Mrs. Miracle had suggested he go for a walk that evening. An odd idea, he thought, especially after a long day spent dealing with harried shoppers. The last thing he’d normally want to do was spend even more time on his feet. And yet he felt irresistibly attracted to the park. The cheerful lights, the elegant carriages, the man on the corner selling roasted chestnuts, drew him like a kid to a Christmas tree.
None of this made any sense. He was exhausted, doubting himself and his judgment, entangled in memories he’d rather ignore. Perhaps a swift walk would chase away the demons that hounded him.
Putting on his coat, he wrapped the cashmere scarf around his neck. George, the building doorman, opened the front door and, hunching his shoulders against the wind, Jake hurried across the street.
“Aunt Holly, can we buy hot chestnuts?”
The young boy’s voice immediately caught Jake’s attention. He turned abruptly and came face-to-face with Holly Larson. The fourth time in less than twenty-four hours.
“Jake!”
“Holly.”
They stared at each other, both apparently too shocked to speak.
She found her voice first. “What are you doing here?”
He pointed to the apartment building on the other side of the street. “I live over there. What are you doing here this late?”
“How late is it?”
He checked his watch. “Twenty to ten.”
“Ten!” she cried. “You’ve got to be kidding. I had no idea it was so late. Hurry up, Gabe, it’s time we got to the subway.”
“Can we buy some chestnuts first?” he asked, gazing longingly at the vendor’s cart.
“Not now. Come on, we have to go.”
“I’ve never had roasted chestnuts before,” the boy complained.
“Neither have I,” Jake said, although that wasn’t strictly true, and stepped up to the vendor. “Three, please.”
“Jake, you shouldn’t.”
“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun.” He paid for the chestnuts, then handed bags to Holly and Gabe.
“I’m not sure how we got this far north,” Holly said, walking close to his side as the three of them strolled down the street, eating chestnuts. “Gabe wanted to see the carriages in the park.”
“Lindy told me about them.” Gabe spoke with his mouth full. “Lindy Lee.”
“Lindy Lee’s my boss,” Holly explained. “The designer.”
Jake knew who she was, impressed that Holly worked for such a respected industry name.
“We went into Holly’s office to decorate for Christmas, and Lindy was there and she let me put up stuff around her desk. That’s when she told me about the horses in the park,” Gabe said.
“Did you go for a ride?” Jake asked.
Gabe shook his head sadly. “Aunt Holly said it costs a lot of money.”
“It is expensive,” Jake agreed. “But sometimes you can make a deal with the driver. Do you want me to try?”
“Yeah!” Gabe said excitedly. “I’ve never been in a carriage before—not even once.”
“Jake, no,” Holly whispered, and laid a restraining hand on his arm. “I should get him home and in bed.”
“Aunt Holly, please!“ The eight-year-old’s plaintive cry rang out. “It’s Saturday.”
“You’re turning down a carriage ride?” Jake asked. He saw the dreamy look that came over Holly as a carriage rolled past—a white carriage drawn by a midnight-black horse. “Have you ever been on one?”
“No …”
“Then that settles it. The three of us are going.” Several carriages had lined up along the street. Jake walked over to the first one and asked his price, which he willingly paid. All that talk about negotiating had been just that—talk. This was the perfect end to a magical day. Magical because of a plate of silly sugar cookies. Magical because of Holly and Gabe. Magical because of Christmas, reluctant though he was to admit it.
He helped Holly up into the carriage. When she was seated, he lifted Gabe so the boy could climb aboard, too. Finally he hoisted himself onto the bench across from Holly and Gabe. They shared a thick fuzzy blanket.
“This is great,” Gabe exclaimed. “I can hardly wait to tell my dad.”
Holly smiled delightedly. “I’m surprised he’s still awake,” she said. “We’ve been on the go for hours.”
“There’s nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child, is there?”
“Nothing.”
“Reminds me of when I was a kid …”
The carriage moved into Central Park and, even at this hour, the place was alive with activity.
“Oh, look, Gabe,” Holly said, pointing at the carousel. She wrapped her arm around the boy, who snuggled closer. “We’ll go on the carousel this spring.”
He nodded sleepily. The ride lasted about thirty minutes, and by the time they returned to the park entrance, Gabe’s eyes had drifted shut.
“I was afraid this would happen,” Holly whispered.
“We’ll go to my apartment, and I’ll contact a car service to get you home.”
Holly shook her head. “I … appreciate that, but we’ll take the subway.”
“Nonsense,” Jake said.
“Jake, I can’t afford a car service.”
“It’s on me.”
“No.” She shook her head again. “I can’t let you do that.”
“You can and you will. If I hadn’t insisted on the carriage ride, you’d have been home by now.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue more but changed her mind. “Then I’ll graciously accept and say thank-you. It’s been a magical evening.”
Magical. The same word he’d used himself. He leaped down, helped her and Gabe out, then carried Gabe across the street. The doorman held the door for them.
“Evening, Mr. Finley.”
“Evening, George.”
Holly followed him onto the elevator. When they reached the tenth floor and the doors glided open, he led the way down the hall to his apartment. He had to shift the boy in his arms to get his key in the lock.
Once inside Holly looked around her, eyes wide. By New York standards, his apartment was huge. His father had lived in it for fifteen years before moving to a different place. This apartment had suited Jake, so he’d taken it over.
“I see you’re like me. I haven’t had time to decorate for Christmas, either,” she finally said. “I was so late getting the office done that I had to come in on a Saturday to do it.”
“I don’t decorate for the holidays,” he said without explaining the reasons. He knew he probably sounded a little brusque; he hadn’t meant to.
“I suppose you get enough of that working for the store.”
He nodded, again avoiding an explanation. He laid a sleeping Gabe on the sofa.
“I’ll