Page 16 of Third Time's the Charm

The marriage gods had somehow seen it in their hearts to smile down on me. At least that was how it felt to see Berlin under the mistletoe spotlight, sighing dramatically.

“Anyone? Anyone?” she called over and over.

Mistletoe Key had many quirky traditions, Christmas celebrated year round being the most obvious, but this one had always been my favorite. Mistletoe was strategically hung around the island. When you walked under it, a spotlight turned on. It was considered bad luck to leave the mistletoe spotlight without a kiss. Some say that was what happened the year the great flu took everyone out the week of Christmas. Sally Hawkins had very publicly walked away from the mistletoe on Main Street without a kiss. The very next day she fell ill, along with six others. The next day, half the town was sick. After day three the island was quarantined and all the businesses closed.

Two days before Christmas.

On the island that lived for Christmas.

No one had dared walk away from the mistletoe ever again.

Which was why Berlin was standing under the spotlight all alone. Well, Doug, her Australian Shepard, was sitting on the ground beside her, his tongue hanging out.

“You look like you could use some help.” I stepped close enough so she could see me, but not close enough that she could kill me.

She froze, her beautiful green eyes going wide. “What are you doing here?”

A warm, familiar zing shot through me. Just looking at her had me buzzing.

Her dark hair hung over her shoulders. Hair I used to run my hands through because it was so soft. I would play with it while she lay naked on my chest. Over and over until my hand was tired. I itched to reach out and relive the way those quiet moments stopped time.

But I wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. Not unless I fixed this mess.

“I’m here to rescue you.”

She threw her hands up between us. “Oh no you don’t. I’ll wait for someone else.”

“You could be here all night. It’s Christmas Eve Eve. Everyone is in the town square or out at the beaches. No one’s coming down this path any time soon.”

“Then I’ll just leave.”

“No you won’t.” She actually might. As much as Berlin loved the quirky rituals of the island, she was also very practical. She would absolutely leave if I didn’t convince her I was a viable alternative. “You don’t want to bring bad luck to the town.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s a story and you know it.”

“You’ve kissed me hundreds of times,” I said, walking a little closer, needing to see if being near her still did that thing to my stomach. “What’s one more kiss?”

“Jackson Michael Cassidy, if you take one more step closer I will strangle you with my bare hands.”

Yep. There it was. The fire I fell in love with. And now that I was close enough my stomach was indeed doing that Olympic backflip thing I used to love so much.

I swallowed. “I just came down for Christmas with Mom. I heard Doug’s bark and came to make sure you were okay.” That was a little bit of a lie. I heard a yip, not a bark, and I heard it because I was following her.

“I’m fine. Just stuck.” She stomped her foot.

Fire and ice.That’s what people used to call us. Berlin was all fire and passion while I was the cool hockey player. She proposed all the crazy ideas and I made them all happen.

Until I forgot that life was more than hockey.

“And I can help you,” I offered. “Unless you hate me so much you can’t stand to be near me.”

“I can’t stand to be near you,” she spit out.

But I noticed she didn’t say anything abouthatingme. Maybe I had a shot. Maybe I didn’t. Only one way to find out. “I’m sorry, Berlin.”

She went white.

I stepped closer. “I’m sorry I changed. I’m sorry I wasn’t a good husband. I’m sorry I made you divorce me.” I took another step closer so that we were within touching distance now. “I understand that I gave you no choice.”

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