Steve laughed and held up his wineglass. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
Haley watched as Kathy laughed and clinked her wineglass to Steve’s. She knew that look on her best friend’s face. Kathy was falling for Steve. She needed to find out Steve’s story. She only knew what Jeff had told her about how he always traveled for work and never stayed in one place long enough to have a long-term relationship. She didn’t want Kathy getting hurt, falling for someone who was unattainable.
Ben stood up and held up his wineglass. “Before we enjoy this lovely meal, I want to make a quick toast.”
Jeff looked into Haley’s eyes, and they shared a special smile, as they picked up their wineglasses together.
“First I want to thank you all for being here and everyone coming together at the last minute to make this wedding special for my son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law,” Ben said. When Ben looked over at Jeff and Haley, Jeff gave Haley a quick kiss on the cheek. Haley looked over and saw Trisha was the only one not smiling. Ben continued, “We have a traditional toast we do at our Christmas Camp, and I thought it would be perfect for this occasion, as well. Son, will you help me?”
“Of course,” Jeff said. He got up and went to stand over by his dad.
Both Jeff and Ben held up their glasses.
“To our family, friends, and community . . .” Ben looked at Jeff to continue the toast.
“To the people we’ve lost but will never forget . . .” Jeff looked back at his dad to finish.
“To love everlasting. Merry Christmas!” Ben said.
Everyone joined in the toast. “Merry Christmas.”
As everyone toasted, Haley watched as Ben turned to Jeff. “We have so many wonderful traditions that we will always honor, like this one, and the ones we had with your mom. But I believe as we bring new people into our lives”—Ben looked over at Haley—“that we can also bring in new traditions.”
Haley smiled back at them both. The two men she had come to love so much.
Jeff nodded and put his arm around his dad. “I think you’re right, and I’m sorry for overreacting earlier. It just caught me off guard. You know I love Gail.”
“And I do, too,” Ben said. “We can talk more later, but I just wanted you to know how much I love you and the life we’ve built here and all our traditions that we’ll always honor.”
When Ben and Jeff hugged, Haley felt so relieved. She smiled at Jeff when he looked over and nodded her approval.
Once Jeff and Ben sat back down everyone started enjoying their dinner. After the meal was done, Laura got up and started clearing away the dishes until Ben and Jeff stopped her. Jeff took a plate from her. “You know the rules, Laura. You cook. You don’t clean. We got this, don’t we, Dad?”
Ben smiled at Laura. “We sure do, and thank you for another wonderful dinner.”
“It really was fantastic,” Kathy said.
Laura smiled. You could tell the compliments meant a lot to her. “Thank you, and
there’s dessert in the kitchen when you’re ready. Fresh berry pie.”
When Jeff quickly headed for the kitchen, Haley grabbed his arm. “You can’t seriously have room for that right now?”
“What?” Jeff tried to look innocent. “I’m putting the dishes away.”
“Uh-huh.” Haley laughed. “I know you, and I know you love berry pie.”
“Not as much as I love you.” Jeff gave her a quick kiss.
Kathy laughed. “Oh, he’s good.”
“Right?” Haley shook her head. “His sweet tooth is incredible.”
Ben looked around the room. “You know what it’s time for?”
Haley shook her head. “What?”
“Christmas Camp Charades!” Ben said, sounding excited. “Let me just finish cleaning up, and we can play.”
Jeff laughed. “I think everyone’s too tired tonight.”
Ben looked disappointed.
“We should wait until everyone gets here,” Haley said. “Then we can really have a great game.”
“That’s true. The more the merrier, and Gail does love the game. Okay, then tomorrow night.”
Steve stood up from the table. “I’d love some dessert, but first I think I need to walk off some of this amazing meal.” Steve patted his perfectly flat six-pack of a stomach. “Anyone want to join me?” Steve looked right at Kathy.
Kathy grinned back at him and stood up. “That sounds like a great idea.”
“Anyone else?” Steve asked.
Haley was about to say something, but when Kathy gave her a look, she shut her mouth.
Kathy turned back to Steve. “Looks like it’s just us.”
“And I should be getting back to my family before they order a second pizza,” Laura said.
Haley gave her a heartfelt hug. “Thank you so much for dinner tonight, and all you’re doing for the wedding. I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Well, you could. You’d just be eating a lot of pizza,” Laura said.
Haley laughed.
“And we really do need to decide the menu for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding first thing tomorrow morning, so we have a chance to shop for everything,” Trisha said.
Laura smiled back at Trisha. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning, and we’ll figure it all out. But I agree, the sooner the better. Our little grocery store has a limited selection, and I’m sure right now a lot is probably sold out.”
“I can always have my mom pick up whatever we need before they come up from Boston,” Haley said.
Laura nodded. “That’s an excellent idea. That will really help. Okay, sounds like we’re all set. I’ll see everyone in the morning.”
“How far away do you live, Laura?” Kathy asked.
“I’m just a few miles away, right before the turnoff to the inn,” Laura answered. “Very convenient. Just another reason why I love working here.”
Trisha stood up. “I think I’m going to turn in,” Trisha said. “We have a lot to do tomorrow. Good night, everyone.”
Everyone answered, “Good night.”
When Haley started helping to pick up dishes, Ben stopped her. “It is going to be a big day tomorrow. Why don’t you turn in, too? Jeff and I have this.”
“Are you sure?” Haley asked.
Jeff came into the dining room, holding a plate, eating a piece of Laura’s pie. “We’re sure.”
Haley couldn’t help but laugh. She went over and kissed Jeff’s cheek. “Behave yourself. Save some pie for the rest of us.”
“Of course,” Jeff said, feigning innocence. When Jeff held out a piece of pie for Haley to eat, she smiled and took the bite, and then laughing, she headed out of the room.
Several hours later, Haley was cozy in bed with her laptop, working on her parents’ B&B website. Kathy was right. The website was looking really strong and even though the wedding pictures would have been a great addition, they weren’t needed. The B&B impressed on its own.
She smiled at the picture of her parents, arm in arm, in front of the B&B. Their smiles were so welcoming and sincere. Haley knew that picture alone would draw people in. She couldn’t wait to see them and everyone else tomorrow.
This wedding was really happening, but before it did, she still wanted and needed to talk to Jeff one more time about Trisha and make sure he really had moved on and was really ready to marry her. She knew she was being paranoid. He’d already explained everything to her, but for her own peace of mind, she had a few more questions she wanted to ask him before she could truly stop worrying. She knew it was going to be a big day tomorrow and the thing she needed the most right now was to get some sleep. She was exhausted.
After turning off the light and snuggling deeper under the covers, she smiled at one of the angel figurines that was glowing in the moonlight, before drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Six
Haley woke up to a familiar sound, a single, insistent bark from Max. She laughed as she got out of bed and opened her door. Max, wearin
g a red-and-green-striped Christmas sweater, trotted into the room, carrying his leash in his mouth. He dropped it at Haley’s feet.
Haley gave him a look. “Are you up to your old tricks again? Did Jeff already walk you, and you’re just trying to con me into another walk, like you always do?”
For an answer Max tilted his head and gave her his best innocent, adorable look. It worked. It always worked. Haley headed for the closet.
“Okay, Max, you win. Give me a second to get dressed. But it has to be a short walk. I have a wedding to plan today!”
With Max happily walking along beside her, Haley opened the front door of the inn and was startled by the icy blast of cold air.
“Whoa, the temperature sure did drop.” She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and hurried to keep up with Max, who was pulling at his leash, anxious for his walk. As she stepped outside, she looked up at the sky and saw thick, grey, low-level clouds. She looked at Max. “Let’s make this quick. It looks like it’s going to snow.”
“I thought I might find you two out here.”
Haley turned around smiling, as Jeff came out the front door. He walked over and gave her a kiss. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Max barked and wagged his tail.
Haley laughed. “I think he was talking to me, Max.”
Jeff petted Max. “But you’re really cute, too.” Jeff looked up at Haley. “Trisha’s looking for you.”
“Already? When did you see her?”
“She was up, already working, when I took Max for a walk earlier,” Jeff said.
Haley looked surprised. She gave Max a look. “So, you already walked Max this morning? I thought he needed to go out.”
Jeff laughed. “That’s Max’s favorite trick and looks like you fell for it.”
“Seriously?” When Haley stared down at Max he just wagged his tail.
“She says you wanted to plan a menu and get some things for your mom to pick up before they leave Boston and head up here today.”
Haley sighed. “She’s right. But before I go in, I wanted to talk to you about Trisha.”
“Sure,” Jeff said.
Haley took a deep breath, as they continued to walk Max together. “I know you’ve already explained everything, but we’re getting married tomorrow, and I just want to make sure you don’t have any doubts about us. I just keep wondering how you know for sure that I’m the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. You were with Trisha for five years, and like you said yourself, you didn’t have a big fight or anything like that. You broke up because you were devastated about your mom’s death. That’s totally understandable, but it looks like she’s been holding on to hope this whole time that someday, when the timing was better, you’d be able to get back together.” Haley took a deep breath. “Did you ever really deal with the feelings you had for her?” She stopped to look up at him. “I’m sorry—it’s just that all of this is what keeps going around in my head. We’ve always been able to talk about anything, so I want you to know, you can be honest with me now about this. I can handle it. I just need to know.” Haley’s voice wavered at the end. She was getting emotional again. The thought of losing Jeff terrified her. She believed he would never lie to her, but she worried he didn’t really know his own feelings and that maybe deep down he still felt something for Trisha that he hadn’t even realized yet.
Jeff stopped walking and without saying anything, put his arms around her, and gave her a hug. It made her feel safe and cared for, and she loved him even more for it.
When she looked up at him, he smiled at her. “Do you know one of the things I love most about you?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“I love that you always talk to me about how you feel. You don’t just hold it all inside and expect me to read your mind. You come right out, like this, and ask me. Communication is everything in a relationship, and I think you and I do it really well.”
Haley nodded. “I agree. I feel like everything is moving so fast, I just want to make sure you and I are okay. I know seeing Trisha was a surprise for you, too. How can you be sure you don’t still have feelings for her?”
“I’ll always care about her,” Jeff said. “We have a history together, but I never felt about her the way I feel about you. When Trisha and I dated, we had a good relationship, but we never talked about getting married. Looking back, I’m not sure why. Maybe because we both had our careers, and we enjoyed each other’s company, but we never had the kind of connection you and I have. Trisha will always matter to me. I truly see her as a friend, but even when we dated I never thought this is someone I can’t live without and that’s how I feel about you. You’re my everything. You’re the one I see spending the rest of my life with. I have no doubts. Not one. There’s a lot I don’t know, but what I do know is that no matter what our future brings, as long as we’re together, it will be okay. I love you, Haley. You’ve changed my life, and I can’t wait to start building our life together.”
Haley didn’t even try to stop herself from crying this time, because these were tears of joy and gratitude. “I love you, too.”
A light snow was just starting to fall when Jeff kissed her. It was one of those beautiful romantic moments Haley knew she’d remember for the rest of her life.
After they kissed, Haley gave Jeff another heartfelt hug. “Thanks for always making me feel like I can talk to you about anything. Even if it seems like I’m being crazy or I’m being insecure. Knowing you’ll always listen makes me feel like together we can work anything out.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Jeff said. He gave her another quick kiss. “It’s getting cold out here. Go inside. I’ll take Max.”
Haley smiled a brilliant smile. “This is really happening. We’re getting married!” At this moment, she didn’t even mind that she had to plan her wedding with Trisha.
Jeff smiled at her. “We sure are. Nothing can stop us.”
“That’s right!” Haley called over her shoulder as she hurried toward the inn. She was still smiling when she opened the front door and saw Trisha coming down the stairs. She was immaculately dressed, hair and makeup perfect.
“There you are,” Trisha said. “When Jeff and I had breakfast together, I told him I was looking for you.”
Haley looked surprised. “You two already had breakfast?”
Trisha nodded, smiled. “We were both up early and were starving so Jeff made one of his famous omelets. You know the ones with the mushrooms and sautéed peppers. They’re my favorite.”
Haley smiled back. “Mine, too.” Now that she felt confident about Jeff’s feelings for her, she actually felt a little sorry for Trisha. She continued up the stairs. “I’m just going to take a quick shower and see if Kathy’s up. I want her input on the menu, and we’ll be back down, and we can get everything all set.”
“The sooner, the better,” Trisha said.
“Agreed.” Haley hurried up the stairs and was heading to her room when she ran into a tired-looking Kathy coming out of her room wearing her robe.
“Late night?” Haley asked.
Kathy yawned and then smiled. “Steve and I actually stayed up late watching old Christmas movies. I think I went to bed around three.”
“You and Steve, huh?” Haley gave her a look.
Kathy smiled back at her, she looked happy, really happy. “He’s a great guy.”
“You just met him.”
“But when you know, you know, right?” Kathy asked. “Plus, he’s Jeff’s best friend so he has to be great.”
“You’ve spent more time with him than I have,” Haley said. “But he does seem like a good guy. Still, be careful. I know how fast you can fall.”
Kathy put her arm around Haley. “Don’t worry. I have a good feeling about this one.”
“Okay, but right now I need your help,” Haley said. “Our wedding planner is downstairs, and she has us on a very tight schedule. So, take a quick shower and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes.�
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An hour and a half later, all three girls were getting up from the kitchen table. Everyone looked pleased.
“I think the menu for tonight’s rehearsal dinner and tomorrow for the wedding is going to work out great,” Haley said. “Thanks for all the help.”
“We just need to make sure to get all the ingredients,” Trisha said and handed Haley a sheet of paper. “Here’s the list for your mom. There’s a lot on it, but Laura’s right, the store up here doesn’t have much.”
Haley took the list. “I’m on it. I’ll call her right now. She’s standing by.”
“When are they heading up here?” Kathy asked.
“They said the plumbers were just finishing cleaning everything up, so they should be able to take off about noon.”
“Perfect,” Trisha said. “And when is everyone else coming?”
“Jeff said the rest of the gang are also heading up this afternoon,” Haley said. “So, by tonight, we should have a full house. It’s going to be so great to see everyone.”
Trisha looked at her tablet and frowned. “We have a lot to do before everyone gets here.”
Laura walked in, overhearing the last of the conversation. “Then I’d say, it’s time we divide and conquer.” She took the list from Haley. “I can call your mom and give her the list. Because I’m making the meals, I can answer any questions she might have.”
Haley gave Laura a grateful look. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“Okay, let’s go down the rest of our checklist,” Trisha said. “Who has the rings?”
“My dad does. They had to be sized. He’s picking them up today,” Haley said.
“Great.” Trisha marked another thing off her list. “And Ben said your dad is also going to officiate the wedding?”
Haley smiled. “He is, and he’s very excited about it. He took the online course last year, so they could hold weddings at the B&B and he could officiate if someone wanted him to. But I’ll be the first one he has done.”
“That’s so sweet,” Kathy said.
“Well, I hope he’s practicing,” Trisha said. She looked worried.
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