by Alicia Best
“I shouldn’t have dumped all that on you at once, Jackson—especially over the phone. I know you, and I should have talked about the holidays way before this. To be honest, I didn't know how to say what I wanted. I didn't know how to show you that I need Christmas with my son occasionally.”
“I have a feeling that the both of us have things that we need to get off our chests that we’ve been afraid to before.”
Gail sighs in agreement. “You know, I said that my decision had nothing to do with Donny, but that’s only partly true, I think.” She glances again at me when my brows lift. “And it’s not because he’s pressuring me to cut you out, in fact it’s the opposite, he keeps telling me that it’s fine that you and I have conversations about Jamie.”
“Then what is it, Gail?”
“It’s just…I love Donny, and I love Donny with Jamie. I feel stuck between this new family that he and I are building together and the one that I share with you. I don’t know how to balance that.
“It’s selfish. I’ve been selfish.”
“I don’t know how to balance it either,” I tell her. “I understand wanting to be selfish when it comes to Jamie. But if we’re ever going to handle this in a way that is best for him, we’re going to have to talk more about it.”
Gail swallows hard, straightening in her seat. “This Christmas, I think you should have your son, Jackson. Just like normal. After the tree lighting, he can go back to your house.”
My heart almost bursts in my chest with relief and joy. Gail is doing her best to make a compromise, and I have to do my best to meet her halfway, no matter how hard it is.
“Why don’t you and Donny come over tomorrow? If you make it early enough, you can see him when he wakes up.”
“You would let us do that?” she asks, startled.
I smile at her, shrugging. “We could even all have dinner together, Donny included.”
“Jackson…thank you.” Starting to tear up, she swipes at her cheeks, moisture brimming against her lower lashes. “After the holidays, we’ll sit down and make a more reasonable schedule, one that’s binding and gives us equal time and holidays.”
“Good,” I murmur, leaning back against the bench.
This is all because of Hannah. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell her just how grateful I am that she came to Shady Piers.
If she’d never come into town, Gail and I never would’ve sat down for this conversation. We would’ve just continued to grow increasingly cold towards one another, and Jamie would’ve noticed the change in our relationship and either blamed himself or pulled away from our negativity.
Hannah has brought Christmas back to town.
A truck with a huge flat carrier platform hitched to the back eases down the street, flanked by multiple volunteers who walked the mile from my tree farm to the main street with the giant fir, just to make sure it got here without issue and to keep the roads clear. I glance at my watch, smiling in satisfaction. It’d be set up just in time.
The festival was back on track.
“If speaking openly is our goal, Jackson,” Gail chirps, blue eyes glinting as I turn towards her. “Then can I ask what’s going on between you and Hannah?”
“Me and Hannah?” I sputter, and feel the color rising in my face.
She grins, eyebrows lifting towards her hairline. “Is it serious?”
“Serious?”
She laughs, covering her mouth to hide it. It’s the first time I’ve heard Gail laugh in years. I hadn't even noticed how stiff we'd gotten around one another until now. We're lucky that we caught this before Jamie got a little older and noticed the coldness that had come between his mother and me.
“You always repeat yourself like this when you’re not sure what to say. Oh my. You do have feelings for her, don’t you?”
I look towards Hannah again. Her movements are awkward and clumsy on the ice, but at least she’s mostly staying on her feet. Even though she’s not the most graceful of skaters, I still love to watch her try.
“It looks like she could use a little bit more help…” Gail says, nudging me as Donny at last returns with a pair of new skates and hands them to Gail.
I climb to my feet, letting Donny have my place, and walk over towards the ice. Soft sunlight sparkles on the rink, the glittering gold of garland-adorned wreaths scenting the air with pine. The breeze is cold on my cheeks, but my heart feels so very balmy.
“Daddy!” Jamie calls in delight.
Hannah turns too quickly, and her legs fly out from under her. I skate forward, catching her in my arms just as snow once again drifts down from the sky above. It speckles her lashes and cheeks, making her face glitter.
She smiles up at me, her arms looping around my neck. “I guess you saved me.”
My thumb brushes against her cheek, the supple skin warm even with the chill in the air. “If anything, it’s the other way around.”
Her laughter fades, but her smile is still firmly in place.
“No, Jackson, you and Gail saved yourselves. You just needed a little push in the right direction. I’m sure you two would’ve figured it out, just maybe not in time for the holiday.”
“You gave us more than a little push, Hannah. You saved Christmas in Shady Piers. You did all this even though you had that article to focus on. Did you finish it?”
“Well,” she admits, “I may not have been able to write it on the tree lighting because I was so focused on other things, but I came up with a new idea for my editor that I sent him this morning.” There’s a look of excitement in her face as her arms tighten gently around my neck.
“Oh?”
She nods. “I told him that I have ideas for a column on the life and times of small-town suburbia. You’d be surprised by how fascinated people are with little places like this. While I was helping with the rink, I asked a few people about their lives and what they’ve been through. You wouldn’t believe the stories I heard. I asked if it was all right if I shared some of them with my editor. At first, he was a little unsure, but he’s thrilled with the idea now.”
“That’s wonderful,” I murmur. “I’m so glad that worked out for you.”
She continues grinning, her cheeks beginning to flush brighter and brighter red. “I also told him I’d have to stay here for a while longer to do my research.”
“So that means…”
“That means I’m staying in Shady Piers, Jackson. I’m not going anywhere any time soon, and I’m still going to be an official part of the magazine. I can work from here.”
Overwhelmed with excitement and bliss, I hold her tighter against my chest as she smooths one of her hands against my cheek.
The distance between our faces melts away as our lips meet. Though the winter breeze is frosty, her kiss is delicate and warm. It’s the kind of kiss that reaches beyond just your lips and goes straight to the soul.
For the first time in my life, I feel my heart beating in time with another.
I believe that everyone gets to experience at least one Christmas miracle. Mine is in my arms right now.
We part when we can hold our breath no longer, my forehead pressing to hers. Jamie skates in a circle around us and cheers, clapping his hands together with joy. Beyond him, Gail and Donny look on, wrapped in each other’s arms and smiling.
This Christmas has seen its share of magic. Under this year’s blanket of snow, I’ve met the most amazing woman I could’ve ever imagined, I was able to put my past behind me, and I can be the father that Jamie deserves. I don’t plan on ever letting go of this.
“Merry Christmas.” She smiles brightly up at me.
We embrace, surrounded by twinkling lights, soft snowfall, and the re-invigorated hope and cheer of Shady Piers.
This will be a Christmas to treasure for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Hannah
Jackson’s arm slips around my waist, pulling me against his side. I snuggle into the warmth of his strong body, my cheek rest
ing against his shoulder as we gaze at the beautiful twinkling lights strung on the tree before us.
It stretches upwards, towering over our heads. Snow falls softly around us, leaving cold and glittering streaks on our cheeks and jackets. The air is still, faint music being played from somewhere beyond us.
“Jamie must be so proud,” I whisper to Jackson with a big grin.
The now six-year-old had been part of the group of children who’d decorated the tree––or at least the lower few feet of it. He’d been talking about it for days, planning out just how he would arrange his homemade ornaments. The children in his class had made over a dozen popcorn garlands.
“He is. Look at him.” Jackson gestures over towards Jamie, who is pressed up close to the tree with a few of his friends. All of them gaze up at it with sparkling eyes as we wait for the lights to turn on and dazzle us all.
An entire year has passed since the first tree-lighting ceremony that I attended in Shady Piers. Every day has brought with it more happiness and joy than I ever could’ve imagined when I first stepped foot here.
Though my column with the travel magazine has done well over the past few months, my goal in the upcoming year is to start a publication all my own. It will be difficult, but I’m ready for the challenge. Heath and the other editors are supporting my goal, whilst sad to see me go. Though I initially wasn't sure how long my stay in this town would last, it quickly became obvious to me that I couldn’t imagine ever leaving. For even though the winters are freezing, the people are very warm.
Plus, the thought of leaving Jackson has become inconceivable.
He hugs me tighter against him, pressing a delicate kiss against the top of my head. Beside him stand Gail and Donny, newly married and as happy as ever. Strangely enough, the four of us have become rather close over the last year. Despite the new custody arrangement that Gail and Jackson had gotten that split their time with Jamie evenly down the middle—including birthdays and holidays—we all seem to spend more time together than not. Jamie knows that whenever he has a sports match or a band recital or school ceremony, we will all be there to support him.
Because of this, Jamie has been thriving.
Calla and Maddie had again stepped up to be the coordinators for the festival this year, though Maddie had made Jackson promise he wouldn’t give her a hard time again with the tree!
Like last year, though without the urgency that had come with it in the previous festival, the shops had again opened their doors and worked together to make the festival bigger and brighter than ever before. Even more tourists had attended the Christmas festival this year than in years prior.
“Welcome everyone!” Maddie says into the little microphone clipped to her podium. “We’re so happy to have you all here to witness this beautiful Christmas Eve.” She grins and pauses, waiting for the ovation to subside. “We decided to make this the most special year yet and have chosen one Shady Piers resident to come up and flip the switch to turn on the lights.”
The crowd again claps, everyone exchanging curious glances.
“Hannah,” Calla calls, “would you come up here?”
A few of the other residents look over at me, clapping and prodding me forward with big smiles on their faces.
“Me?” I laugh, surprised. Though it’s been a few months since I decided to permanently stay in Shady Piers, it is amazing to be picked for such an honor.
“Yes, you, silly. Get up here!” Calla grins.
When I join the two festival coordinators, they stand on either side of me and pass me a small remote control.
“On the count of three, press the button,” Maddie instructs, beaming at me.
I nod, and we turn to face the tree. Calla starts the crowd counting up to three, and once they hit the magic number, I press the button.
The crowd goes silent, holding their breath with anticipation, but nothing happens. Not a single light even flickers.
“Um…” Calla confides in my ear, “try again. Are you sure you’re pushing it hard enough?”
Turning bright red with embarrassment as the crowd shifts their feet, I smack the button, hoping the lights will start.
“Oh my,” Maddie gasps when the tree stays dark. “I guess we’ll need some help.”
Jamie rushes over to join us, though he doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. In fact, he’s grinning from ear to ear as he shouts at the top of his lungs. “Does anyone know how to light this up?”
“I think I can brighten up this Christmas,” a voice pipes up behind me.
I turn around in surprise to find Jackson behind me. He smiles at me, lowering himself down on one knee just as the Christmas lights behind me start to twinkle one by one. Maddie and Calla, who’d helped Jackson plan this out, hug each other tightly and giggle.
The crowd gasps, both at the beautiful tree sparkling behind us and at the surprising moment happening. Gail dabs at her eyes, hugging her new husband tightly as they look on with glee.
“Hannah,” Jackson says slowly, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. “You’ve made Christmas such a special time for me. In the last year, you’ve made me a better man and a better dad. You’ve shown me just what the meaning of the holiday is. You’ve changed my life. I love you, Hannah. You’re the star on my Christmas tree and the twinkle in my eye. I want to spend every day with you for the rest of my life.”
Tears well in my eyes as he opens the box to reveal the ring within. A gorgeous ruby is set against a band of twisted silver that resembles the leafed form of a wreath. I’m so happy that I feel like I’m melting. I try to speak but choke on my tears. My hands shake so much I’m not sure if he’ll even be able to get the ring on my finger.
“Will you marry me, Hannah?” He looks right into my eyes as he delicately asks that most romantic of questions.
When I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks, he stands up and embraces me tightly. Jamie joins us, hugging us and jumping around in ecstasy.
“I helped him pick the ring, Hannah, do you like it?” the boy asks with a smile as wide as a mile.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I promise him, kissing Jamie’s forehead and then wrapping Jackson up in a tight hug.
He slides the ring onto my finger, and we sway together, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Last Christmas, when Jackson and I had kissed for the very first time, I’d thought that Christmas would be the best one of my life. I was wrong then, and I’m sure that every Christmas from here on out will be even more magical than the last.
With Jackson by my side, I know it will be.
Also by Alicia Best
The Shady Piers Romance Series novellas are 'clean and wholesome’ contemporary romances with Happy Ever After endings and no cliffhangers, that can be read as standalone novels, all set in Shady Piers, Maine.
I hope you enjoy them!
Perfect Haven - Shady Piers Clean Romance Book #1
After a disastrous 26th birthday party, Olivia Donaldson flees her wealthy but overbearing parents and her controlling soon-to-be ex-husband and makes for Shady Piers, the former hometown of her now-deceased grandfather, in Maine.
Desperate for even the most basic of needs she reluctantly accepts help from a local pub-owner Brent Scott, who takes her in and gives her a job.
Even though she settles in well, Olivia's past comes back to haunt her and she needs Brent’s help once again, bringing them even closer together to a place where romance might just be in the air.
Life Saver - Shady Piers Clean Romance Book #2
When Charlotte Olson becomes legal guardian of her young sister, it's tough to survive, even in the friendly setting of Shady Piers. Now, after a disastrous fire, she loses everything, and Charlotte must protect her sister from a much more serious threat to the life they have built together.
After an embarrassing introduction, firefighter Neil Mack doesn't expect to see Charlotte again, but when he's called to the fire in her apartment block, he man
ages to get her and her sister to safety, despite great personal danger to himself.
What neither of them know is the deeper threat, just around the corner, that will have serious implications for Charlotte, the handsome firefighter and those around them who they love.
New Page - Shady Piers Clean Romance Book #3
Everett Sullivan’s wife dies in a tragic accident, and he falls into a life of despair and grief that he cannot shake off, even five years later. Working in the local library which she set up, he whiles away his days watching it slowly run down, along with his own life.
Teacher Holly Burke breezes back from the big city after a very public breakup with a prominent politician and she takes it upon herself to reignite Everett’s life, despite having challenges of her own to overcome.
Finally, with time running out for the library, both come together to find that even with the chaos and upsets that life throws up, sometimes love can—and does—shine through.
Starting Again - Shady Piers Clean Romance Book #4
After he completes an unjust jail sentence, Blake Sullivan attempts to make a fresh start, but finds that unsympathetic locals aren't so forgiving and he is made to feel a pariah.
Delia Cain is struggling to get her dream bakery business off the ground, so she generously offers Blake some minimum wage work to help her out, whilst also giving him some faith back in himself.
But when an incident sparks Delia to question her trust in Blake, his hopes that he might have found something real to treasure are deeply questioned, giving him but little hope for a future he dared to dream.
And then, out of the blue. . .
Common Ground - Shady Piers Clean Romance Book #5
When Maddie Lee is forced to deal with a businessman she despises from the get-go, she is determined to stand her ground.
