Karynn blinked against a sting in her eyes. “It must be so hard.”
“At first, I was…adrift. Just wasn’t sure how to stay anchored, you know? But I had to, because Chrissy needed me. That little girl saved me, Karynn. Just by being there, she kept me together.” He drew in a breath, and the exhale that followed seemed to come from his very core. “It’s gotten easier though. God’s been with us, and we’re doing all right—moving on, just as Tina ordered.” A crooked smile now teased at his lips. “She was bossy, just like her daughter.”
Karynn laughed softly. “Well, if Chrissy looks like her, then she was lovely. If nothing else, that would’ve made her…uhm, assertiveness…easier to take.”
“She was attractive, although I can’t say it made her bossiness easy to take. Not all the time.” He chuckled, and slanted his gaze toward Karynn. “Still, we had a good life. We were happier than I deserved.”
“Why would you say that?” She studied his expression. “Of course you deserved to be happy.”
“Tina told me once that there was a part of me she didn’t know, and couldn’t ever hope to know.” He cleared his throat. “A part of me that would never be hers.”
“What…? What does that even mean?” She didn’t understand. At all.
For the first time since Karynn asked about his wife, Daniel lifted his head and looked full into her face. His eyes pierced deep, as if seeking her soul. She was certain they found it because something within her leaped in response. Her heartbeat went from gentle canter to racing gallop in an instant. Her toes curled so tight she imagined the tinkle of tiny bells.
Daniel took her hands. He held one against his face, and closed his eyes as if to absorb her touch. Karynn’s breath caught when an electric tingle shot from her fingertips to her shoulder, and arrowed straight for her heart.
“You already know, Karynn…I see it in your eyes.” He squeezed the fingers of her other hand. “But I’ll answer, since you asked. Tina knew about you. I told her myself…why wouldn’t I? She knew I hadn’t seen you since high school, and that, in all probability, I’d never see you again.” He looked away for an instant, and then recaptured her gaze. “She also knew—although I swear I never said so—that a part of me never stopped loving you.”
5
Had they truly been trapped in a fairy tale, perhaps Daniel could have unspoken those words. Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong context.
Just wrong. Karynn’s wide eyes and shocked expression said it all.
“Daniel, I don’t think—” She blew a couple of panicky breaths in and out. “We shouldn’t—”
From inside the lobby, a loud, ringing sound startled them both.
“Hold on.” He raised one finger, halting her choked response, and strode to the lobby door. By the time he shoved it open, Karynn was at his side.
An old-fashioned, triangle dinner bell hung from a cord gripped in Ariana Christmas’s fingers. With obvious delight, she moved a striker around the three-sided opening, creating a surprisingly musical ‘ringing’ effect. With every eye fixed on her, she set the bell aside and grinned. “I’ve never been able to resist a chance to play with that thing.”
Amongst scattered snickers and laughter, she clapped her hands to keep their attention. “I appreciate that you’re all making the best of a frustrating situation. Right now, the snow has slowed considerably, and so has the wind. But according to local weather reports, it’s just a lull in the storm. So how about a little time outside before the next wave hits? Let’s have a snowman contest!”
Before the enthusiastic applause died all the way down, Ariana had divided them into teams and shooed everyone upstairs to bundle up and gather supplies.
Daniel, with Chrissy in tow, joined Karynn and Savannah on the landing moments later. They hurried through the empty lobby and foyer, and pushed through the glass doors into the frosty air.
“Look, Daddy, a doggy!” Chrissy squealed.
He followed her gaze to the circle drive. A huge mastiff rode like a canine king on a sled pulled by a tall man with a dark beard. The animal’s tail beat hard and fast as the crowd milled about outside the inn. His taut muscles indicated a wild desire to dash into their midst, but a low command from his master, along with the man’s hand on his collar, kept the dog on the sled.
Daniel took a vice-like hold on Chrissy’s tiny hand. Fully clothed and soaking wet, she didn’t weigh as much as one of that creature’s hind legs.
Ariana stepped close and laid a hand on Daniel’s arm. “That’s Jayson—the man, not the dog. He lives in a cottage here on the property, and he’s ten kinds of wonderful. I would trust him with my life.” She tilted her head at Chrissy, still focused on the man and dog. “Jayson’s letting Max run off some doggy energy, after being cooped up all day. He’s offered to let your little sweetheart join them while we adults are playing rough-and-tumble games.”
Where was Lena? Daniel wouldn’t have to make this kind of decision if his nanny were earning the ridiculous salary he paid her. Why would anyone think he’d let his little girl out of his sight with a man he’d never met—not to mention a dog the size of Paul Bunyan’s blue ox?
Jayson pulled sled and dog through the milling guests, and Ariana bent to give the mastiff a strong rub behind the ears. “Max looks scary, but he’s gentle as a lamb. Chrissy couldn’t be in safer hands—or paws.”
Daniel turned to Karynn. She was watching Savannah, perched on the sled with her arms around the big dog’s neck. None of the women seemed to have a problem with the size of the creature. Still, Karynn must have sensed his concern, because she turned, looked straight into his eyes and gave him a barely perceptible nod. “She’ll be safe.”
She had always possessed an uncanny “knowing” where people were concerned. That she trusted this stranger all but clenched the deal. Even so, he was relieved when Jayson removed a pair of reflective sunglasses, offered his hand, and introduced himself. His quiet, sincere smile and open demeanor erased the last of Daniel’s concerns.
“Max sure could use a little company. He’s been stuck in the cottage with me all day. Look at him.” Jayson’s laughter rang across the cold air. “He loves kids. We’ll take good care of Chrissy, if you’ll allow her to come with us, and I guarantee she’ll enjoy the ride.” He nodded toward a low hill well within sight of the inn. “We’ll do a couple ups-and-downs over there, and you’ll be able to see her the whole time.”
“Daddy?” Chrissy’s pleading blue eyes broke down the last of his resistance. “Please, please, pleeeease, can I go?”
“All right, I—I suppose so. Thank you, Jayson.” Daniel grinned. “You too, Max.”
Jayson strapped Chrissy onto the sled. She waved, grinning ear to ear, as they set off toward the distant rise. The mastiff trotted alongside the snow vehicle.
Karynn slid her hand in his. “He’s a good man. He’ll protect her with his life, and so will Max.”
“Yeah, I get it, but still.” He huffed out a breath and turned, so he couldn’t see Chrissy moving further away. “Let’s go, before I change my mind.”
Getting everyone outside the inn was a great idea. Crisp, cold air and the welcome release of pent-up energy took the edge off an underlying tension that had been building beneath the surface calm.
Besides himself, Daniel’s three-man team included Gabriel D’Angelo and Ariana’s friend, Taylor. They worked well together, and after their snow creature won them the Christmas Inn Snowman Champs title, they pounded each other’s backs, enjoying their victory.
Taylor enjoyed it too much. He caught Ariana’s eye and fist-pumped the air. She responded with a snowball that smacked him in the face—and the two were off and going with a vigorous snowball battle. Then Taylor let loose a big, wet snowball that sailed over Ariana’s shoulder and hit Karynn. The man froze, along with everyone in the immediate vicinity—including Daniel.
Karynn’s mouth formed a perfect “oh.” She brushed a hand across her snow-splattered features in slow mo
tion. Then, without a word, she bent, packed a fast snowball of her own and let it fly.
Now it was a free-for-all, and everyone got in on the fun.
Daniel tried to participate, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off Karynn. Finally he stepped away from the ‘war zone’ and watched her turn into a livewire. Caught up in the excitement of the game, she let her guard down, released her inner child, and just…played. He found her more beautiful with every musical burst of laughter, more tantalizing with each mock-frightened scream and excited squeal, more endearing with every clumsy tumble and roll.
At last, energy waned and the bevy of flying snow slowed to a stop. As folks moved back toward the inn, Karynn turned her head one way and then the other. Searching. For Savannah?
Her restless gaze locked onto his and stopped.
He smiled, and her full lips curved upward in a slow, sweet response that stole his breath and left him reeling. She trudged through the snow toward him—and he set off in her direction, helpless to wipe the dizzy grin off his face.
Maybe…just maybe he hadn’t ruined everything after all.
Even as he’d raced alongside Taylor and Gabriel, rolling huge balls of feathery white flakes to build a decent snowman before Ariana’s Aunt Lizzie clanged the dinner bell, he’d given himself kick after mental kick, called himself all kinds of a fool. Why hadn’t he answered Karynn’s question about Chrissy’s mother and let it go at that? There’d been no need to bare his whole soul.
Every conversation since they both showed up in the dining room last night had centered mostly around him—his life since he left Karynn in Quillpoint a decade ago. All he knew about her in the here-and-now was that she owned a box of ‘Daniel-memories.’
She reached his side in the trampled snow. Daniel slipped his hands around her waist and drew her close, and his anguished questions found an answer in the chocolate-colored depths of her eyes.
He’d spouted a whole decade’s worth of living because that’s what Karynn meant for him to do. Even as a cocky, over-confident high school jock, he’d melted like butter on a fresh-flipped flapjack when she turned those big, brown eyes his way. When she amped up the voltage with a smile, his spine turned to jelly. He’d never stood a chance against anything she wanted.
Not then, and not now.
But it was her turn to open up, and Daniel intended to make it happen soon. Upwards of ten years’ worth of questions churned in his mind. Did she still live in her old neighborhood? What kind of work did she do? Did she ever play? Who were her friends—did she hang with any of the old crowd, the kids he’d known back then? How were Mr. and Mrs. Michaels? Karynn had been close to her parents, and yet he’d been so caught up in the present that he hadn’t even asked about them.
The things he didn’t know about her could fill a dozen books. But one thing he did know, without even a whisper of doubt. Karynn Michaels was back in his world, and Daniel knew a miracle when he saw one. He wouldn’t walk out of her life again unless she ordered him out.
****
Karynn stared into the flames of the fireplace. After a day of forced company, the other guests had chosen to spend the evening in the privacy of their own rooms. She’d accepted Daniel’s request to sit with him in the quiet lobby and enjoy a bit of time together, just the two of them and the crackling fire.
The joy in his eyes when she said yes touched her in a deep place—a place that belonged only to Daniel. As a teen, he’d been incapable of deception. Even when he tried to tease her with a ‘little white lie,’ his eyes gave him away. Every time. That soul-deep honesty was one of the reasons she’d loved him so much.
Where Daniel was concerned, the familiar phrase about eyes being the windows to the soul held enormous truth. His soul shone through his eyes like a beacon of all things right, and pure, and clean.
He was upstairs now, tucking a worn-out little girl into Karynn’s bed. She’d sleep there, in the room with Savannah, until Daniel returned for her. No one expected her to awaken, even during the move from one bed to another. The child had nodded off over dinner, exhausted from a grand day of sledding and romping with Max.
Karynn pulled one foot up under her on the sofa and tugged a light throw over her shoulders. Jayson should sleep well tonight too. He’d climbed the little hill he’d pointed out to Daniel at least a dozen times, and rode the sled down with Chrissy, who begged for ‘one more time’ upon every stop at the bottom. When he finally brought her back to the inn, Jayson wore a smile as broad and delighted as the child’s.
Daniel thanked Jayson—and Max—but he confessed to Karynn that he’d had to squelch an unworthy stab of jealousy when Chrissy looked at the man with stars in her eyes.
“Karynn?”
She jumped when the quiet voice shattered her reverie. “Gabriel! I thought everyone had called it a night.”
“I planned to, but decided to stretch my legs a bit.” He indicated the other end of the sofa. “May I?”
“Of course.” She welcomed his company. Every conversation with this man had proved enjoyable. His wide smile remained a source of inexplicable calm. Had his presence contributed to the day’s surprising absence of temper and trouble amongst the shut-in occupants of the inn? “Tell me about yourself, Gabriel. We haven’t had a real opportunity to chat.”
“Oh, you don’t want to hear an old man ramble—not when you’re waiting on a young one to join you.”
Karynn’s cheeks warmed, but she didn’t mind the Italian man’s gentle teasing. “Of course I do. I have a feeling you’ve led a fascinating life.”
He nodded, and his dark eyes twinkled when he hiked one eyebrow. “I’m very old, you know. Over the years, I have experienced many things. But none of them are to be shared tonight.”
“Maybe another time, then?” She watched the man’s expression—somber, at the moment. His kind eyes reflected the flames leaping and dancing in the fireplace. “I have to say this. There’s something wonderful about your smile. It spreads peace and calm like a soul-salve.” She reached across the center cushion to touch his shoulder. “But you’re more than a nice man with a magical smile, aren’t you, Mr. Gabriel D’Angelo?”
“We’re all more than we appear to be, my dear. In the deepest part of ourselves, we each have our own little worlds of wonder and hope, as well as hidden hurts, secret longings, fears and failures…things most of us seldom talk about. Some people never share that innermost, heart-part of themselves—not really.” He hesitated, and then turned his entire body toward Karynn. His gaze captured hers.
Her breath caught on an audible gasp. She couldn’t look away. Was it a reflection from the firelight that made Gabriel’s eyes glow golden? Might the dim overhead lights have cast a white aura around his form?
“Our Father has such wonderful plans for you, Karynn. Be careful lest your will interferes with His as He brings them to perfection. Trust Him. And remember this, my dear.” Gabriel rose and stepped between Karynn and the fireplace, blocking her view of the dancing flames. Not that it mattered, as she remained fixated on his impossibly glowing form. “When past and present collide, the impact carves out a road to the future—one laid in place by Divine hands. Take that high road, Karynn. All other paths lead backwards.”
Gabriel’s aura began to dim, along with the golden glow in his eyes. When the last bit of beautiful light disappeared, Karynn blinked once, and then again.
The throw around her shoulders fell to the floor as she leaped to her feet and turned in a slow circle. Where was the Italian gentleman?
He’d stood in this very spot, and she’d been mesmerized by the glow that undulated around him, captivated by the golden light in his eyes. Then he was gone. Vanished, as if he’d never been there at all.
Karynn’s heart set up a genuine fuss at the excitement whirling in her soul. When at last her racing pulse slowed and settled into a normal pattern, she relaxed onto the sofa again and tried to laugh off her vivid imagination. She’d dozed off, that’s all—dreamt the ent
ire encounter. No other explanation made any kind of sense.
Lost in thought, she didn’t hear Daniel’s approach.
He joined her on the sofa, slipped one arm around her shoulders and coaxed her closer. “Sorry I took so long. I had to take a phone call.”
“No problem. I wasn’t alone long. Gabriel stopped by for a moment.” The statement startled her. Why had she said such a thing, after deciding she’d dreamt the encounter? “I hope everything’s all right. Your phone call?”
“I may have to leave for a couple of days. They’ll find someone else if they can, but it may not be possible, this close to Christmas.” He sighed. “My company tries not to interrupt our scheduled vacations, but still, it happens too often. These sudden calls and hasty departures are why I’m forced to hire live-in child care.”
A chill gripped her heart. “L—live-in?”
6
Unless he was reading her wrong—and Daniel didn’t think so—the thought bothered Karynn. Did it mean she cared enough to be concerned about his living situation?
He chuckled and gave her shoulders a little squeeze. “Lena lives in a studio apartment above my garage.”
“I see.” A tiny frown creased her forehead, and she caught her lip between her teeth. “Daniel, I don’t want to interfere—” She broke off and shook her head. “And I shouldn’t. Never mind.”
“You’re nibbling on that luscious-looking lip again.” He traced their soft outline with his fingertip. He longed to cover them with his own, to taste their sweetness. But she wasn’t ready, and he could wait. For now. “You do it when you’re feeling shy, and when you’re worried about something. You can say anything to me, Karynn. Anything.”
She sighed. “I don’t like the way Lena treats Chrissy.”
Daniel frowned. “Until I saw you and Savannah with Chrissy, I never noticed the lack of connection between her and her nanny. Now I can’t un-see it. Lena’s not a good match, and I’ll be letting her go when we return to Tulsa. For now, however, given the call from my job….” He huffed out a breath. “She’s certainly not affectionate, but you don’t think she’d hurt Chrissy, do you?”
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