Page 67 of Second Chance Christmas

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 shade of light, her Ivy Effect had 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 a huge mistake after all. Her guardian angels probably had 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 to 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 FIFTEEN

Twenty-four hours until Christmas Eve. It promised to be another day of endless snow. Ivy had not slept a wink all night. After everyone left and the entire household went to bed she used the time to do the last few jobs on her gran’s list.

She flicked a quick look at the clock on the coffee machine. Green numbers blinked the early morning hour. Fourteen hours until she was back in Anchorage and on a plane. With the plans already set in motion, it would be hard to stay. Even if what Aspen said made sense. A stir or anticipation sent a flush of goosebumps over her skin at remembering what he’d said. He’d find a way to convince her to stay.

But she had to keep her feet on the ground and right now she still had a few things to take care of. Like finding someone to take her place as hostess so she could leave.

Her heart raced even now as the sun burst across the morning sky to chase away the shadows. But she didn’t feel any of the brightness that came with the morning light.

Leaving hurt.

A small pang of guilt burst through the shadows of her thoughts. Grabbing her phone, Ivy read over her sister’s text that came in the previous night and she’d missed.

Hope you and Aspen are making out, having dirty raunchy under the Christmas tree sex.

Two strings of emojis followed.

“Love is for saps,” she said to Max as he rolled over to his back and whined for some attention. She slid from the stool, unable to refuse the big lug a belly rub. “I’ll miss you, buddy, but it’s for the best. You agree, don’t you?” She sighed, not really sure what kind of answer she intended to find. “What does a dog know?”

Max turned his head up. “You’re probably smarter than all of us dumb humans, aren’t you, boy.” She patted his head and stood when the house phone rang.

A strange number popped up. “Hello, Merry Christmas.” Though there was not a damn thing merry about it, she gave the spiel all the same.

“Ivy! Thank God I caught you!”

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