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  “I think the contract is quite clear, Sam. Ashley is giving you right of first refusal for the 224 Sleigh Bell Drive. No offer will be refused.”

  “Really?”

  It was the first thing Sam had said since he’d arrived, and without even thinking Ashley whipped around to look at him. Big mistake. He was too handsome in his thick Christmas sweater. He hadn’t shaved and she wanted feel the stubble against her palms. She shook her head. “No offer … on the house,” she corrected.

  Evelyne groaned in frustration. “You have the contracts. Don’t forget what you promised, Ashley. The lock box is still on the front door. Leave the contracts here, filled out and signed.” She stomped to the door, yanked it open and a gust of wind blew in, giving Ashley another shiver. “Merry Christmas,” she snapped, and was gone.

  Sam held his breath, wishing the Santa lookalike had told him what to say. This felt like the timing he’d been told to wait for, but where to start? His family had always been the worker bees of Wonderland, the ones everyone expected to be there but didn’t think about often. He’d never been handed a house, certainly not two.

  So why would she do all this for him when she hated him enough to run away – again? She shouldn’t want to sell Grammy Jean’s to the first buyer. She could’ve easily sold the reno house out from under him, the way the deed was written. Instead, she’d written herself out for the most part. “Why, Ash?”

  “It’s a good property. You and Chelsey can have a future here.” She ran the tips of her fingers over the countertop of the center island. “You were right, you know. About a lot of things.”

  Suddenly he knew exactly what to do. He picked up his copy of the contract and began tearing it to shreds. “I don’t want it without you.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Wait, what are you doing?”

  “Making a point. Look, we both know that Chelsey is a manipulator, but even I didn’t understand how bad. I’m sorry I gave in to her blackmail. Chelsey made it sound like I was the only thing keeping her from pushing her father to sign a new city ordinance that wouldn’t allow any new B&Bs in Wonderland. This place would be unsellable. But he’s going to do it anyway, or try to – I couldn’t change her mind. And Chelsey and I have no future together, or present, or past. Why don’t you get that?”

  Ashley blinked rapidly, but straightened her spine. “And that kiss?”

  “Totally her – I never saw it coming, and I was too shocked to react.” He knew he had to keep hammering on the truth – it was the only thing that could put Ashley back where she was supposed to be, with him. “You really think I would ever in a million years want to kiss … her?”

  Ashley clamped her mouth shut and crossed her arms. Okay, accusing her wasn’t going to win her over. “I’m not going to let her come between us again. Not by some ordinance, not by a rumor, not by a kiss I wanted no part of.”

  “You still volunteered to spend all week with her. Are you saying you couldn’t think of any other way to solve this problem?”

  He laughed and leaned against the island. “I’m not saying I couldn’t, but I confess I didn’t. And neither did you when I told you. So we both messed that up.”

  “I guess … Sam? Be honest with me.”

  “I always am and I always will be.”

  She gasped, composed herself, then asked, “Am I why you gave up your scholarship to State?”

  He didn’t understand her shift in subject, but if she needed to ask it, he’d answer. He took her by the shoulders. “Of course. We were engaged – why would I run off to the other end of the state and leave you behind? We’d already spent so many hours dreaming of what we would do, and I didn’t need a degree for that. College didn’t mean much, since I’d already planned to work with you.” He paused, then added, “Besides, what if some fullback had given me brain damage on a power sweep? Would you want to spend your whole life feeding me through a straw?”

  Ashley couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m sorry, Sam. I always thought we communicated so well, but we really didn’t. We knew each other, we thought we knew what each other was thinking. But we assumed too much.”

  “That we did. When you left, I realized that I missed doing things with you, but I … I didn’t do anything about it. I should have.”

  “Me too.” She swallowed hard. “I want to believe you. I’m just so scared of being hurt again.”

  He opened his arms, and she shuffled the few steps into them. “Ashley, those dreams of college, or even owning Grammy Jean’s, mean nothing. You are what’s important to me. The houses mean less than nothing to me without you in them. I literally can’t look at that kitchen without imagining you cooking for our guests. All the little things you put in here to make it special, to make it ours … I couldn’t make those work without you. I couldn’t sell those ideas to anyone else. My dream has always been, and always will be, being with you.”

  He held her close and waited, hoping he’d said the right things. He’d said what he’d wished he’d said years ago, when he should’ve defended her instead of believing Chelsey’s lie. He should’ve asked her, and listened. If he had, they’d be together now instead of wishing they were.

  “I never meant to overlook your sacrifice, Sam. I gave you reason to doubt me, because I was too young to know any better. You were my first and only serious boyfriend. And you still are.”

  “Same here.” He rubbed her back, wanting to let her get off her mind what she needed to.

  “If I stay, we talk everything out. Right?”

  His arms tightened, but he forced himself to relax. She hadn’t agreed to anything yet. “Yes. We talk about everything.”

  “Then … let’s storm City Hall. Together.” She tilted her head back and smiled bravely.

  “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “Anything?”

  “Well … maybe one thing.” He tipped her chin up and tried to kiss her gently, but instantly her hand was on the back of his head. As always, Ashley had a plan, and she wasn’t going to stop until she was ready.

  When she let him up for air, he breathed in her scent – berries and hint of coffee – and smiled. “Stay here in Wonderland with me?” He dug the old ring out of his pocket. There would be time another day to take it to a jeweler and have it properly cleaned, but for now it would do exactly what Grammy Jean would’ve wanted. It would bring them back together.

  She backed away slightly, clearly recognizing it. “Sam, where did you get that?”

  He took her hand, pulling off her glove. “A friend found it. Even if you don’t want this from me, it’s still yours.” He slid the ring on her finger, and his heart pulsed at the sight.

  “Are you asking me …?”

  “For now, just say you won’t leave.” Sam pulled her back into his arms. They’d deal with the rest after Christmas.

  Ashley snuggled closer. “Oh, Sam … I don’t ever want to leave.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas Day, one year later

  Sam bumped against the pantry door twice. He was changing into his tuxedo inside.

  Ashley laughed. “You okay in there?” After spackling up that pantry, he’d developed a dislike for it – he always said he felt claustrophobic inside, even though it was huge.

  “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute. This room is so small, I can’t even change my mind in here.”

  She laughed at that joke every time he said it. “You could’ve gone upstairs. Our room is ready.” They’d rented a room in their own bed and breakfast for the evening. Actually, they’d rented the whole house for privacy. Not that Grammy Jean’s wasn’t private enough, but they’d both decided for their first night as husband and wife, they’d stay in the first house they owned together.

  He opened the door with one hand, straightening his tie with the other, and waggled his eyebrows. “You look amazing.” He took a step back to get the full picture of her white dress. It wasn’t really a wedding dress, but this wa
s no conventional wedding. On Christmas Day, only their parents and closest friends would be there.

  “Thank you … Councilor.” A lot had happened in the last year, over and above them learning to love each other again. Chelsey’s daddy had ended up dropping the anti-B&B ordinance after a massive (for Wonderland) public outcry. Maggie Crafton, tired of the Mileses’ stranglehold on the council, put together an alternate slate of candidates. And in November, Mr. Miles and three of the other four town councilors were voted out in favor of Maggie, Hank Alfredson, Max Bernard’s wife Rickie … and Sam.

  “Thank you, citizen,” he quipped.

  She laughed, leaned back slightly to peer into the sitting room and spotted a guest who hadn’t been there when she’d gone to see what was taking Sam so long. Nick sat in the back, looking rather tired despite his bright red Hawaiian shirt with white hibiscus flowers and a woven straw sunhat. Unsurprisingly, no one seemed to notice him. “I can’t believe it …”

  “It’s Nick,” Sam whispered. “Did you let him in?”

  “No …” Her heart raced, because she’d been sure she made up Nick and must have just taken a taxi from the airport a year ago. “You know him?”

  “We met once,” Sam mumbled. “He told me you were meant to be with me.” He pulled her close.

  Nick caught her gaze and waved. She waved back, feeling foolish.

  “I never thought Santa was real,” Sam whispered. “Not even when I was a kid.”

  “Goes to show what you know.” Ashley poked him in the ribs. “I guess he’s here for the ceremony. We’d better get to it.”

  “I wonder if he brought his Mustang.”

  “I wonder how he knew today was our wedding day.”

  Sam just laughed and led her into the room as the rest of their guests stopped chatting.

  The minister introduced them and explained that they were skipping the part where everyone walked down the aisle. The most important part of the ceremony was the vows, and that’s what Sam and Ashley wanted to share with their friends and family. Evelyne served as matron of honor, while Grady, the best man, fidgeted in his tux, unused to dressing up.

  After a quick exchange of vows, Sam and Ashley shared their first married kiss to gentle applause and a hearty laugh of joy. Ashley turned just as Nick laid his finger beside his nose, burst into flashing stars of light, swirled around the room and flew up the chimney. A moment later, the rumble of an engine roared outside, peeled away and was gone. No one else noticed, of course.

  Evelyne rushed to the front and hugged them both. “I’m happy you two beat the odds. So few people get a second chance at love.”

  Sam wrapped his arms around Ashley from behind, and she leaned back against his strength. “Anything is possible with a little a faith and a smidge of Christmas wonder.”

  The End

  Also by Kari Trumbo

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  Kari Trumbo is a bestselling author of Christian historical and contemporary romance. She is a stay-at-home mom to four vibrant children. When she isn't writing, or editing, she home schools her children and pretends to keep up with them.

  Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one’s listening, and curling up with a fluffy blanket when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband of over twenty years, two daughters, two sons, a cat, a bunny, and one hungry wood stove.