A Magical Christmas Present

by Eugenia Riley

  She was tempted to tell him the truth. To spill it all and go on from there. No. Firmly she thrust the temptation away. What on earth would he think if she told him they were caught in a replay of history? There was no possibility he would even remotely believe her. Why, he’d think she was a lunatic or worse. Still, would there be anything wrong with using her knowledge of the future to give him a little push, to help him, just a bit faster, to fall in love? They had so little time.

  “I guess I’d better confess, Michael.” She cast him a confidential look. “It all has to do with fate.”

  “Fate?” His brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “Fate, Michael, destiny.” She glanced to one side then the other as if checking to make sure no one was listening. “We’re soul mates, you know.”

  “Soul mates?” He narrowed his eyes as if he wasn’t quite sure how to take her comment. “Are you serious?”

  “You bet.” She grinned. Joking was probably the easiest and most subtle method of working her way back into his heart. “Relax, Lieutenant, it’s all just part of that Christmas magic we’ve been talking about.”

  He laughed and grabbed her hand. “Then we might as well see if any of it will work on the dance floor.” He pulled her toward the dancers, then stopped abruptly and stared at her for a moment. “You know, I kind of like the way that sounds.”

  “What?”

  “Soul mates.” He tossed her an easy smile and continued on his way to the dance floor.

  “Lieutenant,” she said, more to herself than to him, safe in the knowledge that the blaring music would cover her words, “that’s the best news I’ve heard in half a century.”

  She wouldn’t have believed it possible. This night was somehow better, brighter, and even more special than the first. Perhaps it was simply that she was relaxed and willing to give in to her emotions. Perhaps it was that she and she alone knew how very important the evening was. Or perhaps it was only the ever-present thought that the memories created in this one night must last a lifetime.

  She didn’t remember laughing quite this much on that first night, but then it had been a very long time since she’d laughed at all. He was funny and smart and every time he touched her hand or held her in his arms for a dance she had to make a conscious effort to keep her heart beating and her breath from catching in her throat. She’d tried not to think about the future all night, just as throughout her life she’d tried not to think about the past. Only here and now could she admit she had never completely closed away that Christmas Eve, and never gotten over him.

  Now, he’d left her standing near the Christmas tree to get them something to drink. Her gaze followed his every move. He walked across the room with a long-legged, athletic stride that spoke of confidence and courage. Confidence in ordinary day-to-day living and courage in the face of extraordinary danger. Something in his step clutched at her soul with a sharp reminder of how little life this man had left. And try as she might, there was probably nothing she could do to prevent his fate.

  Pamela Gillum walked past with a determined smile on her face. Her expression didn’t erase the tiny lines of worry that even makeup couldn’t hide. Maybe she couldn’t do anything to change Michael’s destiny or anybody else’s future, but she could do something to help this woman right now.

  “Mrs. Gillum…Pamela,” she said.

  “Yes, dear?” The older woman turned toward her, a question in her eyes. “Can I help you?”

  “I…” What on earth could she say now? How could she tell her that all her fears were for nothing? That her husband would indeed return home? Frustration flooded through her. Still…she drew a deep breath. “It’ll be okay. Really, it will. He’ll come home. I know it.”

  Hope glimmered in Pamela’s eye, then softened to a look of sad resignation. “That’s what we all hope for, dear.”

  “No, honestly.” She reached out and grasped Pamela’s arm. “You have to believe me. He’ll be fine.”

  “Katie.” Pamela cast her a chastising frown. “I know you’re just trying to help but—”

  “It’s more than that.” An urgent need to convince this woman filled her. She lowered her voice. “Please don’t tell anyone, but there are some things that I just know. And I know your husband will survive this war.” She shrugged helplessly. “I can’t explain any more than that. You have to trust me.”

  Pamela stared, her gaze searching Katie’s face as if desperately seeking something in her expression to convince her of the accuracy of her prediction.

  “What deep, dark secrets are you two sharing?” Michael handed her a cup of punch and she dropped her hand from Pamela’s arm.

  “Nothing.” Katie smiled weakly.

  “I’m not sure why,” Pamela said, shaking her head, “but for some strange reason, I think I do believe you. Lord knows I want to. It’s absurd, of course, no one knows the future. Even so…” She drew a shaky breath. “Thank you, Katie.” She smiled, nodded at Michael, and walked slowly away.

  Katie heaved a sigh of relief. With any luck, she’d given Pamela something to hang on to and maybe relieved her anxiety just a bit.

  “What was that all about?” Idle curiosity shone in Michael’s eyes.

  “Oh, every now and then I do a little fortune-telling.” She took a sip of her punch. “Chalk it up to Christmas magic.”

  “I see. Something else to add to your many attributes.”

  She raised a questioning brow. “Are you making a list?”

  He nodded solemnly. “And checking it twice. Let’s see now.” He ticked the items off on his fingers. “You’re almost as good a dancer as I am.”

  “Thank you,” she said dryly.

  He pointedly ignored her interruption. “You’re obviously intelligent, judging from the way you’re quick with a sharp comeback.”

  “Thanks again.”

  “Beyond that, you’re quite a dish.” He tossed her a slightly lecherous glance and she laughed in response. “You believe in fate and destiny, and now I find out you tell fortunes as well.” He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. “You’re a witch, aren’t you, Katie?”

  She chuckled. “I’ve been called worse.”

  He snorted doubtfully. “I find that hard to believe.” He stepped closer, cupped her chin with his hand, and gazed into her eyes. “Can you tell the future, Katie? My future?” He stared, and his voice deepened with unspoken meaning. “Our future?”

  “Our future?” She could barely breathe with the nearness of his body to hers and the intensity of the look in his eye.

  “It’s awfully hot in here,” he said softly. “Would you like to get some fresh air?”

  “It’s against the rules and I…” She paused. What did she care about the silly rules and moral barriers of a long-lost era? This was the only night she had and she wasn’t going to miss out on one magical moment of it. Besides, her success, small though it was, with Pamela had her thinking. Maybe, just maybe, she could change things a little. And then maybe Michael wouldn’t have to die so young and so soon. She nodded. “I’d love to. There’s a terrace behind the building. I’ll get my coat and meet you there.”

  “Don’t take too long.” His smile spoke of promises and passion, and anticipation shivered through her. He turned and strode away and she hurried to the cloakroom where she’d left her wrap.

  Katie grabbed her coat and with a forced nonchalance made her way toward the back door. Halfway there, a flash of red caught her eye and she froze in her tracks.

  Her gaze meshed and locked with eyes deep and wise and kind. He sat in a huge carved wooden throne across the room surrounded by stacks of brightly wrapped packages. It was a scene straight from a children’s book. Was this simply a local man playing a part for a Christmas party or was this a vision far beyond the limits of reality as she’d always known it? It no longer mattered. Whoever or whatever he was, she had to thank him for the chance to live this one night over.

  She stepped toward him but
he shook his head sternly, then nodded at the back door. He grinned and tossed her a casual salute. She smiled back and turned toward the door. Surely he already knew how grateful she was for this very special gift. Didn’t he? The least she could do was tell him what this night meant to her. She swiveled back and scanned the area he’d sat in only a second before.

  He was gone. There was no sign of a chair or packages or any evidence that anything was even slightly different from a moment ago. She chuckled to herself and continued to the door.

  It was probably time for him to leave. After all, Santa had already delivered the best gift of all.

  “Do you really want to be a pilot?” Katie asked as if the answer were of no importance.

  “I’ve never wanted to be anything else.” Michael leaned against the terrace wall. The snow drifted gracefully between them. “I’ve wanted to fly for most of my life. Funny as it sounds, this war is giving me the chance to live a dream.” He cocked his head and studied her. “Why did you ask?”

  She considered her words carefully. “It’s dangerous, that’s all. Especially now. I think you should reconsider flying.”

  His eyes twinkled and his words teased. “Are you worried about me, Katie Bedford?”

  “Yes,” she said simply.

  “Good, I like that.” His tone was abruptly serious. “I know we’ve just met but I feel somehow as if I’ve known you forever.”

  “Me, too.”

  He eyed her solemnly, his gaze considering. “And I think there’s something you’re not telling me. What is it, Katie?”

  She stared down at the snow-covered ground. There was so much she wanted to say and so much she couldn’t. She sighed and looked up. “My brother was a pilot.”

  “Was?”

  She nodded. “He was in the Navy. Stationed at Pearl Harbor.”

  “I see.” Sympathy shone in his eyes. “Were you very close?”

  “Harry was my big brother.” She smiled sadly. “He was a great guy and I really miss him.”

  “Katie…” Michael shrugged helplessly. “It’s a war.”

  “I know that,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended. She glared with all the emotion stored up in a lifetime of regret, and something inside her snapped. “I’m not an idiot. I know all about war. Men have been fighting and killing each other for centuries and for what? In the name of decency or patriotism or God? One war might end but there’s always another one sooner or later. Now it’s this World War and next is Korea and after that Vietnam—”

  “Vietnam?” Confusion shadowed his face. “What are you talking about?”

  “Never mind.” She waved him off impatiently. There was no way she was about to explain the geopolitical conflicts of the last half of the twentieth century to a man planted firmly in 1942. “The bottom line is that when the smoke clears and the bodies are counted, what difference does any of it make after all? And it’s not just men paying the price but the women and children left behind pretending to be brave but really living in constant fear. It’s so damned unnecessary to have to sacrifice everything you care for, everyone you love—”

  “Do you love me, Katie?”

  Did she love him? She’d loved him for most of her life. She gazed into his eyes and prayed for the right words. The words that would draw him closer and not push him away.

  “I just met you.” Caution underlay her words.

  “I think we already established that,” he said softly. “Do you love me?”

  “What do you want me to say, Michael?”

  “It’s crazy, Katie, but it’s a crazy world we live in these days.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his own words or his own feelings. “When I first saw you across the room, I thought you were the prettiest girl here.”

  “You thought I was a dish,” she said accusingly.

  “You are a dish.” His voice was firm.

  “And?” she prompted.

  “And…” He combed his fingers through his hair as if struggling to understand his own words. “And I felt as if I’d been hit by a bolt from the blue. As if someone had reached out and smacked me across the face.” He stared at her, confusion battling with wonder in his face. “Does that make any sense at all?”

  Joy surged within her. “I think so.”

  His gaze locked with hers, intense and searching. “You talked about fate and destiny, and, God help me, Katie, I’ve always believed secretly, in the back of my mind, that there would be only one chance and only one special girl. I was always confident I’d know her when I met her. And I did.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “What was it you said? About you and me?”

  “Soul mates?” she said breathlessly.

  “Soul mates.” He nodded. “That’s it exactly. I feel as if, for the first time in my life, I’m whole and complete. As if there’s a part of me that’s always been missing until now.” He shook his head in amazement. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s insane and irrational and—”

  “Magic?” She sighed the word. “Christmas magic?”

  “No.” He brushed his lips against her own and she struggled to keep from melting against him. “This magic isn’t just for Christmas. This is forever, Katie.”

  “Forever.” Her voice was barely a whisper and her heart nearly broke at the lie.

  He gazed into her eyes for a long, silent moment. “Are you a witch, Katie? Can you tell the future? My future?”

  “Yes.” She gasped and stared with all the longing of a life lived without him. “I can tell, right now, you’re going to kiss me.”

  The corners of his mouth quirked upward. “You are a witch.”

  “Then kiss me, Michael.”

  His lips claimed hers with an eager gentleness that left her aching for more. Long-denied passion flared within her. She wound her arms around his neck and crushed her mouth to his. He hesitated for the barest moment as if surprised by her boldness, then pulled her closer, tighter, until even the clothing between them couldn’t hide the aching need of one for the other.

  Her mouth opened beneath the pressure of his and his tongue traced the inner edge of her lips in a sensuous path that left her weak with desire. Her hands grasped at the back of his neck, her fingers tunneling up through the thick satin of his hair. So long, she had waited so very long for the heat of his lips on hers.

  “Katie.” He pulled away and stared down at her. Snowflakes danced between them. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  She traced the line of his jaw with a trembling finger and marveled at the mix of rough texture and warm flesh. “I told you you were going to kiss me.”

  “Not that question. The other one.” He gave her a tiny shake and her gaze jerked to his. Urgency, desire, and a touch of apprehension lingered in his eye. “Do you love me?”

  She stared and a million thoughts flew through her head. Once before he’d asked the very same question. But confusion and fear and downright stupidity had held her tongue. She’d sent him off to war, off to die, without saying the one thing he wanted, no, needed, to hear. And she’d lived a lifetime of regret because of it. She would not make the same mistake again.

  “I’ve loved you forever.” She held her hand against his cheek. “And I will always love you. That’s a promise.”

  For a second he simply stared, amazement coloring his face as if he could not believe his luck.

  “Did you doubt it, Lieutenant?”

  He grinned. “Never, Miss Bedford. Not for a moment.”

  He let out a whoop of elation, picked her up off the ground, and twirled her around until she laughed with sheer delight and they both tumbled to the snow-covered ground.

  He leaned on one elbow, gazing down at her. Snowflakes swirled around them and she wondered vaguely why they didn’t sizzle just a bit when they hit the heat generated between the two of them.

  “I love you, too, Katie.” His expression was once again serious, his eyes somber. “I almost wish I didn’t.”

&nb
sp; “What?” She struggled to sit up. “Why?”

  “You said it yourself a few minutes ago.” He shrugged. “Men go off to war. Women stay behind and…wait and worry. They go through their own private brand of hell. I’d hate to do that to you.”

  “It’s too late, Michael.” She laughed softly. “No matter what happens from here on out, I love you. I will die a little every time there’s a news report on the radio or a headline in the paper or a knock at the door. And that’s okay.”

  She reached out and took his hand in hers. She studied his long fingers, his firm palm, and wished she knew which tiny crevasse was his life line. She pulled a steadying breath.

  “Loving you, right here and right now, just for tonight is worth anything, any price, any sacrifice. I don’t care. This is enough.” She gazed straight into his eyes. “I wouldn’t trade one single, solitary moment with you for an entire lifetime without you.”

  “We can have a lifetime.” His tone was intense, his eyes deep and compelling. “Marry me, Katie.”

  “Marry you?” She could have wept with joy at the question. At long last she could do what she always should have done, to make up for her mistake, to have her second chance. “When?”

  Astonishment swept his expression. “Is that a yes?”

  She laughed. “You seem surprised, Lieutenant.”

  “Not surprised, baby, more like stunned.” He turned her hand over and placed a kiss in the palm. “I can’t believe I can be this lucky.” He narrowed his eyes and searched her face. “To have found you here and now.”

  “Christmas magic, Michael?”

  “Fate, Katie, destiny.” He drew her closer against him and crushed her lips with his in a kiss hard and swift and breathtaking. Then he leapt to his feet and pulled her up beside him. “Didn’t I see a justice of the peace sign about a half mile down this road?”

  “Next door to an inn.” Her heart hammered in her chest.

  “Then let’s go.” He grinned and put his arm around her. They took a few steps and he stopped and studied her, his expression somber. “Katie, nothing in my life has ever seemed as right as this does. But if I’m rushing you into this, if you have any second thoughts, then—”