Charming Christmas (MyHeartChannel Book 4)

by Erica Penrod

  “Your mom’s taken good care of me.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Hilary reached out and touched Suzie’s arm. “You do look like you’re doing better. Do you feel up to coming over for Christmas Eve dinner?”

  Suzie slowly shook her head. “No, not tonight, but I promised your mom I’d come over tomorrow.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.” Hilary stepped back. “I assume Mom brought you some food.”

  “Enough for a week.” Suzie softly chuckled. “And it’s all delicious. I can’t thank you and your family enough.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Hilary glanced at Griff. “We’d better get going, and I guess we’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned back to Suzie. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas, Hilary, and to you too, Griff.”

  Hilary leaned into Griff. Yes, this was a merry Christmas.

  * * *

  Hilary opened the door to her parents’ apartment and walked in with Griff by her side. “We made it.”

  Her mom pulled the glazed ham from the oven. “Perfect timing.” She set the pan on the stove. “Everything is ready.”

  “It smells delicious.” Griff helped Hilary with her coat. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “You sure can.” Hilary’s dad sat at the kitchen table. “Get over here and dig into these appetizers. We’ve got enough here to feed an army.”

  “There won’t be anyone going hungry on my watch.” Her mom placed a steaming bowl of potatoes on the table, followed by a basket of rolls.

  “Have a seat, Griff.” Hilary pushed up her sleeves and went to the sink. She turned on the faucet and pumped the soap into her hands. “What do you need, Mom?”

  “If you’ll get the drinks, I think I’ve got everything else.”

  Hilary took the eggnog and sparkling cider from the refrigerator and placed them on the table. “Anything else?”

  “Oh, the green salad.” Her mom took off her apron.

  “This looks amazing.” Griff smiled at her mom, and Hilary grinned as her mom blushed. “Thank you for having me.”

  “Son, you’re welcome here anytime.” Her dad poured himself some cider.

  Hilary saw the emotion in Griff’s eyes, and she wanted to throw her arms around her dad. He couldn’t have possibly known what his words meant to Griff, but she did. Griff gazed up at her and then looked at her dad. “Thank you.”

  She thought she had the perfect gift for Griff, but her dad had outdone her, and she couldn’t think of anything more wonderful than for her parents to welcome the man she loved into their home and into their hearts.

  Hilary put the salad down, took her seat, and looked around the table. Her heart overflowed, overwhelmed with love and gratitude for each of them.

  Just when she didn’t think she could possibly be any happier, her dad turned to her. “Sweetheart, I planned to wait until tomorrow to give you your gift, but I don’t think I can.”

  Hilary saw his eyes fill with tears, and her mom reached for his hand.

  “We got the results back from my last tests and scans, and the cancer is gone.”

  “It’s in remission?” Hilary put down her fork.

  “No, it’s gone.” Her dad sniffed. “I’m going to be fine.”

  Hilary jumped up from the table and threw her arms around his neck. “I can’t believe it.” Tears fell down her face. “The doctors said there was a small chance, and they were right. I’m so happy.”

  “The doctors said he’s got to take things slow for the next several months.” Her mom wiped her own tears. “It’s going to take some time for his body and immune system to recuperate.”

  “Of course.” Hilary hugged him again.

  “Congratulations.” Griff smiled at them all.

  “Does Maryn know?” Hilary dabbed at her eyes.

  “No, I thought we could all tell her tonight when she FaceTimes us.”

  Hilary went back to her seat, and Griff reached for her hand. Christmas truly was the season of miracles.

  * * *

  Snowflakes fell in silence all through the night, and Christmas morning dawned with a new blanket of white. A bright sun filled the sky to christen the day. Hilary spent the morning with her parents and checked in on Suzie before making her way up Mt. Bedford. She turned up the radio and sang at the top of her lungs to every Christmas song they played.

  She parked outside Griff’s house and grinned when she saw the snow shovel leaning against the house and the cleared path to the front door. A lot had changed since her first visit a month ago. Hilary balanced the gifts in her arms as she made her way up the walk.

  The front door opened and Max bounded out, nearly knocking her feet out from beneath her. Griff caught her elbow and steadied her.

  “Sorry.” Griff took the boxes. “He’s a little excited to see you. You think I had a hard time without you? You should’ve seen Max.”

  Hilary laughed as she bent down and hugged the dog. “I missed you too, Max.”

  “Come on, let’s go inside.” Griff waited for her to pass through before he closed the door.

  “Oh, wow.” Hilary turned to him as she slipped off her coat. “This looks amazing.” In the corner of the room, now void of all the Abara family gifts, stood a beautiful tree. “When did you do this?”

  “Last night.” Griff put the packages down, walked over, and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. “This was Lucinda’s tree. She loved Christmas, and I didn’t have the heart to give her tree away, so it’s been in a box all these years.”

  “You must’ve been up all night.” Hilary cocked her head so she got a glance of his face.

  “Just a few hours.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

  She spun around in his arms and gazed into his brown eyes. “It is perfect.” Hilary kissed him, hoping she conveyed the love she carried in her heart.

  “How about presents?” he asked when they had to stop for air.

  “Yes, please.” Hilary picked up her gifts. Griff led her to the couch, and she pulled him down beside her. “Before we start, I need to tell you what I didn’t get to finish last night.”

  Griff’s forehead creased and a concerned look flashed in his eyes. “Okay.”

  “It’s not bad.” She smiled as he sighed. “I talked to Sam and told him my terms for sponsorship. Originally, when Sam and I spoke, I worried he wanted to manage the channel as part of his sponsorship, but he doesn’t, or at least now he doesn’t.” Hilary took Griff’s hand in hers. “He considered the idea but realized he didn’t have the time. He agreed to what I asked, and now he’s a sponsor.”

  “So, I guess you’ll be traveling now.” Griff didn’t sound excited.

  “Yes and no.” Hilary squeezed his fingers. “I’ve been looking at this all wrong. I thought it was all or nothing, be traveling all the time or not at all, and that’s not the answer. My parents still need me, and I want to be there for them, but now, with Sam’s money, we can hire someone so I can go for a week or two at a time.”

  “Oh.” Griff wasn’t smiling.

  “And I thought, since you’re an architect, maybe you could do a little traveling with me? Do some research? Work on the road?”

  His eyes lit up, and a smile covered his face. “You want me to go with you?”

  “Of course I do, but only if you want to.” This was the reaction she was hoping for. “And I’ve already got a person hired to help out at the hotel.”

  “You do?” Griff raised a brow over his twinkling eyes.

  “Yes, Suzie. I talked to her, and she said she’d love the job. I think she’ll do great at it. Suzie’s a very social person.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Griff kissed her, and her head spun.

  She drew back. “If you start doing that, we might never get to the presents, and my parents are expecting us at five.”

  “Okay, if you say so.” He stole one more kiss.

  “Here.” She handed him h
is gift. “Open this.”

  Griff grinned as he untied the bow. “What is it?”

  “I’m not telling you. Open it and find out.” Hilary laughed at his childlike glee.

  He tore off the paper and opened the box. Griff took out a bright green scarf and smiled. “Did you make this?”

  She nodded. “And look, there’s another one for me.”

  Griff reached in and pulled out the matching scarf. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Remember the couple in the park?” Hilary picked up the end of one scarf and examined her work. “Except this was my first try at crocheting, and we might not want to wear these in public.”

  “Are you kidding?” He tossed his around his neck. “I love them.” Griff wrapped Hilary’s half of the matching set around her and pulled her close. “And I love you.” He pressed his lips to hers. “It’s my turn.” He hopped up from the couch.

  “But I have a present for Max.”

  “He can wait.” He shook his head. “I can’t.” Griff went to the tree, reached into the branches, and pulled out a small box. “This is for you.”

  Hilary’s heart pounded as she accepted the gift. “Thank you.” Her voice caught in her throat.

  “I hope you like it.” Griff sat beside her. “Open it.”

  She gingerly pulled the red ribbon loose and tore the gold paper at the seams. A blue velvet box sat in her hands. Hilary glanced up at Griff, and he nodded at her. She lifted the lid and gasped. “It was you?”

  “What was me?” Griff looked at her.

  Hilary took out a gold charm bracelet. One heart-shaped charm hung from the band. She looked closely and saw GB loves HN engraved in the center of the heart. “You’re the one who gave me all the charms.” She grinned at him.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Griff raised an incredulous brow. “This is the only charm I’ve picked out for you.”

  “You don’t have to keep it a secret anymore.” Hilary held up the bracelet and examined the details more closely. “I love them, and now they all make sense.”

  “Hilary, I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  She searched his face. “You don’t, do you?”

  Griff turned his head left to right and back again. “No.”

  “That’s crazy.” She unlatched the bracelet. “I guess it must’ve been Christmas magic.”

  Griff helped her put the bracelet on her wrist as she told him about the six other charms she’d received over the past several weeks. “I don’t get it.” He scratched his chin. “I didn’t even know I was getting the charm bracelet until last week.”

  Hilary sighed and leaned back into the cushion. “I don’t know. Maybe we have a Christmas angel.” A framed photograph she hadn’t noticed before caught her eye. She got up and walked over to the mantel. Her heart dropped. “Griff, who is this?”

  He got up and met her at the fireplace. “That’s Lucinda. Haven’t I shown you her picture before?”

  “No.” Her words were barely audible. Her knees weakened, and Griff reached for her.

  “Are you okay?”

  “That woman, Lucinda?” Hilary touched the glass. “She’s stayed at the hotel a couple times this month, only she checked in as Cindy Carter.”

  Griff held her tighter. “Carter was Lucinda’s maiden name, and Carl called her Cindy as a nickname.” He swallowed. “But that can’t be right. She’s been gone for years now.”

  “I know, but I swear to you, the woman in this photo is the same woman who has been staying at the hotel.”

  “I believe you.” Griff touched the frame. “I guess you won’t think I’m crazy when I tell you I’ve been hearing Lucinda’s voice in my head.”

  Hilary laughed. “No, I won’t.” She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think you and I have our very own Christmas angel.”

  Griff pressed his forehead against hers. “I think you’re right.”

  They glanced up at the star shining at the top of the tree. Thank you, Cindy.

  Epilogue

  One year later …

  Excitement flooded Hilary’s senses as she took in her surroundings. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.” Griff videoed Hilary as she walked the cobblestone streets of the Marktplatz in Stuttgart, Germany. A Christmas bazaar covered five square blocks with wooden chalets adorned in garlands. Hilary stopped in front of a historic building called the Wintertraum Markt. “Can you believe how beautiful this is?” She hadn’t expected to feel this emotional, but the experience was more than she’d dreamed about.

  “I can.” Griff nodded. “Anywhere in the world, wherever you are, is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We’re going to have to edit this episode.”

  “It’s true, and your viewers appreciate my honesty.”

  Hilary giggled. “I’m not sure how many people tune in to see me talk about holidays anymore. I think a lot of them are hoping to catch a glimpse of my good-looking cohost/husband.”

  Griff shook his head. “Quit goofing around and get back to your tour.” He focused the camera. “I’m starving. Can we visit somewhere to eat next?”

  “Yes, but make sure you get plenty of footage of this old palace. I just love it.” Hilary pinched herself several times a day to make sure she was awake. This past year, she’d traveled to places she’d only imagined in her mind and married the man she never wanted to live without. Her dad got stronger day after day, and her mom and Suzie had become fast friends. Hilary found time to work in the hotel and work on her channel. “Did you talk to my dad today?”

  “Yes, I told him we’ll be home on the 23rd.” Griff put down the camera. “I think he’s finally made a decision on which plans to go with.”

  Hilary sighed. “I don’t know who loves you more, me or my dad.”

  “It’s a toss-up.”

  She laughed. “I’m so happy you’re helping him renovate and add on to the hotel. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my dad this excited about something.”

  “Me too.” Griff had done some digging and found grant money available for historical buildings in small towns in the US. “I can’t wait to get going on it.”

  “Maryn will be surprised when she sees all the ideas you’ve come up with.” Hilary took out her phone for the address of the restaurant she wanted to try. “She and Tom fly in on Christmas Eve morning. It will be so nice to have her home for the holiday.” Not only did her sister’s career flourish in Ghana, but her heart did as well. She’d met her fiancé, Tom, and they planned to marry next summer.

  “The more the merrier.” Griff handed Hilary the camera, which she put in her bag. “Now how about we eat?”

  Hilary tucked her arm through his. “Yes, let’s eat.” She hummed as they wandered down the street. Griff gazed down at her and smiled. His happiness radiated in his eyes, and Hilary sidled up beside him as she pressed her hand to the small of her belly. Christmas morning, she planned to tell him what the Christmas angel had brought them this year—she could hardly wait!

  * * *

  We hope you enjoyed this Christmas romance. You can read another sweet Christmas story from Erica Penrod by clicking here.

  Also by Erica Penrod

  Thank you for reading Charming Christmas!

  If you enjoyed reading this contemporary country novel, then you’ll love the Cowboy Reality Romance series by bestselling author Erica Penrod.

  Cowboy Reality Romance: Kip

  Cassie Carter, a single mother of three-year-old twin boys, needed a start after her husband died. Working as a nanny in Park City, Utah, for a wealthy family seems like the best place to start. She can keep her children with her, room and board is provided, and there's no chance of falling in love. The the mountains, mansion, and horses are all beautiful but what blows Cassie away is Kip Morgan.

  Kip is a horse trainer and reality television star who can send her pulse into a stampede with just one t
ouch. While Cassie works to sort out her feelings and what really happened to her late husband and keep her feelings for Kip at arm's length, her boys become Kip’s biggest fans. Caught in a dangerous web her late husband left behind, Cassie scrambles to protect her family from harm and her heart from Kip. However, Kip holds the key to unlocking the mystery behind her husband’s death . Cassie will have to trust him or risk leaving herself and her boys exposed to the dangers lurking in her past.

  Cowboy Reality Romance: Jaxon

  Jaxon Davis thought he was doing the right thing creating the television show The Cowboys, in an effort to bring his family ranch out of foreclosure. Seduced by the glamour and the lights, he let the one thing he really valued slip through his fingers. When his barely ex-wife finds out she’s expecting his baby, Jaxon works for a chance at reconciliation and redemption. Can he let go of the fame that sucked him in or will he fall to the temptress once again and lose Janie and their baby forever?

  Cowboy Reality Romance: Tyson

  When Tess took a break from her successful career as a television reporter to help her mother recover from back surgery, the last thing she expected was to run into Tayson Cole. The man broke her heart on New Year’s Eve and the two of them clash like bulls on a regular basis. However, she’s seen the better side of the reality television star and fallen for him which makes keeping her resolution to stay away from the professional bull fighter all that more difficult to keep.

  Tess wants the real Tayson and refuses to play the games he uses to keep people away from seeing the guilt eating him up inside. The accident wasn’t Tayson’s fault and yet he continues to blame himself. The threat of losing Tess forever might be the only thing that saves this cowboy’s trampled heart.

  About the Author