
Meg
Isabella
Alexis
Mae
Tales from Biders Clump
Christmas Kringle
Quil’s Careful Cowboy
Bruno’s Belligerent Beauty
Tywyn’s Troubles
A Teaching Touch
Prissy’s Predicament
Lucinda’s Luck
Ferd’s Fair Favor
The Travels of Titus
Strong Hearts: Open Spirits
Maggie’s Valley
Sadina’s Stocking
Celestre’s Song
Beloved Beulah
Whispers in Wyoming
#1 Love Letters & Home
#4 Counting Kadence
#9 Mercy’s Light
#12 Falling Forward
Other Books in This Series
#2 Heartstruck and Heavensent
#3 Dreams of Sweetwater Ranch
#5 Temptation and Tenderness
#6 Guardian of Her Heart
#7 Marry Me Katie
#8 A Forgetful Heart
#10 No Place Like Home
#11 Melodies of the Heart
#13 Sensitive and Secure
#14 Tender Hearts
#15 Bonnets of Rescue Ranch
The Ornamental Match Maker
#1 Carousel Horse Christmas
Other Books in this Series
#2 Love Wears Plaid For Christmas
#3 Music Box Christmas
#4 Angel Cookie Christmas
#5 A Snow Globe Christmas
#6 A Dance for Christmas
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for choosing to read my book. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. I you enjoyed the story please feel free to leave a review wherever you purchased the book. Leaving a review will help me and prospective readers to know what you liked about this book. It is an opportunity for your voice to be heard and for you to tell others why the story is worth a read.
About the Author
Danni Roan, a native of western Pennsylvania, spent her childhood roaming the lush green mountains on horseback. She has always loved westerns and specifically western romance and is thrilled to be part of this exciting genre. She has lived and worked overseas with her husband and tries to incorporate the unique quality of the people she has met throughout the years into her books. Although Danni is a relatively new author on the scene she has been a story teller for her entire life, even causing her mother to remark that as a child “If she told a story, she had to tell the whole story.” Danni is truly excited about this new adventure in writing and hopes that you will enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.