Robyn

by Lucy McConnell

  “Nonsense!” Marie dropped a marshmallow in his cup. “You’re the biggest blessing in his life, and don’t you forget it.” She smiled at him, and her eyes twinkled, just like her son’s had. The whole family was all sparkles and grins. He sank lower in his seat.

  “I found it.” Nick came in, holding his book over his head like a trophy.

  A smile tugged at Gabe’s mouth. “What math are you in again?”

  “Algebra II.” He vaulted onto his stool and kept his eyes on the counter.

  Gabe felt the test there—the question rang out from Nick’s whole body whether Gabe was going to help him or yell at him. For the first time, he decided to sit with his brother and struggle through homework. “I did okay in algebra—maybe I can take a look at that?”

  Nick’s back straightened. “That’s lit.” He opened the book, the spine crackling like a log on the fire.

  Gabe scanned the page. “Integers.” He jammed his fingers into his hair. “Remind me, is an integer a fraction?”

  Nick copied his posture. “I don’t know. They talked about that in class, but it was a blur.”

  Marie set a plate of warm snickerdoodles in front of them. “Brain food. And the answer is yes and no.”

  Both he and Nick raised their eyebrows.

  She laughed. “Let me explain.”

  For the next hour, they had a thorough math lesson punctuated with cinnamon and vanilla—which reminded Gabe of Robyn. Math proved to be a poor distraction, no matter how hard he concentrated.

  Long after the cookies were devoured, the math understood, and the cocoa tepid, the front door opened and the alarm system dinged, letting them know someone had crossed the threshold. Gabe sucked in a breath, desperately needing to see the look on Robyn’s face. Was she aglow with new possibilities? He didn’t think he could stand it if she was, and he hopped to his feet.

  Elmer walked in first. He was all smiles and bright eyes.

  Gabe glared, ready to punch him.

  “Marie! It’s so good to see you again.” He reached for a hug, but Marie snagged his hand and shook it briefly.

  “That’s Mrs. Kringle to you, boy.” Though she’d corrected him, her words were gentle. The woman probably didn’t know how to say a mean thing. She turned and grabbed the saucepan off the stove. “Gabe, you’re running low. Let me top you off.” She winked at him.

  He chuckled. The woman wasn’t subtle. At least he knew one Kringle was on his side. If he had a side. He wasn’t making sides. Robyn would be more fortunate in the long run if he was out of her life for good. Still, it was nice to know Maria had his back. He would have liked having a grandmother like her.

  Robyn came in next, scowling at a stain on her blouse. “I’m not sure it will come out—Grandma!” She launched herself at Marie, holding her tight. “I didn’t think I’d see you until Christmas.”

  Marie giggled. “Lux said you needed a ride home tonight, so here I am.”

  Gabe scowled. “I didn’t see your car.”

  Maria ignored his comment and faced Elmer. “Thanks for bringing her back in one piece.”

  “It wasn’t too hard. We had a bodyguard.” Elmer fumbled with his keys, signaling that he’d like to tell Robyn good night.

  “Honey, go get your things, and we’ll leave before that horrible Kylo figures things out.” Marie shoved Robyn toward her room. “We’d best be quick about it.”

  “Right!” Robyn skipped out, calling over her shoulder. “Night, Elmer.”

  He waved pathetically at her back. “Night.”

  “Oooh.” Nick sucked in. “Denied a doorstep.” He shook his head in mock pity.

  Elmer rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I haven’t kissed her before.” He swung his keys around his finger and caught them in his palm. “See ya, kids.”

  Gabe huffed at his pathetic attempt to write them off. As soon as the front door clicked shut, Nick smacked his arm. “Don’t take that from him.”

  Gabe laughed. “Take what? He’s out the door, and I’m right here.” He took a deliberate sip of his cocoa.

  Nick nodded slowly. Turning to Marie, he asked, “Do you think Robyn, you know, likes Elmer?”

  Marie rinsed out her mug and placed it in the dishwasher. Contemplative lines graced her brow. “They have a history together, and that’s hard to dismiss. I’m not sure where her heart’s at.”

  Nick walked his mug around the island and handed it over for her to rinse. “Do you think she likes Gabe?”

  “Nick,” Gabe warned.

  “What? I want to know.”

  Maria smiled at the two of them. “Out of the two, Gabe’s got my vote.”

  Nick grinned at him.

  “But—” Marie lifted a finger, spraying water droplets. “—he’s going to have to up his game. My granddaughter should not have to settle for a man who doesn’t put her first.”

  Nick stroked his chin. “What can he do?”

  Gabe shifted. They were talking like he wasn’t in the room. And even if he shouldn’t, he wanted to know the answer.

  “Making a Christmas wish would be a good start.”

  That one statement brought into focus all the differences between him and Robyn. It summed everything up and wrapped it with a bow. “No thanks.” Gabe took his mug and a plate to the sink. “I don’t believe in wishes.”

  Marie’s shoulders fell, and the twinkle in her eye dimmed. “Can you try?”

  He shook his head. The whole thing was silly. “Grown-ups have to work for what they want.”

  She touched his arm. “Christmas isn’t just for children. There’s enough Magic for everyone.”

  He patted her hand. “That’s a beautiful thought. And you’re a wonderful lady. Thank you for helping us tonight.”

  She sighed and reached for a towel to dry her hands. “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m going to sit in my room with the lights off to see if anyone follows you out.” Kylo was obsessed with Robyn and intent on stopping her from being on the show. It was psychotic but also a very real threat.

  The tree in the front room was too bright for him to see into the dark outside. And he didn’t want to watch Robyn leave the house, didn’t want to have to say something to her, because nothing sounded right. The only words that came to mind were “stay” and “let’s try again.” And he couldn’t say those. Wouldn’t. So he ducked into his room before she came out.

  He was looking forward to Christmas, because it meant Robyn would be off with her husband and he wouldn’t have to think about what he could have had with her. What they could have been. As much as he was trying to protect her from his grumpiness, on the other side of that was a man who desperately wanted to give his whole heart to a woman he could trust. People came and went in and out of his life. He didn’t dare love with his whole heart, because if his heart was broken, he might never recover.

  Chapter 22

  Robyn

  Robyn reclined on the green velvet seat of Grandma’s sleigh. Baron, their reindeer, loped his way to the North Pole as easily as a pony heading in for grain. He had a burnt red hide, non-symmetrical antlers, and white freckles across his nose.

  Grandma loosely held the reins in her weathered hands. She’d been flying longer than Robyn was alive, and she was good at it. “Tell me about your night,” she called over the wind. They pushed through a southern-flowing high-pressure system.

  “It was all right.”

  “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  Robyn folded her arms across her. “I had a revelation of sorts.”

  “Do tell.” Grandma pumped her white eyebrows, making Robyn laugh. Kringle women never grew out of the need for girl talk.

  She gathered her thoughts that had scattered like dried pine needles. “It started out fine. We had a nice talk over dinner, catching up on things we hadn’t wanted to share on-screen.”

  Grandma hmmed to keep her talking and made a slight correction in Baron’s route.

  “On the way out to the car,
he took my hand. I’d forgotten to wear gloves. I do that sort of thing with him, and he doesn’t notice.”

  “I hear a but in there.”

  “Gabe notices. Every time.” She let her arms flop to her sides. “And Elmer said, I’m always warmer when I hold your hand. Like the only reason he reaches for me is to warm himself up.” She rubbed her palm on the velvet, watching the slight change in hue as she did so. “I know he misses me, I can tell he needs me—but I think he’s selfish. He doesn’t need me because he loves me; he needs me because of what I can do for him. And it’s not the same thing.”

  Grandma sat back and put one arm around her shoulders. “It’s most definitely not the same.” She tugged Robyn in for a side hug. “Honey, what about Gabe?”

  Robyn sighed. “Gabe is different. There’s this feeling I get from him—it’s so unique, and it makes me feel all glittery inside.”

  “Yes?”

  “He has this need to see me smile, to hear my laugh. Not because it does anything for him, but because he wants my happiness.” She pressed her fingers to her cheeks. “I’ve never felt that from a man before—it’s …”

  “Precious?” Grandma offered.

  “Priceless,” Robyn finished. “But—on the flip side—he won’t let me love him.”

  “I don’t think that’s it at all.” Grandma circled the entrance to the stables. “Hold on, this is going to be rough.” She took them in, and the runners bounced across the rivets in the ice, rattling her teeth like shaking candy in a plastic container.

  They slid to a stop, Baron’s nose three feet from the back wall. He breathed heavily and snorted, wanting to back up but prevented by the heavy sleigh that was stuck in a pile of slush. Selora, the elf over the stables, rushed forward to calm him with a carrot. She was followed by Bulb and Berry, who each took a side of his harness and ran their hands down his neck, talking softly.

  “Thanks, dear.” Grandma nodded to Selora.

  “It’s good to see him again.” Selora touched her forehead to Baron’s forelock. The two had grown up together. Baron lived most of the year in Mexico with Grandpa and Grandma; coming back should have been a splendid occasion, but his onyx eyes were full of concern as he stomped in the slush. “We’ll get him settled in his old stall,” Selora promised. Her white-and-red-striped stockings were wet up to the knees.

  Robyn offered her a smile. “Thank you.” She chased after Grandma, who was halfway to the Hall of Santas Past. “What is it?”

  “Excuse me?” Grandma swung around, her flowing shirt billowing around her.

  “You said on the sleigh that it wasn’t that Gabe wouldn’t let me love him. If that’s not it, then what is it?”

  Grandma took both her hands. “He won’t let himself love you. He’s scared.”

  The image of him in his uniform the first day they met popped in her head. His muscles were firm and nicely displayed, the olive skin contrasting with the black shirt. His royal eyes were intent and focused. He was intimidating and so handsome. “Gabe’s not scared of anything.”

  Grandma cupped her cheek. “Except you. Trust me, darling. You’re downright terrifying.”

  She wrung her hands. “So what do I do about it?”

  “Be honest with him about who you are. Tell him everything. Invite him to be a part of this. Help him feel safe.”

  Her heart lurched forward and then pulled back like Baron putting on the brakes. “Will he be able to love me then?”

  “There are no guarantees. But it’s better to have reached for love than to let it slip by. Trust me, if your grandpa hadn’t come after me when I ran from him, we wouldn’t be together.”

  Robyn jolted. “You didn’t fall in love at first sight.”

  Grandma tipped her head back and laughed. “No way. He came on strong, spouting off that he loved me on the second date. I thought he was crazy!”

  Robyn laughed. At least she hadn’t made that mistake.

  “I’ll tell you all about it—later.” She kicked her foot, sending water across the floor. “You have a wedding to figure out.”

  A feeling of urgency pumped into her system. Christmas Eve was just two days away. She pecked a kiss to Grandma’s rosy cheek and took off at a sprint for the Christmas Magic room, where Lux and Quik had built the electrical substation. She slammed into the door, only to bounce off again. She rubbed her shoulder. “Stupid wood.” Giving it a mighty shove, she managed to fling it open. “Lux!”

  Christmas Magic floated in the air like a bazillion fireflies. The substation hummed and then sputtered and hummed again. Lux and Quik were in a cherry picker working with wrenches the size of their heads, each fitted onto a different piece of the pipe.

  “Hey!” She waved her arms over her head. They turned, and a few excruciating minutes later, they had lowered the basket down far enough to hold a conversation.

  “How’d it go with Elmer?” Lux made a face.

  “Horrible. Thanks for asking.” Robyn grinned. “But that’s not why I’m here.” She shook out her hands, wishing she had a whisk or rolling pin to work while she thought. “What happens if I bring a nonbeliever here?”

  Lux and Quik locked eyes, having a whole conversation without speaking. Lux had on an Iron Man tee shirt, and Quik was in army camo pants and a black tee that clung to his frame. They were the cutest pair of nerds on the planet.

  Lux answered for the two of them: “He won’t see the ice castle or the reindeer or anything. It will be a barren, cold wasteland to him.”

  Robyn pulled her hair back and then let it fall again. “Would anything happen to Christmas Magic?” She needed all the information she could get before making a decision.

  “Best case?” asked Quik. “Nothing.”

  “Worst case?” asked Lux. “The Magic short-circuits, the elves turn to dust, the reindeer lose their ability to fly, and we are forced to evacuate. Santa’s flight is cancelled forever, children around the world wake up to empty stockings and no presents. Goodwill across the globe deteriorates. War breaks out …”

  “Okay! I get the picture.” Robyn hugged herself. “I’m torn between following my heart and protecting everything I hold dear.” She’d planned her whole life to be Santa. To wear the red suit and share the joy of Christmas with the whole world. That dream hadn’t worked out, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love Christmas or the children.

  Lux hopped down from the basket and took both Robyn’s hands in hers. “Do you love him?”

  “Yes!” The answer came out in a strangled cry. The battle inside was real. Her Santa sense, the very thing that made up her genetic code, told her to put aside her own needs and focus on the children. Do what would be best for them—don’t take a risk. But her heart was beating just for Gabe. It wanted him and him alone.

  “Then go get him!” Lux squeezed her hands tightly.

  Robyn glanced at Quik. His jaw set. “Do it,” he told her.

  “But it feels so selfish!” She pressed the back of her hand over her mouth.

  “It’s not.” Quik hopped down too. His army boots splashing heavily in the slush. “You’re reaching for something bigger than yourself.” He put his arm around Lux and held her to his side. “I didn’t understand it until Lux and I finally gave in to the bond we had, the love we shared. But once I fell, I realized that there’s so much more to this than I ever thought possible.”

  Robyn’s eyes misted over. “That’s so sweet, Quik.”

  His cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, well. Don’t tell anyone.” He hopped back into the basket and hit the button to take it up.

  Lux chuckled. “What’s your plan?”

  Robyn sucked in, lifting her shoulders in a huge shrug. “I’m going to tell him everything.”

  “That’s a bold plan.”

  “You inspired it.” Robyn nudged her. “And Grandma—actually, it was her idea.”

  Lux laughed. Two Christmases ago, she’d eloped with Quik and brought him to the North Pole to help her build the substation. “Th
at was not my finest moment. But it worked.” She smiled shyly at her husband. “I’ll be rooting for you. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  “I will.” Robyn rushed to her room to change clothes. It wouldn’t do to show up for filming in the same outfit she’d worn the day before. As she dressed, she wondered how the castle would change her room to include Gabe and Nick. Lux’s single bedroom had transformed into a two-bedroom apartment complete with a kitchen and a playroom for her stepson. Nick could use an entertainment room, maybe a pool table. Her hands shook with excitement.

  Everything the two of them really wanted—family, love, home—she could give them.

  They just had to believe.

  Nick was already there. He’d seen her family come down the chimney that first night. Ginger had put a finger over her lips to tell him to keep it a secret. As far as they knew, Nick had been true to their cause. He was firmly on the Nice List and had even written a letter this year—a letter she didn’t dare read for fear it included becoming a Kringle.

  Gabe wasn’t like Nick that way. He didn’t believe in Christmas or Santa at all. If he couldn’t go on faith, then she’d show him the Magic. She grabbed her magic purse and made her way to the stables.

  Chapter 23

  Gabe

  “I’m going out for a coffee break,” said Ethan, the other security guard on set.

  The police had a hot lead on Kylo and said they’d have him in custody by tomorrow. But the studio wasn’t taking any chances and had doubled up on protection for the crew. Who knew what that madman was capable of?

  So far, all had been quiet.

  Gabe nodded to let Ethan know that he’d heard him. Brian had just finished his big introduction, and the montage of Robyn and Elmer’s time together the day before played on screens all over the set. By all accounts, it looked like there would be a Christmas Eve wedding.