A Sugar Cookie Christmas: A Sweet Holiday Romance (Wintervale Promises Book 1)

by Melodie March

  He followed his little girl into the mudroom to get out of his boots and jacket while she kicked the snow off her own.

  “Actually, my friend Belle is coming over for dinner tonight, so I thought you could help me come up with something to make.”

  Daisy took James’ coat and then put it on the hook for him, her eyebrow raised suspiciously. “Oh? Just the two of you?”

  James scuffed her loose curls and pulled her into a hug. “Of course not, silly. You can join us for dinner. But maybe we can think of something that everyone will like? Not just mac and cheese or delivery sushi?”

  “Hey!” Daisy said with a fake pout. “I eat lots of things! And I like when we order pizza too.”

  James picked her up and threw her over his shoulder as they walked into the living room where Patty was sitting, reading a magazine. She looked tired, especially considering Daisy was supposed to be sick and James figured she’d sleep all day. It was obvious she was feeling a lot better, which made him wonder if she’d been fine when they woke up to begin with.

  “Hey, Patty! How was she?”

  Patty scowled as she set the magazine down. “A handful. I think she was making up for all of her lost energy yesterday. If that’s all you need from me…”

  James nodded. “Thank you. Do you want to stay for dinner?” Please don’t say yes. Please don’t say yes. Patty had been divorced for years, so she would often accept his invitations for dinner just for the company, but it was pretty clear she was ready to get back to the quiet of her own house; anyway, this was definitely not the night he wanted the slightly grumpy woman hanging out with them.

  “I appreciate it, but I think I’m going to go home and get in the bath. With a big bottle of wine.”

  James walked her to the door with a grateful sigh and by the time he got to the kitchen, Daisy had every cookbook they owned laid out on the counter.

  “What do we need these for? You think I can’t cook?” he asked with a laugh.

  “You can cook,” Daisy said, “but you can’t make something you serve every day. It has to be something yummy. And special.”

  James burst out laughing. “So, what I serve at the Inn isn’t special? I see how it is, missy!”

  “Come on, daddy. I just mean maybe Belle deserves something… something you put your heart into.”

  James sat down on a stool and slid the cookbooks away, knowing both that Daisy was right and that what he was going to make for dinner wasn’t in any of the books.

  On Belle’s last birthday before they had broken up, before he even knew he wanted to cook, he stole his mom’s recipe for French-style roast chicken, potatoes, and fresh steamed green beans. He had everything he needed to make the same meal, and he knew she would love it, so it seemed like a safe bet. He pulled the recipe out of the back of the pantry and showed it to Daisy, who smiled wide when she saw it.

  “This is what grandma makes at Easter! You’re really going to make it tonight?”

  James shrugged. “I got a chicken for this weekend, but I can make now. What do you think?”

  “Heck, yeah!” Daisy shouted.

  James rubbed his hands together, excited to get started. He didn’t know what was going to happen, or if he and Belle were even going to be able to manage to have dinner together without fighting, but that roast chicken…

  It was definitely a step in the right direction.

  11

  Belle

  Annabelle sat in her rental car at the end of James’ driveway, debating whether or not she should turn around and go back to her grandmother’s house and forget all about this. She had been idling there for almost twenty minutes, going back and forth, turning the car on and off, picking up her phone and putting it down, almost calling him to cancel. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have dinner with James and Daisy; she did. She just didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or not.

  It had been so many years since they spent time in each other’s company for real, and she’d spent most of those years trying to get over him. And failing. Belle wasn’t sure she had even come close to succeeding.

  Now, after all that time, she was actually considering putting herself back in a situation where he could creep his way back into her heart. She knew it wasn’t the smart thing to do, but at the same time, a small part of her had always wondered if there wasn’t a chance for them…

  Was this that chance?

  With a resigned sigh, she turned the key again and started the car, a far too expensive SUV that was way more ostentatious than anything she would normally drive. It practically made her look like she was on her way to a movie premiere and it would cause her to stand out like a sore thumb in Wintervale, especially if the shopping tourists stopped showing up as frequently. Which is exactly why when she pulled up in front of James and Daisy’s farmhouse, they both came running out on to the porch with shocked expressions on their faces.

  Annabelle jumped down out of the SUV, almost falling because she hit the ground so hard from the height of it. She dusted some snow off her jeans just as James walked up with Daisy on his shoulders.

  “Good gravy, where the heck did you get this thing? Meg didn’t just have this baby sitting in her garage, did she?”

  Belle chuckled awkwardly. “No, no she didn’t. It’s a rental. The tourists kind of wiped the dealership out and this was all that was left. Apparently, that’s a thing people do now? Take the train up and drive back to the city?”

  James shrugged, which sent Daisy up in the air with a giggle. “Beats me. They just show up, buy, and leave. We don’t tend to pay attention to the details.”

  Daisy tapped him gently on the top of the head. “It’s chilly, daddy.”

  “Right!” he answered, flipping her over into his arms as she laughed. “Come on inside. Dinner should be ready any minute. Daisy can give you a tour of the house while I finish things up.”

  Belle looked around the acres of property, which even in the dark were lit up by Christmas lights, more lights glowed gently from a series of greenhouses behind the main house, and around the edges that protected the gardens. It was beyond anything she had imagined and nothing like she expected James Everley’s house to look like one day. But he looked so happy, so content… there was no denying that this was the life he was meant for.

  When they got inside, Daisy grabbed Belle’s hand and dragged her through the entire downstairs, showing her their massive Christmas tree, a precious little Christmas village, and all of the lights they had hung everywhere. Then they went upstairs, where Daisy pulled Annabelle into her bedroom to introduce her to every stuffed animal she’d ever been given, each one with its own name and profession. Before they left, they stopped in front of a photograph in a silver frame shaped like a heart; it was Daisy when she was about three or four and she was riding a carousel with one of the most beautiful women Annabelle had ever seen.

  She had wavy brown hair and huge brown doe eyes, with a smile that seemed to light up the whole world. And it was clear that her whole world was Daisy. They both looked so happy, it almost broke Belle’s heart.

  “That’s my mom,” Daisy said with a smile that Annabelle did expect.

  “I suspected. She’s really beautiful, Daisy.”

  Daisy picked up the frame and put her forehead to it, then set it back down on the chest of drawers where it had been sitting. “She was my best bud. But now she’s keeping an eye on me from up there,” she said, pointing up at the sky. Annabelle felt a lump form in her throat that she had to work especially hard to swallow back down.

  “It sounds like you were really lucky to have each other. I bet you and your dad miss her very much.”

  Daisy nodded. “We do. Especially at Christmas; it was her favorite. But mommy wouldn’t want us to be sad. Not anymore. Not when we have so many happy things to remember. Hey, do you want to meet my elephant, Mr. Trunksly?”

  Belle laughed as Daisy grabbed her hand again, not giving her a choice as she chased after her, so she
didn’t fall. When they got down to the kitchen, they found James standing at the stove in an apron, basting a roast chicken before putting it back in the oven. When he stood up, his cheeks were rosy from the heat, and Annabelle felt her heart skip a beat. In a flash, he was the same boy she had loved when they were teenagers, and then a second later, he was a man, a father. It almost made her dizzy.

  “So, how was the tour? Did you meet the menagerie? I hope Dr. Hopsalot came home from work in time to meet our guest.”

  Daisy waved her hand dismissively at her father. “Oh, daddy.”

  James wiped his hands off on a dish towel with a smile. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up for dinner, jelly bean?” Daisy scowled but got a look like she knew better than to argue and scampered off. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked Belle once Daisy was gone.

  Belle shook her head. “Just water, thanks. So, Chef Everley, what’s for dinner tonight?” She recognized the roast chicken he had made for her when they were dating just from the smell and it was almost intoxicating. James poked his head out of the fridge where he was retrieving the water pitcher for her and a beer for himself, smiling like he had a secret.

  “I’m sure you know, but let’s try and keep some of it a surprise. How was the rest of the day at the shop?”

  “Ugh,” Belle said with a roll of her eyes. “Exhausting. I wasn’t even there much longer before I had to get back to meet the car people, and I feel like I saw every tourist twice. I’m not exaggerating. Some of them came back, as if they weren’t sure they had purchased enough Christmas presents for their cats.”

  James laughed as he poured Belle her water and they continued to discuss the insanity of tourist season, how things were going at the Inn, and whatever other light chit-chat they could manage without getting too deep or slipping into an accidental argument. She thought if she kept things light and breezy, they might be able to survive this. They might even be able to manage being friends again. It was all she wanted, really; to know that they could sit in the same room for ten minutes and talk about nothing, without remembering all of the ways they had hurt each other. If they could just do that, they might be okay.

  James had almost finished his beer when the timer went off on the counter, signaling that something was done.

  “Daisy! Dinner!” he called up the stairs. A second later, the sound of the little girl in only her socks came bounding down the stairs. But when she got to them, she was already in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes and holding her stomach.

  “Dad, I think I overdid it today. I’m not feeling too good. Could I just watch a movie on the tablet and go to sleep?”

  James looked at Annabelle nervously, only for moment, then quickly back at his daughter. “Are you sure you’re not hungry, peanut? Maybe you’ll feel better if you eat something.”

  “Yeah, I think your dad is right, Daisy,” Belle offered quickly. She could tell that there was no way Daisy felt up to eating, her face was almost green, but the last thing she wanted to do was lose their guaranteed buffer. If there was any chance they were going to fight, Daisy would be sure to prevent that. Now the one thing that was going to keep them from doing anything crazy was about to disappear for the night. “Why don’t you stay down here and have some ice cream or something?”

  But Daisy just shook her head and clutched her stuffed elephant closer to her chest. There was no way anyone but the sick little girl was going to win this particular argument.

  “I don’t think so. I’m just going to get in bed. Goodnight, dad. Goodnight, Belle!”

  And then she was gone, leaving Annabelle and James sitting in a suddenly awkward silence. Belle gulped down the last of her water and the sound of her swallowing was so loud, it echoed through the room as though they were in a cave. James chuckled uncomfortably.

  “Why don’t I put on some music?”

  Belle nodded in grateful agreement at the prospect of something filling the emptiness of the space. He picked up a remote and activated a sound system that began playing a classic Dean Martin Christmas song, which she found immediately put her at ease. It reminded her of decorating the tree with Meg when she was a little girl and shaking presents to try and guess what was inside.

  She had forgotten how wonderful it was to be in Wintervale at the holidays, even if it was overwhelmed with city dwellers trying to capture a hint of the Christmas spirit.

  “So… how was Meg feeling today?” James asked as he checked a pot of green beans that were steaming on the stove.

  “Not bad. She’s a little pale and I can’t remember ever seeing her this tired. You know how she is. She never stops moving and this has put a bit of a cramp in her style. But I’m hoping she’ll be okay in time for me to get back to New York before Christmas Eve.”

  James’ eyes went wide, and he stopped in his tracks before he could get the chicken from the oven. “What? You’re not staying for Christmas? But the baking contest? And… your grandmother?”

  Belle shook her head. “I just need to run back to the city to get things organized at the restaurant. But I’ll come back. Meg has her heart set on me sticking around this year. And I wouldn’t miss a chance to kick your butt in that contest for anything in the world.”

  For a moment, a trace of annoyance flashed across James’ face, but then it disappeared into a warm smile. “Fat chance, kid. I’m the reigning champ around these parts. You can’t take me down.”

  They talked a little more about the contest and the kind of baked goods that were usually entered as James put all of the food out on a rustic dining room table. In the center, there was a poinsettia surrounded by little glass drummer boy figurines holding tea light candles.

  He may have changed in their years apart, but Belle knew full well that James hadn’t picked those out. They looked like they were put out specifically to make a little girl happy, because Belle would have loved them when she was a little girl. In fact, the whole place was decorated like the inside of a gingerbread house and she could only imagine how much joy it brought Daisy.

  James pulled out a chair at the end of the table and began serving her carved roasted rosemary garlic chicken, baked fingerling potatoes with tons of butter, green beans, and crusty homemade French bread. They barely said a word as they ate because they were too busy savoring every bite; it was even more delicious than the meal he had made her so long ago.

  “I may have to steal this as a special for Arcadia,” Belle said as she swept up some of the melted butter on her plate with a piece of bread. “It’s the perfect plate of comfort food.”

  James grinned at the compliment. “I may let you borrow it. For a price.”

  Belle raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

  James took a deep breath and for a second, she felt herself start to panic. Oh, no… what is he about to ask me… what is about to happen? Do I want it to happen? Do I…

  “Daisy is having this Christmas pageant thing at her school tomorrow to kick off the break and I was supposed to bring snacks for the kids, but I’ve been working on her costume non-stop and completely forgot. Do you think you could help? If you do, you can steal any of my recipes you want.”

  Belle burst out into relieved laughter. “That’s it? Yeah, of course. Just tell me what you need.”

  “That’s it… Wait, what did you think I wanted?”

  She felt her cheeks go pink as she watched James process what she could have been considering. “Oh! No, Belle! I wouldn’t… I mean, I wouldn’t...”

  “I know! I’m sorry! I just… Jeez, this got weird. Forget it, huh? I’m happy to help. It’s at the elementary school, right? What time?”

  “7pm. Anything you can put together is fine. Cookies, cupcakes, anything they can hold in one sticky little hand would be best.”

  Belle laughed nervously again as she considered what she could make for a school full of children before then. “Totally fine. I’ll be there. And I’ll even bring Meg. I think it would do her some good to get out of the hous
e and be around people for a while.”

  Suddenly, James reached out and took Belle’s hand in his and squeezed it gently. The small action sent ripples of electricity up her arm and directly to her head. “You’re the best.”

  He inched a little closer to her and she realized she wasn’t resisting, an impulse she couldn’t even begin to fathom. James got closer, and closer and…

  RING RING!

  Her phone began to shriek in her sweater pocket with Meg’s ringtone. Belle jumped back so quickly, she almost flipped her chair, and James looked equally startled.

  “It’s my grandmother, I’m sorry,” she said as she answered. “Hey, gran! What’s…”

  But it wasn’t Meg on the phone. It was her nurse, Cassie.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Annabelle, but I think you should come home. I really don’t want to discuss it on the phone. I just think it would be better to talk about it now rather than later.”

  “Yes, of course,” Belle answered quickly. “I’ll be right there.” When she ended the call and tucked the phone back in her pocket, James looked as scared as she felt.

  “What’s wrong? Is Meg okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?”

  Belle quickly shook her head. “Cassie would have already done that if it was necessary. She just wants to talk, but she said it was urgent. James, I’m so sorry, this was… amazing… but I need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow night at the school?”

  “Of course! Meg is more important. Text me and let me know what is going on, okay?”

  They walked to the hallway where James retrieved Annabelle’s coat for her and helped her put it on. When they got out to her enormous rental car, James pulled her into a tight bear hug that brought back a thousand memories that buried her like an avalanche.

  “Please tell your grandmother I’m thinking about her, okay?” he said as he opened the door for her. She nodded but didn’t say anything, too scared about Meg and too overwhelmed by his touch to speak. All she could do was drive away and try not to cry.