Jingle Bell Magic: A Colorado Billionaires Christmas Story

by Regina Duke

  “Snowed over,” panted Cowboy Elf. “The wranglers took a cookie break, and when we—I mean, when they got back, all the reindeer were gone.”

  Mina asked, “Did they leave the gate open?”

  Brewster murmured to her, “More likely the reindeer were transformed by the magic of the season and realized they could fly over the fence.” He cleared his throat. “Who was in charge of deploying the anti-flight net?”

  Cowboy Elf’s face grew beet red.

  Before he could defend himself, a tall blond woman stepped forward. She was dressed like the elves, but she carried a black and white papillon in a pet carrier on her chest. “What’s their favorite food?”

  Mina said to Brewster, “That’s Sunny Finch. She knows a lot about animals.”

  Cowboy Elf responded, “Alfalfa and carrots.”

  “Too common. If you want to treat a reindeer, what do you give him?” Sunny asked.

  Brewster guessed, “Apples?”

  Cowboy Elf nodded, then added, “Except this is Christmas Eve. They’re in the magic place now. You’d better make that caramel apples.”

  Sunny began giving orders. “Gear up! Form search parties. Make sure everyone has plenty of caramel apples for luring reindeer and regular apples for the horses.”

  Mina raised a tentative question. “Horses?”

  “Of course,” Sunny said. “What else would you use for rounding up reindeer in the snow?”

  Brewster shrugged. “She’s got a point.” Then he added, “Remember, my dear, for the rest of the year, this is Eagle’s Toe, Colorado. And there are lots of horses about.”

  Mina couldn’t argue with that. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not capable of riding a horse through the snow to look for flying reindeer.” She caught Sunny’s attention. “What can we do to help?”

  Sunny turned toward her, and Peanut, the papillon, wiggled a greeting, his large ears framing a tiny face.

  Mina couldn’t resist petting him. “I need a carrier like this for my cats. Maybe they’d feel better about going to the vet.”

  Sunny was pleased. “I’ll be sure you get one. As for the reindeer search, could you stay here and wait for reports from the search parties? When we find the reindeer, you can ring the Bell so everyone will know the situation has been resolved.”

  “The Bell?”

  Sunny led the way to the hotel registration desk and waved her hand at a large gold bell ensconced beneath a crystal dome. “You lift the dome by this handle and ring the Bell.”

  “Once? Twice?”

  Sunny’s brow creased in puzzlement. “Are you messing with me?”

  Brewster interceded. “Not at all. Miss Mina suffered a blow to the head yesterday. I’ll help her ring the Bell.” He paused and added, for Mina’s benefit, ”Eight times.”

  Mina slapped her forehead and played along. “Of course. Eight times for eight reindeer.”

  Sunny looked satisfied. “Excellent. That will free me up to go help in the search.”

  “Won’t Peanut get too cold?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll put his snowsuit on and use the all-weather carrier lid. Come on, Peanut. Let’s get your snowsuit on.” She pulled a tiny, red, one-piece snowsuit out of her elf vest and headed for the front doors.

  Mina spread her hands. “I guess we wait here.”

  “Not too terrible a fate,” said Brewster. “Let’s get some cookies and cocoa and make ourselves comfortable.” He caught the eye of a young server from the restaurant and placed an order.

  Mina claimed a Victorian sofa by the wall, mainly for the handy coffee table that stood before it, and Brewster settled next to her. A couple of moments later, their server reappeared with a tray of hot cocoa and cookies.

  “This is much nicer than trying to stay in the saddle out in the snow,” said Mina. She picked up an extravagantly decorated cookie. “These remind me of Christmases at the Darby mansion before Jason’s parents were killed in that boating accident. I was employed there as his mother’s personal maid. I used to do her hair, take care of her wardrobe, and help her pack for trips. All kinds of things. She left me money in her will. That’s how I was able to open my own boutique.”

  Brewster seemed touched. “What a thoughtful bequest. I had no idea there’d been such tragedy in the Darby family. No wonder they were so eager to share in their cousin’s happiness when she married.”

  “The Darbys throw a big Christmas party every year, and back then everyone would pitch in to help decorate the house and set out the goodies. They had a chef who would create the most magnificent delicacies, and at Christmas he made cookies like these, thick with icing. He told me they had no calories at Christmas.”

  “He sounds like a very intelligent man.” Brewster brushed cookie crumbs off his topcoat.

  Mina tilted her head at him. “What’s your favorite Christmas memory?”

  Brewster gave the question serious thought. “I would have to say the one that comes to mind above all others was Kirby’s sophomore year in high school. He and his mother always came to visit her uncle around Christmas, but that year, his stepfather was taking the family to Europe on a ski vacation in the Alps. Kirby seldom enjoyed those trips because his stepbrother treated him like an errand boy, and he asked if he might spend his Christmas vacation with his great-uncle in New York City.” Brewster smiled warmly at the memory. “Kirby the Elder had given the staff a week off, so there we were, the two Kirbys and myself, bachelors, making our own Christmas fun. That was before Kirby’s great-uncle fell ill. It was lovely, getting to know the young man like that. It made it so easy to accept my employers’ request to look after his namesake as his valet and tutor while he was in college. And the rest, as they say, is history.

  “Kirby and I became friends over that Christmas holiday. The difference in our ages never seemed to be a problem. We all three rode horse-drawn sleighs through Central Park. We went to Broadway musicals. We explored every aisle of F.A.O. Shwarz on Fifth Avenue, played duets on the famous keyboard on the floor, and bought so many plush animals, the childrens’ charities had to add another barrel for the overflow. And every night, we would retreat to the penthouse, order in our dinner, and end up in the theater room watching It’s a Wonderful Life. Both Kirbys loved that movie. And at the end, we would all shout together, ‘Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls’!” His eyes shone with feeling. “Absolutely perfect. Best Christmas ever.”

  Mina sighed softly. “I wish I’d had a chance to meet Kirby the Elder. He sounds like a wonderful man.”

  “He was. And no way would I let you anywhere near him. He would steal your heart with his goodness, and I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  Mina drew back in surprise. “Why, Brewster Denton, I didn’t know you wanted a chance.”

  Brewster chuckled. He started to speak, but was cut off by the reappearance of Cowboy Elf.

  “We found them! We found them! Caramel apples did the trick. We can ring the Bell!” He ran for the crystal dome at registration.

  Brewster tried to stop him. “No, no! Miss Mina must ring the Bell! Not you!”

  But the little elf had momentum and wasn’t about to miss out on his chance to ring the famous Bell. He lifted the dome and hefted the gold instrument. It rang once, twice, three times.

  Mina suddenly felt dizzy. “Did someone spike the cocoa?”

  The Bell rang four, five, six times.

  Brewster had started after the elf, but when Mina moaned, he rushed to her side. “Don’t try to stand up.”

  “The room is spinning. Oh my! I have to close my eyes. No, that’s worse. What’s happening?”

  “That stupid elf!”

  The Bell rang for the seventh time. Mina’s forehead furrowed in confusion as Brewster’s topcoat and scarf began to twinkle, then fade in and out.

  The Bell rang for the eighth time. Mina swooned, sinking into Brewster’s arms.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The bell rang again, and Mina jerked awake. Her Siames
e had been sleeping, too, and looked quite annoyed by the tinkling of the bell. But wasn’t that nine times? Had they added one for Rudolph?

  A familiar voice called out, “Hello? Anyone home?”

  “Brewster?” Mina rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the cobwebs of her amazing dream. “What time is it?”

  “Nine o’clock. The girls are closing the shop, and we were going to take a sleigh ride, remember?”

  Mina was taken aback. “That was all a dream.” She slumped back in her chair and stared. Brewster was still wearing period costume. His scarf was bright green with red cardinals woven into it. Nonplussed, Mina stuttered, “Your, your, your scarf….”

  Brewster looked down at his outfit. “I was going for Dickensian, but the girls out front convinced me I needed a touch of color.” He canted a brow at Mina. “As for the sleigh ride, I’m quite certain it hasn’t happened yet, but if you’ve dreamed of it in anticipation, I can only be flattered.”

  “No, no, I mean…. I had this incredible dream.” Mina looked left and right, seeking an end to her own confusion. “My Janome. It’s right where I left it.” She reached out to touch it, to make sure it was real.

  “And the cats are here as well,” Brewster reassured her. “I know how rough it can be when you’re startled awake. I’m so sorry. Kirby has done that to me many times. It takes me quite a few minutes to get my bearings.”

  “Where’s your bird?” Mina was instantly alarmed, because her worst nightmare would be for her cats to grab Pearl.

  “She’s in my room at the hotel. Far too chilly for her. I’m sure she won’t mind missing the sleigh ride.”

  Mina used both hands to tap the sides of her head. “It seemed so real.”

  Brewster lifted her mug and sniffed at it.

  Mina cocked her head to one side and snorted. “For your information, I would never ruin a cup of cocoa with alcohol.”

  “Of course not.” He looked amused.

  Mina pushed herself out of her chair. “The girls are closing up? You mean, they haven’t sold everything yet?”

  “Dear me, you are a true businesswoman. No, I’m afraid they haven’t sold every item yet. There may be a few sweaters and other things left. Are you all right?”

  Mina took a breath and exhaled noisily. “Frankly, I’m not sure. There was a time warp. Did the power come back on? Oh! Did they find the reindeer?”

  Brewster blinked at her. “The reindeer are fine,” he said calmly. “They trucked them over from the Lazy B so the poor things wouldn’t get too much of a workout.”

  “They must have instinctively gone home,” said Mina.

  “Hmmm. Whatever you say, Miss Mina. By the way, Sunny Finch gave me a package for you on my way over.” He pulled what looked like a Christmas cracker out of his coat pocket.

  Mina’s shoulders slumped as she accepted the gift. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

  She began half-heartedly unwrapping the package while Brewster pretended to think about his answer. At last, he chuckled and confided, “Let me tell you about some of the dreams I’ve been rudely awakened from. We can compare notes. I’m sure I’ll win.”

  “No way,” said Mina. “This one was a whopper.” The wrapping fell to the floor and in her hands was a chest pet carrier just like the one Sunny had worn in Mina’s dream. Her confusion returned, and she squeezed it tightly while trying to focus on Brewster.

  “I’ll bet your dream didn’t have vampires,” Brewster teased, holding Mina’s long down coat while she stuffed her arms into it.

  “They were there, but incognito.” She set the carrier next to her sewing machine, almost afraid to let it go.

  Brewster humphed. “How do you know they were vampires if they were incognito, pray tell?” He found the cat food scoop and made sure there was dry food down for the kittens.

  “You’ve only been in Eagle’s Toe a couple of weeks. Give it a year. You’ll know who the vampires are, even when they’re out of costume.”

  “Indeed. Do they have anything to do with that time warp you mentioned?” He picked up the plastic cover and placed it efficiently over the sewing machine.

  Mina zipped her coat up. “You’re the one who kept throwing the time warp in my face. None of us had any choice, remember. We went to have dinner with Reese and Alice Kate, and we ended up sucked into Santa’s time warp.”

  “Along with the local vampires?”

  “Exactly.”

  Brewster’s features shone with delight. “Miss Mina, I have a feeling you and I are going to be very good friends. You are the first woman I’ve ever met who is as loony as I am. It’s quite refreshing, actually.” His shoulders moved up and down as he laughed silently.

  Mina stood still for a moment, just looking at him. Pleasant features, great sense of humor, quiet and modest ways—not to mention rich as royalty…. Could it be? Had Reese—Santa—delivered her Prince Charming?

  Brewster cleared his throat. “So sorry. I’m just spectacularly tickled by this turn of events. Shall we go before all the good seats are taken on the sleigh?”

  Mina let him hook his arm with hers. “I have a feeling we’ll get very good seats. I’ve got an in with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, you know.”

  On their way through the door, Brewster turned out the light. “That doesn’t surprise me a bit.” The Boutique was dark except for the twinkling Christmas lights on the tree in the corner. “Shall I unplug?”

  “No,” said Mina. “I love it when people walk by and have to stop and admire the tree.”

  Brewster’s eyes twinkled as brightly as the tree lights. He opened the door for Mina and when the little chimes over the door tinkled in merriment, they chorused, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.”

  They laughed and stepped outside, where the snow was beginning to fall again. Mina locked the shop door, and they caught each other’s eye.

  Brewster rubbed his hands together. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?”

  “Totally.” Mina beamed.

  “Let’s do it, then. Ready? One, two, three—” Together they called out as loudly as they could, “Merry Christmas, Eagle’s Toe!”

  The sound of their laughter floated on the air like snowflakes, and Mina held tightly to his arm as they picked up the pace. When they got to the Cattleman’s, Reese was sitting on the front seat of the sleigh in his Santa suit, waving them on. The sleigh and reindeer made quite an impression, and dozens of locals were lining up for a turn, eager to do their part for charity. The harness bells jingled merrily with every stamp of a reindeer hoof. When they arrived, Brewster surprised Mina by lifting her into the sleigh before climbing in behind her.

  She sat on the velvet cushion, letting the magic of the scene fill her up. And as Santa shook the reins and the sleigh jolted forward, she whispered into the night air, “Best Christmas ever!”

  *Thank you for reading Jingle Bell Magic. If you enjoyed this book, please tell a friend and leave a review at Amazon.*

  Other Books by Regina Duke

  The Wedding Wager (Colorado Billionaires, 1)

  The Wedding Hope (Colorado Billionaires, 2)

  The Wedding Venture (Colorado Billionaires, 3)

  The Wedding Belle (Colorado Billionaires, 4)

  The Wedding Guest (Colorado Billionaires, 5)

  Colorado Billionaires Boxed Set (Contains novels 1, 2, and 3)

  Colorado Billionaires Christmas 2014 (Sunny’s Christmas, Krystal’s Christmas, Christmas Angel)

  Colorado Billionaires Christmas 2015 (Jingle Bell Magic, Jingle Bell Wedding, Jingle Bell Romance)

  Love on the Lazy B: Love Again, Twice the Joy (Two Colorado Billionaires Stories)

  My Vampire Wedding

  North Rim Delight (Silver State Romance, 1)

  The Woof in the Wedding Plans (Silver State Romance, 2)

  Calin's Cowboy (Silver State Romance, 3)

  Silver State Romance Boxed Set (Contains novels 1, 2, and 3)

  Trickster and Other Sto
ries

  Linda White's Loving the Sensitive Dog

  Linda White's Sir Darby: Another Sensitive Dog

  Coming Soon

  The Wedding Toast (Colorado Billionaires, 6)

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author Regina Duke writes sweet romance, cozy mystery, and paranormal. She lives in the High Desert with her three dogs, and when she’s not writing, she’s playing the piano and enjoying her friends.

  Learn more at http://www.reginaduke.com. For fiction, please visit her at www.ReginaDuke.com. And for non-fiction, www.LindaLouWrites.com.

  Also, see www.LoversLaneRomance.com for collections of stories by Regina Duke and Sandra Edwards.