by Amie Denman
“I’m dying to see my mother dressed as Mrs. Claus. And we were very lucky to get Henry to volunteer for the big part. Apparently he’s never heard the horror stories of department store Santas being tortured by children.”
“He’ll be good-humored about it,” Alice said. “He may be the nicest man I know.”
“Hard to believe no woman has ever snatched him up,” June said. “But then again, I know of several perfectly lovely people who are obstinately single.”
Alice cleared her throat.
“That was me for a while until I got over it,” June continued.
Alice wondered what June’s thoughts were on her mother and Henry, but it wasn’t her place to ask. No matter how much she wanted to.
“Tonight Santa and Mrs. Claus are greeting children at the front gate, but tomorrow there’s a dramatic arrival via icebreaker boat in the marina,” Alice said. “I hope I didn’t go too big on that one.”
“Can’t go too big. This is Starlight Point. And it’s Christmas.”
June headed for the front gates, and Alice wandered through the trees for sale in the cheerfully lit tree lot. Would anyone come to Starlight Point to buy the family Christmas tree? She hoped so. Even if they didn’t, the scent of evergreens among the snow set the scene for guests’ entrance into the amusement park, where they’d find a holiday wonderland. Only a selection of rides were open, but the midway invited guests to stroll beneath the lights.
As she walked among the trees, trailing her fingers along the branches of one tree and then the next, she passed little kids dressed in colorful winter coats and hats. Their parents also wore festive winter clothes. Alice loved winter in Michigan and, like everyone else, had learned to tolerate the cold and even enjoy it. Would Nate gain his winter tolerance back if he stuck around? Was he planning to stay? Judging him based upon his work performance, Alice believed he loved his job at Starlight Point.
But she also knew that wasn’t the real reason he had come home.
As Alice approached the checkout area, she saw Nate at the cash register. He had a small evergreen wreath looped over his arm. Was it for his office or his front porch? She paused, wondering if it was too late to avoid him. The sting of her last encounter with him was still painful. She had talked with June and Evie, and they had surprised her by not being upset about her role in the recently canceled wedding, which had been scheduled for right before Christmas. They’d had some pointed questions about her and Nate, but Alice had declined answering them. It was only half her story to tell, and she doubted that Nate’s guard would ever slip far enough for him to talk about it.
Nate turned and stopped when he saw her. He wore the red hat and scarf from her office and he noticed her looking at them. “Sorry I never returned these,” he said. “Can you believe I haven’t bought my own?”
“Keep them as long as you like. I have extras.” Alice did not stop to chat, preferring instead to continue with her plan of taking a loop through Starlight Point to see the holiday decorations. Thanksgiving break had been over for a week, her sisters had gone home and three different women had tried on the wedding dress displayed prominently in her mother’s shop. Alice was ready to enjoy the spirit of the holidays without baggage—and that included Nate.
“I owe you an apology. And a thank you,” he said. He caught her arm as she passed him.
“Maybe one of those,” she said.
“I shouldn’t have made that comment about three weeks’ notice.”
Alice crossed her arms as an excuse for pulling away from Nate. “It didn’t help the situation.”
“But you...let me take the coward’s way out by not revealing I was the man you—”
“Jilted on the eve of our wedding,” she said. “Fine. Apology accepted. I need to get going.”
Nate swept a glance around. The evergreens in rows combined with loud Christmas music gave them a private space to talk. Did he intend to talk? Now?
“Why didn’t you marry me?”
If Santa’s sleigh led by reindeer had careened past, Alice couldn’t have been more surprised. Wasn’t she the one who asked tough questions?
“I told you at the time,” Alice said. Her throat was thick. The holiday music was reminiscent of her childhood and she heard laughter from the park.
“You said you were too young, that you weren’t ready.”
Alice didn’t answer. The music changed to a cheerful holiday tune about being jolly.
“I never believed that was your real reason,” Nate said. “We were the same age.”
“And?”
A family of four walked past. The father and the older daughter carried a tree while the younger daughter held a candy cane in one hand and her mother’s hand in the other.
Nate waited until they were well beyond earshot. “I wasn’t too young.”
“Not everyone is the same,” Alice said. Although she’d faced her own feelings long ago and come to terms with the truth about their relationship, she didn’t see the point in rehashing the past with Nate. Why would he understand now, and what difference would it make?
“Why are you bringing this up now?” she asked.
Nate took off the red cap and ran his hand through his hair. “It was nice going away. Living in another state made it easier to forget...things. And people. But coming home...” He put the hat back on and adjusted the wreath on his arm. “Coming home has reminded me that there are people who will always be in my heart. No matter how hard it was to say goodbye to them.”
Alice realized in a horrible stab of guilt and sorrow what the wreath was for. His mother’s grave. They had almost never talked about his mother’s sudden death when he was twelve. Raw sorrow showed on his face for a moment, and the unexpected sight shocked Alice into wanting to pull him close and hug away every bad thing that had happened to him. Except she was one of those bad things, and he wouldn’t let her close enough to help erase the damage.
“Did you love me?” Nate asked.
“With all my heart. And that was the problem,” Alice said. She brushed past Nate and stumbled through the row of closely stacked pine trees, trying to put more than five years of distance between herself and the man who had broken her heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY
NATE WANTED TO relax and enjoy the day at Starlight Point. Aside from taking a few pictures and some mental notes for a blog entry on the amusement park’s website, he wasn’t really on the clock. He was there to make sure his dad got out of the house and his nephew had a good time. Even though Nate had purposely not included video of himself on the ice with Alice, his dad and sister knew he’d attempted to skate that day and he was the great family hope on the ice now.
“Uncle Nate,” his nephew said as he waited next to him on the bench, “can you tie this?”
“Sure.” Nate bent to help the five-year-old who looked like a miniature version of his grandfather.
“If you’ve got Cody,” his sister commented, “Dad and I might find someplace warmer to pass the time.”
Nate nodded. “I recommend the coffee shop right inside the front gate. You can stay warm and still watch the carousel and the people.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Nate leaned over to tie his own rented skates and saw a flash of red go past. He turned his head and discovered Alice moving swiftly among the skaters already there early on a Saturday morning. She could outpace him on the ice easily despite his clumsy efforts to keep up. There was no keeping up with Alice, not with a woman who seemed to have no fear.
She had walked away—run away—yesterday night when they’d gotten dangerously close to wading into the past. What on earth had she meant by what she said? Who loves a person with all her heart and then refuses to marry him?
As he’d driven home, he’d thought about how lucky he was that Alice had run off through the pine trees and refused to
get in deep. Did she have any idea how close he’d come to breaking down and telling her how deeply he’d been hurt by her rejection and how many nights he’d spent thinking of her over the past five years?
Those were obviously thoughts best left unspoken.
Nate took his nephew’s hand and guided him to the edge of the ice. “Ready, big guy? I’m no professional, but I’ve skated one more time than you have so I can give you a few pointers.”
“Ready.”
Nate kept one hand on the railing and held his nephew’s hand with the other. They took tentative steps with Nate struggling to hold them both up. He tried to remember Alice’s advice.
“Bend your knees a little,” he said. “Put your weight in your thighs and keep your back straight.”
Just as he offered this advice to Cody, Alice skated past. She glanced back and smiled, but she didn’t stop. He looked up at the roller coasters towering over Starlight Point. They reminded him of the emotional turmoil he and Alice were putting themselves through. But even those wild rides came to a safe stop.
Was there a happy ending for him and Alice? The thought nearly took him down to his knees. For years, he’d kept his emotions behind doors with rusted hinges and frozen locks. But now his defenses were melting. He knew what would happen. He’d been through it once before and he didn’t think he could survive it again. His emotions were a constant threat to his survival. Exhaustion and worry about his father, being back in his childhood home, working daily with the woman he’d loved and lost.
No wonder the doors were creaking open. He had to keep it together for his family’s sake. And his own.
Nate let go of the railing, determined to find his footing on the ice. His nephew wobbled with the sudden increase of speed, and Nate was afraid they were both going down. He didn’t care about his own knees and elbows, but he had no right to endanger an innocent child. Luckily, Alice sped up on the other side of his nephew and took Cody’s hand, steadying them all. She smiled at Nate.
“Hello,” he said, using his rehearsed smile and a casual tone. “You saved us from a fall.”
His nephew looked curiously at Alice, who was a stranger to him. A stranger! The woman who was very nearly Cody’s aunt—if things had turned out differently. “This is a friend of mine,” Nate said. He hesitated, unsure how much to say. Had his sister ever told Cody his uncle had been humiliated in love?
That was not the kind of thing a person told a child who wasn’t even in kindergarten yet. He was being ridiculous.
“Her name is Alice Birmingham and I’ve known her for a long, long time,” Nate told his nephew. “She’s also a champion skater, so we’re really lucky she came along.”
“I’m not a champion,” she said, laughing. “But I do love to skate, and I think you’re off to a terrific start. Give you a few more laps and I’ll be struggling to keep up.”
Cody laughed and took a few experimental strides now that he had an adult holding both his hands. They circled the rink at an excruciatingly slow pace once, and then twice more at a more confident speed.
“You’re doing great,” Nate told his nephew. “Want to let go and try it on your own?”
“Okay.”
The boy released both their hands and struck out on his own. By virtue of being closer to the ice and having the confidence of youth, he did better than his uncle. Nate took a different kind of risk by grabbing Alice’s arm as he wobbled.
“Sorry,” he said. “Remember, I’m new at this.”
The boy skated out in front of them.
“About last night,” he began, hoping the music and the ambient noise from the other skaters would drown out what he wanted to say.
She looked up and her cheeks were pink. Was it just the cold air?
“I’ve been thinking a lot—”
Nate glanced at the side of the rink and froze. His dad and sister stood at the rail watching them skate. His sister was using her phone to take pictures. What had his face revealed just a moment ago? His sister undoubtedly recognized Alice and she’d ask him tough questions later. Along with the questions would come advice. Don’t get anywhere near a woman who hurt you once.
He focused on the ice in front of him, where his nephew wobbled bravely. He was better off keeping his promise to his sister.
“I should catch up to Cody,” he said. He left without waiting for Alice’s reaction, afraid he might lose his nerve and take another fall.
* * *
ALICE LEFT THE ice and walked toward the marina to catch the official arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on an icebreaker. Breaking the ice. Something she and Nate had done when they first met in August after years of silence. But the silences were still there.
She saw him standing with his family on the dock where the ship would tie up. Of course. He knew the plans, and he’d wisely maneuvered his nephew close to the action. Alice would have done the same if she were there with her own nieces and nephew. She should ask her sister to come for a long weekend so the kids could enjoy Starlight Point at Christmas. She wouldn’t even have to haul the wedding gown out of the guest room closet this time.
A ship’s horn sounding over and over interrupted her thoughts. The group surged toward the edge of the dock, which was, thank goodness, carefully fenced for the event. Alice stood on her tiptoes to see over the crowd. A small icebreaker usually used for keeping the shipping channels open as late into the winter as possible shoved aside the thin layer of ice in the marina. The ice crackled loudly and split into jagged pieces. Santa and Mrs. Claus in their red costumes stood at the bow, waving and smiling.
Alice got into the spirit and waved back along with all the children. As the boat got closer, Alice noticed Virginia and Henry holding hands. For balance, right? The boat docked, and before Santa disembarked, he turned to Mrs. Claus and gave her a kiss on the lips. The children squealed and laughed. Virginia put her hand over her heart and waggled a finger at Henry. Was her blush stage makeup or the real thing?
The boat bumped the dock and Virginia staggered. Chunks of ice floated in the marina and a fall from the boat would be disastrous. An audible gasp escaped the crowd. Nate jumped the fence, propped his foot on the bow and put a steadying hand on Virginia. She flailed her arms and teetered a moment, but she recovered her balance. Alice breathed. It was going to be okay.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t over. Virginia’s struggling had knocked her rescuer off balance. He stepped back and his foot missed the edge of the dock. With a horrific splash, Nate slid into the icy marina between the boat and the dock. The crowd gasped again and Alice heard at least one scream.
Without thinking twice, she raced to the edge of the dock, climbed over the fence and knelt, sweeping her arm over the edge to grab any part of Nate she could find. She knew he was a novice ice skater, but could he swim? The water soaking her sleeve was freezing. Heart pounding, she flattened herself on the dock to get a better reach. Another man next to her was doing the same thing. She grabbed something solid and pulled—the red scarf. Nate bobbed up alongside it, a look of shock on his face.
The man next to Alice grabbed Nate’s coat and hauled him over the edge of the dock. Alice helped by grabbing his feet and swinging them onto the dock. The man pulled down his own scarf and hugged Nate, and Alice realized with a shock that her co-rescuer was Nate’s father. Of course he’d come to help Nate. He loved him. She had also raced to the edge of the dock and ruined her leather gloves without a moment’s thought. Did she love Nate, too?
“Son,” Nate’s father said, emotion and tension in his voice. “Are you all right?”
Nate shivered and smiled. “Freezing but fine.” He sat up and waved to the crowd with a reassuring smile. Ever the showman, Alice thought, he didn’t want to ruin the arrival of Santa for all the kids watching in openmouthed wonder. But it wasn’t just show...he had stepped up to save Virginia before anyone else even processed w
hat was going on. Alice had no doubt he’d do the same for anyone. But he hadn’t done it for her when she was humiliated just weeks ago.
“Ho, ho, ho,” Henry called in his Santa voice. “I always like to deliver surprises at Christmas, but that was a doozy.”
When the attention of the bystanders was diverted, Nate asked his father if he was okay. Father and son were both deathly pale.
“I can’t believe you could haul me out of the water after all you’re going through,” Nate told his father. Alice couldn’t believe it either. It was a testament to the power of love.
Nate’s sister shoved through the crowd and took control of the situation. “You’re both going home right now and getting in front of the fireplace,” Nate’s sister commanded. She cut a glance at Alice and almost smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. She hauled her dad and her brother to their feet and looped an arm around both of them. “Come on, Cody.”
“I thought my heart was going to explode,” June said as she came up beside Alice.
“Me, too, but it turned out okay.”
“Are you nuts? My mother kissed a man right in front of everyone and then practically fell off the boat.” June put a hand over her eyes. “I love drama, but that was over the top even by my standards.”
Alice laughed, hoping to dissipate her nervous energy.
“I didn’t know you were such a brave rescuer. My brother-in-law Scott would have been impressed.”
“Instinct,” Alice said. “I fell through the ice on the lake when I was trying to skate at my friend’s tenth birthday party. Her dad pulled me out, but I remember the cold and the fear.”
