Christmas Camp Wedding

by Karen Schaler

  Haley looked up at the water still dripping from the ceiling. “So, what happened?”

  “A pipe burst in the bathroom upstairs,” Jeff said. “By the time I got here, most of the damage was done. I already have a plumber upstairs, and we’ll be able to put down a new floor tomorrow, and we’ll get this place cleaned up really fast.”

  Haley gave Jeff a hopeful look. “How fast? In time for our wedding on Christmas Eve?”

  Jeff shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. Not that fast. We have to check out the electrical and make sure everything is safe. No one can stay here until we get the all clear.”

  When Haley laughed, it almost sounded like a cry. As she picked up one of the wet rose bouquets, water dripped off the petals. “Everything’s ruined.” She looked over to Kathy, who was standing silently in the corner. “You were right. I jinxed this place by still calling it the Money Pit, and I also jinxed my wedding. We’re going to have to call the whole thing off.”

  “There has to be something we can do,” Kathy said. Still, she cringed when she looked over at the dining room table.

  “Right,” Jeff said. He was quick to come to Haley’s side and take her hand. “We’re not calling off the wedding. We can order another cake and flowers. It’ll be fine. The place doesn’t matter. As long as we have our friends and each other.”

  Haley, still reeling from the shock, gave him an incredulous look. “We can’t just find another place. It’s two days to Christmas. Everything’s booked. Nothing’s available. That’s one of the reasons we decided to have it here in the first place. And your friend Steve, the best man, he’s flying in from LA. He was supposed to stay here and so was your dad and everyone else, so we could all spend Christmas together after the wedding.” Haley’s voice was getting higher and higher. She knew she was starting to spiral out of control, but she couldn’t help herself. All she could think about was how disappointed her parents were going to be. She had come up with the perfect plan to have her wedding at the B&B to get the publicity photos for the website and now none of that was going to happen. “This is a nightmare.”

  Jeff grabbed both of her hands and looked into her eyes. “It’s going to be okay.”“How?” Haley asked. She was close to tears. “My parents planned to open right after Christmas. They have worked so hard on this. This is their dream.”

  “And they’ll still be able to open on time. It looks a lot worse than it is,” Jeff said. “I promise you. I already have guys lined up who said they’ll work around the clock getting this place fixed up.”

  “But if we can’t have the wedding here, we can’t do all the publicity photos for them.”

  “You have all those other photos that are great,” Jeff said. “You have more than enough for the website.”

  “But they don’t show a wedding, and everyone loves a wedding. That’s why we were doing this.”

  “I thought we were doing this because we love each other and wanted to get married,” Jeff said in a teasing voice. Haley knew he was just trying to lighten the moment, but right now she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

  Kathy came over. She had a more positive look on her face now. “Jeff’s right. The other photos we’ve already shot are fantastic. Your parents are going to be fine. Right now, we just need to concentrate on where you’re going to get married. That’s the most important thing.”

  Haley didn’t look like she agreed.

  Jeff looked into Haley’s eyes. “Kathy’s right. I love you. I want to marry you, and I don’t care where or how we do it.”

  “I want to marry you, too, but it’s not that easy,” Haley said. “It’s almost Christmas. Most places are either booked or closed.”

  Jeff put his arm around her. “I’ve already made a call, and I’ve worked everything out.”

  Haley and Kathy both gave him a skeptical look.

  “You found us a place to get married and for everyone to stay?” Haley asked.

  Jeff kissed the top of her head. “I did, and it’s perfect.”

  “Where?” Kathy asked. “Because Haley’s right. Everything’s booked.”

  When Jeff smiled at them both, he looked quite pleased with himself. “Except us. We never book the inn at Christmas. That time is just for family.”

  Haley’s eyes grew huge. “You want us to get married at Christmas Camp?!”

  Jeff nodded as he looked into her eyes. “It’s where we met, fell in love, where I proposed—it’s perfect.”

  Haley shook her head, trying to take it all in. Jeff’s dad’s Holly Peak Inn was in a remote area, up in the woods. It had a special rustic charm, but Haley couldn’t even imagine how they could ever pull off a wedding there. “But I thought your dad shuts down now until New Year’s,” Haley said just as some more water from the ceiling dripped on her head. Jeff quickly pulled her out of the way.

  “He is shut down, so he could be here for the wedding, but I’ve already called him, and he’s called Laura, and she’s going to help, as well, and they’re going to open back up just for us,” Jeff said.

  “Who’s Laura?” Kathy asked.

  “She’s the chef I told you about that did the Christmas Camp,” Haley answered.

  Kathy smiled and nodded. “The one who made the Christmas cookies you loved.”

  “That’s the one,” Jeff said. “We all love those cookies, and now she can make them for the wedding. I’m sure she can make a wedding cake, as well.”

  Haley gave Jeff an incredulous look. “It’s not that easy to just whip up a wedding cake, especially when she’ll have to do all the other meals, as well. We can’t ask her to do all that.”

  “Laura volunteered,” Jeff said, “and you know how she’s practically part of the family. She was coming to the wedding anyway.”

  Haley looked stressed. “Coming to the wedding and working the wedding are two different things.”

  Jeff wasn’t fazed by her tone. “The point is, everyone can help. They’re all waiting for us to get up there. We can make this work. Think of it as an adventure.”

  Haley stared at Jeff. She didn’t look happy. “So now our wedding’s an adventure? We’ve gone from our goal of having it be picture-perfect to get publicity shots for my parents’ B&B to an adventure. Seriously? What else can go wrong?”

  “Don’t say that!” Kathy grabbed Haley’s hand. “You’ll jinx us again.” Kathy looked so serious it made Haley laugh and for that she was grateful.

  She knew she needed to stop having a pity party and put things in perspective. While the burst pipe had caused a huge mess and meant canceling the wedding at her parents’, no one was hurt, and that was the most important thing. Everything in the house could be fixed, everything but her beautiful wedding cake. Just as Haley looked over at the cake again, more drops of water from the ceiling dripped into the puddle of what used to be her cake, making the already gooey mess even more pathetic looking.

  As she looked over at Jeff, there was only one thing she knew for sure, how much she loved him, and he was right. It didn’t matter where or how they got married as long as they got married and started their lives together as a team. That was the important thing.

  If she was honest with herself, it was when she had decided to combine her wedding with her personal work project to help get publicity for her parents’ B&B that she had gotten swept up into the whole perfect wedding thing. She knew right now she was dangerously close to being one of those Bridezillas you always hear about instead of just being thankful she had a great guy in the first place who loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  She mentally pulled herself together and walked over to Jeff and gave him a kiss.

  He looked surprised in a good way. “What was that for?”

  “For being you. I love you, and you’re right, the rest doesn’t matter. We can even go down to City Hall and get married. I don’t care.”

  “Actually, you can’t,” Kathy said. “It’s closed for the holidays.”

>   Haley laughed. “Okay, no City Hall.”

  “We don’t need City Hall, we have Christmas Camp,” Jeff said. He looked excited. “You’ll see—it’s going to be great. We already have all the beautiful decorations set up at the inn for Christmas Camp, and the rooms are ready. This can totally work. Dad even has a wedding planner already pulling things together for us.”

  Haley looked surprised. “How in the world did your dad find a wedding planner at the last minute like this?”

  Jeff shrugged. “You know my dad. He said something about knowing someone who knew someone or something, but the point is, we can make this work. Right?”

  When Haley looked into his eyes, she remembered all the reasons she loved him so much, including his always-positive can-do attitude. She took a deep breath and smiled. “We can make it work. Let the adventure begin.”

  Jeff, looking relieved, pulled her into his arms for a heartfelt hug. “That’s the spirit.”

  Haley laughed. “The Christmas spirit? Is this another Christmas Camp lesson?”

  “Hey, you said it. Not me,” Jeff laughed. “But you know what my dad would say.”

  Haley looked into Jeff’s eyes. “He would love it.”

  “Just like I love you.”

  When they kissed, Kathy waited a few seconds then cleared her throat. “Okay, you two lovebirds. Stop it. We have a wedding to plan.”

  Jeff laughed. “She’s right. You just need to go home and pack and get up to the inn as fast as you can. Dad says the wedding planner is waiting to meet you. I’ll go to the airport and pick up Steve. We’ll share a room to make space for everyone else. It’ll be just like at college. It’ll all work out. Don’t worry. I’ll see you at the inn. I already told your parents the plan. They’re heading up as soon as they get back and grab some stuff. I’ll also let Gail know what’s happening.”

  “Gail’s not already up there with your dad?” Haley asked. “I thought she was helping him with the Christmas Camps?”

  “She has been, but she came back into Boston yesterday, thinking the wedding was here,” Jeff said. “She said something about wanting to get her hair and nails done, all that girl stuff. So, now I told her the change of plans, and she’s getting what she needs and heading back tomorrow morning.”

  Haley turned to Kathy. “Gail was part of my Christmas Camp group, and she and Ben hit it off.”

  “What about the rest of the Christmas Camp crew that was coming?” Haley asked.

  “I already texted John, and he’s letting everyone know.”

  “Are these the guys who did the camp with you last year?” Kathy asked.

  Haley nodded. “They’re all great. I can’t wait for you to meet them. There’s John and his two kids, Madison and Blake, and then Ian and Susie, this fun couple in their twenties. Susie is Miss Christmas. You’ll love her.”

  “They all sound great,” Kathy said. “I can’t wait.”

  “My boss, Larry, is traveling for the holidays to see his daughters, and so are a lot of other friends. We knew that was going to happen, but it was really important for us to get married during Christmas.”

  “So, we’re just doing a really small wedding now, and then, we’ll have a big party in January to celebrate with everyone,” Jeff said. “But when the Christmas Camp crew heard about the wedding, they all wanted to come.”

  Haley looked worried. “That’s when it was in the city. You’re sure everyone’s okay with heading up to the mountains to the inn?”

  Jeff laughed. “Are you kidding? John said he’s really excited to get out of the city, and the kids have been talking about all the fun things they did at Christmas Camp last year and they want to go sledding again, so they’re thrilled.”

  Kathy looked so excited. “I am loving this Christmas Camp already.”

  Jeff gave Kathy a high five. “Just wait until you get there. Okay, so the new plan is,

  everyone’s coming up tomorrow morning, the day before the wedding, and we’ll have the wedding on Christmas Eve, as planned.”

  Haley looked impressed. “Wow, okay. So this could really work.”

  “Of course it will work. It’s going to be great,” Jeff said. “But you should get going. You know how the roads can be this time of year. You want to get up there tonight before dark. I have to go get Steve, and we’ll meet you girls up there.” Jeff kissed Haley one more time before heading out. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  As soon as Jeff left, Haley stood there, looking at the dripping ceiling. She looked a little dazed.

  “You okay?” Kathy asked.

  Haley nodded. “I guess. I just can’t believe how quickly all our wedding plans have changed.”

  Kathy walked over to the dining room table. She picked up a soggy rose. “Is there anything we can salvage here and take up with us?”

  When Haley looked at the sad little rose, she shook her head. “No. Let’s just get going. I still have to take back my wedding dress. They were only letting me have it as a trade for the publicity they would be getting, but now that there’s not going to be any photos or publicity . . .”

  “No dress?” Kathy asked. She looked bummed.

  “Exactly,” Haley said with a sigh.

  “What are you going to wear?”

  Haley shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. Now it’s just going to be a small casual wedding up in the woods. I’m sure I have something that will work.”

  Kathy came over and linked arms with Haley. “It’s gonna be okay. You’ll see. You’re always saying, anything’s possible at Christmas. You just have to believe.”

  Haley took a deep breath as they headed for the front door. “I believe Jeff is right. This is going to be one big adventure.”

  Chapter Three

  Driving the last stretch of winding mountain road to the Holly Peak Inn, Haley was thankful that the roads had recently been plowed and were clear of snow and ice. All around her, it looked like a winter wonderland. A blanket of fresh snow covered the hillside and clung to the tree branches.

  She thought about the first time she’d come up to Christmas Camp, when her boss had made her come. At that time, she hadn’t even noticed the spectacular scenery. All she had cared about was getting up to the inn and getting the whole Christmas Camp experience done as soon as possible so she could get back to work in Boston. It seemed like a lifetime ago, not just a year ago.

  “It really is so beautiful up here,” Kathy said. She was taking pictures with her phone.

  “And we couldn’t have gotten a better day for a drive,” Haley said.

  The sky was clear and a brilliant sapphire blue, and the sun was just starting to set, making all the snow shimmer and sparkle.

  Kathy nodded and kept taking pictures. “This really does look like a Christmas dream. I feel like we’re living in one of those Christmas movies.”

  Haley laughed. “Right? And who doesn’t want to do that. I feel like I have to pinch myself every time I come up here to make sure it’s real. But Jeff and I have been so busy at work—he has been restoring another wharf on the waterfront, and I’ve been working nonstop on Ben’s Christmas Camp franchise, plus helping my parents get ready to launch their B&B—we haven’t been up since Thanksgiving.”

  “Do you usually come up more?” Kathy asked.

  “Jeff likes to come up as much as possible to help his dad with the Christmas Camps, but now that Gail’s been helping so much, it’s worked out well for all of us.”

  “So Jeff’s okay with that?” Kathy asked. “Gail and his dad?”

  “Oh absolutely. We love Gail. She’s amazing,” Haley said. “I know Jeff’s really happy his dad has someone to spend time with so he’s not up here all alone. Plus, Gail loves helping out with the Christmas Camps. It’s really a perfect fit. They’re so cute together. You’ll see.”

  “I can’t believe how fast the Christmas Camp franchise has taken off,” Kathy said. “You’ve been working nonstop since you got the idea.”
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br />   Haley smiled. “I know, but it’s worth it. I love thinking about how many people can experience the Christmas Camps now, and the numbers just keep going up. Did I tell you my parents are considering doing a Christmas Camp at the B&B?”

  “What? No. That’s so cool,” Kathy said. “The B&B would be perfect for people who can’t get away up here to the mountains but still want the experience.”

  “That’s the idea, but first we have to the get the place open.” Haley already had ideas for her parents’ B&B having the Christmas Camps. She could even see the pictures on the website. She knew it would just mean more work for her, but she didn’t mind. She loved her job and she loved doing everything she could to help Jeff’s dad share the Christmas Camp experience. Jeff kept telling her she needed to hire an assistant, but at this point, she felt she needed to be completely hands-on to get the franchise off the ground properly.

  She knew Ben had put his life savings into launching the franchise, and she wasn’t going to let him or Jeff down. She’d also had a lot invested personally and professionally. This franchise idea was her baby, and she was going to make sure it grew up just the way it should. She didn’t want it to grow too fast and lose the authenticity of what made the Christmas Camps so special.

  “We’re almost here,” Haley said as she took the last turn to the Holly Peak Inn. As they drove slowly down the meandering tree-lined road, Kathy took more pictures.

  “Wow, it’s even more amazing than the website pictures. You need to update their website,” Kathy said.

  Haley laughed. “Thanks, another job. Just what I need.” She smiled at Kathy. “No, seriously, you’re right. Get me some good pictures, and I’ll put them up.”

  “Deal,” Kathy said.

  As they turned the last corner and the Holly Peak Inn came into full view, Kathy was so in awe she forgot to take pictures.

  “Wow!” Kathy said, taking it all in. “I can’t believe all the Christmas decorations.”

  Haley laughed. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait. I told you. Jeff’s dad, Ben, goes all out for Christmas and his Christmas Camps.”