Temptations of Christmas Future Read online

  He pushed away from the wall and strode toward Joy, taking a stance behind her chair and to the right. This close, he could smell the sweet peppermint scent emanating from her. It reminded him of when he was a little boy. He’d loved candy canes back then, often eating them all off the tree before Christmas day.

  The last thing he needed was to be reminded of his early years before he knew what awaited him in the world. “What is this assignment you have for us?”

  “Us?” Joy turned around to look at him.

  Was that merely surprise or fear he saw in her eyes? He couldn’t be sure because she turned back to face Cameron.

  Their supervisor nodded. “Yes, this is a difficult assignment, and I need two very good spirit guides on it.”

  Joy sat a little straighter at the compliment. “I’m happy to help.”

  He wanted to tell her Cameron was playing on her ego, but he kept silent, more interested in their task than in edifying his partner on the ways their boss manipulated spirit guides.

  Cameron sighed deeply before glancing from him to Joy, but he kept his focus on her as he spoke. “Your assignment is my wife, Holly.”

  He chuckled, loving the irony of the importance of his last assignment to his boss, but he didn’t miss Joy’s complexion fading to a pasty white.

  Cameron didn’t notice as he turned his focus on him and scowled. “This is no laughing matter.”

  “You can’t tell me you don’t see the irony of this. If I’m not successful, not only am I a failure, but you are too. It forces you to want me to succeed. You actually have to hope you get to keep me around.”

  Cameron shook his head. “I hold nothing against you, Malcolm. If it was my choice, you’d continue for as long as I’m here. I’m not thrilled with your methods, but you do accomplish your goals.”

  His boss’s unexpected endorsement both surprised him and made him more nervous. He knew how Cameron worked, but those who pulled the man’s strings were a complete unknown. This was one time he wished he could see the future of those in the afterlife.

  “What happened to Coco?” Joy’s voice surprised them both.

  Cameron stood and walked around his desk. “She has moved on.”

  That was as ambiguous an answer as any he’d heard in all his time as a spirit guide, and from the look on Joy’s face, she recognized it for the brush off it was.

  His boss continued. “Holly will be expecting you on Christmas Eve.” He pushed a file across his desk. “Everything you need to know is in here, but…” The man stared at the packet of paper beneath his hand as if he wished he didn’t have to let it go. “This is confidential. No discussing it with other guides or trainers or anyone except me.”

  Ah, the man’s personal relationship to his wife was revealed inside. Malcolm couldn’t wait to read it.

  Joy leaned forward and with her long, polish-free nails pulled the file from Cameron’s hand and set it on her lap. “What is our goal for Holly?” Her voice, which had been smooth as silk before, had a scratchy undertone now. She obviously knew more than he did about this assignment and from her serious face, it wasn’t good.

  Cameron smiled. “I need my wife to be open to expanding her horizons, deepening her connections to others.”

  “That’s a bit broad. Anything or person in particular?” He didn’t want to lose his position over semantics. He wanted specifics.

  His boss leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “No, nothing in particular. It’s more a mindset than anything else. She has accepted my death and begun to live, but only at the surface level. She stays within her comfort area, what she already knows, like our Christmas Shop and the Deervale community. I need her to be open to going beyond what she knows and feels now.”

  “So, you want her to start living her own life separate from you.” Joy’s face had relaxed, and she appeared a bit more confident.

  Every person he’d ever known had no problem moving beyond a break up or divorce. He didn’t see much difference with the death of a spouse. “What am I missing here? Why wouldn’t she be doing that anyway? Why would you need two spirit guides for that?”

  Both Cameron and Joy looked at him with wide eyes, before Cameron’s mouth lowered into a frown. “Because my wife and I loved each other.”

  He opened his mouth to respond, but Joy interrupted him. “Malcolm, where have you been? Cameron and Holly were soulmates.”

  Schitz. Just his luck. He was far too familiar with the trouble with that.

  ~~*~~

  Joy finished reading the file on Holly and carefully returned all the papers back in order. Rising from her kitchen table, she strolled into her living room where Malcolm waited.

  Just having him in her space had super-charged her libido. She’d never been attracted to the bad boy type before. Maybe he wasn’t a bad boy after all, not that she’d had any better luck with good boy types either. “Here you are.” She held out the file.

  He’d thrown back his hood, which in itself was new to her as he always wore it when she’d seen him before. His black glossy hair just begged her to run her hands through it. Instead, she was careful his hand didn’t touch hers as he accepted the documents.

  “Is it as bad as I think?” He looked up at her, his brown eyes searching hers for the truth.

  “It depends on what you think is bad. Cameron and Holly have one of those love stories that lasts beyond death, which is wonderful and beautiful and —”

  “And the worst-case scenario given our task.” He slapped the file against his bare knee, his red, black and royal blue kilt having fallen open.

  She forced her gaze from his dusky skin, her body already reacting to him. “Not necessarily. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can come up with a workable strategy.”

  He lowered his dark brows and looked at her as if she were crazy. “Right. And while we’re at it, let’s develop a plan for world peace.”

  He didn’t have to be an ass about it. “I’m sure one is being worked on even as we speak.”

  He grunted as he opened the file, his message clear. He thought her naïve. She should have known he’d be a jerk.

  Turning, she headed back to her kitchen.

  “Where are you going?”

  His voice caused her to halt. “I thought I’d get us some iced tea while you read.”

  “Iced tea.” He shook his head. “Add some Lapsir to that.”

  “Lapsir?” She’d never heard of that drink.

  “It was invented after you transitioned. Just ask for it, and be liberal with it.”

  She continued to her kitchen. The rumors about Malcolm were true. He came from the future, or rather the future compared to most of the spirits. Time had no meaning in the afterlife, which is why she didn’t mind getting another case. If she wanted to, she could go to a Tahiti replica and enjoy the warm waters for days and be back within seconds, but she wouldn’t be able to relax knowing she would be working with Malcolm.

  That and their assignment. She shivered.

  Quickly, she pulled the iced tea out of her fridge and poured it into two glasses. “A bottle of Lapsir.” The red liquid in the glass bottle that appeared seemed to move like fire, streaks of yellow and orange clearly inside it.

  Instead of pouring it into Malcolm’s glass, she put it on a tray and brought it back to the living room. She could have ordered it while there, but she wanted to give him a chance to read about Holly and Cameron while alone. It had brought tears to her eyes, though she doubted it would affect him in the same way.

  He was waiting for her as she put the tray down on her glass coffee table. He sat on her gray and black blotch couch, his brown cape, dark complexion and black hair a handsome compliment to her furniture.

  She took a seat on her zebra striped recliner as she lifted her glass from the tray. “I thought I’d let you pour your own Lapsir.”

  Opening the bottle, he didn’t respond. He poured a significant amount into the tea, causing it to take on the colors of t
he liquor. After capping the bottle, he raised his glass. “To success.”

  She raised her glass as well before they both drank. “I think getting Holly to be open to living her own life will be difficult, but not impossible.”

  Malcolm looked at her and laughed. “You really are an optimist. This assignment, if we’re successful, is going to wring us out and drop us in a heap on a stone-cold floor. However, if as I suspect, we fail, which I believe is the expectation, then we succeed in meeting their goals.”

  She felt her body grow cold as her throat tried to close. “We can’t fail.” Her words came out scratchy.

  “Why? You had the same reaction when you found out Holly was our assignment. What do you know?”

  It was more what she didn’t know. “You read the whole file?”

  He nodded.

  He must have used the viewer, a reenactment of someone’s life that never completely portrayed the nuances, in her opinion. “Every spirit guide pair that has visited Holly has disappeared.”

  He gave her a look of amused disbelief. “You don’t know that.”

  “I do.” She paused to take a deep breath to settle her nerves, her fear getting the better of her. “My friend Coco was assigned to be Holly’s Spirit of Christmas Present along with Ian Fergusson. Neither has returned.”

  He appeared to give that some thought. “They could have been given another assignment.”

  This time she gave him a look of disbelief. “Both of them? You know as well as I do that Cameron only assigns paired spirit guides as an exception rather than as a rule. I tell you, they’re gone.” She pointed to the file he’d laid on the couch next to him. “Didn’t you notice there was no mention of a debrief? We always debrief with Cameron.”

  “Say you’re correct, and we are expected to fail and disappear. That leaves us only one option.”

  His confidence gave her hope. “What’s that?”

  “We must succeed.”

  Her hope fizzled and died. Of course she wanted to succeed, but it would be close to impossible unless Malcolm had some serious practical ideas.

  Chapter Two

  Malcolm floated next to Joy along the street of Deervale, his conscience getting the better of him. If he’d known they’d be set up to fail, he would never have chosen Joy. He still wanted to show her that the world wasn’t as rosy and hopeful as she thought it to be, but he didn’t want the responsibility, and guilt, of having been the one to cause her dismissal as a spirit guide, or worse, her disintegration all together. One woman on his conscience was enough.

  He’d bet his cape that the higher-ups knew he’d choose Joy, though how could they when he’d never mentioned his goal to disillusion her to anyone? For all he knew, they invaded his head when he slept.

  “Oh, look. Holly’s entering the bakery. I wonder why? Usually Mrs. Bell bakes her a clootie dumpling for Christmas. Maybe Holly is having a party and needs more food.”

  Malcolm looked at the clear blue sky as if its soothing color could give him the willpower to stop from making fun of Joy. How important could Mrs. Bell be to Holly? “Why don’t we follow her inside and find out what she’s about?”

  Joy nodded and headed into the building through the front window.

  He preferred to scout out his assignment alone, but his gut told him their fates were now tied together, so he wanted to be sure they both remained cognizant of each other’s findings. In life, he had rarely worked with a partner, but he’d found it was always smart to get another point of view, even if it was eventually dismissed.

  The bakery was packed with people ordering sweets and breads for Christmas dinner. Though the holiday was still a week away, the happiness in the air was palpable. He tamped down his usual cynical comment. He would make allowances for the time of year. Even the Glasgow underbelly ramped up at the end of the year for Hogmanay.

  “Oh look. She’s placing an order. That must mean she’s planning to go to Brody and Sarah’s for their annual Christmas Eve party.” Joy looked back at him. “Brody and Ethan were Cameron’s best friends. Brody is the one just like him. Ethan is far more cautious.”

  “Aye. I viewed the file.”

  Joy’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to having a partner.”

  She turned back to watch, and he swallowed his response.

  Holly made it to the low counter. Cameron’s wife had a bit more meat on her bones than Joy with thick dark brown hair. When she smiled at the young woman behind the counter, her round face lit up and a dimple appeared on her right cheek. “Good afternoon, Miss Bryden. Could I order two mince pies please?”

  The young woman with her wavy chestnut hair clipped on top of her head winked. “Two? Does that mean you have a couple parties to go to?”

  Holly shook her head. “No, just one, Brody and Sarah’s. But there will be a lot of people there. Are you going to any parties?”

  Milly Bryden grinned. “I have five the week of Christmas.”

  “Oh wow, you’re very popular.”

  The young woman finished punching the order into the register. “Not really. Just family and friends.”

  Holly handed her a credit card then returned it to her purse. “Thank you. I’ll be by on the twenty-third to pick them up.” As she made her way through the crowd, a number of people chatted with her.

  Malcolm didn’t have to observe Holly Douglas very long to conclude that she and Joy would be kindred spirits. Her easy-going ways and quick smile told him that. Then again, with both of them liking Christmas and being from America, it would make it even harder for him.

  Joy floated over. “She seems to have re-engaged in her community thanks to Coco and Ian.”

  He nodded to be polite, but his thoughts weren’t on Holly. He wanted to discover what Cameron’s bosses were hoping to achieve and then thwart them. If they planned to be rid of him and Joy like they were rid of Ian and Coco, he needed to focus more on that.

  “Even Holly hiring an employee so she isn’t stuck at the shop all day shows a willingness to change. Maybe our task won’t be that hard after all.” Joy smiled.

  He rubbed his forehead at Joy’s optimistic attitude to keep from snapping at her. “I believe the kind of change Cameron is referring to is more like a major life change, such as selling her Christmas Shop or adopting a child, or something of that magnitude.”

  Joy’s happy smile fell. “I know that. I was simply pointing out that she has already made a small change, and I’ll bet there are more that we can use to build on.”

  His partner didn’t wait for a response, but floated out of the bakery to follow Holly. He was glad to see she had a little backbone. It meant he wouldn’t have to tread too lightly. He wanted to change her attitude, not crush her.

  He was about to leave the bakery as well when he noticed someone watching Holly leave through the window. He started to float in that direction when a loud crash caught his attention near the counter.

  A young boy had knocked over the donut tree. He had a feeling the boy had attempted to steal a few donuts. That’s how it all started. From donuts to grand theft. Turning back toward the window, he found the person gone.

  His senses immediately went into alert mode. There was more afoot than normal with this case. He sped through time to Holly and Cameron’s One of a Kind Christmas Shop where Joy was already observing.

  Holly spoke to a customer near the fifteen-foot Christmas tree in the middle of the shop. “Did you have something in mind, Luca?”

  The tall young man had a confidence about him that came with someone who had found the love of his life. Malcolm preferred to forget about that particular time in his own.

  “I want something that will remind Milly of her grandmother. This will be her first Christmas without her.”

  “What a beautiful idea.” Holly, now with a Santa hat covering the top of her head, her thick brown hair falling to her shoulders, looked pleased. “What were some of the things Milly and her grandmother did together?”
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br />   The young man grinned. “They made the best sugar cookies and my favorite, trifle.”

  Holly gave him a sly smile. “That sounds more like what you liked the most than what Milly may have liked.”

  Luca laughed. “You’re right.” The young man stared at the tree, but he obviously was thinking.

  Malcolm smelled Joy’s peppermint scent before she came up behind him. “I really like Cameron’s wife. She’s smart and intuitive. She’s not interrupting Luca while he tries to think, though I’m sure she has a number of suggestions she can make.”

  “That could mean we’ll move faster through her future scenarios.”

  “Don’t you wish you could look into the future of your own life, to see how things played out after you were gone?”

  “No.” He already knew what happened after he was shot and stabbed and hung up like a trophy. The underground alleyways of Glasgow returned to the miscreants of a new generation.

  Joy studied him, and he quickly turned away. She didn’t need to see his life. It was better if he showed her where Holly might be headed instead. It was less traumatic.

  “Oh, I know.” Luca drew their attention again. “Granny and Milly spent the month before Burns Night making new lace handkerchiefs for family and friends to wear. Granny just loved pulling out that old loom and working with Milly. That was their special time alone. No one but Milly knows how to do that.”

  “That’s perfect.” Holly smiled. “Now to find something that will reflect that memory. I have a few ideas. Come over here.”

  Joy’s gaze followed the two as they walked away toward a corner of the shop where shelves of laser cut wood ornaments were displayed. “I believe the file said Milly is Luca’s soulmate, or rather one of them. I bet Holly had something to do with them meeting this year.”

  He’d agree if it actually mattered.

  “I never did marry. Did you, Malcolm?”

  Joy’s question caught him off guard. “Why didn’t you marry?”

  She sighed. “I never found the right man. I thought I would be married at an early age and have a bevy of children, but being a hospice nurse limited my time to meet people. I mean people outside the family and friends of my patients.” She cocked her head to the right.