Breath of Magic

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Breath of Magic

  ISBN 9781419918872

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Breath of Magic Copyright © 2008 Regina Carlysle

  Edited by Helen Woodall.

  Photography and cover art by Les Byerley.

  Electronic book Publication December 2008

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Mistletoe Magic:

  Breath of Magic

  Regina Carlysle

  Dedication

  For her patience, talent, and because she’s so much fun to work with, this book is dedicated with love and affection to my editor, Helen.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Harley: H-D Michigan, Inc.

  Porsche: Dr. Ing. h. c. f. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft Corporation

  Prada: Prefel S.A. Corporation

  Snickers: Mars, Inc.

  Tiffany: Tiffany Inc.

  Prologue

  Santa’s Challenge

  Yeah, they’d blown it with the big guy.

  Santa was angry at his three bad elves and who could blame him. Trouble brewing right before Christmas, their busiest season, was never a good thing. Boss Man didn’t like the flaming marshmallow fight they’d had in the toy factory. They could thank Will for the flames and the mess and they could thank Sparkle for playing in said mess like a naughty three-year-old. Glimmer shook his blond head and, as usual, ignored the shower of glittery sparkles that flew about the room at the movement. The shiny stuff settled on his bronzed, bare, shimmering shoulders. Everything about him was shiny, hence the name but Christmas was very much about things glittery and shiny so he fitted right in among Santa’s elves.

  Hard to believe he’d been brought low by melted marshmallow.

  Now here he was, stuck in Texas of all places with his partners in crime. It was time for redemption for the three of them and it only figured that, after previous misdemeanors, Santa had given them just one more chance to do something positive or they’d be handed their pink slips. Glimmer’s fellow elves lounged in various positions around the stark motel room.

  Tall, dark but mischievous Will sat sprawled in one of the room’s two chairs eyeing the snow globe Boss Man had given him. Truth was, they each had one.

  Sparkle, the only female elf of the three had her five foot nothing self stretched out across the big bed that dominated the room. Man, she was cute. Tiny, brunette, with an impish grin that made him think of fun, sexy games. Currently her feet were crossed at the ankle as she stared at her own globe. It was balanced on her belly.

  “What now?” he asked the two.

  “Guess we have some love matters to fix,” Will answered with a sigh. “They look like hard cases to me.”

  Sparkle sat up with a huff, clutching her globe. “Have a heart, Will. These three sisters have lost their parents in an awful accident and their love lives are a mess. The least we can do is help them toward having a happy Christmas. A happy ending, ya know? Besides, our keeping our jobs depends on success. Damn.” Sparkle poked out her adorable bottom lip.

  Glimmer tried to not think about how yummy her lips would taste and concentrated on the here and now. “I have Liza. She’s a hard-ass and tough. I have my work cut out here. You guys have the easy ones.”

  Will snorted and jumped to his feet. His eyes narrowed combatively. “Uh-uh. That middle daughter Maddie is as stubborn as hell. You’re the one who has it easy. That’s not fair. Let’s trade sisters.”

  “Quiiieeeettt!” Sparkle shrieked, causing the two male elves to wince. “Jenna, the youngest, is no walk in the park. She has more troubles that you could dream of, poor thing. She’s such a free spirit but so unhappy.”

  “Melodrama,” Glimmer said and Will gave him a wary look, nodding his head in agreement. “Bottom line. This is our challenge and it’s a tough one.”

  Will let out a breath and gave Sparkle a long, naughty up and down look. “Hmm. Maybe we ought to make this interesting. I mean we’re stuck here together for the next few days with nothing to do but enrich the lives of these three women. I’m feeling a challenge might be just the thing to make this fun.”

  “Fun. Fun. Fun,” Sparkle said, grinning impishly. She batted her eyes. “Why that’s all you think of, Will. Don’cha?” She set her snow globe on the bed and sauntered up. Reaching out she took each of them by the arm and inched them closer, then looked him right in the eye. “And you, Glimmer man, do you really glimmer all over? I’ve heard talk.”

  Suddenly, he grinned, feeling more lighthearted than he had since they’d been banished to Texas. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  She trailed an index finger across his belly claiming a dozen or so sparkles on the tip of it. Promptly, she put her finger in her mouth and closed her eyes. “Mmm. Yummy.”

  “Hey! I’m yummy too,” Will said, smiling wickedly.

  Sparkle went up on her tiny tiptoes and kissed him. When she was done with that short, sweet tasting, she licked her lips. “That you are, my man. You taste like chocolate! Mmm.” When she let go, she gave them both a look. “We might as well make this whole thing fun, guys. Whoever gets a sister together with the love of her life wins.”

  Will perked right up. “Yeah, whoever wins gets whatever he wants from the other two.”

  Glimmer felt his heart beat hard in his chest at the implications but then a thought occurred. “What if all of us succeed?”

  Sparkle’s grin was wide and bright as the stars. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Why then we all win.”

  He and Will looked at each other exchanging purely male looks before returning their gazes to Sparkle, who looked completely revved. “Agreed,” he said, holding out one hand.

  “Agreed,” Sparkle settled her hand atop his and then Will’s followed that.

  “Agreed.”

  Glimmer finally stepped away and picked up his snow globe. He gave it a shake and watched the tiny fake snowflakes fall inside their glass prison. “Hmm. This might be harder than it looks. Seems like the homecoming is about to start. Lots of unhappiness here. Let me see if I can fix all that.”

  Chapter One

  The big white sign up ahead read “Welcome to Melbourne, the friendliest little town in Texas” and Liza Woodward drew in a deep, cleansing breath as the combined feelings of homecoming and dread pulsed through her mind. Her sleek red Porsche purred around a corner giving her a clearer glimpse of her hometown. Little was the operative word
here. Dallas was her life now. Big, shiny and full of possibilities that she aimed to grab and hold close.

  Yeah, she was a big girl now, too grown up at thirty-four to give in to the odd sense of peace that filled her chest as she drove south down Main Street and took in the glittery horn-blowing angels that trimmed each and every lamp post. The holiday season was in full swing as storefronts showed off their gift-giving offerings.

  She didn’t want to think about Christmas. Her first Christmas without her parents. Unbidden, grief caught her up and she ruthlessly swallowed it back. With a hand that shook, she reached out and hit the scan button on her radio until smooth, smoky jazz crooned through the interior of the car.

  She’d think about her folks later, about the plane crash that had taken them two months earlier. Later, when she was with Maddie over Christmas, she would recall the way they’d grieved, cried together, before seeing them buried in the family plot at the Melbourne cemetery. The worst of it was that Jenna couldn’t be with them.

  Now that the trauma was past, the immediacy of grief, the daughters of Hank and Patsy Woodward were left to pick up the pieces, sell the ranch and return to their lives.

  God!

  Things would never be normal for any of them again.

  Her personal life was a mess and her family was torn apart and Liza knew her sisters would be counting on her sharp, legal mind to get them through what lay ahead.

  Shoving back emotion, she tooled through town and headed out into the country. Liza could’ve driven the familiar winding roads blindfolded. The Texas hill country, the crown jewel of the state, wore its winter coat. Trees, more skeletal than lush with green, stretched out over acres of ambling hills and rolling valleys.

  In the distance, Liza saw the stone archway that stretched across a private road leading to the ranch. Drawing to a stop, she looked up at the huge stylized W that featured wings on each side. They looked a little like the wings on those angels that hovered atop the lampposts in town. Liza caught her breath, felt the familiar deep burn start up in her chest. Fisting her hand, giving in to weakness for just a minute, she rubbed it over her breastbone. Her black Prada tote lay slouched in the passenger seat and she reached out, dug through it, until she found the giant sized bottle of antacids she always carried.

  Popping three and crunching, she reached for a bottle of water to wash them down. Time to get down to business. Nothing, not even this hovering stressful emotion, was going to stop her from taking care of things in a professional manner. There was business to take care of and she planned to see it through.

  Sucking in a breath, she headed down the long drive, took in the cattle that cropped grass in the distance and spotted the large, natural stone ranch house that had been built generations ago by hearty ancestors who knew how to make a living off the land. Outbuildings dotted the grounds. A barn, stables for the horses. Lots of stuff that she, personally, cared very little about.

  Yes, this was her heritage but she’d always felt like a fish out of water here. Though it was home and she adored her family, this wasn’t the place for her. Liza knew she wasn’t alone in this. Her baby sister, Jenna, had never wanted anything to do with ranch life either and had flitted off to discover the world the moment she’d become a certified photographer. A rebel, a free spirit, Jenna would never let anything like sentiment hold her to this place.

  Maddie, however, the middle Woodward sister, was another matter altogether. The ranch had a piece of her heart and the sale of the old place would wound her deeply. Of the three of them, Maddie felt things deeper, harder and was more vulnerable to hurt.

  Liza was just wondering how to deal with Maddie’s tender heart when she spotted a brand new SUV parked in front of the house. Curious, she noticed it was loaded to near bursting with clothes, hampers and other assorted junk. It took her a minute or two to realize the junk belonged to Maddie. Why the new vehicle?

  Frowning toward the front door, she wondered what the hell was up with her sweet sister. Braking to a stop, she grabbed her purse, unhitched herself from her seat belt and stepped onto the paved drive. She’d collect her luggage and briefcase later.

  A gust of wind whipped up and over her, whipping her sunny blonde hair into her face and she brushed it back with restless fingers. Her heels clipped smartly on the front steps and just as she made it to the top, the front door opened. Maddie stood there, framed in the center, smiling sweetly.

  “Hey, Liza. I was wondering when you’d show up.” Maddie gave her oversized sweatshirt a tug at the bottom and stepped forward to grab Liza in a warm hug. She’d been baking. The scent of cinnamon and brown sugar clung to her like a warm blanket and Liza inhaled deeply as she patted her sister’s back. Love exploded in her chest and she pulled back to give Maddie an up and down examination.

  “You look great despite the fact you choose to hide those great curves under all this crap.”

  Maddie grinned, flushed pink and rolled those beautiful hazel eyes. “I gave up trying to look like I stepped off a magazine cover a long time ago, hon. You look wonderful. Love that sweater. Cashmere?”

  “Yep. I bought you one just like it last year and please don’t tell me you never wear it.”

  She’d overstepped. Again. Liza knew it the moment she saw that uncertain look creep into her sister’s eyes. Crap. When would she ever learn to keep her opinionated mouth shut? Wanting to soothe, she wrapped an arm around Maddie’s slender waist. “Hey, I smell good stuff all over you. Been baking?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Ah, I love you, Mad. Nobody does that stuff better than you. Cinnamon rolls.”

  “My specialty.”

  “Do you still make dozens of them to bring to that class of third-graders?”

  Maddie stilled, looked at her, then tucked a length of dark blonde hair behind her ear. “Used to.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Later. We have lots to talk about but it’s getting colder by the minute. Let’s go in.”

  Together they went through the front door and stepped straight into their past.

  The first thing Liza noticed was the scent of evergreen and the sight of the gorgeous tree dominating the space in front of the window. All trimmed out with ornaments so old, they dated back to the first years of her parents’ marriage. Her throat closed up tight as she switched her gaze to the huge rock fireplace that dominated the far wall of the living room. Christmas stockings, old and faded, hung on the mantle three of them bearing their names—Liza, Maddie and Jenna. A lump the size of Texas balled up in her throat as Maddie walked over to stroke two additional stockings hanging there at the end. One said Mama and the other Daddy.

  “I hung these when I drove in last night,” Maddie whispered. “Decorated the tree too. I just had to.”

  “It’s wonderful, honey. I’m glad you thought of it.” Don’t want to cry. Not now. I’m just done with that. When her sister looked back at her, Liza saw fat tears swimming in her expressive eyes. “Remember when we were just little and we’d sit around the base of the tree watching the lights flicker? One of my coolest memories. Jenna was always so fascinated. Damn, I wish she wasn’t stuck in that godforsaken war-torn country and was here with us.”

  “Me too,” Maddie said, knuckling away the tears. “It would make Christmas complete for all of us to be together.”

  Liza blinked away her own tears. “We’ll give her a call on Christmas morning. How does that sound? I know she’ll need the family connection as much as we do. Come on, sweetie. Let’s go into the kitchen and sample some of that fattening stuff, okay? Do you have coffee?”

  Liza followed her into the roomy, old-fashioned kitchen, the birthplace of about a million memories. Along with the ever-present sweatshirt, Maddie wore faded jeans and tennis shoes. She’d always been trim but curvy, shorter by several inches than Liza’s five feet nine. Beautiful woman, her Maddie. Always had been, despite the fact she seemed to not realize it herself.

  While Maddie wen
t for a plate and two forks, Liza fetched a couple of stoneware mugs and filled them with fresh coffee and added a bit of cream for color. Once they’d both sat, Maddie smiled. “So what’s up with you, hon? How’s work? Have those brainiacs at Wesley, Howard and Stowe offered you that well-deserved partnership yet? I know you were expecting it, worrying about it. And how’s everything with Garrett? I’m surprised he didn’t come with you. Two legal minds are surely better than one.”

  Liza sighed and forked up a bite of warm, gooey cinnamon roll and felt her taste buds sit up and sing. Finally she shook her head and focused on her sister. “Nope. Not yet. First things first, Miss Maddie Mae. What the hell is all your stuff doing crammed into your car that way? What have you done?”

  Maddie plucked a paper napkin from the table and started folding it over and over until it was one fat square. Liza waited. Despite Maddie’s gentle nature, she possessed a stubborn streak and wouldn’t spill it until she was good and ready. “I quit.”

  Liza set her mug down with a snap. “You quit?”

  “My job.”

  “Hell, honey.Why?”

  Maddie looked up at her with anguished eyes. “I had to be here, Liza. Ever since Mama and Daddy died, I’ve known it. Maybe it was always here inside me, this need to be here, on this ranch. Right now.” She drew a heavy breath. “Maybe forever.”

  Liza went still. “What are you saying, Mad?”

  “I want to stay right here. I don’t want to sell. Not ever.”

  “Well, shit.”

  They both looked up at the sound of a truck driving around back and Liza saw Maddie stiffen. Her sister’s mouth was drawn at the corners. Something was up, so she took her coffee cup and went to the kitchen window in time to see a tall, lean man step from the truck and start carrying bags of feed into the barn. “Is that—”