Love at Christmas Inn Collection 1

by Tanya Stowe et al

  “Daniel, if you’d like, I can help Karynn with her soup while you enjoy yours.”

  “I can feed myself.” Karynn smiled at her friend. “Thank you, but I’m doing b-better now.”

  Daniel studied her face. The scary blue tinge around her lips had faded, and her speech was much steadier. She’d be fine.

  “Well, if you’re sure…” Lydia bent to give Karynn a hug. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  The hot chocolate was gourmet fare, as was everything on the tray. Daniel enjoyed his soup, but kept a close eye on Karynn with hers. Her fingers shook a bit when she first picked up her spoon, but by the time she swallowed the last drop, no trace remained of the ice maiden.

  Daniel laid the tray aside. He’d return it to the kitchen later. Right now, he had something else on his mind.

  He knelt in front of Karynn’s chair. “Are you warm enough to lose that blanket?”

  “If I don’t, I’ll melt right through the floor.” She laughed, and tossed the heavy cover aside.

  Daniel drew her up and into his arms. “Don’t ever do that again. You scared us all.”

  She smiled and cupped her hands around his face. “I’d do it again right now. God met me out there in the Christmas Inn Chapel. It was…beyond wondrous.”

  “Well, a meeting with God definitely trumps the warmth of this fireplace.” He traced her lips with a fingertip. “I had my own God-moment today.”

  “And I want to hear about it but…me first. I have something to say to you, and I’ve already waited too long.”

  “You’re not going to break my heart, are you?”

  “That’s not in the plan.” She drew his face closer to hers, and held his gaze as she touched her lips to his. Shy. Tentative.

  Breathtaking.

  Daniel gathered her close…close enough to feel her heartbeat against his own. The syncopation created a perfect rhythm. He responded to her timid gesture of initiation with a gentle slide of his lips across hers. Then, with a groan, he deepened the kiss to explore further, tasting the sweetness of her lips for the first time in far, far too long.

  Karynn’s arms stole around his neck. She responded with all the passion he’d longed for since he saw her in the dining room that first night. Whatever conversation she’d had with God out there in that little chapel had opened her to the possibility of a shared future.

  His heart crashed at her feet when she stiffened and pulled away enough to fix a wide, startled gaze on his. No, no…please, not again.

  “Do you hear them?”

  How had he missed them? The musical sound of tolling bells rang through the air, loud and clear even inside the inn. Daniel held Karynn in his arms. Eyes fixed on each other, they didn’t speak until the last deep peal echoed into silence.

  Daniel loved the awe on her face. “I never told you about those bells, did I?”

  “No, but I did,” Lydia sang from across the room. Then she ducked out of sight, her low, warm laughter still echoing in the air.

  Daniel laughed out loud. “She’s your friend, huh? You didn’t mention her.”

  “Because I only met her this morning.”

  “But she said—”

  “That we’re old friends? We are. We’ve known each other forever.”

  “O…K. I’m out of my league, but we’ll fix that later.” Right now, Daniel had other things on his mind. He drew her close once again. “Where were we?” He kissed her nose. Her chin. Nuzzled her neck.

  “Uhm…I…Daniel! I need to tell you something, and I can’t…think…when you…”

  He chuckled. “All right, for now. You were saying?”

  “I’m glad you weren’t off soaring through the clouds. I’m not sure I could’ve waited another day to say this.” A shy smile peeked through the solemnity of her expression. “My mother would faint dead away if she knew I jumped the gun and said it first, but—”

  “Well, let’s honor your sweet mother’s memory.” Daniel traced her lips with his fingertip. “Allow me. Karynn Michaels, I have loved you since before I knew you. I’ve never for one moment stopped loving you—there’s a part of my heart that no one else could ever, or will ever claim. I loved you ten years ago, sweetheart. I adore you today. And, while it seems impossible at the moment, I know that tomorrow, and every tomorrow after, what I feel now will be stronger and deeper.” He lifted her chin and brushed her lips again—a gentle, soft caress that sent a spear of warmth throughout his body. “What I’m saying, Karynn, is that I’ll love you forever and always.”

  Her radiant smile lit the whole world, and Daniel’s heart responded with a leap that didn’t knock him off his feet only because the woman in his arms also held him in hers.

  “Now, how am I supposed to come up with anything better than that, Daniel Sheridan? So not fair!”

  “This isn’t a competition, my love. Please…for my heart’s sake…say something.”

  Her sweet laughter filled all the dry, empty places he hadn’t even known his soul possessed. “For your heart, then. Daniel…I think I’ve loved you every moment of my life. Those years between ‘then’ and ‘now’ were an eternity of waiting, and I still can’t believe God gave you back to me. You are the air I breathe, the beat of my heart, and the song of my soul. I love you. I love you, Daniel…forever and always.”

  “Then and now.” Daniel touched his lips to one corner of hers and held them there until she gasped. He smiled. “Forever and always.” He moved to the opposite corner in a slow slide, and once again waited for her breathless reaction. Only then did he turn the playful touches into a slow lip dance.

  When at last the kiss ended, Karynn laid her head against his chest. Her fingers toyed with the unruly waves of hair at his collar, sending electric tingles up his scalp. “Daniel?”

  “Karynn…”

  “The bells. They’re ringing again.”

  He laughed. “So they are. Shall we try for one more encore?”

  “Mmmm. Why stop at one?”

  10

  Karynn didn’t hear Daniel’s news about his job until late that night, when once again they snuggled in front of the fireplace. His pleasure in the telling only enhanced her over-the-top relief at the perfect timing of every event, all day long.

  “I’m so glad I told you I loved you before you shared this news. I wouldn’t want you to ever think I only let ‘us’ happen because you’re not a full-time pilot any more.”

  “Karynn, it wouldn’t matter. Do you think I’d let a job stand between us? Any job?”

  “No, I don’t. But you shouldn’t have to change your life in that way for me. I’m glad it happened the way it did.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, and then released it when Daniel’s playfully wolfish gaze fell on the habitual gesture. “Stop that!” When, oh when, would she stop blushing like a schoolgirl? “Help me understand what this new position means. Chief Airline Flight Instructor. It certainly sounds important.”

  “It means a whole lot less airtime, a regular schedule—evenings and weekends off—and no need for live-in childcare. Oh, and a little less money, in case that’s a deal breaker.” He grinned. “Chrissy’s already making an all-out plea to live in Quillpoint, not Tulsa.”

  Karynn laughed. “I’m all for having you closer.”

  “We can think about all that later, but I’ll do whatever makes you happy, Karynn. Where we live doesn’t matter, as long as we’re together.” He nuzzled her neck, and she focused on breathing.

  “Oh, I meant to ask…” Daniel sat up and fixed her beneath a stern, narrow-eyed gaze. “What was Savannah talking about today? Something about…prom addiction? Frog fiction? Song diction?”

  Karynn rolled her eyes, but couldn’t make a frown work—her lips refused to cooperate. “Promidiction.”

  “Ahh. Yeah, that’s it. I love new words. Can I use it in Scrabble?”

  Karynn finally managed to purse her lips in proper school marm style.

  Daniel laughed. “OK. OK. But seriously—fill
me in.”

  “I hoped you’d let that slide.”

  “Not a chance. Talk to me.”

  She removed the fuzzy slippers she’d worn to their ‘fireside chat’ and stuck both feet straight out in front of her. “My toes.”

  Daniel grinned. “Wowzers! Lovin’ the cute little bells.”

  “They’re not too bad, are they?” She filled him in on the whole Bells on Her Toes package. “My sister has become Miss Extravagance since she married a brain surgeon.”

  “Well, she did it up right with those toes.” He tugged on a strand of her hair and winked. “So what was the frog fiction today? That’s what Savannah was on about—not those adorable toes of yours.”

  He wasn’t wrong.

  When Savannah and Chrissy returned from their run into Hope Creek that afternoon, Daniel and Karynn still stood in front of the fireplace, wrapped in each other’s arms. Chrissy’s high-pitched giggle drew their attention, and they whirled to find Savannah hunkered down to the child’s level, her arm around Chrissy, while they both stared, wide-eyed, across the room.

  “Daddy! You’re kissing Miss Karynn!”

  Karynn struggled to pull free of his arms, but he refused to let go.

  “I am?” Daniel made a show of noticing his arms around her. “Well, look at that. I sure am, munchkin. Know what? I think I’ll do it again.”

  To Karynn’s utter embarrassment, he pulled her into a brief, tight squeeze and touched his lips to hers. Just a peck, but heat crawled up her neck, into her face, and all the way to her hairline.

  Chrissy covered her mouth with both hands, but a burst of heavenly little-girl giggles poured from between tiny fingers.

  Savannah stood to her feet and lifted both beautiful, wing-shaped eyebrows. “Well, I am not surprised.”

  “Oh, come on,” Daniel teased. “You’re a little bit surprised.”

  “Nope. It was in the promidiction.” She grinned at Karynn. “You didn’t do your thing this morning, so I did it for you. Want to know what it said?”

  “No!”

  “Then I won’t tell you.” Savannah stuck her nose in the air and marched right past them, taking Chrissy upstairs to shed her damp jacket and boots.

  Now, Daniel refused to let it go. “So, what did it say? That promidiction thing. I know she’s told you by now.”

  Karynn groaned. It’s so silly.”

  “So tell me the silly promidiction.”

  She sighed. “It said, ‘Today is the first day of a whole new world. Say yes to an important question.’”

  “What’s silly about that? Are you going to say yes?”

  Karynn wrinkled her nose. “To what question?”

  “Will you marry me?”

  “Now, see what I mean? That’s an unnecessary question, because we both already know—”

  “Will you marry me?”

  “Yes. I can’t wait to marry you.”

  “See, the promidictions are great. You should take them more seriously.”

  They laughed—the same way they always used to laugh, for any reason, or no reason at all. Then he kissed her, and she forgot all about crystal bells and promidictions.

  ****

  The following week passed in a blur of activity. Now that the storm had run its course, Hope Creek became a hive of activity. Tourists roamed the streets, and Christmas shoppers filled the malls. Santa ho-ho-hoed from half a dozen different corners. Familiar holiday tunes filled the air at every location.

  Karynn and Savannah discovered they enjoyed browsing the gift shop at Christmas Inn more than any other shopping venue. Having watched Savannah drool over a couple of items and then leave them on the shelves, Karynn managed another visit without her sister. She pretended ignorance when Savannah did the same.

  Daniel insisted on Karynn reading the day’s promidiction with him every morning. They’d walk in the garden and choose a different bench, for a new view each day. Once she got past the mild embarrassment of answering the curious questions of other guests when she rang the crystal bell, Karynn enjoyed the fun. They made their way through a whole range of pretty sayings, from blatantly generic to a couple that bordered on specific.

  Don’t be afraid to try new things.

  That evening, Daniel took her to a barn dance outside the city limits, where they two-stepped and laughed through a square dance routine. Neither of those were new to Karynn, thanks to her mother. Then he pulled her onto the floor one last time…and Mama never heard of the Boot-scootin’ Boogie.

  The night before Christmas Eve, they attended a holiday show at Dahlia Brewster’s Family Theater. Once Chrissy discovered her new hero, Jayson Taylor, was one of the top-billed performers, the child insisted they had to ‘go watch Jayson play.’

  That day’s promidiction read, “You won’t regret heeding the voice of a child,” so nothing would do for Daniel but that they all went to the theater.

  The show proved phenomenal. Jayson played opposite a former Hope Creek native with a voice like an angel. Emilee Lancaster had come all the way from California to do the show, as a favor to her aunt Dahlia.

  Afterward, in their habitual late-night spot by the fireplace, Karynn told Daniel that if the chapel bells hadn’t already rang for Jayson and Emilee, they would, and soon.

  “Is that a personal promidiction?” he teased.

  She laughed. “Call it what you want.”

  “I call it pretty obvious. No way was that just good chemistry.”

  “Right. Those two are in love, whether they know it or not.”

  “And we should know, because we are now experts on the subject.” Daniel laughed and ducked Karynn’s playful slap to his arm. “Can you believe tomorrow’s Christmas Eve? Already? After that, it’ll be your Christmas-birthday.”

  “And you’ve given me the best gift of my life, Daniel. You…and Chrissy.”

  “Ditto, my love. So, we have the Christmas prayer service tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to that. But there’s a whole day to fill in the meantime. Any plans?”

  She grinned. “Yes, but they won’t take long.”

  “Well, that’s informative. Are they something I can’t know about?”

  “No, I guess not.” She lifted slippered feet and wiggled her toes. “I thought I’d go by Nail It and have my toes touched up.”

  “Aha! More promidictions for our playful pleasure.”

  “No! No more of those.” Karynn laughed. “I just want to brighten the bells on my toes.”

  “I’m surprised.” He closed one eye and tilted his head to the side. “Savannah said they were a little over the top for you.”

  “They were, at first. But now…I don’t know, I like them. They make me smile.”

  Daniel pulled her into his arms. “Then by all mean, go get more bells on your toes. I love that gorgeous smile.”

  Karynn cuddled closer. “Want to hear a promidiction right now?”

  He grinned—that mischievous, crooked half grin she remembered so well…the one that melted her heart every time. “Always.”

  “A handsome, high-flying man will kiss me near a crackling fire. And I will smile, because his kisses really ring my bell.”

  “Hmmm.” Daniel trailed his lips from her chin to her temple, then gently turned her face to make the same journey from temple to chin on the other side. “I like it.” He stopped just shy of covering her lips with his. “So…do they really? Ring your bell?”

  “Every bell on every toe.”

  He kissed her then, a bell-ringing, toe-curling, heart-stopping kiss.

  Karynn…smiled.

  About the Author

  DELIA LATHAM writes Heaven’s touch into earthly tales. She puts her characters through the fire of trial, only to bring them out victorious by the hand of God, His heavenly messengers, and old-fashioned love.

  Delia lives in East Texas with her husband Johnny. She’s a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend—but above all, she treasures her role as princess daughter to the King o
f Kings. When she’s not writing, she designs book covers and marketing material for other authors. Samples of her work can be seen at heavenstouchdesigns.com.

  Find out more about this author on her website: www.delialatham.net. Visit her blog, or “Like” her author page on Facebook.

  Other Titles in the

  Love at Christmas Inn Collection

  Christmas Bells are Ringing

  Bells at Midnight

  With Bells On

  More Titles by Delia Latham

  Coming Soon

  Spring Raine (February 2017)

  Oh Baby (April 2017)

  The First Noelle

  Heart’s Haven Collections

  Jewels for the Kingdom

  Lexi’s Heart

  Love in the WINGS

  A Cowboy Christmas (Co-authored with Tanya Stowe)

  Pure Amore

  At First Sight

  Jingle Belle

  (Part of Pelican Book Group’s

  Pure Amore Book-of-the-Month Subscription Service.)

  A Smoky Mountain Christmas

  Do You See What I See?

  (See Amazon listing for titles

  in this collection by other authors.)

  Solomon’s Gate

  Destiny’s Dream

  Kylie’s Kiss

  Gypsy’s Game

  Lea’s Gift (Co-authored with Tanya Stowe)

  Stand-alone Titles

  Treehouse (Short Story)

  Yesterday’s Promise

  Goldeneyes