Christmas in Angel Harbor

by Jeannie Moon

  He nailed her with his eyes. “You don’t say?”

  She ignored the note of sarcasm in his voice and plowed on. “I’ve been let down by people, so I’m cautious. I have a very small circle and I find it’s a lot less complicated if I…I don’t know…lower my expectations.”

  “That is one way to avoid disappointment.”

  “Exactly. No expectations, no disappointment.”

  It was a philosophy that didn’t sit well with her. In her heart she hoped people wanted to do for her as she did for them. Jane always gave her whole heart. Sometimes, she got hurt as a result.

  “You don’t trust people.”

  “I’m cautious,” she said again.

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “I trust you.” More than she should, considering. “You’re a good person, kind and generous. I have no doubt about that, but I don’t want to…”

  “What?” he asked. Waiting for her to finish.

  Want you? Need you? Fall in love with you? she thought. Nope, none of those would do. She couldn’t bare her soul like that.

  “Get used to you,” she finally said, settling on a phrase as innocuous as she could muster. She put her spoon down and folded her hands in her lap. Jane didn’t want to put up a wall, but she felt like she had to. “I guess I’m worried about how close we’re getting. You’re a risk.”

  “Because I let you down?”

  He’d done more than let her down. As much as Jane had put the past behind her, she wouldn’t forget how much it hurt when Danny never looked back after leaving for law school. The feeling of abandonment, the knowledge that he didn’t care about her lingered, and she couldn’t deny that it made her hesitant, regardless of what her heart was telling her.

  “You’re not staying,” she whispered. There it was. Every bit of the past and present, all the love, all the hurt, was laid out with that statement. Not able to face him, she took her half-empty bowl to the sink and stood there, her back to him while she tried to gather her thoughts. Jane hadn’t planned on dropping that little bit of vulnerability out there, but there was no taking it back now.

  *

  “Aw, Janie.” Dan went to her as soon as the words sank in. “Come here.” Talk about opening a raw wound. He pulled her into his arms and held on tight, hoping he could convey to her how much he cared. He didn’t dare tell her what he wanted to. That she was everything to him. He didn’t want to flip back a response that was predictable and trite. Jane might see it as a way to win points, but the truth of it was that he wanted nothing more than to stay here with her and make a life.

  With her head pressed into his chest, she slipped her arms around his waist and held on. “I lost you once,” she said, her voice filled with sadness. “I don’t know if I could deal with that again. Especially now.”

  “You won’t lose me. Even if I’m on the other side of the world, that’s not going to happen.”

  He didn’t know how to reassure her. He meant every word, and more, but convincing her would be the challenge. How do you prove your love to someone who is so afraid, she might not want to accept it? That’s where Danny was right now. He was so in love with Jane, it consumed him. They were right for each other, of that there was no doubt. But she didn’t trust him, no matter what she said.

  “I was at one of your signings once. Did you know that?”

  He leaned back and took in her beautiful face. Her eyes were overly bright, on the verge of tears. “You were? When?”

  “Four years ago. I went to the signing and book talk you had at The Strand. It was packed.”

  He nodded, remembering the event. It was chaos, mostly because the book was also made into a movie and that brought out even more people. He hated when that happened. Often the book and the movie had little in common, and he didn’t have anything to do with the production other than to show up and collect his checks.

  “Why didn’t you say something? I had no idea you were there.”

  “I tried. The books were sold out already, so I was just going to say hello. But security didn’t buy my story that we grew up in the same town. I left you a note. I guess you didn’t get it. They shuffled me out pretty quickly.”

  “Shit.” Her experience wasn’t his doing, but it was a testament to the kind of insular life he’d been leading. Security, handlers, he was a writer and he had a damn entourage. It was so bad she couldn’t even say hello. “God, I’m sorry.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. I mean you didn’t know I was there. We hadn’t kept in touch.”

  “I was the one who didn’t keep in touch. I should have known.” With a finger under her chin, he tilted her face to his and kissed her softly. “I will not let you go again. I promise. You’re stuck with me now.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Your life isn’t here.”

  “How do you know that?” Well, now he’d stepped in it. There was no turning back. “I can write anywhere, and Angel Harbor has been good for me.”

  Her eyes locked on his, and in them he saw his future. “What are you saying? You want to live here?”

  “No.” As soon as he said it, he saw her face drop and realized what he was trying to convey wasn’t translating well. “I’m saying I want to make a life here. I don’t like being so disconnected from my family, and I think we owe ourselves a chance, don’t you?”

  He could see that what he’d just proposed, a simple chance, sparked a tiny bit of joy in her dusty green eyes. He’d take it. He would do anything for her, including saving her store.

  Jane threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He was going to guess that was a yes. He splayed his hands across her back and pulled her as close as he could, reveling in her weight, in her curves. She fit him perfectly. Dan couldn’t believe how long it had taken him to get to this place. Finally.

  “You’re sure you want to do that? Take on the small-town life? The gossip and the politics and the nonsense? It can be pretty overwhelming.”

  Those were all good questions, and good reasons to go back to his peaceful existence. But the thought of being without Jane canceled out all of them. “Yeah. I’m ready, as long as you’re there to guide me through.”

  *

  At three o’clock in the morning, Jane and Danny sat on the sofa in her living room and stared at the Christmas tree they had just finished decorating. Jane sipped on a hot chocolate she’d spiked with Irish cream liqueur, and Danny was in the midst of inhaling a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a big glass of milk.

  “It looks good. We did a great job,” he said between bites.

  “It does. You’re excellent at stringing lights.” She glanced over, loving how in that moment, he was nothing more than an older version of his teenage self.

  “Thanks. Considering I haven’t put so much as an ornament on a tree in ten years, I think I did all right.”

  “That’s a long time. Not into Christmas?”

  “It’s not that. I was always either alone or out of town for the holidays. I can’t remember the last time I had a tree where I lived.”

  Jane found that incredibly sad. For everything he had, the simple joy of a Christmas tree wasn’t part of his life. Maybe this would start a new tradition.

  He was still enjoying his cookies. So much, in fact, he had eaten almost half a dozen.

  “How can you eat so many of those cookies? Where do they go?”

  “Are you insinuating I can’t hold my cookies?” he said, taking a swig of milk.

  Jane laughed out loud, forgetting how late it was and that her mother was asleep upstairs.

  “No, but I know what I put in there. You still eat like you’re a teenager.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing. I’ll run them off tomorrow. Want to come with me?”

  “Running? No. If you see me running, it’s because there’s a zombie apocalypse. You have fun though.”

  Jane started to stand, but the spiked hot chocolate had done its job—she wobbled a
nd dropped back onto her big camel-colored sofa. “Ohhh. Well, that was unexpected.”

  Now it was Danny’s turn to laugh. “Little too much booze in your chocolate?”

  She leaned into him, taking advantage of his solid frame. This was nice. She was wonderfully tipsy, and he was big and gorgeous and sweet, and he cared about her enough to stay.

  The tree was so pretty and lit up the room with flicks and spots of colored light. She was normally a clear light kind of girl, but the colored lights definitely won the day. “Oh!” She popped up from the couch and stuck her arms out when the room spun. “Whoa.”

  Danny grabbed her hand to steady her. “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. I forgot something. For the tree.”

  “Can you walk?” He thought he was making a joke, but it was a good question. Jane wasn’t so sure. Taking a tentative step, she waved him off. There’s was only one way to find out.

  “I’m good.” She took another step and didn’t face-plant. This was progress. “I’ll be right back.”

  She headed down the short hallway to the smallest bedroom, the one she used as her office. On the shelf, in a red velvet box, was a beautiful angel ornament from her father. Dad bought it in Ireland for the child he would have one day, and it looked almost identical to the one in her office at work. This one, however, was just a tiny bit smaller, and was meant for her tree. The word “faith” was etched into one wing. The handblown crystal reflected the light in bursts and would make the entire tree look like it was touched by a host of angels.

  When she brought it out to the living room, Danny was standing next to the tree, adjusting a light strand that was sagging a bit. “What did you forget?”

  “This.” She held up the ornament for him to see. “My dad gave it to me the day I was born. It’s always the last ornament to go on the tree.”

  Jane reached up and felt a rush of awareness when Danny took hold of her waist to steady her. With a stretch, she was able to hang the ornament near the top, where it would have its chance to sparkle and shine.

  Coming off her tiptoes, Jane stared up, and she shivered when Danny’s arms wrapped around her. They stood there, quiet and close, taking in their handiwork.

  “It’s beautiful,” he said. “The angel was the perfect finish.”

  “The angel brings my dad back, even if it’s just for a little while.”

  “He’d be proud of you.”

  Jane shrugged. “I hope so. I did my best.”

  There were moments when Jane thought her dad was doing his best to help, sending signs that everything would be okay. “There was a cardinal sitting on the bookstore porch rail the other day. Whenever I see one, I feel like my dad is with me. That he’s trying to help me figure things out.”

  “I think he’s always with you. You were his pride and joy—he’ll never be far.” Danny’s arms tightened around her waist while she grasped his arms and pulled him closer. She felt safe with him. Maybe it was foolish considering his track record, but right now, in this moment, she was safe.

  “Thank you,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. Not sure what brought about the torrent of emotion, she considered that possibly the alcohol she’d had was making her sloppy and sentimental. But after everything that had happened between them, she didn’t think so. No, Jane was overwhelmed by the depth of her feelings for this man. “Thank you for helping me get out of my own head for a while.”

  Turning her in his arms, Danny gazed down at her with such tenderness, the tears that had been threatening spilled over. Not exactly happy tears—Jane was swamped by the love she felt in that moment. With a gentle brush of his thumb across her cheek, he wiped them away. “Don’t cry, Janie. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What do you mean it’s been sold?” Over two weeks had passed since he’d told Zach to make an offer on the property. Like an idiot, he’d never told Jane, and now he was in deep trouble.

  He heard a long exhalation from his business manager on the other end of the line. He’d never thought it was a good idea, and Zach was probably relieved. “I just got off the phone with the seller’s attorney, and she said she’d let me know if the deal falls through, but they have a solid offer on the property. It’s in escrow.”

  He swore under his breath, hating that his Hail Mary pass to save Jane’s store had failed.

  “Up the offer. See if they’ll break the deal with the other buyer. Money talks, right?”

  “Not if they’ve gone to contract. This is a big, stable company. It’s money in the bank.”

  “I’m a big, stable company.”

  “Are you?” Zach shot back. “You’ve made some dumbass moves lately.” Danny wasn’t going to argue with him because on paper that looked to be the case.

  Frustrated, he paced. Danny wanted so badly to do this for her. There was nothing more important than taking away the worry he saw in her eyes. Tara’s college acceptances had started rolling in, and while none of them were as far away as Dublin, each little celebration was laced with a hint of sadness.

  Now he’d have to tell her about the building sale, and that he’d tried to save the day without asking her. Jane didn’t need a white knight, but he’d wanted to try.

  “She said if anything changed, I was her first phone call.”

  “Thanks, Zach. I appreciate it.”

  “Look, if you want to invest in real estate, there are some great properties in the Hamptons that would be perfect for you. Spend your summers partying with the rich and famous. I hear there’s even a big charity book fair out there in the summer.”

  He’d already done too much partying. He’d spent the last fifteen years in that life, and where had it gotten him? Life was easier here in Angel Harbor and Danny wasn’t interested in messing with what was working. He was finally feeling like a real person again. Over the past week and a half he’d written another thirty thousand words. And he was in love.

  The story was flowing like a river after a rainstorm. The words were coming like never before, and he was happier than he’d been in a long time.

  When the call came in, letting him know his offer had been rejected, he was already on his way to the store. It never occurred to him that it wouldn’t work out.

  Now that his plan had fallen apart he had to think about how he was going to tell Jane she’d been right all along.

  Heading down the hill into town, he tried to think of alternatives to Jane closing up shop. He’d had his business manager check for retail spaces Jane might have missed, buildings he could buy in other towns that weren’t too far away from Angel Harbor.

  So far, he’d come up empty.

  Repositioning his messenger bag onto his right shoulder, Dan didn’t know why he hung on to the old leather satchel. It was a battered mess of chestnut brown leather, which had been repaired three separate times. He’d always claimed he wasn’t a sentimental guy, but more and more that was being called into question.

  He wasn’t fooling anyone. Even hanging on to the old bag was his way of hanging on to some of his history. He’d bought it when he started his first job out of law school. The bag, which looked every bit its age, had served him well, transporting briefs, journals, case studies, manuscripts, and his laptop. It had witnessed his life in all its forms. Now it would see one more change.

  Walking down Main Street, he passed by the old Sail House and reflected on how much this town meant to him. As he’d gotten to know the businesspeople of Angel Harbor, his neighbors, and spent time with his own family, he realized just how much he’d gained since coming here. Finding the love of his life was a bonus he never expected.

  Dan had become a fixture at the store and he and Jane were, by all appearances, a couple. The last few weeks had sealed it. Ella had even asked him if Miss Jane was his girlfriend. They’d been doing everything together from Christmas shopping, to eating meals, to spending time watching movies and wrapping gifts. There was nothing extraordinary about what
they did, except that they were doing it together.

  Dan had been alone for so long; that was how he saw the world—as a solitary existence, peppered with people he didn’t particularly care about. His friends were nice enough. Publishing people fawned over him, but he didn’t consider them friends. If he took a good look, his close circle had been whittled down to almost no one. Now he had his sister, his brother-in-law, the kids, Jane and her family, as well as an expanding group of people in Angel Harbor.

  In little more than a month, he went from going days without talking to anyone to a rich, full life, with a cadre of people he could depend on. He walked past Sweet Chemistry and saw Viti put something fresh into the case, and decided to see what she had concocted that morning.

  Her donuts, which were dense and delicious, were dipped right in front of you. Jane loved the chocolate frosted, but Dan had become addicted to Viti’s apple cider donuts. They tasted like the holidays. With the subtle flavors of apple, allspice, and cinnamon, he was reminded of the mulled cider he’d had at Jane’s house on Thanksgiving. Another wonderful memory made since he’d returned home.

  The bakery was in its mid-morning lull, so why not stop? He liked Viti. She was quick, with a sharp tongue, and he enjoyed talking to her. Like him, she’d returned to Angel Harbor after leaving for college and her corporate life.

  His identity wasn’t a secret anymore, but to most of the good folks in town, he was just a kid who had come home. Other than the small circle of regulars he saw at the bookstore, Viti was the only person who talked to him about his books and why he’d come back. It turned out she’d seen him speak years ago, and didn’t it figure, when she mentioned the event, he couldn’t even remember it.

  Dan’s life had been a blur, and that was going to stop.

  His senses were assaulted as soon as he walked into the store. The mix of smells alone made his mouth water, and the bright smile he received from Viti just added to the experience. He found her work history as a corporate-level chemist in the biotech industry fascinating. How she’d come to love baking so much was another great story. In her words, “Everything is chemistry. Why not make delicious fresh food using those principles?”