This Holiday Magic

by Celeste O. Norfleet

“No, it’s not important. I’ll catch up with him later.”

  Mrs. Ivers nodded. “I’ll let him know that you stopped by.”

  “No need. I’m glad your son’s better. I’ll see you this evening, Mrs. Ivers.” Janelle said her goodbyes and quickly hurried out to the car. She sat a moment, collecting her thoughts. Telling Tyson she loved him was no longer an option. It was too late. He was leaving. She drove back to her father’s home just in time to see him rushing out the front door. “Hi, Dad. You’re leaving? Everything okay?”

  “Yes. I just got a call from the bank. They’re reviewing my application again. Looks like there might be a glimmer of hope.”

  “I hope so. Good luck. Don’t worry about the party. I’ll take care of everything. Drive safe.” She watched him drive off, then went inside.

  Thankfully, the rest of the morning was nonstop craziness and the perfect mental distraction. By ten o’clock there was a constant flow of deliveries, as well as caterers, florists and workmen. Janelle took care of the details and finalized the evening’s events. Wanting the night to be really special for her father, she went into the attic and pulled out some of her mother’s family decorations. They were the perfect finishing touch.

  By late afternoon the Truman home was a spectacular holiday display and a magical winter wonderland. Large white lanterns filled with pine branches, glass balls and candles guided guests to the front door as huge white poinsettias brightened the entrance foyer and flowed throughout the house. Gingerbread houses, candy canes, holiday cookies and edible delights topped every table with a spectacular buffet feast centered in the dining room.

  Dressed and smiling, Ben watched as Janelle walked down the front staircase to the foyer. He smiled and hugged her. “You look beautiful. I still can’t believe how fantastic this place looks. You did an incredible job. I never took the time to really appreciate how truly remarkable you are. Your mother would be very proud of you. I’m very proud of you.”

  Janelle beamed with delight as she straightened her father’s bow tie. “Thanks, Dad. So, how did it go today with the bank?”

  “They’ll call me this evening with a final decision.”

  “You’ll get the loan.” She nodded, assuring him.

  “Either way, let’s just have a wonderful evening.”

  The doorbell rang. “Ah, saved by the bell. It looks like we have our first guest of the evening.” Janelle stood by the stairs as Ben opened the front door. A tiny red coat rushed in excitedly. Ben knelt and scooped Aneka up, swinging her around. She giggled and laughed happily as she hugged Ben and talked nonstop about Santa coming to town. Janelle walked over, smiling, as Tyson appeared in the doorway a second later.

  Ben set Aneka down, shook Tyson’s hand and then hugged him. “We tried,” Ben said.

  “There’s always a Christmas miracle,” Tyson assured him.

  Aneka tugged on Ben’s jacket, wanting to see the Christmas tree and train set again. They went into the living room, leaving Tyson and Janelle in the foyer.

  The realization that he would be leaving hit her again. She smiled solemnly. “Hi.”

  He kissed her tenderly. “You look stunning, as always,” Tyson said after a rakish smile and a thorough examination.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I have something for you.” He pulled a mistletoe sprig from his jacket pocket and held it over her head. Just as he leaned down to kiss her, the doorbell rang. She smiled, shrugged and opened the door, welcoming more guests to the party. In no time the house was packed with family, friends and with children everywhere. Guests continued to arrive in a steady flow. They mingled, talked, laughed, ate, drank and enjoyed themselves. Ben was the perfect host and the life of the party. No one would have guessed that his business was hanging by a single thread.

  At dusk the neighborhood luminaries had been lit. Everyone stepped outside to see Santa’s runway as the illuminated glow curved and coiled along the sidewalks. The children played along the luminaries as the adults stood by, admiring the spectacular sight. Then to everyone’s delight Santa came through, waving and wishing all a merry Christmas.

  After a while everyone went back inside to hot chocolate and warm beverages and gathered in the conservatory to watch as the fireworks display began. With the children sitting up front, all eyes marveled at the spectacular night sky.

  Janelle noticed her father wasn’t there. She looked around, finally finding him in his office. He’d just hung up the phone.

  “Dad, is everything okay?”

  He turned and smiled. “Yes, everything is more than okay. The loan went through. The company’s going to be okay.”

  She hugged him. “Dad, that’s great news. Congratulations.”

  “I have to say, it didn’t look good when I left this afternoon, but whatever Tyson did...”

  “‘Tyson’? What do you mean?”

  “He said he’d talk to them. Whatever he said worked. Looks like I have a new business partner. All I have to do is accept the offer. Ah, there’s the man of the hour.”

  Janelle turned to see Tyson standing in the office doorway. Ben walked over and they shook hands. “Thank you.”

  Tyson nodded his agreement. “It was my pleasure.”

  Ben nodded and turned to Janelle. “You two talk. There’s a lot to say. I’m gonna celebrate a new beginning by watching the fireworks.” He walked out as Tyson entered.

  “You’ve been avoiding me all night,” Tyson said.

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “Yes, it is.” He walked over to her. “Why?”

  “To make it easier,” she said, feeling her heart breaking.

  “I don’t understand. Your dad’s company is fine.”

  She turned. The desperation of lost love, hurt and pain filled her eyes. “Yes, I know. You did another amazing job. So, I guess this is it. Thank you for helping my father and for staying around to say goodbye this time.”

  “What?”

  “Your work here is done. You’re leaving,” she said. “I saw the luggage at the house this morning.”

  “No, Janelle. The luggage is a gift for Mrs. Ivers’s son. He’s leaving for college.”

  “But what about the job in New York? And your project?”

  “New York was never an option. And you are my special project,” he said tenderly. “Janelle, I’m not leaving. There’s no way I could walk away from you again. I love you. I’ve always loved you, now and forever. From the first moment I saw you. I can’t picture the rest of my life without you.”

  She looked into his eyes. The adoration in them reflected her love for him.

  “Sweetheart, I can’t do this without you. I can’t exist without you. You’re every breath I take. I need you in my life and I don’t mean just as friends. You are my heart and I am yours. We are meant to be together. Say you love me. That’s all I need. That’s all I’ll ever need.”

  “I love you, Tyson,” she said. “I love you.”

  An endless swell of love washed over them as they kissed. Then he pulled back. “Don’t move. Wait here.” He ran out then a minute later returned with the box she had seen under his tree earlier. “This is for you.”

  She opened it, seeing a different African wedding doll inside. She picked it up, smiling. “She’s beautiful.” Then she looked closely and saw a ribbon around the doll’s neck. On the ribbon was a ring. He untied the ring and took her hand. “Marry me, Janelle. Be my life.”

  Janelle’s heart filled with joy beyond belief. “Yes. Yes.”

  He instantly took her in his arms and kissed her.

  Ben, with Aneka by his side, peeked into the office. Janelle smiled happily. “Dad, we’re getting married,” she said excitedly.

  “Well, it’s about time,” Ben said, walking over to shake Tyson’s hand. “Welc
ome to the family. Looks like I have a new business partner and a son all in one.”

  “Your business partner?” Janelle repeated, turning to Tyson.

  Tyson nodded as he picked up Aneka. “Merry Christmas, little one,” he said.

  “Merry Christmas,” she said, then reached out to Janelle and hugged her, too.

  “Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Janelle said.

  They all went back to the conservatory to join their guests and watch the Christmas fireworks.

  Tyson wrapped his arm around Janelle.

  She was surrounded with love. It was the perfect Christmas...with many more to come.

  * * * * *

  Mine by

  Christmas

  Janice Sims

  DEDICATION

  Mine by Christmas is dedicated to my husband, Curtis, who is my very own tech nerd, like Adam Benson in this story. And to you, the readers, who have loyally followed me since Affair of the Heart (1996) to the present.

  Thank you!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A story is written by an author in isolation, but it comes together with the efforts of many people. Thanks to my editor, Rachel Burkot, for her valuable advice on how to make Mine by Christmas a more pleasurable reading experience for you. Thanks also to editorial assistant Caroline Acebo, who keeps us writers on the right track at Mills and Boon.

  Chapter 1

  Adam Benson awoke with a start. He reached over, switched on the lamp and groaned as he sat up and swung his long muscular legs over the side of the bed. What was wrong with him? Why was he dreaming about Sage so frequently? What was even more disturbing was the fact that they weren’t erotic dreams. No, these dreams left a lasting impression of real emotions. His heart was still beating wildly in his chest and he vividly remembered the taste of her sweet lips. As he sat there in the bedroom of his Seattle mansion, his entire body was infused with the unmistakable feeling of being in love. He should recognize that feeling because Sage Andrews was the only woman he’d ever loved. Sure, he still thought of her fondly, but it had been years since he’d been face-to-face with her. Did she ever dream about him?

  Coming to a decision, he picked up his cell phone from the nightstand and ran his finger across the touch screen, selecting the messages option. He listened to his mother’s voice asking him to come home for Christmas. He had not planned to go home to New Haven, Connecticut, this year, but now he reconsidered. There was a certain neighborhood Christmas Eve party he had to attend.

  * * *

  Sage Andrews loved Christmas in New Haven. She never missed going to see the Fantasy Lights at Lighthouse Point Park. Every year she and her father, Earl, went to a local Christmas-tree farm to cut down their own tree. She even liked the quirkier aspects of Christmas in New Haven, including some guy named Noel climbing the Christmas tree on New Haven Green and getting tangled in the branches, which were laden with thirty thousand LED lights. Firemen had to rescue him.

  She smiled at the thought as she drove to her parents’ house for their annual Christmas Eve party in her old neighborhood. Her cell phone kept buzzing, but she ignored it. She’d had a long day in court substituting for her partner, Jim Douglas, a divorce attorney, who had been called away to be with his wife, Sha-Shana, in the delivery room. They were now the proud parents of a little girl. Sage usually dealt with custody issues, and listening to a couple tear each other apart in court today had been depressing. She just wanted to relax. Whoever was phoning her could leave a message.

  Driving down these streets flanked by houses lavishly decorated for Christmas reminded her of her childhood. She’d been a happy kid with parents who loved her and who loved each other. Back then, the Andrews were struggling financially, but so were other families in the neighborhood. It was a close-knit community, though, and everyone helped each other. As times grew more prosperous, the houses improved. Today the neighborhood was one of the most prominent in the city.

  She looked sadly at the Cape Cod across the street from her parents’ Tudor-style home. The Bensons lived there. Seeing their home always made her think of their son, Adam, her first love and the only man to ever break her heart.

  She sighed deeply and then perked up. Tonight was not for reminiscing about the past but for having fun!

  She managed to find a parking space among the other guests’ cars on the street and got out to walk to the front door. Just as she started up the solar-powered, lamp-lined walk, wrapped in a hooded woolen coat, it began to snow. She paused to look up at the flurries and held out her gloved hand to catch some flakes in her palm. We’re going to have a white Christmas after all, she thought with a pleased grin.

  She barely had time to pull her hand back after ringing the bell before her mother was pulling her inside.

  “Sage!” Patricia Andrews cried, a panicked expression on her attractive chestnut-brown face. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  Sage had a momentary glimpse of the tasteful holiday decorations such as poinsettias and red-velvet bows on the banisters of the stairs directly in front of her before her mother grabbed her arm in a viselike grip and pulled her through the foyer directly to the kitchen, bypassing the great room, where the party’s guests were mingling.

  “What’s wrong, Mom?” Sage asked. “Can I take my coat off?”

  “In a minute,” Patricia, a petite, attractive woman in her mid-fifties, said as she yanked her daughter into the chef’s kitchen. “You can hang it in the pantry.”

  The kitchen was bustling with catering staff. Sage, who hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, went to grab a canapé from a tray on the counter and her mother slapped her hand.

  “Mom, what’s gotten into you?” Sage asked as she snapped back her hand and began pulling off her coat.

  “I tried to warn you,” her mother said cryptically. She took Sage’s coat, walked over to the pantry and hung it on a hook in there. The two of them stood in the large space, whispering so as not to be heard by the catering staff.

  “Warn me about what?” Sage was getting worried now. “Has something happened to Dad?”

  Exasperated, Patricia looked up at her daughter. “Adam’s here.”

  With those two words Sage felt as if her stomach had just taken a nosedive into her Louboutins. For a moment she couldn’t think, let alone form coherent words. Then she took a deep breath and exhaled. “You never said he would be here.” She sounded more accusatory than she’d intended.

  “I didn’t know,” her mother said in defense of herself. “Millie and Adam Senior showed up with him in tow. What was I supposed to do, tell him he couldn’t stay? I’m his godmother, for heaven’s sake!”

  “Of course not,” said Sage, removing her gloves and shoving them into the coat’s pockets. She narrowed her eyes at her mother. “Wait a minute. How did you know seeing Adam would upset me? I never said I was avoiding him.”

  “I’m your mother. You don’t have to tell me,” Patricia said, rolling her eyes. “It’s been nine years since you two broke up, and whenever he’s home and Millie and Adam Senior invite us over for dinner, you make up an excuse as to why you can’t come. I don’t have to be a genius to figure that out!”

  Sage willed herself to calm down. She laughed nervously. “He’s a family friend visiting his folks for the holidays. No big deal.”

  “Well, if my instincts are on the money, you’re the only reason he’s here,” Patricia said.

  “What makes you say that?” Sage asked, feeling the panic rising again.

  “Every time the doorbell rings, and I walk back into the great room with new guests, he cranes his neck to see who the new arrivals are. He’s definitely waiting to see you. Who else is he eager to see again? Certainly not any of my other guests whose average age is fifty. That’s why I pulled you in here for this little chat.”

/>   Sage breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. She was not going to let Adam Benson’s presence at this party unnerve her. So what if he’d thrown her over and gone on to become an electronics billionaire who hobnobbed with the likes of the president and Bill Gates?

  She was no loser herself. At twenty-eight, she had the reputation of being one of the best family-law attorneys in the state. She looked her mother in the eyes. “Well, let’s get out there.”

  Patricia let out a relieved sigh and beamed. “That’s my girl!”

  They turned and walked out of the pantry. “And thanks for not letting me eat anything,” Sage told her mom. “I’d hate to meet Adam for the first time in nine years with food in my teeth.”

  * * *

  Adam was surrounded by people vying for his attention. He’d thought that at an intimate party for twelve couples, as his mother, Millicent, had described it to him, he would be left alone. But he had people in his face telling him how proud they were of him, a hometown boy who’d succeeded beyond everyone’s expectations. He smiled and thanked them while surreptitiously keeping an eye on the entrance.

  His patience was finally rewarded when his godmother walked in grasping Sage’s hand. His breath caught and he heard himself sigh softly. At five foot nine, she was a statuesque beauty in a killer emerald-green dress. The same shade of green as his tuxedo vest. He smiled, thinking that he and Sage looked like a couple who’d chosen to dress similarly tonight.

  He was nervous. How would she react to his being here? He didn’t have to worry, though, because as their eyes met across the room, she gave him a welcoming smile that made her warm brown eyes sparkle.

  Then she and his godmother were standing directly in front of him. “Adam,” Patricia Andrews said, “you and Sage are the odd ones out since neither of you arrived with a date. I hope you don’t mind sitting together tonight.”

  Adam grinned. “Are you kidding? It would be my pleasure.”

  Patricia smiled in parting and went to attend to her other guests.