Holly Pointe & Candy Canes: A heartwarming feel good Christmas romance

by Cindy Kirk

  Krista nodded. “It’s great fun. Last year, it was during Thanksgiving weekend.”

  “It got pushed back to its normal weekend this year.” Faith lifted her hands, let them fall. “The earlier time last year was a trial.”

  “Lucky timing for you and the girls,” Krista told Graham. “Santa’s arrival is a big hit with the kids.”

  As the four of them talked, Graham realized that getting to know Dustin and Krista better would aid him in capturing their “vision” for the store.

  He had several people to thank for the unexpected gift.

  Graham slanted a glance at Faith. Once they were alone, he’d make sure she knew how much he appreciated all she’d done for him.

  Chapter Four

  Graham climbed down from the ladder in the parlor and glanced upward. “Much brighter.”

  “Having you here is a lifesaver.” Mary beamed at him from where she sat across the room doing her embroidery. “Unclogging the kitchen sink and now replacing the light bulb. I’ll be sad to see you go.”

  “We like it here.” Hannah looked up from the brightly colored ponies she and her twin were playing with on the rug.

  “I’m not leaving.” Charlotte didn’t even look up, just kept her pony galloping across the floor.

  Faith, who’d been standing in the doorway, strolled to the ladder. She’d become very safety conscious after caring for Mary and saw an accident waiting to happen.

  “I can take it out to the carriage house.” Graham’s hand closed around the ladder just as she reached for it.

  Their fingers touched, and a sizzle of electricity traveled up her arm. It was a pleasant feeling, and Faith didn’t immediately end the contact.

  Neither did he.

  “It’s awkward for one person to handle alone.” Conscious that the twins—and likely Mary, too—were listening, Faith smiled and reluctantly pulled back her hand. “We can work as a team. I’ll take the front. You take the back.”

  “I want to help.” Charlotte jumped to her feet.

  “Me, too.” Hannah picked up a pony Charlotte had knocked over and righted it before standing.

  “You can definitely help.” Faith spoke quickly when she saw the refusal forming on Graham’s lips. “We’ll need someone to open the door to the carriage house.”

  “You’ll need your coats,” Graham told his daughters.

  “You and I will need ours, too.” Faith tapped his chest in a playful gesture that she immediately regretted.

  It felt like she was flirting. Was she flirting? It was difficult to know. She was a friendly person and—

  She decided not to worry about it. Graham was here for a month, then he’d be gone.

  They’d barely returned and hung up their coats when a knock sounded at the door.

  Mary frowned from her position in the rocker near the fire. “I wonder who that could be.”

  This was their last quiet night at home. Tomorrow, the Candy Cane Christmas House would officially open.

  It would be a busy day, Faith knew, with skating at the lake and then candy-making at the house.

  “I’ll get it, Mary,” Faith said when a knock sounded for the second time.

  Graham sat on the floor, playing a board game with the twins in front of the fire. From the expressions of startled pleasure on their faces when he’d asked if he could play, having him join them wasn’t a frequent occurrence.

  Faith glanced down at her fleece-lined leggings topped with an oversize long-sleeved shirt that displayed Rudolph’s fluffy red nose. While she wouldn’t win any fashion awards, she was comfortable.

  Opening the door, she felt a smile blossom on her face at the sight of Ginny holding a plate of peanut brittle.

  “Is it too late to pay a visit?” Ginny asked.

  Faith hated seeing the tentative look in Ginny’s eyes and the two lines of worry on her brow.

  “It’s never too late for you.” Faith injected an extra heartiness into her voice as she ushered the woman inside. “Let me take your coat.”

  “Did I hear Ginny?” Mary called out from the parlor.

  “Yes,” Faith called back, hanging Ginny’s wool jacket on the coat tree.

  They hadn’t even stepped into the parlor when Graham appeared. “This is a nice surprise.”

  Graham held out his hands to his mother-in-law. Ignoring them, Ginny enfolded him in a hug.

  Faith’s heart swelled in her chest, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “She brought us peanut brittle.”

  It was an inane thing to say, but the look of joy in the twins’ eyes when they spotted their grandmother had her mind on pause while her heart took over.

  The girls rushed at her, both calling out, “Gramma!”

  This time, it was Ginny who had to clear her throat. When she turned in Faith’s direction, Faith saw tears shimmering in her eyes.

  It had to be difficult, she thought, for her to see two girls who looked so much like their mother. With their honey-blonde hair, big blue eyes and wide mouths, they were the spitting image of Stephanie.

  “Daddy let us hang a candy cane on the mem-ry tree.” Charlotte pointed. “He said Mommy loved candy canes.”

  Ginny’s gaze shifted to Graham. Her lips trembled before she steadied them and flashed a bright smile in the direction of the twins. “They were her favorite candy. Your mom would be so happy that you thought of her.”

  Faith had noticed the girls each hanging a different candy cane on the memory tree earlier, but the significance hadn’t registered.

  “Steph has missed so much,” Graham murmured. “I’ve tried to keep her memory alive by showing them photos and talking about her, but I worry she’s just a woman in pictures to them.”

  “They don’t remember her at all?” Faith asked in the same low voice, as the twins explained the game they’d been playing to Ginny.

  “Every time the scent of lavender is in the air, Charlotte insists that’s how her mother smelled and says she remembers being tucked in at night and kissed on the cheek.”

  “What about Hannah?”

  “She says she remembers her mother’s laugh.”

  “Those are good memories.”

  “Tiffany, our nanny, is the one who fills the mother role for them now. I’ve been lucky. Unlike my friends who’ve gone through nanny after nanny, Tiff has stuck with us.”

  Ginny kept one arm around each girl, beaming.

  After giving Ginny ample time to greet her granddaughters, Mary crossed the room to her dear friend. “This is a special treat. I’m so happy you stopped over.”

  “I didn’t want to intrude—”

  “You’re family.” Faith’s comment, spoken with an undisguised genuineness, had Ginny relaxing. “Can I get you some tea? Or maybe hot apple cider?”

  “Cider would be wonderful.” Ginny’s tone turned teasing. “You know my weaknesses.”

  “That’s why I’m going to add a cinnamon stick to the cup.” Faith’s eyes twinkled as she turned to Graham. “Can I get you a cup?”

  “I’m fine.” Graham watched Faith head toward the kitchen, her bunny slippers padding against the floor.

  It struck him as odd that this could feel so right. The houses he’d grown up in had been nothing like this. At the end of the day, his father and whoever his stepmother was at the time would have never thought to unwind with something as mundane as apple cider.

  Bourbon on the rocks had been his father’s drink of choice. The steps—there had been three during his childhood—had had varying tastes. He didn’t recall much about Sylvia, the one who’d moved in after his mother had taken off when he was six, other than her propensity for Cosmos. The frothy pink drink had been such a strange contrast to the amber liquid of his father’s bourbon.

  Charlotte pointed to the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel board sitting atop the Persian rug. “Will you play with us?”

  When Ginny hesitated, Graham gestured. “That’s my log. You can take over for me. Although, full
disclosure, there aren’t many acorns in my log, so you’ll be starting at a disadvantage.”

  “Are you sure—?”

  He smiled at Faith as she returned with a cup for not only Ginny, but one for him as well. “I’m going to sit on the sofa and enjoy my cider.”

  Despite the odd outfit, Faith looked pretty tonight. Her light brown hair tumbled loose around her shoulders. Two sparkly reindeer clips kept the silky strands back from her face.

  Though she wasn’t classically beautiful the way Stephanie had been, Faith possessed a kind of beauty that was all her own.

  “Thank you for this,” Graham said to Faith when she handed him the cup. “I appreciate it.”

  Their eyes met and locked, and he found himself drawn into her soft-brown depths. The attraction that stirred surprised him, just like it had when their hands had brushed.

  How long had it been since he’d felt anything for any woman? He’d been head over heels in love with his wife.

  Though he’d dated several women after Steph’s death, most of the time the date had been nothing more than taking a plus-one to a business function. Between the long hours he put in for his job and the twins, there wasn’t time for romance.

  Besides, there hadn’t been anyone who’d captured his attention. Even women who, on the surface, appeared to be a perfect match hadn’t provoked the kind of feelings Faith brought to the surface.

  Perhaps he was simply tired, or—

  “Your mother loved board games,” he heard Ginny say. “She was really good at them.”

  “What games did she like?” Charlotte asked, an eagerness in her voice that he heard more often now whenever he brought up Steph.

  His mother-in-law began regaling the girls with tales of old-time board games and their mother’s prowess. Graham’s gaze sought Faith’s. Her smile made him feel better, though what he had to feel better about, he wasn’t certain.

  Maybe it was hearing Ginny talk about his wife and knowing he wasn’t the only one who remembered Steph. As the only girl in a family of boys, she had always had a special bond with her mother. While Steph often grumbled that her mother didn’t understand the pressure she was under, being an up-and-coming architect in a firm dominated by men, when she’d become pregnant, she and her mother had been on the phone daily.

  When Steph had been admitted with preeclampsia, Ginny had flown to New York and remained at her bedside. Steph’s fears about approaching motherhood had been eased by Ginny’s presence and support.

  Graham knew Ginny had once feared he and Steph might never have children because of their focus on their careers. Parenthood had been something they’d both wanted, but in the far, far distant future.

  Then, despite being on the Pill, Steph had gotten pregnant. When they learned they were expecting twins, she’d panicked, but he’d assured her they could do this…with the help of a nanny.

  The sofa dipped, and Graham turned to see Faith had taken a seat near him. While his mind had been traveling down memory lane, Mary had gotten down on the floor to join the game with Ginny and the girls.

  “I haven’t seen my grandmother this engaged in…well, I can’t remember when.” Faith spoke in a low tone, the comment obviously meant for his ears only.

  “They all seem to be having a good time.” Graham heard the quiver of excitement in Hannah’s voice when she announced her log was full.

  “Let’s play another game.” Charlotte reached over and pulled out Candy Land.

  Ginny and Mary exchanged glances.

  “I’d be up for it.” Mary put a hand to her back. “But we need to play at the dining room table. These old bones aren’t meant for doing a lot of floor sitting.”

  “That works for me.” Ginny cast a questioning glance in Graham’s direction when the girls squealed and hopped to their feet.

  Graham lifted a cup that still contained a good amount of cider. “You go ahead. I’m going to sit here in front of the fire while you ladies play.”

  “I’ll keep Graham company,” Faith said when their gazes shifted to her.

  “Thank you.” Ginny called over her shoulder as Hannah took her hand and pulled her into the dining room.

  “What was she thanking you for?” Faith asked.

  “Time alone with the girls.” Graham took a long sip of cider. “It’s nice when we’re all together, but when I’m there, she has to share the girls with me. The one-on-one time is precious to her.”

  “She’s lucky you two have such a good relationship.”

  Graham raised a brow.

  “Her daughter is gone. Some men might not be so eager to stay in touch.”

  “Steph was her only daughter. They were close. I like Ginny and want the girls to know her. My father isn’t much interested in being a grandfather, so she’s really all they have.”

  “What about your mother?”

  “She and my dad divorced when I was six. She left me with him.” He shrugged. “Linnea has a new family. To her, I’m a reminder of a marriage that didn’t work out.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He shrugged. “I only saw her a handful of times growing up. It isn’t as if she was ever a huge part of my life.”

  Though his tone was matter-of-fact—hadn’t he said these same words thousands of times through the years?—a coldness filled his body.

  Faith’s hand over the one he’d rested on the sofa brought a surge of heat. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and when he glanced at her, she offered a tentative smile.

  He found himself smiling back. “It isn’t what I’d have chosen.”

  “Life can be like that.”

  “What about you?” Graham had learned over the years that the quickest way to get off the hot seat was to ask the other person about themselves. “Tell me about your family.”

  Faith’s smile slipped just a little.

  There’s a story there, he thought, and wondered just how honest she’d be. Or would she, like him, gloss over the difficult stuff?

  “My father is a cardiologist, my mother a researcher. I have three brothers, all successful. One, like my father, is a physician, only his specialty is oncology. Bryce is an attorney and has his own firm. Evan, well, I already told you about him. Then there’s me.”

  “You’re a business owner.” Graham had heard Mary talk about Faith’s shop, but hadn’t had a chance to swing by there.

  “Oh, are you referring to my little hobby?” Faith’s tone turned mocking, and a bitterness underscored the words.

  “Is it a hobby?” Graham kept his expression even as he tried to figure out what was going on.

  “No, it’s a business. One that, after only two years, is already showing a profit.”

  He took a sip of cider. “Then why call it a hobby?”

  “That’s how my family sees it.” Faith gave a little laugh and appeared to brush away the melancholy. “I shouldn’t let it bother me. Occasionally, their dismissal gets into my head. Either I feel sad or angry, or sometimes both. Which is ridiculous, because I’m doing what I love, so whatever anyone else thinks shouldn’t matter.”

  “Parents have a way of getting into our heads.” Graham downed the rest of the cider as if it were a glass of scotch.

  “Your dad has expectations?”

  “You could say that.” Graham wondered how they were back to talking about him. “Being successful is what you do. Above all else. In his head, that’s all that matters. When I mentioned I was thinking of selling my New York apartment and getting something smaller and less expensive, you’d have thought I told him I was close to being homeless.”

  “Why are you thinking of moving?”

  There wasn’t any judgment in the question, just honest curiosity.

  “When it was Steph and me, we were pulling in two good incomes. Now, it’s just me with two daughters and a nanny to support.”

  Faith opened her mouth, then closed it. But he’d been asked the question so many times and in so many ways, he knew what sh
e wanted to know.

  “There was no life insurance.” Graham tightened his grip on the mug. “We should have had it. We planned to take out policies on both of us once the babies were born. Time got away from us. It was inexcusable.”

  “Having twins probably kept you busy.” There wasn’t judgment in Faith’s words, but understanding. “Not to mention you probably weren’t getting all that much sleep.”

  Those first two years, the only time Steph had had with her girls, were a blur. Tiffany had helped. Ginny had come down several times and stayed for a couple of weeks. But two infants and busy schedules had equaled chaos. Either he was skipping a meeting to be with them, or Steph was.

  “I don’t know how we’d have made it through without Tiffany.” Graham gazed with unseeing eyes into the fire. “She was a godsend, but unfortunately she couldn’t be there twenty-four seven.”

  “How many weeks did Steph take off once the babies were born?”

  “Six.”

  “Couldn’t she have done more under family medical leave?”

  “She could have taken up to twelve, but there was no way she’d take that much time off.”

  “Why not?”

  “Her position at her firm was on shaky ground.” Knowing the questions poised on Faith’s lips had Graham continuing without waiting for her to ask. “It’s a firm of mostly men. She had a rough pregnancy with the twins and had to take more time off than she wanted. An important job came up while she was in the hospital with preeclampsia. Overseeing that project went to another associate. She was determined that wouldn’t happen again.”

  “I’d say there are more important things, but I understand.”

  He cast her a questioning glance.

  “Everyone in my family would have done just as she did.”

  He studied her for a long moment. “Not you?”

  “I tried it their way, but that kind of business world isn’t for me.” She smiled. “We’re all different. That’s the beauty of life. Wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same?”

  “Not according to my father,” Graham quipped and made her laugh.

  Chapter Five