Bewitched by Christmas

by S R Mitchell

  She helped him sit up slowly, “How do you feel?”

  “Dizzy, nauseated, amazed,” Brock smiled at her and noticed how pale she looked. He caught her as she sank to the floor next to him. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he countered. “What if you’ve hurt yourself or something?”

  “I’m fine,” answered Allie softly, “just very tired. I’ve never done that before.”

  “Saving someone?” Brock asked. “I may still need some stitches, but what you did was short of a miracle.”

  “I couldn’t lose you,” she sighed.

  “Did she just—” David started from behind them.

  Brock looked at Allie and back at David. “You tell a single soul anything you just witnessed and I do not care how long we have been friends,” he paused, then enunciated each word, “I will kill you.”

  “No need for threats,” David spoke, holding up his hands in submission. “That was freaking awesome.”

  Brock just looked at David with a hard stare.

  David kept his hands up in mock surrender. “You have my word; I swear.”

  “Good.” Brock breathed deep and looked over at his uncle’s lifeless body on the floor.

  Uncle Jess’s phone began to ring and Brock reached over and pulled it from his pocket. The caller ID glowed green with a capital letter P. Brock flipped it open and put the phone to his ear. He had a feeling he knew exactly who it was.

  “Honestly, can you do nothing right? You're supposed to be knowledgeable in this crap,” hissed a low, ugly male voice from the other side of the phone, “or do I need to get my men involved again?”

  “Well, it’s nice to hear from you, Pratt,” answered Brock with distain. There was a long pause on the line. “What? Cat got your tongue?”

  “Who the hell is this?” Pratt hissed into the phone.

  “Someone that is now after you,” Brock answered menacingly and clicked the phone shut.

  It was the confirmation Brock needed and Pratt was going fucking down if it was the last thing he did.

  Chapter 15

  A few days later, Allie found herself at her Aunt Margret’s house. Kitty and Max followed each other around and Allie laughed watching the silly cats’ antics.

  Brock had already set a construction company on the task of repairing her house. He paid them a hefty amount that she didn’t agree with at all to have her home put back together by next week. The poor guys would have to work around the clock—the week before Christmas.

  Allie had already dropped off the presents she’d managed to salvage to the church, but everything else was put in the garbage and it saddened her heart. She didn’t have the money to replace all those gifts and it was too late to ask for donations to replace them. She thought about the children—the families—that wouldn’t be receiving those gifts and wiped at a stray tear as it slid down her cheek.

  She smiled as Brock wrapped his arms tightly around her middle, pulling her from her musing. She leaned back into him, soaking up his warmth.

  “Come on,” he whispered. “I want to take you somewhere.”

  “What?” Allie asked as she turned toward him. “I don’t have time,” she protested with a smile. “I have to fill the orders that are overdue since, I was indisposed. My customers were very understanding as it is, and I don’t want to delay their orders any more than necessary.”

  “I promise it will be worth your time,” Brock answered in a deep husky voice, kissing her deeply.

  “If you are bringing me upstairs to ravish me again,” Allie giggled, “I really do need to get back out to the greenhouse. My aunt is being very generous letting me take over her greenhouse for the next couple of days so I can fill all my holiday orders. I already have my pots laid out with dirt. I just need to plant the seeds and add a little,” she paused, leaning in and raising up on her tippy-toes so her lips were against his ear, “magic.”

  “Damn, woman; I swear you do that on purpose,” he said in a deep gravely tone. “You make me hard with just the word.” Brock smiled at her and kissed her beautiful full lips. “I think of all those little orbs floating about and how they got there.”

  Allie swatted him.

  “I promise you’ll be glad you came with me,” Brock smiled rakishly.

  “Fine,” Allie sighed, turning to go and retrieve her heavy jacket and beanie off the pegs by the front door. She quickly put them on, and then turned to see Brock smiling.

  “What?” asked Allie.

  Brock laughed, “Well,” he said, looking her up and down, “between the Christmas light leggings and overstuffed jacket and beanie,” he sighed happily, “you are the most beautiful and cute women I have ever seen.”

  “That better be a compliment,” Allie retorted.

  “Oh, trust me; it is.” He kissed her lightly before ushering her out the door and into his new black 4-door truck decked out with the best snow tires.

  Allie watched the beautiful scenery outside the truck and the little snowflakes fall onto the window for more than twenty minutes before she realized Brock was not headed toward the city, but to the small town in the opposite direction.

  He pulled into the little strip mall with two of her favorite stores: Pete’s Toy Emporium and Cindy’s Candles and More. “They say it’s important to shop local.” The Christmas decorations around each store twinkled and shimmered, adding a sense of Christmas spirit and Allie loved the Christmas tree in Cindy’s window covered in multi-colored lights and gold bows.

  Allie’s eyes filled with tears. She knew instantly what he was up to.

  Brock held her hand as he led her into Pete’s Toy Emporium. “I am giving you one hour to get everything you need to make the kids’ Christmas a magical one.” Brock winked at her.

  She looked at all the shelves filled with all kinds of toys for every age group.

  “Brock,” Allie said, turning to him.

  “No,” he said softly, “I want to. If it makes you feel better, consider it my donation to the church, but I want to replace and then some everything you’d planned to bring for those kids to open on Christmas day.”

  Allie felt the tears running down her cheeks. “Are you going to help me wrap and label?”

  Brock smiled and wiped the tears away with his finger “All night if I have to.”

  “I saw a rack with gift cards on it,” Brock noted. “Why not get some for the parents?”

  “Really?” Allie looked at him.

  “Really,” he smiled. The sheer happiness on her face made Brock proud that he could make her feel that way and content to simply be with her. “Why don’t you load up some baskets with toys and stuff, and I’ll get the gift cards.”

  ~*~

  Two hours later, the back seat of Brock’s truck was loaded to bursting and Allie had bags in her lap, one of which was filled full of gift cards.

  Allie kept looking at him and at the merchandise now in the truck. “Thank you,” she said, choking on emotion, “you don’t understand what this will mean to them. It’s more than they could have or would have hoped for. It is more than they probably thought possible.”

  “I feel a ‘but’ coming,” Brock countered as he snapped his seat belt.

  “I think you spent more in there than I make in a year,” she chuckled. “I thought old Pete was going to have a heart attack.”

  He laughed. “It wasn’t that much.”

  “It was a lot; I think you got a little carried away too.”

  “Allie,” Brock said, “I don’t mind. I wanted to. The money isn’t a problem for me.” She just looked at him and Brock sighed. “I own my own company, honey.”

  “Well, I do, too,” Allie countered, “and you already know I think that is awesome, but that was a lot of money.”

  “I need to bring you up to my office to check it out and meet everyone,” chuckled Brock. “I don’t think you realize how big my company is. Money isn't a problem; I promise.”

  Allie shook her head. “You know what? I don’t want to
know right now. That can be a talk for later.”

  “A woman after my own heart,” Brock said, leaning over to kiss her before he started the truck and headed back toward her aunt’s house.

  “You mean because I don’t care about your money?” Allie asked.

  Brock glanced at her as he drove. “Honestly,” he paused, “before you, that’s what they were all after, even if they pretended they weren’t, and I never felt for them what I feel for you.”

  “What will happen with your uncle?” Allie asked in a soft tone. “Now that he is…”

  “Dead?” Brock stated.

  “Yeah,” Allie answered quietly.

  “We’ve fabricated a story and information has been spread throughout the company that he was taken down during a job,” Brock stated, keeping his eyes on the road. “I want to keep it as quiet as possible. There’s a continuing investigation into interferences and abnormalities found within the company and falsifying and meddling of client documents.”

  “You mean the Pratt guy you told me about?” Allie asked.

  “Yes,” Brock answered. “He was a big part of this whole thing to take me down and he’d somehow recruited and brainwashed my uncle. Pratt knew my Uncle Jess already had some issues in his heart and preyed upon it, enough to convince him to kill me. Pratt wanted to join the company. We found it out today, and apparently, that was the money my uncle was talking about with you in the cellar. Pratt had convinced my uncle he would take my place after I was gone and the two companies would merge.”

  “Wow,” Allie sighed.

  “Yeah,” Brock muttered. “And apparently, my uncle liked to gamble here and there.” Brock shrugged his shoulders. “Skeletons tend to come out of the closet after a person dies. My uncle had several.”

  The rest of the way was spent in silence as the sky grew dark. They pulled up to her aunt’s house to see a car parked in the drive—Betty’s.

  They walked in and set the first load of bags down in the foyer and they could hear voices from the living room. “Oh, Brenda must be over, too,” Allie chuckled. “Sometimes they have a girls’ night and Brenda reads their cards and they drink wine. They’re pretty fun once the night gets started. They have been friends for-ev-er.”

  “So, they get drunk and do magic stuff,” Brock teased, laughing.

  Allie swatted his arm. “Not exactly. Let’s go say hi to them before we go get the next load of bags out of the truck. I bet they would love to see you.”

  As Brock and Allie began to walk toward the living room when the women’s words became fully audible and sank in. They were talking about Allie and Brock. She was sure of it.

  “How does it seem to be going?” asked Betty.

  “They apparently have great chemistry. To be young again and have that much energy during the day after being up late into the night must be great,” giggled her Aunt Margret.

  “Well, he is nice-looking,” offered Brenda with a smile as she sipped her glass of white wine, “and when I met him, he sent out good vibes. He is a good man, Margret.”

  “What makes you think I’m worried?” Aunt Margret retorted.

  “Nothing,” Brenda countered, “but is he the one?”

  “He showed up shortly after,” Betty said in a soft voice.

  “I think we did a good job,” Aunt Margret said cheerfully. “The spell worked beautifully. I love to see her so happy.”

  Allie could not believe her ears and her eyes pricked with tears. Her chest hurt and her heart felt heavy. She stepped boldly in the room with Brock at her back. Her hurt was turning to anger.

  “You did not!” Allie blurted out.

  All three women almost choked on their wine as they turned to look at her and Brock. The hurt was evident on her face.

  Max and Kitty took off running out of the room from where they’d cozied up on the armchair next to each other at the sound of her voice.

  “Allie dear, it's not what you think,” Betty cautioned.

  “She’s right, sweetie,” Aunt Margret agreed. “It was just a little push in the right direction.”

  “What do you mean a spell? You cast a spell on me?” Allie all but shouted. She was upset. She was hurt. “What were you thinking?”

  “We were thinking of you,” answered Betty, “and we wanted to see you happy.”

  “We didn’t do it to hurt you or out of ill will,” Aunt Margret countered. “Betty and I had your best interests at heart.”

  “And not on you, for you dear,” Betty added.

  “Then why did you just not leave me alone?” Allie retorted. “All of this,” Allie waved her hands, “is because you two interfered in my life. I was happy.”

  “And now you're happier,” smiled Brenda as she set down her half glass of wine. She was never big on confrontation.

  “We were tired of seeing you get hurt after your hopes on a certain guy were dashed, and we didn’t want to see you alone,” answered Betty.

  “What exactly did you put into the spell?” Allie demanded, meeting her aunt’s gaze. “What kind of spell did you cast?”

  “To find your soul mate,” Aunt Margret answered quietly.

  Allie turned to Brock standing beside her in a possessive stance and the look he gave the three older women was not too nice. She knew he was biting back a remark and trying to let her handle it. She rubbed her face in frustration.

  She didn’t want to, but Allie knew what she had to do. “You three,” she pointed to the older women that now had enough decency to look sheepish and ashamed, “I am not going to pretend I am not mad at you. I am pissed. I have nothing to say right now that would not come out ugly, disrespectful, or mean, so I’m done. Do not meddle in my life.” Allie looked to Brock and sighed. “I need a little time away from you. I need to make sure what I feel is real and not because of their stupid spell.”

  “But,” Brock started, but Allie held up her hand.

  “I need to make sure for myself that this is real,” Allie said quietly, “and after hearing my aunt, Betty, and Brenda, I bet you probably do too. I need to think.”

  Brock just looked at the beautiful woman that stood in front of him. More than anything he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and kiss away her hurt and doubt, but he could see she needed to breathe. She needed the time away from him to sort this out.

  Brock took a deep breath. “If you need a little time to think, I’m okay with that,” Brock uttered. “I’ll head back to my place and stay there.” They hadn’t left each other’s side since the hunting cabin, and truthfully, Brock was more than okay with that. He liked being with her; he liked knowing she was safe. Brock found that he enjoyed waking in the morning the last three days to her at his side. “I may not be here with you physically,” Brock whispered in her ear, “but I told you I am not going anywhere, and I mean that, Allie.”

  Allie wiped at the stray tears falling down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Brock.”

  “Allie,” Aunt Margret moved toward her niece. “I know you’re upset, but don’t ruin this. The spell was meant to bring you two together and it did that. The rest was up to the two of you.”

  Allie shook her head, “I still need to figure something out,” she said a little harsher than intended. She was angry with the three older women and she couldn’t help that. She had the right to feel what she did.

  “I’ll bring in the rest of the items we purchased to bring to the church for the children on the Angel Tree. What happened to your house was my fault and they depend on you and the community—the church—for assistance and I do want to be a part of that with you.” Brock turned and headed out the door.

  “He told you he’d fix it,” Betty reassured Allie, trying to break the awkwardness. “And since you are staying here while the contractor finishes repairs,” Betty looked to Aunt Margret and Brenda, “we can help you wrap everything.”

  “It looks like he bought the whole store,” mumbled Brenda.

  “He did more than I ever expected him to,” Allie said as
she headed upstairs to the spare room she and Brock had shared the last three days. She’d quickly become used to his presence the last couple of weeks and over the last few nights. His scent lingered in the room and she breathed it in.

  She wanted him with everything in her; Allie wanted Brock all to herself.

  Tonight, she’d fall asleep without the comfort of his presence, without his arms around her, without the feeling of safety—of love.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and fell back onto the pillows. Oh, gosh, she felt like an idiot. Who fell in love with a man in just a few weeks?

  But the more she laid there and thought about everything they’d been through, about Brock, Allie realized that she had. She’d fallen for him, and he was not afraid of her or her magic.

  Chapter 16

  Things came up that prevented Allie and Brock from seeing each other for a few days. Even though she was still very pissed with three particular older ladies, Allie really wanted Brock to work—to give their relationship a chance—no matter how it may have come to be.

  It was eight o’clock in the morning and Allie gulped her coffee out of her silver thermos as she walked into the beautiful decorated church. Green garlands with white lights intertwined lined the entryway to the double doors, and wreaths covered in red and white poinsettias hung on the doors.

  Through the second set of glass double doors, an altar surrounded by red and white poinsettias was visible to church members and visitors upon entering and Allie smiled. She’d worked for hours growing all those poinsettias to donate to the church and she’d been exhausted. Allie was so happy with how beautiful the flowers looked.

  She turned left and walked through the wide arched doorway into the community room where the large Christmas tree stood proud.

  Excited faces turned her way and smiled at her as she took in all the new presents that surrounded the tree. She had no clue what was going on. As promised, Aunt Margret and Betty were at the church to help and they came rushing up to her.