A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances

by Melinda Curtis

  “Maybe I am,” Ivy muttered as she folded the paper in crisp snaps of movement. “That doesn’t mean it’s a bad system.” She slapped on the tape and slid it to him for the final bow.

  To test her, he picked a red bow. The package was wrapped in green paper. By Ivy’s system, that meant it should have a silver bow. Everything had a rule. Green and red paper for his family, white for her father. Gold bows with red paper, silver with green, and her father could be a total wildcard.

  Except the bag of bows included red and any idiot could understand that her father’s packages should have red bows. For economy. Duh.

  Josh slowly took the paper off the back of the red bow and let it hover over the bright green package. His mother would not be happy if she ever discovered he’d staked a battle over her Christmas gift’s wrapping. “Don’t you want to say something, Ivy?”

  Her lips flattened into a tense line. “No. Go ahead. I know I’m ridiculous.”

  And that took the fun out of tormenting her.

  When Ivy was being unreasonable, he always had to make the decision to tease her or fight. Reasonable Ivy needed a kiss and a chuckle to say “you’re weird, but I love you anyway.”

  If he put this bow on that package, she would stare at it all day long.

  So, he pressed it to Dash’s head with a loud smack of a kiss. “Nah, red is Dash’s color.”

  He ruffled the dog’s fur and Dash immediately hopped up, ready for a game. Josh sent another red bow sailing across the room. Dash retrieved it, his nails skidding across the hardwoods, and bounded to Josh.

  After Josh extracted the bedraggled bow, he handed it to Ivy. She pinched it between two fingers and flung it hard across the room. Delighted with the game, Dash barked loudly and chased after.

  Dash brought it back and it was clear he would play fetch until the next Christmas Eve rolled around. Ivy was giggling and squealing with each slimy pass of the disintegrating bow. Dash was barking. It seemed like there could never be anything wrong in the world.

  Excited by all the noise and the game of keep away Ivy started with Josh, Dash bounded up on the coffee table, knocking the gifts, boxes, rolls of paper, and bows to the ground.

  Instead of getting angry, Ivy wrapped her arms around the dog and said, “Off the table, silly.” Dash squirmed and wriggled in her lap until he could get his tongue on her face.

  Ivy’s breathless giggles filled Josh with bittersweet pleasure. He’d miss this Ivy. So much.

  “We definitely need to get you a tennis ball or twenty, don’t we, Dash?” Josh struggled to stand and opened the door. Dash brushed his leg on the way out. “And a collar. Real bowls for food and water.”

  Josh returned to the small stack of gifts, boxing and cutting paper and wrapping in his own efficient system while Ivy gasped for air in the floor, both hands braced on her stomach.

  Eventually, she wrinkled her nose. “Do I want to know what you used to feed him last night? Or what else he ate?”

  “You do not.” Josh dropped another wrapped box on the stack. She’d done a good job of choosing things his family would love, but he wished they’d spent yesterday in a wild shopping spree. He missed Ivy.

  “Ben’s still hunting for the bell, really running down to the wire.” Josh matched the proper bows with the correct packages and flexed his fingers. Not too bad for a man with a sprained wrist.

  Ivy hadn’t moved since Dash left.

  Not even to supervise him. That was strange.

  “It’s nice that he works so hard at gifts, but he might do better to spend time.” She rolled to prop her head on her hand. “When you go away, remember that. The people who love you will want time, not rare, hard-to-find presents.”

  Was she including herself in that group? If they split, would she avoid him on the street or welcome him home during the holidays? He was afraid of the answer, so he didn’t ask the question.

  “All done except for your gift,” Josh said with a sigh. “I worked hard on it, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to hate it.”

  “I got you a dog for Christmas,” Ivy said as she moved to sit across from him. “I wasn’t going to torment the shops around the green today, but I’ll definitely go get Dash some tennis balls.”

  “You might want to get a new set of glass mixing bowls, too.” Josh ran a hand down his nape. “I’m not sure you’re going to want to use the ones we own anymore.”

  Ivy wrinkled her nose again. “Dog bowls, huh?” She shook her head. “I’d say let him have them, but glass is not the best decision for a dog who cleared the coffee table in one bound.”

  Josh laughed. Some of the tension that had tied his muscles in knots for days eased.

  “You’re taking that well. And losing the bowls.” Josh tapped the small tower of gifts for his parents and his brothers. “And you haven’t even criticized my work yet.”

  “Your wife is a real drag. How happy you’ll be when you’re on your own.” Ivy thumped her head on her folded arms. Her long ponytail slid across a gold bow.

  “Let me tell you about my wife.” Josh brushed a hand from her shoulder to wrist. “She jumped off a cliff in Hawaii. On our honeymoon, no less. I was pretty sure her father was going to kill me because I was going to have to come home and explain what happened.”

  “You did it first,” Ivy mumbled.

  “I know. I’m always getting you into trouble.” Josh ran his finger across hers. “And you were the only woman in our group to do it.” He untangled the bow from her hair. “When we went zip-lining in Costa Rica, you elbowed me out of the way to take the first trip.”

  “There were monkeys. I wanted to see the monkeys.” Her muffled words were easy to make out. They’d had this conversation before.

  “Mountain climbing in Acadia National Park. That haunted house tour where I nearly fell through the rotted floor. Parasailing in Cozumel. Picking up stray dogs for surprise Christmas gifts.” Josh wrapped his hands around her forearms, desperate for their connection. “Some would say I’m a bad influence on a perfectly rational woman. But get it straight. You are no drag.”

  Ivy straightened. “Got it. Must be nag. That’s the better word choice anyway.” She pointed at the stack of gifts. They were in no way as perfectly crisp as Ivy would have managed. But they were wrapped. And the paper would be wadded in the floor about half a second after his brothers got their gifts anyway.

  They might be older, but they still acted like kids when it came time to unwrap gifts.

  “You have no sweetly encouraging argument to talk me out of nag.” Ivy nodded. “Good. We’re still being honest with each other.”

  “Always. Here’s some more. I love you. Drag or nag or whatever word you pick, I love you.” Josh tangled his fingers with hers. “But I don’t love this town. I need space. From this town. From Crash.”

  Tears welled in her eyes in an instant, shocking them both, but Ivy nodded. “I get that. We’re making each other unhappy. Something has to change.”

  “It’s this place, Ivy. We need to stretch.” He waited for her to face him. “I was right about the dog. What if I’m right about this, too?”

  “Leave my father here. All by himself? To work until he falls over.” Ivy had to clear her throat. “How can that be right?”

  She had a way of cutting right to the bone with arguments that had no decent response. No matter what he said, he had no way to win.

  He picked up the bandage he’d rolled carefully and set on the end table after he’d removed it. If Ivy had been there, she’d have reminded him the proper place for it, but now it was convenient. “Help me?”

  She closed her eyes for a brief second and then held out her hand. “I should have become a nurse. That would have come in handy.”

  “Handy. I see what you did there,” Josh said and waited for her to acknowledge his lame joke. Her lips were twitching as she wrapped the bandage around his wrist and thumb, carefully and confidently, because she’d done similar things for all his aches and i
njuries through the years. “Remember that time I sprained my ankle? What was I doing? Oh, yeah, climbing the tree outside your window.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “No, it was when you jumped from the limb, Josh.” Ivy shook her head. “Because my father was yelling at you.”

  She was right. “I’d do it all again. For you.”

  Her smile slipped. “As long as I’ll pack and leave everything I love.”

  Josh bent to kiss Ivy’s forehead. “Just think about it. Don’t forget to let Dash in. Meet here to head to my parents’ house?” He wanted to ask her to come with him. Spending the day together might not patch all the cracks, but it wouldn’t hurt. And he wanted her company.

  “You bet.” She brushed off both cheeks. “And I will think about nothing else. Count on it.”

  Chapter 5

  Watching Josh twirl his keys around one finger as he left was such a normal, happy thing to do.

  Was he leaving a huge mess behind? Yes. Was that normal? Pretty much. And she desperately wanted some normal.

  Ivy tapped the small pile of gifts he’d wrapped on her way to the door. The man would never make it behind the gift-wrap counter of Dockery’s, but he’d done fine without her.

  Trying to convince herself he’d be miserable when he left her behind was a waste of time. He might not stick to her tried-and-true systems, but he’d find a way to make things work.

  And he’d be happier doing things his own way.

  She opened the door and laughed as Dash hit the small deck with a joyous woof before he sprang through the doorway. “Come here, you crazy dog.” She snatched the towel Josh had left crumpled next to the door and dried off the squirming dog. “You’re going to ruin the floors.” She dodged sloppy, happy kisses and decided she didn’t even care. The floors could be refinished. She needed this dog right now.

  Ivy wrapped her arms around Dash’s neck and pressed her face against his. “Monday, I’ll call the vet and the shelter. You are too sweet not to belong to someone.” And if she managed to find them, the crack in her heart would explode and she’d be forced to acknowledge that her emotions were wild horses escaping their fences. “No tags. Too skinny. I don’t know whether to hope you’re lost or abandoned, baby.”

  Dash swiped a tongue across her cheek.

  “Do you believe in Christmas luck? Maybe you’re mine.” Ivy studied the wreck of the living room. Josh had abandoned his plan to decorate, but the boxes still lined the walls. Wrapping paper was spread all over the floor. She could already see dog hair gathering in a clump next to the baseboard.

  There was only one solution.

  “Dash, we’re going shopping.”

  Ivy checked her pocket for her keys and then picked up Dash with a grunt. “Good thing you’re skinny.”

  Through some careful maneuvering, she got her car door open and deposited him in the backseat. “I’ll be back in one minute,” Ivy said as she held up a finger. Dash tilted his head anxiously and Ivy took off running for the door.

  If she imagined what the neighbors might think of her talking to the dog and holding up a finger as if he might understand what she was saying better with a hand motion, Ivy was pretty sure she’d realize the holiday season had warped her brain.

  She locked the door and raced to the car. As she slid in the driver’s seat, she did a quick scan. “No one’s watching, Dash. That’s a good thing.” He pressed his chin on her seat and sighed. “You do understand me, don’t you?”

  Ivy rubbed her forehead. “Apparently, it doesn’t take long at all for a person to accept that talking to a dog is completely natural, Dash. You’re a good listener.” Ivy backed out of her driveway and headed for the town’s pet supply store. If it was already closed for the holiday, she’d head for a bigger city. Her closest companion needed a collar. He was going for a walk but didn’t know it yet.

  Driving through Christmas Town on Christmas Eve was an adventure. Lots of last minute shoppers crammed the streets, so finding a parking spot close to Pawsitively Merry took some persistence and careful maneuvering. “What do you think, Dash? That’s not too close to the hydrant, is it?” Ivy stretched to stare out the window at the bright red hydrant then craned her neck to search for any other open spot on the street.

  She’d gotten a ticket for parking too close to a hydrant when she and Josh were first married. The whole firehouse had given him a hard time about it. Firemen took hydrants seriously. He’d swallowed all the grief and irritation without once losing his cool with her.

  Somehow, her wild boy had turned into a man with a patient streak a mile wide. If only for her.

  “Now, how do I get you inside the pet store without a leash?” Ivy asked as she stared into Dash’s excited eyes. The quiet tapping on the window sent them both into a panic. Dash wanted to say hello. Ivy was pretty sure she was going to be robbed in the middle of Christmas Town.

  Then she saw Jules Kramer waving a thin leash. “Need this?”

  Ivy pressed a hand to her heart and rolled down the window. Dash immediately lunged across, landed on the horn, and had his nose out the window crack before she could tell him “No” or “Sit” or “Stay.”

  Jules laughed. As the busiest dog walker in town, she’d no doubt met other dogs with exuberant personalities. “Better let him out before he honks again. You wouldn’t want the police investigating the source of all the noise. I’m not sure you’re in that parking spot well enough.”

  Ivy slipped the leash around Dash’s head and cinched it. “Are you sure this will work?” His head could slip out at the first wild buck.

  “To get him inside? Sure. I wouldn’t trust it beyond that. Good harness, that’s what you need with an active guy like this one.” Jules took the leash so that Ivy could slide out of the car. After a whirl of greeting with Jules’ border collie, Mabel, Dash raced to claim the hydrant as his own.

  “I should make this a quick stop.” Ivy motioned at the hydrant with her head. “Josh was okay with the first ticket, but I can’t press my luck right now.”

  “Yeah. I heard about his accident. Flying toddlers are a menace.” Jules pointed at Ivy. “Ask me how I know. They don’t have leashes, but I promise they’re more dangerous and twice as prone to scatter as dogs.” Jules bent to talk to Dash. “Aren’t you a pretty boy? Did you enjoy your rawhide?”

  Jules was talking to Dash like he would answer her. And she was completely normal. Talking to dogs must be natural, inevitable. All this time Ivy had spent talking to herself, she could have been confiding in a dog.

  Josh had been right.

  “I’m afraid he’s lost and I’m already so attached I’ll have a hard time giving him up.” Ivy shook her head. “Who knew that was possible?”

  “They have a way of changing your mind.” Jules studied Dash closely. “He’s been lost for a while. Or worse.” Her lips were a tight line. “You would not believe some of the stories I’ve heard.”

  Ivy didn’t want to think about that. Anyone who’d hurt an animal deserved stiff punishment. “Dash won’t be hungry as long as I have him, that’s for sure. Josh already gave him our best mixing bowls and a fine steak dinner.” Dash settled against her with a sigh.

  “Are you and Josh about to tear through town to finish shopping?” Jules asked and offered her the leash.

  “No, he’s volunteering out at the pond again. We’re meeting to go to his parents’ for dinner.” She pressed a hand against Dash’s head, grateful for his weight against her leg.

  “Do you miss him every minute you guys are apart?” Jules shook her head. “I’ve always thought you two must be nuts to get married right out of high school. And Josh? He was…full of energy.” The twist of her lips indicated Jules didn’t see that as a positive thing.

  Ivy wasn’t sure what to say to that. They were still young, but in married years they were old timers. She did miss him. All the time. “Josh is my best friend, although Dash is closing in. I’ll take Dash out to see the skaters. I’d like to meet the girl
who took Josh down, too, if she’s skating today.”

  “Sure. Get her autograph. She’s headed for great things.” Jules waved and started to walk away. “Oh, hey, I was wondering, how are you with building websites?”

  “Honestly, I built the one for Coming to Town, but I don’t have any training,” Ivy said and pulled the zipper of her coat up and down in a nervous habit. “I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at another, though. Now that Christmas is here, I should have plenty of time…” If her husband left, a new hobby would be necessary. It might as well be one that made money, too.

  “Aunt Lynn’s pie shop could use a site, even if it only lists hours and the days we’re open. How about we talk next week? Things are so busy now, and this day has already been wild.” Jules ran a hand down the arm of her jacket where ripped fabric blew in the breeze. Her snagged mittens were more proof the day had gotten off to a rough start. “I’d love to have your advice.”

  “I’d be happy to give it. I don’t know what it’s worth, but I’ve always been pretty good at the big picture.” Ivy shrugged. “Not that you’d see that at Coming to Town.”

  Jules nodded, the sympathy on her face impossible to miss. “Yeah, I get that.” Then she leaned closer. “But, if things keep moving along between your father and Ms. Appleby, he might be ready to step back sooner rather than later. You should encourage them to take a romantic trip or something.”

  Ivy tilted her head to the side. “Ms. Appleby? The English teacher? What do you mean?”

  Jules stepped back. “Uh oh, have I said something I shouldn’t?” She grimaced. “I saw them in line for hot chocolate earlier. I thought they were holding hands, but I could be wrong.” She took another two steps back. “That’s what I get for listening to gossip. Barty said he’d seen them walking the street together, but that doesn’t mean they’re on a romantic meetup in the green, you know? Gotta go.” Before Ivy could demand details, Jules was gone.

  “We should name her Dash. She runs faster than you do,” Ivy muttered as she pushed open the door to the cluttered pet store.