Mistletoe Madness Read online

  Mistletoe Madness

  Kelliea Ashley

  Published by Kelliea Ashley

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are fictitious and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Whispers in the Night

  Copyright@2019

  Kelliea Ashley

  Cover artist Victoria Miller

  Editor Erin Penn

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication-

  This Christmas story is dedicated to my mother, Joyce Lucile Willmert. She loved this time of year most of all. We may not have had enough money for the gifts that greatly cost, but she taught me that the dearest gifts are the memories we create by loving others. Like Izzy, I lost her before Christmas, but I still feel her love at the first lighting of our tree. May you find your own magic mistletoe by being kind to someone new this Christmas and all year round. Blessings to you and yours,

  Kelliea Ashley

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Prologue

  Wednesday, December 18th

  Happy Holidays, my ass!

  Isabella was miserable, and no amount of holiday cheer could turn her depressed mood around. She found herself glaring at the brightly lit tree in the middle of her small hometown. A group of middle school children were having a raucous snowball fight in the tiny park surrounded by the dwindling business district. A defeated sigh had her warm breath frosting in the chilly Northern New York air as she shifted her purse strap back onto her shoulder.

  All her efforts to make this Christmas the best since she'd lost her Mom had gone right done the crapper when her steady beau of almost two years broke up with her the night before. Andrew had taken a page out of every bad romance movie and broken her heart right in the middle of their favorite restaurant. She could have caused a scene to rival that of any B-rated actress, but she hadn't.

  Oh no, Isabella—Izzy to her closest friends—possessed far too much dignity and pride to do that. Now she wished differently. She found her car parked on the shoulder of the road with sandy-colored snow caked to the tires. Antwerp's plows made parking on the streets in wintertime such a fun experience. She sagged into the driver's seat to place her bags on the passenger side. Try as she might, she couldn't shake the foul mood that had her gritting her teeth. The immediate future looked bleak at best with Christmas Eve and the family's annual party almost upon her, and she was not looking forward to that! She'd be forced to explain the breakup to her boisterous family, which promised to be quite the ordeal.

  Her overprotective brothers would want to go beat Andrew up for daring to hurt the only girl in the family, but that wasn't the worst of it. Izzy fully expected her father to go through the roof once she told him. She shuddered to think what his reaction might be. Andrew was his right-hand man at the law firm he'd founded and built into a prestigious business. Any hopes he had for procuring a son-in-law to work with him and take up the reins of the firm would be dashed the instant he realized Andrew wasn't with her. Her Dad would never say anything to her, but she knew he'd place the blame where it belonged—on her inability to settle down. She kind of agreed with him. Andrew had been making hints for weeks that she should move in with him, but the thought of giving up her apartment—which represented her freedom—gave her hives. Well, maybe the fault didn't fall entirely on her shoulders. He had issues of his own that needed to be worked out before he should look to commit to any woman. Also, she had the nagging suspicion that her grandmother's hocus pocus had a lot to do with it, and it all started with her romantic meddling and a bundle of holly.

  Chapter One

  Sunday, December 15th

  "Good morning, Isabella!" The bell over the door to the Satin Bow tinkled merrily, virtually welcoming the lady who bustled in with her hands full of bags. Izzy glanced up from the counter with a sense of foreboding as she watched Margerie Cortez sashay down the aisle between racks of dresses and skirts with a wide smile on her expressive face.

  At eighty-three years young, Margerie still knew how to move with the fast-paced elegance of a woman in her prime. A semi-retired florist, she was known to spend hours digging in her flowerbeds on both knees; not because she had to, but because she simply loved working in the dirt. Izzy admired the heck out of the old girl and looked forward to her surprise visits to the Satin Bow. Her grams insisted on bringing sweet-smelling flower bouquets with her to "brighten up place," as the she put it.

  This time of the year was different, though. In those bags would be lights, colorful satin bows, and festive ornaments that her well-meaning grams wanted hung all over the shop. The hoopla wouldn't end there. It always spilled over into her apartment in a magical manner, no matter how much she fought against it. Grams always won out at a great deal of emotional pain for Izzy, who lost her mother to cancer five years earlier—one week before Christmas. It seemed wrong to celebrate the anniversary of her mother's death with twinkling lights and garland.

  "Good morning, Grams. Tell me those aren't what I think they are." She pushed her accounting books to the side as Margerie tossed several bulging bags up on to the glass counter with an exaggerated huff of disappointment. Her chastising glance about the shop made Izzy want to bury her head in her arms and hide.

  "Isabella Patricia Cortez, you do realize that Christmas Eve is only a couple weeks away? There's not one trace of Christmas cheer here in your business, or in that little hovel which you mistakenly call a home." The censure in the older woman's voice made her wince.

  "Grams, just because I don't fling garland and holly around like some Martha Stewart wannabe, doesn't mean I'm not giving off the Christmas spirit," she said, wrinkling her nose up as she jabbed a finger at the bunch of green leaves with red berries sticking out of one of the stuffed plastic bags. "Besides, if I didn't wait for you to come deck out the Satin Bow, you'd have nothing to keep you out of Papa's hair for a few hours."

  "Don't be cheeky, girl. Where is this Christmas spirit you say you have around here?" Grams challenged as she craned her neck, searching for any sign of said spirit.

  "That's what she keeps me around for, Margerie." Izzy rolled her eyes as her business partner and best friend, Kitty Jamison, came out of the back room carrying a wedding dress she'd just altered for a New Year's Eve affair. Two years older than her, Kitty was seriously dating the Superintendent of Schools, a stuffy gentleman ten years her senior. As a free spirit with an adventurous personality, the two couldn't be less suited.

  The Satin Bow thrived on Kitty's expertise as a seamstress and her ability to design dresses to flatter any size, shape, or coloring of girl or woman. She couldn't ask for a better partner than Kitty. She was never late, never called in, and she had the attitude to keep the part-
timers in line. Though her tendency to be a bit on the sarcastic side was a challenge every now and then, it was also an asset, especially with difficult customers who usually deserved to be on the biting end of her sharp tongue.

  "See, Kitty knows how to properly embrace the festive holidays. Why don't you take some lessons from her?" Grams' hands went to her waist as a dark brow rose pointedly under her gray hair. Izzy wanted to smile every time she assumed this familiar posture, for instead of looking menacing, she reminded her of Granny from the Tweety Bird cartoons with her hair pulled back in the tight bun she favored.

  To keep her face straight she turned to look at Kitty. She was a pretty woman with long hair the color of straw and expressive gray eyes. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail today to show off the dangling earrings that were colorful, tiny light bulbs. Her curvy figure was covered by a long, dark-green skirt, and she matched it with a soft white sweater with a Christmas tree ironed onto the front. Her green, white, and red striped socks showed merrily around the edges of her low-cut leather boots. To top it all off she wore a menagerie of silver and gold bracelets that made a cheery clanging sound every time she moved her hands.

  "I've tried, but she's stubborn, bless her pointy little head." Kitty grinned as she gave the dress one last tug to straighten the skirt. "If she wasn't so sweet and nice to our customers and employees, I'd have to compare her to Scrooge. Plus, she isn't that rich." She winked with a merry grin.

  "Bah...humbug!" Izzy shook her head as she pushed her hair back from her face where it escaped her ponytail.

  "Look, I know you still associate the loss of your mother with Christmas, but you can't do that, doll. She wouldn't want that. You know how much my Elaina loved the holidays. She would want us to celebrate them with her in mind, not continue to mourn her passing." If Grams had used her rough tone, Izzy could have ignored her, but the compassion in her voice and expression had her blinking back tears. "I didn't come to make you cry, doll." She covered her hand and gave it a little squeeze. "I came to decorate this place for the season, and this isn't getting me anywhere. This bag is for you to take home and I expect you to put everything up. Oh, before I forget..." She pulled a bunch of the mistletoe tied in a red satin bow out of the bag. "I want you to hang this over a doorway. I made this one special for you." A twinkle lit up her eyes as she placed the bundle in Izzy's palm.

  "Grams, tell me you didn't place your mojo on this?" Izzy's fingers tingled as she held the bundle out away from her as if it were plague-infested. She didn't exactly believe in her grandmother's claim that they came from magical gypsies, even though she could trace her ancestors back to Romania.

  "Believe what you want, Isabella, but mark my words, hanging this over a doorway will finally force that young man of yours to sweep you off your feet. And it will be about time, too."

  "If you hang it, he will come." Kitty laughed as she leaned on the counter beside her. "Do you have one of those in your magic bag of goodies for me? Maybe one that will bring me a handsome, rich Adonis? He doesn't have to be too smart, I'm not picky."

  "Of course, I made one for you, Kitty. Although, you will need to wait for an Adonis. That Hughes boy is no match for you." Izzy smirked at Grams calling him a boy at almost forty years of age.

  "You know that, too?" Kitty smiled wryly as she took the mistletoe. Margerie leaned over the counter to gently lift her chin.

  "He will show up and take you by storm in the middle of the night. You won't like each other at first, but when the music starts to play, your love will make your hearts sing. Wait for him, Kitty. He'll definitely be worth it."

  "Okay." Kitty's eyes blinked rapidly as Grams released her.

  "So, hang that tonight, doll. Let's get this place festive. Shall we?" Izzy watched her grams grab up the bags and head to the front windows with purpose in her stride.

  "You know, that woman kind of freaks me out, but I love her." Kitty grinned as she moved to follow. "Let me help you with that."

  Izzy glared at the mistletoe as she set it down on the cash register, then jumped as her phone started whistling at her from the pocket of her slacks. It was ridiculous, but she'd half been expecting her boyfriend, Andrew Donovan, to call her. Instead, it was her best guy pal, Dane Jordon.

  "Hey, Iz. Tell me, is your sexy grandmother decking your halls?" Dane's deep voice made her smile as she looked up to see the other two women draping the windows with silver garland. Ugh!

  "You could say that." She heard him chuckle.

  "Does she need help with all the heavy lifting in return for decking my halls?"

  "If that is Dane, tell him I'll be over in half an hour. I'll be expecting coffee, though," Grams yelled over at her. Izzy glanced meaningfully at her table set up with coffee and tea for the customers. "You can't make decent coffee to save your soul, doll."

  "I swear you have eyes in the back of your head," Izzy told her with a glare.

  "Is she coming over, then?" Dane asked, bringing her attention back to the phone. He wasn't just a close friend but also owned the personal gym located right next door to Izzy's dress shop.

  Dane, an ex-Navy SEAL, took over the Muscle Express gym two years ago as a way of dealing with becoming a civilian once more. It was a dream business for the six-foot-three giant of a man, who had abs of rock-hard steel and a need for disciplined action. He taught Grams and her friends a self-defense class and became one of her adopted kids. She'd decorated the gym for him last year as well.

  "Give her half an hour to tinsel and garland my place and she'll be over." Izzy smiled at his loud whoop.

  "Great, I'll have a fresh pot of coffee on. Yours is too weak."

  "So, I've been told." She hung up with a defeated sigh as candy canes drooped merrily from the silver garland. Kitty was humming Christmas songs, so she went to turn on the radio for them. Both women grinned at her as the sweet sound of a Christmas classic came out of the speaker system.

  "Can't beat us, you might as well join in, Izzy." Kitty held out a kitten in a Santa hat ornament.

  "Do I have a choice?" Izzy muttered shutting her accounting book. A feeling of distinct defeat came over her as she went to help them. Maybe it was time to put the pain of the past behind her. She could try to get into the festive holiday spirit. "Kitty, don't eat the decorations!" She laughed as her partner took the candy cane out of her mouth and pointed it at her.

  "Back off, little girl. You're getting a man for Christmas, so let me enjoy my artificial pleasures."

  "I don't want to know about your artificial pleasures, Kitty." Izzy smiled.

  "Now, Izzy. There is nothing wrong with pleasuring oneself." Grams interjected with a wicked look. Kitty's wide gray eyes met hers, and they both turned to look at Margerie with open-mouthed shock. "Hey, there might be snow on the chimney, but your grandfather sometimes needs help stoking the fire."

  "TMI, Grams." Izzy groaned as she caught the strand of lights her grandmother tossed at her.

  ***

  Two days later the feeling that something bad was going to happen still plagued her, and the bundle of mistletoe was still sitting on the counter at the Satin Bow. She hoped it would wilt enough to warrant throwing it away, but it looked as fresh as the day her grandmother saddled her with it. It was bad enough that she'd gone out and purchased a small artificial tree and some decorations for her tiny apartment. Bringing the mistletoe home would only be icing to Grams' cake. She was staring at it, wishing it would grow legs and walk away when her smart phone vibrated.

  Izzy was more than a little flustered when she got off the phone. Kitty came over to her with a questioning look, anxious to see what the matter was. "That was Andrew's secretary. She wanted to ask me what my ring size was." Her gaze flew to the mistletoe.

  "You don't think..." Kitty's voice trailed off as she placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. They stood there for several minutes in silent study of the tiny bundle. "Hey, why are we freaking out here? This is good news, right?" Her false cheer fell flat as
they looked at one another.

  "He asked me out for dinner tomorrow night. I thought it was to talk about how he doesn't want to come to the Christmas Eve party at my parent's house, but..."

  "You think he's going to propose to you?" Kitty's soft question had her throat constricting and her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She wasn't expecting a proposal from Andrew, at least not this soon. Was she surprised? Hell, yeah! Was she deliriously happy about it? She held her breath as she took stock of her emotions. Hell, no!

  "I hope not, but he did say to wear something that makes me feel pretty."

  "You are pretty." Her friend took immediate offense to Andrew's wording. Izzy had too, at the time, but she'd bit her tongue like she had done a lot around him lately.

  "Thanks, Kitty. Oh gosh. What do I do?" She sank her hands into her hair and tugged in frustration.

  "Go home and hang that thing up where your grandmother told you to put it. She told me the location mattered. Maybe he'll forget he was going to propose, or maybe he'll choke on his arrogance over the first course." Her enthusiasm for the idea made Izzy smile at her.

  "You really don't like him, huh?"

  "That's not important, Izzy. Do you like him enough to spend the rest of your life with him?"

  "I could do worse." She shrugged a shoulder and bit hard on her lower lip as Kitty let out an exasperated breath.

  "That is an answer, but not a good one. Hang the damn kissing ball."

  Chapter Two

  That night she hung the stupid mistletoe right in the doorway between her kitchen and living room. It seemed like a sign, but she wasn't sure if it was a good one or not. So, it was with a sense of nervous expectation that she waited for Andrew outside Michaela's. He rarely picked her up at her apartment because it was out of his way and he liked being able to meet her at their destination. It bothered her how rather selfish and lame his excuse was.