Page 334 of Screwged for Christmas

Kade had come through for her as Aspen had promised and loaded the kitchen up with groceries while they’d been outside.

She walked up to him and looped her arms around his shoulders.

“Hey, sweetheart. What’s that for?”

“You know what. You saved my bacon. Twice now. You and Aspen deserve a medal for outstanding hero work.”

“Nah. Just helping a friend.” Kade hugged her close and a swift kick of nostalgia for her brothers and sisters made tears rush at her out of nowhere.

“Hey now. None of that or you’ll make me cry and then the kids will laugh at me. I gotta keep my big tough firefighter cool about me.”

She slapped at Kade’s chest and couldn’t help the laugh he pulled from her. “You always did know how to make a girl laugh.”

“One of my higher qualities, I’ve been told.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she countered just like she did with Jon when he got a little too cocky for his own good.

As the sound of her former teacher’s voice filled the living room, Ivy couldn’t help but feel the magic of the season. The memories of her reading it to the class before everyone went on break. They’d been older teenagers yet Ms. Lucille made them all feel like kids again. Like she did now.

Snow fell in a heavy curtain beyond the window. Inside, her attention roved over the small intimate crowd until her gaze found warm brown eyes staring back at her with the same curiosity she felt bubbling inside. She assumed anyway with how his expression melded into one of...interest? Friendship and dare she say, love?

Aspen sat among the kids, plate in one hand and a very mesmerized two-year-old squished to his side, Max beside her eyeballing her pie. If she wasn’t careful she’d be sharing the delicious treat with a very clever trickster.

Ms. Lucille closed the covers to a round of applause.

“You know, Ms. Lucille, that story gets better each year but wouldn't you say something is missing?” Aspen weaved a path through the kids and stopped at the front door. “Something about this big.” He held his hand to an inch or so below his chin. “Or, it might be about this big.” He raised his hand to about an inch above his head. “What could it be?”

A chorus of mixed answers erupted from the bouncing kids and even the teenagers jumped in with a couple of their own. All the giddy happiness made Ivy laugh until her sides began to ache.

She blew out a wavering breath and caught herself absentmindedly rubbing the bareness of her ring finger. So many changes in such a short amount of time. Her mind didn’t know what to analyze. Aspen, Lewis, her gran leaving, and her new job. One thing was for sure. Her time here was limited and she wanted to enjoy the most of it while she could and before she got caught up in work.

She glanced up to find Aspen looking at her, his gaze intense for a brief second before he mouthed,watch this. And smiled.

“I was just telling Ivy Sunday that I talked to Santa on the way over and asked if he had a tree to spare. He said he'd look and if he did he would drop one off for me. Why don’t you guys go check the back of the truck and let us know.”

The low-hanging light caught the multi hues of brown in his hair as his head fell back with laughter as all the kids and Max made a beeline for the front door.

She couldn’t believe what she saw. A big hunk of a firefighter, a man that towered over almost everyone in the place and he had the softest heart under all that muscle and gruff. He found just as much happiness from making kids happy as she did. A little devil on her shoulder popped up and whispered in her ear that Lewis would have preferred a solo vacation in the Alps where kids couldn’t interrupt. She’d gotten out just in time. Looking at it in the new shed of light, her Ivy Effect has been in retro then too. Once perceived as a good thing was unmasked as something that could—and would—have ended in disaster. Her Ivy Effect had protected her. The breakup hadn’t been the huge mistake after all. Her guardian angels probably hand their hands full with her and needed a damn drink.

As the revelation came over her a sudden weight and pain Lewis had caused evaporated.

The oldest of the teenagers flung open the front door and held it wide while the shorter ones ran under his outstretched arm.

She looked to Aspen, a silly grin probably plastered on her face and he crossed the room to her, taking her hand in his.

“Here comes the fun part.”

Within thirty seconds they all returned with a large tree. As the kids worked together with their parents set it up, she passed over all the boxes of baubles, garland and extra lights.

She sat back and watched as everyone decorated the tree. Ms. Lucille passed the angle to Aspen and he slipped it in place. Laughter filled the living room.

She forgot how much this place brought out the Christmas spirit. The surroundings, the homey feeling, even the snow beyond the windows. It all went hand in hand to make the heart and soul feel comforted. Aside from the fact that she grew up here, spent all the time she could after homework and always tagged along with her parents when they stopped in for coffee, this place made a person feel welcomed.

She watched as everyone enjoyed the B&B despite all the flaws of the day—

a place that healed hearts. Hers for sure.

CHAPTER 15

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