Christmas in Cupid Falls

by Holly Jacobs

  Nana Vancy smiled at him as she slipped hers on. She looked as pleased as if he’d aced a spelling bee. “Yes, my friends. I adopted Clara Barton and Madame Curie to help match Annabelle’s second cousin’s daughter by her third marriage once removed. Bela was so mad when I came home with the dogs, but they stole his heart. There have never been two dogs so loved. And when I decided that matchmaking people might not be my calling . . .”

  Kennedy’s laughter couldn’t be contained at that. “From what you told me, there were a few glitches.”

  Nana Vancy grinned as she nodded and admitted, “Just a few, kedvenc, but I did help bring together some very happy couples. But when I matchmaked Annabelle’s second cousin’s daughter by her third marriage once removed, who was a veterinarian—”

  Kennedy laughed as she interrupted, “—with a man who was allergic to dogs.”

  Nana Vancy said, “It all worked out, didn’t it? And I discovered my true calling was matching dogs to their forever homes. And with help from family and friends, I started Everything But a Dog Foundation.”

  That was a long story made longer, Mal thought but didn’t say out loud as they walked out onto the sidewalk. He glanced to make sure that Kennedy had zipped up her parka against the cold.

  She caught him at it and glared at him. He didn’t need the words to know she was telling him she could look after herself.

  He sighed. This time it wasn’t only Kennedy who looked at him, but Nana Vancy, too. She pointed down the street at a big man with two dogs. A large black one and a much smaller white one that had a very sausage-like build.

  Mal looked at the big man smile as the tiny woman approached him. He wasn’t a romantic by any stretch of the imagination, but when Nana Vancy’s Bela joined them with the dogs, Mal could see how much love there was between them. It reminded him of Clarence and Joan. Or his grandfather and grandmother.

  Nana Vancy walked up to the big man and their bodies brushed, as if drawn together like magnets.

  “Kennedy, Malcolm, this is my Bela.” There was pride in her voice . . . and love.

  “Bela Salo,” he said, shaking their hands.

  “And this is Madame Curie.” At the sound of her name, the black dog sat down and offered them her paw.

  Kennedy knelt down awkwardly and took the paw. “Aren’t you a beautiful girl?”

  The little white dog, not to be outdone, jumped up at Kennedy, anxious for some affection, too. But Kennedy’s center of gravity was extremely off because of the baby. The small dog hurtling in her direction was enough to topple her, but Malcolm sprang forward and grabbed her under her arms, steadying her.

  She looked up. “Thank you,” she said, then turned her attention to the demanding sausage-like white dog.

  Nana Vancy shot him a look that made him feel like a bug under a microscope, then she said, “And that rude dog is Clara . . . Clara Barton. She has no manners and very little brains.”

  Bela looked slightly insulted on the dog’s behalf. “But she is all heart, that one.”

  As if to prove his point, Clara was busy kissing Kennedy, who hadn’t asked Mal to remove his hands, so he continued to steady her as she continued to kneel by the small dog.

  “I love dogs,” Kennedy said, as Clara continued on her love-fest.

  “Maybe I’ll find your dog at the adoption day?” Nana Vancy said. “I’ll find you the perfect dog.”

  “She’s very good at it.” Bela laughed and added, “Better finding dogs their match than people.”

  “Now, Bela,” Nana Vancy scolded, “I always managed to make things work out.”

  “Ask the people she matched if it was easy.” Bela guffawed.

  “Love isn’t easy,” Nana Vancy said very seriously. She looked at Mal and continued, “It is not supposed to be. Because if it was, you wouldn’t appreciate it half as much. Look how hard Bela made things on me, and all these years later, I still appreciate that he’s mine.” She turned her gaze back to the big man.

  Kennedy kept petting Clara as if she thought Nana Vancy had forgotten the idea of her adopting a dog, but the older woman obviously hadn’t. “I will find you the perfect dog, Kennedy.”

  Kennedy started to rise, with difficulty, but Malcolm gave her a tug and righted her easily.

  Kennedy rested her arms on her stomach. “Nana Vancy, I’ll come see you in a few years. I don’t think it would be fair to a dog to bring it home and then introduce a new baby. I don’t think I’d be able to give it the attention it deserved.”

  “Well, maybe if someone were to give you a hand?” Nana Vancy looked directly at Mal.

  Kennedy obviously caught the look, because she said, “Mal’s a friend and neighbor, but helping me with a dog isn’t in the cards. He will be going back to Pittsburgh soon, and I’ll have the baby, the flower shop, and a town to look after. In a couple years I’ll get the baby a dog. I promise.”

  Nana Vancy didn’t look convinced, but she nodded and dropped the issue.

  They stayed and visited with the older couple.

  Mal watched Bela as Nana Vancy spoke. Bela was a quiet man and seemed happy to let her do the talking for both of them, but he watched her every move. And it was easy to see he was enchanted by her. She’d spoken of their children and grandchildren, which meant they’d been together for a long time, and still Bela watched Nana Vancy with love in his eyes.

  Mal realized he’d been watching the older man watching Nana Vancy so intently that he’d lost track of the conversation. But it was obviously over, since Nana Vancy kissed Kennedy and said, “I’ll be here early on for the event. Me, Bela, our helpers, and all the dogs. And thank you for the helpers here. Oh, Angel is coming from the radio, too.”

  “Radio?” Mal asked, feeling as if he were playing catch-up.

  “It’s on the event listing on the computer,” Kennedy said. “The Everything But a Dog portion of the day is being covered by WLVH in Erie.”

  “WLVH, where love is more than just a song,” Nana Vancy said with a chortle. “It took me a while to learn that.”

  “Why would an Erie station cover something in Cupid Falls?”

  “That is exactly what a man from a big city like Pittsburgh would ask,” Kennedy said. “They’d cover it because Cupid Falls is part of their audience. We get all the Erie stations out here, and that means if they’re covering the event, they’re mentioning Cupid Falls to their Erie audience as well. That’s what the town needs, more reasons for people in Erie and towns like Waterford, Union City, and Lapp Mill to come visit us. We’re a picturesque small town with so many wonderful attributes. Events like this will bring us notice. WLVH partners with the Everything But a Dog Foundation in a lot of events. I remember that Angela adopted a dog with Nana Vancy’s help.”

  “Adopted a dog and fell in love,” Nana Vancy informed him.

  “You are out of the matchmaking business,” Bela reminded her, warning in his voice.

  “Sometimes love just happens. If I give it a little nudge, well . . .” She shrugged.

  He growled.

  “Only a little nudge,” she insisted and leaned toward him. He tucked her up under his arm as if that’s where she belonged.

  “The radio station won’t be a problem,” Kennedy said. “They’ll set up their mobile unit out front.”

  “It’s fine, Kennedy,” Mal told her. She didn’t need to explain. She’d done a stellar job of coordinating events.

  “See you in a couple weeks,” Nana Vancy said as Bela led her and the dogs down the block.

  Mal wanted to say something to Kennedy. He wasn’t sure precisely what, but something. He wanted to comment on Nana Vancy and her Bela. He wanted to encourage her to get a dog because he could see that she wanted one.

  But in the split second it took him to think about all the things he wanted to say, Kennedy went back inside the Center and was swe
pt away within seconds. Mal watched as she flitted from table to table. He watched her. She gave each person her undivided attention, as if they were the only person in the room.

  She was in a corner of the Center talking to a group of kids he didn’t recognize.

  Her hands drifted to her stomach, caressing their unborn baby.

  He realized he still hadn’t felt the baby kick. He hadn’t gone to a doctor’s appointment or attended childbirth classes.

  He didn’t even know if she’d gone to them.

  He wasn’t sure exactly what they taught in those kind of classes. After all, the baby was in and it had to come out. How much was there to learn about that?

  He was going to have to get a book on that and on babies. He didn’t have a clue what to do with babies.

  And after that, they’d have a toddler, then . . .

  Suddenly he realized that the atmosphere in the room seemed to have shifted since he went outside. People seemed to be staring at him. Every time he almost caught someone at it, they instantly averted their eyes.

  He felt like he was parting the sea as he walked through down the center aisle. Normally, friends would come over and talk. He didn’t get home often, and there was always some news they had to share. But not today.

  What was up? He scanned the room and spotted Clarence in a corner. He saw as the older man noticed he was looking at him, Clarence averted his eyes and made a move to dart in a different direction.

  “Uh, uh, uh,” Mal said as he grabbed Clarence. “What’s going on?”

  The old man shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean?”

  “Clarence, I might not live in Cupid Falls anymore, but I can recognize that something is up.”

  “Uh . . .” Clarence shifted from foot to foot.

  Mal might have worried, but he had an ace in the hole. “Clarence, I could go get Joan. She’ll tell me what’s going on.”

  Clarence scoffed. “She won’t. She ain’t talkin’ to you.”

  “And neither, it seems, is most of Cupid Falls. That’s what I’m asking you. What did I do?” Mal couldn’t think of anything he’d done. Everything seemed fine, then he went outside with Kennedy and Nana Vancy, then came back in to this communal cold shoulder.

  Clarence was looking at the floor as he practically whispered, “It’s about you and the mayor. I know. You said my, then switched it to Kennedy’s baby. But I caught it. You don’t want anyone to know.”

  Mal didn’t know what to say to that. He realized that he didn’t care if the whole world knew he was going to be a father because he was . . . excited.

  This wasn’t the right time, or the right way, to go about having a baby, but despite not knowing how he and Kennedy were going decide what they were going to do, he knew what he wanted to do with the baby . . . be the best father he possibly could be.

  He didn’t say any of that, though, knowing Kennedy wouldn’t like it.

  When he didn’t say anything, Clarence shook his head. “No one likes you messin’ with her and then walking away and letting her go through with all the baby business on her own. Not that she’s on her own. She’s got all of us, but that doesn’t let you off the hook.” Clarence looked up from the floor and glared at Mal. “We don’t like it at all, Mal. Everyone’s disappointed in you. You’ve always been someone who Cupid Falls looked up to. But not anymore. Not now. Not about this.”

  Mal could tell Clarence that he’d asked Kennedy to marry him and she’d said no. He could tell the older man that he’d just found out about the baby.

  He could say any number of things, but any of them would be an excuse, and he wasn’t about to offer excuses to the town.

  This was between him and Kennedy. The town didn’t fit into the equation, at least not in his mind. “Thanks for telling me.”

  “You gonna make it right?” Clarence asked. “I’d be happy to let them all know.”

  “My personal life is just that . . . personal. I won’t be saying anything about Kennedy or the baby, not to you or to anyone else in this town.”

  Clarence looked doubtful. “If you don’t mind me saying, that’s a mistake.”

  “I do mind, and mistake or not, I’m not talking.”

  “Fine.”

  Mal walked away from Clarence, and it was as if the entire town knew what they’d said, because they didn’t bother averting their eyes anymore. Their animosity was there in every look, in every word not spoken.

  CHAPTER NINE

  That evening, after the crafters and shoppers had all left, Kennedy looked out over the now-empty room. Well, empty except for Malcolm. He was busy turning off lights and doing a once-over before they locked up. He’d insisted she let him help. Most days she’d protest that she could manage on her own. She felt responsible for the craft show because she’d booked it. But she couldn’t manage the energy to protest, much less close up on her own. She was bone-deep exhausted. Everyone kept warning her how hard it was to have a baby—how exhausting it was. She was sure they were right, but she didn’t see how it could be much worse than trying to function when you were the size of a barge.

  Malcolm walked down the center aisle and smiled at her. For a moment she was taken back to those long-ago high school days when she’d have given almost anything to have him smile at her that way. He’d been cute as a teen, but he’d truly come into his own as an adult. He was a Clooney—her own personal code for a man who only got more handsome as he aged, à la George Clooney.

  On the heels of memories of her childhood crush came memories of their one night together. They’d both been so torn up over losing Val. They’d been looking for comfort, and they’d found it . . . with each other.

  No, she needed to put away thoughts of their past and concentrate on the now. But then Malcolm smiled at her again as he reached her. Kennedy rose, pasted her most businessy smile on her face—one she normally reserved for dealing with May—and said, “Well, that was a good day. The show doesn’t start tomorrow until noon. I’ll see you before that.” She zipped up her parka and turned toward the door.

  It was so much easier not fantasizing about her childhood crush or the one night they’d spent together when she didn’t have to look at Malcolm.

  “Are you heading home?” he asked.

  She really wanted to answer with her back toward him, but even though she could manage simply giving him social smiles, she couldn’t quite manage being rude. So she turned back around and settled for looking at Joan’s frog table, which was visible just beyond his shoulder. “Yes. I want to get something to eat before the lighting ceremony tonight.”

  “May I walk with you?” he asked.

  She withheld a sigh, but barely. “Sure.”

  “Don’t sound so enthused,” Malcolm said with a laugh as he flipped off the light, followed her out, and locked the door behind them. “Too bad we didn’t get some snow today for tonight’s ceremony.”

  “The weatherman said there was a forty percent chance of snow, and it’s definitely cold enough,” she said, hugging her parka more tightly to herself. “It’s been an early start to the winter this year.”

  He didn’t say anything else as they walked to the corner. Kennedy allowed herself to hope that they’d walk in companionable silence the rest of the way home, but her luck didn’t last.

  “I want to say something, but I don’t want you to get mad,” Mal said.

  She braced herself for another marriage proposal. She was getting good at saying no, but obviously not good enough for him to stop asking. “If you’re worried whatever you’re going to say is going to make me mad, maybe you shouldn’t say it?”

  “I’m worried that you’re doing too much. You were on your feet all day today.”

  She glanced at him. Even in a thick winter coat and hat, he was hot. Darn. She immediately looked forward and assured him, “I’m fine.”

&nbs
p; “Listen, why don’t you come home with me? I’ll make us Thanksgiving leftovers—there’s a ton. And then I’ll walk over to the park with you.”

  The offer was tempting. “If I say yes, it would be because leftovers are my favorite part of the holiday. It’s not that I want you to think we’re . . .”—she waved her mittened hand between them—“well, anything more than we are.”

  He stopped and asked, “And what are we?”

  She was forced to stop too in order to answer him. “We’re soon-to-be parents. So I’ll say yes to dinner, but only for the leftovers, and maybe a little because you and I are also friends. Or at least friendly. I just want to be clear.”

  “I accept your terms.” He held out his arm, and she wasn’t going to take it, but he said, “Just friends.”

  He was on his best behavior the rest of the walk. “You go put up your feet and I’ll warm up some leftovers.”

  Kennedy was too exhausted to protest. She unbundled from her winter gear and sat on the couch.

  Next thing she knew, Malcolm was shaking her awake. “You have to leave for the lighting ceremony in half an hour. I’ve got a plate heated for you on the coffee table.”

  He busied himself in the kitchen but came back out to the living room as she finished her dinner. “You really are a good cook,” she said as she finished.

  “Tonight I was simply the reheater,” he joked.

  Kennedy was thankful that she didn’t really have to dress up for tonight’s event. But in honor of it she’d worn her chunky red-and-green scarf and hat.

  The sidewalks were clear because there hadn’t been snow in days, but there was still a light coating on the grass. It was cold as they walked in silence along the winter-dark streets.

  A number of the homes had been decorated for the holidays. Lights blinked on porches. Lit trees shone through front windows. She needed to put her own tree up soon.

  She was thankful that Malcolm didn’t feel the need to fill the quiet with a lot of talk. She simply wanted to enjoy the evening and Cupid Falls’ official start of the Christmas season.