The Christmas Inn

by Stella MacLean

  He put the phone down on his desk and tried to concentrate on the printout in front of him. He and Marnie had bought the inn together almost a year ago, beating out another potential buyer with a little help from Marnie’s brothers—men who Luke now considered his friends. He’d consulted with them after a Boston Celtic’s game about his intention to marry Marnie, and they’d given him their full support on the condition that they could throw the bachelor party.

  In return he’d sworn them to secrecy, emphasizing that he wanted this to be a surprise for Marnie, and if she got wind that they knew about it before she did, it would add fuel to her argument that her brothers were still trying to meddle in her life.

  They’d wholeheartedly agreed, which meant he would be facing a bachelor party put on by four guys who loved nothing more than a good party. He was a little concerned, in light of some of the stories Marnie had told him about her brothers and their escapades.

  But he’d do just about anything to tie the knot with the woman. God only knew how complicated planning a wedding might be with Marnie’s family wanting to be so involved in everything. But he was up to the challenge. He’d never been happier in his life. Since they’d bought the property and Marnie had become a partner in the business, their relationship had thrived. He was thrilled to discover how easily they worked together, and they had all kinds of ideas for making The Mirabel Inn one of the top vacation destinations in the region.

  It all seemed almost too perfect. And that made him a little uneasy—and reminded him of another night during the Christmas season.

  Don’t go there.

  Ethan was with Marnie, as she’d taken him to his last dress rehearsal before the local theater production of the Christmas pageant. Ethan was one of the sheep in the nativity scene. They were coming home long enough to get Ethan his dinner, and then going back for the performance, after which Luke planned to propose to Marnie in front of their Christmas tree with Ethan tucked quietly away in his bed.

  He reached into his desk drawer and took out the navy blue velvet box containing a diamond ring he’d bought for her a few weeks ago in Boston. His excuse to Marnie for making the trip was that he needed to talk to Scott about promotion possibilities for the inn. Luke had managed to get through the meeting while keeping the ring a secret from Scott. Marnie would be the first to know…if she ever got home.

  His concern rising, he hit Redial again, and again the call went to voice mail. He glanced at his watch. Had she turned her phone off? He supposed she might during the rehearsal, but the rehearsal was over at five. He tapped the desk in thought.

  Marnie had been a little preoccupied the past few weeks. He’d found her a couple of times sitting in the library staring out the window, and she’d been slower than usual to get out of bed in the morning. He’d teased her about it, but she didn’t seem to care.

  Things had been pretty frantic around the inn, while they’d organized this year’s Christmas Getaway event, but it had sold out early, much to their delight. Maybe all the anxiety around getting things ready was the reason for her change in behavior. She probably needed a break from the pressure of running an inn.

  Luke had insisted that they celebrate their success this evening with an intimate dinner—his cover for the surprise proposal he had planned.

  Now all he needed was Marnie and Ethan to come through the door. Unable to sit at his desk any longer, he got up and went out into the main lobby, past the reception desk to the front door. From the dining room he could hear one of the guests playing “Silent Night” while others sang along.

  As he peered out through the glass panels, watching for the lights of Marnie’s SUV, he was reminded of the night he’d paced in front of this same door, waiting for her to come back to the inn so he could tell her how much he loved her. He’d failed miserably in his plan that night, but tonight would be different. He was proposing to Marnie tonight.

  * * *

  MARNIE HELD ETHAN’S HAND in hers as they exited the theater with his sheep costume tucked away in a bag, serenaded by Ethan’s version of “Away in a Manager.” Any other time she would have sung along, but her visit to Dr. Spencer had left her at a loss for words. She’d left Ethan with Francine earlier in the afternoon while she kept her appointment with the doctor, believing that she was simply overtired and needed a vacation.

  Instead, she and Luke were expecting a baby.

  A baby she’d never believed she’d have. The surgeon who had performed the surgery on her pelvis and hip after the accident had warned her that she might have difficulty getting pregnant, and because of that, she had always been cautiously realistic when it came to the prospect of having children.

  She told herself she was managing her family and Luke’s expectations. The truth was somewhat different. She had been afraid that she might never conceive and if she did, she would be unable to carry the child to term. Now it seemed fate had intervened and made the decision for her. In roughly seven months she and Luke would have a baby.

  “Marnie, listen to me.” Ethan pulled on her hand.

  Startled, she glanced down at the boy she had come to love so much. “I’m listening.”

  “No, you’re not.” He let go of her hand and raced ahead to Marnie’s SUV parked on the side of the street.

  “Be careful, Ethan,” she called, moving quickly to catch up with him.

  He reached the back door of the vehicle and grasped the handle. “Will you sing with me on the way home?”

  “Of course, honey,” she said as she helped him into his car seat.

  She checked the trunk of the SUV to make sure the antique office chair she’d purchased to match Luke’s antique desk was packed in tight before getting in the front and starting the engine. She’d found the chair at an antiques auction in October, and couldn’t resist buying it for Luke for Christmas. Concerned that he might discover her gift and ruin the surprise, she’d asked Francine to keep it at her house until today.

  She pulled away from the curb, her mind on the idea that next year at this time she could have a baby car seat in the back next to Ethan. Her heart warmed at the idea that Ethan would have a baby brother or sister.

  Suddenly a horn blared. She glanced sideways to see another car pass them, the driver glaring at her.

  “You almost had an accident,” Ethan announced.

  “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Pay attention! “We’re fine. Not to worry.”

  “Marnie! You be careful!” He kicked the back of the front passenger seat for emphasis. “Miss Brown says we should all practice safety first.”

  Miss Brown was Ethan’s kindergarten teacher, a woman whose opinions were offered up by Ethan on a regular basis. “I promise to be more careful,” Marnie said as she drove slowly along the main street in Wakesfield, the windshield pushing the wet snowflakes out of the way. Thankfully Luke would be driving when they returned for the Christmas pageant.

  She was so excited to share her news with Luke, but worried at the same time. Dr. Spencer had reviewed the gynecologist’s report written a year after she’d had her accident, and he was well aware of her concerns.

  Would telling Luke now be the best decision? Given her medical issues, should she wait for another month, until the end of her first trimester? And would that be fair to Luke?

  As she headed back out onto the highway, she was reminded of the beauty of the landscape around her. She hadn’t regretted moving here for a single minute, and her life was about as perfect as it could be. And that was her major problem when it came to telling Luke. Sure, they’d talked about having a family, but only in the most general terms because of her fear that she might not be able to carry the child to term. How could she tell him about the baby if they might lose it?

  They were so happy, and so busy with things as they were—she’d turned The Mirabel’s spa into the best facility anywhere in northern New York State, and it was fully booked most days either by hotel guests or day-trippers from the surrounding communities. />
  As the inn came into view, Marnie smiled in pleasure.

  She pulled into the long driveway and navigated the narrow turns leading to the entrance. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, she saw it was after five, which meant Luke was probably beginning to worry.

  Sure enough, Luke came out the door before she’d even put the SUV in Park.

  “I was about to send out a search team,” he said, opening the front passenger door.

  “Sorry I’m so slow, but Ethan sang us home,” she said, smiling across at Luke.

  “I imagine he did,” Luke said. He leaned across the console and kissed her. “I missed you.”

  How could she ever keep anything from this man? They were in this together. “I missed you, too.”

  “Dad, I’m singing tonight! So are the shepherds.” A pout appeared on Ethan’s. “Emily got to be a shepherd and she’s a girl!”

  “Got something against girl shepherds, do you?” Luke asked, his eyes on Marnie, his smile tugging at her heart.

  Ethan wasted no time in getting out of his seat and opening the door before running around and throwing himself into his father’s arms. “I don’t want to be late for the play.”

  “We won’t be. We’re going to get there on time, buddy, but first you need to have dinner,” he said, giving Ethan a hug.

  As Marnie watched Luke with his son, there was one other small matter that had been niggling away at the back of her mind. When she first suspected she might be pregnant, she thought right away that she wanted to be married. Sure it was probably an old-fashioned idea for some people, but not for her.

  She wasn’t sure if being married was all that important to Luke. Although he’d been happily married before, he seldom talked about marriage with her, and she’d taken her cue from him, believing there was no pressing reason to consider a change.

  But now there was. Being married to the father of her child was very important to her. She wanted both her children to grow up with a mom and dad who were married.

  * * *

  LUKE AND MARNIE PREPARED Ethan’s dinner to the sound of Ethan singing “Away in a Manager” off-key. They were about to leave for the pageant when Julie called to say she and Shane had a party planned for Luke and Marnie when they got to Boston the day after Christmas. Julie sounded happier than she had for years, and Shane, as well. Gina had left Shane last February, but he didn’t seem to mind. He and Julie were now partners in Total Elegance, and loving it.

  Luke and Marnie, along with Ethan in his sheep costume, made it to the play just in time. They sat as close to the front as possible, eager to watch Ethan perform. He didn’t disappoint as his slightly off-key voice rang out over the other children’s voices.

  Back in the apartment, they listened to Ethan’s chatter while they bathed him and got him into bed. When he had finally fallen asleep, they stretched out in front of the tree with the sofa against their backs and gazed up into the brightly decorated branches.

  “Happy?” he asked, enjoying having Marnie to himself.

  She linked her fingers with his, and smiled up into his eyes. “Never more so,” she answered.

  Now was the moment he’d been waiting for, and yet he found himself searching for the right words. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t done this before, but that had been another time and place, and he’d been so much more confident back then. He reached into his pants pocket, checking to make sure the velvet box was still there.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked, studying him.

  “That this is the perfect Christmas,” he said, marshaling his thoughts.

  Do it now, before you lose your nerve!

  “I couldn’t agree more.” She squeezed his hand. “Luke, I have something I need to tell you, and I’m a little nervous about saying it.”

  “I know that feeling,” he mused, suddenly aware that her voice was trembling.

  Marnie nestled closer to him. “I went to the doctor today.”

  Fear constricted his throat. “Why?”

  She toyed with his fingers. “I haven’t been feeling all that great lately, and so I made an appointment with Dr. Spencer a few weeks ago.”

  “Marnie, whatever it is, we’re in this together,” he said, his heart pounding in his chest.

  “Yes, that would be true… You could say that, especially under the circumstances.”

  He looked at her dumbfounded. “What? What would be true?”

  “That we’re in this together. You’re as guilty as I am.”

  She wasn’t making any sense.

  “Of what? What are you talking about?”

  She climbed into his lap, cupping his cheeks in her hands the way Ethan so often did. “Look at me,” she ordered.

  He looked at her, at the smug expression on her face, the way her upper lip formed a perfect bow. “I’m the luckiest man alive.”

  “No, silly, not that. Thanks, but that’s not what I’m talking about at all.”

  “Feel free to tell me, sooner rather than later if possible.” He couldn’t resist kissing her lips. “We still have our Santa duties to perform, and after that I’ve got a celebration dinner planned for us.”

  “Celebration?”

  “We’ve been together one full year.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, yeah…”

  “You don’t want to celebrate?”

  “Absolutely. And we have something else to celebrate.” Her lips lingered on his before releasing him. She pushed her hair off her face, looked up at the ceiling and back into his eyes. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  “We’re going to have a what? A baby?” He stared at her.

  “You’re not happy,” she said.

  “I am. I’m really happy.... Are you sure?” he asked, his words cautious.

  “Of course!” She scowled and climbed off his lap.

  Damn! “I fumbled this pretty badly. Can I start over?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest as she settled back beside him. “Be my guest.”

  “Probably the smartest thing for me to do right now would be—” he reached into his pocket and brought out the velvet box “—to give you this. I planned to tell you the minute we sat down here, but you beat me to it. I’ve been waiting months to do this.”

  She gasped as he snapped the lid open. Her eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness…”

  “Hold it. I want to get this part right.” He took the ring from its velvet setting. “Marnie McLaughlan, will you marry me…be the mother of our children?” he asked as he slid the ring onto her finger.

  She stared at it, a gleam in her eyes as she held up her hand to inspect it more closely. “Luke Harrison, I love you. And I accept your proposal, provided you promise to love, honor and share in the diaper changing.”

  He grinned and kissed her. “I do.”

  She kissed him back and climbed back into his lap. “And you made the right move at the right time.”

  “How so?” he asked, overwhelmed by his love for this woman who made his heart sing.

  “If I had had to go home tomorrow after we opened our gifts, and tell my brothers that I was pregnant and you hadn’t proposed…yet. Well, I couldn’t have been held responsible for the consequences.”

  “Your family has nothing to worry about.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell them,” she murmured, working the buttons on his shirt free as she kissed him again, her lips more demanding than before.

  “Go ahead. Have your way with me,” he growled, shifting her body on top of his as he stretched out on the floor in front of the tree.

  “I plan to,” she murmured against his lips. “Just as soon as you feed me. By the way, where’s the dinner you promised?”

  “Max is waiting for my call.”

  “Then, call him. I’m famished,” she said.

  He laughed and hugged her close. They were going to have a baby, their baby, their life…together. “Merry Christmas, darling.”

  “Merry Christmas.”

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  CHAPTER ONE

  August 2012

  Naval Station, Rota, Spain

  THE PAPER ACTUALLY SHOOK in Darby Dufrene’s hand—that’s how shocked he was by the document he’d discovered in a box of old papers. He’d been looking for the grief book he’d made as a small child and instead had found something that made his gut lurch against his ribs.

  “Dude, come on. The driver needs to go.” Hal Severson’s voice echoed in the half-full moving truck parked below the flat Darby had shared with the rotund navy chaplain for the past several years. His roommate had waited semi-good-naturedly while Darby climbed inside to grab the book before it was shipped to Seattle, but good humor had limits.

  “Just a sec,” Darby called, his eyes refusing to leave the elaborate font of the certificate he’d pulled from a clasped envelope trapped in the back of his Bayou Bridge Reveille yearbook. How in the hell had this escaped his attention? Albeit it had been buried in with some old school papers he’d tossed aside over ten years ago and vowed never to look at again, surely the state of Louisiana seal would have permeated his brain and screamed, Open me!

  Yet, back then he’d been in a funk—a childish, rebellious huff of craptastic proportions. He probably hadn’t thought about much else except the pity party he’d been throwing himself.