Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

She broke into a laugh and shook her head. “If I were you, I’d stop while I’m ahead.”

  He wished he could hear her laugh. He realized he’d laughed more since he’d met her than in any recent time he could think of. She stood up. “I’ll get the dishes tonight.”

  “Do you want me to restart the music?”

  She stopped and turned to him. “How did you know the music had stopped?”

  “I can’t feel it anymore,” he said with a shrug. “More Christmas songs?”

  “Yes, please.”

  * * *

  LIBBY SAT ON the couch by Jake with Pax lying in between them on the cushions. The Christmas tree lights and the flicker of flames from the fire in the hearth were the only lights in the space. It was beautiful. Jake had put the music on repeat, and it was soft and sentimental. “White Christmas,” one of her favorites, started and she stroked Pax as he settled his muzzle on her thigh.

  Jake turned on the lamp on the end table by him, then turned to her. “What song’s playing?”

  “‘White Christmas.’ Why?”

  “You were smiling.”

  “I just love being warm and snug out of the cold and hearing Christmas music.”

  “I think you’re making me reconsider my choice,” he said.

  “What choice?”

  “Picking the Fourth of July. Maybe Christmas has its good points.”

  “If I could have named my birthday, I would have picked Christmas,” she admitted. “They are both spectacular days in the year. Speaking of which, the man at the general store in Eclipse—Farley—said something when I asked about eclipses that would be happening around here over the holidays. There aren’t any, but he mentioned that we’d miss a Christmas Moon, by one day. Do you know what that is?”

  “I think Maggie and Sarge talked about it some, but I didn’t pay any attention to what it actually was,” he said.

  “Not having internet is frustrating. I’d like to know about it.”

  “How about doing it the old-fashioned way? I remember Sarge had a book all about the moon, the mythology and what the phases mean. It should be in the office somewhere.”

  She got up, hurried into the office and flipped the light on. She scanned the shelves then spotted it. The Fascinating Moon. Jake was sitting with his head resting on the back of the seat, his eyes closed, and Pax was right up against him when she came back. She went over to the tree, took two candy canes and crossed back to the couch. She sat down and settled with the dog between the two of them, then opened the book. Looking at the index, she found the answer to her question was on page 115. She flipped to it and read the title of that section. “The Secrets of the Christmas Moon.”

  “Okay, tell me the secrets,” Jake murmured and declined the candy cane she offered to him.

  She read out loud about any full moon in December being called a cold moon or snow moon. “That’s okay, but not romantic at all,” she said. “But, get this, if a December full moon rises on Christmas Day—so I guess you’d only see it Christmas night—it’s a Christmas Moon.” She scanned more. “It’s very rare, only once every twenty or thirty years. Apparently, from this chart, this year the full moon rises on the day before Christmas, so I guess it could be called a Christmas Eve Moon.”

  “A full moon’s a full moon,” he said.

  She read further. “There’s some legends about it. You know, things passed down, and it got mixed up in magic and fables.”

  “What’s supposed to be the magic of it?”

  She scanned further. “Two things—first, you can make a wish and it will come true. Secondly, and the best, it’s said that if a couple kisses under a Christmas Moon, they’ll be together forever.” She smiled. “Kind of sweet, don’t you think?”

  Jake shrugged that off. “Sweet is in the eye of the beholder,” he murmured.

  “Come on. You can’t be that jaded about Christmas and romance, can you?”

  He was silent, then said, “I’ve never been a romantic.”

  She shrugged. “Of course, men hate to admit to being romantic.”

  He exhaled. “Believe it.”

  “You don’t date or anything?” she asked, realizing he was probably being truthful.

  “I do, when it works for me, but I’ve got my career and with it being a questionable one, I don’t drag anyone into it.”

  “I guess if you think you’re dragging someone into your life, it wouldn’t be very romantic, would it?”

  Jake studied her. “You have enough romance in you to make up for the lack in me.”

  She closed the book. “Well, I still want to see a Christmas Moon. I bet Roger will feel more romantic about it than you do.”

  He laughed at that, but it was a rough sound without real humor in it. “Anyone would.”

  She stood with the book in her hand. “I think I’ll go up to bed and read a bit.”

  “Let me know if you come up with more magic or myths,” he said.

  “Okay,” she said as took the book, the candy canes and looked down at Jake. “I’ll give you every romantic detail.”

  Jake gave her a wry smile. “Oh, I know you will.”

  * * *

  LIBBY WOKE TO thin sunlight coming in the windows and dressed quickly in a white sweater and jeans. She reached for the book about moons before heading downstairs with Pax at her heels. Jake was in the kitchen, and she could smell coffee in the air. “Good morning,” he called over to her. “How about some breakfast?”

  She tossed the book onto the couch, then nodded as she crossed to him. “I’m hungry.”

  He turned to take bacon strips out of the frying pan and laid them on a plate covered with a paper towel. “I am, too.”

  “What are we having?”

  “There’s no eggs left, so we’re going to have bacon and peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast.” When she wrinkled her nose at that combination, he said, “Oh, come on, they’re good. I ate a lot of them as a kid. You’ll love them.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that, but she always liked the aroma of bacon cooking. By the time she had actually tasted the sandwich he’d made for her, she was a believer. “That was pretty good. I can’t believe I’ve never had it before.”

  He gave her a “told you so” look. “Trust me. I won’t steer you wrong on food.”

  “Good to know,” she said. She finished the last of her coffee and put the mug down. “When you look at the plans for Sarge’s suite, will you be totally honest with me about what you think of them?”

  “I’ll be honest.”

  “That’s all I ask,” she said. “Could we do it now so I can get down to work?”

  “Lead the way,” he said, and followed her into the office.

  Libby turned on her laptop, pulled up her files on the ranch, then opened the one for Sarge’s suite. She angled the computer toward Jake as he sat down on the extra chair. “Just scroll down and ask me if you don’t understand something.”

  He quietly went through the documents, never asking any questions, then he finally sat back, hesitating before he looked at her.

  “Well, what do you think?” she asked, bracing herself.

  “Let me see if I get what you’re doing. You want the two rooms at the end west hallway joined by taking out the closets where they butt up against each other. You’re taking the small bath and the room between the back south-facing room and the office, too. Right?”

  She was impressed that he got what she was trying to do. “Yes, half of the room next to here will be incorporated into the main area, and the other half will be for an enlarged bath specially designed for Sarge and an adjoining walk-in closet.”

  “I saw that.”

  “Well?” she asked.

  “The bath will have a walk-in tub for safety?”

  “Yes, also slip-proof tiling. The shower
is low entry and with double benches and safety rails in it. What do you think?”

  He took his time before he said, “I think you’re spot-on, and it’s good planning to take advantage of the existing plumbing and keep it on the south wall with the window.”

  “I take it you’ve done construction in your past?”

  As he sat back, Pax came in to plop down on the floor by them. “I did some construction work after I ended my stint in the army and was trying to figure out how I could do what I knew I wanted to do with my life and still pay my bills.”

  “What did you want to do?”

  “I knew a guy who flew commuter planes and I helped with some of the mechanical problems he had, and one thing led to another and he gave me flying lessons in payment for my work for him. From the first time I flew solo, I knew I wanted to fly and that lead to wanting to be a test pilot.”

  “Can I ask why you wanted to do that?”

  “It’s brains and skill, the combination that makes you think and push past boundaries. It’s a challenge every day at work.” He narrowed his eyes on her. “And don’t give me a label, like an adrenaline junkie.”

  “I wasn’t going to say that,” she answered, although she had thought that when Seth told her what Jake did for a living. He’d even mentioned Jake was fearless and loved the rush of what he did. “But it does seem dangerous. Actually, I think I understand why you’ve kept your distance from Seth, Ben and Sarge, and why you haven’t told them about your hearing problem. You really think you’re protecting them, don’t you?”

  “It’s for my protection, too. I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing if I’m worried about them worrying about me. When I’m in the cockpit, I can’t be distracted and play it too safe.”

  “But they know what you do. Seth’s told me all about it, and you think they don’t worry?”

  “Knowing is one thing, being involved in it is something I wouldn’t ask of anyone, especially someone I cared about.”

  “The places Roger goes to for the foundation projects can be pretty unstable politically. But I understand that it’s part of who he is. That doesn’t mean I don’t worry or that I’m unaware that he could be in danger. Do you think Seth and the others don’t understand how dangerous what you do is?”

  “Of course they understand,” he said flatly. “They know that I just do what I do, then I do it again. Simple as that.” He stood, apparently ready to retreat. “I think your plan’s great.”

  “Thank you, I really appreciate your input.” She hesitated, then stood to face him. “And your honesty about your life. I just don’t—”

  “You don’t know the life I’ve lived. But my past is what made me who I am today. Yours did the same. But you’ve had a normal life, with good parents, a great job. I didn’t come close when I was younger. I had someone drop me at a police station without even a tag that had my name and birthday on it.” He exhaled harshly, then kept talking. “Then I went from house to house, never fitting in, never wanting to, until the ranch. But even then, I had to form my own destiny.” He stared at her hard. “And I did. It centered on my job, and that is the only way I know how to make my life work. I’ve always been a risk taker, I admit that, and I’m doing what I love being a test pilot. Right now, I’m doing what I need to do to heal so I can go back to that life.”

  “I understand,” she said, feeling vaguely unsteady as he spoke.

  “That’s my point, Liberty, you can’t understand.” He rocked forward on the balls of his feet. “No one who hasn’t been in foster care could understand. How could you?”

  His words echoed in her, and they hurt. She understood him, why he was like he was, why he isolated himself, because she’d done the same thing before she’d been offered a real life, not just an existence. “My life wasn’t always like it is now. I’ve been where you’ve been. I can tell you that a life where people depend on you and care about you and love you is a huge improvement over just trying to survive in foster home after foster home. Or getting lost in a windstorm and thinking pretty much that no one would even miss you.” When her voice broke, she stopped talking, afraid she’d start to cry, and she didn’t want to do that in front of Jake. She tried to take a breath before she managed to add, “That’s why Seth and I became friends. We knew what the other had gone through, and where we’d ended up. I do understand.”

  His eyes narrowed on her as if he couldn’t quite look at her. “You, too?” he finally asked just above a whisper.

  “Yes, me, too.” She swallowed hard. “Until I was adopted, which was something of a miracle for an eight-year-old who hated being touched and just wanted to be invisible.” She swiped at her eyes and couldn’t stop now that she was talking. She wanted Jake to know who she “really” was and why. “My fourth foster home was my last. The Connors asked to adopt me, and I couldn’t believe they would want me. I knew that they couldn’t love me. There wasn’t anything to love. But they did and do, and I love them. They’re my mom and dad. I’d give up just about anything in this world for them.”

  * * *

  JAKE READ THE words on her lips, unable to move. Pax went closer to Liberty, pushing against her leg. She ignored him as she stopped talking and worried her bottom lip. Jake didn’t want to see anymore. He really didn’t want to follow his impulse right then and hold her and tell her that anyone could love her. “I am so sorry,” he finally said before she could speak again. “I didn’t know you were one of us.”

  “I just wanted you to know that I…” She shook her head sharply, then brushed at the tendrils of hair that had escaped from the ponytail. He saw how unsteady her hand was. “I don’t tell people about it. Even my parents and I don’t talk about it much. I hate to even think about it, actually.”

  He saw her release a heavy sigh, then look him right in the eye. “I promised you, before I left this house again, I’d let you know. I think I’d like to go out for a walk now and…” She shrugged. “I need to…” She didn’t finish, but he was pretty sure she needed to be alone.

  The change in her was startling. The pain he’d seen in her face when she’d told him about her past was gone. But now she seemed almost withdrawn. “Okay.”

  Unexpectedly, she took off her engagement ring and opened the desk drawer to drop it inside.

  As she closed it, she said, “I should’ve taken it off sooner,” then went around him and out of the office. He followed her to the mudroom and stood watching her get her outer clothes on, then put up her hood.

  “Where are you going to go for your walk?”

  “I want to see the original cabin. Seth said it hasn’t been used for years, but Sarge kept it up and it’s really livable.”

  “Sarge built that on his own when he bought the land. Then he married Maggie, and they needed a lot more space, probably thinking they’d have kids to bring up.”

  She met his eyes. “They did have a whole lot of kids they helped bring up.”

  “Yes, they did,” he said, then found himself offering, “I could go with you, if you want, so you don’t get lost?”

  “No,” she said, and he knew he’d been right. He’d let her go alone. “I won’t get lost.” Pax had been watching them patiently, but now he moved closer to Liberty and his tail started to wag. “I don’t know how long we’ll be, but I’m just going there to look around, then we’ll head back.”

  She zipped up her jacket, then Jake said, “If the snow starts up again, just come back.”

  “I will,” she said.

  “Okay, then, I’m going to go down to see if the tractor’s working.”

  She frowned at that. “Why?”

  “There used to be a snow blade that fit it. I want to clear the drive as much as I can, and also the way to the garages so we can get the truck and Jeep out when we need to.”

  “You can drive the tractor?”

  “Yes, I can drive the trac
tor. I’ve done it before to clear snow and haul hay out to the fenced pastures.”

  “Oh, of course,” she said but didn’t look convinced. Then he understood. “I’m fine to drive it. I’m feeling good, and no more face-plants or dizziness. Besides, if things go sideways, all I’m going to hit is snow and more snow.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  He wondered, as he watched her leave the house with Pax, how much self-control it took for her not to try to talk him out of driving the tractor. Her body language almost shouted that she thought it was a terrible idea, but she let it go. Maybe Liberty Connor was loosening up.

  Jake managed to fit the tractor with the blade and worked steadily clearing the snow. When he was finished, he drove the tractor back up to the house and left it there. He stepped inside the entry, but the place was quiet. “Liberty, I’m back!” he called.

  He waited, but there was no dog and no Liberty. He went through to the mudroom, and her outerwear wasn’t there, either. He’d figured maybe an hour to get through the snow to the small cabin, half an hour to look around inside, maybe forty-five minutes coming back because of her original tracks and the trip was mostly downhill. He checked his watch. She’d been gone for three and a half hours.

  He opened the back door and looked outside. It was like a rerun of yesterday. Tracks on the deck in the snow, then more down below. Liberty’s and Pax’s paths ran parallel, making a straight line toward the trees in the distance. The thing was, there were no tracks to show they’d come back.

  He went across the deck and stared intently into the distance. It was peaceful, and nothing moved in his line of sight. White on white. He stayed very still, then made up his mind. He wasn’t going to wait for her to come back. He’d go and meet her somewhere between here and there.

  Tired as he was, he set off. When he finally reached the trees, he saw she’d gone through them, and he did the same. When he broke out on the other side, the tracks continued north toward the cabin that was barely visible in the distance. With snow on its roof and drifts climbing halfway up the sides of the log walls, it almost blended into the land around it.

  He saw her trail. Thankfully it looked as if she’d made it to the cabin safely. He thought of heading back and letting her come at her own pace, but he couldn’t. Not until he knew she was safe. He couldn’t fight a protectiveness that nudged at him. Maybe knowing what she’d gone through as a child had affected him more than he’d realized. But he didn’t want her to be out there alone if anything happened. The image of that tiny girl huddled in the storm without any real hope that someone would miss her ate at him. He kept going. He was within a hundred feet of the cabin when his leg muscles started to burn, and he stopped. The porch was completely buried in snow, and only the tops of the two front windows were visible. Then he saw smoke rising into the still air. It came from a vented outlet that he knew was for the potbelly stove in the living area off the kitchen.