by Tonya Kappes
“What?” Maggie stiffened at the thought. She never imagined having a wedding shower at a beauty salon, much less one in Grandberry Falls.
“It will be wonderful. The theme can be a day at the spa.” Belle waved her hands in the air as though she was showcasing a movie premiere.
“Um. . .and who would come?” Maggie was well aware of her new social status in Grandberry Falls.
The outsider.
“The gang.” Belle shrugged and continued to stack boxes in the family room where they would wait for Grady.
The gang had shunned Maggie years ago and now she’d even lost Mitch. There wasn’t anyone left who would want to come.
Maggie swallowed hard, trying to find the words.
Someone knocked on the door and they both turned to see who it was.
“Hello.” Jenna Greenlee let herself in the back door. “What’s with all the boxes?”
Jenna hurried over to give Maggie a hug.
Maggie loved seeing her aunt. She loved being around family, especially at Christmas.
“Mom, I’m here.” Jenna yelled out to let Hazel know she had made it, and then whispered in Maggie’s ear, “Where is she?”
Maggie laughed.
“Where’s Samantha?” Maggie asked referring to Jenna’s daughter.
“Oh, teenagers. I don’t ever remember being so caught up with friends at that age.” Jenna and Maggie walked back into the kitchen where Jenna made herself a cup of coffee. “She’s home getting ready to do present exchanges with her girlfriends.”
“Merry Christmas Eve.” Hazel jingled into the kitchen with her arms wide open to embrace Jenna. Her bangles had been replaced by an armful of jingle bells. “Where’s my granddaughter?”
“She’ll be there tonight.” Jenna pointed up and down at Hazel’s outfit. “Where did you get that?”
Hazel was in full Christmas regalia, and resembled a Christmas tree. The gold lame shirt had large sequined ornaments all over it, and her green pants added to the mix.
“Paula said it’s all the rage.” Hazel strutted in front of them like a model.
“Jenna, come help me carry out the last of the boxes. I’m not sure where Grady is.” Maggie motioned for Jenna to follow her.
She needed some alone time with her aunt. When Maggie’s parents died, Jenna was away at college, but they remained close. After college, Jenna married Dan, her high school sweetheart, and they remained in Grandberry Falls.
Sadly, Dan was killed by a drunk driver in a car crash.
“So how’s the big city?” Jenna was pulling on her snow boots that were sitting just outside the door.
Maggie waited until they were outside so she could talk to Jenna in private.
“I love it.” Maggie hoisted the boxes up on to her left side, not only to see where she was going, but so she could also see Jenna’s face. “I got a new case that should help me make partner in the law firm quicker.”
“Great. What’s it about?” Jenna asked.
“I’m not sure.” Maggie put the box down so she could pull the barn door open. “I have a meeting after the holidays to discuss it. What?”
Maggie was taken aback when she noticed a lot of the farming equipment was not in the barn. It was a working farm that had crops and livestock.
“Oh.” Jenna placed the box where it went. “It’s been a little sparse around here. Mom got rid of some of the equipment.”
“Why?” She searched her aunt’s face for some answers.
“Oh, don’t you worry. It’ll pick up after winter. It’s been snowing here so much that we don’t really need the equipment until early spring anyways. Plus the hardware store is keeping us busy.” Jenna took the boxes from Maggie and stacked them with the others.
Maggie wasn’t sure if she believed Jenna, but there was no reason to doubt what she was saying. They’d always been honest with each other, and she was sure they’d tell her if the farm was in some kind of trouble.
“As long as nothing is wrong.” Maggie said.
“No, everything is fine.” Jenna made sure the boxes were secure before they left.
“How is the benefit coming along?” Maggie asked.
The previous year, Jenna had held a New Year’s Eve benefit and all the proceeds went to Mothers Against Drunk and Driving in honor of Dan. It was a major success and she had vowed to do it every year.
“It’s only a couple weeks away, and this year I have a co-chairman.” Jenna said. “Liz Day. She’s the newest citizen of Grandberry Falls. You’d really like her. She’s an interior decorator and she opened up a shop called The Mole Hole Interiors.”
They walked faster on their way back to the house. The snow was really coming down.
“I’d love to meet her.” Maggie knew that she’d never live in Grandberry Falls again. Grady would never live in a town like this. She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck to ward off the chill.
“Is that what I think it is?” Jenna grabbed Maggie’s hand. “Are you. . .”
“Yes.” It troubled her that she hadn’t been excited to share the news with Jenna.
In fact, this day had played over and over again in her head. Images of them jumping up and down, and discussing details of the perfect day with a traditional Grandberry Falls hoedown. But that faded when Grady said that there was no way his family was going to have a hoedown, tradition or not. They were going to have a Hampton’s wedding, big white tent and all.
“I’m happy for you, I think.” Jenna’s smile faded.
“No. I’m happy.” Maggie assured her. “Only it’s not the dream granny has for me and that makes me sad. I never thought I’d have to choose.”
Jenna put her arm around Maggie as they continued to walk toward the house. “Oh, don’t worry about mom. She’ll come around once she sees you really are happy.”
That’s what Maggie was afraid of. Now more than ever, she was questioning if Grady really loved her for who she was. This family and this town were part of who Maggie was, and he was having a hard time embracing that part of her.
Chapter Ten
The Fatted Pig was definitely going to be crowded on Christmas Eve, but Hazel always reserved the back of the diner for her annual family gathering and ornament exchange. Even though everyone would much rather spend time at home with family on Christmas Eve, there was no one that made collard greens better than Mamie Pucket.
She wasn’t sure how Grady was going to fit into the Christmas Eve ritual, since no one has ever been allowed to come to the dinner at The Fatted Pig. Not even Mitch Dozier, and he was practically family.
Maggie made sure to stay on her toes and cater to every one of Hazel’s whims throughout the day.
The house was completely decorated, the sweet tea was made for tomorrow night’s hoedown, and everything was in place for the superstitious rituals, which included the Christmas Eve apples, the candles in the window, and the mistletoe.
“Merry Christmas Eve!” Mamie threw her hands in the air after wiping them on her Christmas apron. “The back is all set up and I’ve got the biggest plate of collard greens for you.”
Mamie tweaked Maggie’s nose and then hugged her. As far back as Maggie could remember, Mamie has always been one to tweak a kid’s nose.
“I’ll be with you in a minute.” Mamie peered over Maggie’s shoulder and held up a finger to Grady. Are you five ready?”
“Six.” Maggie said.
“Six?” Mamie counted out loud while she pointed to Samantha, Jenna, Hazel, Belle, and Maggie. “Honey, I might be old, but I can still count on one hand. And I count five of you.”
“Six.” Maggie pointed over her shoulder to Grady.
“Oh, he’s with you?” Mamie pulled her glasses from her apron pocket and put them on, and took in every last bit of Grady. “M-hmmm.”
Maggie couldn’t tell if it was a good “m-hmmm” or a bad “m-hmmm.”
Grady was definitely dressed different than all the men at The Fatted Pig. Maggie told him n
ot to dress up, but he had anyway.
“We always dress for dinner, Maggie.” He had told her while knotting his tie.
She did love how handsome he looked in his pressed khaki pants, pin-striped button-down, tie and blue blazer.
He used just enough gel to keep his coal black hair slicked back and was cleanly shaven.
She especially loved going to his family home in the Hamptons where he let his hair hang in his eyes, and he left a little stubble on his face. He also wore flip flops and untucked shirts with jeans.
“Sexy.” She’d say.
“Frumpy.” He’d reply.
“He’s my fiancé.” Maggie’s thoughts shifted back to Mamie. She wiggled her ring finger in the air.
Mamie looked at Hazel, who shrugged her shoulders.
“It looks like we are going to need some extra cornbread at the Greenlee table!” Mamie yelled toward the diner’s kitchen. “A lot!”
Maggie grimaced. She knew what that meant. Mamie’s cornbread was Hazel’s go-to remedy for depression.
When Maggie was growing up, sometimes Hazel would be under a lot of stress and worried about the farm. When things got bad, she would send Maggie on a cornbread run to The Fatted Pig.
“Come on.” Maggie grabbed Grady’s hand and led him through the whispers from all of the patrons. Everyone’s eyes were on Maggie and the new guy.
They hadn’t seen Maggie in a long time and they were curious who the new fellow was, but no one asked.
“Nice to meet you.” Grady said over his shoulder to Mamie.
“M-hmmm.” Mamie replied.
Thank God, Maggie sighed. She was relieved that no one from the old gang was there, including Mitch. She was sure she would have a nervous breakdown if he was.
“Looks like we are going to have to squeeze another chair around this table.” Hazel said as she looked over the twelve person table.
“There are twelve chairs already. Plenty of room.” Maggie plopped down in the chair at the end. Her eyes narrowed at Hazel. She was up to her old tricks. Maggie could smell them a mile away.
Maggie will never forget the time she was in high school and invited a boy over to the house for dinner. Hazel made him leave because there wasn’t enough food. But when Mitch knocked on the door, they suddenly had plenty of food to share.
“We put the presents down on that end. Remember?” Hazel untied and then retied her head scarf tighter. “We always use these five to sit down on.”
The table was set for five with plates, forks, napkins, and cups. There was the traditional salt water shot placed just to the right of the water glasses. And Hazel had already set a jug of her famous sweet tea in the center of the table.
“Maybe she’ll squeeze some sense into her brain.” Grady whispered, referring to Hazel’s scarf.
Maggie glared at him. She didn’t need him to fuel the fire.
“Sorry.” He held his hands up, palms out, as if to say “alright, no more.”
She could talk that way about her family, but she wasn’t going to let anyone else, including her fiancé.
“If I’d known Maggie was going to be bringing a stranger home, I’d have told Mamie to set another place.” Hazel took a drink of tea.
Samantha burst out laughing but stopped when Jenna whacked her on the head.
“What?” Samantha rubbed her head. “Well, she’s right.”
“Shhh.” Belle whispered to Samantha.
“I’m hardly a stranger. I’m your granddaughter’s fiancé. We’ve been living together since we met.” Grady defended himself.
Maggie squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn’t want to see what Hazel was about to do. Maggie had left out the details of them living together.
Hazel choked on her tea and it shot out all over Mamie, just as she walked over with a big plate of cornbread in her hand.
Mamie’s mouth opened then closed. If Mamie’s eyes could shoot fire, they would have and Grady would’ve been a pile of ashes. Mamie stomped back to the kitchen with the ruined plate of cornbread.
Maggie put her head in her hands and shook her head back and forth. This was not the way she wanted this holiday to work out.
There was no way she was going to be able to last another twenty-four hours in Grandberry Falls. She didn’t really want to see the gang at the hoedown tomorrow night anyway. She’d much rather have a low-key night at the penthouse looking out over the lights of Manhattan.
“I really need this.” Grady picked up the shot glass and downed the salt water.
“No!” Maggie yelled to stop him, but it was too late.
Grady’s face contorted, his nose snarled. “What the hell is that?”
He inspected the glass. There was a residue of salt stuck to the bottom.
Hazel grabbed it from him.
“See?” Hazel held the glass up in Maggie’s face. “Not one of us.”
Jenna took Hazel aside trying to calm her down. Maggie continued to sit on the chair next to Grady, unsure of what to do or to say.
Belle sat down next to her and stroked Maggie’s long black hair. “She’ll come around.” Belle swept Maggie’s bangs to the side.
“You think so?” Maggie looked into her big sister’s eyes for comfort, trying to hold back the tears that had gathered on her eyelids.
“No, but you should’ve at least filled him in on all the superstitious traditions.” Belle glanced between Maggie and Grady with a sympathetic smile.
“Grady is well aware of our superstitions.” Maggie had been up front with Grady from the beginning. She was just a little sad he hadn’t taken her family’s beliefs seriously. And this was her life.
“And to think I almost didn’t come tonight.” Samantha was beaming. “You’ve made this year’s ornament exchange exciting.”
Maggie told Samantha to shut up. The last thing she cared to hear was a teenager’s point of view.
“No.” Samantha shot back.
Belle pointed at Samantha. “Stop you two.”
“If he wants to be part of our family, he should respect our beliefs.” Samantha grabbed a piece of cornbread off the new plate Mamie had brought in.
“I’m just not a superstitious person.” Grady propped himself on the table with his elbows.
“We are.” Said Samantha and Belle in unison.
“Okay.” Maggie had to stop the madness. Belle was huffing, and her fuse wasn’t as long as Hazel’s. “Let me explain. Every year before Christmas eve dinner, we have a salt water toast to insure a healthy new year.”
Belle crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair.
Mamie set a big plate of collard greens next to a second plate of cornbread.
“Collard greens and cornbread go along with the shot of salt water ritual.” Maggie’s face was flushed. The more she told him, the further she felt he was pulling away.
She didn’t bring him to Grandberry Falls so he could leave her, she brought him here so he could see where she came from.
Grady loosened his tie and sat back. “I need a drink.”
Maggie ran her fingers through her hair. The rest of this night needed to be uneventful.
Hazel sat in the sixth chair toward the middle of the table, and smiled at Maggie. “Let’s eat.”
Maggie knew this was Hazel’s peace signal—for now.
The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Maggie tried not to laugh when Grady nearly gagged on the collard greens. But he did eat a lot of cornbread, just as Mamie predicted.
“Time for ornaments.” Jenna pointed to the gift-wrapped presents at the other end of the table. “Samantha is going to the school’s Christmas dance.”
“Sure.” Hazel got up and grabbed a present. “This is for Maggie.”
Maggie took it and reached over to get the present she bought for Hazel.
“No, you first.” Maggie handed the beautifully wrapped package to her grandmother.
Hazel’s eyes danced. She carefully undid the perfectly tied red ribbon.
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“It’s too pretty to unwrap.” She was grinning ear to ear.
“Nothing is too pretty for you.” Maggie said. She meant every word.
Hazel smiled, and pulled the beautiful bow ornament out of the box. It was the perfect ornament.
Hazel read the attached note out loud. “We will always have a strong bond.”
“Oh, I love you Maggie.”
They embraced.
Maggie’s insides warmed like a nice fire on a cold day. Hazel was coming around, she could feel it. Everything was going to be alright.
“Your turn.” Hazel handed Maggie her gift bag.
She felt the hook when she put her hand in and pulled out a tiny bell ornament.
She read the card. “Sheppards put these on their sheep so they don’t get lost.”
The warm feeling suddenly became icy. Hazel had hit her with a low blow and everyone at the table knew it.
Maggie was not lost. She was far from it.
“Okay Belle.” Samantha said, clearly hurrying the ceremony along.
Maggie didn’t know if Samantha wanted to get to the dance or save her great-grandmother life.
“Oh, a shepherd’s crook” Jenna held up the hook. “With a bell just like Maggie’s.”
Jenna picked up the card and read it aloud.
“You will be the one to lead the lost sheep home.” Jenna pressed her lips together.
“Next.” Samantha handed the last gift to her mom.
“I’m sorry.” Jenna mouthed.
Maggie frowned. This mess had gotten worse.
“Let me see.” Grady reached across the table and picked up Jenna’s ornament. His sleeve caught the salt shaker and it fell over.
“Oh my God!” Hazel screamed and dove across the table to pick up the salt shaker.
She dashed it over everyone’s shoulder but Grady’s.
“You created this mess. Now you need to shake this over your shoulder to ward off the evil spirits.” Hazel pushed the shaker in his chest.
He stood up coming chest to chin with Hazel.
“I will not.” Grady crossed his arms and parted his legs. He wasn’t budging.