On a Snowy Night: The Christmas BasketThe Snow Bride

  “Here,” Chloe muttered, handing him back the receiver. “You reason with her.”

  Reid preferred not to be caught between mother and daughter, but he was so anxious to talk to Jenna, he disregarded his better judgment. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Mom and Pete want to get married.”

  “I see.” Pete was holding Chloe and she’d buried her head in his shoulder, weeping quietly.

  “This would be her sixth marriage,” Jenna said.

  “I guess practice makes perfect,” he said frivolously, immediately sorry when his remark was greeted by disapproving silence.

  “They’ve barely known each other a week.” Jenna was definitely aghast. “A week! Reid, you’ve got to do something.”

  Reid felt at a complete loss. “I don’t see how I can. They’re both adults and they certainly seem compatible.”

  “That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one,” Jenna agreed with heavy sarcasm. “Besides, when my mother gets like this, it’s impossible to reason with her. I’ll do my best to talk her out of it when she flies down to get her things.”

  “Worth a try if you feel that strongly about it.”

  “It’s the best I can do for now,” Jenna muttered. “How are you?”

  “Fine,” he told her heartily. “What about you?”

  “Good,” she said after a moment.

  “Are you working for Fulton Industries?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t sound happy or excited, and selfish as it was, Reid felt downright glad.

  “How’s Lucy?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Doing well.” Reid hadn’t talked to his sister much. Lucy and Jim were in love, and their relationship, like Pete and Chloe’s, emphasized how alone he was. At this point, Reid didn’t want to think about that.

  “Addy and Palmer? Have they come up with any more business ventures lately?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Oh.”

  “Give them time, it’s only been a week.”

  “ A week? That’s all?” she asked.

  “It seems longer to me, too.”

  The line went quiet, and Reid discovered that he’d admitted more than he wanted to. “I guess I’d better go,” he said briskly, as though he had a dozen other things he needed to be doing, when all he really cared about was talking to Jenna.

  “Yeah, me, too. You’ll call again?”

  “If you’d like.” He didn’t want to appear too eager.

  “Only if it’s convenient,” she said.

  “Okay.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.” Reid replaced the receiver and kept his hand on it for an extra moment before he realized that Chloe and Pete were watching. He cleared his throat and straightened. “It was good to talk to Jenna,” he said.

  Pete and Chloe exchanged glances. “So it seems,” Chloe said with a knowing smile.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jenna received three letters from Snowbound on the same day. The first was from her mother, the second from Lucy and the third, the shortest of the three, from Reid. Jenna opened her mother’s letter first.

  My Darling Jenna,

  I know you’re upset with me, but please don’t be. I’m insanely, deliriously happy. Pete is a wonderful, wonderful man. For the first time in my life, a man sincerely and utterly loves me. Because of your objections, we’ve decided to wait a month before applying for a wedding license. That should please you.

  You assumed I’d be home by now, I know you did. I thought I’d miss California, but I don’t. This is love, my darling daughter. Love as I’ve never known it with five previous husbands. I don’t expect you to understand, although I’d appreciate it if you’d try. You didn’t expect me to last a week in Alaska, knowing how I thrive in the sun, but I’ve discovered I could be happy living in a desert as long as Pete and I were together.

  I can hear all your arguments. I agree with you, it is too soon. You think Pete and I don’t know that? You see, my sensible daughter, I’ve wasted almost forty years on men who were wrong for me. I knew the first time Pete took me in his arms that we were meant to be together. Scoff if you want. I can’t say I’d do anything different if the situation were reversed. But in my heart I know Pete’s the one and only man for me.

  Everyone asks about you. Addy and Palmer are such dears, aren’t they? When they heard Pete and I wanted to get married, they decided to turn their cabin into a wedding chapel. They’re still trying to get a minister, though.

  I’m planning on making a trip back to Los Angeles in the near future. I need to pack my things and put the house on the market. I know you’re living there right now, which I appreciate, but I hope you won’t mind finding a new place. With your salary increase from Brad Fulton, it shouldn’t be hard.

  Write me soon, and please, Jenna, try to understand. For the first time in my life, I’m truly happy.

  Mom

  Jenna went through the letter a second time, attempting to read between the lines to be sure Chloe hadn’t backed herself into a corner and was afraid to admit she’d made a mistake. Her decision to sell the house was a shock. Throughout her five marriages, she’d maintained her own home, a gift from her parents, refusing to give it up. Now she wanted to put it on the market. If anything, this convinced Jenna that her mother was telling the truth—she was in love.

  Lucy’s letter confirmed it. Her friend wrote about Christmas preparations in the town, about Addy and Palmer’s wedding chapel and how everyone was amazed at the changes in Pete since Chloe’s arrival. Most days the store didn’t open until noon and the two of them seemed passionately involved with each other. She concluded with a discussion of the names she and Jim were considering for the baby.

  Jenna purposely saved Reid’s letter for last. His was a single page, written in his slanted scrawl. He, too, mentioned her mother and Pete. They appeared to be the main attraction in Snowbound. He asked about her job and told her the cribbage board was gathering dust. In the end, he said he’d be happy to hear from her. Very little of what he’d written was personal, but he added a series of comical pencil sketches in the letter’s margins, depicting Addy and Palmer holding up their Tourist Information sign and decorating their wedding chapel.

  Jenna searched for any hint that he missed her or was thinking about her. Well, perhaps the comment about the cribbage board. If she wanted, she could attach a lot of significance to that—which was something she couldn’t afford to do.

  She wrote everyone back the same day.

  The next week, she wrote again and included small gifts. A shop apron for her mother, a baby blanket for Jim and Lucy and for Reid, she enclosed a new deck of cards.

  Almost right away, she got two letters from Reid and learned that mail was delivered only twice a week in Snowbound. Her mother sent word that she was coming home on December tenth to make arrangements for the house. Jenna was dying to talk to Chloe, dying to learn about her friends, but mostly she wanted to ask about Reid. She treasured his letters and read them often, sharing bits with her friend Kim, seeking her advice. Even when she knew she wasn’t likely to receive a letter, she hurried home to check her mailbox.

  Her mother was due to land early in the afternoon, and Jenna had agreed to meet her at the house directly after work.

  “Is something bothering you?” Brad asked her at the end of the day.

  They’d quickly fallen into their old routine. He hadn’t brought up the subject of marriage again, and really, why should he? She was in his office the way she’d been for the past six years. Nothing had changed, except that she had a substantial raise.

  “Sit down, Jenna,” Brad said, motioning to the chair across from his desk.

  She didn’t want to get home late, not today, when she was so eager to see her mother.

  “This will only take a moment,” he assured her.

  “All right.” Pen and pad in hand, she positioned herself in the comfortable leather chair across from his massi
ve desk.

  His eyes grew serious. “You’re not happy, are you?”

  She opened her mouth to deny it, and then decided that would be a lie. “I miss Alaska.”

  “Alaska?” he repeated. “Or Reid Jamison?”

  She dropped her gaze. “Both.”

  Brad didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I thought so. You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

  “You haven’t been the same person since you returned.”

  “I hope my work’s still satisfactory.” She hadn’t been as scrupulous about details and sincerely hoped she hadn’t disappointed her employer.

  Brad dismissed her worries with a shake of his head. “I could see it when I flew into Snowbound. I assumed if I brought you back here you’d eventually forget him. That hasn’t happened, has it?”

  “I tried to put him out of my mind,” she admitted. She’d tried to convince herself that her feelings for him had dwindled, but then the letters had started coming and her heart had refused to maintain the pretense.

  “What are you planning to do about it?” Brad asked next.

  Jenna knew the answer, although she’d delayed facing the truth. “I’m going back with my mother. I’m sorry, Brad. I’m letting you down, but this isn’t working.”

  To her amazement, he grinned. “I know, Jenna. Don’t feel guilty about it. Go, with my blessing.”

  Jenna leaped to her feet. Dropping the pad and pen, she blinked back tears. Until he’d pressured her for an answer, she hadn’t realized how lonely she was for her friends, her mother and—above all—for Reid.

  She understood now what her mother had tried so hard to tell her in letters and phone calls. Chloe had indeed found her soul mate in the unlikeliest of places, and so had Jenna. But Jenna didn’t have the courage or the faith in her own judgment to follow the dictates of her heart, to believe in her feelings. Not anymore. She knew she loved Reid and as soon as she could, was telling him exactly that.

  “Go,” Brad said again. “I know you’re in a hurry to leave. Don’t worry about giving me your two weeks’ notice. And wish your mother much happiness, all right?”

  “My mother? You want me to give my mother your best wishes?”

  “Sure do.” Brad chuckled. “I’ve let bygones be bygones.” He gave her a quick, affectionate glance. “Keep in touch, Jenna. And send me an invite to your wedding.”

  Jenna hurriedly, joyfully, gathered up her personal effects and was out the door. She drove to her mother’s house, which was in a friendly neighborhood of row houses constructed in the early 1950s. Signs of Christmas were everywhere. Lights glittered from rooftops and brightly colored bulbs dangled from trees and bushes. A Santa and reindeer were propped on the roof across the street. She saw that the front door to the house was open.

  Jenna parked in the driveway and hurried inside. “Mom?”

  But it wasn’t her mother who came to greet her. Instead, Reid walked out of the kitchen.

  “Reid?” She felt as if someone had knocked the breath from her lungs. “What are you doing here? Where’s my mother?” Then it occurred to her that none of those answers mattered. What did matter was seeing him. She tossed her purse aside and ran into his outstretched arms.

  Reid lifted her from the ground, and their mouths met in an urgent, hungry kiss. A kiss that held back nothing, gave everything.

  Jenna was weak and breathless when they finished. Her legs would barely hold her upright. Reid’s large hands framed her face as his eyes devoured her in the same way his mouth had.

  “Your mother’s with Pete,” he murmured, his voice husky.

  “In Snowbound?”

  “No, here. They went out to get boxes.”

  “Pete came with her?”

  He nodded. “They couldn’t bear to be apart, so he left Addy and Palmer to run the store.”

  “You came, too?”

  He smiled, and Jenna swore it was the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. Then he kissed her again, and finally, reluctantly, eased his mouth from hers. With what appeared to be a huge effort, he clasped her shoulders and stepped back. “Let’s talk, all right?”

  “Sure.” There wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d object.

  Reid led the way into the kitchen, where they sat side by side at the small table. “I got a phone call from Brad Fulton last week.”

  “Brad phoned you?” This was a shock. “Why?”

  “Frankly, I wondered the same thing.”

  “What did he want?”

  Reid held her gaze. “He asked me if I was in love with you.”

  Her heart stopped, then started again at an accelerated pace. “What…what did you tell him?”

  Reid shook his head. “It irritated me, if you want to know the truth.”

  Jenna bit her lower lip and looked down, trying to hide her disappointment.

  “I asked if he’d called to gloat,” Reid said with a humorless chuckle. “But Fulton said I’d won. You’re in love with me.”

  “He told you that?” Jenna cried.

  “Is it true?”

  When she hesitated, he added, “Your mother said it, too.”

  “And if I am?”

  “Then I think Addy and Palmer might be on to something.”

  “What do Addy and Palmer have to do with this?”

  “Well, you know they’ve opened a wedding chapel. I’d like to give them some business.”

  Jenna stared at Reid. Unlike her mother, Jenna intended to marry only once in her life—and she wanted it all. She wanted the romance and the companionship, the laughter and the heartfelt declaration of love. She needed the sure knowledge that this man would move heaven and earth to make her his.

  “Are you asking me to marry you, Reid?”

  “Yes.” Then he quickly said, “You came to Alaska for adventure and romance. I want to give you both, but I want our marriage to last longer than a vacation. What I need is forever.” He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Jenna. I don’t have anything to offer you but my heart—and an entire community that loves you and wants you back. Please say you’ll marry me. Be my snow bride.”

  With tears blurring her eyes, she nodded.

  Reid kissed the inside of her palm. “I hope you don’t believe in long engagements.”

  “No.”

  “Good. Because I propose a Christmas wedding.”

  She was in his arms then, and Jenna knew that was exactly where she was meant to be.

  Epilogue

  Jenna and Reid were getting married in Snowbound on Christmas Eve. The ceremony would take place in Jake’s Café, with Addy and Palmer serving as wedding consultants. Their own cabin was far too small for the expected number of guests, so they’d agreed to the restaurant instead. Thankfully Lucy and Chloe offered the two entrepreneurs lots of assistance with all the arrangements. In fact, the entire community was caught up in the wedding plans.

  A couple of hours before the ceremony, Jenna stepped into the brightly lit café to look around. She was astonished by the transformation the rather mundane café had undergone. The tables had been set against the wall, covered with white tablecloths. Orderly rows of chairs had been arranged in a churchlike setting, with an aisle wide enough for Pete to escort her down. Poinsettias lined the front of the room, where a square table held a large candle, as yet unlit, and a Bible.

  “I wondered if I’d find you here,” Reid said from behind her.

  Everyone in town was preparing for the wedding. The only two who seemed to be at loose ends were Jenna and Reid.

  “It all looks so beautiful,” she whispered, glancing around the room, feeling the love of her friends in every detail. Even Brad Fulton, who wasn’t able to attend, had sent two cases of the best champagne and his very good wishes.

  “Who’s there?” Jake called, sticking his head out from the kitchen. “Hey,” he muttered, wearing a cantankerous frown, “the groom isn’t suppose
d to see the bride before the wedding.”

  Reid was having none of that as he gave Jenna a quick hug. “I didn’t know you were so conversant with wedding etiquette.”

  Jake shook his head. “If I wasn’t so busy, I’d chase you out of here, but I’m rolling meatballs for the reception and I don’t have time for you.”

  “Good.” Reid shared a sexy grin with Jenna.

  Still mumbling under his breath, Jake returned to the kitchen.

  “How are you holding up?” she asked, sliding her arm around his middle. She’d been in town a week, and was living with her mother and Pete—who’d been married, much to Addy’s and Palmer’s consternation, while visiting California.

  “I’m doing okay,” he muttered, which told Jenna he wasn’t.

  “Honestly?”

  “No,” he confessed, and leaned down to kiss the bridge of her nose. “I want you with me. Every minute we’re apart is torture.”

  Although Jenna loved hearing it, she had to point out that her situation these past few days hadn’t been any easier. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mother this much…in love. Those two—I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “Oh, Reid, they’re just crazy about each other.”

  “I’m crazy about you,” Reid whispered. “My snow bride.”

  Jenna basked in his words. “I love you, too.” She giggled, adding, “My snow man.”

  “I can’t believe you’re actually willing to marry me.”

  “It took you long enough to ask,” she said sternly, reminding him that he’d made no effort to stop her from leaving Snowbound.

  “You flew out of here and it was as if my whole world went dark.”

  “It is dark in Alaska,” Jenna said, “especially in winter.” In December there was barely an hour of daylight before night descended on them again.

  “That’s not what I mean and you know it,” Reid said. “I let you leave, thinking I was better off without you, but I was wrong.”