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

by Melinda Curtis

  She stepped closer to view the contents of the box, her brown hair tickling his chin. Her light, cottony fragrance sent his heart rate to the moon. “Thanks for doing this.” He hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so husky.

  She stepped away from him and crossed her arms. “I’m not doing it for you.”

  “I know.” With nothing else to say, he shrugged into his down jacket. “I’ll be back by nine.”

  “We’ll be here. I’m sure Lizzy will want to stay up until you get back—is that okay?”

  He nodded, hoping that was the case. His bass guitar was already in the pickup along with a change for the stage. He found Lizzy in the living room waiting for Amy. “See you later, sweetheart. Be good for Miss Amy.” And please say something to her. Anything, even an angry no was better than this silence.

  ~*~

  Amy buckled Lizzy in the backseat of her Subaru. “Ready for a sandwich at Posey’s before we go to the movie?”

  Lizzy shook her head.

  What was going on? “Then what do you want to do?”

  The girl took out her notepad and drew a fat pony.

  “Oh, you want to see Ginger?” The answering grin didn’t surprise Amy. She should have known Lizzy would want to check on the pony first. There wasn’t enough time to go to the barn and then get a sandwich at Posey’s like she’d planned. “How about a PBandJ?”

  That seemed to suit her and Amy drove to the barn. Lizzy ran ahead of her to Ginger’s stall, then turned and motioned for Amy to hurry. She winced when she found Ginger pacing her stall, stopping only long enough to kick at her stomach.

  Lizzy bit her lip and her huge blue eyes brimmed with tears.

  “Ginger will be okay, honey.” She unlatched the stall door and allowed Lizzy to go in with her.

  “It’s going to be all right,” Amy crooned, smoothing her hand down the pony’s side. It was too early for the foal. Too bad Ginger didn’t know that.

  Lizzy laid her head on Ginger’s neck and softly stroked her nose. Soon the pony relaxed, and Amy released a pent-up breath. Nothing soothed a horse like a child who loved it.

  She took out her cell phone and called the vet. It looked as though they would have a foal in the next twenty-four hours. Then she called Teri and advised her of the situation.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  While they waited inside her office, Amy made sandwiches. The vet confirmed her suspicions and told them to call when foaling time drew nearer. After he left, Teri agreed to stay so Amy and Lizzy could at least go to town for Santa’s three-o’clock arrival at the gazebo.

  After parking downtown, they walked toward the green, dodging people who were putting up booths and lights and garland. It looked as though most of the townspeople were there. She saw her sister Lia with Quinn and Jax and waved.

  For a second, she thought about walking over and letting Lizzy and Jax get to know one another, but she was afraid Lizzy wasn’t ready for that.

  Lizzy tugged on her hand, and she glanced down and laughed at questions on the child’s face. “Are you wondering what this is all about?”

  Lizzy nodded.

  “Well, this is Christmas Town, and we take the name pretty seriously. All these people are trying to get everything ready for Christmas Eve and the annual pageant with the children’s choir.” A choir Amy hoped Lizzy would be in next year.

  Wow. Lizzy mouthed the word. It was the first time she’d done that, then she pointed toward the gazebo, and Amy turned. Her mom and Eli were hanging garland around the sides. Garland with mistletoe woven through it. Amy’s jaw set. She’d forgotten about the mistletoe. She closed her mind to the memory of Mark kissing her beneath the mistletoe on Christmas Eve so long ago. Tradition had it they would be married before the end of the next year. Instead, they’d broken up.

  Suddenly sleigh bells jingled, and Lizzy pulled her toward the sleigh pulled by two massive Clydesdales. “You can go by yourself,” Amy said, releasing her hand as other children swarmed toward Santa to get the candy canes and chocolates he gave out.

  She wished Mark was here to see his daughter vying for Santa’s attention. Then the jolly old elf bent over and presented Lizzy with a candy cane. She grabbed it and came running back to Amy, not giving him a chance to ask what she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas.

  “Was that fun?”

  Lizzy looked up, her blue eyes dancing.

  “I think it was. Would you like to go to Posey’s and find Elmer?”

  After a brief hesitation, Lizzy shook her head.

  “You want to check on Ginger.” The emphatic nod made Amy chuckle. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  ~*~

  Mark never had a case of nerves before playing a set. Never. So what was up with his churning stomach? Practice had gone well, and he’d slipped right back in with the group. He took a deep breath as Colton approached him.

  Dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt, Colton high-fived him. “Sounding good, man. Five minutes and we’re on.”

  Sweat beaded his face. He took a sip of the soda someone had brought him. What if he messed everything up? It was up to the bass guitarist to bring out the sound of the other instruments. That was him. He licked his lips and wondered what Amy and Lizzy were doing as he ran though a few warm ups. Then the curtain went up, and they were on.

  Before the end of the first song, Mark knew the chemistry was there. Between the band members, the music, the crowd. The stage rocked as he locked in with the drummer and lost himself in the music.

  And then it was over and Colton was pounding him on the back. “We did it! We did it! He loved us, and they want us to play another set.”

  “When?” He had to get home. Mark told Amy he’d be there by nine, and he checked his watch. Nine-thirty? How long had they been playing? He hopped off the stage as Colton brought a man toward him.

  “Mr. Gestalt, this is our bass guitarist, Mark Bradford.” Colton punched Mark in the arm. “He wants to record. Right away.”

  Gestalt pumped Mark’s hand. “You guys were really rocking tonight. I loved it when you dropped out for eight bars. Sounded like the whole band stopped playing and then when you came back in with that bass—wow! The intensity blew my mind.”

  Mark shrugged. “Thank you, sir.”

  He hoped Colton had told Gestalt he wasn’t with the band. Before he could say anything, Colton pulled the record producer away to the drummer.

  He wasn’t part of the band…or was he? For a while tonight, he’d been in the zone. Lost in the music, time disappearing.

  The Grahams wanted Lizzy… and he didn’t know that he could raise her by himself. She very obviously didn’t want to be with him or she’d be talking by now. Or saying something other than shouting no at him. And he didn’t have Amy.

  He groaned and sagged against the doorframe. Amy was right. Music was his drug. Emptiness ripped a hole in his heart, and he turned and walked out of the club.

  Music might be his drug, but it didn’t compare to the love he had for Amy. And Lizzy. It made him sick that he’d even considered letting the Grahams have her.

  His house was dark when he turned in the drive, and Amy’s Subaru was nowhere in sight. He’d turned his phone off so Colton couldn’t reach him and he turned it on to call Amy.

  Five messages on his phone. Ignoring the four from Colton, he opened Amy’s.

  At the barn.

  Chapter 9

  Lizzy had fallen asleep on the clean straw in Ginger’s stall and Amy slipped her arms under the sleeping child. “I’ll be right back,” she said to Teri.

  She’d awaken Lizzy when the foal came, but for now her office couch would be a more comfortable place for the child. Dr. Garrett had checked Ginger an hour ago and said it would probably be morning before the foal came. He was a good vet, and she trusted him

  Amy settled Lizzy on the leather couch and tucked a blanket around her. She checked her phone for the hundredth time. Almost eleven and no word from Mark. She swallo
wed the disappointment that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She’d really believed him when he said he’d be home by nine.

  A quick search of the pantry revealed not one bag of coffee. She glanced at Lizzy, deep in sleep. She’d be fine here in the office while Amy ran to the kitchen. She texted Teri keep an eye on Lizzy.

  Halfway to the house, lights swung into the drive. Mark. About time. It was frustrating how her heart kicked into gymnastics mode while she waited for him to park and get out. She took a deep breath, trying to calm it down.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” he said. “Where’s Lizzy and I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “No hurry,” Amy said. “She’s asleep in my office, and I think she’d be one unhappy little girl if you took her away before the foal is born.”

  His eyes widened. “Ginger is foaling? Isn’t it early?”

  “Yep, on both accounts, but it’ll be a couple of hours at least.” She hesitated. There was something different about Mark. “You want to grab a cup of coffee?”

  His eyes seemed to ask are you sure?

  “I’d like to hear how tonight went.” Did those words actually just come out of her mouth? Evidently, when she made peace with herself last night, she’d made peace with his band playing as well. The contract. She’d forgotten to take it out of the outgoing mail. And she hadn’t told Teri yet.

  Before he could answer, Teri yelled at her from the barn. “The foal is coming!”

  “Scratch that two hours.” Amy turned and called Dr. Garrett as she jogged back to the barn. No answer.

  At Ginger’s stall, the foaling process was already taking place. “Looks like it’s just us—Dr. Garrett doesn’t answer.”

  Once the front hooves and head and chest were out, Ginger lay back, resting.

  “Is she okay?” Concern laced Mark’s voice. “Don’t we need to do something?”

  “She’s fine,” Amy said. “Just gathering a little strength for the rest of the birth. And as long as she’s not in trouble, we don’t do anything.”

  Dr. Garrett arrived as Ginger pushed and the back hooves emerged. Foal and mother rested again as joy welled up in Amy’s chest. She glanced at Mark. Wonder radiated in his eyes. “It’s amazing isn’t it,” she said softly. Every time she witnessed a birth with one of her mares, she marveled at the miracle.

  “Everything’s looking good,” Garrett said. “Looks like you have a filly.”

  That’s what Amy was hoping for. A filly just like Ginger. Soon the mare stood, breaking the umbilical cord. They all cheered when the filly stood as well and took a couple of wobbly steps.

  “That was amazing,” Mark said and slipped his arm around Amy’s shoulders.

  She leaned into him, not quite sure why she wasn’t angry with him any longer. Maybe because not only had she accepted who she was, but who Mark was. If playing with the band made him happier than she could, then she could let him go.

  An hour later, Dr. Garrett gathered his instruments. “I think I’m done here. Not that I did much,” he said, patting Ginger’s neck.

  “Got time for a cup of coffee at the house?” Amy asked. She wanted to apologize for trying to hook him up with her sister. Especially since Lia had turned him down for the pageant next week. She’d thought since her sister spent a lot of time with the vet at Holly Haven, Lia’s pet shelter, the two of them were a perfect match.

  “Always time for that.”

  ~*~

  Mark checked on Lizzy before he followed Amy and the doc to the house. She slept soundly, and he readjusted her blanket before walking across the yard to join the others.

  Overhead, the stars seemed close enough to touch. He’d just witnessed a miracle, life coming into this world. He thought of Lizzy and his heart swelled with the responsibility. He couldn’t wait for her to see the foal. Maybe Amy would even let Lizzy name her.

  He stomped the snow off his feet and stepped inside the farmhouse where warmth and hominess wrapped around him. Amy laughed at something the doc said, and her laughter settled in Mark’s heart. If only she’d give him a chance to explain that yes, he loved playing with the band but nothing like he loved her and Lizzy.

  Amy turned to him. “How was Lizzy?”

  “Sleeping soundly. I hate to move her.”

  “Don’t. The other couch makes into a bed—you can sleep there.” She handed him a steaming mug.

  The back door opened and Teri entered. “Is that coffee ready? I need something to perk me up.”

  Amy poured another cup and handed it to her. Teri sipped the coffee, cradling the cup in her hands. “This is so good.”

  “What are you going to name the foal?” Mark asked.

  “I don’t know. Might let the therapy patients do that,” Amy said.

  “Good idea,” Dr. Garrett said and pulled on his stocking hat. “I better go. The Andersons on the next farm have a mare foaling, too.”

  “And I better get back to Ginger,” Amy said.

  “I’ll go check on her,” Teri said. “You stay here and talk to Mark.”

  Mark knew what Amy’s assistant was doing—she figured if Amy and Mark fell in love, Amy wouldn’t go to Texas. He hated to tell her that probably wasn’t happening. “Would you check on Lizzy?”

  “Sure, just let me run to the bathroom and freshen up.”

  Soon the kitchen was empty except for Mark and Amy. She rinsed the cups and placed them in the dishwasher. “How’d it go tonight?”

  “Great. The record producer loved the band. I think Colton signed with him tonight. Next thing will be to record in the studio in California.”

  “Congratulations.” She dunked another cup in the suds. “When will you be leaving?”

  “Leaving?” He stared at her. “Why would I leave?”

  “Because when the band calls, you go.”

  He closed the gap between them in two steps. “Amy, I’m not part of the band. I told you that before. Tonight was a one-time gig. Just to help them out.”

  She stared at him. “I thought once you—”

  “No.” He took her hands. “Don’t get me wrong—I love making music, but there’s all kinds of music. There’s the kind I played tonight with the boys and then there’s the kind we make, me and you and Lizzy. And that’s the only kind I’m interested in.”

  Her green eyes darkened. “I don’t know, Mark. I don’t know if I can trus—”

  The back door opened and a wide-eyed Teri burst in. “Is Lizzy here?”

  Panic crawled up Mark’s throat. “She’s not in the office?

  “No,” Teri wailed.

  He dashed out of the house to the barn with the women following him. The office was empty, the blanket that had covered Lizzy, tossed on the floor.

  “Did you look in Ginger’s stall?” Amy asked.

  “No, I came right back to the house. I thought she might have slipped in and we didn’t notice.”

  Mark fought the panic that gripped his stomach. Maybe she was in the stall. He spun around and Amy grabbed his arm.

  “Slow down. If she’s there, you don’t want to startle Ginger. I don’t think she’d hurt Lizzy, but she just had her first foal.”

  Mark nodded and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, then he walked quietly to Ginger’s stall.

  When the three of them rounded the corner, he heard words coming from the stall. Amy touched his arm, then put her finger to her lips.

  “It’s going to be okay, Gingerbread.” Lizzy’s voice could barely be heard. “Your mama’s not going to leave you, and your daddy loves you, even if he’s not here right now. It’s going to be okay.”

  Mark eased forward. Lizzy had her cheek pressed against the foal’s face. He slipped inside the stall. “That’s right, Gingerbread,” he crooned.

  She looked up at him, then a smile curved her lips upward. “Hi Daddy,” she said softly. “Isn’t Gingerbread pretty?”

  Chapter 10

  After Mark and Lizzy left, Amy collapsed on her sofa in the office and propped
her feet on the ottoman. She’d hoped for a breakthrough, but never dreamed it would come this way.

  Next to her, Teri sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch. “That’s why I love this job.”

  “Me, too.” Amy stared up at the ceiling. “Kids really get things out of whack sometimes.”

  From the words that tumbled from Lizzy’s mouth once she did start talking, she thought her talking was the cause of the accident. Her mom had told her to be quiet twice before she lost control of the car and T-boned a lamp post. Although her grandparents and Mark had told her it wasn’t her fault, she hadn’t believed them.

  Amy’s heart warmed as she thought of how amazing Mark had been with Lizzy as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. He had knelt beside her and knuckled her chin. “Sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault. Your mom hit a patch of ice. I promise, it had nothing to do with you. Do you believe me?”

  Amy had held her breath until Lizzy slowly nodded. The relief on the child’s face had made Amy want to cry. What a burden Lizzy had carried. Then to suddenly have Mark come into her life—it was too much.

  A comfortable silence enveloped Teri and Amy as they rested. Amy closed her eyes. “I decided not to go to Texas.”

  Which reminded her she needed to take the contract out of the out-going mail.

  Teri jerked upright. “What?”

  Amy stood, grinning at her friend and walked to her desk. “I decided it was time to get over myself. And like you said, I can take his workshops a couple of times a year.”

  Doubt showed on Teri's face. "Are you sure? Don't get me wrong--I'm glad, but--"

  "I'm sure. Last night I realized there are kids here who need help...kids I know. This is where I belong."

  Where was the envelope? She turned to Teri, her heart fluttering in her throat. “You didn’t take the mail to the post office already, did you?”

  “Yeah. I forgot it Friday and dropped by there early Saturday morning. Why?”