Christmas In Silver Bell Falls (12 page)

Together they walked toward the exit to pay for the tree and get it tied to the car as the first snowflakes started to fall.

Soon it will be Christmas Day.

****

With a fire roaring in the fireplace and Melanie naked and wrapped in his arms on the living room floor in front of the newly-decorated Christmas tree, Josiah felt like life was just about perfect.  He placed a kiss on the top of her head and gave a contented sigh.

“It’s so pretty, don’t you think?” she asked softly.

He nodded.  “I certainly do.  You picked a stellar tree.”

She chuckled and reached for the blanket that had fallen behind them.

“Cold?”

“A little,” she said.  “Although with the fire in front of me and you behind me I shouldn’t be.”

Josiah helped her drape the blanket over them.  “So you really like it?  The tree?”

She nodded.  “I really do.  It’s just so…sparkly.”  He could actually feel her smile even though she wasn’t facing him.  “And it smells so wonderful in here.”  Rolling over, she looked at him. “There were a lot of decorations in those boxes.  Are they all yours or were some of them from your family?”

“My mom gave each of us kids a box of ornaments when we moved out—some were brand new but some were ones she knew were personal favorites from our childhood.  Every year I add to the collection.”

Melanie looked over her shoulder toward the tree.  “Which ones did you add this year?”

“I haven’t yet,” he said softly, cupping her chin and gently forcing her to look at him.  “It would mean a lot to me if you would pick one out for me.”

Her blue eyes went wide.  “Me?”

He nodded.

“But…but…”

“Melanie,” he began, tilting his head forward so their heads were touching, “There are so many ornaments on the tree that have sentimental value to me; they remind me of things that are important.  Things that I…love.”

Josiah knew the moment he said it that Melanie knew what he meant because she gasped softly in his arms.  Rather than saying it again and hearing her possibly come up with reasons why he couldn’t feel the way he did or why she didn’t return those feelings, he captured her lips and kissed her softly.  He poured everything he felt but was suddenly too afraid to say into it, and when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, he felt both lost and found at the same time.

****

Melanie stood with her back against the brick exterior wall of the chamber of commerce building and let out a breath.  It was thirty degrees outside and all she wanted was a hot cup of cocoa and to be back at the cabin, curled up on the couch with a blanket and a good book.

And what was left of the sugar cookies.

Unfortunately, none of that wasn’t on today’s agenda.

All around her people were scurrying around with excitement.  The annual Silver Bell Christmas Parade was due to start in less than an hour and she had gone over the schedule of events and had even smiled and done her best to show a little enthusiasm, but now that it was edging closer to go-time, nerves were kicking in.

A parade.  Seriously, this is what her life had come to.  When she had spoken to her father the night before and told him what she was doing, he was over the moon with excitement.  For a minute she wondered if she had the wrong number because for as long as she could remember, her dad felt the same way she did about the holidays.  Why was he now—all of a sudden—feeling festive?  Which is what she asked him and he told her how going back to Silver Bell for just those two days had reminded him of how much he used to love Christmas.

Damn town.

Damn town and its stupid…

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style…

“You have got to be kidding me!” she cried out and was instantly embarrassed when several people stopped and stared at her.  Without saying a word, Melanie turned and walked around to the back of the building, away from prying eyes.  It was like the damn song was mocking her.  There were thousands of Christmas songs out there, so why couldn’t they play another one?  Where were Alvin and the Chipmunks when you really needed them?

Children laughing, People passing, Meeting smile after smile…

Taking a few steadying breaths, she did her best to calm down.  It was just a song and it was just a parade—a ride in a car, really.  So what was the big deal?

And on every street corner you’ll hear…Silver Bells…Silver Bells…

Looking around, Melanie had to wonder how hard it would be to dismantle the town’s sound system. 

“There you are.”

Melanie turned and saw Josiah walking toward her with his slow and easy gait and a smile on his handsome face.  Just one look at him and she felt some of the tension easing from her body.

“You hiding out back here?”

“I needed a minute,” she admitted. 

“It’s a lot of activity, I know.  But in a few minutes, you’ll be in the back of a really sporty convertible with a heated blanket and a cup of cocoa.”

That made her feel a little bit better.  Fishing into her coat pocket, she pulled out her iPod and showed it to him.  “And I can block out some of the holiday music.”

He shook his head and chuckled.  “It’s not so bad.”

Reaching out, she clutched the front of his coat and shook him.  “I would gladly get up and sing ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ if I never had to hear ‘Silver Bells’ again!  Seriously, it’s killing me!”

Rather than telling her she was crazy, Josiah hugged her close and then took the earbuds from her fingers and draped the cord around her and camouflaged it within her scarf so no one would see it.  “What’s on the playlist?” he asked.

“A little classic Motown, a little eighties rock…all of my faves.”

He smiled at her and led her back toward all the activity.  “So  you’ll get through the parade and at the end of the route, Erika Jacobs will meet you and bring you to the party tent where they have a table set up with a bunch of your books to sign.”

Melanie nodded.  “Got it.”

“Then I’ll meet you down there and we’ll grab some lunch with everyone—they’re serving a full-on turkey dinner with all the fixings.”

“Sounds good.”

“And afterwards, we’re going to walk around and check out all the craft tables and I want you to pick out an ornament for the tree.”

Looking up at him, she smiled.  “Are you sure?”

“Have I lied about anything yet?”

She couldn’t help but smile.  “No.”

“Then why would I start now?  I want you to pick something for the tree.  You’ve been good enough to let me put my tree up in your house and I think it would be nice for you to have something on there that you picked out.”

Melanie didn’t want to argue with him about it.  She hadn’t told him how much she was enjoying having the tree in the cabin or how much it meant to her that he wanted her to pick out ornaments for it.  To be honest, she hadn’t said a whole lot of anything since the day they’d put the tree up.

After Josiah’s roundabout admission of love, Melanie had been a little shell-shocked.  He might not have said it again, but the way he had made love to her afterwards spoke volumes.  In the days that followed, he had worked extra hours and she had buckled down and was on a hot-streak with her writing.  The only time they seemed to see one another was late at night before they went to bed, and when Josiah got up to leave for work in the morning.  It wasn’t an ideal schedule, but for each of them, their jobs were top priority.

Today was the first time they were spending quality time together in more than a week.

She just wished it were someplace other than a damn Christmas parade.

He must have sensed the direction of her thoughts because he stopped walking and turned her to face him.  “It’s a parade, not an execution.  If you just pretend it’s a parade for something else, will that put a smile on your face?”

With a small shrug she looked up at him.  “Kind of hard to pretend it’s not a Christmas parade when I have dancing reindeer circling the car.”

“Mel, please try to relax.  After we finish up here, how about we go home, get dressed up and go someplace nice for dinner?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say something about them finding a place to go that didn’t play Christmas music, but she knew she would be asking for the impossible.  “That sounds wonderful.”  For a moment she paused.  “Then I have one request for after dinner.”

Josiah’s eyes widened for a brief moment before he broke out in a sexy grin.  “Oh yeah?”

Playfully smacking his arm she said, “I’m serious.”

He tried to look properly chastised but it just made Melanie giggle.

“After dinner, I’d like us to spend the night at your place.”

Brows furrowed, he looked at her as if she were crazy.  “My place?  The tiny house?”

Melanie nodded.

“Why?”

“We’re always in the cabin…”

“Because it’s bigger.”

She smiled patiently at him.  “Yes, it’s bigger, but I’d like to spend some time in your space.  And besides, I think I’d really like to sleep up in the loft.  I bet on a starry night it’s magnificent to see out the skylight.”

Nodding in agreement, Josiah looked about ready to say something when Erika Jacobs—who owned the local bookstore—walked over and interrupted them.  She was decked out in red and white with a big furry hat and Melanie thought she looked a lot like Mrs. Claus. 

“Hey, Sheriff,” she said with a smile and then turned to Melanie with an even bigger smile.  “Hey, Melanie.  You all ready?  The car and blanket are all ready for you!”

Melanie stifled a groan and reluctantly stepped away from Josiah.  He gave her a thumbs up and watched her walk away.

“I want you to know that your publisher has been a dream to work with,” Erika said.  “They sent over about a dozen copies of all eight of your books and people are so excited to meet you!  I think you’re going to run out of books super quickly.  I brought over the inventory I had in my store too just in case we need them.”

Forcing a smile, Melanie thanked her and was grateful people were quickly being herded to their positions and told to be ready.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the parade route to take you to the tent,” Erika said as she adjusted the blanket over Melanie’s lap and handed her the large insulated cup of hot chocolate.  “Smile and wave and have fun!” she called out before bustling away.

Driving the car was Ed Kincaid.  He was in his seventies and had an easy smile –, which Melanie only caught a quick glance of because the scarf he immediately wrapped around his neck went all the way up and over his nose.

With a sigh, Melanie made herself comfortable, got her iPod ready and put her earbuds in and pulled her hat down over her ears for a little more warmth.  Within minutes, they started moving.  It was at a snail’s pace, but they were moving.  For a minute, Melanie could only stare.  There were hundreds of people lining the streets—hundreds!  For such a small town, it seemed like this parade drew people in from miles around!

It wasn’t a hardship to smile and wave and, since she had gotten distracted and hadn’t turned on her music, she was surprised to hear people calling out her name and how they loved her books! 

The kids who were dancing around her car were very talented and the marching band ahead of them was actually quite good!  Before she knew it, they were coming around the last bend in the route and there was a crew of people waving Ed on to the parking area. And there was Erika - with a big smile on her face, waiting to help Melanie from the car.

Before she could climb out, a trio of dancers came over to her and asked for her autograph.  The girls were all high-school students and Melanie loved that they knew who she was.  Reading their names that were on the back of their costumes—Kori, Leah and Cherie—she thanked them and signed the papers they had scrounged up for her.

Stepping down, she thanked Ed before turning her attention to Erika.  “That seemed fast!”

Erika’s smile deepened.  “That was almost forty minutes from start to finish for you!  If it felt quick, it just means you were having a good time!”

There was no way she was admitting to that, but she returned Erika’s smile and followed her into a large party tent.  As soon as she stepped inside, Melanie was surprised by the warmth.  “Are there heaters in here?” she asked.

“Only a few, but it really does make a difference.  The sheriff asked if we could place your table near one of them since you’re not used to the cold temperatures.”  They stopped in front of a long table that was brightly decorated with banners with Melanie’s picture and book covers on it. 

“Oh my goodness,” she said.  “Did my publisher send the banner?”

Erika blushed.  “I actually had it made.  I know everything was such short notice and I have a little bit of a gift for graphic design and the internet made it easy to order.”

“It’s wonderful!” Melanie said, and she meant it.  She had banners for events before but never one that was so eye catching.  “I love it!”

“Really?” Erika asked, her face glowing.