Page 61 of Witching You A Charmed Christmas

“You’re getting a raise.”

“What?”

“I just thought letting you know would help. Extra money in my pocket always helps me. Oh, and the office is yours, though I expect you’ll be working remotely most of the year.”

“Sage, I’m hanging up. I have to figure out what to do, and how I’m going to explain things. But—” My voice softened. “Merry Christmas, Sagey.”

“Merry Christmas, Del. I’ll see you soon. And boy do I have a story to tell you. Let’s do New Year’s at that restaurant downtown you like. Make it a table for four.”

I smiled. “It’s a date.”

Ending the call, I stored my phone and wiped the snow from my jacket. I needed to head back to Wood Pine, and I had a few hours to figure out what I was going to say. But the worst had been avoided, Jack and I could be together, and I was definitely going to read the rest of that handbook.

With a lightness in my step, I turned toward the train station.

“Delia?”

The sound of Jack’s voice made me freeze in the middle of the sidewalk. He was here? In the city? Jack walked through the falling snow toward me, pausing under the street lamp. Exhaustion lined his face, but there was something in his gaze, and it was so intense I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to leap into his arms or in front of an oncoming taxi. Since the streets were empty, I was counting on the first one or we might be here a while.

“Jack, how did you find me?”

“Grandma Jean told me everything. All of it. How you’re a witch she hired from the agency, and how you’ve been trying for weeks to set me up with Becky. She said you wanted to tell me the truth, but thought I’d react poorly. Do you know how many Delia Frosts there are in the city?”

I shook my head.

“Too many. It’s a good thing I tried your office first, or I’d be spending Christmas searching the city for you. Nothing you did over the last few weeks changes anything. I’m the one who tried tooth and nail to push you away, and if you’d actually listened, I don’t know where I’d be. Your job is eye-opening, but also inspiring, and we’re going to have a serious talk about how you use your magic.” Jack paused and stepped closer until there was no distance between us. His warm fingers brushed my face. “But the thing I can’t get past is why you left?”

“I thought I ruined your life, and I needed to fix it. Coming here was the only way, except the office was empty, and there was nothing I could do. I thought I failed.”

“You didn’t ruin my life, Delia. Far from it.”

“I know that now, and in the end, the situation turned out to be the one where I had the power all along. It’s a very frustrating plot point, all things considered, especially during a snowstorm.”

Jack dragged me to him, wrapping his arms tightly around my body. We stood in the falling snow, holding each other in the stillness of the early morning. There were no decorations. No sweet scents in the air. It could have been any other day of the year, but it still felt like Christmas.

Pushing the hair out of my face, Jack pressed his forehead against mine. “Delia, you told me you loved me, then got in a taxi and drove away. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to see you again. I didn’t think I was going to get the chance to say it back.”

A brilliant smile spread across my lips. “Well, what are you waiting for, a Christmas miracle?”

“You’re my miracle. I love you, Delia Frost.”

“I love you, too, Jack. Merry Christmas.”

Jack dipped his head, kissing the snowflakes from my cheeks and the corners of my lips before threading his fingers through my hair and capturing my mouth. I sank into his warmth, delirious with relief and joy so bright it could have rivaled the floodlights Jack had aimed through my window.

All the pranks and all the suffering had been worth it. Jack was worth it, and I’d finally received the best gift of all. As Jack tasted my lips once more, my phone chimed, and I groaned, gently pulling away, afraid to find another passage of legal jargon in my messages. But it was just an email.

From: Sage Bennett

To: Delia Frost

Subject: Important Memo - Case Closed

“I guess service cleared up in the mountains,” I grumbled under my breath.

Jack gave me a questioning look, and I held out my hand. “Let’s go home, and I’ll tell you all about how a file merge in the analysis department saved Christmas.”

His fingers interlaced with mine, and Jack tugged me against his side. “That seems kind of boring for a holiday story.”

I laughed. “Wait till you read the handbook.”

The End