Romance & Christmas Miracles Read online

  “I miss them terribly,” Jack confessed, a slight tremble in his voice.

  Aurora drew closer, hugging his arm. “I know you do. Wherever they are, they miss you too.”

  “Sometimes, I feel like I lost my entire family that Christmas. With Kline not wanting hardly anything to do with me anymore.” He paused before patting her hand. “But you're going to bring him back to me.”

  “Me?” she quirked her head, wondering what he meant.

  “You remind me so much of Lillian.” He picked up another picture, this one of just the two of them on their wedding day. Lillian's veil was pushed back away from her face, and they looked like the two happiest people in the world. “She had such a gentle heart and a giving spirit. There was a rare goodness inside of her that you don't see in many people these days. You have it, too.” Jack smiled down at Aurora.

  She could sense Lillian's kind spirit just from looking at the pictures. In every one of them, she wore a genuine smile. Aurora could tell she loved her family very much.

  She immediately felt guilty and a bit disappointed for thinking that there might be something going on between Jack and her mother. It was apparent in the way that he spoke about Lillian that there would only ever be one woman for him. Even though it had been two years, Aurora could tell that Jack hadn't even thought once about moving on. Lillian was the love of his life. Aurora could only hope that one day she'd be able to find a man who would love her as much as Jack loved Lillian.

  “Well, we should probably get to it.” Jack set down the picture and took a deep breath.

  “We've got to get this place all lit up so that Kline will know where to find you,” Aurora teased.

  She followed Jack outside to his storage room, and they loaded up their arms with boxes labeled Christmas in scrawled handwriting that Aurora knew didn't belong to Jack. She'd seen him sign enough paperwork to know his penmanship. These boxes had all been packed by Lillian, and opening them would likely stir up more memories for Jack. Aurora knew it would be hard for him, and she wanted to be by his side to help him through it.

  “I didn't think I'd ever open these boxes again. Certainly, not this soon,” he confessed as they stacked the boxes in the living room and Aurora went to work carefully peeling the tape off of one of them. There should be enough here to do the entire house, and if not, Aurora didn't mind running to the store to pick up more lights or garland. Whatever they needed to finish the job.

  The first box had a ceramic nativity scene in it. Jack cleared off one of the tables and laid a blanket on top of it before kneeling next to Aurora to unwrap each piece carefully. There was a sad smile in his eyes as he explained that Lillian had hand-painted each figurine herself. Aurora was stunned at how well she had done them. The set looked every bit as nice as anything you could buy from a store, and it was even more special because it was made with love.

  “Kline used to steal the baby Jesus out of the manger when he was a little boy. We never knew why, but almost every night we'd find him asleep with the figurine in his hand. Eventually, Lillian tried gluing baby Jesus to the manger, but then he'd just take the whole thing.”

  Aurora couldn't help but giggle at the story, imagining little klepto Kline sneaking out of his bed at night to come and collect the figurine.

  The afternoon was filled with fun stories about Kline and Kathy and Lillian and all of the Christmases they'd shared together. Jack was a great storyteller, going into detail and doing the voices of his family members. Aurora could definitely see where Kline had gotten his creativity from.

  Aurora held the ladder as Jack climbed up it to string the Christmas lights outside. Nostalgia filled her, and in the dim light of the fading afternoon sun, she could almost picture her father in his place. It was like they were both being swept into the past when times were simpler and they didn't know such loss. Aurora savored every moment.

  “Well, that should about do it,” Jack said as he climbed down from the ladder. And it was just in the nick of time, too. The last sliver of sunlight had faded. It was almost too dark for them to be working outside.

  They stepped back to admire their work. The earthy green of Christmas garland wound up the support beams on the front porch. A festive Christmas wreath hung on the door, adorned with bright poinsettia blossoms and silver round ornaments.

  “And now for the moment of truth.” Jack walked to the outlet to plug in the lights.

  Aurora held her breath as the house lit up, the glow of multicolored bulbs circling it like a giant glittering crown. They had done a good job. Now the outside was every bit as festive as the inside.

  Jack walked over and stood next to Aurora. He smiled, looking genuinely pleased with everything they'd accomplished.

  “Do you feel more in the Christmas spirit now?” she asked.

  “I do.” He nodded. “And it's all thanks to you.” He wrapped his arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Now let's get inside. It's a little too chilly for you to be out here. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold.”

  The way he fretted over her made Aurora chuckle. He could be such a worry wart sometimes.

  “I should probably be getting home.” She tossed her thumb in the direction of her truck. It was getting late, and she still needed to make supper.

  “Hey,” Jack called to her as she began to walk away. Aurora paused and turned towards him. “I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner about Kline coming. To be honest, I didn't want to say anything to you until I was sure.”

  “Don't worry about it.” She shook off his apology, knowing it was sincere.

  Jack took a deep breath, gazing up at the house with a smile. “This Christmas is going to be different. I just know it.”

  It warmed her heart to hear him say that. She wanted him to love the holiday just as much as she did, and though that would likely never happen given the circumstances, she at least wanted him to be able to enjoy it again. “That's the spirit, Jack. Think positive.”

  “It will be different because you're here,” he told her, and suddenly Aurora felt like there was an invisible weight on her shoulders. She didn't want to let Jack down, no matter what he meant by his words.

  ***

  It was the day of the big party for Kline, and Aurora felt electricity zipping through every cell in her body. It was like Christmas before Christmas. She couldn't remember the last time she was this excited about anything. Tonight, she was going to get to meet Kline West, country star extraordinaire. But first, there was so much to do.

  Blessedly, she had the day off, so she decided to call up her best friend and head to San Antonio. Aurora had finished her Christmas shopping a long time ago. Today was all about her making the best impression she could with Kline.

  “I can't believe you're going to get to meet Kline West,” Evelyn said from the manicure chair beside her, their hands both outstretched so that they could get manicures simultaneously.

  “I know. I'm not sure I still believe it myself.” Aurora looked down at her nails, wondering if she had made the right choice by having tiny candy canes painted on each one. Her mother would tell her if it was too gaudy, not that she'd be able to change it once it was done. Men didn't care much about what a woman's nails looked like anyway. This was for her.

  “I wish I didn't have to work today.” Evelyn frowned. “I'd love to be able to go. You said your mom invited the entire city?”

  “Everyone I know,” Aurora replied with a sigh, wondering how Jack was handling things. She knew he must be a nervous wreck between waiting for Kline to come home and preparing for the party.

  “It's been a long time since I met a celebrity,” Evelyn mused. “The last one was Tim Duncan after a Spurs game. He was nice.”

  They finished their manicures and went on to the salon, making idle chit-chat with their hairstylists. Aurora had a slight wave put into her normally straight long blonde hair. All of this pampering made her feel like a princess.

  With their hair done, the two friends wand
ered through store after store in search of the perfect party dress for Aurora. Aurora tended to gravitate towards anything with a Christmas theme. Dresses with Christmas tree patterns or reindeer or Santa Claus. Thankfully, Evelyn was there to rein in her over the top fashion sense.

  “Too much.” Evelyn's face puckered and she shook her head as Aurora held up a red dress with green candy canes on it. “It would be overkill with your nails.”

  “Oh, right. The nails.” Aurora glanced down at her hand.

  “How about this one?” Evelyn pulled a maroon sequin dress from one of the racks.

  “Too flashy.”

  “Says the girl who wants to wear a Santa dress.” Evelyn cocked her head to the side with a wry smile.

  “Oh, shush, you.” Aurora waved the comment away.

  After they had agreed on about half a dozen dresses, Aurora went into the dressing room while Evelyn waited outside to play judge. Trying on so many dresses was exhausting, but Aurora wanted to look perfect. There was only one chance for her to make a good first impression.

  “The blue one or the green one?” Aurora held up her two favorites by the hangers.

  “The blue one looks classier, but the green one is unique,” Evelyn told her, which honestly wasn't much help. Aurora loved both dresses. This was definitely a hard choice.

  “Which one would you choose?” Aurora turned to one of the store clerks who happened to be walking by.

  “What's the occasion?” the woman asked.

  “Christmas party,” Aurora replied.

  “She's meeting Kline West,” Evelyn added.

  “Oh, Kline West.” The woman's face lit up with recognition. “In that case, the green one. Definitely, the green one. It will stick out more than the blue one. Plus, it will make your legs look longer.”

  “I agree.” Evelyn nodded.

  And the decision was made.

  They spent another hour picking out shoes and accessories for the dress, and then they hugged and parted ways. Aurora couldn't be more pleased with the choices she had made. She was going to look absolutely stunning when she put everything together; she just knew it.

  Aurora listened to Christmas music all the way back to Bandera. There was warmth swimming in her belly from having the perfect day. Only one thing could make it better, and that was topping it all off with a cup of hot cocoa from the local coffee shop.

  Aurora pulled into the driveway of Flavor Beans and killed the engine. She had pep in her step as she walked through the door, smiling at the snowy scene painted on the windows with chalk. Snowmen stood with their stick arms outstretched, welcoming the street traffic in. A soft moan escaped Aurora's lips as she inhaled the scent of coffee kissed with touches of cinnamon and nutmeg. Just being inside the small coffee shop gave her an extra shot of that Christmas feeling that she loved so much.

  She stood in line, salivating over the pastries in the display case. Scones and cinnamon rolls and frosted cookies. Looking at them made her stomach rumble, but she didn't want to add any extra calories to her waistline before she met Kline.

  By the time it was her turn, Aurora's resolve had faded. She had her eye on a particularly tasty-looking angel cookie. No one had to know about the little splurge but her and Carol, the woman who owned Flavor Beans and was currently manning the cash register.

  “Hey Aurora,” Carol said to her with a smile. “What will it be today?”

  “I'll have a small hot cocoa and that angel cookie there.” She pointed at the cookie through the glass. Flo, Carol's granddaughter, quickly went to retrieve the cookie. “Are you guys looking forward to going to the Kline West party tonight?”

  Carol glanced over at Flo, and her happy expression faltered. “Amanda called in sick, so I have to stay here and man the store during the party.”

  “Oh, that's too bad.” Aurora frowned.

  “Flo had really wanted to go. She's been singing Kline West's songs ever since she found out he was coming to town.” Carol stroked the girl's hair as Flo reached over the counter to hand Aurora the cookie.

  “It's okay, Nana.” Flo smiled up at her grandmother. “I understand.”

  Aurora's heart broke for the little girl. During her breaks from school, she could often be found by her grandmother's side helping in the coffee shop. She was a good kid, always had a smile on her face no matter the situation.

  The warmth that had been swimming in Aurora's belly was beginning to solidify. She wanted to bite her own tongue, but she just couldn't help herself. This was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for Flo, and she just couldn't stand to see the little girl miss it.

  “You know,” she leaned over the counter, looking directly at Flo, “I used to work here when I first started going to college. In fact, your grandmother did me a solid by giving me my first job way back when I was in high school.”

  “Oh, that wasn't really a job.” Carol brushed it away. “You were just helping with my animals a few hours a week for a little bit of pocket change.”

  “Well, I still put it on my resume.” Aurora straightened. She had been more than grateful back then, and that gratefulness hadn't faded one bit. “But I was thinking that I could take over Amanda's shift tonight so that you could take Flo to the party.”

  Carol seemed taken aback. Her mouth hung open. Her tired blue eyes were wide. But then the shock faded, and she looked away. “I couldn't let you do that. I know you're looking forward to meeting Kline West just as much as everyone else.”

  “Yes, I am looking forward to it,” Aurora admitted, “but I'll have other opportunities. I'm pretty close to his dad, so I could always meet him some other time. But you guys,” she looked down at Flo again, and she could see the excitement taking over the little girl's face at the prospect of meeting Kline, “you guys should really go and enjoy yourselves.”

  “Can we, Nana? Please.” Flo tugged at her grandmother's sleeve, her eyes pleading.

  “Are you sure it wouldn't be any trouble?” Carol asked Aurora, falling into the idea.

  “None at all.” Aurora shook her head. “It would be the least I could do after everything you've done for me in the past. Please, let me do this. If not for you, then for Flo.” Nothing made her happier than the thought of the little girl getting to meet Kline.

  Carol took a deep breath, glancing from Aurora to Flo. “Oh, alright. I guess you're going to get to meet Kline West after all.”

  “Yay!” Flo jumped into the air, her arms outstretched.

  “Now what do you say to Aurora?” Carol cocked her head in Aurora's direction.

  “Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” The little girl came running around the counter to give Aurora a hug.

  “You're welcome, sweetheart.” She squeezed Flo gently. “I'm just glad I could help.”

  Aurora took her coffee and angel cookie to one of the tables and sat there, nibbling on the cookie while she stared out of the window at the passing traffic on Main Street. How many of these people would be going to Kline's welcoming party? It was the event of the century, and she doubted that anyone would want to miss it. Yet she had voluntarily given up her chance to meet the country star. Who knew how long he would be staying in Bandera? From the way Jack told it, he could be there one day and gone the very next. All of the preparations she'd done—the hair, the nails, the dress—had all been for nothing.

  Oh well, her mother would tell her all about the party the next day, she was sure. And she was doing this for a good cause. Even though she had told Jack that she'd be there when Kline arrived, she was certain he would understand once she explained things to him. Jack loved kids just as much as she did. That was apparent by how good he was with them at the orphanage, reading them stories and singing them silly little songs and having deep conversations with them to help them through their hard times. Jack was nothing if not understanding. He had gotten through to so many people—changed so many lives with his goodwill and positive nature. It was hard for her to believe that he couldn't get through to his
own son.

  Whatever the case, he would be on his own tonight. She just hoped that everything would be alright and that the night would be as wonderful for him and Kline as they had planned, even if Aurora wasn't there to share it with them.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “You don't have to do this alone, you know,” Ford Evans told Kline as he watched him looking contemplative. Kline was deeply seated on the sofa in his living room, hunched over with his elbow propped up on his knee and his chin resting on his knuckles. He stared off into space, so lost in thought that Ford was worried he might not come back. “I could come with you.”

  “No,” Kline quickly brushed the offer away. He appreciated it, but Ford deserved to spend Christmas with his family.

  “You're like a brother to me, Kline. I don't mind at all.” Ford sat next to Kline. They'd been best friends since they met in college ten years ago. Both of them had a passion for music and instantly connected. If not for Ford, Kline might not be where he was today. They started out together playing small clubs and local venues, Ford on the drums, Kline at the mic. They'd watched each other grow as musicians over the years, keeping one another humble no matter how much money they made. At the end of the day, they were just two guys with problems like everyone else.

  “I know you don't mind, but I need to face this alone.” Kline sighed.

  “I know how hard it is for you to be around your father during Christmas. I know you blame him for what happened to your mom and sister.”

  He cut Ford off there. “I'm not sure who I blame more, him or me.” Kline scrubbed his hand across his face. Seeing his father was a reminder of what they had both lost. What they both could have prevented if one of them hadn't been so selfish as to put their careers first. Looking into his father's eyes was like staring his regret in the face.

  “It wasn't your fault. It wasn't his fault. No one is to blame. You guys couldn't see into the future. If you could have, this never would have happened. Heck, if people could see into the future, bad stuff would never happen to anyone. But that's not how the world works.”