Love Finds You in Frost Minnesota (23 page)

“Open it,” Vince encouraged.

When she did, she saw a platinum necklace with the largest, most beautiful diamond she’d ever seen. She ran her finger over the stone before she took the necklace out of its box and held it to her neck.

Vince whistled. “Good job, Jack. That’s a beauty.”

Merry cradled the necklace in her hands and said nothing. Silently she handed it back to Jack.

“What are you doing?”

“And you said my gift to you was too big! That diamond has to be almost a carat. You could probably buy my store for the money you spent on that, Jack.”

“So? Like Vince, I have it to spend. You know my financial situation.”

“Why spend it on me?” Tears shone in her eyes.

“Merry,” he said intently as Vince’s presence receded into the background, “whether or not you know it, you gave me my life back. If it hadn’t been for you I’d still be angry, guilty, and living in the past. I didn’t believe there was a way to get over Jamie’s death and move on. You opened my eyes. Your crazy joy over the holiday, your passionate faith, your giddy pleasure at helping others . . . it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. You gave me a gift that no one else has even been able to—I got myself back and, I believe, my life. If that’s not worthy of a diamond bauble, I don’t know what is.”

Vince cleared his throat and stood up. “And now that I’ve witnessed another miracle, I’m going to bed. See you in the morning for church.” He quickly disappeared up the steps.

Jack chuckled. “I don’t think Vince is comfortable with gooey stuff.”

“Are you comfortable with it?”

“More every day,” and he kissed her.

They sat together watching the fire, Merry curled into Jack’s chest, his arm around her protectively, as if he’d never let her go. There was such peace in the room that neither felt the need to speak.

It was some time before Jack shifted so he could look at Merry. “I have something to confess.”

“Confess away,” she purred. “I forgive you for everything.”

“Not that kind of confession. I want to tell you when something clicked inside me like a switch turning the light on.”

“Hmm?”

“It was when we were playing Mary and Joseph for the living Nativity. I felt you against me and saw the look in your eyes as you studied that baby. It was the first time I truly realized what I’ve been missing. I’ve held everyone at arm’s length, friends, coworkers, women who expressed an interest in me, everyone.”

She sat up and looked into his eyes.

“I realized that I wanted a wife, that I wanted a child, that by carrying Jamie’s death on my shoulders I’d denied myself that kind of life. I want that kind of life now, Merry. And I want it with you.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

• • • • • • • • • • • •

They slept late after attending the midnight candlelight service at church. Merry was the first to awake, and she had the coffee brewing when Vince and Jack came downstairs.

“There are rolls and coffee. Church starts at eleven. I’m going upstairs to get dressed.” She looked shyly at Jack, wondering if she’d imagined last night. It was almost too wonderful to have been real.

But the intimate, only-for-her smile Jack gave her told her it hadn’t been a dream.

Merry was tempted to look down at her toes and make sure she wasn’t walking on air.

* * * * *

The church was full with not only the families of Frost but all their Christmas guests. As Merry sat beside Jack, their shoulders rubbing, a sense of peace filled her. It was as if God had planned this moment in time just for her. Nothing would make her forget this feeling of contentment with her life and her love for—

She snapped back to attention as Pastor Ed began to read the Christmas story and then shared a short message. When he was done, the congregation joined together for several carols. The singing was joyful and robust. At the end of the service, everyone filed out, and each child received a small brown paper sack to take home.

“What’s that?” Vince asked. “Do we get one?”

By the time they got to the back of the church to shake hands with the pastor, most of the children had gone. Merry took a bag out of the still overflowing basket and tipped her head toward Vince. “Do you mind, Pastor? Vince wonders what’s inside.”

“Help yourself,” Pastor Ed said. “By the way, Hildy called to tell me what happened. Praise God!”

He turned to Jack, then Vince. “Christmas blessings to both of you.”

By the time they got back to Merry’s, Vince was digging into the paper sack. He took it to her kitchen table and removed the contents piece by piece.

“Peanuts in the shell, an orange, peppermints, hairy candy . . .”

“That’s ribbon candy. The fuzz is from the peanut shells. It wouldn’t be the same if everything didn’t melt together a little under the lights.”

“But what is it?”

“A treat for the children. Fifty or sixty years ago it was a very big deal to hand out these sacks. Sometimes kids didn’t get much more than that for Christmas. It’s a tradition we’ve continued. I think it reminds us of how little we need and how much we want.”

“I feel like I’ve stepped back in time.” Vince paused. “I’m going to miss it when I head back to California.”

Merry glanced at him. “When is that?”

“Yeah, when
is
that?” Jack echoed. “You’ve kept me in the dark lately as to what you’re doing.” He scowled at his friend.

“And look how much healthier you look. You have me to thank for it. No stress, no strain.”

“Trusting you is both stress and strain, Vince. I need to get back in the loop.”

“I’m doing what has to be done and you know it.”

The discussion had taken on a somber, ominous tone, Merry noted. Vince was telling Jack to back off so he could do what needed to be done. What, exactly, did that mean?

Merry forgot about it as they drifted through the day, eating leftovers and playing Scrabble. Eggnog and Peppermint got to open their gifts—treats from Merry and toys from Jack.

“I can see whose gift Nog likes best.” Merry pretended to pout.

She watched Jack play with the cat. He’d tied a string to a small branch and feathers to the string. The cat chased the feathers and purred loud as a motor until Jack’s arm became tired. Then Nog curled up in his lap and fell asleep. For Peppy, Jack had purchased an enormous bag of rawhide bones. The dog disappeared, dragging one of the bones in his mouth, and they heard crunching sounds emanating from behind the couch for the entire afternoon.

“Well?” Vince said to Jack as dusk fell. “How do you rate Christmas this year?”

Merry, who was carrying dishes into the living room so they could eat by the fire, stopped in her tracks.

Jack propped his feet on the footstool and looked thoughtful. The look of distress that was usually present when he considered Christmas was absent. His handsome features were serene, his expression relaxed.

“It’s a fresh start. A new beginning. A rebirth, which is fitting considering the other birth we celebrate.” His gaze caught Merry’s. “A Christmas full of miracles.”

Later, alone in her room, Merry’s prayers were ones of joyous gratitude.

* * * * *

Jack woke up feeling better than he had in weeks . . . no, months . . . or perhaps years.

Merry greeted him in the kitchen. “You look rested.”

“I feel great. Where’s Vince?”

“He left a half hour ago.” She frowned. “He said something about pulling the trigger on all the work he’s been doing.” She handed him a mug of coffee. “What does that mean?”

“We told you we had found mistakes in the recording of some deeds and tax rolls from years ago when my great-grandfather was in Frost. Vince thinks that when they computerized, they input the wrong information. It shouldn’t have happened, but who knows back then? I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.”

“What can he do now?”

“The deeds will be updated, and whatever confusion was caused will have to be rectified. Vince is a great attorney and a wonderful business associate who looks out for me. I’m confident that whatever he has done, it’s correct.” Jack grinned. “I’m learning to enjoy sitting back and letting him do the work.”

“Isn’t that what he was hired for in the first place?”

“Sure, but I always had a hard time letting go of the reins. Work was all I had. If I wasn’t busy, I spent too much time regretting my life.”

“And now?”

He put his hands around her waist and pulled her into his lap. “Now I have you to think about. Who needs work?”

He kissed her then. She tasted of cinnamon and strawberry jam. As Merry sank deeper in his arms, Jack couldn’t imagine that he could ever be happier.

“What do you think we should do about this?” he murmured, his lips pressed into her hair, eyes closed.

“About what?” She sounded dreamy, content.

“You and me.”

“Oh,
that
.” She tipped her head back so she could look at him. The expression in her eyes was sheer tenderness and love. “Maybe we need to think about that.”

“I don’t. I know what I want to do.”

He felt her tighten her arms around him.

“I want to marry you.” The words were easy to say, smooth and welcome on his lips.

“Oh, Jack . . .” She leaned her head against his chest and buried herself in his warmth. “I want to marry you too.”

He kissed her deeply, ardently, and she responded with an eagerness and enthusiasm that surprised him. “You do? Really?”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am, a little. I never expected to feel as happy as I do right now.” Tenderly, he brushed a stray hair from her eyes. “Or so lucky.”

The flavor of her was still on his lips when his cell phone rang.

They both jumped, startled by the piercing sound. Jack wanted to ignore it but knew he couldn’t. Vince had told him to be on hand today in case any questions came up.

“Sorry. I promised Vince.”

“It’s okay. I’ll have you forever. I can share you for a minute.”

He kissed her nose and punched TALK on the phone.

“Hi. It’s Vince.”

Vince sounded a little nervous, Jack thought. Odd.

“I know you’re thinking about Merry and how she’ll respond once she hears that you own . . .” Vince cleared his throat. “Never mind.”

“What do you mean, never mind? What were you going to say?”

“Remember that you told me that your great-aunt once lived in Merry’s house?”

“Yeah, so?”

“It’s still your house, Jack. You also own two lots on the other side of Hildy’s place. There’s a little house on one lot and the other is empty. And apparently your relative also owned the majority of Main Street. You own all the land on which Frost sat when it was founded. Still, the majority of the confusion involves the farmland. We’ll get it straightened out, don’t worry.”

Jack held a finger in the air, signaling Merry to wait, and then went up to his room to speak privately with Vince.

“What is Merry going to say?” he hissed.

“I know she isn’t going to be happy about this, but she’s a reasonable woman.”

“Merry’s passionate about Frost. Even though she understands on a logical level, she’s going to resent anything I do to upset its residents.”

“I’ve filed an action to quiet the deed,” Vince told him, and Jack winced. An action to quiet the deed was a lawsuit filed in order to discover the real owner of the land in question. “It had to be done, you know that.”

“She’s going to think we’re suing the people of Frost for their land,” Jack said miserably. It was the way it was done. There was no hostility in the lawsuit, simply the desire to clear up ownership and misunderstandings. He’d tried to keep it private until everything was straightened out. He’d hoped to have a clear picture of what his cousins would receive before he began talking specifics with anyone else. Would Merry—or the people affected—believe that?

Not likely
.

“This is what you came here to do,” Vince persisted. “She wasn’t even on your radar when you came to town. She’ll get over it.”

“Will she?”

Vince had no idea how upset Merry would be—or how much her distress mattered to him. He’d just found her. Jack couldn’t risk losing her now.

Chapter Twenty-Five

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Merry decided to give herself a day off before preparing for her after-Christmas sale. Besides, she wanted to relish the moment that Jack had asked her to marry him. Warmth curled through her at the thought, and she hugged herself. It was impossible to contain her delight.

Jack had gone to the Twin Cities, and Vince had headed toward Blue Earth. She wanted to enjoy this time alone and to imagine herself as
Mrs. Jack Frost
.
Merry Noel Frost.
What better name could a Christmas girl have? She was destined to run a Christmas shop, she decided right then and giggled out loud.

She hadn’t had her feet up for more than ten minutes when her front door slammed open, shaking the window-panes and the unsold baubles still on the Christmas trees.

Harry Conner stormed into the room still wearing his heavy boots and tramping snow everywhere. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, and he was breathing heavily.

“I told you that you should have gotten rid of that fellow!” He waved an envelope in front of her. “You’ve been harboring a scoundrel right under our noses, Merry, and I don’t like it one bit.”

She scrambled to her feet to face Harry. First the church and now in her own home he was pestering her with this nonsense. And he’d walked in without knocking! This was her private home, didn’t he remember that? What must it have taken to get him this agitated?

“That’s enough, Harry. I don’t tell you how to run your farming operation. Please don’t tell me how to run my B-and-B. And next time, knock.”

Harry was so angry he was shaking. His nostrils flared and his pupils were widely dilated. Merry almost felt afraid.

“Maybe you should go now, Harry. We can talk about this when you’ve calmed down.”

“I’m not going to calm down!” he roared. “Nobody sues Harry Conner and gets away with it!”