Marrying Miss Kringle: Lux

by McConnell, Lucy

  “What’s this?”

  “My Christmas letter.” His nerves pulled tight and his palms grew moist. He tried to swallow, but his tongue was clumsy.

  Lux slowly unfolded the paper and read quietly.

  Dear Lux,

  I want us to be a family.

  I love you,

  Matthew Quik

  Lux put her hand over her mouth and giggled.

  “What?”

  “You signed your last name.” She pointed to it on the sheet.

  He lifted his shoulders. “So?”

  “So, did you think I wouldn’t know which Matthew?”

  He laughed at himself. “I was nervous, okay?” He reached out and tickled her side. “You aren’t supposed to tease a guy when he’s trying to be romantic.”

  Lux laughed. “Oh, so this is you being romantic?” She glanced around. “Barns … substations …”

  Quik laughed, enjoying every second she looked at him like that. The stress and the tension and the darkness between them faded away. Snowflakes of magic began to appear.

  Lux lifted her face and let them brush her cheeks. Her brown lashes dropped and her light pink lips lifted into a contented smile. “I love you, Quik.”

  He touched her arm, and gold sparks shot out from the spot where their skin connected. He groaned in frustration.

  Lux bit her bottom lip. “This is going to be tricky.”

  He trailed his finger down her arm, the air crackling. “We’re smart—we’ll figure it out.”

  She placed her palm on his cheek. The magic snowflakes tripled in number, piling up on her dress, her creamy shoulders, and in her hair. Her phone alarm, tucked somewhere in the folds of that massive dress, buzzed loudly. They were pushing the limits. “You are a dangerous man, Matthew Quik.” Her eyes twinkled at using his last name.

  “I’m not going to live that one down, am I?”

  Her lower lip poked out in mock sympathy. “Probably not.”

  He had military-grade discipline, but every man had his limits. Pushing to his feet, he reached for her hand and pulled her to standing. “Lux Quik.” He had to throw in her last name too—just because he liked the sound of it. “I promised you I wouldn’t kiss you.”

  Her brow dipped.

  “I’d like to take that back.”

  She put her hand on his chest—her elbow locked. “Matthew Thomas Quik, I very much want to take you up on that offer. But I’m afraid we’d do some major damage.” Her cheeks dusted pink, and passionate thoughts went to war with his self-control.

  “You’re right.” He wanted to tear his hair out in frustration. Instead, he went for his tool belt. “Let’s get this done so we can really celebrate Christmas.”

  Lux’s smile lit up the whole room—literally. If Quik had any worries or doubts about her feelings for him, they were blown away.

  His hands stilled. “Lux, I finally have my true purpose for being here.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s making you smile. If I can do that—every day for the rest of my life—then my life will count for something.”

  Her eyes glistened. “Matthew.” She whispered his name, and it never sounded so sweet. They stepped towards each other and sparks of every color connected them. Their eyes widened and they took two steps back. “Can you hold that thought for thirty-one days?”

  He groaned. “I am the master of my thoughts. I am the master of my thoughts,” he muttered.

  Lux smothered another giggle and headed for the door. Her steps were lighter. Bouncy, even. “I’m going to change, Jedi Master.” She cast one long look over her shoulder that sent his blood pounding in his ears before she left.

  “Ginger snaps,” he cursed under his breath.

  Quik laid his head against the metal, wishing he could feel the cold so it would help clear his head. Instead, he noticed an increase in energy. With a start, he realized the magic was changing him. Or maybe he had changed and the magic was keeping up. Floating like a boxer entering the ring, he headed right for the circuit breaker. “Bring it on.” He cocked his head from side to side. “I’m going to kick your sled, substation. No one and nothing keeps me from my wife. Christmas isn’t going to know what hit it.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  1 Day until Christmas Eve

  Lux lifted the lantern higher so Matthew could see the wires better.

  “Thanks,” he muttered. “What time is it?”

  Lux rubbed her eyes. “Two in the morning.” They’d been working nonstop on the substation. Everything checked out. The last item to check was the wiring. Lux had gone over it that afternoon, and Quik was doing a backup check before they flipped the switch again.

  Quik sighed. “Everything’s correct.”

  “Okay, then. Moment of truth.”

  He gathered his tools and shut the breaker box. They walked together to the switch. Lux was so tired, even her pinky fingers wanted to sleep.

  “Three, two, one.” Quik pulled the lever. There was a loud click … and nothing happened.

  Lux set the lantern on the ground. The weight of her failure pulled down on her exhausted limbs. “I thought this would work.” She rubbed her eyes. She’d hoped with all her heart that it would work, that she and Matthew would be able to be a family once and for all. The last thirty days had been sweet, sweet misery as they both knew what they wanted, that they were in love, but were unable to act on it.

  “It should.” Quik put his hands on his hips.

  Lux thought back to their first meeting at the Christmas pageant in Clearview. They’d talked about taking Oliver this year, but instead had sent him back to his mom for the holiday. She was out of the hospital, and her parents had hired a nurse and a housekeeper to help her while they were gone. She wanted Oliver close for Christmas. Since they had no guarantees, Matthew and Lux decided it was better to have him in a safe environment, and Lux had flown him down this morning.

  She thought about saving Quick from freezing to death, twice. She thought about teasing him that he couldn’t survive without her around to rescue him, and the way he had held her close in the barn. And then her thoughts picked up speed, tripping over one another. “Matthew.” She grabbed his arm. “Do you remember that day your four-wheeler died and I saved you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I used magic to jump-start the battery.” She had tried the movement Dad used to create the magic with his fingers, and it had worked.

  “I knew I saw sparks!”

  Her cheeks flushed. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “What if Christmas Magic needs a jump start?”

  He rubbed his hands together. “I am liking the way you think.”

  She stepped closer, her knees knocking together. “Kiss me.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Lux wasn’t. She wasn’t sure about anything except the fact that they had a giant substation that needed enough magic to get it whirling. They’d made the Mini-sub whirl with their kiss, so … “It should.”

  “Should?”

  “You’re so cute when you’re confused.” She ran her hand up his arm, growing in confidence. This would work. She could feel it all the way to her toes, which tingled. She was tingling.

  “Lux.” Matthew slowly wrapped his arms around her. “Where’s the sparks?” He searched around them.

  Lux’s shoulders dropped. “We’ve been so careful this month.”

  “Maybe too careful.”

  She sagged against him. “We broke Christmas Magic.”

  “No.” He tipped her chin up. “You have done everything you could to save Christmas Magic. You even married me, and I know that was a trial.”

  Huge tears gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “You’re not a trial, Matthew.” She placed her hand on his bare jaw. He’d continued shaving this month, and she loved the feel of his skin against her palm.

  “And you’re not a failure. No matter what happens with Christmas, you’re amazing.” He pressed his forehead to h
ers. “I believe in you, my love.”

  She closed her eyes as their lips brushed. The contact made a noise like connecting the two ends of live jumper cables. Crackle. Pop. Pop. Sizzle.

  “Um, Matthew?” Lux tried hard to open her eyes, but they were too heavy under the blanket of love and desire that had settled on the two of them. Quik cupped the back of her neck and tipped her head, burying his fingers in her hair. Lux moaned softly as he deepened the kiss. The very air around them began to hum. The hairs on her neck stood up. Her skin tingled.

  “I love you,” Quik gasped between kisses.

  “I love you too.” Lux couldn’t get the words out fast enough. A boom pounded through her chest, originating somewhere between their two hearts. Red and green sparks arched through the air and zigzagged behind her closed eyelids. Overhead, things began to hum and buzz and there was a whirling that charged low in her belly.

  They slowly pulled apart, and Matthew began to sway and hum “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.”

  Lux’s heart hammered. “You remembered.”

  He pulled her close and began to sway. “In case you were wondering, this is me being romantic.”

  Lux grinned, burying her face in his chest and floating away on his foresty crisp scent.

  “Ginger to Lux.” The walkie beeped at her belt. “Way to go, sis!”

  “Oh my holly berries, I’ve got an overload of letters. Ginger, I hope you’ve checked the List twice.”

  “I’m on it—Robyn, how’s the stocking stuffers?”

  “We’re cranking them out as fast as we can.”

  “Toys too,” added Stella.

  Lux’s jaw dropped open. She and Matthew turned to see giant red and green and gold and silver arcs of power jumping from switch to switch.

  “Ha!” Matthew picked her up and spun them around. “It works!”

  “It works.” She threw her arms in the air, and lines of power went from her to the station and back again, flooding her with pure and clean joy. There was one person she wanted to share this with. She put her hands on both sides of Matthew’s face and kissed him. He brought her slowly down his body, that wonderful body she’d been dreaming about for months, until her feet were on solid ground again.

  Moving his hand to her lower back and lifting her other, he led her in a small box step. Lux followed his lead, and they were waltzing through a field of magic that faded into a beautiful ballroom with a full symphony and a giant Christmas tree.

  “Is this a dream?” asked Quik. “It feels like a dream.”

  “It’s like a dream,” Lux replied. “It’s love.”

  “This is love?”

  “This is our love.”

  He lowered her into a dip, holding her close and strong, and fulfilled her every Christmas wish with a kiss that spoke of everlasting joy and the type of passion that would feed Christmas Magic for as long as they both shall live and love.

  Epilogue

  364 Days until NEXT Christmas Eve

  “Well, old boy …” Quik patted Dunder’s neck. “I hope you enjoy tropical beaches.” Dunder snorted in reply. Quik placed his arm around Lux, resting his hand on her soft, curvy hip. She leaned into him, and he breathed in her scent. “Can we leave the reindeer home? He’s grumpy, and I don’t want grumpy on our honeymoon.”

  Lux giggled. “You’re tickling me.”

  He ran his fingers up and down her ribs, eliciting a peel of laughter. “That’s tickling.”

  She turned into his arms. “My mistake,” she said before kissing him softly.

  He pressed both hands into those hips and brought her body flush with his. Moving together, they deepened the kiss.

  Someone cleared their throat, and he reluctantly loosened his hold on his beautiful wife. “Later,” he whispered, and her cheeks dusted pink. They turned to find the whole Kringle family watching them.

  Ginger and Joseph had returned from delivering presents less than a half hour ago. They were both windblown and travel-weary. Joseph gave him a guy’s approval in a nod, and Ginger smiled ruefully as she hugged them both. Layla bounced around the two of them, peppering them with questions as they trudged out of the stables.

  Frost’s hair stuck out of two low buns, and her eyes were rimmed in red. She’d read nonstop for forty-eight hours, sending constant updates to Ginger as they flew around the world. She’d dragged herself out from behind her desk to send them off.

  Stella had bags under her eyes that matched her ACDC tee. She hugged them both. “I’m sleeping the whole time you’re gone. Don’t call me.” Lux huffed and shared a like-I-would eye roll with Matthew. Stella left, grabbing Frost’s hand on the way out. They leaned on each other.

  Robyn set a giant basket on the seat of the sleigh. “There’s enough food in there for a week. If you stay on that deserted island much longer, you’ll have to live off fish and coconuts.”

  Quik grinned. A whole week with no one but his wife sounded like heaven. Not even the threat of starvation could dim his excitement. They’d picked a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific for their honeymoon destination. Though the world believed him dead, they didn’t want to take any chances that he might be seen.

  Gail swooped in and hugged them both tight. “I’ll miss you. Don’t worry about a thing. By the time you get back, Oliver will be here.”

  Quik grinned. Amy had Oliver for Christmas, but his parents had offered to take him for the week. She was grateful for the help. Over the years, his mom and dad had made efforts to reach out to her, but Amy had strong-armed them away. Now, she was starting to see that they loved Oliver too. Gail was going to pick him up and bring him home.

  Home. Quik tucked Lux close to his side. He’d finally come home.

  Gail elbowed Harvey in his big belly. He grunted before offering his hand to Quik. “I’m taking you off my list.”

  Quik smiled as he pumped Harvey’s hand. “I appreciate that, sir.”

  Harvey nodded and then turned to engulf Lux in a fatherly hug. She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “I love you, Dad. Thank you for letting me be a geek.”

  Harvey ho ho ho’d. Then he sniffed. With a jolly, quick wave, he left the stables, Gail patting his back.

  Lux sighed. “He has a hard time letting go.”

  “Letting go?”

  She nodded. “You’re my lead scientist now.”

  “I like the sound of that. Should we make it official?” he asked.

  “I thought we already did that—with the whole wedding thing and everything.”

  “Not quite.” Quik reached into his pocket and retrieved the large diamond ring he’d had Stella conjure in her magic bag. “We missed something.”

  Lux’s hand flew to her chest. “Matthew,” she whispered.

  Quik got down on one knee and took Lux’s left hand in both of his. “Lux Kringle Quik, will you be my wife?”

  A slow, happy smile spread across her face. Her wonderful scent of chocolate peppermint filled his senses as she put their foreheads together. “Yes.”

  Quik hooked his hand behind her neck and pulled her down for a long kiss. Dunder snorted impatiently. Quik growled in response. “Seriously, any other reindeer.”

  Lux laughed and pulled him to his feet where he slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her hand before waving to the sleigh with a flourish. “Our honeymoon awaits.”

  Lux beamed. “It’s about time.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him into the sleigh. He clasped his hands behind her back and picked up where they’d left off with the kiss.

  A few minutes later, they slowed down, and he pulled back to brush her hair off her cheek and stare deep into her exotic green eyes.

  Lux gripped his arms. “Do you think the substation will hold up?”

  Quik lifted one side of his lips in a cocky grin. “I’d like to give it a thorough test.”

  Lux laughed, the sound like church bells ringing in his heart. She picked up the reins. Quik stood behind her, his hands on her hips. �
�On, Dunder!” she called, flicking the reins.

  Dunder took them up, up, up into the sky. As the North Pole fell away behind them, Quik tightened his arms around Lux. “What are you grinning about?” he asked.

  “My Christmas wish came true,” she murmured while her fingers combed through his hair.

  “My every wish came true.” He kissed her neck, and sparks flew through the air.

  “Merry Christmas, Matthew.” She snuggled into his arms, and he allowed the peace and joy she offered to sink into his soul. Once he’d opened the door to believing, he found not only the meaning of Christmas, but the meaning of life. He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Merry life, my love.”

  * * *

  Thank you for reading Marrying Miss Kringle: Lux!

  The Kringle Family Romances continue in Marrying Miss Kringle: Ginger.

  When Ginger Kringle is branded to wear the magic red suit, she has to fall in love and get married before Christmas Eve to save the family business. After being given a list (Santas love lists!) of potential Mr. Kringles, Ginger heads off to Clearview, Alaska, where she embarks on a mission to save her family, their home, the elves, the reindeer, and Christmas for children across the globe. In her quest, Ginger finds that checking a list has much more to do with her heart than it does her head.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed Ginger and Lux’s stories, you may also enjoy these other Christmas romances from Lucy McConnell. Simply click on a title to learn more about the book.

  The Candy Counter Heiress: An Echo Ridge Romance

  Blue Christmas: A Snow Valley Romance

  If you’d like to find out about the next book in the series, and receive some of my best recipes, click here to join my newsletter list. You’ll also be able to weigh in on covers, get insider information, and receive tips on everything from holiday decorating to simplifying laundry day.