Today was not the day to have all of her plans exploded in a thousand tiny pieces over the breakfast table. Thanks to her husband, she’d been off her game and mean as a bear awakened from his winter nap all day long.
Divorce. Neither of them had said it but the ghostly sensation of inevitability had sent a shiver down Ivy’s spine as she’d slammed the door shut behind her that morning.
Josh waving the results of the written exam he’d taken to be eligible to join the Portland, Maine, fire department had been the equivalent of the matador’s red cape.
Even now, her face matched that cape. Anger made her fingers shake. He’d taken the test without telling her.
Ivy stumbled to a stop and stared at the cloudy sky to clear her mind. She had a job to do.
The other two Coming to Town tour buses had already pulled out of the lot behind the small storefront her father had leased for as long as Ivy could remember. Jim and Antonio had left early out of self-defense. Even though she knew her sharp answers and short temper had zero to do with the tour company’s employees, it had been impossible to snap out of her mood.
She absentmindedly brushed away the trickle of snowflakes falling. Snow like this was perfect for business, a picturesque backdrop for family photos that didn’t interfere with travel or all the work of the holidays.
“And we’re going to miss out on cashing in,” Ivy muttered as she dug in her coat pocket for her phone. This year, her father insisted the business close on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the biggest days the tour company would have the whole season.
His heart attack had changed his attitude on cashing in. It made Ivy twice as determined to take the family business and build it. If Josh was leaving, the business and her father were all she had.
The jingle bells that alerted her of an incoming text set her teeth on edge. It had to be Josh again. She still couldn't find the right words.
I made dinner. We should talk. Are you coming home?
When she’d left that morning, she’d had no plan. She still didn’t. That was the most frightening development of all. She always had a plan, but every dream she’d had since she was seventeen featured Josh Fisher at her side.
Ivy scrolled through the other messages she’d been ignoring all day long. All from Josh. All worried. Updating the website to reflect the next year’s season and tour dates had taken three times longer than it should have because she kept picking up her phone.
If she had an answer, she’d give it, but she’d have to spend time grieving first and she had no time for that. Not until Christmas was over.
Then her father would know they were splitting.
Josh’s parents, who’d taken her in and loved her like a daughter, would treat her like an acquaintance.
And she would be. The Ivy she’d been in the eight years she and Josh had been together would be shattered. Whatever she built out of that mess would be new.
I’m fine, but I’m driving tonight. Headed out on my first tour. I’ll call you later.
He didn’t deserve to worry, even if his stubborn insistence that he had to leave Christmas Town was tearing them apart. That morning, after she’d demanded to know what was in the PFD envelope she’d found while cleaning up their desk, he’d informed her he’d taken the entrance exam. Without telling her.
Outlining calmly all the reasons it was a bad idea to leave Christmas Town hadn’t worked. Instead of agreeing, he’d snapped, “For once in our lives, do what I want, Ivy. Come with me or…” She’d waited for him to fill in the blank on that ultimatum for half a second before running away.
Ivy stared hard at her phone for half a second, willing him to apologize, tell her she was right, beg her to come back.
Instead, all she saw was that she was two minutes later than she’d started.
“Work. Do the work. Then you have two days to convince Josh to change his mind.” She’d always been able to before. The anxious twist of her stomach made her wonder if this was the time she’d fail.
Standard operating procedure was to walk around the bus to check the tires and make sure it was road ready. She’d done all the research and built the safety checklist herself. She couldn’t skip it, not even to make up time.
As Ivy was trotting around the end of the bus, she noticed a long, skinny black nose poking out from behind the left rear tire.
Ivy squatted to peer under the bus.
A shivering black dog of indeterminate heritage stared at her, his or her ears quivering along with the tremors that shook a long body.
“Perfect.” Ivy held her hand out and wiggled her fingers. She wasn’t a dog person. Or a cat person. Or the kind of person that wanted to clean after any animal, two-legged or four-legged.
But she also wasn’t a monster.
“It’s too cold out here for you, baby,” Ivy said softly and made kissing sounds. Josh did that with every dog they ever met on the sidewalk. It must be the universal sound of “I’m an okay person” to dogs because this stray inched forward on his belly, shaking, while his tail pounded in hard thumps on the asphalt.
“Come on. We don’t have time for a lot of conversation, mister.” She wasn’t sure why she thought this dog was a boy.
Probably because he was disrupting her plans. She should name him Josh Junior.
As soon as she could get her hands under the dog, Ivy pulled him out from under the bus. Instead of crying in fear or fighting her, the dog curled in her lap and pressed his nose against the curve of her shoulder.
Inside her coat.
The icy nose sent a shudder through Ivy. “All right. So…”
What was she going to do with a dog? The shelter was closed until after the holiday. And the tiny office of Coming to Town was barely large enough for the couch and desk her father insisted on keeping.
Her house? Yeah, Josh was there.
Josh, who was hunting for jobs in other towns without telling her.
“Can you believe that?” The dog, currently burrowing his head under her scarf, had no opinion. Ivy couldn’t decide if she was angry or hurt that Josh had ignored her wishes. They should be thinking about kids, not leaving their hometown and the life she’d mapped out so carefully for them.
Josh would celebrate if she brought this dog home. He’d brought up the subject of adopting a dog now and then almost since they’d ignored their parents’ wishes and married right after high school.
And every time, he’d backed down when she said it wasn’t the right time.
Short of driving all night with a dog inside her coat, Josh was her only option.
“All right, baby, we’re going to get you warm.” She stared hard into the two brown eyes peering at her anxiously. Getting up would disturb the dog, something she was reluctant to do. He needed her.
But the bus must go on. “I have heat inside. You’ll like it.” Ivy carefully disengaged the dog, laughing at his attempts to crawl back into her lap. “Come with me. We’re going for a ride.”
If her father found out she was giving strays rides on the Rudolph bus, he’d revoke her driving privileges altogether. Rudolph, with its bright flashing red light on the front and large brown antlers waving on the top, was the tour company’s best and brightest bus. Literally.
He’d never been a big fan of Ivy leading tours, but she’d finally worn him down. Getting this shot because her father was still recovering from heart surgery made it a hollow victory.
“I’ll drop you off and then add you to the list of things I’ll figure out.” Ivy struggled to stand with her arms full of dog and dodged licks from a long pink tongue as she slid into the driver’s seat. “You have a seat, then.” The dog melted slowly down as if his heart was breaking at the time and distance between them. Liquid brown eyes were locked on her face as he laid his head on his feet with a mournful sigh.
“Great. Someone else who doesn’t approve of my decisions.” Ivy ran a hand over the dog’s back, distressed at the way his spine and ribs bumped under her hand.
Kids loved the Rudolph bus. That crowd would be joined by more, so she had to hurry.
“Please don’t leave. I will be back,” Ivy said through a bright smile. Maybe the genuine emotion would make it through the fake grin. “Do not take your money anywhere else, people.”
When the dog popped into the front seat, his nose immediately making a cloud on the side window, everyone at the usual pickup waved delightedly.
“Dogs on the buses. Have we been missing out on a tourist draw all along?” Didn’t matter. Unless it was her father’s idea, it would be a waste of time to propose it.
When she rolled to a stop in her own driveway, she was amazed by the brightly colored lights outlining the roof and the door. When she’d left that morning, the Fisher house had been frightfully bare of any Christmas spirit. Josh usually had none.
And hers? This year, it never stood a chance.
Chapter 2
Untangling strands of Christmas lights was a task suited to a patient man.
Josh Fisher had exhausted whatever small portion of patience he’d been born with dragging everything out of their attic one-handed. Ivy’s mother’s collection of vintage Christmas décor filled the boxes lining the walls. Every year, Ivy carefully unwrapped the items in the meticulously labeled boxes and set every piece out in the place she’d determined to be the “right” spot. She had the Christmas spirit in this marriage and usually had to force him to enjoy the season. This year, she’d left the decorations in the attic. She said it was because she was so busy. Running the tours while her father recovered and helping him with day-to-day life had crowded out some of their normal traditions. The distance between them was growing. This lack of holiday spirit seemed a scary sign of the tension and trouble in their marriage.
Setting up the tree, hanging lights, those jobs were easy enough, but these white twinkle lights that Ivy insisted made their tree sparkle like something from an enchanted wonderland were living on borrowed time.
The trashcan was tempting and close at hand.
If Ivy didn’t come home and immediately apologize for storming out when she saw all his hard work, he was done with all of it. Done with these decorations, old and new. Done with Christmas Town and the never-ending holiday. Done with her rules and plans.
Unfortunately, righteous anger was only going to get him so far. The longer she was gone, the more desperate he was to change her mind.
He’d never intended to do anything with the entrance exam results except show his father he had options. Ivy’s insistence on her own way and refusal to listen had made it so easy to say things he didn’t mean. Except, the more he thought about actually leaving Christmas Town, the easier it got to breathe.
A loud banging on the front door distracted him from calculating how much it would cost to buy all new lights. With a grunt, he stood. “Coming. I’m coming.”
Had to be his brother Rick. No one else he knew would knock that obnoxiously. He was probably still annoyed at having to take Josh’s shift. Not that kind, steady Rick would let anyone else know that.
Josh flexed his fingers. The bandage wrapped around his wrist was tight. Either the pain was easing or he’d lost all feeling in his hand. Rick had tapped it hard when he’d complained of the tingles. Apparently, Rick’s sympathy was running on empty. Having to take an extra shift would do that to anyone, even his brother.
Josh reached for the door as Ivy said, “Josh, open the door.” Her breathless voice instantly sent a shot of panic through him.
“You can still use your key,” he snapped as he yanked the door open.
To see her buried under a large black dog, both red-gloved hands juggling long legs while the dog burrowed closer.
“He wouldn’t walk.” Ivy brushed past him to come to a stop in the middle of their small, cluttered living room. After a slow circle, she said, “Is putting up the decorations your attempt at an apology?”
Just like that, the righteous anger was back and it was strong. He bit his tongue as she sat down, one jerky movement that didn’t disturb the dog in the least.
So much for a little cooling-down time easing her demands.
For the hundredth time in three months, he reminded himself that this was who she was. Bossy. Determined. And with her pink cheeks, long blond ponytail, and goofy grin as she dodged the dog’s tongue, so beautiful.
She’d hadn’t changed since he’d asked her to the homecoming dance when they were seventeen.
Why was it impossible to live one more day with her?
“Actually, I thought all this might help you back down.” Josh crossed his arms as he watched her with the dog.
All the joy on her face evaporated. “Back down? I have no reason to change my mind. This is our hometown. You applied, took the test without asking me. What should I think? You want to leave and you don’t care whether I’m coming along.” She shook her head. “How is that supposed to make me feel, Josh?”
“Without asking you? You aren’t my mother, Ivy, no matter how much you like to pretend you are. And taking the test is not the same thing as taking the job. Get real.”
Josh stalked into the kitchen and snatched up his other peace offering. At this point, he wanted to toss it in the trash, but he’d worked hard on a good meal. Food could make everything better. “I know you have to work. If you’d been here earlier, you could have enjoyed this warm.” His own passive-aggressive nagging was embarrassing. He straightened his shoulders. “But I packed it up for you. Steak.” He wagged the container and watched the dog’s nose point his way like a steak-seeking arrow.
“I don’t have any appetite.” Ivy rubbed her hands over both eyes. “I’ve got to get through tonight, Josh.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t come home for dinner. That was unfair.”
He shook his head. “Yeah.” He straightened his shoulders. “On the bright side, your new friend has plenty of appetite.” He grabbed a paper plate, dumped out the meat and vegetables, and set it in the floor.
“Go on, boy.” Ivy urged the dog over to the plate and they were both silent as the dog devoured each bite and then pushed the paper plate around on the kitchen floor.
Ivy shook her head. “He gives this restaurant all the stars.” She glanced up at him, her lips twitching, and they were partners in crime again instead of adversaries.
“Dog’s got good taste. I better see what else I can serve. Where did you find him?” He leaned back against the counter and tried to come up with something else to keep the conversation going. They both watched the dog investigate the boxes.
“He was shivering under the bus when I walked out tonight.” Ivy pulled the dog away from a box he seemed too interested in and held him close.
“Guess he’s lucky you’ve had a change of heart,” Josh said. “About dogs.”
Ivy’s eyes met his. “I know you want to do more. Your dad doesn’t see you like I do and I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
At least she believed in him. Rick would be the next chief, but Josh wanted the chance to prove himself and his skills. After some awkward mumbling about budgets and scheduling conflicts with the hazardous materials training a couple of the other guys were taking, his father had denied his request to enroll in advanced EMT courses. Josh could see that his choices here were limited, but he loved being a fireman. He loved helping people. He’d thought taking the test for Portland might open his father’s eyes, not send his wife out the door.
“If you’ll be patient, another opportunity will come up. I know it.”
“Come on, Ivy. I have been patient. If you don’t see that…” Frustrated with her refusal to understand anything he’d said in the past three months, Josh walke
d to open the door. The dog, previously content with his spot in Ivy’s lap, raised his head in interest. Josh pointed. “Go on, boy. Check it out. Lots of fresh snow to sniff.”
The dog eased slowly out of Ivy’s lap with a longing glance at her. She said, “Go on.”
He studied the open door. As soon as he made his decision, something that was easy to see on his face, the dog was gone in a flash.
His happy bark as he bounced after a surprised rabbit would have been perfect if Josh wasn’t so angry.
“I’m so late. I was behind schedule when I found him under the bus. My whole day has been…off. We aren’t going to iron this out right now.” Ivy held her hands so he could pull her up.
Josh offered her his good hand and raised his right one, the bandage easy to see.
Ivy hesitated. “What happened?” Before Josh answered, he took her hand and lifted her as easily as he had little Marly Hampton out at the frozen pond in Reindeer Meadow.
After she’d plowed into him like an out-of-control Zamboni driver.
Ivy lightly traced her fingers over the edge of the bandage.
“It’s a sprain, but I’m off duty for a day or two.” The local police and fire departments manned the skating rink for the week before Christmas to raise money for the hospital’s Christmas party for kids. Slipping off a roof into a snowdrift had hurt less than this sprain. He’d had some impressive injuries, but this annoying sprain that made it hard to write or type or help his wife stand was irritating.
“How many times did they call you Crash?” Ivy asked with a sympathetic grimace.
“A few.” No matter how hard he worked, he’d always be Crash Fisher to the men who worked under his father.
Everyone in Christmas Town would remember him as a wild kid and give him the same pitying pat on the shoulder Ivy did.
Until he and Ivy divorced, anyway.
Then the neighbors who’d counseled them against taking such a risk right out of high school would nod consolingly while patting themselves on the back for being right.
She’d been the smartest girl in school. Even as a cocky kid, he’d understood why their relationship had confused the town.
A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances Page 30
