“We’re drunk,” Mary said. “Really and truly drunk. The cookies didn’t help one bit.”
“I don’t care. We’re best friends again and this time it’s for life.”
“For life,” Mary vowed.
“We’re on a mission.”
“A mission,” Mary repeated. She paused “What’s our mission again?”
Sarah had to stop and think about it. “First, we need to deliver the Christmas baskets.”
Mary slapped her hand against her forehead. “Right! How could I forget?”
“Then…”
“There’s more?” Mary looked confused.
“Yes, lots more. Then we need to convince Noelle and Thom that they were meant to be together.”
“Poor Thom,” Mary said. “Oh no.” She covered her mouth with her hand.
“What?”
“I left a message on his answering machine. I may not remember much right now, but I remember that. I told him I didn’t think he should marry Noelle….”
“Why would you do that?”
“Well, because—oh dear, Sarah, I might have ruined everything.”
“We’ll deal with it as soon as we’re home,” Sarah said firmly.
A car sounded from behind them. “Someone’s coming,” Mary cried, her voice rising with excitement.
“We’ve got to hitch a ride.” Sarah whirled around and held out her thumb as prominently as she could.
“That’s not going to work,” Mary insisted, thrusting out her leg. “Don’t you remember that old Clark Gable movie?”
“Clark Gable got a ride by showing off his ankle?”
“No…Claudette Colbert did.”
The truck turned the corner; Sarah wasn’t willing to trust in either her thumb or Mary’s leg, so she raised both hands above her head and waved frantically.
“It’s Greg,” Mary cried in relief.
“And Jake’s with him.” Thank God. Sarah had never been happier to see her husband.
To their shock and anger, the two men drove directly past them.
“Hey!” Mary shouted after her husband. “I am in no mood for games.”
The truck stopped, and the driver and passenger doors opened at the same time. Greg climbed down and headed over to Mary, while Jake hurried toward Sarah.
“We’re friends for life,” Mary told her husband, throwing her arm around Sarah again.
“You’re drunk,” Greg said. “Just what have you been drinking?”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” she answered with offended dignity.
“Do you?” Jake asked Sarah.
“Of course I do.”
“We’re on a mission,” Mary told the two men.
Jake frowned. “What happened to the car?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later,” Sarah promised, enunciating very carefully.
“What mission?” Jake asked.
Sarah exchanged an exasperated look with Mary. “Why do we have to explain everything?”
“Men,” Mary said in a low voice. “Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.”
Her friend was so wise.
The drive back to Rose took even longer than the trip into Portland. The roads seemed to get icier and more slippery with every mile. Keeping her eyes on the road, Noelle knew how tense Thom must be.
“Would you rather wait until after Christmas?” she asked as they neared her family’s home. It might be better if they got through the holidays before making their announcement and throwing their families into chaos. Noelle hated the thought of dissension on Christmas Day.
“Wait? You mean to announce our engagement?” Thom clarified. “I don’t think we should. You’re going to marry me, and I want to tell the whole world. I refuse to keep this a secret simply because our mothers don’t happen to get along. They’ll just have to adjust.”
“But—”
“I’ve waited all these years for you. I’m not waiting any longer. All right?”
“All right.” Noelle was overwhelmed by contradictory emotions. Love for Thom—and love for her family. Excitement and nervousness. Happiness and guilt.
“Do you know what I like most about Christmas?” Thom asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Tell me, and then I’ll tell you what I like.”
“Mom has a tradition she started when Suzanne entered high school. On Christmas Eve, she serves fresh Dungeness crab. We all love it. She has them cooked at the market because she can’t bear to do it herself, then Dad brings them home. Mom’s got the butter melted and the bibs ready and we sit around the table and start cracking.”
“Oh, that sounds delicious.”
“It is. Does your family have a Christmas Eve tradition?”
“Bingo.”
“Bingo?”
“Christmas Bingo. We play after the Christmas Eve service at church. The prizes aren’t worth more than five dollars, but Mom’s so good at getting neat stuff. I haven’t been home for Christmas in years, but Mom always makes up for it by mailing me three or four little Bingo gifts.”
“My favorite carol is ‘What Child Is This,’” he said next.
“Mine’s ‘Silent Night.’”
“What was your favorite gift as a kid?”
“Hmm, that’s a toss-up,” she said. “There was a Christmas Barbie I adored. Another year I got a set of classic Disney videos that I watched over and over.”
Thom smiled. “As a little boy, I loved my Matchbox car garage. I got it for Christmas when I was ten. Mom’s kept it all these years. She has Dad drag it out every year and tells me she’s saving it to give to my son one day.”
She sighed, at peace with herself and this man she loved. “I want to have your babies, Thom,” she said in a soft voice.
His eyes left the street to meet hers. The sky had darkened and he looked quickly back at the road. “You make it hard to concentrate on driving.”
“Tell me some of the other things you love about Christmas. It makes me feel good to hear them.”
“It’s your turn,” he said.
“The orange in the bottom of my stocking. Every year there’s one in the toe. It’s supposed to commemorate the Christmases my great-grandparents had—an orange was a pretty special thing back then.”
“I like Christmas cookies. Especially meringue star ones.”
“Mexican tea cakes for me,” she said. “I’ll ask your mother for the recipe for star cookies and bake you a batch every Christmas.”
“That sounds like a very wifely thing to do.”
“I want to be a good wife to my husband.” Noelle suddenly realized that she was genuinely grateful they hadn’t married so young. Yes, the years had brought pain, but they’d brought wisdom and perspective, too. The love she and Thom felt for each other would deepen with time. They were so much more capable now of valuing what they had together.
“What’s it like to be born on Christmas Day?” Thom asked.
“It’s not so bad,” Noelle said. “First, I share a birthday with Jesus—that’s the good part. The not-so-good is having the two biggest celebrations of the year fall on the same day. When I was a kid, Mom used to throw me a party in June to celebrate my half-year birthday.”
“I remember that.”
“Do you remember teasing me by saying it really wasn’t my birthday so you didn’t need to bring a gift?”
Thom chuckled. “What I remember is getting my ears boxed for saying it.”
Twenty minutes later, they were almost at her family’s house. They’d decided to confront her parents first. Their laughter, which had filled the car seconds earlier, immediately faded.
“You ready?” Thom asked as he stopped in front of the house.
Noelle nodded and swallowed hard. “No matter what happens, I want you to remember I love you.”
His hand squeezed hers.
Glancing at her family’s home, Noelle noticed a truck parked outside. “Looks like we have company.” She didn’t know
whether to feel relief or disappointment.
“Oh, no.” Thom’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“What is it?”
“That’s my parents’ truck.”
Dread slipped over her. “They must’ve found out that we spent the day together. That’s my fault—I left a note for Carley telling her I was with you.” Noelle could imagine what was taking place inside. Her mother would be shouting at Thom’s, and their fathers would be trying to keep the two women apart.
“Should we wait?” Noelle asked, just as she had earlier.
“For another time?” His jaw tensed. “No, we face them here and now, for better or worse. Agreed?”
Noelle nodded. “Okay…just promise me you won’t let them change your mind.”
He snorted inelegantly. “I’d like to see them try.”
Thom parked behind the truck and turned off the engine. Together, holding hands, they approached the house. Never had Noelle been more nervous. If this encounter went wrong, she might alienate her mother, and that was something she didn’t want to do. In high school, she’d self-righteously cast her family aside in the name of love. But if the years in Dallas had taught her independence, they’d also taught her the importance of home and family. Her self-imposed exile was over now, and she’d learned from it. Listening to Thom talk about his Christmas traditions, she’d realized that he’d find it equally hard to turn his back on his parents.
He was about to ring the doorbell when she stopped him. “Remember how I said I was looking for a Christmas miracle?”
Thom nodded. “You mean finding a tea service similar to my grandmother’s?”
“Yes. But if I could be granted only one miracle this Christmas, it wouldn’t be that. I’d want our families to rekindle the love and friendship they once had.”
“That would be my wish, too.” Thom gathered her in his arms and kissed her with a passion that readily found a matching fire in her. The kiss was a reminder of their love, and it sealed their bargain. No matter what happened once they entered the house, they would face it together.
“Actually, this is a blessing in disguise,” Thom said. “We can confront both families at the same time and be done with it.” He reached for the doorbell again, and again Noelle stopped him.
“This is my home. We don’t need to ring the bell.” Stepping forward, she opened the door.
Noelle wasn’t sure what she expected, but certainly not the scene that greeted her. Her parents and two sisters, plus Thom’s entire family, sat around the dining room table. Her mother and Mrs. Sutton, both wearing aprons, stood in the background, while her father and Thom’s dished up whole Dungeness crabs, with Jonathan pouring wine.
“Thom!” his mother shouted joyfully. “It’s about time you got here.”
“What took you so long?” Sarah asked Noelle.
Stunned, Thom and Noelle looked at each other for an explanation.
“There’s room here,” Carley called out, motioning to the empty chairs beside her.
Noelle couldn’t do anything other than stare.
“What…happened?” Thom asked.
“It’s a long story. Sit down. We’ll explain everything later.”
“But…”
Thom put his arm around Noelle’s shoulder. “Before we sit down, I want everyone to know that I’ve asked Noelle to be my wife and she’s accepted.”
“Nothing you say or do will make us change our minds,” Noelle said quickly, before anyone else could react.
“Why would we want to change your minds?” her father asked. “We’re absolutely delighted.”
“You can fight and argue, threaten and yell, and it won’t make any difference,” Thom added. “We’re getting married!”
“Glad to hear it,” his father said.
A round of cheers followed his announcement.
Thom’s mother and Noelle’s mother embraced in joy.
“One thing this family refuses to tolerate anymore is fighting,” his mother declared.
“Absolutely,” her own mother agreed.
Both Thom and Noelle stared back at them, shocked into speechlessness.
“There’s no reason to stand there like a couple of strangers,” her mother said. “Sit down. You wouldn’t believe the day we had.”
Sarah and Mary put their arms around each other’s shoulders. “At least the Christmas baskets got delivered on time,” Mary said with a satisfied nod.
“And no one mentioned that the two of us smelled like Scotch when we got there,” her mother pointed out.
They both giggled.
“What happened?” Noelle asked.
Her father waved aside her question. “You don’t want to know,” he groaned.
“I’ll tell you later,” her mother promised.
Thom leaned close to her and whispered, “Either we just walked into the middle of an X-Files episode or we got our Christmas miracle.”
Noelle slipped an arm around his waist. “I think you must be right.”
Sarah McDowell
9 Orchard Lane
Rose, Oregon
December 26
Dear Melody,
Mary and I found your note when we delivered the baskets on Christmas Eve. We did have a wonderful time, and Mary has agreed to head up the committee next year. I promised I’d be her cochair.
Now, about using the club for Kristen’s wedding reception…Well, it seems there’s going to be another wedding in the family, and fairly soon. Mary and I will be in touch with you about that right after New Year’s.
Sincerely,
Sarah McDowell
The Snow Bride
To
Renelle Wilson
For thirty-five years of friendship
Merry Christmas, my friend
Chapter One
“Alaska, Jen? This is crazy! You have no idea what you’re letting yourself in for.” Her mother swerved from one lane of the Los Angeles freeway to the next without bothering to glance in her rearview mirror. A car horn blared angrily from somewhere behind them, but Chloe Lyman was unconcerned; she’d never observed the rules of the road any more than she’d lived a conventional life.
Jenna Campbell swallowed a gasp and clung to her purse. When her mother was in this frame of mind, it was far better to agree with her and let her temper take its natural course. “Yes, Mom.”
“Don’t be so damned agreeable, either.”
“Whatever you say, Mom.”
“Asking me to drive you to the airport is just adding insult to injury.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but—”
“Didn’t I tell you to stop agreeing with everything I say?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“I can’t believe any daughter of mine is so…so mealy-mouthed. How on earth could you even think about something as ridiculous as becoming a mail-order bride? Haven’t I taught you anything?”
“I didn’t say I was marrying Dalton—”
“That’s another thing. What kind of name is Dalton, anyway? And Alaska…Alaska? Have you lost your mind? This is the kind of thing I’d do, not you!”
“Mom…”
Chloe Lyman veered sharply across two lanes of traffic, going twenty miles above the speed limit as she did so, and nearly collided with the concrete wall dividing the freeway. “I don’t like it.”
“Dalton’s name?” Jenna asked, purposely obtuse.
Chloe muttered something probably best left to the imagination, then added in a more audible voice, “I don’t like anything about this. You find some man on the Internet and the next thing I know, you’re quitting a job any woman would love. You give up a beautiful apartment. You uproot your entire life and take off for Alaska to marry this character you’ve never even met.”
“I’m an executive assistant, which is a glorified way of saying secretary, and I’m only going to Alaska to meet Dalton. I never said anything about marrying him.” While that sounded good, Jenna did, in fact, expect to marry Dalton Gra
y.
Kim Roberts, her best friend, thought this plan of hers was wildly romantic, although she had some qualms. For that matter, so did Jenna. She wasn’t stupid or naive, but her desire to escape her mundane, predictable life outweighed her usual caution.
Once Jenna knew Dalton a little better, she sincerely hoped their relationship would evolve into something permanent. However, she wasn’t rushing into marriage, despite what Kim and her mother seemed to think.
“You’re the executive assistant to the founder and president of Fulton Industries,” her mother needlessly reminded her. “Do you realize how many women would give their eyeteeth to work for a man as rich and handsome as Brad Fulton?”
Jenna didn’t want to discuss that. Yes, she had a good job and the pay was fabulous, but as far as she was concerned, it was a dead end. She’d fallen in love with Brad Fulton, but in the six years she’d been working with him, he’d never noticed her except as his assistant. Competent, capable Ms. Campbell. Besides, she had no life. Correction, no dating life. At thirty-one she was unmarried and there wasn’t a possibility in sight. Meeting a man on the Internet wasn’t so unusual these days and it was perfect for someone like her. Jenna was shy, but when she sat in front of a computer screen, she found the confidence to assert her real personality. Dalton thought she was witty and he made her feel good about herself. Yes, this might be risky; however, Jenna didn’t care. She was about to have the first real adventure of her life, and adventure was what she craved. Nothing was going to stop her now. Not her mother. Not Kim. No one!
“Say something,” Chloe challenged.
“What would you like me to tell you, Mom? That I don’t know what I’m doing and that in a few weeks I’ll be flying home with a broken heart?” If that was the case, then so be it. At least she would’ve experienced life and had an escapade or two, which was all she wanted. Jenna had witnessed her mother’s approach to marriage, and that certainly hadn’t worked. So she was doing it her own way. Dalton might very well be her only chance. Another year at Fulton Industries and every feminine instinct would shrivel up and die. Brad Fulton’s primary interest was his company. Jenna was convinced she could parade around the office naked and it would take him a week to notice.