Christmas Wedding: Cliffside Bay

by Tess Thompson

  Christmas Wedding

  Cliffside Bay

  Tess Thompson

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  About the Author

  For Veronica Adams and the little one who will arrive this December.

  The magic of the holidays will be that much sweeter seen through the eyes of a child.

  May the Christmas spirit be with you always.

  Introduction

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for joining me for a little Christmas magic in Cliffside Bay. This novella is meant to be read after book 7 in the series, “Healed: Stone and Pepper”. Of all my series, Cliffside Bay is the one I encourage readers to start in order. As a little hint, the first in the series, “Traded: Brody and Kara” is usually discounted to a big fat zero on your favorite retailer. If you haven’t read it yet, I would be so thankful for the chance to share the love I have for the town and my characters with you.

  Find all my books on my website: https://tesswrites.com. Sign up for my newsletter to be sure to hear all my news!

  Much love,

  Tess

  1

  Rafael

  * * *

  If he hadn’t known the depth of his mama’s love, Rafael Soto might have suspected she was trying to kill him. The murder weapon? A bouquet of burning sage. He’d survived three tours as a Navy SEAL and was about to go out not in a blaze of glory but in a cloud of smoke.

  A feverish glint in her normally warm brown eyes, Mama waved the smoky death stick in a rhythmic sashay in front of his face. Swells of smoke swirled around his head, and the foul smell crawled into his nose and throat. Tears leaked from his eyes.

  “Marriage Curse be gone,” Mama said.

  Behind her, Mama’s best friend, Ria, performed what sounded like a Gregorian chant while hopping on one foot in front of the Christmas tree.

  In hindsight, he should not have bought Mama a laptop computer and installed high-speed internet in her apartment. Since then, she’d become a search engine connoisseur. Sadly, knowledge was not power when it came to Mama. Knowledge was dangerous. Had he known she’d use it to search for a cure to a family curse and subsequently use all the remedies on him, he would have rethought the expensive internet package.

  Turns out, there were blogs dedicated to all things mystical and magical. Mama and Ria had found every single darn one of them.

  His mother, the irrepressible Mama Soto, believed their family suffered from what she’d named the Marriage Curse. Her certainty wasn’t completely unfounded. For three generations, the women in his family had raised children alone, after no-good, lying cheaters had done what they do best. Betray. Deny. Leave. It was like a tagline for the men in his family.

  Rafael didn’t believe in the curse. Many marriages ended in divorce. It didn’t mean your family was cursed. Did the women in his family have questionable judgment in spouses? Affirmative. Rafael’s first marriage, decided in haste before he shipped out to basic training after graduating from high school, had ended as all Soto marriages of the past. By a no-good, lying cheater. Not him, but her. While he trudged through sand in a foreign country, his wife had taken up with her coworker. He’d received not so much as a Dear John letter.

  So, yes, in the past, he and his mama and grandmother and great-grandmother had chosen poorly. However, that was before he found Lisa Perry. The love of his life. An angel who walked the earth and had somehow, by a miracle that could only be a gift from God, fallen for him. In two days, they would exchange vows in the winter wonderland of Emerson Pass, Colorado.

  Lisa dismissed his first marriage and the curse. She and her best friend Pepper Griffin called it a “starter marriage.” Not uncommon, according to an article they’d read in one of those fashion magazines he now found tucked into every nook in his apartment. The theory was that young people marry for a few years and then divorce, almost as if they need a practice run before finding the right person. It didn’t even count, Lisa reasoned. Plus, it was ages ago. He was young and dumb. All true.

  He didn’t believe in the curse. Not really, anyway.

  Mama, on the other hand, firmly believed that somewhere along the way, her grandmother had committed a transgression against a witch from her village in Mexico. She didn’t know the exact nature of the crime but assumed it was something to do with a man. “Witches are especially vindictive when it comes to matters of the heart,” she’d said.

  How Mama, a devoted Catholic, reconciled magic and her religion was just one of the mysteries of a complex woman.

  Regardless, she insisted that if something wasn’t done before the wedding, his marriage to the love of his life would end in tragedy.

  Which was how he ended up by the front window of her apartment, praying no one walked by to see his humiliation. His mother lived in one of two first-floor apartments of his restored Victorian, located slightly off Main Street of their small beach town. With the curtains open, anyone could see right into her living room.

  His primary reason for buying the building was to make sure his mother and Ria had a place to live during their retirement years. A few months ago, he’d gotten them settled into their side-by-side units on the first floor. Mama and Ria kept busy playing bridge, volunteering at the church, taking walks on the stretch of beach at the end of town, and getting into his and the rest of the tenants’ business.

  Not that he was complaining. He could rest easy now. The neighborhood in Oakland where they’d lived before had kept him awake nights worrying over their safety.

  All was well now that he could keep a close watch on her. Unless she managed to kill him.

  Mama promised this was the last of five rituals that she and Ria would use to drive away the Marriage Curse. They had consisted of a bath in salt water while murmuring the Lord’s Prayer, twelve days of an aura-purifying ceremony performed at sunrise using scorched lemon halves pressed against his skin, praying to angels during the full moon, a bath in rose water while sucking on a piece of fennel, and finally, burning sage to pull the curse from his soul.

  He now suspected the rituals were successful because they killed the damned rather than cured them.

  “This is for your own good,” Mama said, as if reading his mind.

  “How much longer?” he asked before a fit of coughing overcame him.

  Ria finished the sonnet with a hearty amen.

  “Now. Done.” Mama stepped away. For a moment, eyes narrowed, she scrutinized him. Then her mouth turned upward in a triumphant smirk, seemingly satisfied that this last torture session had accomplished her goal. With the sage held above her head like a torchlight, she headed for the kitchen, leaving a swirl of smoke behind her like a pet snake.

  He put his head between his legs and breathed in and out. Did burning sage do any permanent damage to one’s lungs? He hoped not, because he had so much to live for. Despite Mama’s obsession with the curse, he was certain that nothing, other than death, could pull him away from his love.

  After gathering himself, he stood on trembling legs. Mama returned from the kitchen with a cookie and a glass of milk. He wished she’d stuck with this as her cure for all ills as she had when he was a child.

  “Here you go, my brave boy,” Mama said.

  He took the glass and chocolate cookie from her outstretched hands. “This was the last of them, right?”

  “According to our research, yes.” Mama crossed her arms over her reindeer sweater. “We took extra prec
autions by performing all of the rituals. There’s nothing more we can do.” The last sentence was said in the tone of a stoic. Fate would now take over. It was out of her hands.

  Thank God.

  A rapid tap on the door drew his attention. It was Lisa. Her appearance took his breath away. Would that ever change? He didn’t think so. She halted just inside the entryway and waved her hand in front of her nose. “What’s that hideous smell?”

  “Mama’s last and final cure,” he said.

  Lisa’s brow furrowed slightly, just enough that he could tell she was displeased. No one else would detect the subtle change to her otherwise placid expression. She loved his mother and would never say anything to hurt her feelings. However, this whole ritual ordeal had worried and irritated her. He held out his arm and she tucked into him.

  “Are you all right?” Ice-blue eyes peered up at him. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore only a hint of makeup on her fair skin and looked casual and comfortable in a pair of loose jeans and a red sweater. No one would know that she was the “it” girl of Hollywood if they didn’t know who she was. Her Midwestern sweetness remained, despite all the money and fame thrown her way over the last year.

  He assured her he was fine and asked about her final wedding dress fitting. “Everything good?”

  “Yes, the alterations were perfect.”

  “And you still love the dress?” He’d learned since falling in love with Lisa that women sometimes changed their minds about their outfits. Usually just before it was time to leave for an event, the rejected items tossed onto the bed like discarded friends.

  “Yes, I still love my dress. Not as much as I love you, of course, but a close second.”

  “As long as I’m still in the lead,” he said before planting a kiss on her nose. “Let’s go upstairs and finish packing.”

  They said goodbye to Mama and Ria, then climbed the stairs to their apartment on the third floor. Rafael owned the building, a Victorian mansion he’d converted into six apartments. He and Lisa lived in one of the third-floor units, next door to Stone and Trey, his business partners in the construction and design company Wolf Enterprises. As they passed through the second floor, he heard the happy chattering of David’s small children coming from their apartment.

  Lisa put her finger over her lips, to indicate they tread lightly. If Laine and Oliver heard their aunt Lisa on the stairs, they’d want her to come inside to play with them. David was Lisa’s twin and the newest resident of what the tenants had nicknamed the Victorian. He’d moved the children out from Iowa after he lost his wife. The timing was perfect for Wolf Enterprises. They’d needed an architect. He’d needed a job. David had been a rising star at this firm in Iowa, and from the plans he’d designed for them, it was easy to see why.

  When they reached the third floor and he dug for his keys in the pocket of his jeans, Lisa filled him in on the fitting. Maggie and Pepper, her bridesmaids, had met her at the shop where her stylist had sent the dress for alterations. Maggie had her toddler, Lily, with her. The little one had spotted the tiara display and stared at it with such longing, the clerk had asked if she wanted to try one on. “Which she did, of course. Then she pranced around in front of the mirrors looking at herself for the entirety of the fitting.”

  “Let me guess, Auntie Lisa got it for her?” Rafael asked.

  “What was I supposed to do? You should have seen how pretty she looked with the sparkle against her strawberry-blond curls. Maggie was irked at me for spoiling her, but I told her I get the bride pass this week.”

  “What about all the other weeks of the year?”

  “I’m her auntie. Spoiling her is my job.”

  “Maggie will have her revenge, you know,” Rafael said. “Once we have a baby.”

  “I am worried about that. But with my film schedule, we have a while before she’ll be able to get me back.”

  “Unless I get you pregnant on our honeymoon.”

  “You wouldn’t.” She laughed.

  “I wouldn’t, but I want to.”

  “I’ll finish the film in the spring and then we can decide,” Lisa said with a wistful sigh. “I can’t wait.”

  His bride loved babies. Someday she would be a wonderful mother. God willing.

  As Rafael put his key into their door, Pepper hurled out the door of Stone’s apartment as though a strong gust of wind had pushed her out to the landing.

  “Hey, you two lovebirds.” Pepper pounced on them with her usual enthusiasm. Lisa’s best friend reminded him of a slight, very pretty black panther—fierce, fast, and disconcertedly clever.

  “I was just headed to your place. You left your phone in my purse.” Pepper’s engagement ring sparked as she handed Lisa the phone. She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “Have you guys been smoking pot?”

  Lisa closed her eyes for a split second as a wave of agitation crossed her face. “No, Mama Soto was ridding him of the curse. This time with burning sage.”

  “Again?” Pepper snorted.

  “Final time,” Rafael said.

  “That ought to do it.” Pepper’s black curls bounced as she laughed. “Mama Soto kills me.” Apparently, other people’s mothers were funny. “Hey, I don’t mean to pry, but since there’s no secrets between us, I thought I’d mention that your mother called like five times.”

  Lisa slipped a cold hand into Rafael’s. “Maybe you should keep my phone for a while longer,” she said to Pepper.

  “That won’t do any good,” Pepper said. “When she couldn’t get you, she called me. She needs to know if any of the wedding party has food allergies. Yes, that’s needs, not wants. She was quite emphatic on that point.”

  “Food allergies?” Rafael asked.

  “She’s planning a meal for everyone at the house the first night we get there,” Pepper said.

  “I already told her we weren’t doing that.” Lisa’s voice tightened when anything about her mother came up, making her sound as if someone had their fingers around her throat. “We told everyone they’re on their own for the first night. We’re having a rehearsal dinner at the restaurant in the lodge on the second night.”

  “Yeah, she didn’t listen to you,” Pepper said with a grimace. “I’m sorry. But hey, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll handle your mother.”

  “If anyone can, it’s you,” Rafael said.

  “Trust me, I’ve known Mrs. Perry a long time,” Pepper said. “And my mom will be there to help me. You know she can charm a snake into a bunny.”

  “What about a sixty-year-old control freak?” Lisa asked.

  “She’s always up for a challenge,” Pepper said. “I’m on my way to work out,” Pepper said. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

  The four of them were driving to San Francisco together, where they would board a flight to Denver. Emerson Pass was another hour and a half in a car.

  They went inside to finish packing. Because they were going to leave for their honeymoon from Colorado, they’d decided against putting up a Christmas tree. Since Lisa had moved in, his apartment had become a home. It smelled like love now. Scents of home-cooked meals filled the kitchen in the evenings. The lingering aroma of Lisa’s perfume hovered in the bathroom. A citrus diffuser freshened the living room. At night, he would wake to the fragrance of Lisa’s hair splayed across his chest.

  Their apartment in LA where they stayed when Lisa was working felt more like a place to camp out rather than live. They’d rented a furnished apartment, nice but not theirs. When the right house became available here in Cliffside Bay, they would buy, even if they had to do an extensive remodel. For now, they were happy here in their cozy, light-filled apartment.

  While they sorted through what to take on the trip, Lisa was quiet and pensive. He didn’t have to ask to know she was worried about her mother’s presence at the wedding. They’d always had a strained relationship that morphed into estranged when they had a falling-out over her brother’s decision to move to Cliffside Bay.
She’d heard from her mother only a handful of times in the last few months. Lisa had purposely excluded Mrs. Perry from the wedding planning. Mrs. Perry, according to Lisa, would have made it about her instead of what he and Lisa wanted. Instead, Pepper had acted as maid of honor and mother of the bride. The girl had been a champion. Every detail had been carefully planned and arranged.

  Lisa had wanted the wedding in the mountains since she read about Emerson Pass years before. They would be married in a small church, then take a sleigh ride to the reception at Willows Lodge. He and Lisa would stay at the lodge where they were having the reception, along with some of their friends and family. The wedding party, for the most part, had opted to share a rental house outside of town. As had Lisa’s parents. Lisa figured it was because her niece and nephew were staying there.

  “It’ll be all right,” he said.

  “I hope she doesn’t make everyone miserable at the house.”

  He came around the side of the bed, where she stood holding a pile of sweaters in her arms. Taking the sweaters from her, he placed them in the suitcase on the bed. He pulled her into an embrace. “Nothing’s going to ruin our wedding weekend. Pepper and I will make sure of it.”

  “If anyone can, it’s you two.”

  He wished his words had assured her, but he could tell by her worried sigh that his attempt had been unsuccessful.

  “No matter what, she can’t ruin our honeymoon to France,” he said.

  “Oh, God, I hope you didn’t just jinx us.”

  He chuckled. “Now you sound like Mama.”

  “Maybe we should use the sage on my mother.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. We’ve got this.”

  She tucked her head into his chest and let out another sigh. “As long as we’re married by Monday, it’s all good.”