On a Snowy Night: The Christmas BasketThe Snow Bride

  Kristen wasn’t home when I tried to phone, although she hadn’t said she was going out. I’d hoped to discuss this with her, get her perspective. She’s heard just about everything else that’s gone on between Thom and me since I arrived. I could use a sympathetic ear and some sisterly advice.

  Everything fell into place so naturally between her and Jonathan, but it sure hasn’t been that way with me. I actually considered talking to Carley, which is a sign of how desperate I’m beginning to feel.

  I’m not going to see Thom again. We left the mall and nothing more was said. It’s over, even though I don’t want it to be. It was within my power to change things, and I didn’t have the courage to do it. I could’ve run after him and begged him not to let our relationship end this way, not after we’d come so far. But I didn’t, and I’m afraid this is something I’m going to regret for a long time to come.

  Chapter Six

  “You don’t need to worry about the dishes,” Sarah McDowell protested.

  Noelle continued to load the dishwasher. “Mom, quit treating me like a guest in my own home.” The menial task gave her something to do. Furthermore, she hoped it would help take her mind off her disastrous meeting with Thom at the mall. She’d reviewed their conversation a dozen times and wished so badly it had taken a different course. Their second attempt at a relationship had staggered to a halt before it had really begun, she thought with regret as she rinsed off the dinner plates and methodically set them inside the dishwasher.

  “Thank you, dear. This is a real treat,” her mother said, walking into the family room to join her dad.

  Sarah had returned from her shopping trip in a subdued mood. Noelle didn’t ply her with questions, mainly because she wasn’t in a talkative mood herself. Even Carley Sue seemed to be avoiding the rest of the family. Except for dinner, her sister had spent most of the day in her room, first on her computer, and then wrapping Christmas presents.

  As Noelle finished wiping the counters, her youngest sister entered the kitchen. Carley glanced into the family room where her parents sat watching television. Their favorite courtroom drama was on, and they seemed to be absorbed in it.

  “Wanna play a game of Yahtzee?” Noelle asked. It was one of Carley’s favorites.

  Her sister shook her head, then motioned for Noelle to come into her room. Carley nodded toward their parents, then pressed her finger to her lips.

  “What’s going on?” Noelle asked, drying her hands on a kitchen towel.

  “Shh,” Carley said, tiptoeing back toward her room.

  “What?” Noelle asked impatiently.

  Carley opened her bedroom door, grabbed Noelle’s hand and pulled her into the bedroom. To her shock, Thom stood in the middle of the room, wearing his overcoat.

  “Thom!”

  “Shh,” both Thom and Carley hissed at her.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “When did you trade bedrooms with your sister?” he asked.

  “A long time ago.” She couldn’t believe he was in her family’s home. Years ago, he’d come to the house and tapped on her bedroom window, and she’d leaned out on the sill and they’d kissed. Amazingly, her parents hadn’t heard—and the neighbors hadn’t reported him. “Why are you here?”

  “I came to see you.”

  Okay, that much was obvious. But she still didn’t understand why he’d come.

  “It was a bit of a surprise to bump into your little sister.”

  “I didn’t mind,” Carley said. “But he scared me like crazy when he knocked on the window.”

  “Sorry,” Thom muttered.

  “You said he broke your heart,” Carley said, directing her remarks at Noelle. “We threw popcorn at him, remember? At least, we thought it was him, but then it wasn’t.”

  Noelle didn’t need any further reminders of that unfortunate incident. “I broke his heart, too. It was all a misunderstanding.”

  “Oh.” Carley clasped her hands behind her back and leaned against the door, waiting. She was certainly in no hurry to leave and seemed immoderately interested in what Thom had to say.

  Thom glanced at her sister, who refused to take the hint, and then said, “We need to talk.”

  “Now? Here?”

  He nodded and touched her face in the gentlest way. “Listen, I’m sorry about this afternoon. We didn’t even talk about what’s most important—and that’s you and me.”

  “I’m sorry, too.” Unable to resist, Noelle slipped her arms around his waist and they clung to each other.

  “This is so-o-o romantic,” Carley whispered. “Why don’t you two sit down and make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  Her little sister was as much of a hostess as their mother, Noelle thought with amusement. “No, but thanks.”

  Thom shrugged. “I should leave, but—”

  “No, don’t,” Noelle pleaded with him. It might make more sense to meet Thom later, but she didn’t want him out of her sight for another second.

  Thom sat on the edge of the bed and Noelle sat beside him. He took both her hands in his. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about us.”

  “I have, too,” she said hurriedly.

  “I don’t want it to end.”

  “Oh, Thom, I don’t either! Not the way it did this afternoon—and for all the wrong reasons.” Noelle was acutely aware of her sister, listening in on their conversation, but she didn’t care.

  “Noelle, I know what I want, and that’s you back in my life.”

  “Oh, Thom.” She bit her lower lip, suddenly on the verge of tears.

  Carley sighed again. “This is better than any movie I’ve ever seen.”

  Noelle ignored her. “What are we going to do about our families?” They couldn’t pretend their relationship wouldn’t cause problems.

  “I’ve been thinking about that, but I’m just not sure.” Thom stroked the side of her face, and his hand lingered there.

  “Oh, this is difficult,” Carley agreed.

  Her little sister was absorbing every word. Had Carley left the room, Noelle was sure Thom would be kissing her by now. Then they’d be lost in the kissing and oblivious to anything else.

  “Is there a solution for us? One that doesn’t involve alienating our families. Or our mothers, at any rate.” Thom didn’t look optimistic.

  “What about the tea service?” Noelle said, mulling over an idea. “You said there’s no replacing it, but maybe if we found a similar one, your mother would be willing to accept it.”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “This wasn’t just any tea service. It was a family heirloom that belonged to my great-grandmother. We’ll never find one exactly like it.”

  “I know, but finding one even remotely similar would be a start toward rebuilding the relationship, don’t you think?”

  He didn’t seem convinced. “Perhaps.”

  “Could you find out the style and type?”

  Thom shook his head doubtfully. “I could try.”

  “Please, Thom. And see if there are any photos.”

  They hugged again and Noelle closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her, inhaling his clean, outdoorsy scent.

  Everything had changed for her. The thought of returning to Texas and her life there held little appeal. For years, she’d stayed away from her hometown because it represented a past that had brought her grief, and now—now she knew this was where her future lay.

  There was a knock on Carley’s door.

  Noelle and Thom flew apart and a look of panic came into Carley’s eyes.

  “The closet,” Noelle whispered, quickly ushering Thom inside. No sooner had she shut the door than her little sister admitted their mother into the room.

  Noelle figured they must look about as guilty as any two people could. Carley stared up at the bedroom ceiling and Noelle was tempted to hum a catchy Yuletide tune.

  “I thought I’d turn in for the night,” her mother said. S
he obviously hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

  “Good idea,” Carley told her mother.

  “You don’t want to wear yourself out,” Noelle added, letting her arms swing at her sides. “With Christmas and all…”

  Her mother gave them a soft smile. “It does my heart good to see the two of you together. You were like a second mother to Carley when she was a baby.”

  “Mom!” her little sister wailed.

  “I always thought you’d have a house full of your own children one day,” she said nostalgically. “Don’t you remember how you used to play with all your dolls?”

  Noelle wanted to groan, knowing that Thom was listening in on the conversation.

  “You’d make a wonderful mother.”

  “Thank you, Mom,” she said. “ ’Night now. See you in the morning.”

  “’Night.” She stepped out the door.

  Noelle sighed with relief and so did Carley. She was about to open the closet when her mother stuck her head back inside the room. “Noelle, do you have plans for the morning?”

  “No, why?” she asked, her voice higher than normal.

  “I might need some help.”

  “I’ll be glad to do what I can.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” And with that she was gone. For good this time.

  After a moment, Thom opened the closet door and peered out. “Is it safe?”

  “I think so.”

  “Do you want me to keep watch?” Carley asked. “You know, so you guys can have some privacy.” She smiled at Thom. “He’s been wanting to kiss you ever since you got here.” She lowered her voice. “I think he’s kinda cute.”

  “So do I,” Noelle confessed. “And yes, some privacy would be greatly appreciated.”

  Carley winked at Thom. “I think I’ll go out and see what Dad’s doing.”

  The instant the door closed, Thom took her in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Noelle groaned softly, welcoming him. Together, they created warm, moist kisses, increasing in intensity and desire. Other than the brief episode in the park, it’d been years since they’d kissed like this. Yet his touch felt so familiar….

  “It’s always been you,” he whispered.

  She heard the desperation in his voice. “I know—it’s always been you,” she echoed.

  He kissed her again with a hunger and a need that reflected her own.

  “Oh, Thom, what are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to start with your suggestion and find a silver tea service,” he said firmly. “Then we’re going to give it to my mother and tell her it’s time to mend fences.”

  “What if we can’t find one?” She frowned. “Or what if we do and they still won’t forgive each other?”

  “You worry too much.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And you ask too many questions.”

  Sarah was sitting up in bed reading a brand-new and highly touted mystery when her husband entered their room.

  “You’ve been quiet this evening,” Jake commented as he unbuttoned his shirt.

  “Have I?” She gazed at the novel, but her attention kept wandering. She’d read this paragraph at least six times and she couldn’t remember what it said. Every word seemed to remind her of a friend she’d lost twenty years ago.

  “You haven’t been yourself since you got back from shopping.”

  Sarah decided to ignore his words. “I stopped in and said good-night to the girls before I went to bed. Isn’t it nice that Noelle and Carley get along so well?”

  “You’re changing the subject,” Jake said. “And not very subtly.”

  Sarah set aside the book. In her present frame of mind, she was doing the author and herself a disservice. She reached for the light, but instead of flicking it off, she fell back against her pillows.

  “I ran into Mary this afternoon,” she told her husband.

  “Again?”

  “Again,” she confirmed. “This meeting didn’t go much better than the one at Value-X.”

  “That bad?”

  “Almost. I can’t even begin to tell you how horribly the two of us behaved.”

  Jake chuckled, shaking his head. “Does this have anything to do with the two hundred or so candy bars I found in the back of the big freezer?”

  “You saw?”

  He nodded. “What is it with you two?”

  “Oh, honey, I wish I knew. I hate this. I’ve always hated this animosity. It would’ve been over years ago if Mary had listened to reason.”

  Her husband didn’t respond.

  “Everything was perfectly fine until we were forced to work on this Christmas project. Until then, she ignored me and I ignored her.”

  “Ignored her, did you?” he asked mildly.

  Sarah pretended not to hear his question. “I think Melody Darrington might have planned this.” The scheme took shape in her mind. “Melody must have.”

  “Isn’t she the club secretary?”

  “You know Melody,” Sarah snapped. “She’s the cute blonde who sold me the tickets to the dance.”

  “I wasn’t there when you picked up the tickets,” Jake reminded her as he climbed into bed.

  “But you know who I mean.”

  “If you say so.”

  “You do. Now listen, because I think I’m on to something here. Melody’s the one who told me we couldn’t rent the hall for Kristen’s wedding unless I performed a community service for the club.”

  “Yes, I remember, and that’s how you got involved in the Christmas basket thing.”

  “Melody’s also the one who assigned me to that project,” she went on. “There had to be dozens of other projects I could’ve done. Plus, she insisted I had to fulfill those hours this year. That makes no sense whatsoever.”

  “Why would Melody do anything like that?”

  “How would I know?”

  Her husband looked skeptical. “I think you might be jumping to conclusions here.”

  “Melody gave us half of the same list, too.” Outrage simmered just below the surface as Sarah sorted through the facts. She tossed aside the covers and leaped out of bed. Hands on hips, she glared at her husband. Of course. It all added up. Melody definitely had a role in this, and Sarah didn’t like it.

  “Hey, I didn’t do anything,” Jake protested.

  “I’m not saying you did.” Still not satisfied, she started pacing the area at the foot of the bed. “This is the lowest, dirtiest trick anyone’s every played on me.”

  “Now, Sarah, you don’t have any real proof.”

  “Of course I do! Why did Melody make a copy of that list, anyway? All she had to do was divide it.”

  “Sounds like an honest mistake to me. Didn’t you tell me the office was hectic that morning? Melody was dealing with you, the phones and everything else when she gave you and Mary the lists.”

  “Yes, but that’s no excuse for what happened.”

  “You’re angrier with yourself than Melody.”

  Sarah knew the truth when she heard it. The outrage vanished as quickly as it had come, and she climbed back into bed, next to her husband.

  For a long time neither spoke. Finally Jake turned on their bedside radio and they listened to “Silent Night” sung by a children’s choir. Their pure, sweet voices almost brought tears to Sarah’s eyes.

  “In two days, it’ll be Christmas,” she said in a soft voice.

  “And Noelle’s birthday.” Her husband smiled. “Remember our first year? We could barely afford a Christmas tree, let alone gifts. Yet you managed to give me the most incredible present of all, our Noelle.”

  “Remember the next Christmas, when I’d just found out I was pregnant with Kristen?” she said fondly. “Our gift to each other was a second-hand washer.” In the early years of their marriage, they’d struggled to make ends meet. Yet in many ways, those had been the very best.

  Jake smiled. “We were poor as church mice.”

  “But happy.”

  “Very happy,”
he agreed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. “I thought it was clever of you to knit Christmas stockings for the girls the year Noelle turned four. Or was it five?”

  “I didn’t knit them,” Sarah said sadly. “Mary did.”

  “Mary?”

  “Don’t you remember? She knit all the kids stockings, and I baked the cookies and we exchanged?”

  “Ah, yes. You two had quite a barter system worked out.”

  “If we hadn’t traded baby-sitting, none of us would’ve been able to afford an evening out.” Once a month, they’d taken the girls over to their dearest friends’ home for the night; Mary and Greg had done the same. It’d been a lifesaver in those early years. She and Jake had never been able to afford anything elaborate, but a night out, just the two of them, had been heaven. Mary and Greg had cherished their nights, as well.

  “I miss her,” Sarah admitted. “Even after all these years, I miss my friend.”

  “I know.” Jake gently squeezed her shoulder.

  “I’d give anything never to have borrowed the silver tea service.”

  “You were trying to help someone out.”

  “That’s how it started, but I should’ve been honest with Mary. I should’ve told her the tea service wasn’t for my open house, but for Cheryl’s.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  She’d had years to think about the answer to that question. “Because Mary didn’t like Cheryl. I assumed she was jealous. Now…I don’t know.”

  Sarah remembered the circumstances well. She’d recently begun selling real estate and Cheryl Carlson had given her suggestions and advice. Cheryl had wanted something to enhance the look of the dining room for her open house, and Sarah had volunteered to bring in the tea service. When she’d asked Mary, her friend had hesitated, but then agreed. Sarah had let Mary assume it was for her own open house.

  “You were so upset when you found out the tea service had been stolen.”

  To this day her stomach knotted at the memory of having to face Mary and confess what had happened. Soon afterward, Cheryl had left the agency and hired on with another firm, and Sarah had lost touch with her.