“What do I have to offer him?”
“You offer you, which is the best thing he could ever ask for.” Lisa tossed the pillow aside and drew her knees to her chest.
Rosa walked over to the closet to fetch her dress. “Even if he did want to get married to me, he can’t leave his job. I don’t want to leave Cliffside Bay.”
“What did he tell you about tonight?” Lisa asked, appearing as if she hadn’t heard a word Rosa had just said. “Exactly.”
“We’ve gone over this. He asked me to wear something fancy and said that he was taking me to the resort restaurant for dinner.” She frowned at her daughter-in-law’s excited expression. “What’s gotten into you tonight? So many questions.”
“What if he asks you tonight?” Lisa clapped her hands together. “I think he’s going to.”
“Don’t be silly.” Dominic had said he had something big to tell her and to prepare herself for a night out on the town. A night out in Cliffside Bay meant dinner at one of two places since The Oar had been destroyed in a fire. Now there were only Dog’s Brewery and the fancy place at the resort. She preferred the casual atmosphere of Dog’s Brewery, where she could wear her comfortable jeans and tennis shoes.
She stepped into her dress and asked if Lisa would zip her up.
Lisa hopped from the bed and stood behind her, then pulled up the zipper.
“Your hands are freezing,” Rosa said.
“Sorry.” Lisa finished clasping the top of the dress and gently pushed Rosa toward the full-length mirror. “You look spectacular.”
“I do love having a reason to wear this dress.” A few months back, Lisa had come home from a photo shoot with several items for Rosa, including this dress. She didn’t want to know how much it cost at the retail store. There was something about the drape of this crepe fabric that made her feel better than she’d ever felt in her life. Not that there was much competition. Her former life as Rosa the Lunch Lady had been rewarding but not exactly glamorous. Plopping heaps of macaroni and cheese onto children’s lunch plates was more suited to a T-shirt and apron than this fabulous dress.
Rosa looked around her cozy bedroom. The scent of the gingerbread cookies they’d made earlier drifted in from the other end of the apartment.
“Sometimes I pinch myself that I live here,” Rosa said. “I can’t give it up. Not with you and Rafael here. Soon there will be babies.”
Lisa laughed. “Not anytime too soon.”
When Rafael had proposed the idea of moving to Cliffside Bay, she’d resisted. However, her son could be very persuasive when he turned on the guilt. She had no idea where he’d learned that behavior.
Lisa instructed her to put on her sandals. Reluctantly, she pushed her feet into them.
The doorbell rang. “That’s him,” Rosa said as her stomach flipped over.
“You stay here. Make an entrance.”
She shook her head, laughing. “At my age, it’s hardly an entrance.”
3
Jubie
* * *
Jubie Shaw fidgeted from the second pew of the Cliffside Bay Community Church. Her mom had made her wear a wool sweater under her angel costume and it itched. They’d already done their part in the story of Jesus’s birth, and now Pastor Jim was going on and on about the true meaning of Christmas.
She rested her cheek against her dad’s arm and sighed. This was taking forever. She wanted to get to the singing-in-the-park part of the evening. Dad kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Just a while longer.”
Dad always understood everything her mind was thinking without her even having to say words. Jubie plucked a few strands of cat fur from the arm of his suit jacket. Dad loved Christmas, even the dressing-up part.
Jubie liked the singing part of Christmas best. Ever since her aunt Maggie had discovered Jubie’s singing talent, she’d been giving her vocal lessons. They’d started piano lessons last summer, and now Jubie was hooked on that too. All she wanted to do was sing and play the piano like her aunt Maggie.
Aunt Maggie had recorded a few Christmas songs and one of them was playing on the radio quite a bit. It was called “A Dog’s Christmas,” but as far as Jubie could tell, it had nothing to do with actual dogs.
Her baby brother, Sebastian, squirmed on Mama’s lap. He was two now and always in trouble. Mama said he only had two speeds: high speed and off. He was a small tank, always running and smashing things together, but the minute it was time for bed, he’d just fall right down where he was playing and go to sleep. Mama often said, “Thank goodness for the off switch on this boy.”
“I want cookie,” Sebastian said in his outside voice.
Mama shushed him.
“Where’s Santa?” Sebastian asked in the same loud tone.
Jubie shook her head at him and put her finger to her lips. “Mama said you can have a cookie if you’re good,” she whispered.
“I want Santa,” Sebastian shouted.
“Sebbie, hush,” Mama said.
“Me hungry,” Sebastian said and clutched his stomach with two chubby hands.
Violet and Kyle and their four kids were in the pew in front of them. Violet glanced back at them and smiled.
“Sorry,” Mama whispered to her.
“Does he want some raisins?” Violet whispered back.
“Raisins, yes!” Sebastian bounced on Mama’s lap, suddenly cheered and possibly louder.
Violet handed Sebastian a red carton of raisins and turned back to the front. The four Hicks kids were sitting between Violet and Kyle. Dakota, the oldest, was in the middle, with the twins on one side and Mollie Blue on the other. Mollie was always quiet, Jubie had noticed. When Jubie looked after her, she preferred to sit in a quiet corner and look at books. The twins, Hope and Chance, were like her brother. All they wanted to do was run around and around like wild animals. They could destroy a playroom in less than five minutes. Jubie absolutely did not allow them in her room when they came over to play. Especially now that she was a serious musician like her aunt Maggie. Jubie had no time for childish games. She had to focus on her music.
Jubie had asked Santa for a piano. Although she knew Santa was really her parents, she played along for their sake. If they knew that she knew, they might be heartbroken. Especially her dad. He was the sentimental type. Just this afternoon, he’d welled up when she sang her solo for him.
He’d said not to get her hopes up because there wasn’t really a place for a piano in their house, and anyway, she could always go to Maggie’s to practice. Aunt Maggie had an entire music room with a grand piano. It was the coolest room ever.
Plus, there was no way she was ruining Christmas for Sebbie, who obviously still believed in Santa. The kid was kind of a pill most of the time, but she loved him anyway. He couldn’t help it if he worshiped the ground she walked on, which meant he followed her everywhere. She was like a superhero to the little booger. He was adorable and so excited about Santa coming. He’d asked for trucks, like usual. The kid had no imagination.
She nestled closer to Dad and tried not to wriggle. Everything was too exciting. She and the other angel carolers were going out after this to sing around town. Tonight was extra special because they were going to sing in the park in front of the big tree while Mama Soto got proposed to. Jubie had never seen a proposal, but she knew it would be romantic, like a princess in a Disney movie. Best of all, she had a solo part in “O Holy Night.” Dad had told her that was Mama Soto’s favorite Christmas song. When Dominic proposed to Mama Soto, he wanted Jubie to sing her solo as he was taking the ring out of the box.
She knew for a fact that Mama Soto loved her singing because she’d told her so after her solo last month right here at church.
Jubie sighed, wriggled, and then asked God if he might nudge Pastor Jim along some. She had a proposal to get to.
4
Rosa
* * *
When Rosa entered the living room, Dominic was sitting with Rafael on the couch, their head
s bent as if they were discussing something important. Lisa was by the Christmas tree, with her nose practically pressed against the glass window that faced the street. Was she looking for something?
Rafael noticed her first and leapt to his feet. “Mama, there you are.” His expression looked guilty, like the time he’d taken the money out of the cookie jar to buy candy but felt remorseful and put it back, then confessed.
Dominic rose from the couch and turned to look at her.
“You’re stunning.” He held out his hands as she went to him, then lifted her cheek for a kiss.
He brushed her skin with his lips. They felt velvety and dry against her warm cheeks.
Rafael stepped forward with her dress coat. “Mama, wear this. It’s cold outside.”
“May I help her?” Dominic asked Rafael.
Rafael nodded and handed Dominic her coat. “I suppose that’s how it should be from now on.”
She wrinkled her forehead, curious what he meant, but didn’t ask, too enthralled with Dominic’s spicy scent. How a man could smell that good after travelling across the country made no sense. But that’s the way he was. Larger-than-life. Better smelling too.
He stepped behind her and she slipped her arms into the warm wool coat.
“Will you kids be here when we get back?” Rosa asked Rafael.
“No, we’re headed home,” Rafael said. “We just wanted to say hello to Dominic.”
They said goodbye to the kids and walked out into the chilly evening. The street sparkled with frost. White lights twinkled from the branches of oaks that lined the street. Storefronts sparkled with decorations. Colored lights glowed like tiny bridges over Main Street.
She glanced at the empty lot where the town’s hub had once stood. They’d cleared the debris from The Oar’s fire. Now it was just an empty, dark space. Next year, it would be resurrected. Like her heart did because of Dominic, The Oar would beat once more with life.
“The lights are even prettier than I remembered,” Dominic said.
“The whole thing took days to do,” she said. “I watched from my window.”
“Do you mind a short walk before dinner?” Dominic asked. “I’d like to kiss you in front of the big tree like I did last year.”
She laughed and took his outstretched hand. “If you’d like to, sure.”
They walked past the bookstore, open tonight for holiday shopping. Inside, people bustled around shopping for books. She peered through the windows, looking for Mary, but didn’t see her. Now that they had two little ones, she wasn’t in the shop as much as she once had been. No one could blame her, but the regular customers missed her book advice. She always knew just the right one to suggest.
The night was cold and damp. A close cloud cover promised rain. She didn’t mind though. Not with all the lights. January would be hard. Especially without Dominic.
The tree in the park shimmered hello as they walked down the stone path to stand in front of her. Rosa had come to think of the tree as an old friend. They shared a secret, after all. She’d been kissed by Dominic right in front of her.
“Do you know what today is?” Dominic asked.
“Three days before Christmas?”
“I met you for the first time a year ago today. Do you remember?”
“How could I forget?” She could recall in a second the beautiful house in Colorado where she’d first set eyes on him. The logs in the fireplace had glowed so happily as they’d sat on the couch and talked. She’d learned of his late wife and how hard it had been for him to move forward without her. He’d touched her heart that night.
He gestured toward a bench. “Let’s sit. I want to talk to you.”
Her heart thudded with a horrible thought. What if he was going to tell her goodbye? Maybe visiting her was too much of an inconvenience? Had he met someone else? He was a gentleman. If that was the case, he’d want to tell her in person.
On numb legs, she allowed him to guide her over to the bench. He wiped the seat, but there was nothing there other than a sheen from the damp air. She sat and clasped her hands together and waited for the blow. She still had Rafael and Lisa and all the other young people. And Ria, of course. There was more to life than romantic love. She was rich with love and friendship. She would be brave. Take it well. Not make a fuss.
All that bravado and still her chest ached so badly she found it hard to breathe.
“Rosa, are you all right?” His brown eyes, always so kind, studied her with obvious concern. “Are you in pain?”
“I’m fine.” Her words were stiff and cold, like the night. Brave. Be brave. “Just get it over with.”
“Get it over with? Do you know what I’m going to say?” His eyebrows rose.
“You’re right to break it off. Long-distance is too hard. And you don’t want to get married. I won’t do what most women would do and sleep with you. After all these years alone, I want someone who can be in my life all the time, not just when he can fit me in between meetings. I didn’t know that until I fell in love with you. We’re not suited, anyway. You need a doctor or lawyer or someone sophisticated, not me. So, really, it’s for the best.” Her eyes had filled somewhere in the middle of that speech and now her cheeks were wet. Lisa had gone to so much effort to make her presentable and she was wrecking it all.
“Can we back up a minute?” he asked softly. “Are you in love with me?”
What was it with her big mouth? Why had she told him that? She nodded.
He touched her hands, then lifted her chin so that she was forced to look at him. “Rosa, I’m in love with you too. I have no intention of breaking it off.”
“You don’t?” What was he saying? Why was he reaching inside his jacket?
“No, I didn’t come here to break up with you. I want you to marry me. I quit my job. I’m done, Rosa. I want to be here with you. I want the rest of my life to be about family.”
Too stunned to speak, she stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying.
“I’ve respected your wishes about marriage and sex, Rosa. I understand what it means to you. I wouldn’t want you to ever compromise your beliefs for me. A woman like you is too special to be played around with. You’re the type of woman a man wants to marry.”
“I am?”
“Yes. Of course you are. Why do you think I’ve been so careful with you? I didn’t want to do anything stupid and risk losing you. I’ve known that, to have you, I was the one who had to make changes, not you. I’m going to make them all. I’ve sold my house. I’ll buy you one here if you want or we can live in your apartment. We can travel if you want or not. Whatever you want is what I want.”
“But why me? I’m nothing special.”
“You’re special to me.” He wiped her cheeks. “You’re everything to me.”
“I can’t believe this.” Rosa came out of her trance to realize that the park was filling with people, all carrying candles with electric tips. They started singing “Silent Night.”
“Look over there,” Dominic said.
She looked in the direction of his pointed finger. Men were carrying a wooden platform into the park. Her boys, to be more exact. Rafael and the rest of the Wolves: Stone, Trey, David, and Nico. Maggie and Lisa appeared with a speaker and microphone. Pepper turned on a portable light and directed it onto the makeshift stage. Autumn and Sara had their arms linked as they watched from the sidelines.
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
“Just wait and see,” he said.
“The whole town’s here.”
“They are,” Dominic said.
Zane and Honor, who held Sebastian, approached the podium. Sophie was there, too, with her bright smile and bouncing on her toes. She spotted Kyle and Violet and their brood next to them. Lance and Mary, each holding one baby, passed her, both smiling. Jackson had his daughter, Lily, on his shoulders. The older folks were huddled together: Doc and Janet, Flora and Dax, and Ria and Warren Perry, looking chummy. Brody and Kara,
with their toddler and baby, were there as well.
Everyone was singing.
Everyone but Rosa, who was too shocked to do anything but stare.
The crowd parted as the last notes of “Silent Night” rang out into the night. A single row of children dressed in angel costumes filed into the park and took their places on the platform. Their tinsel halos rustled in the slight breeze. When they were all assembled on the stage, Maggie stepped forward. She nodded at the children and began to strum her guitar. The children’s pure, clear voices rang out the opening notes of “O Holy Night.”
“My favorite,” Rosa whispered.
After the first verse, the other children went quiet and Jubie Shaw stepped forward. No one moved as she sang the second verse of the song in perfect pitch. Rosa’s eyes flooded with tears at the beauty of the child’s voice and lovely, lovely little face that radiated pure joy.
Dominic fell to one knee. He had a box in his hand. When he opened it, the diamond sparkled in the light. She was aware that everyone had turned to them. Jubie continued singing.
“What’s this?” she whispered.
“Rosa Soto, will you do me the great honor of being my wife?” He took the ring from the box and presented it to her.
As the rest of the choir joined Jubie in the chorus, Rosa said, “Yes.” She held out her hand and he placed a round solitaire diamond on her finger.
He leaned closer and kissed her, right there in front of all the people.
The crowd cheered.
“Are we marrying tonight?” she asked. “Is that what the podium’s for?”
“No, that’s for something else,” he said, looking momentarily confused. “I thought you’d prefer to plan your own wedding.”
Suddenly, she remembered her son. Would he approve? She turned toward the stage and found him. He placed his hand over his heart and gave her a simple nod.
“I made sure to get his blessing,” Dominic said.
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