by Angela Drake
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
AN OZARKS CHRISTMAS is book one of the Planned to Perfection series.
2018 Angela Drake.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover – Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs
Creative Dreams Press
Birch Tree, MO
Dedication
Chapter 1
Stephanie sat in one of the chairs on the patio of the Crescent Hotel, letting the peace of the valley beyond wash over her. She needed the calming effect the Ozarks community offered. A star fell from the velvet sky. She closed her eyes.
“I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight.”
She struggled between wishing Brendan wasn’t in the ballroom behind her and thankful for his agreeing to lend his talents to the Santa Club Gala. If she could just avoid seeing him for another hour, she could go back to her cottage down the road without having to come face to face with her past. “I wish…”
“May I join you?”
So much for wishes. Her heart felt as if a beat had skipped then fluttered back to life. She knew without looking the voice belonged to Brendan Keane – entertainer, playboy and thief. Focusing on her wish, she hadn’t heard him open nor close the ballroom door as he came outside.
Glancing to her left she could see the tall, strong frame of the man she couldn’t forget. The man who had stolen her heart so long ago.
“Of course.” She struggled to keep her voice even. She wanted to tell him to go away. Not just from the hotel but from the close-knit community she called home. She hadn’t wanted him here from the beginning but her ultimate goal for the event to be a success over-ruled. This fundraiser would ensure that every child in Eureka Springs and the surrounding area would receive a visit from Santa Claus. Being the biggest draw in the music business, Brendan Keane would make that possible. The fact he had volunteered to perform was a big boost to the benefit’s bottom line.
“I’m sorry if I intruded.”
An apology? In all their time together she’d never heard him apologize for anything – and he’d had plenty of occasions.
“Not at all. I need to go back in anyway.” She hated that her voice shook. His mere presence shouldn’t be affecting her.
The scent of his cologne drifted on the air. Her skin tingled from the nearness of him as memories of his touch raced through her mind. A feeling of comfort mixed with something else she didn’t want to acknowledge needled at her heart.
Brendan sat down a couple of chairs over from her, lacing his fingers across his midsection and stretching his legs out in front of him. Stephanie watched his languid movement. She had seen him relaxed many times in their time together. Then he had needed alcohol to produce the effect. She braced the palms of her hands on the chair arms, preparing to rise.
“It’s a beautiful evening.” His deep vibrato halted her escape. The same tone that had seduced her a lifetime ago. After thirteen years his voice still mesmerized her, pouring over her in a sweet caress. Some memories seemed to overshadow the ones of the drunk she had finally seen him for.
Through connections with his family she had never seen a reason to dissolve she knew he was approaching his thirteenth year of sobriety. She didn’t know what had finally triggered him turning his life around but like everything else Brendan did, he gave it his all. His success was a shining example.
She had wanted permanence and a family, the two things his addiction had prevented them from sharing when she had been sure they belonged together. Now Brendan’s career had become a different form of addiction.
Though she had walked away from Brendan, she stayed close with his family. Something she knew he was still trying to rebuild. They were all a part of what he’d felt unimportant at the time.
For Stephanie, his parents were the ones she never had. Her mother had died of heart failure when Stephanie was twelve, the point in her life when she had needed her mom the most. Dad and Brendan shared the same ailment, but unlike the love of her life, Dad got mean. There were a lot of times she found safety in Brendan’s little house across the river. His sister, Kris, served as maid of honor in her wedding to Matthew and his dad walked her down the aisle. Thankfully, they hadn’t made a trip to Eureka Springs since she and the kids moved down here.
The only part of her past her friend, Jennifer, knew about was her tragic loss of Matthew and the two beautiful children they’d had. Most of the time she tried to pretend Brendan had never been a part of her life, a task that became more and more difficult when she looked at her daughter, Kim. The older she became, the more she resembled him. Not the man she grew up calling Dad.
“There are several businesses on the program. Is one of them yours?”
“I helped plan the event. I own Planned to Perfection.
She’d managed to avoid introductions until now. The avoidance had required a trip out of town with the children so she didn’t run into him until she absolutely had to, arriving back with just enough time to dress and arrive fashionably late.
“Then you know the hotel manager. Jennifer’s my daughter.”
Jennifer didn’t remember Stephanie as a part of her childhood or her dad’s life and Stephanie wasn’t ready to reveal that part of her to the young woman who had become an incredible friend. Stephanie knew this day would come. She was planning Jennifer’s wedding, after all. Until he had volunteered his services for tonight she had thought she had a good four months to prepare for the moment when she’d have to face him. Yet, here he was.
The pride in his voice shone like the ballroom chandelier. Where had that pride been when Jennifer was a child? When the little girl should be looking up to her father as the greatest man to walk the earth, she was looking out a window wondering if he’d even remember her birthday, school program or Christmas?
“Yes, I do. Speaking of, I must get back to the guests.” As she stood and turned towards the doors, she realized too late that she had emerged from the shadow, the lights from above shining like a spotlight.
“Stephanie?”
She froze, mid-step as if avoiding quicksand. He was capable of weaving a spell she didn’t want to fall under. When she had walked away from him that late summer day a lifetime ago, she swore he would never have emotional control over her again. With Matthew she had become her own person. A person fate had been preparing her for. She didn’t need his shoulder to cry on, or his body to protect her. She wouldn’t fall back to being less than what she had become.
“Stephanie.”
She felt more than heard the reverence as he repeated her name. The tone enveloping them in a cloud of memories. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, struggling to suppress the flood of emotions she’d anticipated for weeks. Feelings long-buried engulfed her to the core. She had survived them all over the years to be drenched in them here, now.
“Hello, Brendan.” Her business tone belied the turbulent battle waging within her.
He stood, rallying to his full 6’3” and moved to embrace her. She took a step back. If she’d learned anything from her past, his touch would be her undoing. From the moment she knew Brendan was coming she’d made a firm promise to herself that Brendan Keane would n
ot touch her in any way shape or form. There was a time when she willingly allowed herself the safety of his arms. She didn’t need him or any support he thought to offer. She didn’t need him in her life at all.
He tucked his hands into the front pockets of his black trousers. He’d always been a snappy dresser. That and his charming ways had earned him the nickname, Playboy. He was right out of a 1970’s romance. Though he’d been an alcoholic, he’d seldom appeared drunk. Even the clothes he wore on the construction site looked fresh out of his closet when he’d come into the bar after work where she waitressed. Then and now he looked irresistible.
“Brendan, when I agreed to your offer, I had no intention of seeing you other than from the back of the ballroom. At least, not before Jennifer’s wedding in December.”
“Seriously? I’ve spent the past twelve years figuring out what I’d say when I saw you again.”
She listened, waiting for words that wouldn’t change anything. She wanted to believe the steps in the program had led him to some personal discoveries, realizations of what a jerk he had been and how he had hurt those who loved him… herself included.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“My family moved down here a couple of years ago.”
Never in her entire life had she felt so much a part of a community as she did here in Eureka Springs. This was the perfect place to raise a family. The over-all ambiance of the quaint Victorian tourist town soothed the spirit. But tonight she didn’t think anything could bring her peace of mind.
“You have children?”
Something deep inside compelled her to answer his question rather than run for her life.
“Yes. Kimberley is twelve and Max is two.” She smiled, remembering how the Santa Club had come to be and the reason for his presence. “Kim was in fourth grade when she came home one afternoon just devastated. The first graders wrote paragraphs about ‘Why I Believe in Santa’. The teacher hung them along the hall for everyone to enjoy. Kim read enough to realize that a large number of the kids didn’t believe in Santa because he never came to their house.”
“Everyone should believe in Santa Claus at some point in their life.”
“She thought so, too. She was at the age where she understood about the ‘Spirit of the Season’. She wanted to clean out her and Max’s toys and give away everything they owned.
“She sounds like a compassionate young lady?”
“Kimmie is my dynamo promoter. She convinces everyone it’s their duty to contribute in some way.”
This was a special night at the Crescent Hotel. Known world-wide as the Grand Old Lady of the Ozarks, the hotel sat on a hill overlooking Eureka Springs Arkansas. Tonight, in spite of the late summer heat, everyone in the business community was dancing and laughing while giving money to their favorite charity.
Kimberly’s generous spirit had prompted Stephanie and some of her new friends in town to form the club that first year. She wanted to help restore faith in Santa in the hearts of children and grownups alike.
“Thank you for doing this.”
“When Jennifer told me the event was coming up, I knew I wanted to help out. Kids have always been important to me.”
“Since when?” She had no control over the fire and ice accompanying her words.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“As I recall, kids were not a priority for you when Jennifer was growing up. So important you couldn’t sober up long enough to take responsibility for her. Why should you care about someone else’s children?”
“That’s not fair Steph, and you know it. I’d have done anything for Jennifer. She is my daughter, for God’s sakes! Debbie wouldn’t let me anywhere near her.”
“Anything but stop drinking. Debbie didn’t want her little girl to know she had a drunk for a father.” Every fiber of her being shook with pent up anger at what his problem had cost so many people. “And I’d been naïve enough to think you’d stop for me.”
She turned to go into the lobby as Brendan grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him.
“Let me go!”
“Will you hear me out?”
“Why should I? She felt the tears run like a flooded river down her cheeks. She was conscious of the music growing louder then recede and turned her head to see Jennifer closing the door as she joined them on the patio.
“What is going on out here?”
“Just a small miscommunication, sweetheart.” His vision never wavered from hers. His eyes reminded her of chocolate drops, now hardened as if seized.
“They are almost through announcing the silent auction winners. You’re up next.”
“I think you should do what you came for.” Frost could have formed on her words but Stephanie didn’t care. This evening was turning out just as she knew it would.
“Wouldn’t want to keep my public waiting, would we?” His steel voice stabbed her heart, hitting the mark as he brushed past the two women and into the hotel lobby.
“Are you okay, Steph?”
Okay? Not even close. She knew how tonight would go and no amount of wishing on a star would change the outcome. Brendan still seemed to see at least parts of his past through rose colored glasses. Stephanie had taken her own off the day she had walked away, crushing the imaginary lenses with every step.
Looking at Brendan’s daughter she saw the resemblance she had noted during their first meeting. Through Brendan’s parents, she had kept track of Jennifer and while she hadn’t wanted to divulge her past, she did make sure to introduce herself to the Crescent Hotel manager as soon as a business opportunity arose. She knew now that after tonight’s confrontation with him, it would only be a matter of time before her secret came out.
“I’ll be fine. Nothing a little sleep won’t cure.” She rubbed trembling fingers across her temples in an attempt to ease some of the throbbing. “I’m just beat.”
“You’ve been working too hard putting this shindig together. I can close things down here if you want to go snuggle with the kids.”
“I think I’ll do that. Kimberly is home with Max. I promised her I’d be home to tuck them in.” Floodgates of the pent-up nerves opened and she quickly swiped at tears forming before they could begin to overflow. She pulled Jennifer in for a hug. “We’ll talk tomorrow and you can give me the rundown.”
“Alright. I’ll come by in the morning for coffee. The baker will have fresh croissants. I’ll bring some.”
“Sounds wonderful. Goodnight.”
After Jennifer went back inside, Stephanie turned back to the view from the patio. Taking a cleansing breath, she allowed the peacefulness of the Ozarks to overtake her senses.
She closed her eyes, remembering the first time she had heard him sing. He often played drums along with the stereo when she visited. His house was her haven and she knew he would always keep her safe. She spent a lot of time curled up on the couch watching the man behind the drums, giving in to the beat and pretending for the moment there was no other place or people in the world – just Brendan, herself and the night.
Their time together often included sex. She didn’t know much about protection and she never thought about needing any when they were together. Being with Brendan was all that mattered. She had been eight years his junior, only eighteen, but none of that seemed important.
Feeling loved in the only way she knew he was capable of expressing the emotion was what mattered. On one of their last nights together he had asked why she kept coming back. Naively she had answered that they were good together. She soon realized there were more important things in life.
Applause brought her back to the present. She had a new safe haven now and that’s just where she needed to be. Adjusting her shawl, she stepped off the patio and went through the garden to the parking lot. She couldn’t face anyone else tonight. The thank-you cards she would mail tomorrow would have to suffice.
Letting herself in the house on Pine Street, Stephanie checked on the children before go
ing down the hall to her own room. Within moments of crawling under the covers and closing her eyes vision of a tall dark-haired man with warm brown eyes appeared. She groaned as she rolled onto her side, pulling the pillow over her head. But the pillow couldn’t keep her thoughts from running rampant. The truth was that after all these years, the sight of Brendan Keane still affected her like no other man she had ever known, including her beloved Matthew. But it was too late for them. Childhood fantasies of Santa Claus and wishes were one thing, but in the adult world there was no going back.
* * *
Making his set as short as possible, he’d gone in search of Stephanie. He stood outside of the hotel, scanning the empty darkness as he raked a hand through his hair in frustration. Of all the places to run into Stephanie, he had never imagined it would be in a small town in Arkansas.
He still didn’t understand how things had gotten out of hand earlier. Steph was her soft, sweet self one minute and ready to hang him the next. Caught off guard by the site of her, all the things he’d rehearsed over the years had vanished from his mind. He had blown it.
Stephanie was right here in the Ozarks and even more beautiful than he remembered. She was the angel who had haunted his dreams for so long. What he’d meant to do was explain everything that had happened to him these past few years, due in part to her throwing him out. He needed to know what he’d missed in her life. The last time he had seen her, she was saying ‘I do’ to Matthew Douglas. He had watched from the back of the church as she became another man’s wife. Now, years later, she was here of all places. Where was Matthew? What was a beautiful woman like Stephanie doing at this event unescorted? Sure it was business but it wouldn’t have prevented Brendan from making sure everyone present knew she belonged only to him.
Beautiful didn’t begin to describe the woman who had stood before him earlier. The patio light combined with the light from the chandeliers shining through the tall windows made every rhinestone on her full, dark blue satin gown twinkle like stars. The moonlight played across milky-white shoulders, bared by a thick halo of upswept golden hair.
