Page 131 of Christmas Magic

“You can’t mean the cookies were magical.”

“Well…um….”

He chuckled. “I get it. You meant the magic of the festive season. While we have a few weeks to go before Christmas, this holiday’s already been pretty special.”

She swallowed as though she had a chunk of candy cane stuck in her throat. “No. That’s not what I—”

“Mom, look! It’s the Santa who had the big sword,” cried a boy wearing a snowman costume.

The mother grinned. “It sure is.”

Perfect timing.

“How about a picture?” Lucian beckoned the parent and child over to the float.

“Thanks again for your help tonight,” Cora said as she stepped away.

“Sure.” He posed for the photo and then, when the boy asked, encouraged Galahad and the female cats to be in a picture with the youngster.

Soon, the crowd dwindled. Cora and Roberta were chatting with Fred. Rather than initiate conversation, Lucian raised his hand to say goodbye and headed for Black Cat Antiquities, the five cats darting ahead of him. With each step, his longing to see Molly intensified.

Nearing the store, he saw the front doors stood propped open. Warm, inviting light spilled into the street. Laughter floated out from inside the shop, and as he entered, he saw Molly ringing up a sale for a customer while several other women perused the table of holiday china and ornaments.

He reached the counter. “How’s it going?”

Molly smiled. “It’s been busy. All good, though.”

“Of course, it would be all good,” Rose mewled. “You’re perfectly capable of running the store without Lucian.”

Indeed, she was.

He didn’t like to think of her managing without him—but recently, she had. With all that had happened lately, she might have decided she preferred to rely only on herself—no one else.

When they talked tonight, she might say just that.

Please. No.

“My hat needs to come off. Now,” Galahad yowled.

“Yes.” Lucian crouched, helped the felines out of their hats, and then dished out some of the special duck dinner for them.

As another woman brought several ornaments to the counter, he located some bubble wrap and boxed them up for her to carry safely home. As he and Molly worked together side by side, he thought about their important conversation ahead.

Tonight, he’d show Molly that now and forever, they belonged together.

If that meant going all medieval once again, then so be it.

A couple of hours later, Molly dropped her sweater and purse on the living room sofa, near the pillow and blanket Lucian had left there that morning. Her heart constricted to remember how things had been between them earlier; the emotional chasm that had separated them.

How she hoped that tonight, they’d once again sleep together in the same bed, their differences reconciled.

The front door snicked shut behind Lucian. “I’d say that evening was a success.”

“I’d agree.” Ignoring the main living room lights, Molly switched on the strings on the Christmas tree. The multicolored lights gleamed off blown glass baubles and glittery ornaments and filled the room with a coziness that would be even more special once she’d lit the logs in the fireplace.

Still wearing the Santa costume, Lucian set aside his sword and crossed to the hearth.

“I’d just thought about lighting the fire.”