Jingle Bell Romance

He didn’t normally give children much thought, but he heard himself ask, “Who wouldn’t? It’s like a winter wonderland in here.”

“That’s the idea.”

She rewarded him with a warm, approving look that made him want another one. Searching his mind, he came up with a surefire strategy. “Seeing as I’m a Scrooge who’s never even set foot in a toy store, what would you recommend for me to put under the gifting tree?”

“The children fill out a tag for something that would make their Christmas morning special.” She pointed to yet another tree set up near the fireplace. Decorated in a more casual style, it sported at least a dozen sparkly snowflakes with writing on them. “The only rule is, nothing practical. No socks or school supplies. It has to be something they really, truly want just because it would make them happy. With the economy the way it is, lots of parents have a tough time buying anything beyond the necessities.”

“So you’re filling in the gap.”

“I’m trying to.”

What a nice thing to do. Most of the women he met were either obsessed with their own careers or determined to snag a man who could support them with his. Finding one who seemed to fall in neither of those columns intrigued him, to say the least. Nick strolled over to the tree, figuring it shouldn’t be too hard to hold up his end of the bargain. He’d pick one, buy the gift and then get to work. But as he surveyed the tags, his plans quickly got derailed.

“A stuffed puppy,” one read, “because Mommy says we can’t buy food for a real one.”

“A collar with a name tag for my kitten,” another said, “because she’s my best friend, and I don’t want her to get lost.”

One in particular caught his eye because he recognized his niece Hannah’s writing from the artwork plastering the front of his sister’s fridge. Taking it from the branch, he read the misspelled request. “Ples brng uncl nik hom to liv. Momy and grama mis him.”

Not Grampa, though. Even four-year-old Hannah had picked up on the rift in the family, Nick thought as he showed the tag to Julia. “Did you see this one?”

“Yes. Lainie and Todd brought the kids in Wednesday morning to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Hannah just met me,” he protested. “Why would she wish for me to come home?”

Julia tilted her head at him with a sympathetic expression. “She’s a sweet little girl, and she wants to make her family happy.”

“Well, I’m not staying.” Crushing the cut-out snowflake in his fist, he jammed it into the pocket of his coat. Although he couldn’t fulfill his niece’s request, he didn’t want her to be disappointed on Christmas Day. “You should have her make another tag so she gets something else.”

“You could compromise by staying a few more days,” Julia suggested while she wired holly berries into one of the display wreaths. “Let her get to know you and vice versa. You might even enjoy yourself.”

She didn’t seem to be listening to him, so Nick was fairly certain he’d never be able to make this kind woman see his point of view. Out of long-standing habit, he went with bravado. “That’s not gonna happen. I have a business to get back to.”

She pressed her perfectly curved lips into a disapproving line but didn’t say anything more on the subject. Ending the argument had been Nick’s intent, but he had to admit her quick surrender was a letdown. Not that it mattered, of course. He’d just been hoping she’d give him more of a challenge.

“You can set yourself up in my office.” She pointed to a burgundy velvet curtain held aside by gold tassels. “It’s back through there.”

“Thanks, but I need to buy a toy first.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Flicking her hand, she set a gold charm bracelet jingling like a set of sleigh bells. “I know you’re anxious to get out of town, so I won’t hold you up.”

He wasn’t crazy about choosing a gift for some rug rat he didn’t even know, so Nick was thrilled to be let off the hook so easily. He hurried toward the back of the store before she could change her mind. As he pulled his laptop from its case, Nick was disturbed to find he was still rattled by Hannah’s Christmas wish. She was so young, he was sure his sister hadn’t filled her in on the darker side of the McHenry family history. It was hard for grown-ups to handle, and he wouldn’t wish it on a child.

He was objective and logical by nature. Ideal for a reporter, those qualities also served him well in his personal relationships. He kept people—including his family—at arm’s length because he’d learned that was the best way to get through life unscathed. Since they’d just met, Julia didn’t know that, and even if he managed to find a way to explain, she wouldn’t understand. Open and gracious, she was his polar opposite, like sunshine bringing light to a cloudy day.

Completely out of character for him, the poetic image didn’t do much for his mood, and he grumbled as he settled in at Julia’s desk and powered up his computer. Hopefully, focusing on work would get his mind off the clash of emotions Hannah’s innocent request had unleashed inside him.

His quick trip to the toy store had turned into more than he’d planned on, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Chapter Two

Julia was hanging stockings on the mantel when she felt a tug on the hem of her sweater. She didn’t recognize the little boy, but he had a shy look about him, so she hunkered down to his level. “May I help you, sir?”

“My friend told me you’re doing ging-a-bread houses,” he answered so quietly she had to strain to hear him.

“Yes, we are.” Noticing his mother hovering nearby, she smiled at the young woman, then at her son. “Every Saturday from two to five, starting next week. Did you want to make one? I can add you to our list.”

His hazel eyes big as saucers, he nodded solemnly. “My name is Colby.”

As he stared at her, Julia got the feeling he wanted to say something else, but she didn’t want to rush him. A timid soul herself, she resented it when people hurried her through a conversation or—worse yet—presumed they knew what she was thinking. So she took her time writing his name on the schedule.

A few seconds later, he rewarded her patience. “Do you have any more of those trucks?”

He pointed to an antique model from Berlin. Part of Julia’s private collection, it was one-of-a-kind and not for sale. Judging by his mother’s panicky look, she’d already guessed that.

Julia eased her mind with a wink, then spoke to her son. “Actually, that’s the last one. I found it at a store in Germany, and I’ve been saving it for someone special. Do you think maybe that’s you?”

“Yes,” he replied, quickly this time. “It’s just like the one my granddad used to drive when he helped build the road out to Schooner Point. He showed me pictures...”

Delighted that he’d opened up to her, Julia listened while Colby relayed some of what his grandfather had told him about working on the road crew. When he was finished, she took a blank snowflake from the basket on the counter. “To get the truck, you need to fill this out for me and hang it on the Gifting Tree. In return, bring in a small gift for someone else to make their Christmas better. Okay?”

He checked with his mom, who looked a little shocked but nodded. While he was occupied filling out his tag, she moved closer to Julia. “How did you do that?” she asked in a hushed tone. “He never talks to anyone outside the family.”

Laughing, Julia patted her arm. “Boys and trucks. Or lizards or snakes, or something like that.”

“How many children do you have?”

The innocent question plucked a painful nerve, but Julia covered it with a smile. “None. I just like kids.”

Glancing around, the young mother leaned in closer. “I have to say, I’ve heard some not very nice things about you since you moved here in the spring. But that truck must’ve been expensive, and you’re very generous to give it to a little boy you don’t even know. I’m glad to find out those folks were wrong.”

Time and again Julia had endured the snap judgments people made about her simply because they assumed she must be snobby and spoiled because she was rich and famous. She’d come to this picturesque village, far removed from the public eye, intending to erase all that and start again. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done.

“Hopefully, once they get to know me, they’ll feel the same way,” she commented as Colby rejoined his mother.

“I know they will. Thanks again.”

As the two of them made their way out, she heard him say, “Mommy, I like that pretty toy lady.”

The sweet comment made her smile, and Julia went to help another customer trying to choose between lawyer Barbie and ballerina Barbie. They were debating which would appeal most to her seven-year-old granddaughter when a frustrated bellow shook the Austrian crystal ornaments dangling from one of the trees.

“What do you mean, cancelled?”

The elderly woman gave Julia a hawkish look. “You have a man back there?”

“No.” Realizing that sounded dishonest, she immediately corrected herself. “Well, yes, but he’s just using my office to get some work done. Excuse me a minute.”

“No rush.” Holding a box in each hand, she looked from one to the other. “I need to think about this.”

“Take your time.” Hurrying to the back, Julia wished she’d installed a door to contain the noise. Since she and a couple of part-time clerks were the only ones who worked in the store, it hadn’t seemed necessary. Until now.

Hoping to avoid a further scene, she kept her voice low as she entered. “Is there a problem back here?”

Clearly aggravated, a scowling Nick waved her off. Pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, he growled, “I know there’s a storm coming up the coast. That’s why I’m trying to get back to Richmond. Today.” He listened for a few moments, then heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, tomorrow at noon. I don’t care how much more it is—just get me on that flight.”

Clicking his phone off, he tossed it on Julia’s small writing desk in a gesture she presumed was commonplace for him. Irked by his rudeness, she rested a protective hand on one of her prized possessions. “This was handmade for me by an artisan in Tuscany. I’d appreciate you not beating on it because you’re mad.”

“Sorry.” Another deep sigh, and he glowered up at the ceiling, as if that would get his plane back on schedule. He blinked, then did a slow circuit of the high shelves that made it clear he’d just noticed them. “Whoa. That’s a lot of— What are they?”

“Dollhouse miniatures,” she replied, handing his phone back to him. “I’ve been collecting them since I was a little girl.”

There was at least one complete set of every room in a doll’s mansion, down to the real silverware, china and delicate crystal set for twelve on a Chippendale dining table. Four-poster beds, sofas and chairs, electric lamps of all sizes, even three vintage bathrooms—all arranged in vignettes she lovingly dusted once a week.

Glancing around, he came back to her with a puzzled expression. “Where’s the dollhouse?”

“We traveled so much when I was growing up, it didn’t make sense to constantly pack and unpack something that big. I collected small things, so I could always take them with me. Now that I’m settled, I’d love to get a dollhouse but haven’t had the chance yet.”

“No pets with all that moving around, huh?”

“Oh, no, we had lots of pets. My mother loves birds, and we always had a cat or two.” Thinking back through her father’s many assignments, she laughed. “In Australia, we took care of an orphaned koala until it was old enough to go into the reserve.”

“Very cool,” he breathed, and a quick glance told her he meant it. Unfortunately, his next comment ruined the moment. “Y’know, you’d make a great article. Glamorous world traveler bringing Christmas to kids in a small town, something like that. With your connections to famous entertainers, politicians and royalty, your story would be picked up by every media service in the world.”

“My life was on display for years, but I’m done with that,” she informed him crisply as she turned to go. “While you’re in my office, please keep your voice down.”

Unfazed by her scolding, he pointed at her with a shameless wink. “Gotcha.”

Lucy was right, Julia fumed as she pulled herself back together and returned to her confused customer. Nick McHenry was nothing but trouble.

* * *

“G’bye, Uncle Nick.” Sunday morning, Hannah wrapped her arms around his legs, which was as high as she could reach. “See you at Christmas.”

Bag in one hand, he patted her head with the other. “I might not be able to do that, munchkin. I appreciate the invitation, though.”

As Hannah went back into the living room to watch some kids’ TV show, he glanced over at his little sister, including her in the apology. Lainie looked unhappy but nodded because that was the answer she’d expected. She didn’t like it, but she understood.

“Thanks for coming,” she said, giving him his third hug of the day. “It meant a lot to Mom and me.”

But not to Dad, Nick added silently. While he’d anticipated the pastor’s cool reception and barely there conversation, it had stung more than he wanted to admit. So many years had passed since they’d been together as a family, he’d let himself believe that maybe this visit would be different.

Wrong again.

His phone started buzzing in his coat pocket. Grateful for the distraction, he took it out and checked the caller ID. When he saw it was the Rockland Airport, he groaned before hitting Answer. “Please don’t tell me that Richmond flight’s delayed again.”

Feeling like the universe itself was somehow lined up against him, he leaned his forehead against a cool pane of glass in the kitchen door. Yesterday’s flurries had built into something more substantial, and he heard the scraping-ice sound of a highway plow passing by the house. “I know the weather’s still bad. When’s the first plane back?”

Grinding his teeth, he waited while the airline clerk tapped keys on her computer. Her eventual answer didn’t thrill him. Apparently they were grounding all flights south, and the first flight out was— “Noon tomorrow? Are you serious?”

After being assured that yes, the clerk was serious, he sighed his agreement and scribbled his new confirmation code on the back of the tag he’d crammed into his pocket at the toy store and promptly forgotten. Punching the off button on his phone, he put it back in his pocket and waved the snowflake at Lainie. “Did you know about this?”

In the middle of washing the breakfast dishes, she let her hands drip into the sink and looked over at him. “Sure. Julia told Hannah she could ask for anything she wanted, and she asked for you.”

“That’s crazy,” he grumbled, dropping into one of six mismatched chairs. “She doesn’t even know me.”

Taking a towel from its ring near the sink, Lainie dried her hands before joining him at the table. Resting a hand on his arm, she gave him an adoring smile. “She knows about you. I’ve got plenty of pictures, and I’ve told her lots of stories about her supersmart and talented uncle. I mean, how many people have what it takes to run their very own online magazine?”

Her glowing description of him made him antsy, and he leaned back in his chair to put a little space between them. “Thanks, but I kinda like my black-sheep status. Makes things easier.”

“Things like ducking every family gathering for the past seven years? After you came back for my wedding, it was like you dropped off the face of the earth.” Frowning, she shook her head. “That’s no way to live, Nick. Mom and I miss you like crazy.”

“Not Dad, though,” he argued. “He likes this arrangement just as much as I do.”

“It’s not an arrangement. It’s avoidance, and I don’t understand why the rest of us have to suffer because you and Dad are too stubborn to make amends.”

“Amends?” Instantly on the defensive, Nick jumped up to start pacing. “What makes you think that’s even possible after all this time?”

“Ian’s death was an accident. Everyone knows that except you.”

Normally, he avoided this subject entirely, but for some reason today was different. “It wasn’t an accident, and Dad and I both know it. I’m responsible for what happened. If I hadn’t been messing around in that boat, our big brother would’ve had a great life instead of drowning when he was fifteen.”

Anguish filled her hazel eyes, then tears began streaming down her cheeks. Nick felt awful for having unleashed all that, and he crouched down to put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Lainie. I didn’t mean to open all that up again.”

“It’s not your fault.” She sniffled, gazing at him with the loving little-sister look he’d missed all these years. “It was never your fault. Every night, I pray that someday you’ll believe that.”

She meant well, and the thought of her praying for him should have made him feel better. Instead, it shoved his temper into high gear, and he fought to keep his voice calm. “Save your prayers for someone who really needs them. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she insisted with the same trademark McHenry stubbornness she’d accused him of. “I don’t care how indestructible you think you are. No one’s strong enough to handle everything on their own.”

“It’s a nice thought.” Standing, he kissed her forehead before stepping back. “But you’re wasting your time praying for me.”

Gasping, she stared at him as if he’d slapped her. “How could you possibly think that?”

“God only answers if He cares. He stopped caring about me a long time ago.”

Because he’d had more than enough theology for one day, Nick pulled up his coat collar and headed outside. It would be cold out there, but at least it would be quiet.

* * *

After an enjoyable but exhausting Saturday at Toyland, Julia welcomed the quiet of Sunday morning. Walking to the small church across the square, she met up with several others doing the same thing. They all greeted her with a smile, and they chatted along the way. A weekly tradition for her, it was a very pleasant start to the day.

Inside the old-fashioned chapel, Julia slid into her usual spot beside the Martins. After greeting everyone, she glimpsed the pastor’s wife, Ann McHenry, sitting with the choir and sent her a subtle wave. The woman beamed and nodded back, and Julia realized she was looking into the same eyes Nick had. The difference was that Ann’s had a permanent sparkle in them, as if she looked into the world and saw something amusing every day.

Her son’s held barely restrained contempt, with the occasional glint of interest when something snared his attention. During her life in the diplomatic arena, Julia had met hundreds of people, and she’d developed a knack for reading them. None of that helped her with Nick, she thought with a frown as she opened her hymnal. From what she’d seen, the man was a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

“Did Nick get to the airport all right?” she asked Lainie.

“His flight got delayed ’til tomorrow. He stayed up late working last night, so he was still asleep when we left to come here. He probably wouldn’t have come anyway,” she added with a grimace. “Stubborn’s not the word for him sometimes.”

Julia had no trouble believing that, but she suspected his challenging demeanor was his way of keeping people at a distance. Sadly, it was a strategy she understood all too well. Trusting by nature, she’d learned the hard way that when you let someone too close, they discovered all kinds of things about you. That kind of intimate knowledge gave them a chance to hurt you so deeply, it took all your strength just to put one foot in front of the other.

The organ’s mellow chords pulled her from her dismal thoughts, and she gladly let them go. After their first hymn, Pastor Daniel McHenry moved out from behind his lectern and held his arms open wide. “Welcome, one and all, to the Safe Harbor Church. If you’re joining us for the first time this morning, feel free to introduce yourself.”

It was a no-pressure way to bring them into the fold, and the few brave enough to stand were greeted warmly by the pastor. She’d never known Pastor McHenry to have a harsh word for anyone. His wife and daughter were the same way. So what had happened with Nick? It must have been something horrible to drive a wedge so firmly between him and his father.

“Today’s sermon comes from Luke and is inspired by my very generous wife.” Pausing, he smiled back at Ann before facing the gathering again. “Give, and it will be given to you.”

The line reminded Julia of her mother’s gentle advice, and she listened closely as he continued with a lesson about giving of yourself to make God’s world a better place. “Generosity isn’t only for the wealthy with money to spare,” he reminded them. “Share what you have—your time, your skills, your patience—to make someone else’s life better. That,” he assured them, “is Jesus’s enduring message, and the true spirit of Christmas.”

Julia normally had no trouble following the pastor’s heartfelt sermons, but her mind kept drifting to the new impressions she’d gotten of his family since meeting Nick. Every family had their troubles, but the McHenrys’ seemed to run much deeper than most. From the sketchy details Lainie had shared about her brother, Julia gathered that she and her mom had given up on fixing the problem between the father and son and were settling for civility on the few occasions they were forced to be together.

Throughout his distinguished career, Julia’s father had brought countless adversaries together to devise an acceptable truce between them. Some situations required more effort than others, but his remarkable success with sworn enemies spoke for itself. Over the years, she’d picked up some of those skills from observing him and often used them with people who seemed intent on making her life difficult. Could she use those skills here?

Lainie nudged her, and Julia stood for the next hymn. When her friend gave her a puzzled look, Julia simply smiled back. Unlike so many others, the Martins and McHenrys hadn’t labeled her a spoiled rich girl based on her nice clothes and exotic jewelry. Instead, they’d taken the time to get to know her and had made her feel like part of their family. Grateful beyond words, she wanted to do something that would make this Christmas extra special for them.

In that moment, it came to her. Of all the gifts she could give them, Julia knew which one would mean the most.

She’d broker peace between Nick and his father.

Nick himself had set the wheels in motion by coming home for Thanksgiving. To Julia, that proved the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless, but she recognized she couldn’t manage such a monumental task on her own.

Looking up, she closed her eyes and silently prayed for help in mending the McHenrys’ broken family. After a few moments, a sense of calm settled over her, assuring her she’d been heard and an answer was on the way.

Chapter Three

When Nick stepped outside to check on the snowfall, he heard the chorus of “Rudolph” coming from across the yard and found his brother-in-law singing along with the radio while he shoveled the driveway. Todd Martin was new in town, which in Holiday Harbor meant he’d been around less than ten years, arriving after Nick had left for New York. While Todd must have had heard plenty of negative things about him, apparently he didn’t hold any of them against Nick.

“You know that’s a losing cause around here, right?” Nick teased.

Todd laughed. “Yeah, but someone’s gotta do it. Lainie’s with the kids, so I’m elected.”

“In that case, do you have another shovel?”

Glancing at Nick’s stylish leather boots, he grinned. “You’re not exactly dressed for manual labor.”

“I’ll be fine.” Noticing a smaller shovel leaning against the shed, he retrieved it and started in on the other side of the driveway.

“Thanks for the help.” As they got to work, Todd continued. “I heard you’re stuck here ’til tomorrow.”

“Yeah. If I’d known how long I’d be here, I’d have stayed at a hotel so I wouldn’t be in your way.”