One Sweet Christmas (novella) (5 page)

Candi rolled her eyes and stepped forward. ‘Santa, this is Mindy.’ She lifted the small girl and placed her on his lap.

‘Oh, right.’ Jackson flashed a big grin at Mindy. ‘I’m sorry. Santa is a little slow today.’

‘That’s okay, Santa. Candi told us you weren’t feeling well. I get tired when I’m sick, too.’ Mindy shifted on his knee.

Candi winked her encouragement after the rocky start.

Mindy chattered on about what she wanted for Christmas and Jackson settled more comfortably into the chair. Each time he shot a look toward the line of waiting children, Candi offered him a sweet smile.

Kids came and went. Most sat on his lap, but a few were too nervous and chose to stand beside his leg. The reindeer snapped picture after picture, until Jackson didn’t think he’d ever see beyond the tiny spot of the blinding flash.

To his surprise, sadness crept into his chest when the line dwindled. Jackson slipped letter after letter into his sack, making mental notes of the various Christmas requests. He handed out treats and wished everyone a happy holiday. Who knew two hours could go by so quickly?

He had mastered his
ho, ho, ho
by the time the last child climbed onto his lap. Her name was Clarice, she told him, and she was five. She hesitated before speaking again, biting her bottom lip and avoiding his eyes. Jackson suggested some of the toys the other children had asked for, even though he’d never heard of any of them. When Clarice finally spoke, her wish totally caught him off-guard.

‘I want my daddy,’ she said.

Jackson squinted. ‘You want me to bring you a daddy for Christmas?’

‘No, silly Santa.’ Clarice stopped chewing her lip long enough to smile. ‘I want
my
daddy. He’s busy with work and can’t come home to tuck me in bed.’ She leaned close and whispered. ‘Mommy doesn’t sing like Daddy. He makes funny voices.’

‘I…um…’ Jackson glanced at Candi, chatting with a tall, dark-haired woman. Her eyes held the same sadness as the little girl’s. A broken marriage? What the heck could he say? ‘I’m sure your daddy will visit soon.’

Clarice scrunched up her face. ‘Daddy had to get another job because he didn’t have enough cars. Now he comes home late. Mommy is sad and cries a lot.’ Tears filled her pretty green eyes. ‘If you bring my daddy some cars, he can come home like he used to.’

Jackson didn’t quite understand, other than her father obviously worked two jobs and came home late. He didn’t know what to say. Should he lie and break her heart? Or tell her the truth and break her heart? ‘I’ll try my best.’ He forced a smile.

Clarice hugged him and scurried to join her mother.

Steve patted Jackson’s back as he rose from the chair. ‘The children loved you.’

‘I guess.’ Jackson sighed heavily as the little girl walked toward the door. She turned and wiggled her fingers. He waved back.

‘See, I told you the children wouldn’t bite.’ Candi beamed. ‘You were great. But then, I knew you would be.’

‘I miss that,’ Jackson said. ‘You always had faith in me, more than anyone.’ He clasped her cheeks and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Candi dropped the red rope in her hand. Steve’s
eyes almost bulged from their sockets. Jackson winked. ‘I’m a bit tired. Would you mind if I headed out for a while?’

‘Um…sure. Santa’s off the clock for the day, anyway.’ Candi’s response came out as a whisper.

‘Great.’ Jackson gently squeezed her hand. ‘I had fun working with you, Steve.’ He slapped the reindeer’s back. ‘Same time tomorrow?’

Jackson slung the Santa sack over his shoulder and started toward the bakery room. He turned to glance at the customers still wandering the shop. They all wore smiles, but their eyes told another story, just like Clarice and her mother. There was a heavy weight sitting on his chest — Jackson knew that Clarice’s family wasn’t the only one suffering the economy’s tight grip.

Candi cranked the volume on the CD player and Christmas carols drowned out the worry in her head. She didn’t want to think about Jackson anymore. She’d spent the past few hours pondering nothing but him and the way their short-lived kiss left her trembling. Not to mention the questions from Steve and Virginia.

Jackson’s mood had suddenly changed after the last child departed the shop. Something happened, and now his whereabouts were unknown. Candi had left the shop and headed for the inn hoping to check on him, only to find he had disappeared.

When she returned business was slow, and with only an hour before closing she sent Virginia and Steve home. Candi needed to clear her thoughts. Her emotions had been running wild since Jackson’s return. Her willpower to keep her distance had quickly diminished last night. Then today, his tenderness with the children had broken down the wall she’d constructed around her heart.

Damn, why didn’t she just sign the divorce papers and let Jackson leave? Did she really think she could be around him without rekindling her dreams of their wedding night? He didn’t even remember what happened. Why torture herself?

With the cookies for the carollers decorated, bagged, and dropped off at the hall where they were gathering, Candi placed the ingredients for the chocolate bark on the counter. She chopped the chocolate into pieces and dropped them into the double boiler, stirring constantly. The filling added, she poured the mixture onto waxed paper to cool.

Next on her list was a chocolate cake and crimped candy ribbons. Elvis’ version of
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
crooned from the speakers. Candi sang the chorus and danced around the room, flapping her hands above her head and swaying her hips.

‘I wouldn’t mind climbing down your chimney on Christmas Eve.’

Candi froze. Her cheeks flushed when she spun around and saw Jackson standing in the doorway. Obviously, she’d forgotten to lock the front door. Candi scrambled to the CD player and lowered the volume.

‘Hey, don’t stop because of me. I was enjoying the show.’ He grinned devilishly.

‘Where have you been? When you didn’t show at the inn, I got worried.’

‘I went for a walk.’ Jackson paused. ‘Thought I packed up and left without telling you? Isn’t that what
you
did?’

He remembered!
Candi removed the chocolate mixture from the burner, her hand trembling on the handle. She didn’t want to talk about that night, especially since he was right. ‘How long are you planning to avoid your family?’

‘They probably don’t even know I’m here.’

‘I’m sure Violet or Sam have mentioned that you’re staying at the inn. You can’t hide from them forever.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m not here to talk about my family. I want to talk about our wedding night. You told me I passed out.’

’You did.’ Candi reached for the sifter and added the cocoa powder and flour. Her nerves hung on the edge of sanity.

‘Okay, so you didn’t lie about that, but you forgot to mention the part about when I woke up.’ Jackson dipped his finger in the bowl and slowly licked off the concoction. ‘You sobered me with food and coffee. From there, things are still a little foggy, but…’

Candi tapped an egg on the bowl and almost dropped the cracked shell inside. She held her breath, unsure where Jackson’s thoughts were headed.

He returned his finger to the chocolate blend. But instead of licking it clean, he smeared the gooey substance over her lips. Before she could ask what the heck he was doing, Jackson swooped in and ran his tongue along her lips.

Candi’s knees wobbled. The spoon fell from her fingers and sank in the bowl. He suckled her bottom lip, and then slipped his tongue inside, provocatively exploring her mouth. A breathy sigh escaped her. She relented and followed her desire, running her hands over the hard, warm muscles of his chest.

Jackson withdrew suddenly, staring at Candi, but his eyes were unfocused, as if he didn’t really
see
her. The man standing before her appeared lost — almost gone. A few moments passed and still he said nothing.

‘Jackson…’ The sound of her voice seemed to break his trance.

‘We’re married,’ he said.

‘Yes, we already covered that last night.’

‘No, I mean we consummated the marriage — several times. This…us…it’s real. I couldn’t remember anything about that night, but since arriving here — being with you — I’ve been experiencing flashes. They didn’t make sense until today. I walked for hours, seeing this town like I’ve never seen it before. Then these memories popped into my head.’ Jackson locked his gaze onto hers. ‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth?’

Keeping their lovemaking from Jackson seemed like a good idea at the time. He wasn’t supposed to remember. ‘I thought it was for the best,’ she whispered.

‘The hotel concierge had chocolate-covered strawberries delivered as a wedding gift. We had a lot of fun with those.’

Candi’s cheeks flushed with warmth.

‘When I smeared your lips with chocolate and kissed you, all those delicious memories returned.’ Jackson grinned. ‘I’d like to have more of those chocolate kisses.’

She gripped the edge of the counter as he stepped toward her.

‘I knew I’d find you here.’

Jackson paused and his eyes widened. Candi peered over his shoulder to find his younger brother, Joseph, standing in the doorway.

‘Hi Candi. Those cookies were scrumptious. The group loved them. Thank you.’

‘I’m glad everyone enjoyed them. Is the carolling over?’

‘We wrapped up over an hour ago.’ Joseph refocused on his brother. ‘Were you going to drift in and out of town without acknowledging your family?’

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. ‘I didn’t think there was any point.’

‘You didn’t
think
? That’s typical of you, only concerned about yourself.’

Candi glanced between the two men, Jackson just a shade taller than his brother. A crackling tension filled the room. The last thing she needed was them brawling on her floor.
’I’ve been keeping Jackson pretty busy with playing Santa and helping me bake.’ She pointed to the bowl on the counter.

‘You don’t have to make excuses for him, Candi,’ Joseph said. ‘It’s obvious he didn’t come here to see his family. We’re hardly a priority. We haven’t been for the past seven years.’

‘That’s not true…’ Candi tried, but Jackson placed a hand on her arm.

‘Thank you, Candi, but don’t waste your breath. Joseph won’t listen. He prefers to see only one side — his.’ Jackson slammed his hand on the counter, rattling the bowl. ‘This is why I didn’t come home. I wanted to avoid a fight.’

Joseph clenched his hands at his sides. He opened his mouth to speak, but Candi cut him off. ‘Stop acting like children! You’re men — brothers! Forget about the past and work on building a future.’

Joseph shook his head. ‘I didn’t come here to argue with you, Jackson. I just wanted to see my big brother. I’ve missed you, man.’

Jackson glanced at Candi. She smiled and tilted her head toward Joseph. Jackson glanced back at his brother. ‘I didn’t come to see you because I figured you wouldn’t be too receptive. When I left, you had to deal with the mess. Mom was upset and Dad was pissed. You had to take my place in the family business. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I’m sorry.’

‘I love working on cars. I always did. Truth is, I was kind of happy to see you go.’ Joseph spread his hands open in front of him. ‘For years, I tried to show Dad I could do the work, but he wouldn’t budge. You were first-born, the one to step into his shoes. Dad would never have signed the business over to me if you hadn’t left.’

Jackson laughed. ‘So, you’ve come to thank me?’

‘Let’s not push it.’ Joseph turned to Candi. ‘Would you mind if I stole my brother for a while? We have a lot of catching up to do.’

‘Of course not. He was slowing my progress anyway.’ She flicked a hand. ‘You two go.’

‘Thank you,’ Jackson mouthed.

As the two men left the room, Jackson glanced over his shoulder and winked.

Candi released a heavy sigh. A small part of her wanted to reverse time, back before Joseph interrupted them. What would have happened? How far would they have let the past take them? Her heart fluttered at the thought.

Damn!
She had to stop. The past had been all about sex to him. He didn’t love her then, and he certainly didn’t love her now. Jackson came here for a divorce, not to reunite.

She poured the chocolate cake mixture into a pan, placed it in the oven, and set the timer for one hour.

Understanding women had never been Jackson’s strong point, and when it came to figuring out Candi he was lost. She’d given him her okay to visit with his brother last night, then avoided him ever since. After saying goodbye to Joseph, Jackson had left the lounge and gone in search of Candi. He wanted to share with her his reconciliation with Joseph.

There had been no sign of her at the shop. The lights were off and the door locked. When he checked at the inn, no one answered her door. Either Candi didn’t want to talk to him, or she wasn’t home. The latter had upset him more than he wanted to admit. He had lain awake all night waiting for her footsteps in the hall. By law, Candi belonged with him. They were married, yet no one knew. Seven years had passed; surely Candi had a lover. She was too beautiful, too special not to have a man, or even several, pining for her attention.

The mere thought of someone else being intimate with his wife caused the pit of his stomach to burn.
Damn!
Had he just referred to Candi as his wife? He couldn’t think about her that way or let the emotions he’d ditched long ago rise to the surface. Jackson slipped the beard onto his face and tugged the Santa hat down around his ears.

He
should
be concentrating on the business deal, but he couldn’t help wondering where Candi went after leaving the shop. When she didn’t show up for breakfast at the inn, nausea rolled in his stomach. Even now, as he prepared to greet the children, Candi still hadn’t arrived at work. He had a good idea Virginia knew where she was. He could tell by the way she avoided his questions. But if she did know, she wasn’t telling.

Two minutes before Jackson stepped out to welcome the boys and girls, Candi rushed through the door. Her cheeks were flushed and he could have sworn tears rested in her eyes.