Unforgettable Christmas Dreams: Gifts of Joy

by Rebecca York

  “Great—okay, so what do we need to do next?” Serenity turned on her seat. “Should we just get in the car?”

  Tiffany exhaled slowly, concentrating on something Serenity couldn’t see. “The baby’s not moving as much.”

  “All right.” Serenity had no idea what that meant. She’d thought she’d have more time to read up on the baby stuff before junior arrived.

  She wished she could talk to Ryker—he would know what to do—he wasn’t answering.

  She took out her phone. “Let me do a quick search here while we wait for the doctor to call back.” She found a medical online site and put in Tiff’s symptoms. She scanned quickly and said, “That’s normal about baby not moving, Tiff. Don’t worry. Junior could be resting up for the big event. Now, blood—how much was there? A little could mean that you lost the,” Serenity gulped and tried not to show her reaction—mucus plug—what the hell—”plug.”

  “Not a stream, but not spotting,” Tiff said quietly.

  Tiffany’s phone rang. Jonas answered and combed his hand through his dark hair. Poor guy hadn’t gotten a chance to shave. “Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay.” He nodded at them. “There was a little blood, and baby’s not moving.”

  Whatever the doctor said caused Jonas to sway.

  She gulped while massaging Tiff’s shin—grateful that her sister was tuned into something inward as she rubbed her stomach.

  “We need to go,” Jonas said.

  Now? But this was early. Two weeks. She kept calm and took Tiff’s outstretched hand. “This is exciting—are you ready to meet your baby?”

  “I am. I am.” Tiff rubbed her belly. “I just want him to be safe and healthy and I already love him so much,” her voice broke, “and he’s not even here.” Jonas shouldered the hospital bag and grabbed his car keys.

  “Ready, babe?” He looked at Tiff, with brown eyes filled with love.

  Her sister had the same glazed glow about her when she looked at him. A real freaking glow. Tiff hadn’t been kidding.

  Did Ryker make her do that?

  She regretted leaving, and how she’d left. But maybe it was for the best. She did love him, and she’d barely survived their last break up. She couldn’t do it again. Maybe in time they could be friends. There could be no in between.

  She sent him a text to let him know that she was headed to the hospital with Tiff and Jonas to meet junior.

  ***

  Ryker finished his swim in the ocean and hopped in the shower, his mind as cloudy as the Intracoastal after a storm. He’d been a fool, rushing Serenity when he’d known she wasn’t ready. Because he’d wanted her to forgive him, he’d wanted her to acknowledge his feelings, just like he’d made the choice for them to break up. What lesson did he need to learn here?

  He dressed quickly—jeans, shirt, flip flops—and grabbed his keys and phone. He would apologize and hope to salvage at least a friendship before she went back to LA. To not have her in his life at all?

  He couldn’t imagine it—not again.

  He saw that she’d called. And texted. Holy shit—Tiff was in labor? He rushed out of the house and dialed Serenity via Bluetooth.

  “Where are you?” he asked when she answered on the first ring.

  “At Tiff’s—Ryker, we were just on our way to the hospital but she,” Serenity breathed in and he could tell she was really trying for Tiffany, “she had a bad pain, and there’s blood, and—”

  “Stay there.” His mind flipped through scenarios of what was normal and what was not in a labor situation. The blood sounded like a monkey wrench. “Call 911 for an ambulance. I’m on my way to Tiffany’s.”

  “An ambulance?” Her fear came through the line but then her strength returned. “Good idea—calling now. See you when you get here.”

  Four minutes later, he pulled up on the side of Tiffany’s house, leaving the driveway for the ambulance.

  Serenity must have been looking out the window for him, because she opened the door before he knocked to pull him inside. The dogs barked from the breezeway. It was smart to have them in the back and out of the way.

  “Hi,” he said, taking in her appearance—calm on the outside, terrified for her sister underneath the surface. “911?”

  “On their way. I, we thought, well—the doctor is going to meet the ambulance at the hospital.” Serenity waited by the door, arms crossed. He could see that she wanted to help but didn’t know how.

  Jonas hovered near Tiffany, who was laid out on the couch holding her stomach and focusing inward. He’d seen that with other folks as they managed their pain.

  Ryker walked toward the couch. “Hey Tiff. What a story to tell the baby later, huh?”

  Tiffany’s green eyes flickered up at him. “Yeah. He’s going to be okay,” she said.

  “Of course he is,” Serenity agreed, placing her hand on her sister’s sneaker-clad foot.

  Jonas paced between Tiffany and the front window. “What’s taking so long?”

  Ryker did a preliminary assessment—Tiffany’s pulse was elevated, but that could be attributed to stress, the towel they’d put under her body was spotted with red blood, but not soaked. “Are you having contractions?”

  “Yes. But only twelve minutes apart. That’s not what the birthing plan says.”

  The sirens sounded for the ambulance as it rounded the corner and parked in the driveway.

  “This has been the longest ten minutes of my life,” Serenity said in a whisper.

  Ryker greeted the EMTs by name—it was a tight community, and they mostly knew one another. “Matt, Sven, hey…”

  “Hey Ryker—what’s going on?” Matt asked.

  “You’ll need the stretcher—Tiffany Brown is a good friend of mine, in labor.” He gave them the rundown. “She’s a special lady, so take extra care.”

  Sven nodded and brought the stretcher out of the back.

  Jonas was at the front door, urging them to hurry.

  Ryker stayed out of the way to let the EMTs do their job.

  Tiffany answered all of their questions, and he didn’t miss the concern on his buddy’s face as Sven strapped her to the stretcher.

  Jonas held tight to her hand as Matt wheeled her out. “Serenity?” Tiff called. “I need you too.”

  Serenity’s green eyes were huge in her face, pale from worry. “I’ll be there.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Ryker said. “I know how to get to the hospital fast.”

  “Thank you.” Serenity followed Matt and Sven out, watching as they loaded her sister into the ambulance, and Jonas climbed in after her. “We have to go. She doesn’t have her bag, or the car seat, or a name for the baby…”

  Ryker pulled her into a hug as the ambulance left. “She’s in amazing hands right now, if something happens. Let’s get her things, and we can meet them there.”

  “Okay.”

  Everything had been packed by the front door—evidence that they’d been on their way out when Tiffany had cramped so badly. He loaded it all on his shoulder. “You have keys to lock up?”

  “Yes—the dogs will be all right outside,” she said as if to assure herself that everything was accounted for.

  He ushered her out the door.

  Serenity was quiet on the ride, gripping her hands together, and for once not on her phone.

  “It’s going to be all right,” he said, reaching for her. She unknotted her hands to clasp his outstretched fingers. She was cold as ice.

  “I’m so glad you came.” She turned to face him from the passenger seat. “Ryker, I was wrong, how I left your house.”

  His heart leapt with stupid hope. “We don’t need to talk about this now. It can wait.”

  “But it can’t,” she said in a soft voice. “This is life and death. Family. Tiffany and Jonas are so strong together. That’s a beautiful thing. When I think of that type of connection, I think of you.”

  She lifted his fingers to her mouth and kissed them.

  Was she saying what he hoped to hear? Was
he dreaming?

  They arrived at the hospital where he parked as close as possible to the emergency entrance.

  He got out but before he could gather Tiffany’s bags, Serenity was at his side, then in his arms. “I love you too, Ryker. I always have. I have no idea how we will work things out, or if we can…”

  He kissed her to shut her up, to show that they belonged together. He buried his hands in her silken hair and held her gaze—not letting her look away. “I love you. We will find a way—our way, it doesn’t have to be what other people do or want.”

  She sagged against him in relief. “You’re so traditional—you brought up marriage.”

  “I spoke out of turn. Right now, you have a nephew to welcome into the world. Let’s take it a day at a time.”

  “Thanks, Ryker.” He felt her gratitude and was determined to not bulldoze his way across her emotions. He’d let her go—but not far, and only with the promise that she would return. He’d learned his lesson.

  They got the bags and hurried inside the ER. He lifted a hand to Matt and Sven, and Sven brought them back to where Tiffany waited, hooked up to an IV. The doctor was there, taking charge and ordering a transfer to the maternity ward. Tiffany held out her hand for Serenity and burst into tears. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be here in time.”

  Serenity stepped forward to join her sister. “I’m here.”

  Tiffany waved weakly at Ryker. “Hey.” She switched her gaze from Ryker to Serenity, and then she smiled.

  “What?” Serenity demanded.

  “You’re glowing,” Tiff said smugly.

  Ryker took his place at Serenity’s side and grinned. “I finally got her to admit that she loves me.”

  Serenity elbowed him. “Don’t you have somewhere to go?”

  “Nope.” He clasped her hand, and she entwined their fingers. “I’m right where I belong. Next to you.”

  Epilogue

  Ten hours later, Serenity couldn’t stop studying each plump wrinkle of her nephew’s hands and feet. The golden puff of fuzz on his sweet head. “He’s beautiful, Tiffany.”

  Mom and baby were both in excellent health. Eight pounds even, and twenty-two inches long. Tiffany and Jonas had fallen into a rhythm they’d practiced during birthing classes for the delivery, but Serenity was there for ice chips and moral support.

  She’d taken a few discreet photos but posted nothing without Tiff’s approval. Her followers were overjoyed and junior already had an offer for a diaper endorsement.

  Her sister, strawberry blonde hair down over past her shoulders, was sitting up in her hospital bed with the baby in the crook of her arm, Jonas at her side. It was the most precious image of family.

  Ryker stood by the bed, just as besotted as they all were with the sweet baby.

  “Well,” Jonas said. “What’s it going to be?”

  “We could just keep calling him junior,” Serenity suggested.

  “No. But now that I’ve met him, I know his name,” Tiffany declared. She exchanged a look with Jonas, who nodded. “I was thinking Noah, or Logan, but he is definitely an Elijah. Elijah Matteo Brown.”

  “That’s a great name!” Serenity stroked his soft, pink cheek. “Perfect. See, it worked for Glitz and Glamour, and now for Elijah.” She turned to Ryker. “You just have to see what fits.”

  They all laughed, but Serenity could tell that her sister was exhausted.

  “Speaking of the pups, how about Ryker and I go back to the house—when do you think they’ll discharge you?”

  “Tomorrow or the next day,” Jonas said. “That’d be a great help, Serenity—thanks.”

  “Call and I can bring your car,” she said. “With the car seat. Love you guys.”

  Ryker kissed Tiff’s forehead, hugged Jonas, and touched Elijah’s tiny kicking foot. “Congratulations.”

  Serenity left, wiping tears from her eyes. “What a perfect family they are.”

  “Do I sense a softening in your attitude toward having kids?” Ryker asked.

  She sniffed. “How about we start with a puppy?”

  Ryker whooped and whirled her around the hallway of the hospital and the nurses laughed. “Deal,” he said when he set her down. “Merry Christmas, Serenity.”

  Her heart was so full of love that all she could do was laugh and grab onto him to kiss him deeply. When she at last pulled back she said, “Merry Christmas, Ryker.”

  The End

  A Note From the Author

  Thank you for reading Secret Santa by the Sea.

  All the books in the By the Sea series are stand-alone contemporary romances that take place in a steamy seaside town. I love hearing from readers and would appreciate an honest review. You can check out more By the Sea books, or sign up for my newsletter to get a free story.

  Other Books by Traci Hall

  By the Sea

  AMBROSIA by the Sea

  KARMA by the Sea

  PUPPY LOVE by the Sea

  MASQUERADE by the Sea

  HOLIDAY by the Sea

  FESTIVAL by the Sea

  DANCING by the Sea

  FOREVER by the Sea

  BLUE CHRISTMAS by the Sea

  RETURNING HOME by the Sea

  BLOSSOMS by the Sea

  BILLIONAIRE by the Sea

  SANTA BABY by the Sea

  SANDY KISSES by the Sea

  BILLIONAIRE’S BROTHER by the Sea

  LOVE, ACTUALLY by the Sea

  About the Author

  With an impressive bibliography in an array of genres, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall has garnered a notable fan base. She pens stories guaranteed to touch the heart while transporting the reader to another time and place. Her belief in happily ever after shines through, whether it’s a romantic glimpse into history or a love affair for today.

  Find Traci online at:

  TraciHall.com

  Twitter.com/TraciHallAuthor

  Facebook.com/BytheSeaSeries

  CHRISTMAS IN THE SAND

  Christmas in the Sand

  A Holiday Novella

  Jen Talty

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 Jen Talty

  Book Description

  Someone is sabotaging Eliana Quinn’s grand holiday opening of Castaway’s on the Inlet bar and restaurant. Determined to make it work, she hires her gruff neighbor to help with the construction. Not only could her dreams go up in smoke, but if she’s not careful, she’ll end up giving her heart away.

  Dedication

  To Chelle. Thanks for all the long talks. You rock!

  Praise and Awards

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  “I positively loved In Two Weeks, and highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, the story is fantastic, and the characters will keep you coming back for more. I can’t wait to get my hands on future installments of the NYS Troopers series.” Long and Short Reviews

  “In Two Weeks hooks the reader from page one. This is a fast paced story where the development of the romance grabs you emotionally and the suspense keeps you sitting on the edge of your chair. Great characters, great writing, and a believable plot that can be a warning to all of us.” Desiree Holt, USA Today Bestseller

  “Dark Water delivers an engaging portrait of wounded hearts as the memorable characters take you on a healing journey of love. A mysterious death brings danger and intrigue into the drama, while sultry passions brew into a believable plot that melts the reader’s heart. Jen Talty pens an entertaining romance that grips the heart as the colorful and dangerous story unfolds into a chilling ending.” Night Owl Reviews

  “This is not the typical love story, nor is it the typical mystery. The characters are well rounded and interesting.” You Gotta Read Reviews

  “Deadly Secrets is the best of romance and suspense in one hot read!” NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst

  “A charming setting and a steamy couple heat up the pages in an suspenseful story I
couldn’t put down!” NY Times and USA today Bestselling Author Donna Grant

  “Murder in Paradise Bay is a fast-paced romantic thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. You won’t want to miss this one...” USA Today bestselling author Janice Maynard

  Chapter One

  Eliana Quinn stuck her head out the window and inhaled the salty scent of the Atlantic Ocean. The drawbridge rose slowly in front of her while three sailboats waited in the inlet. Quickly, she snagged her phone and shot a picture of the Jupiter Lighthouse as it stretched toward the clear blue sky. She let her gaze ease across the Intracoastal Waterway. Restaurants lined the opposite shore.

  One of those buildings represented her new life. A fresh start. Her heartbeat hummed in the back of her throat. She squinted, covering her eyes with her hand. All the docks were filled with boats except for a small section at the very far end near the park, but it was hard to tell since the shoreline took a bend.

  The bell sounded, and the bridge clicked into its lowered, locked position. The light changed from red to green.

  Eliana’s pulse raced. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. The cars in front of her moved at a snail’s pace. She glanced over shoulder. Everything she owned had been crammed into the back of her small run-down SUV. If anyone told her when she’d married at the ripe old age of twenty-two that she’d be divorced ten years later with less than what she started wedded bliss with, she would have laughed.