A Merry Christmas Date
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Syndi Powell
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CHAPTER ONE
MELANIE BEACH HAD loved only one man her entire life. The one problem was that he didn’t seem to realize it.
From the passenger seat of a car on the way to the airport, she snuck a glance at Jack Cuthbert, her best friend and the object of her affections, as he turned onto the exit for drop-off and departures. He kept his gaze on the road, so she turned to find her other best friend, Shelby Cuthbert, making out with her boyfriend, Josh Riley, in the back seat. She cleared her throat, and the couple broke apart. “You’ll have plenty of time for that on your trip.”
Shelby gave a squeal and did a little dance in her seat, restrained only by the seat belt across her chest. “I can’t believe this is really happening. We’re actually heading to Greece. This is the dream trip I’ve been planning for years.”
“How long do you intend on staying?” Jack asked from the driver’s seat, glancing briefly into the rearview mirror at them.
Josh cupped Shelby’s chin in his hand and kissed the tip of her nose before saying, “As long as my love wants to stay and explore the islands.”
“But a minimum of two weeks.” Shelby leaned in and rested her forehead against his. “I need at least that much time to see everything on my bucket list.”
“You realize that a bucket list usually has a few items on it, not two pages of a detailed itinerary.” Josh grinned.
Shelby gave him a playful shove. “You love my penchant for organizing every minute of my day. And yours.”
He grinned more. “And mine. You’re right.”
“I’m just glad we were able to get this one planned so quickly.”
Josh tapped her nose. “We didn’t have a choice. With your family’s Christmas fundraiser, your great-aunt’s wedding and my inauguration on New Year’s Day, this was the only time we could both go.”
“I wouldn’t want to go without you.”
“Same here.”
Mel smiled at the couple who had started to kiss again, then shifted to look at Jack, whose eyebrows had furrowed and whose mouth made a tight line across his face. She nudged his shoulder. “What’s that face for?”
He gave a short shake of his head. “Nothing. We’re almost to the airport.”
Mel’s smile faded as she wondered if Jack would ever gaze at her as adoringly as Josh did with Shelby. Would he ever love her as much as she loved him? Because for Melanie, there was only one man who would ever possess her heart, and it was the one who sat next to her, driving the car.
Jack pulled the car up to the curb next to the international flight terminal, and the next few minutes were filled with retrieving suitcases from the trunk and passports from carry-on bags. Shelby and Josh checked in with the concierge at the luggage stand, then turned to Jack and Mel, Shelby’s eyes growing damp as she pulled Mel into a tight hug. “I’ve never been this far away from you before. What am I going to do without you?”
Mel rubbed her back and snuck a glance at Josh who shook hands with Jack. “I think Josh will keep you guys too busy to miss me. Besides, we’ll have texts and emails to keep in touch.”
Shelby took a step back, then hugged Jack. Mel gave Josh a quick embrace. “Take care of Shelby. She’s like a sister to me.”
“Don’t worry. I’m going to guarantee that this is the trip of a lifetime for her.”
Mel liked the man Josh had become. She could well remember the bad boy that he had been in high school. How he’d broken Shelby’s heart, then moved away only to win her back twelve years later when he returned to their suburban Michigan town of Thora. He had truly changed into a good man that was worthy of her best friend. “You better.”
Shelby put her hand in Josh’s and waved with the other. “I guess this is it. Thanks again for the ride.”
Jack thrust his hands into his pockets. “Anytime.”
Shelby glanced at Mel, then they were hugging again, this time letting their tears fall unchecked down their cheeks. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I know, but I’m going to miss you every day until you return.”
Shelby held her at arm’s length. “I think it’s time you tell him how you feel.”
Mel snuck a peek at Jack, then shook her head. “No, it’s not.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
Mel had asked herself the same question for years, and she always came back to the same answer. “It will be awkward if I tell him, and then I’ll lose my best friend because he will never love me like that. But I recently ordered a book that talks about how to break out of the friend zone, and I think if I read it and apply everything the author—”
“Mel, when are you going to stop living through books and actually live your life?”
Mel shook her head. “You don’t understand. This book is written by a psychiatrist who was in a similar situation and actually married her best friend. This is going to work. I know it will.”
“I hope so, but I’m worried that you’ll let your chance with him slip through your fingers.”
“No, I can’t tell him. Not yet.”
Shelby hugged her once more. “Promise me you’ll think about it.”
Mel nodded and let her friend go. Josh took Shelby’s hand once more, and they entered the terminal, Shelby glancing behind her at them every few feet. Once they were out of view, Mel noticed Jack’s frown had returned. “Why have you been so cranky this morning?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He glanced behind them at his car still parked at the curb. “We should go before I get a ticket or my car gets towed.”
Mel followed him back to the curb and got into the car. She put on her seat belt, then tried to study him. “Ever since Shelby announced she was going to Greece with Josh, you’ve been in a bad mood. What is going on?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Why can’t you be happy for Shelby? She’s finally going after something she wants, and that includes Josh.”
Jack didn’t answer for a moment as he pulled away from the curb and merged with traffic heading back to the highway. “I know that Josh won you and the entire town over, but I don’t trust him. I don’t want my cousin to end up with a broken heart.”
“She loves him, and he loves her just as much.”
“Love isn’t always enough.”
Now Mel was frowning. She knew he was right about that. Her loving Jack might not be enough. She faced forward. Which is why she wouldn’t tell him. Maybe not ever.
MEL CONTINUED TO peruse the menu as the waitress placed their mugs of coffee on the table. She then waited with her order pad in hand. Mel shook her head. “I’m sorry. I need another minute.”
Jack sighed, knowing that she was stalling because she couldn’t decide. “Just order the blueberry pancakes with bacon. That’s what you always get.”
“Just because you order the same thing every time doesn’t mean that I have to.”
Jack didn’t know what was so wrong with having his favorites and sticking to them. So what if he didn’t want to try the latest and greatest? He knew what he liked and there was nothing wrong with that.
The waitress shot him a look. “I’ll be right back.”
He watched her leave, then turned to find Mel watching him. “Isn’t she a little young for you?”
He held up his hands. “What? I’m not interested in the waitress.”
She gave him a look that seemed to say she didn’t believe a word he was saying. “You were looking at her.”
And what is wrong with that? “I was. I just choose not to do anything beyond that right now.”
Mel closed the menu and placed it next to her coffee cup. “And why aren’t you dating? I figured that once your cousins started pairing off that you would be next.”
Jack considered this as he took a sip of his coffee. First it had been Penny who had recently married the man who bought their great-aunt’s house when his burned down. Now it was Shelby who had lost the election for mayor but won the heart of her opponent. When Jack placed the mug on the table, he gave a half-hearted shrug. “Right now is not a good time for me to pursue anything with anyone.”
“Why? Because you struck out with the As?”
He smiled at the nickname that Mel had dubbed the last three women he dated: Angelique, Ashley and Amanda. “You should stop calling them that.”
“Maybe it’s time you moved to a different letter of the alphabet. Maybe somewhere in the middle?”
She looked up at the waitress who approached their table and asked, “Made a decision?”
Jack ordered his standard eggs over easy and crispy bacon as Mel studied the menu, then ordered her usual blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. He tried not to gloat, but knew that he had failed when Mel frowned at him. “Don’t give me that look. I couldn’t decide on anything else.”
“Because there’s nothing wrong with liking what you always get.”
“Maybe one day, I’ll surprise you and order something different.” She pulled her coffee cup closer and added cream, then sugar. “So back to you dating.”
“Nothing to get back to because I told you that I’m not dating.” He’d learned his lesson, and it wasn’t one that he wanted to repeat. “I’m focusing on me and my career right now. I told you that I hired another vet for the clinic, right?”
He’d been burning the candle at both ends for years trying to get the animal clinic up and running. He’d lost his marriage and several relationships in the process, but his practice had gotten so busy that he had needed to hire another veterinarian. He only hoped that Lucas would stick and be able to take some of the burden off his shoulders.
“And it’s about time too. You’ve been working too hard for too long.”
“And that should be changing now with Lucas on staff. I won’t be on call twenty-four seven anymore.” Mel shot him a look that told him she didn’t believe him. He shrugged. “But it’s still my clinic. My baby. I’m the one responsible for it.”
“You’ve always been very responsible. It’s one of the things I love about you.” She smiled across the table at him, and he returned the grin.
“Back at you.”
“Speaking of our businesses, are you coming to my Halloween party a week from Sunday?”
Jack groaned. “You’re never open on Sundays. Why do I have to go?”
“It’s Halloween, so it’s special. I always have a Halloween party for the kids at the store. I’m not going to change that just because it falls on a Sunday.”
“Of course I’ll be there. I’ll just have to leave Sunday dinner at my parents’ house early.” He scowled at the thought of Halloween. “I don’t have to dress up, do I?”
“Costumes are encouraged, but not required.”
He gave a sigh of relief. He knew that Mel was a big fan of Halloween, but it had never been one of his favorites. Dressing up. Pretending to be someone else. Begging for treats from strangers. He gave a shudder. He’d pass, thank you. “I’ll wear my scrubs and be a veterinarian.”
Mel sighed and shook her head. “You’re never going to change, are you?”
“You probably wouldn’t like me if I did.”
She stared at him for a long moment, opening and shutting her mouth until she finally gave a soft shake of her head and added more sugar to her coffee.
“What was that about?”
“I needed more sugar.”
“No, what were you thinking about just then?” She had looked as if she had wanted to say something, but had changed her mind at the last minute. “What’s going on?”
Her cheeks colored, and she waved her free hand in the air between them. “It’s nothing. Just...thinking about all I have to get ready for Halloween. Would you mind picking up a few more bags of candy before you stop by on Sunday? I don’t think I have enough.”
“Whatever you need, Mel. You know you can count on me.”
PINT-SIZED SUPERHEROES, princesses and monsters raced around the bookstore before landing in front of the rocking chair in the children’s section where Melanie waited with the evening’s Halloween story. Dressed as a witch in a long black dress with a matching pointed black hat, she looked out into the bright, shiny faces of her audience. She opened the book and scanned their faces once more before starting to tell the story of Harold, the Reluctant Halloween Monster.
Halloween was one of her favorite times of the year. She could dress up and pretend to be someone else who was braver than she. Not that her life wasn’t one that she was proud of. After all, she owned the bookstore which was a dream she’d had since being not much older than the children sitting on the carpet in front of her. She had two best friends who she would do anything for and they’d do the same for her. She had a cute little house that she’d renovated and decorated on her own by using books that she studied—applying the techniques within them. No, her life had a lot of good things.
It was missing only two that she wanted more than anything else—a husband and a family.
She paused in telling the story to look out at the audience again and found Jack leaning on a bookshelf, watching her performance. He gave her a smile and a wink.
If only she could believe that the wink meant something more.
Once the story had been told and the children returned to their parents, Melanie replaced the book on the shelf, then returned to the front of the store to help out her only other staff member, Emma, with ringing up sales and making hot drinks.
“Great performance as always,” Jack said, lifting his mug of coffee in salute. He sat on a stool at the long wooden coffee bar, a new book next to him. She’d ordered that thriller last week especially for him since she knew his preferences as well as her own when it came to reading.
“Thank you as always.” She held out the hem of her black skirt and gave a quick curtsy.
He glanced around the store, and she wondered what he saw. The store was one large room with wooden paneling and hardwood floors; except in the children’s section which was carpeted with squares in primary colors. Bookshelves created a maze for a reader to get lost in while searching for the next great book. Maybe she had gone overboard with the Halloween decorations this year, but she couldn’t help it. And the kids loved all the pictures of their favorite characters dressed in costumes. “I’ve never understood why this was your favorite holiday.” He turned back to her. “I mean, I get it when you’re a kid and it’s all about the candy. But you’re an adult now.”
“Halloween isn’t just about candy. It’s about getting the chance to be someone else for one night.”
He peered at her. “And who would you want to be besides yourself?”
Your date. She hoped he couldn’t detect the longing in her eyes as she looked at him. To change the subject, she pointed to his coffee mug. “Need a refill?”
“If I have any more, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” He patted the book next to him. “Although this might do it as well. I can’t wait to dive into the story.”
“You might need some caffeine if you’re going to help me put the store back to rights after everyone leaves. Emma has to get to a Halloween party, so I told her she could leave early.”
Jack groaned, but did so with a smile. “Why do you always rope me into these things?”
“You’re an easy mark. And Shelby would help me too if she wasn’t halfway around the world with Josh.”
“Have you heard from her recently?”
They’d had a brief phone call that had left Mel longing to do some traveling herself. “She called last night. They’re staying at a hotel on a beach in Milos.” Melanie sighed and rested her chin on her fist. “From everything she says, it’s so romantic. We should go sometime.”
“Think I’ll leave the world traveling to you and my cousin.” Jack pushed off the stool and grabbed the book. “After you close the store, come find me in an armchair. I’ll be in the mystery section. Think I’ll read a few pages while I wait.”
He left, and Melanie watched his progress. Did he know how much she cared about him? Couldn’t he see how much she wanted to take a romantic vacation with him? Or even go on a real date for just once with him? Sure, they went out to dinner at least once a week, but Jack kept everything strictly in the friend zone. Mel was still hopeful that reading her latest book would help her get past that label.
A vampire dressed in scrubs approached her. One of the few adults who had dressed for the holiday, Mel stifled a giggle at his appearance. “Are you Dr. Dracula?”
The vampire pulled the edge of his scrubs top out. “I want to take your blood, then send it to the lab for tests,” he said, then shrugged. “I work as a nurse at the hospital, and my patients are always calling me a vampire, so I followed their suggestion for Halloween this year.”
“Clever.”
“That I am.” He pointed behind him at the children’s section. “Could I get your opinion about something? I need to pick out a book for my nephew’s birthday and have no clue what would be appropriate.”
“How old is he?”
“Eight going on eighty.”
She followed him into the rows of books, pulling a couple off the shelves as they walked. “If he’s into sports, I’d recommend these two.”
“No sports. He loves his video games instead.”
“Gotcha.” She replaced the two and grabbed another. “This is the first book of a new series that he might enjoy, full of wizards, magic and dragons. Very popular right now. Word is that the author is in talks with producers to turn her series into a movie.”
“They write books before the movie is made?”
She put a hand on her chest. “You have to read the book before seeing it. It’s practically the law in my world.”
He smiled. “I’d be interested in getting a glimpse of your world. Or maybe just take you to a movie some night.” He held out his hand. “I’m Marius.”
She shook hands with him. “Melanie, but my friends call me Mel.” Was he asking her out? To avoid answering, she let go of his hand and grabbed another couple of books from a nearby shelf. “Eight-year-old boys also like the gross humor in these.”
“I’ll take them all. And maybe your phone number?”
He gave her a bright smile, and Mel tried to feel something like she did for Jack. But nothing. Maybe a mild interest in his life story, but otherwise she wasn’t attracted to him. Even if he was a tall, good-looking man with short dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes that twinkled with a sense of humor that she liked. Okay, so she was attracted, but not enough to act on it. She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Marius.”
“You’re not wearing a ring, so it must mean you’ve given your heart to someone else.” He gave a loud, exaggerated sigh. “Guess I’ll have to become a regular customer here and win you over to my side with time. I am a man with patience.” He tugged on the neckline of his scrubs. “Patients? Get it?”
She couldn’t help but return his smile as he gave her a quick nod, then left her in the children’s section while she wondered why she couldn’t get over her crush on Jack.
Once everyone, including Emma, had left for the evening, Jack placed the last few dirty dishes into the small dishwasher under the coffee counter as she balanced the cash register and placed the drawer in the safe below for safekeeping overnight. Mel turned off the lights and gathered the zippered pouch that held the deposit to be dropped off at the bank in the morning on her way in to work and placed it in her purse. Jack waited for her at the front door. “Another successful night for Mel’s Books. I saw a lot of kids leaving with new books to read, and a number of parents with their own picks.”
“It’s my duty to encourage a love of reading in the children and adults of Thora. And if I can do it with candy and costumes, all the better.”
Jack started to open the door, but Melanie stayed his hand. “Before we leave, could we talk for a minute?”
“Now? In the dark?”
“If I turn the lights back on, I might lose my courage.” She swallowed at the fear that made her feel as if her body had become fragile. Breakable. She knew that she should wait to tell Jack about her feelings, but there was something in the air tonight. The festivities of the Halloween party had given her a sense of bravery to do something. To tell him the truth finally and face the consequences of it afterward, whatever those might be. Or maybe it was the interest from another man who didn’t see her as the safe best friend. She should tell him.
The more she waited to say something, she wondered if letting it go a little longer would be better. Maybe give Jack more time to see that he might have feelings for her too. But Jo, the heroine of her favorite book, Little Women, wouldn’t back down from speaking her mind, and neither would she.
She placed her hand on Jack’s, and he grasped it, his eyes searching her face. “What is it? You’re scaring me a little.”
The light from the street lamp outside her store lit up the hard planes of his handsome face, and she was drawn as she always was to his bright blue eyes, a Cuthbert family trait. Would he see her as the woman she was and not the friend he’d always known? She squeezed his hand. “The thing is, Jack, that I love you.”
He smiled and put his free hand on her shoulder. “I love you too, Mel. You know that. You’re my best friend in the entire world.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I’m not talking as friends. I’ve been in love with you since I was six and you stood up to Kissing Kevin on my behalf on the playground at school.” She opened her eyes to find Jack frowning, confusion creating shadows on his face. “I want to be more than your friend.”
Jack let go of her hand and took a step back. “Mel...”
She frowned. “I’ve practiced this moment in my head for years, but now that it’s here I’m getting the words all wrong.”
“And I know how you love your words, but I think it’s been a long day and we’re both tired. That’s all this is. We can laugh about this tomorrow.”
“This isn’t a joke.” She reached up and held his face in her hands. “I’m offering you everything I have. All you have to do is say yes.”
Jack closed his eyes. “I—”
“Friendship is the basis of a great relationship. We’ll just be taking what we have to the next level.” Before she could lose her nerve, she reached up and pressed her mouth to his.
In her fantasies, this moment had been so much more. The kiss would awaken him to what had been in front of him all this time. He would truly see her and want her like she wanted him to.
But him pushing her away had never happened in those dreams.
