They'd taken the day off and managed the calm they'd been looking for. Though Carson was sure to take it easy, he also made sure he touched Abigail often, both keeping close tabs on her reaction and letting her know how much he loved her.

When the sun peeked out around noon, they took a walk down the street and back again, holding hands. They made a batch of apple cider and sat by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree as they listened to classic Christmas music. Carson thought it was as magical as it could get.

"I know we have a week left, but sitting here like this, I want to give you one of your presents."

"One of them?"

He laughed that she seemed surprised. He'd known better than to put them all under the tree. Carson suspected she was a present shaker. "Christmas morning you'll have a bounty."

She glanced toward the growing number of gifts under the tree which had been left by his mother and others had been coming in the mail from her family.

"Where is it?"

Carson chuckled. "I thought you'd scold me for that. You're one of those antsy kids that had an alarm set on Christmas morning hoping you catch Santa aren't you?"

She shook her head. "Never wanted to catch him. That would ruin the magic. But I did make them all get up at five in the morning to open gifts."

"Your mother stood for that?"

"No. We all got one, and then we had to wait until the sun was up and we'd eaten breakfast."

"That sounds more like it." Carson stood from his seat on the floor and walked to his office. When he returned, his bride-to-be was seated on her heels like an anxious child.

"What is it?" She bounced up and down, and it brought out a laugh from him.

He held out the envelope he'd collected from his desk. "God, I can't wait to see you open all your gifts for Christmas. You're making me a bit giddy."

"Give it," she took the envelope and opened it slowly.

"What's taking you so long?"

"There is an art to getting the best reaction from a gift. Envelopes make me leery though. Usually, you have to wait for what's inside an envelope. It's usually a promissory note of sorts."

"You never cease to amaze me."

He watched as she pulled out the blue legal form he'd placed in the envelope only the day before. He'd wanted to give it to her when they closed up the tea shop the night before, but under the circumstances, he'd let it sit on his desk.

Abigail read the words on the paper and then with her brows scrunched together she looked up at him.

"I don't know what this is," she whined.

Carson laughed again as he sat down next to her on the floor and took the document from her. "This, my love, is a deed."

"A deed. As in ownership?"

He nodded. "As of yesterday, I own the building your store is in."

Abigail pursed her lips. "So you're going to raise the rent?"

"I hadn't thought of that." He set the papers aside and pulled her to lay down next to him. "You and Clare never have to pay rent again."

Now her eyes went wide. "You bought the building, so we didn't have to pay? Carson…"

"There's more." He brushed a strand of hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "The space next-door is closing shop. I had an architect look at it and we can put a door through from your shop to the one next door."

"To expand?"

"If that's what you girls want to do. But I was also thinking that you could set up all the linens from Mrs. Winters in the next shop. Donna said they have so many."

Abigail pressed her fingertips to her lips. "Oh, Carson. I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you. That's all you ever have to say. I love you, Abi. I'd give you the moon if I could."

She reached for him and rolled him atop of her. "Thank you. I love you, Mr. Stone."

He looked down into her eyes which caught the flicker of flame from the fire. "Oh, future Mrs. Stone, you make me very happy. To think this is the beginning of a very long and happy life, well it makes me optimistically giddy."

"Giddy is very sexy on you," she offered as she began to unbutton his shirt.

"Tell me we're alone. I suddenly am very shy about getting naked on the living room floor with you," he joked as she pulled the shirt from his shoulders.

"Totally alone."

With that promise, he took her mouth with his, and her body with his hands making love to the woman he cherished right there with the fire glow surrounding them. For the moment, they had only one another and no worries of what the darkness had been trying to tell Abigail.

---

Abigail had a pot of coffee brewed and warm muffins plated on the prep table the moment Clare walked through the door.

"Good, you're here," Clare snarled as she hung up her coat. "I get the next day off."

"You deserve it. How was it with Patricia filling in?"

"It was fine," she said as she pulled down an apron and tied it around her waist. "She has a knack." Clare looked at the set up on the table. "What's all this?"

"Just a little breakfast before we get started." She slid the envelope Carson had given her across the table. "I also wanted to share my Christmas gift with you."

"You're already getting Christmas gifts? How much begging did you have to do for this?"

"None. He wanted to give it to me the other night, but then…"

"Yeah, but then."

"Open it."

Clare lifted the documents out of the envelope and studied it. "Carson bought the building?"

Abigail dropped her shoulders. "I didn't get that at first."

"It says right here," she offered as she pointed to a line in the document.

"Fine. But yes. He bought the building. No more rent."

That had Clare's eyes widening. "No kidding?"

"No kidding. And he's going to have a doorway put through the unit next door, which is leaving, and we can expand our store or continue with the linens."

"The linens are selling like crazy. Both Mrs. Winters' and your mothers."

"I know." She took the papers back from Clare. "It's a pretty great Christmas gift isn't it?"

"You're a very lucky woman." Clare picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip. "Now can we stop beating around the bush? What happened to you the other day?"

She should have known it was coming, Abigail thought. She tucked the deed back into her purse, picked up her coffee, and took a sip. "I think someone is trying to warn me about something."

"Who?"

She winced at the thought of telling her the whole story. "So, it happens that Katie Meadows…"

"The dead girl in Kansas City?"

Abigail winced again at her description. "Yes. Anyway, her great-aunt was Mrs. Winters."

Clare eased her elbows to the table and looked at Abigail. "No kidding."

"I figured that was the connection. Mrs. Winters somehow connected with me so I could find, or because I found, her niece. Anyway, I couldn't sleep that night, after what happened in here. So I was in the living room, and when Carson came out to see me, I saw a spirit."

"Whoa! You saw a ghost?"

"It's not the first."

"Who else?"

Why hadn't she told her any of this? Oh, because it sounded crazy, that's why.

"I saw Mrs. Winters the night she died."

Clare's lips curled into a smile. "That's wicked."

"Don't tease me."

"No teasing. I'm into it. Keep going."

Abigail gave some thought to what she wanted to say. "Anyway, it just so happens that Mrs. Winters' husband was killed in a mine collapse when he was hunting. He and another man both died. The man was Mrs. Winters' brother-in-law, who happens to be Katie Meadows' grandfather."

Clare eased back off her elbows, pulled a chair over, and sat down. "So who came to visit you?"

"Katie Meadows' grandfather. I don't know if he was just there to thank me or if he came with a warning."

"What kind of warning?"

"I don't know." Abigail began pulling the wrapper off of her muffin to give herself a moment to think. "I made Carson kiss me again to see if I'd black out again."

"That was scary."

"I know. He was scared too. But we did it. The same thing happened, only I didn't black out in front of him." Clare's expression had gone blank, so Abigail continued. "I had the same reaction. My head spun, everything went dark, and I couldn't breathe. It was as if something was collapsing around me."

"Like a mine?"

"Maybe. But I didn't pass out. In fact, he didn't even know anything happened."

"You told him, right?"

Abigail shook her head. "No." She held up her hand to stop any harassment headed her way. "I just have to figure out what they're trying to tell me. I don't know if there is something lost in that mine or…"

"You're not going to go digging around and find out."

"No. I just want to know what the darkness is."

Clare reached for Abigail's hands, and she felt the warmth of the touch and complete calm. It was a welcomed feeling.

"I'm here for you. I'll help you any way I can."

"I appreciate that," she said, and she truly did. Family was very important, and she was grateful to have Clare by her side.