Robyn

by Lucy McConnell

  The sister had her phone up to her nose, and her thumbs flew across the screen. Normally, electronics were forbidden on set, but no one told her to put it away. She’d spent the morning making friends with all the tech geeks, though, so maybe she had permission.

  “Um, Lux, right?” She was the only Kringle he hadn’t met yet, and her name was unusual enough that he remembered it from the conversations he’d overheard.

  She didn’t look up from her phone. “Yeah.” Her voice had an edge to it. She’d gone after Elmer for dumping Robyn—the idiot. Her edge was different from Stella’s edge. Stella would claw your eyes out and slash your tires. Lux wasn’t harsh—but it was her quiet that made him nervous. She was too smart to let him get away with fudging the truth.

  Her glasses slid down a fraction, and she shoved them back in place as she refused to look at him.

  “I’m Gabe.”

  “I know.”

  Okay, so he hadn’t won any points with the family. Hopefully, Robyn hadn’t told them what he’d said about them not having real-world problems and all the other stupid things that had come out of his mouth. As dumb as they were, he was holding on to them. Robyn was better off with someone better than him. Not this Elmer jerk, but someone.

  He adopted a cool, detached persona of a bodyguard. “We had a breach last night.”

  “A what?” She kept typing.

  “A breach. Someone was at the safe house. They walked the entire perimeter and tried several windows. The police took finger prints. It was Kylo.”

  She slowly lowered the phone. Her eyes ticked from one thing to the next, taking in him, the room, and probably a hundred other details. Man, her brain worked fast. “Robyn can’t go back there.”

  “No.” He tucked his thumbs in his pockets. “But we can’t let Kylo think we’ve moved her again.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Her bright green eyes narrowed. “Robyn should be the one to know all about what’s going on with Kylo. She’s the one he’s threatening.”

  “She’s not exactly speaking to me at the moment.”

  “Well, you weren’t exactly nice.” She cocked her head to the side in challenge.

  He was trying to avoid an argument in front of everyone—that was why he’d chosen her to talk to. “Can we keep this on a professional level, please?”

  “Oh!” She lifted her chin. “Now you want to keep it professional.” Her voice went up a notch, and several heads turned their direction.

  Robyn pointedly ignored them, letting her sister have free rein.

  He groaned. “Since I need to stay employed, yes.”

  Her eyes did that thing where she looked like she was processing information. “Nick,” she stated when she got to the end of her calculation.

  “Yes.” Yes! Nick. “Since I was eighteen, I’ve done everything I can to keep that kid close. Okay? We live paycheck to paycheck, and I can’t lose work. Family services checks in once a year—in January. If I’m out of a job or lose my house, they’ll put him back in the system.”

  “Why don’t you adopt him?”

  He scrubbed his face. How did things get so personal all of the sudden? “He never wanted me to. He said he likes me more as a brother than a dad, and I respected his wishes.”

  “But that made life harder for you.”

  He sighed. Yeah. People constantly looking over his shoulder to see if he was screwing up as a guardian. Mandatory doctor’s visits where they drilled Nick about every bruise and scratch, all the while assuming Gabe had abused him. Then there was the paperwork to keep his foster license. “Life’s always been hard.”

  “And I’m making it harder by being grumpy.” She transformed her face into a pleasant expression. “I’ll tell Robyn about Kylo. What do you want to do about it?”

  His walls, which had been down for a moment when talking about Nick, went right back up. He didn’t have the luxury of discussing his personal issues right now. Robyn’s life was at stake. Kylo wasn’t snooping around the safe house to leave threats. He was intent on silencing Robyn. It had become an obsession for him. The police were on the case, tracking him from lead to lead, but he was slippery and had more connections than a LEGO set.

  “She needs to come through the house after the show and then sneak out. Your family seems to be good at that.” The night they’d been there making cookies, he hadn’t heard a car on the driveway or a door open and close. “You’re like ghosts.”

  Lux nodded, accepting his comment as if she heard it all the time. “I’m sure we can get her in and out undetected. What about you guys? Will you be safe? Nick?”

  He nodded. “We’ll be fine. If Kylo was interested in a shoot-out, he would have come in with guns blazing and not tried to climb in a window. Just make sure someone is with Robyn at all times.”

  Lux’s eyes blazed, but her voice was level as she said, “We’re already making sure she’s not alone. A broken heart isn’t something Kringles take lightly.”

  Gabe felt every word of censure like sharp teeth across his skin, and his defenses rose up. “She seems to be getting over it just fine.” He pointed to the set where Robyn smiled at Elmer. Not the smile she’d given him at first full of strain and pain, but a real one that spoke of a long history together.

  Lux glanced that way and frowned. “This isn’t good,” she muttered.

  “What kind of a name is Elmer, anyway?” he groused.

  “A pretentious one—especially when your family makes a living off of glue.” Tapping on her phone, she brought it to her ear. “Ginger, we’ve got a situation here.”

  Gabe headed to the back of the room, far away from the lights and glitter, where he could sulk in the shadows. Let her sisters worry about her love life. He was here to protect her life, not her heart. He had no claim there, and the sooner he got that in his head, the better.

  Chapter 21

  Robyn

  Robyn walked along a winding path with her hand tucked in the cook of Elmer’s elbow. The show had set up a winter wonderland inside the cavernous building, complete with fake snow and trees. There was even a squirrel and bluebirds in the branches. Nice attention to detail.

  Even with the hours they’d spent filming already, Elmer was nervous about how things were going. She could feel his unease, and her Santa sense kicked in.

  “I have to admit, this has gone better than I ever would have thought.” She smiled up at him.

  He placed his hand over hers. It felt … tepid. Like it always had. She’d not known that her body could change temperatures with a touch until Gabe showed her that it was possible. She hadn’t known her heart could race with a glance until his eyes met hers. And she had no idea a kiss could sweep away her common sense like spilled glitter until he’d held her in his kitchen and flipped the world upside down.

  “Cut! That’s a wrap, people. Interviews in fifteen minutes.”

  Robyn went to pull away, but Elmer’s hand held her in place. “Don’t leave,” he said quietly.

  All around them, people were busy taking down the set. The adorable bridge was separated into three pieces and hauled off to storage. The bluebirds were dropped into a box, and the squirrel was tucked in beside them. The magic of television all wrapped up and placed on a shelf.

  Elmer waited a moment for the crew to scatter, and then he leaned close. “Robyn, I’d like another chance.”

  “Isn’t that what this is all about?” She waved her free hand around, indicating the now darkened studio and the forest that was quickly becoming a slab of concrete as the interns took the trees out.

  “I mean a real one.” He leaned closer.

  She breathed in wondering what scent he wore, but Elmer didn’t smell like anything. There was no manly scent of cologne or body spray, not even a hint of toothpaste or gel.

  “Go out with me tonight?”

  He was sincere in his desire to start fresh; she could feel it coming off of him. She glanced over at Lux, who was sitting in the director’s chair, her
laptop open. She was probably monitoring the water levels at the North Pole. There were four inches on the ground now. The elves wore rain boots and slickers to work, as water constantly dripped from the ceiling and puddled at their feet.

  Over Elmer’s shoulder, Gabe waited for her by the door. His rejection was a sting she couldn’t forget or ignore. But a Kringle had to get married this year. There was no way around it. Christmas Magic had a plan—not that any of them knew what it was—they just knew that one of them had to be married by Christmas Eve or Christmas Magic would disappear.

  She looked Elmer over. He’d filled out in the shoulders by a couple inches. Not that she cared so much about a man’s physique; she was just noticing that he’d changed. And perhaps he’d changed in other ways. They’d gotten along swimmingly for a few years, had fun, studied, kissed, made friends. Maybe they could have that again, and maybe that would be enough for Christmas Magic.

  Lux would surely point out that if she didn’t marry her true love, the wedding wouldn’t count. That was just a theory, though, and they wouldn’t know for sure until one of them tried marrying without love. She’d have to be the one to put Christmas first and her heart second. If any Kringle sister was going to do that, it would be her.

  Jerry would be happy. He wanted to film a wedding and play it on prime time for the whole nation to see. If there was one thing her family did well, it was Christmas Eve weddings. She could give him exactly what he wanted for Christmas.

  The crew would be ecstatic. A Thirty-Minute Match wedding would guarantee another season. Chelsea could send her daughter to college. Sarah could take another cruise.

  And then there were also the children—busily writing letters to Santa and making ornaments out of Popsicle sticks at school to give their parents—to consider. She’d focus on the needs of millions of children around the world and draw happiness from their joy on Christmas morning.

  “Do you still like meat and potatoes?” she asked.

  His face broke into a slow smile. She used to think it was cute; now she wondered if it took him that long to process that her question was an answer to his question. “I saw a great place not too far from here.” He pulled out his wallet and checked for his credit card.

  She sighed. Elmer was nothing if not prepared. “I’ll meet you in the lobby after interviews?”

  “Sounds great.” He blinked, which was his way of winking—he’d never been able to master doing it with one eye. Maybe in time, she’d think that was cute too.

  An intern approached, “Elmer, if you’ll follow me this way?”

  “I’ll see you later.” He headed off, adjusting his tie as he went.

  Robyn hurried over to Lux. “Hey. So, I’m going out with Elmer tonight.” She wanted to get the words out before she thought better of her plan.

  Lux slammed her laptop shut. Her face matched the angry Grinch face on the front of her tee shirt. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “If you have a better one, I’m all ears.”

  Lux gave her a dubious look.

  “I mean it. I’ll give you points for originality, too. The weirder, the better, as long as it scores me a husband by Christmas Eve.”

  Gabe cleared his throat behind her. “What is it with you and getting married by Christmas?”

  Robyn widened her eyes at Lux, asking for help, and pressed her hand against her straining throat. “I’m not getting any younger.” She coughed several times.

  Lux nodded. “It’s become a family tradition. I got married two Christmases ago.” She held up two fingers.

  “On Christmas Eve?” Gabe asked.

  “Well, no. It was earlier. But Quik and I had a big project that had to be done by Christmas Eve, so we got married before then.” She tucked a piece of hair back up in her messy bun and hopped off the chair. “I need to get back to … the factory. I’ll send someone to the house to pick you up after your date.”

  “Date?” Gabe turned to Robyn.

  “Elmer and I are going to dinner,” she all but whispered, as if in a confessional.

  * * *

  Gabe’s stomach dropped. Of course they were going out. This whole thing was about getting Robyn married off for some dumb family tradition. The more he learned about the Kringles, the crazier they sounded. He’d dodged a bullet.

  It could have been me, his conscience whispered. He could have been the one sweeping Robyn off her feet and meeting her at the altar. They could have honeymooned over New Year’s. He pushed that thought away. Robyn would be happier with Elmer than she would have been with him. Elmer had the money, the poise, and the happy childhood that added up to a good fit for Robyn. And he took her family in stride. Gabe would always stick out—the bad apple of the bunch.

  That said, he didn’t have it in him to watch her swoon over Elmer. “I’m taking tonight off to spend with Nick, but I’ll make sure you have a guard with you.” He turned, not able to look in her eyes. “Don’t leave without him. Lux will explain why.”

  With that, he practically ran out of the room. He checked in with his boss.

  Dale was ready to take over for him. “I’ll make sure she gets home. You handle the bait and switch.” He bossed Gabe around like he didn’t know how to do his job. Since Robyn had shown up without him that morning, they assumed he was incompetent. It would take a while to earn their respect back.

  He rushed to his truck and then sat there, thinking. He couldn’t go right back to the house—not while Robyn was out there, somewhere, with the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with even though she didn’t love him. He might have stood against the cold, black wall of the studio during filming, but even Gabe could see that there wasn’t a spark between the country’s new favorite couple. Yeah, he’d heard the excited chatter behind the scenes. America loved Robyn, and they were clamoring for her to find her soul mate.

  Headlights in the rearview mirror flashed and blinded him for a moment. He shook his head. His truck had been parked in the driveway last night. Kylo knew the plates. He was being followed.

  He drove through neighborhoods as if he were on a tour of the city lights. Christmas displays blinked and flashed all over town. He took a quick left onto a busy street and then another left and finally a third, getting behind his tail. He watched the beat-up red cruiser go right and then disappear.

  With a sigh, he made his way to the rental house. He did want to spend the night with Nick. They could watch a superhero movie or something. Anything the kid wanted to do that didn’t revolve around Christmas. Christmas meant Robyn, and he wanted one night without thinking about her.

  He wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead just as he pulled through the iron gate. The lights were all on, the Christmas tree winking at him through the large bay window. He groaned. Maybe leaving would give them a better shot at avoiding her.

  Instead of going inside, he walked the perimeter, carefully checking the fresh snow fall for new footprints. There were none.

  “I’m home,” he called as he went through the door. A warm blast of air wrapped him up, and he shucked his coat, hanging it in the closet near the door.

  “We’re in here,” Nick called from the kitchen.

  We? Too late, he remembered Lux saying she’d send someone to pick up Robyn after her date. “Just don’t let it be Stella,” he murmured as he made his way into the room.

  Elvis crooned Christmas carols from a speaker on the counter. The scent of fresh-baked cookies filled the air and made his stomach growl. Nick sat at the counter with a woman who looked very much like a grandma. She had white hair and wrinkles that were soft and gentle on her smooth, round cheeks. Her hair was short, perfectly styled, and she had on a white sweatshirt with a reindeer outline in blue sparkles.

  The counter was covered with wrinkled papers, textbooks, and the school-issued Chromebook Nick hauled around like a brick of gold. On the screen was a button labeled “submit.” Nick clicked on it, and the older woman clapped. “That’s it for social studies! You’re
all caught up.” She beamed, her eyes full of pride.

  Gabe bit back his remark about turning things in on time. You don’t have to catch up if you’re not behind in the first place.

  “My math book’s in my room. I’ll go get it.” He swung his long legs out from under the counter and offered Gabe a fist bump. “Hi.” They touched knuckles, and he scampered off to his room.

  Gabe stared after him. That was an open kid, the one who used to run into Gabe’s arms when he’d pick him up from daycare was all over Nick’s face. That was the kid who wanted to be a pilot and fly airplanes and grow pineapple trees in his backyard. He never thought he’d see that kid again.

  “Would you like some hot chocolate, dear?” asked the lady.

  Gabe landed on a barstool, stunned. “Who are you?”

  She laughed lightly. “I’m Marie Kringle, Robyn’s grandmother.”

  “Of course you are.” He watched as she turned the burner up on a small saucepan and stirred slowly. “How’d you get him to care about school?”

  She lifted one eyebrow. “He’s always cared about school.”

  “No. He’s failing all his classes.”

  She flicked her hand. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.”

  “It doesn’t?”

  The liquid started to steam, and she removed the pan, pouring dark brown cocoa into a waiting mug. “No. He cares—and he wants you to care too.”

  “Why does he think I’ve been hounding him for three months?” He took the mug, feeling the heat warm his cold fingers.

  “That’s not the kind of caring he needed.” She motioned for him to take a sip. He did, the warmth spreading through his limbs. He started to feel better about life. With a jolt, he realized it was the same way he felt when he ate something Robyn made. “What’d you put in here?”

  “The usual. Milk. Cocoa. Christmas Magic.” She giggled as she wiggled her fingers.

  “I almost believe you.” He took another sip and then set it on the counter, staring into the depths of the cup as if the answers to all of life’s problems were inside. He thought over what she’d said about the kind of caring Nick needed. Had he—even once—sat down to help him? No. All he’d done was nag, yell, threaten, and punish. “I’m failing at this big brother thing.”