Ivy and the Ghost of Christmas Past: A Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance (The Christmas Carols Book 1) by Kali Hart

Author:Kali Hart [Hart, Kali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

7

LUKE

I blame Maggie’s fucking Christmas tree for this mess. If it weren’t for her holiday decorations littered all over my house, I wouldn’t have felt so trapped within the logs. I’d have stayed home and caught up on sleep. After plowing my long, winding driveway thoroughly enough that Ivy’s little rental car could easily make the trek, I should be exhausted.

But here I am, in the middle of Caribou Creek during their annual Christmas festival. Abandoning my plans to take down all the holiday decorations before Ivy returns. The second I reached for the first ornament on the tree, the image of Ivy’s curvy body moving to the beat of the music replayed in my mind.

Reminding me exactly how fucking bad I wanted to be inside her this morning. A cold shower did nothing to solve my dilemma.

Tonight, I’m making her mine. Ticking clock be damned.

Falling in love with Ivy more than three years ago was effortless. Something that happened the moment I saw her. I’d never tell another person because they’d call me a fucking sap. But I swear my soul recognized hers. As if we’d already spent lifetimes together and were finding each other again.

Except she left to chase her dreams, and I couldn’t allow myself to be the one to hold her back.

But this time, dammit, I want to be selfish. I want her to stay.

The main streets are blocked off from the Rose’s Diner to the Caribou Creek Brewery so people can wander around without worrying about traffic. Vendors brave enough to deal with the seven-degree temperature are stationed along the sidewalks, propane heaters keeping them thawed out. Muffled conversation lifts from the growing crowd, taking me back to a simpler time.

I haven’t attended a single Christmas festival since Mom died. It feels like there’s an ice pick in my heart right now.

But that sharp pain fades the moment I spot Ivy handing a cup of hot chocolate to Art. Her smile is illuminating. One I’ll never forget as long as I live. Even if she leaves again. She’s the only one for me.

I weave my way through the crowd, turning several heads. Damn small town. Most of these people know how much I avoid anything to do with Christmas aside from a quiet family dinner with Art. They’re shocked expressions say it all. I nod a few hellos and keeping moving through the masses to finding Ivy.

“Luke Matthews, is that really you?” June Ashburn stops me with a gentle hand on my bicep. I follow Ivy with my gaze until I see her and Uncle Art stop at a vendor selling baked goods before I respond to June.

“How are you Mrs. Ashburn?”

“Fabulous! Did you hear I’m going to be a grandma again?”

“Congratulations. Who this time?” As much as I’m eager to get to Ivy, I can hear my mother’s voice clearly in my head telling me to take my time. She always loved talking to people at this festival. Always gave them the kind of attention that never made them feel rushed or unimportant.

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