1
The Moon
I watch from the doorframe of my great room, savoring the moment. My favorite people are all here, under one roof, celebrating Christmas Eve together, and it's a sight that warms my heart.
Lanie, Nina, and Ava are huddled together in their matching red-and-white plaid reindeer jammies, alternating between shoving holiday goodies into their mouths and sipping from piping-hot mugs of Baileys hot chocolate, minus the Baileys for Ava.
The largest charcuterie board I've ever made sits on the coffee table, overflowing with an assortment of cheeses, crackers, popcorn, and various cookies and candies I purchased from a bakery in downtown Knox Harbor.
I've been running back and forth from the kitchen playing the part of hostess, a role I've always enjoyed but haven't been up to for some time.
In the past few years, the merriness of the season was tempered by sorrow and self-pity. Tonight, it's been all laughter and no tears.
The way Christmas Eve should be.
Those who matter most are in this room, singing along to the song playing on the television. Lanie belts out "Deck the Halls," punching at the air; Nina pulls in her upper lip, grimacing into the side of Lanie's head; and Ava sings the song without a care in the world, just happy to have her two aunts here with us.
We're bonded by more than blood and DNA. These are sacred friendships that we've chosen. They weren't thrust upon us out of duty and an age-old tale that blood somehow trumps all. While my parents are hundreds of miles away, likely playing cards with friends, my made family is here, choosing me, and that's not something I take lightly.
Since the accident that took Garrett from me, Lanie has made Christmas Eve our thing. It was her attempt to pull me out of my despair long enough to ensure that Ava had the Christmas she deserved. This time, we have the bonus of Nina being here.
Before this year, she has always been required to attend Knox Harbor's Christmas Eve ball, a charity event that her slimy ex had nothing to do with organizing but took all the credit for. Due to the shocking events that unfolded earlier this year, the event was cancelled.
I take a second to relish how this year, Richard Dunbar is celebrating Christmas in prison, while Nina gets to curl up on my oversize couch, comfortable and cozy. Not only did Richard cover up his son's drunk driving homicide, but he was also behind two murders and the car accident that took Garrett from me and Ava.
Pure evil.
He's eating crappy food while Nina gorges on treats that she typically didn't allow herself, because he would throw a fit over any weight gain. He's sitting in a cell, staring at concrete walls, and she gets to binge-watch every sappy Hallmark movie she can fit into one night. Movies he never allowed her to watch in her own home.
Oh, how sweet karma can be.
"Are you done stalking?" Lanie calls over her shoulder, not bothering to take her eyes off the television.
"I wasn't stalking anything. If you haven't noticed, the platters of food don't magically fill themselves."
Ava turns toward me, smiling like a loon. "You should really get on that. A magic house that cooks and cleans sounds like a game changer."
I smirk. "I'll make sure to add that to my Santa list next year."
Ava half rolls her eyes, grinning wide and twisting back toward the television.
"I just figured you were keeping an eye on the house next door for any signs of movement," Lanie says, shoving popcorn into her mouth.
"We just started dating. I'm hardly inspecting his house for proof of life. It's not like I haven't talked to him."
Lanie peaks one perfectly microbladed eyebrow. "Have you? Talked to him? Because I've seen you check your phone no less than ten times in the last hour . . ."
"Why do you always make me sound so pathetic? I've been having too much fun with all of you. I haven't thought about him once."
A slight lie, but Lanie Anderson doesn't need to be proven right.
"How about you come sit and finish the movie with us," Ava suggests, patting the couch cushion. "Ignore Aunt Lanie. If you were thinking about Mr. West, that's perfectly normal."
"I agree with Ava. Ignore Aunt Lanie." Nina purses her lips when she turns toward Lanie, who isn't at all bothered. "Come join us. We have plenty of food. Enjoy your time with Aves."
I should absolutely be soaking in every moment I have with her. The two-week break she gets is never long enough. Soon she'll be returning to school, and I'll be in this empty house all alone.
I make my way to the couch, taking the seat next to Ava. She smiles at me, squeezing my hand as she scooches in closer, offering to share her blanket.
"What have I missed?" I ask, eyes trained on the big screen.
"She just got whisked back in time by that sand thingy."
I lift an eyebrow at Ava's explanation.
"I think you mean hourglass," Nina says.
"Whatever it is. She's about to see the hot actor," Lanie says, grabbing a handful of Cheez-It crackers. "It's about to get swoony."
"Are you hungry, Lanie?" I ask, completely mystified by the sheer amount of junk she's consumed in the past ten minutes. While she has never shied away from food, she typically grabs healthier options. I feel bad that I didn't opt to serve a meal.
She purses her lips. "Is that a fat quip?"
"I'm offering to make you actual food if you're hungry." I motion to the large platter. "I really didn't think this through."
She wipes her hand on her pajamas. "I'm simply using the holiday as an excuse to indulge. Nothing wrong with that."
"I didn't say there was. I was only attempting to be a proper host."
"You failed," she singsongs.
"Can you two just get along so we can watch the meet-cute?" Nina reprimands, a hint of humor in her tone.
Ava squeals, clapping her hands and shimmying in her seat, clearly ready for what's to come. "Meet-cutes are the best part."
My head shakes and my chest bounces, barely containing the laughter that bubbles within at Ava's reaction. My little girl is sixteen. She's a young adult, interested in love and romance, something that wasn't the case a year ago.
"Here, this is yours," Nina says, passing over a mug. "It might be a tad cold by now, but it's good."
"Thank you." I take a sip and sigh.
The temperature is perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. The hint of Baileys just enough to make the cocoa even better.
We all settle in to watch the movie, oohing and ahhing at every twist that arises. It's cute. Your typical Christmas love story, complete with magic and humor. The type of movies we all enjoy this time of year.
Over an hour goes by, and we're moments from the movie's conclusion when the doorbell rings.
Ava looks over her shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. When she turns toward me, she lifts one brow. "Who could that be?"
My eyes are narrowed as I run through the short list of possibilities.
I quickly eliminate Nick West. I've peeked at the house next door for any signs of him a few times tonight, only to find it dark. He's likely working late at the station.
That's been his excuse for the three dates he's cancelled in the past two weeks. Ever since the night Nina showed up on my doorstep, looking as though she'd been run through the mud, he's been distant.
I did send him away without an explanation, but he can't be angry with me about that. Nina's practically family, and she was distraught. I needed to be there for her and didn't think she'd be open to spilling her guts with Nick hanging around.
"Well . . . are you going to answer it or let them freeze out there?" Ava asks, cutting off all thoughts of Nick.
I jump up from the couch and rush toward the door because she's right-it's a chilly night, and nobody should be left to freeze on Christmas Eve.
Pressing my eye to the little round hole, I check to see who it is, but there's nobody out there. At least, not that I can see. A strange feeling washes over me, and I decide not to open the door. Instead, I make my way to the white-trimmed picture window, staring down the road both ways.
The soft glow of twinkling lights glistens off the freshly fallen snow all the way down my street. It's a stunning sight that distracts me from my initial reason for peering out my window into the dark night.
There's nothing and no one to be seen. Not even taillights in the distance proving that someone had been on my doorstep.
Bizarre.
I'm about to turn around when a figure pops up from the bushes, two horns protruding from a demonic face. Its hands reach out to tap an eerie cadence against the window. I screech, stumbling backward, grabbing at air. With a quick twist, I crouch low, instinctively assuming a defensive stance. Thankfully, I manage to avoid the embarrassment of falling on my ass. I swiftly right myself in time to see the creature remove its head to unmask Corinne, bent over, laughing hysterically.
"What the hell's going on?" Lanie says, rushing into the room with Nina and Ava right on her heels.
I motion toward the window, working to calm my racing heart.
"That asshole," Lanie says, throwing her head back and laughing. "I love her."
Leave it to Lanie to find this funny. I about had a coronary, but who cares about that minor detail?
Nina throws open the front door, standing to the side, giving Corinne enough room to enter. "Get in here, you menace."
I take a step forward, hands planted on my hips. "What were you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"
She shrugs out of her coat, throwing it over the chair. "Playing Krampus. Have you been naughty?"
"It's not Krampusnacht, idiot. You're a few weeks off," Lanie says, half rolling her eyes.
"Idiot is too kind a term." I grab her coat and head toward the office, where the others have been stashed.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were tied up with Moradi Madness," Lanie says, but I miss Corinne's reply as I step away from the group.
I deposit the black bomber jacket into the pitch-black room and give myself a moment to laugh at the absurdity that just occurred. I almost went down, and if it had been Lanie, I would be rolling on the ground laughing.
That's the thing about the friendships I have with these girls. They all bring something unique to the group. Corinne's happens to be youth and the reminder that no matter our age, laughter and silliness is the best medicine.
I chuckle to myself before rejoining my friends who are all gathered in the front room, chatting away about Corinne's brother, Darian. From what I've pieced together, he was ordered to bring her here to ensure something goes down.
"What exactly is going down?" I ask, glancing around the room for someone to explain.
"Not you," Lanie says, chuckling at herself.
My nose scrunches, and I glare daggers at Lanie, looking out of the corner of my eye at Ava, who clearly got the joke, if her giggling is any indicator.
Nina sighs heavily. "Do you always have to be so crass, Lane?"
Lanie doesn't answer, and Ava has inquired about the lore surrounding Krampus. Corinne is far too eager to give all the horrific details. I zone out, knowing the story behind the Christmas devil.
My head turns toward the window, and I watch as large flakes continue to fall from the sky, blanketing the ground. It's a winter wonderland out there, the perfect scenery for the holiday.
Movement to the left has my eyes narrowing as I lean forward.
"What the . . ." My words trail off as I stand to get closer to the glass. "Is that Mrs. Fields?"
Standing on the sidewalk, out in the dark, cold, winter night, a barely dressed Mrs. Fields appears to be talking to thin air. She's in her pale pink nightgown, hair secured under a white shower cap, finger lifted as if she's in the middle of a lecture.
The others get to their feet, joining me at the window.
"Is that a nightgown?" Nina asks, and I nod.
"She's not wearing shoes?" Ava says, nose practically pressed against the window.
"Looks like she's wearing slippers," Nina replies to Ava.
The frail woman has her fist raised into the air, moving it around like she's moments away from crashing it against someone's head. Something isn't right with her.
"She's going to freeze out there," I say, heading toward the door.
With my hand on the knob, I look down, recognizing that I'm not exactly dressed appropriately either.
"Let me grab our coats," Lanie says, rushing off before I can agree or protest.
"Nina, throw me that blanket." I motion to the unused fleece throw hanging off the back of the couch.
Within a minute, Lanie is back and practically hurling my coat at me as she slings hers on. She makes her way out into the freezing night with me close behind.
"Mrs. Fields, what on earth are you doing out here? You're gonna freeze," I say, jogging across the street, hitting a piece of ice that nearly takes me out. A patch of snow saves me from my second almost-fall of the night. I'm holding the blanket up to put it around her shoulders, but she stares right through me. It's like this for several moments until her eyelashes flutter and her mouth drops open. She pops a closed fist on her hip and begins a tirade.
"Well, I came out here to see what she was doing out in the cold." She shakes her head, tsking. "Dressed like that. I've never," she grumbles. "Last time I saw a woman dressed that scandalously . . . well . . . it was you," she says, pursing her lips and looking up at Lanie. "Ladies don't dress like that."
"It was Halloween, Mrs. Fields. I was a nurse."
Mrs. Fields makes a noise that sounds an awful lot like clearing phlegm from her throat.
"What woman?" I ask, looking around the area only to find it absent of anyone aside from Mrs. Fields and us.
"That one," she says, gesturing behind me.
We all turn to find nothing but cold air and darkness.
Excerpted from A Charming Touch of Tarot by Melissa Holtz. Copyright © 2025 by Melissa Holtz. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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