Page 92 of Jam and Jingle Bells
“It’s over,” I sighed. “No more house arrest.”
Ellis took my hands and brushed a kiss across my knuckles. “Relieved?”
I nodded but frowned at the same time. “I am, but it’s going to take me a long time to trust people again. Especially newcomers.”
“Something tells me you aren’t going to have to do the worrying about newcomers.”
“Why?” I asked, motioning with two fingers for Becca to bring two daily specials when they were ready. I didn’t care what I ate, as long as I ate.
“Those guys who just left, and all the ones who work with them, they’ll do the worrying. Suddenly, their town wasn’t as safe and secure as they thought it was. I could see in their eyes they know they dropped the ball on their knowledge of illegal activities in the town. This won’t happen on their watch again. I assure you of that.”
“It’s still going to be hard to live the way I used to live. I’ll always be wondering who’s watching.”
He slid around and scooted in next to me, holding my hand to his chest. “I know this changed you. It changed me, too. I want you to promise that you won’t let it ruin you, though.”
“Ruin me?” I asked, confused.
He caressed my cheek, a tight smile on his face. “Ruin your ability to trust the people in this town who are good and who have your back. Don’t let it ruin your sweet, honest, beautiful heart that loves everyone and everything in this town. It’s okay to be aware. It’s okay to protect your business and your body, you should do that anyway, but don’t let it own you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I captured his hand to my cheek and held it there. “Don’t stop doing what I love out of fear. Don’t let fear rule love. Let love rule fear.”
He leaned forward and kissed me with enough tongue to tell me I definitely got the answer right.
“Silent night, holy night,” the town sang around the Bells Pass Christmas tree, joining the choir of carolers who filled the gazebo. Santa had ho-ho-hoed, talked to the kids on his lap, and then a few minutes ago, his sleigh pulled away through the woods, pulled by horses, rather than reindeer, not that the kids cared. They cheered, hooted, and hollered goodbye as he dashed away, waving his jingle bells in the air and wishing everyone a good night. I laughed, but tears leaked from my eyes while I did it. He really was the best thing to ever happen to me. He didn’t let me dwell on the past. He made me focus on my future instead. My future with him, I hoped.
My eyes searched out and found Ivy and Shep, Mom and Stan, and Mel, Mason, and Holly all within a few feet of me. We were standing together in solidarity tonight. My tribe had my back and slowly, over the last ten days, I’d been able to let the pain and distrust go bit by bit. Now, the magic of the season filled my heart again.
Holly helped with that every time I saw her and she’d wink conspiratorially. We’d resumed yoga classes with Ellis, or Santa, as she called him when we were alone together. We laughed, drank hot cocoa, and planned her surprise down to the last detail. I checked my watch as the song ended and sucked in a nervous breath. The ceremony was over and slowly everyone wandered to their cars to head home. It was time to put out the milk and cookies and get ready for Santa to return to Bells Pass down their chimneys with care, but not for one little girl. That little girl was still planted front and center by the tree, even as Mel and Mason tried to get her to leave.
I stepped up to them, hugging Holly. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart. Do you think Santa is coming tonight?”
She tapped her chin. “I think so. I’ve been pretty good this year, but it might be hard for him to bring me what I asked for. It’s kind of big.”
Mel glanced at Mason and back to her daughter. “What did you ask for? You told me you asked Santa for a yoga mat.”
Holly smiled, and I had to say, it was just evil enough to make me proud. She might have asked for a yoga mat, but she also asked for a whole lot more.
Mason rested his hand on her shoulder. “We should go, baby girl. Santa won’t come if you’re still awake,” he reminded her, playing along.
Bells could be heard in the distance and all eight of us froze. “Are those bells?” I asked, my head cocked toward the woods. “Does anyone else hear bells or is that just me?”
Holly jumped up and down. “I hear them! They sound like jingle bells!”
Mel raised a brow at me and I grinned, giving her the palms out until the man in red broke through the woods in his sleigh, halting the horses with the reins. There was a passenger with him this time.
Holly clapped, her excitement flowing through all of us. “Santa!” she yelled as she took off on a run. “You’re back!”
Santa caught her in his arms as he climbed off the sleigh. “Well, you were awfully specific about your wish this year. I thought I better bring yours first. I hope you know what you’re doing. Judge Masters was busy getting ready for me to come tomorrow morning.”
Judge Masters climbed off the sleigh and grasped Holly’s shoulder. “Santa tells me I’m your wish for Christmas?”
Holly swung her head back and forth as they climbed the stairs to the gazebo, met by the rest of us. “Not exactly,” she said shyly now that she was faced with the moment she’d been waiting for.
“Holly, what’s going on, honey?” Mel asked, completely confused. “Why did you drag Judge Masters away from his family?”
Santa answered the question for her when she was too hesitant to do it herself. “She came to me a few Saturdays ago and told me she messed up.”
Holly nodded, her chin bobbing. “I knew Mason’s Christmas wish, and so Santa said he could help me.”
