Christmas in Cupid Falls (22 page)

First Nana Vancy and now Miss Annie. She was surrounded by mystics today. Kennedy didn’t say as much; she simply nodded. “I hope you’re right. Are you getting a dog?”

“I am. My nephew built me a wonderful good small house behind the shop, and with a door right off the back, I can let a dog in and out, which I couldn’t in the apartment upstairs. So, I’m here to find my dog.”

“Hi, Gideon,” Kennedy said. “I’m not sure if you two remember each other. Mal’s lived in Pittsburgh a long time and yo
u . . .
” She started to say
didn’t mingle with the English
, but she switched to “are younger than we are.”

“Not so much younger. Nice to see you again, Mal.”

Kennedy wished Annie luck with her dog search and then left her and Gideon to it.

“I’ve seen a lot of faces I’m not familiar with today.”

“I know. That’s why I thought today was such a great idea for both Everything But a Dog and for Cupid Falls. It’s a way to bring some people in from surrounding communities. Tom at Books and Stuff put together a whole new-dog package. It comes with food from Elmer’s Market and dog dishes, a lead and collar, and some toys. Everything a new pet owner needs.”

They stopped at an enclosure that only held one dog. Or maybe a horse.

“That is a big dog,” Malcolm said.

Kennedy looked at him closely. There seemed to be a bit of wistfulness in his voice.

“You want him?” she asked, but she didn’t really need to question it. She could see in his expression that he wanted the dog.

Kennedy stared at the big dog, who stared back at her with mild curiosity in his eyes. She smiled at the dog, whose big tail swished across the floor.

She held out a hand and he got up and slowly came over. He sat and lifted one of his giant paws. She shook it with delight.

“He likes you,” Malcolm said.

At the sound of his voice, the dog turned and offered Malcolm a paw.

They shook and Malcolm patted the large dog’s head. “You are smart, aren’t you?”

The dog tilted his head as if to say,
of course
.

“Ah, you found him,” Nana Vancy said from behind them. “We’ve been calling him Jethro. He reminds me of that boy in the old
Beverly Hillbillies
show. We think he’s part lab and part Great Dane. He’s so big that a lot of people pass him by, but he’s a real gentleman.”

Jethro turned toward Nana Vancy’s voice and his giant tail swished again.

Nana Vancy wasn’t much bigger than the dog, but she didn’t seem unnerved by that fact. She opened the gate and stood next to him. “He’s a good dog. I brought him today because I had a feeling his real home was here in Cupid Falls. And it is. With one of you. This is the first time I’m not sure who he belongs to.”

Kennedy wanted to pet Jethro but she was afraid that if she did, she’d say yes. And sensibly, she knew she couldn’t cope with a dog the size of a small moose, a new baby, the town, and her business.

Jethro looked at her and there was a sad knowing in his eyes. As if he understood why she couldn’t take him. She reached out, despite herself, and patted his huge head. His tail wagged, sweeping the floor as it went. He reached out and daintily licked her arm.

“I’ll take him,” Malcolm blurted out. “He can live with me.”

“Malcolm, a dog this big won’t do well in a city apartment.”

“About that—”

Everything in Mal wanted to tell Kennedy now. He wanted to tell her he wasn’t leaving. He wanted to tell her he was opening a law practice here in Cupid Falls in the Center.

But more than any of that, he wanted to tell her that he loved her.

When he’d asked her to marry him before, none of the reasons he’d given her were enough to make a marriage work. She’d been right about that.

But he wanted to ask for the right reason no
w . . .
he knew the words.

Yet as he looked at Kennedy, clutching the adoption papers from Jenny’s kids, he knew that despite the fact she was a vital part of Cupid Falls, part of her was still the sixteen-year-old orphan whose aunt took her in out of a sense of duty.

Then he’d offered her an obligatory marriage proposal.

He was going to say the words, and he was going to ask her to marry him again. She might say no, but he’d keep asking.

But more than anything, he was going to see to it she knew what an important part of Cupid Falls she was. Even if she wouldn’t marry him, he was going to see to it she knew she had a home.

“Kennedy, I need to talk to you about so many things, but right now, I’ve got a few things I have to see to. Do you think you could finish up here and get the kids started with setting up for the dance?”

She looked confused but nodded. “Sure.”

“Nana Vancy, let me go sign the papers for Jethro.” He took the older lady toward the front and left Kennedy standing with her adoption papers and his dog—their dog. She didn’t know it yet, but Jethro was their dog as much as the baby was theirs.

As soon as they were out of earshot, he said, “Nana Vancy, I need your help. To be honest, I’m going to need everyone in Cupid Falls’ help.”

Mal had never believed in magic, but when Nana Vancy nodded and said, “Yes, she does deserve the most special proposal ever,” he knew he’d never doubt again.

And if he believed in the Hungarian grandmother’s magic, logically he had to believe in Cupid Falls’ magic, too.

All his half-formed ideas solidified. He looked at Nana Vancy and said, “So here’s what I nee
d . . .
”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Malcolm insisted on picking Kennedy up for the dance, though she had protested that she was perfectly capable of walking on her own.

He was acting odd. She wasn’t sure what was up, but he kep
t . . .
well, looking at her. And she knew how kindergartenish that sounded, but there it was. Malcolm Carter was
looking
at her, and it was making her uneasy.

The boys she’d hired to help change from a dog show to a dance venue had pulled up the dogs’ matting, and the old hardwood floors shone in the light. There was a DJ in the far corner. Red and green streamers joined holly and poinsettia decorations. The room was perfect. It practically screamed Christmas.

She’d thought this Christmas dance was a nice way to give the community a chance to get together for the holiday while at the same time earning money for the Everything But a Dog Foundation. Hence Clarence’s nickname, the Bow-Wow Ball. Tonight the nickname made her smile.

She stood in the doorway and admired the room. “It’s beautiful.”

“You planned everything down to a T,” Mal said. “I simply followed your list.”

They were the first ones to arrive other than the DJ, who was still setting up his equipment in the corner. Malcolm gave him a nod as Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” started to spill from the speakers. Mal looked entirely too pleased with the song choice.

“Dance with me?”

“I—” She didn’t get to finish her answer. He already had her in his arms, slow dancing, despite the fact the DJ was just testing the system.

“You know, we haven’t really kissed since that first date,” he said almost conversationally.

“It’s for the best,” she said. More of a warning to herself than to answer Malcolm’s statement. Because if she kissed him now, she might find herself head over heels, and that wouldn’t do at all.

He might be the father of her baby, but he had a life in Pittsburgh and she had a life here. They’d share a baby. They didn’t need any more complication
s . . .
and a one-sided love would be nothing but complicated.

Malcolm didn’t respond to her comment but switched topics. “You know, I’ve given you a few reasons you should marry me, but here’s one mor
e . . .
I’d let you share my dog.”

There was no pressure, just a grin that said he was teasing. She realized that he’d finally accepted that she’d never agree to a marriage born out of obligation.

“Jethro is a great dog, but no. Thank you for asking, though.”

She felt relieved when he smiled. “That’s what I thought you’d say, but I’m going to ask again. I’ve been assured that words have powe
r . . .
I just need to find better words,” he said, and there was something different in his expression.

Kennedy wished he’d stop. So as they turned in small circles in the middle of the dance floor, she tried to explain, to really make him understand. “Malcolm, I’ve spent my entire life trying to carve out a niche for myself here in Cupid Falls. Trying to fit in. You wouldn’t understand how it feels to always be the odd man out. You’ve always been the town’s golden boy.”

All the boys in school had wanted to be Malcolm. All the girls had been halfway in love with him. He’d had Pap and Val.

She wasn’t sure he’d ever understand, but she said, “I’ve always been Betty’s orphaned niece. You were born with a place in town, but I’ve carved mine out bit by bit. And now my baby will belong here. I don’t need you to make things easier. I don’t need to marry someone who is a friend, or who’s a good partner. I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t need you. I don’t need to marry you at all. And while it’s nice of you to offer—to keep offering—I don’t need to settle.”

Mal nodded. “No, you don’t. You shouldn’t settle. Ever. You deserve more than that.”

And that was the last Kennedy had seen of him. The night had become a blur. It seemed as if everyone in Cupid Falls wanted to talk to her. She was whisked from one person to the next.

But thankfully, people had started to leave. Soon the DJ would play the last song and Kennedy could go home. She was tired, but in a job-well-done sort of way.

Jenny was saying, “The baby will come, and soon we’ll be sitting in the house watching your baby and my kids run around with their dog. Speaking of dogs, the kids said you’re the best aunt ever.”

Jenny glanced at the front door for the umpteenth time.

“Are you looking for someone?”

Jenny seemed flustered by the question. “No. It’s just a mother’s instinct. Even if they’re not here, if I mention the kids, I chec
k . . .
a sort of reflex.”

“They’re good kids.”

“Good, but always into something. Now they’ve added a dog to the mix?” She shook her head.

Kennedy laughed. “I am never going to be able to live up to this first present.”

“You being there for the kids, that’s enough. And I want you to know I intend to return the favor.” Jenny glanced at the door again and grinned as Malcolm came through the Center’s front doors and walked toward them.

“Kennedy, come outside with me, please,” he said. “I have a surprise.”

“I don’t think I’m up to any surprises, Malcolm.” She was exhausted. She just wanted to go home and crawl in bed.

“Please?” He looked like one of Jenny’s kids earlier as they’d asked for a dog. “Just put on your coat and come out front.”

Jenny stood next to him, grinning. And Kennedy knew that she was in on whatever Malcolm’s surprise was.

Given that grin, she knew she wouldn’t have an ally in Jenny, so Kennedy followed Malcolm, bundled up, and opened the front door to see Jenny’s kids in a sleigh. An honest-to-goodness Currier and Ives sleigh with lanterns hanging from hooks on the front. She recognized the driver. “Gideon, what are you doing?”

“I’m only the driver, Kennedy. You’ll have to talk to Mal.” He turned around and said something to the kids, who climbed out of the sleigh and retrieved their dog from where they’d tied his lead to the Center’s front railing.

“Your carriage await
s . . .
literally,” Malcolm said.

Kennedy looked at the step it would require to get herself up on the sleigh and she wasn’t sure she could manage it.

“Malcolm, it’s freezing out,” she tried.

“That’s why we’ve got the sleigh.”

And before she could think of any other protests, he scooped her up and deposited her in the sleigh, then covered her with a thick blanket. “Guess I’m going for a sleigh ride,” she muttered, which made Gideon laugh.

“Just down to the falls,” Malcolm said. “I have something you have to see.”

He looked happy. Too happy. Suspiciously happy.

“What are you up to?” she asked.

“We’ll see you soon,” Jenny called as she and the kids took off up the block.

“Malcolm?” Kennedy said as he climbed in after her and sat beside her. He sat too close, to be honest. She edged as far over as she could get.

“I don’t bite,” he said softly.

“I’m big as a house. I need the extra space,” she grumbled.

They rode in silence. The sleigh glided along the side of the Center and into the back.

Gideon turned it onto the path that led to the falls. As they turned the bend, Jenny and the kids were standing there with the dog. Lenny and Timmy held lanterns and Ivy held a wooden sign. Kennedy could read it in the lamplight: “The Demis.”

“Hi, guys,” Kennedy called, but they didn’t answer. They simply fell in step behind the sleigh.

Malcolm grinned. And Gideon sat on the front seat, laughing and muttering something to himself in Pennsylvania Dutch.

“What is going on?” she demanded.

“You’ll see,” Malcolm said, all mysterious.

Clarence and Joan were a little farther up the path. Clarence held a lantern, and now that the lights from town and the Center were around the bend, the lantern light seemed brighter as it illuminated the night-dark woods. Joan held a small wooden sign with a frog dressed in a cupid outfit in each corner. It read “Leto’s Frogs.”

“That one’s a stretch,” Malcolm said before she could ask. “Joan was bound and determined to find something, and she found a Greek myth about Leto. She turned some rude people who wouldn’t let her drink from her well into frogs. Joan says Clarence is going to build her a pond this spring. She’s going to mount the sign in front of it.”

Joan and Clarence joined Jenny and the kids and walked behind the sleigh. “Malcolm, seriously, this is ridiculous. I don’t understand what is going on.”

They pulled up to the creek, just down from the falls.

The first thing that struck Kennedy was the light.

There were lanterns hanging from trees. It was a different light than a flashlight might have cast. Softer, warmer, and glowing. There was enough of a breeze that the trees shifted, making it flicker shadows against the snow-covered ground.

On the heels of that came the realization that the clearing was full of townspeople. And there was Angela Hart, from WLVH radio. “Welcome, Mayor Kennedy Anderson. I’m here with WLVH,
where love is more than just a song
, covering what I think is going to be a very special event for the community. Sometimes it’s fun to give our nighttime listeners a trea
t . . .
and this is definitely going to be that.”

The crowd started clapping wildly and Kennedy was even more confused.

Angela waved at her and continued talking into her mic. “Let me describe the scene to my listeners. Lanterns hanging from branches. They flicker, casting their light down on snow-covered ground, the creek, and the waterfall. The very
special
waterfall. Everyone at WLVH knows that magic is real and thi
s . . .
”

Kennedy looked around as Angela spoke. She noticed a lot of the business owners held wooden signs. With small cupids somewhere on them. Elmer from the grocery store and his wife, Marge, held a small wooden sign that read “Ceres’s Market.” Gus and Tavi had one that read “The Ambrosia Restaurant.” “Hestia’s Antiques,” “The Muse’s Museum,” “The Siren’s Call Bookstore”
. . .

Mal pulled out a large wooden sign with the cupids on it. It read “Olympus.” “The center of everything,” he explained.

“I don’t understand,” Kennedy said again.

“Clarence?” Malcolm called.

Gideon got out of the sleigh and moved into the crowd as the old man shuffled up to the microphone. “Mayor, I know I was the worst at picking on you ’cause you changed the name to the flower shop to Cupid’s Bowquet, but we had a town meeting at the dog show today—”

“Wait. You had a town meeting at the dog show?” she asked. “Where was I?”

“Mal here pulled us into the office a few at a time. Pretty much all of the town was there.”

“Why wasn’t I invited?” Kennedy asked.

“It was about you, that’s why. And we decided that you were right. Your Everything But a Dog Foundation adoption day and then the Bow-Wow Ball brought a bunch of people into town. All the stores said they had more business than usual over the weekend. So we thought we’d put up signs on all the businesses. Not really change their names, mind you, but put up signs that fit in with the Cupid Falls theme. Even some of the houses are going to do it, too. Like me and Joan. We think you can bring a lot more people into town. So, it’s our Christmas present to you.”

“Everyone who could went to Gideon’s this afternoon and made them,” Tavi said. “I helped them come up with names that fit the different stores.”

Everyone started to talk. It was a quiet murmur at first, and then got louder and louder.

Linc was holding a sign that read “Apollo’s Lights.” He saw her look in his direction and waved.

Kennedy felt choked up and blinked desperately, trying to keep the tears from falling. “Thank you, everyone.”

Tavi stepped closer. “Mayor, we want you to know that we appreciate all you have done and are doing for the town. We’ll get behind you. Not only because you’re the mayor, or because you’ve got some good marketing ideas, but because you’re ours.”

“Yours?” she asked.

“Yes,” Tavi said. “Why do you think Mal was in so much trouble? We didn’t like how he was treating you. You’re ours. You’re an important part of Cupid Falls. We all trust you. That’s why we elected you mayor.”

“Thank you all for the lovely gift.” She felt a small cramp. She’d had a few after the dog show. This one felt like it might be more than a Braxton Hicks contraction. She didn’t say anything but took a long, deep breath.

Malcolm jumped out of the sleigh and walked around to where she sat. He looked up at her.

“Thank you, Malcolm,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said softly. “But there’s one more thing. I want to ask, here in front of the entire town. Kennedy Anderson, will you marry me?”

“I don’t want to do this here,” she said. She looked out at the community, all armed with the new wooden signs, and fel
t . . .
like she was truly home. For the first time since she’d moved here, she felt as if she belonged. She didn’t want to tell Malcolm no in front of everyone and ruin the moment. “Please, don’t,” she whispered.

“Sorry. I want some witnesses. More than that, I want some people who are on my side. So, I’ll ask again, will you marry me?”

Kennedy couldn’t believe he was putting her in this position so publicly. “No.”

He frowned. “You’re messing up my script. You’re supposed to ask me
why
. You’ve asked me
why
every other time I’ve asked you. Ask me why, Kennedy. Kennedy, will you marry me?”

She sighed. There was no way out of this. “Why?”

“Because you’re having his baby,” Jenny called from the crowd, “though I can tell you from experience, that’s not enough of a reason to marry someone.”

“Because he’s a good friend.” Joan reached out and took Clarence’s hand. “And while that’s very important, it’s not enough of a reason to marry someone.”

Pap called out, “Because you two are a good team. Like me and Annabelle are now, and like I was with Mal’s grandma. But that’s not enough of a reason.”

“Because it would make everything easier,” said Malcolm’s father, who stepped out from the crowd. “But I know more than most that that’s not a good enough reason. But let me add a reason of my own. Because I’d be proud to call you daughter, but even that’s not a good enough reason.”