Bailey grinned.
“As for you and my son, I’d say he’s met his match in you, young lady. I didn’t realize it until now. You’ve taken me aback this afternoon, and I’m very impressed. Good for you!”
Bailey’s insides leapt. “Thank you, Mona.” She stood and approached the woman. “May I hug you?”
“I’m not a hugger. But I’ll make an exception this one time.” She opened her arms.
Bailey hugged the frail woman. “Merry Christmas. I hope you and I can be great friends someday.”
Mona rested her hand over Bailey’s. “Me too. I think we are well on our way now that the air has been cleared. Merry Christmas, dear one. Promise me something.”
“If I can.”
“You’ll take good care of my family when I pass.”
“I wish you’d stop talking like that, but if they will have me, I will give them my best.”
“Fair enough.”
Chapter Nineteen
Bailey sat near the front of the church in Sunriver with Stephen seated to her right. She still couldn’t believe how things had turned out with Mona and the rest of the family. Only the Lord could have worked that kind of miracle.
Mark stood on the stage with Spencer, his best man, and the minister. All but the minister wore traditional black tuxedos. Sarah stood across from them wearing an off-the-shoulder, tea-length red dress. It seemed odd that Sarah would already be up there, but Nicole wasn’t one to do something simply because it was expected.
A white cloth runner cascaded down the center aisle, and bows decorated the end of each pew. The stage had a lovely arbor decorated with twinkle lights. The flower arrangements had a Christmas theme and were made of holly, greenery and red and white roses. Soft classical music played over the sound system.
The music faded as a woman sat at the piano and began playing the Wedding March. Everyone stood and faced the center.
Nicole glided down the aisle solo, holding a simple bouquet of red roses. Her face glowed happiness. At the front, she handed her flowers off to Sarah.
They sat, and Stephen draped an arm across the pew behind her. She inched a little closer.
He spoke into her ear. “I have something to tell you.”
“Now? The ceremony has started.”
“You’re right. It’ll keep.”
She wanted to dig an elbow into his ribs. All she could think about was what he had to say and missed several minutes of the ceremony.
What could Stephen want to tell her? She hadn’t seen or heard from him since she’d been to the house this past week to visit Mona. In fact, she hadn’t heard from any of the family. At least she knew things were right between them all now. It still bothered her a little that Judy thought she was having an affair with Rick, but she needed to get over that and move on since the rest of the family had.
She forced her focus onto Nicole and Mark as they said their vows. Maybe someday that would be her. Dare she hope Stephen would be the one she said her vows to?
“You may now kiss the bride.”
She brought her focus back again and clapped as her friends sealed their marriage with a long kiss.
The pianist played Joy to the World as they walked down the aisle, and soon the guests were ushered out, row-by-row.
She turned to Stephen. “What did you think?”
“As weddings go, it wasn’t bad. I like how simple and quick it was.”
It sure was quick. Her mind only wandered off a little while, yet she missed half the wedding! They made their way to the reception line.
Nicole pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot that you are here.”
“Your wedding was beautiful, and so are you.”
Nicole giggled. Bailey grinned. True love. “I’m holding up the line.” Not that it was overly long. When Nicole said it would be a small wedding, she had been serious.
“Okay, but be sure to stick around for when I throw the bouquet.”
“I promise.” She moved forward out of the way. The rest of the evening flew by in a blur.
A commotion near the exit drew her attention. It looked like Nicole was going to toss her bouquet. She left Stephen and headed in that direction. A flash of red flew over the heads of the single women who’d gathered and headed straight for Bailey. She reached out and grasped it.
A few people clapped, and Nicole looked as pleased as a child on Christmas morning. Her newly wedded friend turned and headed outside to a waiting sleigh. With a sigh, Bailey turned to look for Stephen. She didn’t have to look long. He stood near the exit and motioned her to follow him. She slipped on her coat and rushed in his direction. “Are you ready to leave?”
He nodded. “But first I have a little surprise for you.” He pointed to the parking lot where a second sleigh sat, complete with horse and a driver wearing a black top hat.
“Is that for us?” Her heart raced.
“Yes.” He took her arm and guided her along the cleared walkway.
“How does the sleigh run on the pavement?”
“Wheels.”
She chuckled. “Of course.”
He assisted her in then draped a blanket across their laps. “I hope it’s not too cold.”
The driver made a sound and the horse pulled the sleigh forward.
“Not with you by my side.” She hugged his arm and snuggled close. “Is this what you said you needed to tell me during the service?”
“No. I’d hoped to talk to your sooner, but you were quite the social butterfly tonight.” He grinned. “We were in such a rush to get to the wedding that I didn’t want to bring this up earlier, but then as we were sitting there, I realized I should have because staying quiet was torture.”
“You certainly have my attention.”
“My mom spoke to me this afternoon.”
“About what?” She held her breath. Could Mona have told him about their conversation?
“She told me what a catch you are, and she gave us her blessing.”
She let out her breath in a sigh of relief. “That’s great news.” She’d keep to herself that she already knew about Mona’s change of heart.
“I agree.”
“Now what?” She hated to show what a novice she was at the dating thing, but he might as well know sooner than later.
“This.” He shifted then lowered his head slowly. A twinkle lit his eyes. He was only a breath away, then his mouth covered hers with a sweet kiss.
She closed her eyes as a tingle started in her toes and shot through her. She closed her eyes.
“Merry Christmas, Bailey.”
She fluttered her eyes open. “Merry Christmas.” It was the merriest for sure. She’d found her true love. A man who saw past her insecurities to the woman God made her to be. This was indeed a merry and blessed Christmas.
~The End~
A Note from the Author
Sunriver is a favorite destination for my family and me. I will never forget the year we went over the day after Christmas. Oh my goodness there was a lot of snow. My boys had a blast inner tubing on Mt. Bachelor. Because of this fond memory I wanted to include a scene at the mountain; however, it's my understanding from the woman I spoke with at the lift ticket counter, it's not always open for Thanksgiving since they need a good amount of snow, and that’s still early in the season. But anything is possible in fiction.
Per my norm, I took a little creative license with the setting here and there, to make my story work.
I am pleased with the end result, and I hope you enjoy the story.
Kimberly loves connecting with her readers.
You may find her at:
www.kimberlyrjohnson.com
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A Sneak Peek at Book Three
in the Sunriver Serie
s
Chapter One
Sierra Robbins sat in her SUV outside a mansion in Sunriver, Oregon. This was the last place she ever expected to live, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“Whoa! You’re housesitting here?” her fifteen-year-old son asked.
She looked over at Trey and grinned. “Yes, and I expect you to treat this place like a museum. Don’t touch anything.”
He laughed. “Not likely, but I get it. I’ll be careful not to break anything.” He opened his door and stepped out. “What’re you waiting for? Don’t you want to see inside?”
“I’ve been inside. Remember? Mrs. Drake is a client.” Unease gripped her. Not for the first time anxiety settled on her as she grabbed her purse. Did she make a mistake agreeing to house-sit? She took in the enormous house and pushed away her nervousness. There was no way living rent-free for a year could be a bad thing. They’d be living in luxury. Her son did online high school, so she didn’t even need to worry about transporting him to and from Bend.
She pulled the key from her purse and marched up the wide concrete stairs leading to the front door. Trey took the stairs two at a time and stood waiting at the top for her. She tossed him the keys. “Remember don’t touch anything! The art alone in this house could fund your college education.”
“This place is amazing. Can I pick any room?” He asked as he wandered from one room into another.
“No. Mrs. Drake specifically said you could stay in the first floor guestroom off the entrance.”
He popped his head around a corner. “Oh. Okay.”
Sierra still stood in the grand entrance that opened onto a great room with a connected kitchen and dining room off-center to the left and a hall to the bedrooms on the right of the great room. The cool color scheme wasn’t her favorite, but the home could easily grace the cover of a magazine. The heels of her boots clicked across the hardwood flooring as she made her way to the far wall of windows that faced the direction of Mount Bachelor. She opened the drapes and caught her breath. Although the ponderosa pines obscured the view, it really was breathtaking. It would be difficult to leave this place next spring.
“I’ll get our bags.” Trey breezed outside, and a moment later loud voices filled the air.
She ran to the door and froze. A police officer had his gun drawn on Trey who lay face down on the paved driveway. “What are you doing?” She shouted trying to keep her voice calm, but clearly failing.
He jerked his head toward her. “You’re trespassing.”
“No, we’re not. I’m Sierra Robbins. Mrs. Drake told the security company that my son and I would be living here for the next twelve months.”
He spoke into the radio on his shoulder, still keeping an eye on her with his gun leveled at her son.
Time ticked slowly as she waited for him to confirm her story. “You don’t need to point that thing at him. He’s not going to hurt you.” She heard a muddled voice coming from his radio as he lowered his weapon and holstered it.
“Sorry about that, ma’am.” He nudged Trey with his foot. “You can get up now.”
Trey stood and glared at the cop.
Sierra rushed down the stairs on wobbly legs to her son’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. She’d love to wrap him in her arms, but he stood over a foot taller than she did.
“I’m Officer Preston.” He offered his hand.
She took it, though begrudgingly. “This is my son Trey.” Where did he get off pointing a gun at her son one minute, then shaking her hand the next? But she didn’t want trouble, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
“You set off the silent alarm.”
Sierra’s heart skittered. “That’s right. I forgot. Mrs. Drake told me I would need to disarm it. I’m so sorry, Officer.” She offered the stocky blond man a tentative smile, wishing he’d leave. “I have the owner’s phone number memorized. If you call her, she will clear this whole matter up.”
“No need. I’ve already spoken with the security company monitoring the house.”
“Good. You sure got here fast.”
“I was nearby when the call came in. Are you and your son new to Sunriver?”
“In a way. I work for a local company, but before this we lived in Bend.”
He nodded. “Welcome to the neighborhood. Most of the homes on this street are rentals.” He pointed to a home three doors down and across the street. “Your closest full-time neighbor lives there. A retired couple.”
“You seem to be well acquainted with this area.”
He raised his chin. “Thank you. I try to make sure I know as many of the locals as possible.”
“Does this mean you come around a lot?” her son asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
She couldn’t blame him, but she didn’t allow sass. “Trey.” The warning was all it took.
“Sorry. Excuse me.” He marched past them and opened the back of the SUV.
Officer Preston frowned. “I guess I made a bad first impression on him. I’m sorry about that.”
“It was an honest mistake and my own fault. I should have remembered to turn off the alarm.”
“Will your husband be joining you, too?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you ask?”
“Just like to know who is supposed to be here and who isn’t.” He raised a brow.
Irritation surged through her. This dude was seriously getting on her nerves. He didn’t need to know her personal business. “No one else will be joining my son and me. Please excuse me.” As the cop strode to his squad car, she walked over to her SUV and stacked one box onto another then strutted by the cop. Whew!
Spencer Preston stood at the water cooler in the bullpen at the police station, unable to get the pretty blonde who hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring off his mind.
“Hey, Spencer. How’d it go today?” Mark, his buddy and fellow officer asked.
“Fine.”
Mark crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “You are too easy to read. What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Mark motioned for him to follow him into the conference room. “What’s going on?”
Spencer ran a hand along the back of his neck. “I responded to a silent alarm call today. It turned out to be the house-sitter who forgot there was an alarm.”
“And?”
Mark knew him too well. “And nothing.” He didn’t do anything wrong, but he couldn’t shake that what happened today would be life altering.
“Nope.” Mark shook his head. “I’m not buying what you’re selling. Tell me.”
“The woman intrigued me.”
“How so? Is she someone we need to keep an eye on?”
“No. Nothing like that. I mean she snagged my interest.” Except for one problem—her son. There was no way the teen would ever forgive him for what he did.
His buddy grinned. “Caught your eye, huh? I was beginning to think you were destined to remain single forever.”
Spencer playfully slugged him in the gut. “Watch it. You’ve been here all of ten months. You don’t know everything about me.” Nor would he. There were some things he didn’t talk about. Even with a good friend like Mark.
“Good point. Sorry. Catch you later.” Mark sauntered to his desk and sat facing his computer.
Spencer was glad Mark didn’t know his past. A churchgoer like him would likely only judge him. He’d judged himself enough and didn’t need any help knowing what a fool he’d been. He waved to whomever might be paying attention as he left for the evening. It’d been a long day, and he was ready for the peace and quiet of his little house situated on the south side of Sunriver. It wasn’t grand or glamorous, but it was affordable and close to work.
An image of the woman from the silent-alarm house flashed in his mind as he got into his pickup. Her fear-filled eyes heaped a load of guilt on him. He hated that he’d frightened Ms. Robbins and her son. She didn’t look old enough to have a teenager. But he was smart enough to know peopl
e didn’t always look their age, and some women had kids at a young age. Which one was she?
A sudden idea hit him and with renewed energy he headed to the Sunriver Village. He found exactly what he was looking for and purchased it. Who didn’t love chocolate cake?
A short time later, he pulled into the driveway of the house he’d been called to this afternoon, grabbed the cake and got out. “Here goes nothing.” The street looked as quiet as he’d expected. It wouldn’t get busy until the weekend when tourists flocked to the resort community in droves to take part in winter activities on Mount Bachelor, which was less than a thirty-minute drive away.
He marched up the steps and rang the doorbell that gonged and seemed to echo. A moment later Sierra pulled the door open. “Officer Preston?”
He held out the chocolate cake. “I brought a peace offering. I felt bad about earlier, even if I was doing my job. That’s no way to be welcomed to the neighborhood.”
She hesitantly took the cake. “Thank you.”
“Who is it, Mom?” Her son came up behind her and scowled when he spotted Spencer.
“Your local police officer bringing by a welcome-to-the-neighborhood cake.” Spencer quirked a grin. Talk about sounding corny!
The kid frowned. Not the response he was hoping for.
Sierra stepped aside. “Trey, what do you say to Officer Preston?”
“Call me Spencer.”
Trey’s eyes narrowed. “Thanks, Spencer. For the record, my mom doesn’t date.”
“Trey!” Sierra’s face reddened.
The teen shrugged. “What? You don’t. And we both know he’s only here because he either feels like a jerk for pulling a gun on me, or he’s interested in you.”
“That’s enough.”
Apparently Trey had a little sense in his head considering he took the cake and darted away.
A Christmas Homecoming Page 17