Sam drank the remaining broth from the bowl, and then set it down on the coffee table.
“I wouldn’t do that in front of Eli if I were you. You might scare him off.”
She licked her lips. “Eli has seen a hell of a lot worse than my bad table manners. And he’s marrying me anyway.” Sam tucked her feet beneath her and stared up at the ceiling. “I know what you mean though about Heidi and Annie. They disappear to a world of their own when they’re together. But they have a lot in common. As an event planner, Heidi represents all the things Annie loves—like cooking and flowers and entertaining.”
“I understand that part of it.” Faith leaned forward in her chair. “Look, I’ve only met Heidi a couple of times. She seems nice enough. My concern is more from Annie’s perspective. She’s still vulnerable from losing her father. I watched her tonight, the way she interacts with Heidi. Her behavior borders on hero worship. We welcomed Annie into our family after Allen died, because we love her and she’s a special girl with a lot to offer. I don’t want Annie to be so trusting, to expect that kind of relationship with everyone she meets.”
“You’re overthinking the situation, Faith. I understand your concern. Heidi is new to town and we don’t know much about her past. But I get the impression she has Annie’s best interests at heart.”
“I hope you’re right.” Faith stood to go. “Maybe I just need to get to know her better.”
“I think you’ll like her when you do.” Sam followed her sister to the door. “We can’t protect our children from all life’s bumps and bruises. We need to let them venture out on their own. They’re gonna get stung. This situation with Sophia is a perfect example. Jamie learned a valuable lesson about life. Sure, he got his feelings hurt, but he won’t be so quick to fall for the next girl based on her looks and popularity.”
“Poor Jamie. I can’t imagine how anyone could treat him that way.” Faith slipped on her coat and reached for the doorknob. “Thanks for the pep talk. I’m not sure I’m cut out for parenting a teenager.”
“You’re doing great, Faith. No parent knows what they’re doing when it comes to raising teenagers. It’s all trial and error.”
Faith was pulling away from the curb when Eli and Jamie drove up in a small U-Haul moving truck. Sam held the door open for them as they dashed in out of the cold. “I was wondering what the two of you were up to? You’re not seriously moving furniture tonight, are you?”
“Yep.” Jamie handed her a slip of notepaper. “Aunt Jackie sent us over on a mission. She says these are your best pieces of furniture, that they will help the house look cozy without taking up too much space. She wants us to move them to the bungalow tonight.”
Sam deciphered her sister’s scrawl. The list included her antique settee, mahogany dresser, and walnut huntboard. “Good grief. This is half of what I own.”
Jamie snatched the list back and hustled about the house gathering the items he could lift alone and setting them beside the front door.
Taking her by the elbow, Eli bent down and kissed Sam on the lips. “Your sister is barking orders right and left. None of us is brave enough to question her motives. Jamie and I just finished moving my bed. She gave me explicit instructions on how to make it up in the morning.”
Sam placed her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you’re not going to wait for me to spend the first night in our new home.”
He leaned in closer to her. “I wanted to make sure the bed was in place for our wedding night.” He planted a series of kisses on her neck.
She pushed him away. “We talked about this, Eli. I’m not leaving my son alone here on Christmas Eve.”
“Jamie,” Eli called out. “Did you forget to tell your mom about the plans for tomorrow night?”
Jamie returned from Sam’s room with her bedside table. “I guess maybe I did.” He set the table down with the other furniture. “Aunt Jackie invited me to spend the night at the farm after the Christmas Eve party.”
She furrowed her brow as she considered the idea. “But we’ve always been together on Christmas Eve.”
“I’ll come over first thing on Christmas morning.” He quickly added, “Maybe not first thing, but definitely before noon. We can open our gifts and then cook a big brunch. Which reminds me, we need the gifts.” He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a handful of black garbage bags. He dropped to his knees and began filling the bag with gifts.
Sam imagined her wedding night, wrapped in Eli’s arms wearing her new negligee. “Are you sure?” she asked her son.
“Yes!” He tied off the bag and popped open another one. “Apparently, they have quite the party out at the farm after Aunt Jackie goes to bed. Uncle Bill and the twins stay up late waiting for”—Jamie stopped stuffing gifts in the bag long enough to use air quotes—“Santa Claus. Last year Uncle Bill let the twins have some of his fifty-year-old single malt scotch.”
Sam snickered. “In that case, how can I say no? I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to male bond with Santa Claus.”
Jamie flung a trash bag over each shoulder. “I’ll run these out to the truck. Then we can get the big stuff.”
Sam leaned against the door and surveyed the room. “I was already depressed being alone here on the night before my wedding. Now you’re taking away my furniture and my Christmas gifts.”
“I guess that means you’ll have to go to bed early.” Eli ran his finger down her cheek. “I want you all rested up for tomorrow night.”
TWENTY-ONE
Heavy gray clouds filled the sky on Saturday morning. Sam peeked through the window blinds beside her bed, and then snuggled deeper beneath her down comforter, relishing the warmth. She was as mentally prepared as she would ever be to start on this new path in her journey of life, but she wanted to savor the final moments alone. Her bed, her room, her house.
She’d been single her entire life. She was set in her ways. What if she discovered she wasn’t cut out for marriage? What if she couldn’t adapt to living with another person? She dismissed the feelings of doubt and allowed her mind to wander back to Jamie’s childhood—the late nights when he’d crawled into her bed terrified from a nightmare or a thunderstorm, and the early mornings when he’d woken her with his little boy bad breath.
She was dozing off several minutes later when Jamie burst into the room. “Mom! It’s snowing.”
“Funny, ha-ha. April fool’s and all that.” Sam rolled onto her side with her back facing the window.
“I’m serious, Mom. Look.” He yanked open the blinds. “The flakes are tiny, but it’s not sleet or ice. It’s snow.”
Sam rolled onto her back and cracked an eyelid. A fine veil of precipitation was falling outside, coating the grass, tree branches, sidewalks, and roads in white. A vision flashed before her. She was standing at the altar alone, surrounded by dozens of white poinsettias. No other family members or friends were in attendance.
She should have gone with the red poinsettia.
She sat up in bed. “That’s it then. We’ll have to postpone the wedding.”
Jamie’s jaw hit the floor. “Why would we do that?”
“Because no one will be able to make it to the chapel.”
“Seriously, Mom. Six of the nine cars in this family have four-wheel drive.”
“We’re Southerners, Jamie. Just because we have four-wheel drive doesn’t mean we know how to handle a car in the snow.” Kicking back the covers, Sam unplugged her phone from the charger on the floor beside her bed, and staggered to the kitchen. She set a mug in her Keurig, and scanned the forecast on her weather app while she waited for her coffee to brew. “They’re calling for four to six inches,” she said to Jamie when he entered the kitchen. “That will paralyze this town. We might as well call the whole thing off now, and save everyone the trouble.”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, Jamie directed Sam to the nearest bar stool. “Take some deep breaths and count to ten. Everything’s gonna be fine.” When
her coffee finished brewing, he added a few drops of cream and a packet of sweetener, and slid it across the island to her.
“Let’s turn on the local weather.” Sam pointed at the empty shelf where the television usually sat. “What happened to the TV?” She glanced around the room, realizing for the first time that all the boxes and small appliances were gone. She hopped off the bar stool and circled the house. Their beds were the only furniture remaining in the house. The Christmas tree stood abandoned in the corner of the sitting room. She returned to the kitchen. “Where did everything go?”
Jamie’s lips curled into a grin, sparking a twinkle in his eyes. “Eli and I might have gotten a little carried away last night. We packed everything in the moving truck while you were asleep.” He held his hands out, palms up, shoulders hunched. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Please tell me you didn’t unload everything into the new house.”
“Of course not. Aunt Jackie wouldn’t allow it.”
“Then where’s my stuff?”
“In the moving truck at the bungalow with Eli.” He plopped down on a bar stool and pulled her down next to him. “Think about it, Mom. With New Year’s on the horizon, we’re in for another busy week at the market next week. We have to be out of here by Wednesday. If we get everything moved this weekend, we’ll have time to clean this house after work on Monday and Tuesday and have it ready for the new owners by Wednesday. Today is a day of celebration, but tomorrow, after we exchange our gifts in the morning, we can spend the afternoon getting settled.”
Sam let out a deep breath. “I guess that makes sense.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I’m sorry, son. I haven’t been able to wrap my mind around this move. I know I haven’t been much help. I’m usually so organized.”
“You’ve had a lot on your plate at work. And I didn’t help any by dragging SoDiva into the mix.”
Sam’s face flushed pink. “How did you know I called her SoDiva?”
“I overheard you say it to Eli. A very clever and appropriate nickname if you ask me.” Jamie reached across the counter for the bag of Krispy Kreme mini crullers. He opened the bag and stuffed two in his mouth before offering the bag to his mother.
Sam removed a doughnut and dunked it in her coffee. “I’ve been so distracted. No telling what I’ve forgotten. I guess it doesn’t matter now. Ready or not, wedding chapel here we come.”
“Music! I forgot to organize any music for the ceremony,” Sam said to Jamie as they ducked into the chapel out of the heavy falling snow.
In the absence of a dressing room for the bride, when she’d discussed the logistics of the ceremony with Pastor Paul, they decided she and Jamie would enter the church and walk down the aisle.
Jamie held his arm out to her and they moved to the double doorway leading to the small sanctuary. “We can sing Christmas carols,” Jamie whispered.
She sent an elbow to his ribs. “I’m serious, Jamie. Eli is going to kill me. We can’t get married without music.”
“No, he’s not, and yes, you can.”
Pastor Paul saw them and gave a slight nod to a harpist who began playing “Canon in D.”
She gripped her son’s arm tighter and he smiled down at her. “See. Aunt Jackie hasn’t forgotten a thing.”
Annie appeared at her side, placing a small bouquet of white roses and Christmas greenery in her hands. As she glided down the aisle on her son’s arm, Sam fixated on the altar, which was adorned with white poinsettias and huge bows of magnolia. Her breath caught at the sight of her handsome groom in his new gray suit that matched his smoky eyes. Standing next to him, looking like a princess in a white velvet dress with her dark hair curled in spirals and a bouquet of pink sweetheart roses in her hand, was her niece. What a great idea to have Bitsy be her flower girl. When she spotted Jackie in the first pew, she mouthed the words thank you.
Jamie kissed her on the cheek and handed her over to Eli. When they stepped up to the altar together, Sam shifted so she could see her family and loved ones behind them—only sixteen in number but taking up most of the pews in the small sanctuary. She smiled at her mother, who winked back at her.
Pastor Paul talked for a moment about his relationship with Sam before moving on to the ceremony. Surrounded by the people she loved most in the world, while the snow blanketed the frozen creek, Sam recited her marriage vows to her groom. Pastor Paul announced them husband and wife, they kissed amongst cheers from the congregation, and the harpist played Handel’s “Allegro Maestoso” as they walked down the aisle, pausing to greet their family and friends along the way.
Sam stopped in her tracks when they reached the front steps of the church. There, idling at the curb, was her Jeep with red, white, and green Christmas lights wound around the rack on top.
Eli held out his hand. “Your chariot awaits, Mrs. Marshall.”
“What is my car doing here? It was in my driveway thirty minutes ago when Jamie and I left to come here in his truck.”
“Actually, it wasn’t. I confiscated it last night. The original plan was to use my cruiser as the getaway car. Annie and Jamie were collaborating on the decorations. But, since cruisers don’t do well in the snow, we had to get creative.”
Placing her hands on his cheeks, she pulled his lips to hers. “Someone could’ve stolen my car. I was in such a hurry to get to the chapel to marry you, I didn’t even notice it missing.”
He took her by the hand and they rushed down the sidewalk to her Jeep. Eli took the long way to the bungalow, allowing them a few extra minutes to collect themselves. As they passed the market, Sam noticed a boxwood wreath with a white bow and silver bells hanging on the front door.
“More evidence of Jackie,” she said, and he nodded. “She didn’t miss a thing.”
They were the last to arrive at the reception. Eli lifted Sam out of the Jeep and carried her up the shoveled front stairs and over the threshold of their new home.
Heidi and Annie were waiting for them inside. Heidi handed them silver goblets tied with white ribbons and filled with sparkling nonalcoholic wine. “Welcome home!” Annie said and Heidi added, “Best wishes for a long and happy life together.”
“Hear, hear!” Jamie said and everyone lifted their glasses in a toast.
“Aunt Sam, you’re here.” Bitsy rushed into her arms, nearly knocking her off her feet.
Sam kissed the top of her head. “Hey there, kiddo. Having you waiting for me on the altar was the nicest surprise.”
The little girl circled her. “You look beautiful, like a fairy princess.” She wrinkled her nose. “All except the boots.”
“It’s snowing outside, silly. What else was I supposed to wear? I can’t walk in the snow in my heels. And you’re the one who looks like a princess. You stole the show.” Sam knelt down beside her. “Tell me, are you excited about Santa Claus?”
She bobbed her head, her curls dancing around her shoulders. “I asked him to bring me a puppy. Something small and white and furry. Do you think it’ll get lost in the snow when I take it outside to pee?”
This was the first Sam had heard mention of a puppy. “That’s a good question, Bits.” She twirled one of the girl’s curls around her finger. “Maybe you should spread out some newspaper and let it do its business in the kitchen just in case.”
“Speaking of kitchens . . .” Heidi held her hand out to Bitsy. “I have some cookies that need decorating, and I could really use your help.”
Bitsy took her hand and skipped off beside Heidi on the way to the kitchen.
Sam caught sight of the Christmas tree—a ginormous Fraser fir in the center of the room decked out with thousands of twinkling white lights, white shell ornaments, and sheer silver ribbon. “This place looks amazing. That has to be the biggest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen.” She roamed about the room inspecting the decor. Pillar candles in cylinder vases and magnolia garlands coated with a thin layer of silver metallic paint bedecked both mantels. Set for sixteen, the dinner table—
covered in crisp white linens with a collection of mercury glass Christmas trees and elegant white flowers arranged in silver mint julep cups—ran parallel to the bank of windows, looking out on the snowy afternoon.
Heidi and her hired helper offered trays of canapés and refills of champagne while Sam and Eli spoke to each of their guests in turn. The room crackled with excitement for the wedding, the snow, and Christmas. Sam excused herself to powder her nose giving Eli a few minutes alone with his brother, Kyle, and sister-in-law, Shay. Upon her return, she sought out her sister who was warming her hands by the fire.
“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me,” she said as she embraced Jackie. “Everything is simply perfect. How did you know I’d forget the music?”
“Experience has taught me there are five key ingredients to throwing a successful party. Venue, food, flowers, music, and booze,” she said, ticking off each one on her fingers as she spoke. “In your case the booze means nonalcoholic sparkling wine.”
Sam smiled. “Who needs alcohol when I have Eli? I want you to know I appreciate your efforts. I would never have been able to accomplish all this on my own.”
Jackie pinched Sam’s cheek. “You provided the venues. Both of them excellent choices, I might add. And we took care of the rest.”
Sam eyed a pair of contemporary sofas upholstered in a soft hue of gray velvet. “Whose are those?”
“Yours, if you want them,” Jackie said. “I ordered them for a client, but they don’t fit her space. I can sell them to you at cost if you’re interested. The style is what I had in mind when I first saw this place, but it might be too mod for your taste. I can always find somewhere to use them.”
Sam lowered herself to one of the sofas and ran her fingers across the plush fabric. “They’re different from anything I’ve ever owned, but I think they’re the right choice for this room.” She studied the Oriental rug at her feet. “Is the rug for sale as well? The colors are ideal.”
Jackie left the fire and sat down next to Sam on the sofa. “The rug is an antique Tabriz and it belongs to me. I’m planning to use it in the house in Charleston, but I can find one similar for you if you like it.”
Boots and Bedlam Page 12