A Magical Christmas

by Patricia Thayer

  “I think we make a great team,” he said, knowing they were getting what they all wanted—to be a family.

  Mia began to look around. “Just think how wonderful this house will look decorated for the holidays.”

  Jarrett drew her back into his arms. “As long as there is plenty of mistletoe, I’ll be happy.”

  Epilogue

  IT was January.

  A new year, a new beginning, but not before he closed one last chapter of his life. Today Jarrett returned to court and Judge Gillard. He hoped it was for the last time. He glanced at his soon-to-be bride next to him. In three days, she would be his wife, and soon after that, he hoped BJ would be his son.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered. “The judge will be happy with the way things turned out.”

  He thought so too, but he loved having her positive reinforcement.

  Suddenly the court was called to order by the deputy, and Judge Gillard walked up behind the bench and sat in her chair. She glanced over her first file, then looked at Jarrett.

  “Case number 4731,” the deputy began, “Mountain View Apartment tenants vs. Jarrett McKane.”

  “Here, your honor,” Jarrett said.

  “We’re here, too, your honor,” Mia said and glanced back at Nola, Joe and Sylvia who’d come today, too. Trace and Kira were there too, holding BJ. Sometimes, Jarrett found it hard to believe they were rooting him on.

  “Your honor,” Mia began. “We’d like to drop the charges against Mr. McKane.”

  The judge looked over her glasses at Mia. “It’s too late for that. I gave Mr. McKane a job to do, and for his sake, I hope it’s been completed.”

  “It has been, your honor,” Jarrett said. “I have the sign-off from code enforcement, saying everything was completed as asked.”

  The judge glanced over the sheet, then looked at Mia. “Are the tenants happy with the results?”

  Mia smiled. “Very much so. Right now, Mr. McKane is in the process of remodeling the property.”

  The judge frowned as she turned to Jarrett. “I thought the building was going to be torn down.”

  “There’s been a change,” he told her. “With a slight modification to the building plans, the apartments are no longer interfering with the factory construction. So I’ve decided to keep it as an investment.”

  Judge Gillard leaned back in her chair and studied him for a moment. Then she turned to Mia. “Is everyone happy about the situation?”

  Nola stood up. “May I speak, your honor?”

  “It’s Mrs. Madison, isn’t it?,” the judge asked, then, at Nola’s nod, she waved her up to the front. “Please, tell us how you feel.”

  Nola came up next to Jarrett. “It’s been wonderful. We’re all getting new apartments and Jarrett isn’t even going to raise our rent. We’re getting a new neighbor, too. Fulton Industries is opening their business office in the other building, and Mr. Fulton said that maybe some of us can work there part-time.” She smiled. “This is all thanks to Jarrett McKane, your honor. He gave us a home when no one else cared. Now he’s our friend and he’s going to marry Mia and be a father to her baby.”

  The judge looked overwhelmed. “Well, that’s more information than I needed,” she said. “But I’m glad it all has worked out for everyone.”

  She looked at Jarrett. “When is the wedding?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The wedding?”

  Jarrett caught Mia’s attention. “This Saturday at the First Community Church, one o’clock. The reception afterward is in the Mountain View’s community room. You’re welcome to come, your honor. You did play a big part in getting us together.”

  She gave him a half smile. “Glad I could help. I might surprise you and show up. I wouldn’t mind checking out an apartment for my mother. I like how everyone at Mountain View watches out for each other.”

  “We do,” Jarrett assured her. “And there’s a full-time handyman and around-the-clock security on the premises. We’ll have some vacancies in another month. Joe and Sylvia Carson are going to be the managers.”

  Joe stood and waved to the judge.

  “I’ll have to look into it,” she said and glanced over the paper again. “Well, it looks like everything is in order.”

  Barbara Gillard eyed the couple. “I wish all my cases ended like this. Congratulations,” she said and smiled. “I guess there’s nothing more to say. “Case dismissed.”

  The following Saturday evening, Mia sat beside Jarrett in the SUV as they left the wedding reception that had been filled with friends and family. Now they drove toward their home. She couldn’t believe it, just a few hours ago they’d got married.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you looked today?”

  “Yes, but I like hearing it.”

  “You look beautiful.” He kissed her.

  She still wore the strapless, ivory satin tea-length dress, with a fitted bodice covered in tiny crystals. Her bare shoulders were covered with a short matching jacket. Her new sister-in-law had taken her shopping in Denver.

  She felt beautiful, too. “Yes, but I like hearing it.”

  He raised her hand and kissed it. “Then I’ll have to say it more often.”

  Her husband looked incredible in his black Western-cut tuxedo. “You look mighty handsome, yourself. I saw a few women eyeing you too.”

  “The only woman I care about is you.” He took his eyes off the highway and glanced at her. “I’m going to show you how much you mean to me tonight.”

  She took a shuddering breath. They’d decided to delay any honeymoon, not wanting to leave BJ. But Nola and Sylvia were going to watch BJ for this night, giving her and Jarrett time to be alone. Even though she’d gotten the all clear from Dr. Drake last week, they’d decided to wait until they were married to make love.

  He went up the drive, then into the garage and pressed the button to shut out the rest of the world.

  Silently, Jarrett got out of the car and walked around. Hell, he was as nervous as a teenager. He’d been wanting Mia so much the past few months, and now he wanted this night to be perfect.

  He opened her door and surprised her by scooping her into his arms and carrying her into the house. He didn’t stop until they were inside the dimly lit great room. He stood her in front of the French doors, but didn’t let go, just leaned down and kissed her.

  A kiss that soon had them breathless when he eased his mouth away.

  “I love you, Mia. I can’t seem to tell you enough how much I want you, tonight, and every night to come.”

  “I love you, too, Jarrett.” She couldn’t believe everything they’d gone through to get here.

  How Jarrett stepped in to help her with her father. She had decided to sign over part of the company stock, but to her mother. Whatever Abigail wanted to do with it was her business. Maybe it would give her mother the courage to stand up to her husband. Even to rebuild a relationship with her daughter.

  “Any regrets that I rushed you?” he asked.

  “No. Have you?”

  He shook his head. “Not me, but I didn’t give you much chance. I’ve known from the beginning you were special.”

  “I was attracted to you, but I blamed it on hormones.”

  He cupped her face and kissed her again. “Oh, yeah, mine are definitely working overtime. But there’s one last thing I want to give you.” He went to the desk and returned with a piece of paper. “I’ve contacted my lawyer, Matt Holliston. I introduced you to him earlier today.”

  “And I remember him from when we took you to court.”

  Jarrett nodded. “Well, I’ve asked him to start proceedings to adopt BJ.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. She found it hard to speak.

  “If you think it’s too soon—”

  She touched her finger to his lips. “I can’t see any reason not to give my son—our son a loving father as soon as possible.”

  Jarrett seemed to be the one at a loss. She loved the man who’d trusted
her enough to reveal the bad memories of his childhood. Despite all that, or maybe because of it, he was going to make a wonderful father for BJ.

  “I love the little guy, Mia, and I love you. I can never tell you how much.”

  She raised up and kissed him. “Then show me.” There wasn’t any hesitation as he swung her up into his arms again and headed down the hall. Mia knew that with Jarrett she didn’t need to run away anymore. She had him to ground her. They’d found what they needed in each other’s arms.

  They were home.

  Greek Doctor: One Magical Christmas

  Meredith Webber

  MEREDITH WEBBER says of herself, “Some ten years ago, I read an article which suggested that Mills & Boon were looking for new medical authors. I had one of those ‘I can do that’ moments, and gave it a try. What began as a challenge has become an obsession—though I do temper the ‘butt on seat’ career of writing with dirty but healthy outdoor pursuits, fossicking through the Australian Outback in search of gold or opals. Having had some success in all of these endeavours, I now consider I’ve found the perfect lifestyle.”

  PROLOGUE

  ‘SO I DON’T know what to do!’

  Mak stared at his only sister in disbelief.

  Never in his life had he heard this strong-willed, determined, driven woman admit such a thing.

  ‘Have you talked to her?’

  Helen shook her head.

  ‘I’ve written, I’ve sent emails, and heard nothing in reply. I can hardly just go out there and land on her doorstep. What if she shut the door in my face? Besides, it’s impossible for me to get away. Since Dad’s death I’ve been running the business and trying to keep Mum going—you know how she is—the two deaths coming so close together, it’s as if she’s given up living. Look at Christmas—her Christmas productions rivalled the Oscar presentations. Feast and family, that was her mantra. This year she’s doing nothing and when I suggested I do it, she just shrugged.’

  Mak was still puzzled. Yes, Helen was busy and, yes, his mother did seem to have understandably lost her zest for life, but did that add up to so much consternation? Wouldn’t time—?

  ‘There’s also the cousins,’ Helen muttered.

  Ah!

  He waited for Helen to explain, knowing she would, eventually.

  It came with a sigh.

  ‘The cousins are doing their best to take control of the business and if we lose control of Hellenic, Mum will have to watch all Dad built up go into other hands. She’ll feel as if his whole life was for nothing.’

  While Helen paced the office at the top of Hellenic Enterprises city headquarters, Mak considered what he’d just learned. With his father’s blessing, he’d gone into medicine rather than following the parental footsteps into engineering, but as well as Helen, half a dozen of his cousins, children of his father’s sisters, had entered the family firm.

  And held shares in it!

  He frowned, realising that, although still part of the company, he knew less and less of what went on within it these days, his studies and work leaving him little time to read the company reports. And his father’s unexpected death had left him with a lot of problems to sort out, as he was the executor of his father’s personal estate.

  ‘Can they take over? I mean, do they have the power to do that—the majority of shares between them? And what would it mean if they did?’

  ‘They can if they get that woman to vote with them in the extraordinary general meeting they’ve called for January, and the way they are talking they already have her vote in the bag.’

  ‘You know this for certain?’ Mak asked, aware of the bias Helen felt against ‘that woman’.

  ‘I’m pretty sure and equally sure money has changed hands. Con was out there just last week, ostensibly to check on the experimental power plant but he’s never been interested in geo-thermal power before.’ Helen hesitated before adding, ‘And there was a rather large item in his expenses, listed as a donation.’

  Mak felt himself frowning.

  ‘Did you ask him about it?’

  ‘How could I?’ Helen muttered. ‘I shouldn’t have seen the information—not until the next board meeting when we all table our expenses.’

  ‘You were spying on him?’ Mak couldn’t hide his disbelief.

  ‘I was not—it was just that Marge, Dad’s old secretary, alerted me to it as she typed up the agenda.’

  Which was the same as spying, Mak considered, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

  ‘Maybe Con really was checking on the power plant, and the donation was just that. After all, he’d hardly bribe the woman with the firm’s money.’

  ‘Well, he wouldn’t use his own,’ Helen snapped. ‘You don’t know Con like I do—he’s changed since he married for the third time. I reckon his wife keeps her hands on the purse strings. He’s as tight as a—as a you know what.’

  Mak considered his easygoing cousin and wondered if the third wife might not be on to something—keeping control of Con’s spending. Was she also behind the push to take over the company? It didn’t seem like something Con, or any of the cousins, would instigate…

  ‘This is all supposition, Helen. Let’s give Con the benefit of the doubt for the moment. And in any case, why are you worried about a takeover?You’d still be part of the company, probably still CEO, as I can’t see any of them wanting that job.’

  ‘I wouldn’t stay,’ Helen said, her face pale and her lips tight. ‘I know how they think and the way they see the future. Heaven knows, we’ve argued it often enough in board meetings. If they take over it will be the end of Dad’s dream to produce clean power, for one thing. They see that as someone else’s job or something for the future. Anything experimental is expensive, and there’s no certainty of a return. The cousins want profits that are guaranteed and they want them now which would mean taking the firm in a different direction, looking more towards structural engineering than Dad ever did, and probably merging with a bigger firm.’

  Mak understood what she was saying but his mind had snagged on the earlier conversation—at the thought of money changing hands, and Con’s third wife, and manipulative women in general. The juxtaposition had prodded another thought in his mind—a very unwelcome one.

  Theo had been shameless in his pursuit of women, casually promiscuous, but he had always been careful, assuring Mak that he always took precautions—that he wasn’t totally irresponsible.

  So had this pregnancy been planned—not by Theo but by the woman in question? Had she seen an opportunity to either trap Theo into marriage, or to benefit in some other way?

  She’d benefit all right if the cousins gave—or had already given—her money for her votes, benefit at the expense of Helen and his mother, at the expense of his father’s dreams and at the expense of their small family unit, which had always been so tight.

  Mak felt anger stir at the thought of a deliberate pregnancy, having been caught up in similar circumstances himself, years ago. Although no one, he was sure, could be as devious as Rosalie had been! However, to be fair, the ‘money changing hands’ scenario was only supposition on Helen’s part. As far as he knew, this woman hadn’t made any move to ingratiate herself with the family—in fact, the opposite was true, which brought another problem in its train. Mak’s Greek genetic heritage was strongly aligned to family values—family made you what you were, and children needed family.

  She had a name, of course, the woman, but it was never mentioned in the family—particularly not in Helen’s hearing. Any more than Theo’s reputation as a ladies’ man was discussed in Helen’s hearing. To his sister, her only child had been perfect in every way—handsome, clever, loyal, a loving son and an obedient grandson, following the family tradition by studying engineering—the designated successor to his grandfather, the designated heir to the massive conglomerate of businesses that made up Hellenic Enterprises.

  But Theo was dead, killed in a motor vehicle accident that had also taken the lives of th
ree of his friends. Four young people tragically dead because of speed and alcohol, and Mak, who as a top emergency room doctor saw far too many young lives wasted this way, had felt more fury than grief when first he’d heard the news. Grief for his nephew, and his sister’s suffering, had come, but the fury had returned when Mak had learned that Theo had been irresponsible enough to leave behind an unborn child.

  A child who would be family…

  ‘What stage are you at with the exploration teams out there?’ he asked Helen, as an idea that filled him with horror started to form, unwanted, in his head.

  ‘We’ve found hot rocks close to the surface and although the exploration teams will remain out there, we’ve sent more men in to build the experimental power plant. Now it’s nothing more than pipes and pumps but once we’re satisfied that the rocks are suitable for our needs, we’ll go ahead with a proper set-up.’

  ‘So, you’ve the first crews, and more men for the power plant and the likelihood that even more men will be going out there shortly. And if a power plant goes ahead, some of those men will be there permanently so families would be joining them. I’d think you must be putting pressure on a lot of the town’s resources but in particular the medical services if there’s only one doctor in town.’

  Helen nodded, but it was a vague reaction, and Mak could almost see the cloud of grief that still enveloped her.

  ‘Helen?’ he prompted, but gently this time.

  She nodded again.

  ‘We are,’ she said, visibly pulling herself together. ‘In fact, Theo suggested the company fund another medical practitioner, if only for the duration of the exploration, but he might have had an ulterior motive—that woman might have been prompting him. The company could certainly afford it but how do we find out if that’s what the town really needs?’

  Mak knew how they could find out because there was already a raging argument going on his head. Go out and check on things for himself? No way, he was on study leave, it was midsummer, the temperature would be up in the stratosphere, he had his thesis to complete. On the other hand, the family was important to him and right now it appeared to be falling apart. Helen, on whom he had always relied to keep things running smoothly, was struggling—physically as well as emotionally, he suspected. His mother—well, if ever anyone needed some new interest in her life, it was her and surely a great-grandchild could supply that interest…