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

by Melinda Curtis

  And what would it take to convince her that he needed her as much as he needed a new address?

  The small glow of light that spilled out over the snow alerted him that Ivy was waiting. Her long hair was loose and the red dress she was wearing was classically festive. Her hands were clenched in a tight knot in front of her.

  “My beautiful Christmas elf,” Josh murmured as he wrapped his arms around Ivy’s waist. She sighed against his lips with a sweet welcome-home kiss and he was reminded that this was worth a lot of sacrifice. “I’m so glad you aren’t working tonight.”

  “Me, too. No more Christmas Eve tours. My dad’s right. Family is too important.” She tangled her fingers with his and towed him into the living room. Dash danced happy circles around them.

  This was why he’d wanted a dog. Every time he walked in, he’d be a returning hero.

  “I’ve decided Dash and I are going to do some obedience classes.” Ivy put a hand on the dog’s head. Dash immediately sat quietly. She might be a dog whisperer in training. “He could be an agility champion.”

  With her in charge of his life, Dash might go in record books. Josh bit his tongue because now was not the time for an argument.

  “Or not. He’s already the world’s greatest dog.” Ivy shrugged a shoulder when he glanced at her. “Sorry. I know, I’m doing it again.”

  “As long as you’re both having fun, I say go for it.” That was going to be his philosophy. He’d always encourage her to go for whatever she wanted. Until it wasn’t fun anymore.

  “Guess I better change. I ran out of time to find you the perfect gift. I’m sorry.” He shrugged out of his vest. He was going to wait until later. She deserved a wonderful holiday as much as his family did.

  “You’re pretty festive, but we have time.” Ivy pointed at a box under the tree. “I found that. It has my name on it. Were you going to get me two gifts?” She clasped her hands under her chin. “It’s because I found you the world’s greatest dog, right?”

  Dash picked up his rawhide candy cane, ran three circles around the room, and settled under the Christmas tree in a picture-perfect pose. If the dog could learn to do that on command, they might make a fortune.

  Uncertain how to address the gift that was no longer a gift, Josh turned slowly to survey all the changes she’d made. “You’ve been working hard.” The boxes from the attic still lined the walls, but she’d put up a tree. Ivy Fisher was a woman who insisted every room needed a tree. Most of them were themed or decorated according to color. Josh had never gotten the concept.

  “Yes, but only the tree with all the family ornaments and the ones we’ve bought together. I know you like it best.” And hate all the other designer trees. She didn’t say it, but he could read it on her face.

  And most of the other fussy pieces she draped the curtain rods and lamps and doorknobs and all flat surfaces were missing. So was the gingerbread house clock.

  He wasn’t going to draw a bit of attention to that.

  “It looks great.” He understood that it was a sign that she was willing to make compromises. That made his decision that much worse. He had to do something. There had to be a way to prove to her that life outside Christmas Town could be wonderful.

  “It’s too bad I don’t have time to open my gift.” Ivy bent closer to bat her eyelashes. “Do I?”

  Josh picked up the box and pulled her over to sit on the sofa. He wanted to tell her everything but couldn’t find the words.

  “You’ve decided to go, haven’t you?” Ivy asked and leaned away from him. “I knew this couldn’t last.” She squeezed her skirt with both hands, her fists so tight her knuckles were white. “But we’re going to pretend.”

  “I never intended to go anywhere when I took that exam. It was just a way to… I don’t know, dream maybe. And then, once I started, I couldn’t stop. I can’t stop. Not now.” Josh untangled her fingers from the fabric and rubbed the back of her hand. “You jumped on that letter and made me so…angry.” He shook his head. “We’ve worked because we follow your plan, but…” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “It’s time for me to make some plans. For us. I don’t want to leave you here. I need you with me, Ivy. There are really only two things I need. Space to figure out who I am. And you. And you’re the most important piece.”

  She didn’t immediately answer. Her eyes were locked on happy Dash who was devouring his gift under the tree.

  “Open the gift. I’ll change. We’ll go.” This weariness and sadness made it nearly impossible to consider pretending his whole world wasn’t falling apart.

  Ivy picked up the box. “Okay.” As always, she studied the wrapping carefully. “You did a good job.”

  He had. He’d been meticulous about the whole doomed project. “No, I didn’t have the wrapping done at Dockery’s if that’s what you were thinking.”

  Ivy shook her head. “Of course not. You’ve always been the guy to keep it personal. That’s why I love shopping and giving gifts with you.” She squeezed his hand. “For you, they mean something.”

  Josh rubbed the spot in his chest were an ache and a warm fuzzy were fighting for dominance.

  Ivy slowly undid each piece of tape and carefully draped the bow and curly ribbon she loved so much on the table. “Hmm, a plain white box. No pictures. No words to give away what’s inside.” Ivy shook it. “Doesn’t feel like any of the dresses I sent you links for.”

  Josh rolled his eyes. She might appreciate his approach to gift giving, but Ivy Fisher left nothing to chance, either.

  “We’re going to be late. You better open it.” Josh ran his hand down her back. She was so beautiful in the light of the Christmas tree.

  Ivy opened the box, dug through the cloud of tissue paper he’d agonized over, and pulled out a book.

  “University of Southern Maine class catalog,” Ivy read with a confused frown. “This is a gift?”

  That reaction he’d expected, so he took it from her and flipped it open. “I underlined all the classes you might like. See?” He flipped through the pages. “Introduction to Marketing. Accounting Principles.”

  Ivy slowly turned through the book. “Archery?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

  “All work and no play makes Ivy bored, bored, bored.” Josh bumped her shoulder with his.

  She didn’t immediately respond but silently read. When she reached the end, Ivy carefully set the catalog down.

  “You have no idea how hard that was to get. Apparently schools don’t do print catalogs anymore. Everything’s done online. I had to make four or five phone calls to find the right place, give them a credit card to cover the shipping. It was a labor of love.” Josh ran a nervous hand through his hair. “But I wish I’d had time to get you something else.”

  She wasn’t moving.

  “It’s not as great a gift as Dash the wonder dog.” Josh blew out the breath he’d been holding. “Say something.”

  Ivy sniffed. “Seriously. I’m going to cry again.” She covered her face with both hands.

  Uncertain whether he could comfort her if he was the reason she was distressed, Josh slowly pulled her closer to rest against his chest. “I’m sorry, Ivy.”

  At first he couldn’t understand her muffled words. Eventually he worked her hands away from her face. “Repeat that. I missed it.”

  “You weren’t planning to leave me. You were planning for both of us.” Her shoulders shook and he was alarmed no sounds accompanied the tears.

  “Of course not. We don’t work apart. You were the one who wanted me to go, and ever since day one, I’ve known I was never what you’d planned for your life.” Josh smoothed her hair over her shoulder. “But I’m not going to give you up without a fight.”

  “How much more fun and joy you could have in your life without me, Josh.” She wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly he grunted. “You think I don’t see that?”

  Josh rolled his eyes and was glad she couldn’t see it. “Come on, Ivy. At some point, you have to sta
rt believing that we’re better together than we ever could be apart.”

  She blinked at him, tears swimming in her eyes. “I know that I’m better with you.” She wiped away the tears. “And…” She shook her head. “I want to see what we can do. I want to go to Portland. And I definitely want to take that archery class.”

  Confused, Josh shook his head. “I don’t follow.”

  She blew out a loud breath and squeezed her eyes shut. “Yeah, it must be confusing to have a say in your own life after years of letting me have my way, but you were right about the dog. And I’m starting to understand that trying to force everyone into line is only making all of us unhappy. My father is dating and he deserves to run the business that he’s loved for decades the way he wants. I have to find my own thing. Besides you. You are my number one, most important thing.”

  Josh pursed his lips. “Sweet, but I’m going to have to decide how I like being your thing.”

  Ivy rested her head on his shoulder. “Whatever you do, no matter how frustrated you get with me, never stop dreaming for both of us. Ivy Fisher. I’m always going to be Ivy Fisher.”

  He thought the glow in his chest was winning. It was definitely spreading. “So, we’re going to Portland. If I get the job. There are still a lot of steps.”

  Ivy waved a hand. “We’re going somewhere. If it’s not Portland, we’ll find a new place.” She pointed at the Christmas tree. Dash, bored with all the conversation and finished with his rawhide, was staring at the lights of the tree. “Dash is coming with us.”

  “Definitely. We’re all in this together, wherever we go.” Josh turned to check the time on the ugly clock and remembered it was gone.

  Ivy waved her phone. “The clock is in a box to be packed away in the attic with all of the other decorations. Another gift from me to you.” She closed her eyes. “And we’re late.”

  Before he could ask her opinion on his clothes, she was grabbing her purse and opening the door. “Dash, you be good.”

  Josh was shaking his head as he trotted after her. Whatever Ivy went through, she didn’t stay long. He admired her. She was buckling her seatbelt when he slid into the driver’s seat. “For lunch tomorrow, I’m going to skip all the fussy table linens and go for comfortable. What do you think?”

  Josh backed out of the driveway and wondered if she thought she had to get his opinion on everything from now on because that could be soul crushing.

  “New people. New traditions. That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?” Ivy asked as she stared hard out the window, her cheerful tone not quite believable.

  Josh drove through the quiet streets of Christmas Town and parked near the green.

  “What are you doing?” Ivy turned to face him. “The whole town’s already at the pageant. Your mother will frown if we’re late.”

  “Here’s what I know.” He took her hands in his. “Your father loves you. He will always love you. He will always love your mother, but he deserves some happiness. If Irene Appleby makes him happy, she will make you happy, too. Your mother’s things will always have a place on our table, in our house, and you don’t have to worry about forgetting her. And you don’t have to fear the rest of us forgetting her. I see her in you.”

  Ivy blinked hard and nodded. “Okay.”

  “And I don’t care how late we are, we’re going to go kiss under that mistletoe. A tour guide once told me that it ensures a year of wedded bliss, so we are always going to kiss under that mistletoe right there every Christmas Eve. Never mind the pageant. This is too important to skip.”

  Ivy nodded and shoved open the door. “What are you waiting for, then?”

  She was giggling as she ran through the snow drifts and trotted up the steps.

  For the first time in so long, Josh was certain whatever came next was going to be the adventure he dreamed of. He caught Ivy under the mistletoe and pressed his lips against hers. All the stress and worry faded. They might as well have been standing on a sandy beach for all the difference the temperature made. Ivy had her arms wrapped around him. Nothing else mattered.

  “You’ll break your neck running through the snow like that, crazy girl.” He kissed her again. “Be careful. Don’t run so fast I can’t catch you.”

  Ivy grasped his arms. “Careful? I’m Ivy Fisher, and I know a little bit of risk makes life worth living.”

  The End

  A Note from the Author

  Thank you for spending a couple of days with me in Christmas Town. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Ivy and Josh. They both deserve to find and keep their happily ever after, so I hope this new adventure only brings them closer together. And Dash is going to be an excellent addition to the family. I believe in the power of a good dog to soothe a whole lot of the world’s troubles. My dog Jack certainly does his best to keep me going.

  If you enjoy sweet romance like these Christmas Town stories, I hope you’ll check out the Harlequin Heartwarming line of books. Every one is packed with emotion and satisfying romance. My latest, Heart’s Refuge, is the story of the town mean girl who falls in love with a dog first and an unlikely hero second. Together they work to save the town’s animal shelter, a cause that’s very close to my heart.

  If you’d like to find out more about my books, please visit http://CherylHarperBooks.com. I write both sweet and sexy romance but always with the aim to leave you with a smile. The latest in my sexy contemporary series is Least Likely to Marry a Millionaire.

  I’d love to chat with you. Reviews are so important to authors and readers, so I hope you’ll a review wherever you picked up A Heartwarming Christmas. You can also find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CherylHarperRomance and Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/CherylHarperBks. We’ve got a fun Pinterest board going of ornaments for the Christmas Town tree. Stop by https://www.pinterest.com/cherylharperbks/ornaments-for-christmas-town-maine/ and leave a photo and story of your own!

  My Christmas Hero

  Amy Vastine

  Copyright © 2015 by:

  Amy Vastine

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  This book was built at IndieWrites.com. Visit us on Facebook.

  150921.175519

  Acknowledgments

  To my parents for teaching me about the importance of family not only at Christmas but everyday!

  Thanks to Cheryl Harper and Carol Ross for being my “pod” buddies. Your feedback and creativity made this story that much better!

  Thanks to Melinda Curtis for her time and assistance. Priceless.

  Praise and Awards

  “Emotional, and will have you planted once you started reading. Well done Amy Vastine!”

  ~ Undercover Book Reviews

  “Amy has done a fantastic job immersing readers into the lives of these characters … If you love soul-stirring romance with a sprinkle of humor and fun- don't miss this one!”

  ~ JoJo’s Corner

  “Chicago Sisters series delivers compassionate, headstrong characters with a storyline that will pull readers in and warm their heart.”

  ~ RT Book Reviews

  Chapter 1

  Walking was usually something Julianna Kramer did without incident. Alone, she was fairly competent at putting one foot in front of the other. Being led along by five leashed mongrels through half a foot of fresh snow was a different story. As she neared her former piano teacher’s house on Sugarplum Way, she prayed she wouldn’t fall flat on her face.

  “Who’s walking who today, Jules?” Mrs. Pennington asked as she shoveled the fluffy snow off her driveway.

  “They’re just making sure we don’t freeze out here!” she replied, doing her best to keep her arm attached to her body.

  Who was she kidding? Not Mrs. Pennington. She gave her the same look she did when Julianna was ten years old and lied about practicing in between her lessons.

&n
bsp; The dogs were absolutely in control of this “stroll” around the neighborhood. It wasn’t clear when this had turned into a chore. Dog walking had been her favorite of the slew of part-time jobs she currently held to make ends meet. That was until she took on Rex the Rambunctious, the high-energy Great Dane who had no doubts he was the alpha of the group. Even Mabel, Julianna’s three-year-old border collie, finally gave in, refusing to heel and following Rex’s lead.

  “I’ll remember this, Mabel. When you come to me with your tug-o-war toy, I’ll be sure to point you in Rex’s direction. Something tells me he won’t let you win like I do.”

  They had nearly made it all the way around the block when Rex came to a dead stop. Julianna was so grateful for the breather, she almost didn’t realize what was happening. When the rest of the group stood rigidly at attention, she followed Rex’s gaze. Like an anchor, her heart sank.

  Dorothy and Harold Lang’s orange tabby cat fancied himself an outdoor enthusiast. He often prowled the neighborhood in search of some prize like a bird or a mouse that he would ceremoniously leave on his owner’s doormat. Today, as he sat on the bottom of the steps that led to the Langs’ festively decorated front porch, he became the hunted instead of the hunter.

  “Let’s talk about this, Rex,” Julianna said as she tightened her hold on the leashes. “Mrs. Lang has always been very nice to the dogs in the neighborhood. I don’t think you want to get on her bad -”

  Rex gave a single bark, signaling the other dogs that this was happening and the cat was his. All five of them took off, taking Julianna with them.