Miss Kane's Christmas (13 page)

A few curtains wavered but he couldn’t tell if the breeze was moving them or if curious condo owners were peeking out to see who the shouting lunatic was. He waited until a middle aged couple in swim suits walked by before trying again. “Santa, send down your daughter.” He paused for only a moment. “I love her.”

* * *

“Carol, you’d better hurry down there before that young man of yours blows my cover.” Santa slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulder, their delighted smiles indicating their approval. “And for the love of Christmas, say yes to whatever he asks so we can get some quiet.”

With a grateful grin, Carol headed out the door and ran down the stairway as quickly as she could. It felt like her heart gave her feet wings. Ben was here. He remembered her. He loved her!

She pushed open the lobby door and looked around. Joy filled her heart when she saw three suitcases, two children, and the one man she’d love forever.

Their eyes met and for one perfect moment the rest of the world ceased to exist. Carol wasn’t sure if she went to Ben, or if he came to her, but suddenly he was holding her close and that was all she cared about.

“You came.” She pulled back to smile up at him.

“We did,” Ben said, standing back just far enough to allow Hillary and Patrick to hug her. “We have something to ask you.”

Carol’s eyes great moist with tears of joy. “You’ve come all this way,” she said. “So ask me.”

She watched as Ben nodded to the children and then all three spoke in unison, “Will you marry us?”

Carol nodded, momentarily unable to speak. Tears of happiness slipped down her cheeks. She bent and hugged the children tightly, loving the feeling of their arms around her neck, their little faces pressed to hers. “Yes, I will.” She glanced up at Ben and saw her own joy reflected in his eyes. “Now, do you two want to run upstairs and tell my parents the good news?” At their eager nods she said, “They’re in Unit 200. Up the stairs and the first door on the right.”

As soon as she saw they were safely in the building she turned back to Ben. Her fiancé. The wonder of it filled her heart.

“Marry me?” he asked, his voice was thick with emotion. He pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. “Please?”

Carol gasped. Nestled in the velvet was a gold band with a brilliant diamond flanked by an emerald on one side and a ruby on the other. “It’s beautiful,” she finally managed to say. “They’re Christmas colors.”

He nodded and slipped the ring out of the box and onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. She held her hand up and marveled at how perfect her world suddenly had become. She looked up at him. “Ben, but what about, you know, the whole holiday and my family thing?”

He smiled. “I’m fine with it, Carol. We’ll work it out. I mean, everyone has in-laws to get used to, right?”

She laughed.

He leaned down and kissed her. When at last she pulled back, he took her hands in his and held them up against his chest, over his heart. “I believe, Carol. In Christmas, in your father, in magic, in it all.”

“What happened?” She slipped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. “What made you change your mind?”

He cocked his head, pretending to think. “It could have been a couple of things. One, I met the most incredible woman in the world who stole my heart, or it could have been flying over rooftops in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. I think we can safely say that either would make a believer out of any man.”

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too. Now, I’d like to go meet your mother and thank your father.”

“Thank him? For what?”

Ben grinned. “For so many things.” He kissed her again. “For giving me hope, for giving the kids and I happiness, for raising such an incredible daughter.”

Carol smiled. “You believe.”

He nodded, a playful smile on his lips. “I love the holidays. In fact, I’m already counting down the days until next Christmas.”

She laughed. “You are going to make a great Claus.”

About the Author

Caroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write. She also loves a good adventure, among her favorites thus far were attending graduate school in a Scottish castle, riding a camel around the Pyramids in Giza, and taking a best-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland. Caroline lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children, affectionately known as The Miracles.

For more information please visit Caroline’s website:
www.CarolineMickelson.com

www.carolinemickelson.com