“Oh, stop it.” Karynn gave her sister a quick hug, and then ran both hands over the deep red fabric that hugged her hips and flowed like a silky river to her ankles. “I don’t need a man to sweep me off my feet, and I’d never leave Quillpoint. You’re the only family I’ve got, kiddo. You’re stuck with me.”
“Hmmm…what if Daniel showed up again?”
A quick intake of air, and then Karynn regained the composure she’d lost for half a second. “If Daniel had wanted to return, he would have by now. Let’s not talk about him.”
“Then let’s talk about the box of Daniel-memories you still keep in your closet.”
She rolled her eyes and busied herself putting on a pair of her sister’s triple-strand diamond earrings. Savannah had insisted they—and the matching necklace—were perfect accessories for her outfit, but Karynn wouldn’t be comfortable until the expensive trinkets were back in the safe.
“Savannah…”
“I know, I know. But tell me about them, and I’ll leave it alone.” Savannah settled on the side of her bed to watch Karynn finish getting ready. “Although…” She lowered her voice to a mutter. “I think I know why every single man who’s tried to win you over in the past decade has ‘lacked that certain something.’”
Karynn chuckled. She’d almost heard herself in Savannah’s silly impression. “Oh, do you now?”
“Yep. That ‘certain something’ they all lacked? They weren’t Daniel Sheridan.”
Karynn turned to face her pesky sister, both earrings swinging. “What does it matter?”
“It matters because you have to move on, Sis. Or maybe we could find Daniel!” Savannah’s blue eyes took on a gleam that knotted every nerve in Karynn’s body. “We’ll hire a private investigator and—”
“Savannah! Listen to yourself!” Karynn snatched up the soft, white wrap spread across her bed and pulled it over her shoulders. “Daniel was my high school sweetheart. He and his family left, and we eventually lost contact. It happens. We were kids, honey.”
She perched on the edge of the bed and took her sister’s hand. “I keep the box in my closet because it holds memories that are still sweet, even though things didn’t work out for Daniel and me—not because I’m still weeping over him, or dreaming of the day he returns.” She stood, tugging the younger woman up beside her. “Now let’s go down to dinner.”
“OK.” Savannah crossed to the mirror for one last look at herself. “Oh, wait! You’re supposed to ring your bell.”
Karynn’s ‘Bells on Her Toes’ mani-pedi package had included a beautiful handheld crystal bell…and a series of ten ‘promidictions’—some promises, some cheesy predictions. She’d been instructed by the petite, flower-child pedicurist to ring the crystal bell once a day, after reading that day’s ‘wise words.’ Karynn preferred to call it a daily slice of absurdity.
“You don’t expect me to play along with that silly bell-ringing ritual?”
“It’ll be fun!” Savannah reached for the box in which the crystal bell resided. “May I?”
“Knock yourself out.”
Savannah lifted the bell from its satin bed. “It’s lovely.”
“Yes.” And a good part of why that mani-pedi package was so expensive. Karynn bit down on her bottom lip, and then made a deliberate decision to share something of herself with her sister. “You know, there’s a bell in that box of ‘Daniel-memories’ in my closet. Just a cheap, glass one, but Daniel gave it to me the day he left Quillpoint.” She stared off into the corner of the room, remembering how he’d used his thumb to brush away her tears, and pulled her in for a sweet kiss before he handed her the bell. “He said to ring it and think of him when I was lonely.”
“Did you?”
“Many times.” Karynn tucked a small, sequined clutch under her arm and headed for the door. “But he mustn’t have heard, because ringing that bell never brought him back. After a while, he didn’t even call anymore. Let’s go eat.”
“First you have to ring this. I insist—and read the first promidiction.”
Karynn laughed and joined Savannah in the vanity area.
Ten small envelopes lay beneath the satin cushion on which the bell had rested. Karynn removed a single half-sheet of paper from the one marked “Today,” and read the beautiful, flowing script aloud, for Savannah’s benefit. “You will come into contact with someone from your past. Whether the relationship was romantic, familial, or a simple friendship, its revival will impact your future in unforgettable ways.”
Karynn rolled her eyes, but she picked up the bell and swung it back and forth, enjoying the sweet, high tinkle in spite of the ridiculous situation. “There. Now let’s go.” She reclaimed her evening bag and widened her eyes. “Perhaps this mystery person waits in the dining room even now.”
Savannah gave her another fuddy-duddy face, but said no more.
The sisters admired the lovely Christmas decorations as they made their way downstairs. A dainty garland of holly berries and silver bells wound around the baluster, from the newel post at the top to the identical one at the bottom of the staircase. Over the fireplace, a large clock boasted elves that popped out every quarter hour to chase each other behind the timepiece and back inside.
Darren’s family had wonderful memories of Christmas Inn, where they’d often spent brief vacations. “It never mattered what time of year we were there,” he had told them. “The place is like having Christmas all year round. It’s beautiful, and the décor is breathtaking. I was a kid—and a boy, so I didn’t really notice particulars, but it did make an impression. You girls will love it.”
Karynn did love it. While retaining the all-important elements of welcome and home, the inn also possessed an unmistakable touch of class. She was eager to explore the gift shop. Perhaps she’d find something to enhance those same elements at Hearth & Home.
A faint smell of paint, varnish and new carpet hung in the air, lending a clean, fresh ambiance. Had the place fallen into disrepair at some point? Many clues pointed to a recent facelift…but then, Karynn’s efforts to maintain her bed and breakfast made her aware that keeping a place like Christmas Inn in this kind of condition would be a constant, ongoing effort.
“This is it.” Savannah spoke in an awed tone, so unlike her usual fun-at-all-costs persona that Karynn bit back a grin. Her sister was impressed with their surroundings, as well.
They stood in the door of the dining room, getting their bearings.
White linen cloths topped six round tables, each of which boasted a three-arm candelabrum. Candlelight played over bright Christmas baubles and gleaming silverware.
“Each table has its own holiday theme,” Savannah noted.
Karynn lifted an eyebrow. “And each room is assigned to a specific table, based on theme?”
“Right. Ours is the bell theme.” She laughed. “So is our room—and your toes. We’ll be hearing bells in our sleep tonight, won’t we?”
Karynn glanced down at the painted-on bells peeking from beneath the hem of her gown. They were growing on her. “That’s OK. I like them. Let’s find our table.” She gave Savannah a quick, mischievous grin. “Or perhaps we should close our eyes and follow the sound of tinkling bells.”
“Ha! I’m game, but you’d never make such a spectacle of yourself. Oh, I see it.” Savannah pointed out a table that sported a bell-adorned wreath around the base of its candelabrum. “Only one other guest at our table, at least for now.”
An older gentleman stood as they approached, a broad smile lighting his face. “Ladies.” He pulled a chair out for each of them before returning to his own. “I am Gabriel D’Angelo.”
They introduced themselves and Gabriel shone that sunny smile again. “It is an honor to meet such lovely sisters.”
Karynn couldn’t put a finger on why, but the man’s presence calmed her. Gabriel D’Angelo wasn’t just any sweet, elderly man from…where? Certainly not America, judging by his beautiful accent. She’d enjoy getting to know this gue
st.
“Gabriel, I’m guessing you are perhaps from…Italy?”
“Ahh…you are as perceptive as you are lovely. Venice.”
“I thought so. What brings you to Tennessee?”
“I’ve come to deliver a message for an old friend.” He smiled, but seemed disinclined to reveal more about his mission.
Karynn didn’t pry. The man’s purpose in Hope Creek was his own business.
“Savannah, may I be so presumptuous as to guess that you are a newlywed?” Gabriel ventured.
Savannah laughed outright. “How did you know?”
“It is easy to see beneath the surface, if one tries. You are quite young, yet you wear a beautiful wedding ring. You are glowing, so your heart is happy. It was a reasonably safe assumption.”
“You had me going for a second!” Savannah said. “I was starting to think—”
A petulant female voice cut into their conversation. “I take it this is the bell table.”
Something unpleasant coiled its way up Karynn’s spine, and her breath caught in her throat. She’d experienced it before…the same instinctive, soul-deep, gut-wrenching aversion on first contact with an individual. Over time, she’d come to recognize the powerful inner reaction as more than the instant dislike some humans experience now and then toward one another. This wasn’t a personality clash or adverse chemistry. Karynn called them Spirit-warnings, and she no longer downplayed their existence or their importance. They’d proven true and accurate one hundred percent of the time.
She fisted both hands, as if by tensing her fingers she could school her facial muscles to hide the war raging inside. Then she lifted her eyes to see what kind of person could call forth her Spirit-warrior by voice alone.
Copper-colored hair. Green eyes—up-tilted, almond shaped and narrowed to slits, like a cat on the hunt. A face that might have been lovely but for its bored, dissatisfied, self-indulgent expression. The newcomer held the hand of a small, blonde-haired girl whose sunny smile made up for her mother’s lack of one.
“Please…join us.” Gabriel stood once again and waved an arm toward the empty chairs.
“Thank you, but we’re waiting for my daddy.” The child’s voice was as sweet as her smile.
“I’m here, Chrissy.” A tall man with a trim, medium brown beard and slightly longish hair strode toward the table. “It’s crazy cold out there, and the snow is—” He broke off and stopped as if frozen in place, sapphire-blue eyes wide, shocked…and fixed on Karynn.
“I, uh…I don’t…Karynn? Karynn Michaels?”
The cat-eyed woman cast a waspish look at Karynn, and then back at her husband.
Savannah’s soft laughter held a touch of pure wonder. “This is unreal.”
Karynn refused to look at her sister. She forced a smile that felt wooden and dredged up every ounce of courage she possessed to hold the man’s startled gaze. She prayed her eyes did not reflect the mixed emotions creating utter turmoil in her heart.
“Hello, Daniel. It’s been a long time.”
2
Stunned to silence, Daniel could only stare. Once upon a long time ago, he’d thought this lovely creature would one day be the mother of his children. Even now, she sometimes stole into his dreams…a sweet whisper of memory that lingered upon awakening to brighten his day and bring a smile. What unbelievable coincidence had brought them both to Hope Creek at the same time?
Someone discreetly cleared a throat.
Daniel blinked—once, and then again. This time, he was wide awake and fully alive. He hurried around the table to claim the chair next to Karynn.
After seating Chrissy between her nanny and himself, he met the copper-haired woman’s slit-eyed gaze and tilted his head toward his daughter. She acknowledged his silent directive with a stiff smile. He’d half regretted bringing Lena along, but thank God she was here. Someone would need to keep his six-year-old occupied while he drank in the sight of the beautiful woman who had somehow, by some miracle, appeared in his waking world.
Introductions were made around the table, and by the time Daniel’s turn rolled around, he felt a little less like he was muddling through dream-muck.
“Savannah? Little Vanna?” He grinned at the pretty blonde he remembered as a gangly pre-teen with braces and a super-sized attitude. “Look at you, kid! You’re gorgeous, and judging by that rock on your finger, some lucky guy’s already staked a claim.”
“Still a charmer, aren’t you, Daniel Sheridan? Some things never change.” Savannah’s sweet, natural laughter brought out answering smiles on every face around the table…except Lena Hinson’s. The nanny appeared anything but charmed. “I was old enough, even back then, to notice. And yes, I am married, to the most amazing man on the planet—Quillpoint’s own Dr. Darren Quinn.”
“Our fair city’s one and only brain surgeon.” Karynn spoke softly, with an unmistakable satisfaction in her sister’s happiness. “They are the most adorable couple ever, and I must agree—my brother-in-law is beyond wonderful.”
“Well, he certainly has the most eye-stopping publicity team possible.” Daniel smiled, and then tore his gaze from hers—deepest brown, like rich, dark chocolate, just as he remembered—and introduced his party to the other diners.
He liked Gabriel D’Angelo instinctively. The guy smiled, and the tightness in Daniel’s gut relaxed a bit. Pure coincidence, of course. Gabriel’s voice, while pleasant, couldn’t have spoken peace into his muddled emotions. But something had, and he welcomed the lessening of tension in his gut.
Lena made no effort to greet anyone in response to Daniel’s introduction. Puzzled, he turned toward her, only to find her narrowed gaze on Karynn. The set of her mouth, and the almost visible sparks shooting from her eyes sent little darts of…something—something he didn’t like—deep into Daniel’s psyche. He shook it off as a momentary glitch of consciousness, but it left a vague discomfort in his mind.
When she realized Daniel’s gaze was on her, the nanny’s instantaneous change of demeanor gave him another disconcerting jolt of…what? Warning? He felt sucker-punched, as if he’d watched someone don a new face, like some kind of shapeshifting thing. How could one person display two remotely different visages in almost the same second?
He frowned, but decided it was probably nothing. Caught up in the undeniably emotion-laden shock of running into the woman a part of him had never quite stopped loving, he’d probably read a whole lot of something into a little bit of nothing.
Time to get past it and enjoy what time he could with Karynn. He issued a stern mental reminder that their relationship—the all-or-nothing, over-the-top whirlwind of young love—had lived and died over a decade ago. A quick glance at the six-year-old daughter he loved more than life was enough to bring his world into crystal clarity. A whole lot of water had rushed and tumbled and crashed under the bridge since he kissed Karynn goodbye on the football bleachers at Quillpoint High. At the time, he’d thought his heart would surely crack wide open and never mend.
But that was then. This is now.
Karynn might be curious about him, about who he’d become since they last saw each other—just as he was about her. But they’d both moved on, and survived without the other. He’d be careful not to interpret polite interest as anything more.
With introductions over, he was finally free to focus on her, and prayed the others would find their own paths of conversation. “I caught a glimpse of you in the parking lot this afternoon. You seemed familiar, but at that distance…and after all this time.” He shook his head. Too bad he couldn’t shake it hard enough to loosen the fog of disbelief still clouding his brain.
Karynn Michaels had been a knockout in high school. She’d wowed him even then. Now she was drop dead gorgeous, with a timeless beauty and a natural grace that stole his breath.
“I didn’t see you. Not that I would have recognized you, with the beard.” Her gaze moved over his face and head. “Is that snow in your hair? I thought the sky looked rather threateni
ng when Savannah and I checked in, but we haven’t been back outside.”
“It’s snow all right. I went outside to bring in a couple of things we might need tomorrow, since it might be a challenge to get to our vehicles by then. I believe it’s ten degrees colder than when we arrived. The snow’s coming down hard, and it’s pretty windy.”
Karynn glanced at her sister, a troubled frown between her eyes. “I’m pretty sure Savannah and I brought everything in…”
“We did, Sis.” Savannah fixed her gaze on Karynn, tilted her head, and did something weird with her eyebrows. Then she plowed ahead as if she hadn’t just given her face cartoon-character attributes. “We have everything we need, and the inn is probably well stocked in case of emergency. They don’t serve dinner every night, and lunch not at all, but if we’re housebound, I’m sure they’ll improvise.”
“I can assure you, no one will starve or suffer hypothermia within the walls of Christmas Inn.” Gabriel’s hearty laughter wove over and around the table like a soothing balm, and he gave Chrissy a special smile, for her alone. “It’ll be an adventure, won’t it, little one?”
“It’ll be fun, fun, fun!” His daughter’s tiny voice warmed Daniel’s heart to a ridiculous degree. She clapped her hand, clearly enthralled with the idea of being snowbound. “If we have to be stuckted somewhere, Christmas Inn is the bestest place of all. Did you see, Daddy? There are elves in the clock! There’s a Santa too…’cept he changed clothes, and now he’s wearing a pretty white robe with silver stuff, ’stead of that ol’ red thing he usually has on.” Her nose wrinkled and she seemed puzzled for half a minute or so. Then she wrinkled her tiny nose. “Even Santa has to change clothes sometimes. He prob’ly has to brush his teeth too. Ick!”
Almost everyone laughed. Lena was the one exception, and she didn’t appear likely to find anything funny any time soon. She couldn’t have looked more sour with a lemon stuck between her teeth.
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