Christmas Duet: A Big City, Small Town Christmas Romance Bundle

by Gina Robinson

  She browsed the Christmas-card section, hoping no one she knew came in and caught her in the act of buying a mushy card for Ryan. This was a top-secret mission, after all. She picked up the first card and read it: Let's Get Caught Under the Mistletoe.

  Not bad. Good sentiment. A bit of innuendo. And a little humorous given how she'd almost kissed Ryan beneath the mistletoe the night she arrived and it had surprised them both.

  She moved on to the next one. I loved you yesterday. I love you still. I always have. I always will. Merry Christmas.

  Yes, perfect sentiment. This would definitely get her message across, but—hadn't she seen this, minus the "Merry Christmas," on a decal on a friend's wall? Was impersonal wall sentiment the way to go in this delicate, critical situation?

  She picked up a card with cartoon drawings. You're the holly to my berries. You're the marshmallows to my hot chocolate. You're the merry to my Christmas. We belong together. I love you.

  Corny. But it made her smile. One Valentine's Day when they were college, she and Ryan had had a competition to see who could give the other the corniest card. He'd appreciate the effort.

  She bought it and escaped to the coffee shop next door. She ordered a peppermint mocha and drank it at a small table by the window as she poured out her heart to Ryan.

  I could go on—you're the kiss beneath my mistletoe. You're the bindings to my snowboard. Wait, that's not any better, is it? Worse?

  I've been a fool and I've hurt you and I'm sorry. I thought I wasn't ready for commitment. I thought I had to give us time to reconnect. But these last few days I've realized I've let too much time pass already. We could have had ten wonderful years together. Let's not waste ten more days.

  I love you. I want you in my life. And, whether you still want me in yours or not, I want you to have the lodge.

  I talked to Gram and Grandpa. They're in agreement. They want to sell the lodge to you. You're the best person in the world to hand their legacy over to. Make them an offer they can't refuse.

  Merry Christmas!

  I love you.

  Tara

  She stared out the window at the white winter wonderland and the record snowfall. People her grandparents' age were saying they'd never seen as much snow as this, certainly never at Christmastime. This was probably going to be the whitest Christmas she'd see in her lifetime. She hoped it wasn't the bleakest. It certainly would be one to remember.

  She closed the card, put her pen back in her purse, slid the card into the envelope, and sealed it with a kiss just for fun. It was what she did as a silly, moony preteen in love with Ryan. Then she wrote SWAK on the back and drew a little heart as laughed to herself, remembering her ten-year-old self giving the twelve-year-old Ryan a card with SWAK on the back. This was just her silly way of reminding him of their shared history and all the silly, happy, and sometimes painful times they'd been through.

  She grabbed her purse and picked up the card and her coffee. Before she headed back to Echo Bay, she had to stop by Jim Dickson's and ask the town Santa to stuff this in his Santa bag for Ryan. Jim was a good sport. She doubted she'd have too much trouble getting him to deliver her card to Ryan at the big Basin Santa Ski and Christmas extravaganza.

  It was too bad she wouldn't be at the party to see Ryan open it.

  19

  It was Christmas Eve and Ryan was going to be spending it alone in the midst of thousands of happy Santa Skiers. It wasn't like this was the first Christmas Eve he'd ever been dateless. It was more that until a few days ago, he'd had such high, foolish hopes for this one. Maybe he was being an ass. He'd thought a lot about things since his blowup with Tara. Maybe he'd been wrong not to give her more time.

  Her rejection, or rather her lack of trust in him, still stung. Even if they didn't work out as a couple, or in spite of the fact that it appeared they weren't going to work out as a couple, he'd take good care of the lodge and of Harry and Margie. Did Tara honestly think that an impersonal property management company would look after Harry and Margie if they got sick? Or needed to be driven somewhere? Or their health deteriorated to the point someone needed to contact the family?

  Maybe not. But even if he was right, what good was being right when he'd lost Tara and Echo Bay both in one dumb move?

  Harry was being discharged this afternoon. Ryan wanted to see him and wish him a merry Christmas before Harry went home. Ryan thought it would be more respectful to let Margie and Harry have their first Christmas in years alone with Tara without the tension and drama of his presence.

  On his way to the hospital, Ryan had stopped by Jim Dickson's to get Tara's old engagement ring back. But Jim was mysteriously out again, like he'd been every time Ryan had stopped by these last few days. The holidays were a busy time, and it probably didn't matter in the long run. Ryan could pick up the ring any time. He was pretty sure Jim had gotten his messages not to put the ring in his Santa bag.

  Ryan swallowed a lump and pulled into a parking spot in the hospital's visitor parking lot. It was a clear, sunny, bitterly cold day, the first day it hadn't snowed, and wasn't predicted to, for what seemed like weeks. The skiing and boarding should be excellent. Under different circumstances, Ryan would have been looking forward to the evening. Maybe the boarding would clear his head, if he wasn't too busy playing cop to guests who were celebrating a little too hard.

  Ryan jumped out of the car, grabbed the gifts he had for Harry and Margie, and went to Harry's room. Harry was alone, sitting up and looking ready to blow the place.

  Ryan knocked on the doorjamb. "Glad I caught you. I was afraid you'd have escaped this place already."

  Harry chuckled. "Don't I wish. It's not the best place to spend Christmas Eve. But don't tell the nurses that. They've done their best to make the place cheery and add a little holiday spirit. I hear Santa's even going to make a visit tonight to the little kids."

  "Yeah, that Santa," Ryan said as he came in and stood next to Harry's bed. "He's going to be a busy one tonight."

  Harry nodded. "Off work early?"

  Ryan nodded. "In a manner of speaking. We closed the plant at noon. I stopped by Mom and Dad's for lunch. I'm heading up to the Basin for my Santa shift in a few."

  "You're carrying presents, but you don't look like you're dressed for the big event." Harry sat up straighter.

  "My gear and suit are in the car." Ryan paused. "I got you and Margie each a little something." He set them on the stand next to Harry.

  "A case of salad dressing apiece?" Harry's eyes sparkled. "You know, you could just bring them by the lodge after the big doings tonight."

  Ryan shook his head. "I'm not going back to the cabin. I'm spending tonight and Christmas day with Mom and Dad. In fact, I might not make it home until the twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth. Mom will want someone to drive her to Spokane for the big after-Christmas sales. Dad hates that duty, so I think I'm it. Part of my gift to him."

  Harry studied Ryan and nodded sagely. "Well then, you'll have to come when you come home. It's too bad you won't be around until after Tara leaves. She'll be sorry she didn't get a chance to say goodbye."

  Ryan snorted. "Yeah, sure."

  Harry was still studying him. "I'm serious, Ryan. She'll be sorry. I'm not supposed to mention it, but she has something she wants to tell you."

  Like "go to hell"? Ryan thought. "If I don't see her, tell her she can tell me next time. Or send me a text."

  "Don't be too hard on her," Harry said. "This trip has been tough on her. Me falling off the roof didn't help things any. You'll want to hear what she has to say. If she gets the chance, listen to her, will you? Really listen. That will mean more to me than any gift."

  Ryan frowned. What is Harry getting at? Ryan hated himself for the way his heart raced with hope. "Sure." He nodded toward the door. He wanted to be well gone before Tara and Margie came by to pick Harry up and take him home.

  "I'd better be going," Ryan said. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

  Tara picked Laurel up on h
er way to take Harry home from the hospital. "You look ready to pop," Tara said to her as she loaded Laurel's suitcase in the trunk. "Donny really has to go on ski patrol duty this evening?"

  Laurel laughed and grabbed her baby bump. "He's looking forward to it and I wouldn't deprive him of the pleasure." She winced and made a pained face.

  "Hey, are you okay?"

  "Just another Braxton Hicks. I've been having them all day." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm fine. They're nothing."

  "They don't look like nothing. Good thing we're on our way to the hospital. Maybe I should drop you off there for the evening."

  "Nothing doing. We're picking up Harry and hanging at the lodge like old times. I'm not about to miss Margie's Christmas pie." She opened the door and got in the car.

  Harry and Margie were waiting for them at the hospital. Tara grabbed Harry's bags and loaded them into the car while he groused about having to be brought out in a wheelchair.

  Margie patted him on the shoulder. "Perk up. You're living to see another Christmas. What do you have to complain about?"

  Harry grinned. "You're right, old woman. I'm going to enjoy this Christmas if it kills me."

  "Watch what you say." Tara opened the car door for him. "It nearly did kill you."

  "That was just winter." Harry winked and got in the car.

  Half an hour later, just as dusk was falling, they pulled into the lodge parking lot. The Christmas lights were just coming on and the moon and stars were coming out.

  "It looks like a Christmas card," Margie said as she got out.

  "You always say that." Harry got out.

  Tara let Laurel out, too, and parked the car. She entered the lodge to find her grandparents standing beneath the mistletoe, kissing while a small cluster of staff applauded.

  Except for the staff, and Laurel's mom Carol, who was Harry and Margie's guest for dinner, the lobby was quiet. This was that wonderful lull time when most of the guests were up on the mountain and wouldn't return until late. Everyone could breathe and relax, joke and laugh, and enjoy the holiday spirit.

  The fire blazed brightly. The Christmas tree Ryan had helped Tara cut and buy decorations for was lit up. The ornaments glittered in the firelight and the tree filled the lodge with the scent of fresh forest. Tara couldn't banish the image of kissing him beneath that tree. She wanted to feel that passion again, his arms around her, and his kiss on her lips. Presents from the staff to each other for the Christmas gift exchange were piled beneath the tree. Holiday tunes played over the speakers.

  "Can't a guy kiss the missus without an audience?" Harry joked.

  Tara rolled her eyes and whispered to Laurel, "Grandpa is in his element." But she was thinking of Ryan again.

  If Ryan had a change of heart and accepted her apology, forty years from now, the old couple kissing beneath the mistletoe could be them.

  Just a year ago, she couldn't have imagined wanting that future, let alone being nervous that she'd very likely blown it. Could Ryan's love for her have lasted all these years, only to be lost so easily? She hoped not. She wanted a future with Ryan at Echo Bay, wanted it more than she'd ever wanted anything.

  She glanced at the clock. Just before four. The Christmas party at the Basin would begin at seven. She smiled at the thought of how happy Ryan would be to get the lodge. Would he be as happy at the sentiment her card expressed?

  Harry gave Margie a squeeze around her shoulders and faced the staff members, those who were really like family, who were still on duty. Harry gave as many staff members as he could possibly afford to do without Christmas Eve afternoon off. The few who remained were those who either volunteered or were particularly close to Harry and Margie, like Kathleen and Stormy.

  Harry inhaled deeply. "It smells great in here. Is that Kathleen's famous oyster stew I smell?"

  It was also tradition to have an early Christmas Eve dinner and close the kitchen so the kitchen and wait staff could go home to be with their families. Anyone who wanted to dine with Harry and Margie, be they staff, family, or guest, was heartily welcomed.

  On Christmas Day, Harry ordered dinner served later, a real feast of prime rib and spiral-cut ham, salads, potatoes, rolls, pies, Christmas cookies, and plenty of holiday cheer. The guests would arrive late off the mountain and it was a festive time that Tara had almost forgotten about.

  But Christmas Eve, particularly this one with the big party at the Basin, was a quiet, much more intimate affair. Oyster stew, plenty of oyster crackers, salad, lake fish Harry had caught and frozen, venison from local hunters, and a great big Christmas pie made from an old family recipe.

  "That is indeed oyster stew," Kathleen said. As she came forward and hugged Harry, tears stood in her eyes. "Welcome back, boss."

  Half an hour later, Harry was settled in and seated at the head of the head table. The dining room had been transformed—the tables covered with snowy white tablecloths, lit with candles, and decorated with fir boughs and red Christmas balls. A buffet lined with food in warming trays lined one wall. The curtains were open to the snowy woods outside. Tara had a perfect view out the French double doors to the Basin beyond.

  She couldn't keep her mind off the Basin and the party and Ryan up there. She was suddenly having second thoughts about her decision to avoid the party at the Basin. If Chad had been alive, that was where he'd be. What about her desire to honor his memory by going up on the mountain? With Ryan by her side, she'd thought she could do it. Why had she chickened out? What if something went wrong and Ryan decided not to go to the party after all? What if he didn't stay for the Santa giveaway? What if Jim wasn't able to give him her card? What if Ryan missed getting her Christmas gift to him? The what-ifs weighed her down.

  Her mind was elsewhere as Harry said a Christmas blessing and they dug into steaming bowls of oyster stew. It stayed elsewhere through a delicious meal she barely tasted. Her gaze kept drifting toward the clock. Just a few more hours.

  They retired to the lobby, where Harry took his favorite chair in front of the fire Carter had carefully built and stoked for him.

  "I do love a good blaze." Harry sighed happily, but he looked tired.

  Gram took a chair next to him while Laurel and Carol took the sofa and Tara sat opposite Gram.

  "It's a shame you girls are missing the big party at the Basin. Everyone will be there. We're old stick-in-the-muds here." Margie glanced at Harry.

  He yawned.

  Poor Grandpa. He really did look worse for the mild celebrating.

  "It's not even six and Grandpa's ready for bed." Margie looked at him fondly. "I'm sorry, Tara. This isn't the evening we'd planned. I was looking forward to our traditional gift exchange and game night. But I don't think Grandpa is going to make it." She paused. "But there's no reason you two young women shouldn't have fun. Why don't you go to the party at the Basin?"

  Gram sounded way too encouraging and hopeful, as if she was eager for Tara to go. Highly suspicious.

  Tara shot a look at Laurel. "I don't think so, Gram. Laurel's in no condition to go—"

  "Oh, nonsense." Carol startled everyone. "She should go and have fun. Sit in the lodge and visit. Be with her husband at the party." She patted her daughter's hand. "Have fun before the responsibilities of parenthood settle in. Donny would love the surprise."

  "But I thought..." Laurel frowned. "I don't want to leave you alone until late."

  Carol waved her hand. "I'll keep Margie and Kathleen company. I'll be fine. I've told you that all along."

  Harry suddenly chimed in. "The skiing and boarding will be perfect. If I hadn't fallen off a roof a few days ago, I'd be tempted to go myself." He smiled at Tara. "You should go and have a run or two before they close. It would do you good. Make you feel young again. The young Tara never missed a chance to snowboard."

  She couldn't argue with that. But the mature Tara had other reasons besides great powder for wanting to be up at the Basin.

  "Laurel? What do you think?" Tara
said.

  Before Tara could answer, Kathleen came hustling out of the kitchen, carrying a beautifully boxed Dutch apple pie. "We have a problem." She held the pie up. "Somehow this got missed when the guy from the Santa Ski committee stopped by earlier. It's part of the gift package."

  Margie smiled at Tara. "Sweetie, you have to go now and play delivery girl for me."

  Tara smelled a setup. She turned to Laurel.

  Laurel nodded. "We can't let Margie down. Let's go."

  Tara laughed. "We'll be the only two on the mountain not decked out in Christmas lights."

  "Not so fast." Margie got out of her chair and pulled a package from beneath the tree. She held it out to Tara. "Open it."

  Tara arched a brow and pulled the lid off the box. A beautiful, green, home-sewn Santa's elf hat complete with fake ears, a sprig of felt mistletoe tucked behind one, fur trim laced with a string of red battery-operated Christmas lights, and a white puffball on top lay beneath layers of white tissue. Tara recognized Gram's handiwork at once. She was a sewing whiz, and extremely crafty in more than one sense of the word. Beneath the hat sat an assortment of Christmas necklaces with lights that lit up, glow necklaces, and a pair of reindeer ears.

  "Gram, what did you do—buy out the craft store? There's enough for the full twelve days of Christmas in here, more than enough to share," she said to Laurel as she gave Gram an openly suspicious look.

  Gram smiled and shrugged. "I made the hat and got the other things for you before you cancelled your plans to go to the party..." She trailed off without adding, "with Ryan."

  "It would be a shame for them to go to waste."

  That was fast work. Tara only had those original plans for a few days.

  Gram looked way too pleased with herself. She wore the same look she'd had the night Tara arrived and Gram was expecting the salad dressing man and singing his praises. The salad dressing man who turned out to be Ryan.