Mistletoe Magic (12 page)

“Do you think it’s right to take people’s money on Christmas Eve?” Melissa protested.

“A small compensation for being out of work,” Clarence said, transferring the money to a pocket. “They obviously don’t need it or they wouldn’t have offered, and it might buy the three of us a good meal when we need it.”

It was difficult to argue with Clarence’s logic.

“Hey, Santa, I gotta ask for something I forgot, okay?” called a towheaded boy from his second-story window.

“Yes, my lad? What is it?” Clarence boomed in his official Santa voice.

“Do you think you could make my mom have a boy this time? I already got two sisters. Mom’s in the hospital right now!”

“Well, I’m going to be awfully busy tonight, so I can’t promise, but I shall see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Santa!”

All three stifled their laughter as they went on, this time singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Wasn’t that what she was doing? Melissa thought, irritated when a couple kissing under a streetlight made her think of Rafe.

Why couldn’t she forget the dratted man? He hadn’t exactly been eager to include her in his holiday plans to begin with, Melissa thought, forcing herself to remember how he’d excluded her from sharing the pleasure of trimming his tree with the kids. Then, because he’d been upset about them going to visit Nicole, he’d picked a fight with her, criticizing her lifestyle. To top it off, he hadn’t called either to apologize or to say he wasn’t coming over tonight.

Having no doubts that Rafe Damon was off somewhere having a good time—maybe at the same party as Hux—Melissa was determined to have as merry a Christmas as he!

“Rafe, dear, you can’t sit here in the dark by yourself all night. Not on Christmas Eve.”

“I’m not sitting in the dark. The Christmas-tree lights are on and I’ve got a fire going. Would you feel better if I turned on all the lights in the living room?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you get dressed up and come to the party with us? Charles is due any minute, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind waiting for you.”

“Good Lord, Louise, don’t you think I’d feel ridiculous tagging along with my mother and her date?”

“You could have your own date if you’d stop being so stubborn and call Melissa. I don’t know what you two fought about, but I’m sure you could resolve it if you wanted to, especially considering the holiday. Haven’t you ever heard of peace on earth and goodwill to men? That means kiss and make up.”

“The holidays don’t have anything to do with anything,” Rafe grumbled, staring out the window at the falling snow.

“Really? Isn’t that why you’re so out of sorts?” Louise asked carefully. “Because the children have gone off to visit with Nicole for the holidays?”

“Maybe, but I can’t help it, Louise. I know Nicole is going to do something irresponsible to disappoint Gretta and Hank again.”

“You don’t know that.” Though her words were meant to be reassuring, her tone was worried.

“I feel it. Every time they visit her they come back mixed up and unhappy and then you and I have to deal with the problem. What can I do? I can’t keep them from her. No matter how thoughtless or self-centered she is, Nicole is still their mother and they love her. I just wish she’d grow up.”

“And I wish you wouldn’t take out your anxieties on Melissa. You know she was expecting to spend the evening with you.” Louise gave her son a significant stare and sighed dramatically. “Poor little thing. I can just imagine how deserted she feels, all alone on Christmas Eve. Why, Melissa is probably sitting in front of her window watching the snowflakes fall—forlornly waiting for a certain stubborn son of mine to call to apologize.”

“Louise, I’d appreciate it if you let me live my own life. I may be your son, but I’m not your little boy,” Rafe growled. Nor was he Melissa’s father! he silently added for good measure, still rankling at her heated remark.

“Pardon me. I didn’t mean to interfere.” Louise’s dark eyes expressed anything but an apology. “Don’t worry about it. From now on if you want to be an ass, Rafe dear, go right ahead. I certainly won’t try to stop you.”

With that she stiffly marched down the steps to her own quarters, leaving Rafe feeling guilty as hell. Was he going to spoil
everyone’s
holiday? he wondered. Bad enough he’d ruined his own by picking that fight with Melissa about her work. All he’d wanted was to spend more time with her, and now he had none at all.

Maybe he should call her. He had promised to help trim her Christmas tree. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure she had one since he’d also promised to help pick one out. After thinking about it Rafe decided calling Melissa would be the right thing to do. And if she
had
bought a tree, perhaps she’d still want his help decorating it.

With unaccustomed excitement, Rafe dialed her number. He let the phone ring an interminable number of times, but there was no answer. She wasn’t home. Sadly, he hung up. It hadn’t taken Melissa long to find someone else with whom to spend Christmas Eve. Was it with a new man or an old acquaintance, someone she used to date before she met him?

Popping out of his chair, Rafe paced the floor, tripping over the coffee table in the dark. Damn, but he was clumsy in addition to being irritable and restless. Maybe he
should
go to the party. Hux would probably show. But as he thought it he heard the downstairs door open. Gravitating to the window, he saw Charles help Louise into his Mercedes.

Did everyone have someone with whom they could share their Christmas Eve except him?

After stoking the fire and adding another log, Rafe stooped next to the tree and found the present he’d bought Melissa. He sat down and gently touched the wrapping as though it were her skin. Would he ever see her in the filigreed gold earrings set with sapphires he’d found in an antique shop? She’d look beautiful in them. She’d look beautiful in anything—or nothing at all.

He had to stop that or he’d drive himself crazy.

Rafe told himself that Melissa Ryan was
not
the right woman for him. He was mature and loaded with responsibilities, carefully looking to the future. Melissa lived from day to day. They just weren’t right for each other.

He was already crazy if he believed that.

No matter how hard he tried, Rafe couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who’d become so important to him in such a short time. Staring into the flames, he replayed scenes from their relationship, imagining Melissa in all her moods. Eventually he grew drowsy, and time slipped away.

“Why don’t you give a little love on Christmas Day…”

Rafe woke with a start, trying to focus on the faint but melodic words. Someone was singing out front. Checking his watch, he realized it was just about midnight.

Who in the world was out there at this time of night singing Christmas carols? Rafe yawned loudly and rose, intending to check it out. A soft clunk at his foot made him pause. Picking up the object, he realized it was Melissa’s present. After setting it down carefully on the coffee table, he headed for the window.

Peering down through the moving curtain of snowflakes to the crystal-coated street, he noticed a small group of people, one of them a rotund man in red. Santa Claus? Rafe rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked again, but the apparition didn’t disappear. Someone must be ready to deliver presents to a bunch of kids or something. Well, it was late, so instead of worrying about it, he was going to bed. His hand closing over the blind lever, he noted the shorter man next to Santa. Didn’t the green elf look familiar?

Shrugging, about to close the blinds, Rafe hesitated when he spotted a sparkly pink dress. It couldn’t be. He pressed his nose right up against the glass and squinted hard. But it was!

How did they end up on Rafe’s street? Melissa wondered, staring at the brownstone’s darkened windows. Had fate guided her here, of all places? Or could she thank a matchmaking Santa and elf? Clarence and Terry were both trying very hard to appear innocent as they began “Give Love on Christmas Day.” Smiling happily at the song’s message, Melissa sang her heart out.

How appropriate! When they finished the song she’d rush right across the street to wish Rafe a merry Christmas! So what if they’d had some stupid argument? It didn’t mean they didn’t care about each other. He’d been too tense about his kids’ departure. Perhaps she’d been too sensitive because she’d been worried about money. Were those good enough reasons to keep them apart? Melissa didn’t think so. And since someone had to make the first move, why shouldn’t she play the good fairy one more time?

Twirling with joy, Melissa spotted Rafe, his nose pressed against the window. She waved wildly, but slightly dizzy from whirling around, bumped into a large man who momentarily blocked her view. By the time she untangled herself from the stranger, Rafe was no longer in the window.

Melissa’s throat went dry and the note she was singing went sour, then died. Hot tears sprang to her eyes and her newfound merriment dissolved like melted snow.

Rafe hadn’t wanted to acknowledge her.

Her eyes met those of her friends. Sensing her distress, they, too, stopped singing. Dejectedly, she backed away, planning to find a quick way home as nearby church bells toned the hour.

It was midnight.

Chapter Seven

Rafe practically tripped down the stairs in his eagerness to get to Melissa. She’d come to make up, to spend what was left of Christmas Eve with him. They would be together after all! As he sped down the hallway, he strained to hear the cheerful caroling voices, but the only sounds he could discern were church bells. Why weren’t Melissa and her friends still singing?

Eagerly throwing open the door—hoping to see Melissa on his stoop or at least heading for it—Rafe yelled, “Merry Christmas!” into the snowy night, then froze as he realized the small crowd across the street had drifted off. Melissa herself was walking away, her head hung dejectedly, followed by Santa and his elf. “Wait!” He rushed out of the doorway at a frantic pace, unmindful of the snow beneath his feet. His “Melissa, don’t leave!” was just as frantic as he went down hard when his feet slipped out from under him. “Damn!”

But he was up in a shot, slipping and sliding across the sidewalk, then across the street to a wide-eyed Melissa, who’d turned to witness his almost acrobatic progress.

“Rafe!”

“Merry Christmas, my very own sugarplum fairy.” He spoke softly, his words punctuated by the vaporized cloud formed by his heaving breath. His chest hurt as he studied her by the light of the streetlight and the sparkling snow. He tried to discern her expression. Wasn’t she glad to see him? Why had she been leaving? He touched her soft curls as he asked, “And just where did you think you were going?”

Her lips curled into a slow smile, and her cheek dimpled beguilingly, making his breath catch in his throat. Rafe lost control. Joyfully lifting Melissa in his arms, he twirled her so fast that her pink tulle skirts billowed wildly around them and she had to clasp her rhinestone tiara in place so that it wouldn’t fly off.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!” he shouted just before they both went down into the snow, laughing happily.

“Merry Christmas, Rafe.”

Tenderly he kissed the lips that spoke his name so intimately, shutting out the world around them. She was so very soft and lovable, Rafe thought.

“Merry Christmas, kids,” Terry said, gleefully interrupting what should have been a private moment.

“Should I assume I have you two to thank for this very special delivery?” Rafe asked Clarence and Terry as he got up, lifted Melissa from the ground, then brushed the snow from her dress and cape.

“No thanks needed, my good man. Just see that you treat her with all due respect.”

“Don’t worry. I will.” Rafe pulled Melissa close to his heart and hugged her fiercely. “But tell me, how could you be sure I’d be home? I could have gone to a party or something, and then your matchmaking would have been in vain.”

“That thought did occur to me, but I decided if you cared about Melissa, you’d be sitting home alone, just as miserable as she was.”

“Clarence!” Melissa’s exclamation was followed by a reluctant shrug and a happy smile. “I’ve never been set up so wonderfully.”

Clarence nodded regally. “I always attempt to pay my debts in full.”

Melissa pulled out of Rafe’s arms to hug him, then Terry. “Thank you both.”

“It’s cold out here,” Rafe said, realizing his teeth were beginning to chatter. “Let’s go inside and finish our conversation in front of a nice warm fire. I can heat up some glogg.”

“Oh, no!” Melissa wailed. “Now
he
wants me to drink that poisonous stuff!”

Terry grinned. “Don’t defame Clarence’s brew. After all, it worked. Now you two go on and have a good time.”

“We have other stops to make,” Clarence added.

“If you’re sure?” Rafe shivered as melted snow began to seep through his clothing. “Well, Merry Christmas, then. And thanks again.”

As they headed for the brownstone, Rafe heard Santa boom, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

“I’ll drink to that!” Rafe said, putting an arm around Melissa and hugging her tightly to his side.