Jingle All the Way

by Debbie Macomber

  She paused to think; she’d told him so much about herself already. “I won the school spelling bee when I was in the fourth grade.”

  “Over the entire school?”

  “Yup.” It had been a proud moment.

  “You were always at the top of your class, weren’t you?”

  She nodded without bragging or elaborating how she’d graduated at the top of her class and magna cum laude from college.

  “You should know I’m a creative speller,” Asher admitted.

  She could feel his smile against the side of her face.

  Everly cocked her head to look at him. “I have a good head for business, but I love to bake bread.”

  “Nice.”

  “The problem is I also enjoy eating it, so I resist and bake only once a month.”

  “Such restraint is admirable. Okay, your last confession for the evening.”

  Everly smiled. She’d never admitted this to anyone. “I read Lily’s journal that she hid under her mattress. It was scandalous.”

  Asher chuckled. “Did she ever find out?”

  “I wouldn’t be alive if she had.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.” Although she wondered what it might be.

  “You say you prefer to be called Everly. Is that a family name?”

  “No, it’s the name I chose for myself.”

  “Why?”

  “Come on, Asher. Do you honestly think anyone would take me seriously as a businesswoman with the name Daisy?”

  He nodded, but she could see that he was frowning.

  “You’ll always be Daisy to me,” he said, and kissed her again.

  * * *

  —

  The following morning, Everly and several of the others boarded the Zodiacs to head out for piranha fishing. Asher made sure Everly was in his watercraft. When she boarded, his gaze met hers and he smiled. He held on to her hand longer than necessary and winked at her when she got settled with the others. She shared the boat with David and Janice Brown and the Kotz couple. They were all equipped with fishing gear.

  “Here’s to another grand adventure,” David said, smiling over at his wife and Everly.

  Janice scooted closer to Everly and patted her hand. “What did I tell you?” she said under her breath. “That young man is crazy about you.”

  Everly smiled and caught Asher staring at her. She was convinced he’d heard Janice Brown and was doing his best to pretend otherwise.

  “It’s hard to think that in a few days we’ll all be heading back to celebrate the holidays. Being here in the Amazon feels unreal. All too soon it’ll be over.”

  That was exactly what Asher had said. She’d done a lot of thinking after their conversation. Sleep hadn’t come until the wee hours of the morning. He had a point about them living in different worlds. But then she remembered how good it had felt in his arms and how his kisses had made her feel. When the time came, and it was fast approaching, she would need to walk away, and he would need to let her go.

  When she returned to the city, Everly was determined to make a change in her life. She’d taken on far more responsibility than one person could or should handle. Jack had no idea what he’d done when he insisted she take the entire month of December off. Everly was convinced he would live to regret that decision.

  The longer Everly was out of the office, the more she realized how stressed out she was and how badly she needed to slow down and have a life. This vacation had opened her eyes to how she’d fallen victim to her own need to succeed. She’d given up Christmas with her family, lost out on relationships, worked tirelessly—and for what?

  * * *

  —

  The engine on the Zodiac roared as it plowed forward, nearly unseating her. The action abruptly pulled her out of her thoughts.

  “I never thought in a million years that I’d go piranha fishing,” Janice said. “David takes me places I’d never thought of or imagined.”

  Everly couldn’t wait to tell her dad and brothers about some of what she’d seen and done. As ardent fishermen themselves, they would be impressed when they learned she’d hooked a piranha, which she was determined to do.

  The Zodiac came to a stop. “This is an area rich with aquatic life.”

  “Lots of piranha, you say?”

  Asher nodded. “The best spot I’ve found. With luck, everyone will catch one or more fish. Remember, this is our dinner,” he teased. “You don’t catch a piranha, then you go hungry,”

  “Don’t you worry, sweetheart,” David said to Janice. “I’ll catch your share as well.”

  “I’ll catch my own, thank you,” she returned, and grabbed hold of her fishing pole.

  “As will I,” Everly announced. “I’m a farm girl, with some experience fishing.” She didn’t mention that her dad had to bait her line because the thought of touching a slimy worm disgusted her and her sisters.

  Asher helped everyone get their lines in the water. Not five minutes later, Professor Kotz caught the first fish. Everly was stunned by how fiercely the fish fought. The professor was hard-pressed to keep hold of the fishing pole. When Asher netted the fish, they were all shocked by how small it was and how fiercely it had struggled. Asher had to be careful removing the hook from its mouth because of the razor-sharp teeth. He wore protective gloves.

  The rest of them stared at the fish. Everly had seen drawings of piranha but was stunned to see one alive—well, almost alive. It was all mouth and teeth. A shiver ran down her spine, knowing how dangerous they could be.

  In one of Asher’s lectures, he’d reviewed the ten most dangerous types of wildlife in the Amazon. She didn’t remember where piranha landed, but the fish was definitely one of the top five. The poisonous snakes and the wandering spider were also on that list.

  Janice caught the second fish, and, like the professor, struggled to bring it close enough to the watercraft for Asher to net it. Once it had been freed from the line and placed in the cooler with the first fish, she beamed with pride.

  “See, David? I told you I didn’t need any help.”

  “Of course, my love. I’m proud of you.”

  For the next half hour, they all caught fish, Everly included. She’d done a little fishing as a kid. She didn’t have the patience for it and didn’t find it nearly as relaxing as her dad and brothers did. Her two sisters felt the same as Everly.

  When she’d hooked the first piranha, she’d held her own and, like Janice, was quite proud of herself. Before long she caught a second and then a third. After her third catch, she retired her pole, leaned back, and enjoyed the afternoon. For once it wasn’t raining, which was a rare treat. It rained every day without fail, but between cloudbursts there were moments of sunshine and warmth. They’d hit this fishing expedition at exactly the right time.

  The Zodiac drifted beneath a row of vegetation along the bank, the current placing the watercraft in the shadows. After sitting in the hot sun for the last thirty minutes, the cool shade was welcome.

  Everly closed her eyes, her head raised toward the sky, and soaked in the peace. Miriam Kotz was the only one who had yet to hook a fish, and Everly knew Asher didn’t want to head back to the ship until everyone had experienced at least one catch.

  Half asleep, Everly was startled awake when Miriam let loose with a piercing scream.

  Everly bolted to an upright position.

  Then Janice screamed.

  Then she saw it.

  A snake.

  Not just any snake. This one was huge.

  Apparently, it had fallen from the overhead foliage and landed in the middle of the Zodiac…directly in front of her.

  Terrified, Everly gasped and leaped to her feet. The bottom of the Zodiac was wet and slippery, and she quickly lost her balance. With her arms fla
iling, she stumbled backward. Before she could right herself, she fell over the side of the raft and into the murky waters of the Amazon River.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Asher watched as Daisy lost her balance, arms thrashing, and flew backward out of the Zodiac into the piranha-infested water. With his heart in a wild panic, he immediately jumped into action. He grabbed hold of the snake, tossed it over the other side of the watercraft, and then leaned over the fat lip of the Zodiac, stretching out both arms to reach for Daisy.

  Thanks to her life vest, she immediately bobbed to the surface, sputtering and frantically slapping the water in a crazed effort to reach him.

  “Give me your arms,” he shouted, almost in danger of slipping into the river himself.

  David Brown gripped on to Asher’s ankles as he lunged for Daisy, snatching hold of one of her wrists. With effort, he was able to drag her close enough to take hold of her other hand. Straining, Asher lifted her out of the water and back into the boat.

  “Daisy,” he cried, unable to keep the alarm out of his voice. “Dear God in heaven, are you all right?”

  With her long hair dripping mercilessly onto her face and algae clinging to her clothing, Daisy tried to sit upright. Needing to know she hadn’t been injured, Asher ran his hands down the length of her arms and then her legs until she slapped him away.

  “I’m fine,” she choked out, coughing up a mouthful of river water.

  Asher slapped her back several times, hoping that would help.

  “I swear I swallowed half the Amazon,” she muttered, once she’d caught her breath. Using both hands, she brushed the hair away from her face and started trembling violently.

  Then, to his horror, Daisy started to cry, big gulping sobs that shook her shoulders.

  “Daisy, please, talk to me.”

  Her shoulders shook as she opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again.

  Not knowing what to do, Asher looked to Janice Brown, hoping the older woman would have an inkling of what was the matter. Daisy didn’t appear to have been injured. The worst that had happened was swallowing the river water.

  Janice Brown scooted close to Daisy and placed her arm around her shoulders, not seeming to care that she was getting soaked herself. “It’s all right, Daisy, let it out.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “What don’t I understand?” the sympathetic older woman cooed.

  “I’m not like this. I’m capable and strong…yet from the moment I stepped on board this cruise I have made a fool of myself,” she blubbered between sobs. “I’m a complete klutz!”

  “What you don’t see, Daisy,” Janice said, her words comforting and gentle, “is that you have endeared yourself to all of us. The things that have happened to you could have happened to any one of us.”

  “Maybe, but they happened to me.”

  Daisy sniffled several times and looked at Asher as if to tell him how sorry she was. Janice scooted back to join her husband.

  Unable to resist, Asher gathered her in his arms, holding her against him as if he never intended to let her go. With the life jacket it was hard to get as close as he wanted to. Not that Asher cared if comforting her soaked his own clothes. Nothing was going to keep her out of his arms.

  With his forehead braced against hers, he said, “I lost ten years off my life seeing you go overboard.”

  Daisy wiped her forearm under her nose. “Where’s the snake?”

  “Gone.”

  “Good thing, or I’d go back into the water,” she said between sniffles, and made a gallant effort to smile.

  He had to assume she was joking. It was hard to release her, but he needed to get her back to the ship. She was wet and miserable, and seeing her so uncomfortable made him even more eager to see her safely back to where she could shower and change.

  Asher kept close watch over her as they zoomed at full speed across the river. Daisy shivered with shock and cold. She was a pitiful sight, sitting on the bottom of the Zodiac with her arms wrapped around her knees, water still dripping and pooling all around her.

  Asher knew that piranha had a bad reputation, no thanks to Hollywood. The facts said differently. The fish rarely attacked humans. Furthermore, this area on the Amazon where they’d been fishing had an abundant supply of insects, crustaceans, worms, and seeds, which was their common diet, so Daisy was never in any real danger. Instinctively, he knew all that, and still, seeing her fall out of the Zodiac had panicked him.

  Janice patted Daisy’s hand and talked soothingly to her until they reached the ship. Asher radioed ahead to be sure there were towels waiting.

  Daisy held back and was the last one off the Zodiac, and Asher personally helped her disembark and then walked her to her stateroom.

  “Take a shower and then meet me,” he said, finding it difficult to leave her.

  With the towel wrapped around her shoulders, she sniffled. “I’ve already taken my allotted two showers for this week.”

  “It’s fine, these are extenuating circumstances.” He would never say it aloud, but Daisy looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Although he was likely to be seen by both passenger and crew, he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be waiting.”

  “I…I won’t be long.”

  Surprising him, she leaned forward and pressed her head against his chest. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to look anyone in the eye.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I’m such a klutz,” she said and groaned. “I have been my entire life. No one wanted me on their teams in school. The only B grade I ever got was in PE.”

  “Daisy, love, no one is going to blame you for what happened, least of all me.” She was adorable, dripping hair, soggy clothes, algae sticking out of her shoes. As odd as it might seem, he’d never seen anyone more beautiful than Daisy at that moment. He felt doubly protective of her and realized how much he’d come to care about her in such a short amount of time.

  All too soon they’d go their separate ways, which was good and bad. Good because it was becoming incredibly easy to fall in love with this woman. Their differences weren’t going to change, though, so the sooner she was gone, the better. And bad because he knew she was going to haunt him for a good long while.

  Asher wandered into the meeting room, poured himself a cup of coffee from the ever-ready pot, and grabbed an oatmeal cookie, still warm from the oven. The cooking staff supplied an abundance of snacks that were available all day. A few of the other passengers had returned from the fishing expedition and were sitting around visiting. He enjoyed watching those on board socialize with one another. He knew friendships were often formed on these cruises. It wasn’t unusual for couples to meet and then travel together on another Explorer ship at a future date.

  “Asher,” one of the passengers named Penny called to him. She was around fifty and had been appropriately named, as her hair was the color of freshly minted copper, now streaked with gray. “What’s this I hear about Daisy falling overboard? Was she hurt? What in heaven’s name happened?”

  He explained about the snake and assured the other woman that all was well and that thankfully Daisy was no worse for wear.

  “That poor girl; it seems everything happens to her.”

  “It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it? Although I don’t think she welcomed any of what’s happened. I have to say she’s been a good sport about it all.”

  Penny nodded. “From what I heard, this wasn’t exactly the cruise she’d been expecting.”

  “So I understand.” Asher liked to think it was fate that had brought her to the Amazon Explorer. He didn’t have all the details straight in his mind as to how the misunderstanding had happened, but it seemed to have something to do with an overeager young assistant. Whatever had gone wrong had been in his favor. He would nev
er have met her otherwise.

  Fifteen minutes after he dropped Daisy at her stateroom, she entered the main meeting area. Her gaze immediately caught his. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to check on Daisy.”

  “Of course,” Penny said with an easy smile.

  Daisy had showered and changed clothes, but she wore a forlorn look as she entered the room. Asher met her and reached for her hand, leading her into the small alcove where they’d sat before.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked. Once they were seated side by side, he reached for her free hand, holding both of hers in his.

  She lowered her gaze and seemed to be concentrating on their joined hands. “I feel like such an idiot to have overreacted to that snake.”

  “You can’t blame yourself, Daisy. That could have happened to anyone.”

  “You keep saying that, but it happened to me. I saw that snake and panicked, and then I lost my balance and couldn’t stop my momentum. Before I knew it, I was in the water. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. This isn’t me. I’m not like this in the office. I’m capable, and mature…or I used to be. I hardly know myself any longer. It feels like my entire world has been turned upside down.”

  He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I know. I haven’t been myself since the moment we met. I knew that it was highly unlikely that the piranhas would attack you, yet all that science and knowledge flew out the proverbial window the instant you fell overboard.” Asher hated to admit that he’d been terrified. It’d taken everything inside him not to jump into the river after her.

  Her cheeks flushed a fetching shade of pink.

  “If any harm had come to you, I don’t know what I would have done. I couldn’t have handled it.” Even now, just remembering her catapulting out of the Zodiac skyrocketed his heart rate.

  “All’s well that ends well, right?”

  The captain appeared and made the rounds, greeting passengers and making small talk. It was part of Asher’s duty to mingle with the passengers as time would allow. He reluctantly dropped her hand. He didn’t want to leave her, but he didn’t want to ignore his position with the team, either.