Welcome to Serenity (37 page)

He leaned down and stole a kiss. “The things I’m willing to do for you,” he murmured. “First the Christmas festival, now this.”

“If that’s all you ever have to do for me, you’ll be getting off lightly.”

A maid announced just then that dinner was being served. In the dining room, with its glittering chandelier, polished silver and sparkling crystal, white tapers shimmered amid clusters of bright green holly. The meal went surprisingly well. Not only was Mrs. McDonald civil, but Mr. McDonald actually made a real attempt to include Jeanette in the conversation. Perhaps it was the wine, combined with the excellent rack of lamb and decadent chocolate dessert, but there was plenty of laughter. Everyone seemed perfectly mellow by the time coffee was served.

On the way into the living room, Tom leaned down to Jeanette. “Can we make our excuses now? It’s getting late and we do have to be at the festival first thing in the morning.”

“You sound surprisingly happy about that,” she noted.

“Amazingly enough, I’m feeling happy about it.”

She beamed at him. “That’s what I like to hear. Let’s say goodbye to your mother.”

They wove through the crowd until they found her, her cheeks glowing with the success of the party.

“Mother, I have to apologize,” Tom said. “We need to duck out early.”

“It’s been a lovely evening,” Jeanette said with sincerity.

“Thank you again for including me. I’m sorry we have to go, but our Christmas event starts again early tomorrow morning and we both need to be there.”

“I thought that was last weekend,” his mother said, turning to Tom as if she’d caught him in a lie.

“It kicked off last weekend,” Tom explained.

“It lasts for two weeks and it’s one of the town’s biggest events of the year,” Jeanette told her, ignoring Tom’s less than subtle poke in her ribs. “You should drive over. There will be vendors there all day. Church choirs will perform. The tree’s already lit in the town square, the stores are decorated, and it’s really beautiful at night.”

“It sounds charming.”

Jeanette listened closely for a derisive note in her voice, but she sounded as if she meant it. “You really should come,”

Jeanette persisted. “Tom’s worked really hard on it and the tree is amazing.”

“Perhaps we will,” she said at last. She turned to Tom, her expression oddly hesitant. “Would that be okay with you?”

Tom summoned a smile. “Of course. Jeanette and I will be around somewhere. Be sure to look for us.”

“And thanks again for tonight,” Jeanette said. His mother hesitated, as if searching for the right words.

“I’m happy you could come,” she said, the words awkward but seemingly sincere. Then she stood on tiptoe to kiss Tom’s cheek. “I’ll tell your father about the festival. Hopefully we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Mother.”

Outside, Jeanette heaved a sigh of relief. “I can breathe again.”

“Me, too,” Tom said, loosening his tie.

“It wasn’t as awful as I was afraid it would be,” she admitted.

“I think my parents were really trying.”

She reached for his hand. “So do I.” She studied his face, then asked, “Did you mean what you said to your father about marrying me?”

He grinned. “Ah, you heard that, too.”

“It’s not as if you whispered it in his ear. So?”

“It’s definitely on my agenda,” he said. “But when I get around to proposing, it will not be in my parents’ driveway. It will be in a romantic setting.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Good to know.”

When Dana Sue needed help decorating Sullivan’s for the holidays, Jeanette was the first to offer to pitch in. When Maddie mentioned that they ought to have a Christmas event at the spa for their clients, Jeanette volunteered to plan it. Then she decided to throw her own holiday party, her first in her new home. She bought fancy invitations, spread out every one of her cookbooks looking for the most festive recipes and bought a tree that barely fit into her living room. Tom actually lugged it in for her without complaint, though he begged off before it was time to hang the first decoration.

On the Monday after the invitations went out, Maddie pulled her aside. “Let’s have a cup of tea,” she said, guiding her onto the patio where the sun had created a pool of warmth and allowed them the privacy Maddie obviously wanted.

“Okay, what’s going on with you?” Maddie asked. “I got the invitation to your party.”

“You’ll come, won’t you? Cal and the kids, too?”

“Of course, we’ll be there, but sweetie, do you think maybe you’re going a little overboard with the whole Christmas thing? You spent all your spare time for two days helping Dana Sue decorate Sullivan’s. You planned our party, which was a huge success. And now you want to do your own party. Is this about making up for lost time, or are you doing some kind of in-your-face thing as a test for Tom?”

Jeanette blinked at the question. “That’s crazy. Why would I test Tom?”

“You tell me.”

Jeanette sipped her tea and thought about what Maddie was asking. Had she gone overboard? Was she testing Tom?

She didn’t think so. “Tom and I have been doing okay ever since we went to see his parents. I finally feel as if we have a real chance.”

“Okay, then you know what I think?” Maddie said. “I think you’re trying to fill a void. What you really want is what you used to have with your parents. Is that possible?”

Jeanette hadn’t considered it, but now that Maddie had voiced the idea, she realized it was exactly what she was doing. After so many years, she’d finally recaptured her own love for the holiday season, but she wanted more. She wanted things to be the way they’d once been. Of course, that wasn’t possible, so she was substituting all these other activities for what was going to be missing from the holidays—her family.

“Things are so much better with my parents,” she said slowly. “We’ve been talking at least once a week, but they haven’t said a word about Christmas. I don’t think they’re ready to deal with that yet.”

“Have you asked them? Maybe invited them here?”

Maddie suggested. “It might be easier for them to get back into the holidays in a new place where they can create brand-new memories. You know they’d be welcome at Sullivan’s on Christmas Day with all the rest of us.”

“I could at least ask, I suppose,” Jeanette said.

“And if they turn you down, just remember it has nothing to do with you. It’s all about what they can handle.”

“You’re right,” Jeanette nodded. “I can do this. If I’ve reached out to Tom’s parents, I ought to be able to strengthen my bonds with my own.”

Maddie grinned. “Not the same. You had very low expectations where they were concerned. The way I heard it from Tom, that they even showed up last Saturday for festival was nothing short of a miracle. Miracles don’t ever seem to be that easy with your own folks, not with all that emotional baggage.”

“True, but I owe it to them and to myself to try,” she said decisively. “I think I’ll go inside right now and call them.”

“Good luck,” Maddie called after her. “And no matter what happens, remember that you have people all around you here who love you and consider you family.”

“Thanks,” she said, her eyes misty. Knowing that Maddie had been one hundred percent sincere was enough to give her the courage to reach out. If it were any other occasion, the risk would be minimal, but Christmas had a lot of pitfalls. Maybe, finally, they’d be ready to let go of the heartache that had been associated with the holiday for too long now.

24

With Maddie’s support still echoing in her head, Jeanette picked up the phone in her office and called her parents. As always, her mother sounded surprised to hear her voice.

“Jeanette,” her mother said. “Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mom.”

“Is anything wrong?”

“No, everything’s fine. How’s Dad?”

“He’s getting better every day. That medicine has made all the difference in the world. He’s like a new man.” She paused. “No, I take that back. He’s like the man I married.”

“I’m really glad, Mom. What about you? Are you getting back into your routine?” The last time they’d spoken, her mother had mentioned that she intended to become more active in the women’s group at her church, something she’d given up when Jeanette’s dad was injured. Jeanette had thought that her desire to reach out to the friends who’d once been so important to her was proof that things were finally improving at home.

“I went to the Wednesday meeting at church last week,”

she told Jeanette.

“And how was it to be back?”

“It was wonderful to catch up with everyone. We never had time when I saw them at services. I swear, even though I’ve only missed the meetings for a couple of months, half of them have grandbabies I didn’t know about. We talked so much, we didn’t get a bit of business accomplished. I’m baking a chocolate cake with caramel frosting for the coffee hour after services on Sunday. Everyone kept telling me how much they’d missed it.”

“That’s wonderful, Mom. You sound good.”

“I am good, better than I’ve been in a very long while. Now tell me about you,” her mother said. “How’s that young man of yours?”

“Tom’s good.”

“And work’s going well?”

“It is. We had a holiday party at the spa the other night. I planned the whole thing and it was packed. Now I’m planning my own open house for Christmas Eve. That’s why I called you, actually. I’d like you and Dad to come to Serenity for Christmas. Now that I have the house, I have a guest room. You could stay for a couple of days and meet all my friends.”

The silence that greeted the invitation wasn’t a surprise, but it hurt just the same.

“You know we don’t celebrate the holidays,” her mother finally said. “Not since your brother died.”

Determined not to be deterred by the old argument, Jeanette pressed her. “That was years ago, Mom. I miss him, too, but he wouldn’t want us to be like this. Ben loved the holidays. We should celebrate as a family. You won’t have to lift a finger to help with the open house here. It’s all under control. And friends have invited us for Christmas dinner, so there’s no worry about cooking, either. I’d just like you and Dad to meet the people who are important to me. Please. And Tom will be here. You already know him. I’d really like us to have a family Christmas again.”

Her mother’s hesitation seemed endless. “Well, I suppose I could ask your father. Don’t count on it, though.”

“Tell him it would mean the world to me,” Jeanette said, praying that enough time had passed that hearing that would be enough for him. Perhaps, with a little holiday spirit on her side, she could reclaim her rightful place in her family and together they could finally move on.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” she told her mother.

“Talk to Dad tonight and we can discuss it again tomorrow.”

“It’s really that important to you?” her mother asked.

“It really is. I’m happy here, Mom. I have great friends. Serenity is a wonderful town. And it’s all decorated for Christmas right now, so it’s looking its very best. The spa is amazing and we’ve even made it look festive, too. And my house is cozy and warm. I learned how to make it that way from you. I want to share all this with both of you. I want you to be a part of my life again.”

“Then I’ll do my best to persuade your father,” her mother promised.

Jeanette breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

“We love you, too,” her mother responded. “I know it hasn’t always seemed that way, but we do.”

Having her mother say the words aloud was a better present than Jeanette had ever expected. Even if her parents turned down the invitation for this year, those words were enough to make her keep reaching out. Maybe, at long last, she’d reclaim the family she’d thought for so long was lost to her.

* * *

Tom was actually starting to warm up to the whole concept of the holidays. He was pretty sure it was Jeanette’s enthusiasm rubbing off on him. Or maybe it was because everyone in town seemed to have the holiday spirit. He’d even caught himself pausing in the town square before walking home to admire the tree and enjoy the sound of carols, which were now blasting from loudspeakers set up at Ronnie’s store.

He was about to leave his office when Teresa stuck her head in, her expression disapproving, and announced that he had a visitor. “He doesn’t have an appointment, but he says it’s important. Shall I tell him to call first and schedule a better time?” She sounded as if she really wanted to do exactly that. She did not like disruptions to her routine any more than Tom usually did. Today, however, he was in such a good mood, he saw little reason to be difficult just for the sake of his schedule. He could spare a few minutes.

“No, it’s okay. Send him in. Did he give you a name?”

“Dwight Mitchell.”

Tom wished he hadn’t acted so hastily. Dwight Mitchell was the last person he wanted to see. Still, he plastered a formal smile on his face and held out his hand when the high-powered attorney from Charleston walked into his office.

“What brings you all the way to Serenity?” Tom asked, gesturing toward a chair.

“You, of course. I thought we should talk again after that abbreviated conversation we had with your father.”

Tom frowned. “I certainly appreciate you taking the time to come here, but I think I made my position clear. I have no interest in practicing law.”

Dwight grinned. “You made that clear. Have to say it was good to see your father flustered for once. I didn’t think that was possible.”

“If you understand I’m not interested in practicing law in Charleston or anywhere else, then why are you here?”

“Actually I’m head of the search team for a new financial person in Charleston. I know you held that position in another town not long ago. Now, as town manager here, you have even more experience in all aspects of government. After listening to how committed you are to this kind of work, I think you’re exactly the kind of man we’ve been looking for. I thought I should check with you, though, see how you’d feel about me tossing your hat in the ring for the job. Are you interested?”

For once Tom didn’t have to feign his enthusiasm. To have an opportunity like this drop into his lap was amazing. An image of Jeanette’s likely reaction gave him pause, but he couldn’t deny that he was interested. Surely it made sense to at least explore the opportunity. That was reasonable, wasn’t it? He fought off the sensation that Jeanette wouldn’t see it the same way and met Dwight’s gaze. “I’m interested,” he said.