Harlequin Heartwarming December 2020 Box Set

by Cari Lynn Webb, Linda Warren, Mary Anne Wilson

  “Jake, no, I never… You’re wrong.”

  “I’ve never wished that I was wrong before. But if you asked me what my wish was when I came into this house earlier, I’d tell you. I wished I was finding you in the great room, that you were glad I was here, and I knew as long as you were there, I wasn’t alone. Between you and Pax, I’ve been pulled into wishing this was my life, that you were the best part of that life.” He exhaled in a rush. “I guess…my final wish would be that you loved me as much as I know I love you.”

  Libby stared at him, stunned. She could barely believe what he was saying. It was everything she’d hoped for. “You…you really wish that?”

  “Yes, please, give me a chance to love you. I can’t walk out of here alone.” His voice was low and unsteady. “I’ve done that once, and without you, it was a whole new painful definition of alone for me.”

  She smiled at him, her heart so full she could barely breathe. “Jake Bishop, I love you.”

  She leaned toward him, then his arms were around her, pulling her up and tightly against him. She could feel his heart racing in his chest, and she inhaled the scent of him. She was home. Finally. In the home she wanted for the rest of her life. “You really love me?” she heard him say.

  “I love you so much, I don’t even have a word for it,” she said against his chest, then realized she wanted him to be able to read what she’d just said.

  She eased back enough to look up at him, but before she could repeat it, Jake was smiling at her. “We’ll figure out a word for it. We can work on it for years and years and years and years, if we have to.”

  She suddenly realized what had just happened, and she could barely ask, “You…you heard me?”

  He framed her face with his hands, and unsteadiness was in his touch. “Yes, and you sound just as I remember.”

  “But…but, we’ve never spoken to each other before.”

  “No, but you spoke to me in my dreams.” He brushed at the dampness on her cheek she hadn’t been aware of. “Please, don’t cry.”

  “These are happy tears,” she said.

  “I never understood happy tears,” he whispered to her.

  “They’re special, only for when life is just so good you can’t believe it. Like now. It’s a Christmas miracle. You’re here, and you can hear me. You…were in the hospital?”

  “Sort of. I’ve been at Wicker Pines with Sarge in a cottage at the rear of the property. I had some sort of attack as I was driving to Cody, and Cal went into action. Next thing I knew, he had my old boss agreeing to have me treated there as long as it didn’t become public knowledge. We underestimated the security and privacy there, believe me, and no one knew I was there, except a few staff members and Sarge. They flew in one of the specialists I’d seen before, and there was a correction of some sort, maybe from the altitude or just healing. They aren’t sure.”

  “They didn’t operate?”

  “No, but I might have to have a procedure in the future. I only have 50 percent hearing in my right ear. So, I’m not sure, but…”

  She touched his lips with her fingertips. “Later, tell me it all later. It’s a miracle, no matter what happened.” Then she stood on her tiptoes to whisper, “I love you. Now, can you just kiss me?”

  Before the last word died out, Jake pulled her closer and he kissed her. Everything fell into place, into something that Libby had only dreamed of before. She felt complete, and she knew being here with Jake was where she’d been heading all of her life. In his arms, holding on to him, breathing him in and being loved by him.

  She drew back and sighed. “What now?”

  “That depends on you,” he said in a rough whisper.

  “Depends on what?”

  “Whether you’ll marry me.” He shook his head. “I never planned on saying that to anyone. You know, we can wait and see how things go, and then you can decide if you want to. I’m going to be around here from now on. I know I’ll need to find work. Even with the healing, I can’t fly yet. So I’m thinking I might be able to contract as an instructor sooner or later, but for now, I’m staying right here.”

  “Good, because I’m staying where you’re staying, and going where you’re going. That’s the way it’s supposed to be when you get married, isn’t it?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, as long as you’ll accept my dowry.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s not much, just the little cabin beyond the trees. Seth wants to give it to me as a bonus for my work on the camp. Ben and Sarge agreed. I was expecting to be there with Pax.” She touched his beard-roughened chin and smiled. “What do you think?”

  “I think this is Christmas Eve and we have someplace to be.”

  * * *

  THE PORCH OF the old cabin was the perfect place to watch the moon rise huge on the horizon, its light blotting out the shadows all around Jake and Liberty as they sat on the top step. They were wrapped together in blankets they’d found inside after they’d managed to drive Jake’s truck on the original access road to the cabin.

  “An almost Christmas Moon,” Libby said, making sure Jake was looking at her. “I think the same magic applies to an almost Christmas Moon as a Christmas Moon. You get to make a wish, and they say the couple that kisses under that moon are together forever.”

  Jake smiled at her. “I don’t need a wish. I’m luckier and happier than I have any right to be right now. But the kiss…well, that’s different.” When he kissed her, everything made sense, and happy didn’t begin to describe how this man made her feel.

  He drew back and was grinning. “That seals the deal. This is forever. We’ll be here whenever the Christmas Moon shows again. But next, a small wedding, family, close friends, a carrot cake wedding cake with two tiers tops, and you wearing what your mother wore at her wedding as long as the dress train isn’t longer than two feet. And no dancing.”

  She laughed softly. “Wow, you were really paying attention. But I want to dance with you at our wedding.”

  “Really?”

  “Just wear good boots,” she said, and they both laughed, holding on to each other as the almost Christmas Moon lit up the world for them.

  EPILOGUE

  Eclipse Ridge Ranch, Valentine’s Day

  THE WEDDING WAS a simple ceremony with family and a few close friends in the great room at the ranch. Farley and Libby’s dad had cleared the deck of snow to do the barbecuing. The carrot cake wedding cake made by Libby’s mother had been a hit. As Libby offered Jake a bite, she was amazed at the way her life just got better and better.

  Jake had never looked more handsome in a white shirt, black rope tie, black jeans and tooled Western boots. She was wearing her mother’s wedding clothes, an ivory silk blouse with a long ivory skirt with no train, and simple pumps. Jake had asked her to wear her hair down for the wedding, and she had, except for catching it back on the sides with silver clips her mother had given to her.

  Cal Harris stood across the table from them with a glass of champagne in his hand. “A toast to Jake and Libby, to destiny that brought them together and to Jake’s good sense not to let Libby get away.” There was laughter and applause from the guests. Libby knew how close they had come to not being there together, and she moved closer to Jake, reaching for his hand. She felt the gold band on his ring finger, the mate of hers that she wore with her engagement ring, a single small diamond set in gold that was a perfect fit.

  Seth spoke up. “Friends and family. For their first dance together, I’m honored to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Bishop.”

  There was more applause, then Jake led Libby to the middle of the room where it had been cleared of furniture and rugs. On Valentine’s Day, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” flowed out of the speakers. Libby stepped into Jake’s arms, rested her cheek against his chest and danced to the on
ly song she knew how to dance to, with the only man she ever wanted to dance with.

  She drew back just enough to glance up at Jake, and the look in his eyes took her breath away. “I love you,” she said.

  “Thank you for loving me. I didn’t make it easy, but you stuck it out.” He leaned down and kissed her, then whispered, “I love you.” Libby shifted, reaching to rest her hands on his shoulders as Jake drew her more tightly to him. “Kevin will never know how grateful I am that he ran when you crushed his feet.”

  She chuckled a bit breathlessly. “I’m glad he ran.”

  As the music came to an end, Jake leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t do this much longer.”

  She was confused. “Do what?”

  He moved back as Seth came over to them. Jake gave him a hug, then stood back and asked him, “Do you know whatever happened to Moon Dance?”

  “No,” Seth said. “Why?”

  “Just wondering.” Jake tightened his hold on Libby’s hand a bit before he looked back at her. “That was the horse I first rode around here.” He never took his eyes off Libby. “Moon Dance.”

  She finally got it. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” he said.

  Libby spoke to Seth. “You know, we’ve done the cakes, had our toasts and had our dance. Is it rude if we leave now and leave you all to enjoy the barbeque?”

  “No, not at all,” he said, and came to kiss Libby on her cheek, then hug Jake again. “Go with my blessings, brother.”

  Libby and Jake took time to say goodbye to her parents and the guests, then finally crossed to where Sarge and Ben sat on the couch with Cal. “We’re taking off,” Jake said.

  Ben stood and caught both of them in a group hug. “I never thought I’d see this day, but I’m so happy to be wrong.”

  Cal got up. “I’m not sure I ever believed in real love until now.” He hugged Jake, then Libby. “I’m signing with Wicker Pines as head of their expanded physical therapy department and maybe work with the vets in their new veteran’s aid section.” He glanced over at Julia. “And I can be Sarge’s in-home therapist and keep an eye on everything.”

  Jake smiled. “That sounds like a plan.”

  “I think so. Now, you two be safe and have fun wherever you go,” he said, before he turned and headed in Julia’s direction.

  Sarge was looking up at Libby, then held out his hand to her. She took it without hesitating and could see a clarity in his eyes that made her day even better if that was possible. Since he’d come home two weeks ago, bringing Julia along as his caregiver, he’d been doing pretty well. “You look just like my Maggie did when we got married,” he said. He glanced at Jake. “You love her, boy, and never stop, no matter what.”

  “I will, sir,” he said. “I promise.”

  Libby bent to kiss Sarge on the cheek. “Thank you so much for being here for us. It means a lot to us.”

  “It was my honor, Liberty,” he said.

  “It was our honor having you here,” Jake said as he bent down closer to Sarge. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you and Maggie. Thank you. I love you.”

  Sarge smiled up at Jake. “Oh, I love you, too, son.”

  Jake patted his shoulder, then stood and put his arm around Libby as Julia came over with Cal. “Are you two going to tell us where you’re going on your honeymoon?” Julia asked.

  Jake looked at Libby. “No, but it’s a great place.”

  “Probably someplace with golden sand and palm trees,” Cal said.

  “No palm trees,” Jake replied, and Libby laughed. “We’ll let you know when we get back,” he said, and led Libby out of the room into the entry. They hurried up the stairs, changed out of their wedding clothes into their jeans, T-shirts and boots in the master bedroom, then hurried back down to the entry. They grabbed their jackets and didn’t look back as they stepped out into the cold air of late afternoon.

  “We did it,” Jake said, reaching to hold on to Libby’s hand after they got in the truck and drove west toward the highway. But a mile before the blind curve, he turned off onto a newly bladed road that led up to a set of new gates that had been installed for the future entrance to the camp.

  The gates stood open, and he drove through onto a road that had been cleared to make easy access to the original mess hall and bunkhouse. Jake jumped out and went to close and lock the gates, then got back in the truck.

  “You think Pax will be okay staying at the house with my parents?” Liberty asked as he reached for her hand and drove up the newly plowed road.

  “Yes, and he’ll get even fatter and happier.” Jake looked ahead and could see the old cabin come into view where it sat snug and still covered in snow from a storm a week ago. Liberty had told him the cabin felt like home to her, and it was feeling that way to him, too.

  He pulled the truck around to the back where he’d had the road crew clear it so the vehicles would be out of view. He had barely stopped when Liberty climbed out and looked back at him with her door open. “Come on,” she said.

  When he got out, she was there, reaching for his hand as they went around to the front of the house. The porch was cleared of snow, and he’d had two chairs put there for them to watch the next Christmas Moon.

  “Perfect,” Liberty said as they went up the stairs. “No one will ever know we’re here.” She opened the door, but before she could go inside, he swept her up into his arms.

  “Not so fast,” Jake said. “I’ve become a traditional sort of guy, as odd as that sounds, and I want to carry you over the threshold.”

  She giggled, and he loved the sound of it. “I’m all for that.” She sobered just a bit as she put her arm around his neck. “I can’t believe this is real. It’s like a dream.”

  “Believe me, this is better than any dream,” he said, and carried her inside. It hadn’t changed much, except for clearing the dustcovers and freshening things up. The new electric heater he’d had installed—so they wouldn’t have to light the potbelly stove and have the smoke give away the fact that they were in the cabin—had been turned on the night before. It was warm and homey and familiar and perfect.

  Jake kicked the door shut, then put Liberty down so he could take off his jacket and boots. When he turned, she said, “I love this place,” and he thought she might cry.

  “Happy tears again?” he asked.

  “You bet, beyond happy,” she said as she took off her own jacket and boots.

  As soon as he’d done the same, he turned and lifted her back into his arms.

  He carried her into the bedroom. “You were right about not replacing the iron bed. It belongs here, and so does Maggie’s quilt.”

  He kissed her, and he felt his heart soar. “I made a promise to Sarge to love you and never stop.”

  She grinned up at him. “You’d better keep your promises, Mr. Bishop.”

  “Keeping that promise is the easiest thing I’ll ever do.”

  Liberty giggled, and Jake let the sweet sound surround him as he again bent to kiss his wife.

  * * * * *

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  ISBN-13: 9781488068379

  Under a Christmas Moon

  Copyright © 2020 by Mary Anne Wilson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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  “You want three trees?” Gideon’s brow quirked upward.

  Alaina grinned. “Just making up for lost time. Mason and I spent most of our holidays on research projects.”

  “Surely wolf biologists don’t have to be in the field every minute.”

  She shrugged. “It varies, but Mason was determined to study wolf populations all over the world.”

  “Is that what you wanted?”

  Alaina hesitated. “In the beginning I was thrilled to be part of those studies,” she said slowly. “But living that way got old for me. It’s one of the reasons I wanted a home base to work from this year.”

  “And why you want all these Christmas decorations.”

  “Of course. Making up for lost time, remember?”