Marry Me at Christmas

The easiest thing would be to put on a kid-safe coating, which would work for some, but the rest should be painted different colors. He had the nontoxic acrylics already, but there was a time constraint.

He decided to choose a few color schemes, then figure out a schedule and see how many he could get done for the toy drive. Next year he would start earlier and be able to donate more.

He shrugged out of his jacket and set his cell phone on the table. Thanks to the zealous concern of the local search and rescue program, there was a new cell tower on the edge of his property and excellent coverage all around the house and barns.

He reached for the first toy. It was a simple truck. Stain or paint, he wondered, before leaning back in his chair. Maybe there was someone he could ask. A person with artistic ability and an eye for color.

He immediately thought of Madeline but figured he was already taking advantage of her. After all, she wasn’t getting paid for her work on the wedding. A donation to charity didn’t actually count as a paycheck.

Thinking about Madeline made him remember her mother and the conversation he’d had with Loretta the evening of the Christmas tree lighting. How she’d talked about falling in love with Joseph and that she’d simply known he was the one.

Jonny had never felt that. Not lightning, not certainty. He’d dated, but there had always been a reason to move on. Excluding family, he would say the only woman he’d loved had been Kristen. But that had been a long time ago. He’d gone into the relationship aware she was dying and when she’d passed...

He shook his head. Knowing the end was coming hadn’t made it any easier to deal with. And since then, he’d avoided entanglements of the romantic kind. Some of it had been Ginger. After their dad had died, he’d been busy making sure she finished high school and got settled at college. She was smart, but not all that great out in the world. He’d wanted to look out for her.

Once she’d gotten her feet under her, he’d thought he might find somebody, but by then he’d been famous and having a relationship in Hollywood wasn’t easy. He always had to figure out if the woman in question was interested in him as a man or simply wanted to say she’d slept with Jonny Blaze. Once that hurdle had been cleared, there were other problems. The press, trying to be normal. In the end, it was easier to be alone. He’d gotten used to the idea.

That was one of the great things about living in Fool’s Gold. He was a part of the town. They didn’t care about who he was or what he did for a living. If that meant having his bare ass up on TV, it was a small price to pay.

He liked that he was making friends. Like Madeline. She was a sweet person with a great sense of humor. The fact that every now and then he found himself wanting to see more of her, well, that was something he would deal with. Yes, she tempted him romantically, but he knew the danger of getting involved. Better to stay friends. Simpler for him and safer for her.

His cell phone rang. The programmed ringtone had him smiling before he even picked up.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said.

On the other end of the call, a woman laughed. “You sound like you’re in a good mood.”

“I am. Loving my new place.”

“Isn’t it rural up there?”

He laughed. “They got electricity just last week, so it’s not too bad.”

“Now you’re making fun of me.”

“Because I can.”

Annelise had been his manager since he’d been “discovered” on his first movie. She was smart, driven and always looked out for him. In a business where managers sometimes had an agenda all their own, Annelise was all about integrity.

“You’re ignoring my emails,” she said, her tone conversational. “Want to tell me why?”

He thought about the laptop in his office in the house. “I haven’t checked it in a few days. Sorry. I’ll look at them this afternoon. What’s up?”

“The same thing that was up last month. You need to make a decision on the Amish Revenge sequel.” Her voice softened. “Jonny, I thought you were excited about the project. You’re getting a producer credit and can have input on the screenplay revisions. Have you changed your mind?”

He considered the question. The script he’d read had been good. Not just sequel good, but well-written enough to stand on its own. Amish Revenge was his most successful movie to date and people wanted to see more of his character.

His reluctance had nothing to do with the project and everything to do with how much he was enjoying regular life.

“I’m in,” he told her. “I still want to do the project.”