Mistletoe Bay (27 page)

“Coop's a very nice man, Jenni.” Dorothy looked Jenni in the eye and smiled. “I like him.”

“So do I.” She did more than just like him; she had a horrible feeling she was falling in love with him. What was she going to do then? “You're not upset that I'm dating?”

“No, I knew you would one day.” Dorothy sighed. “Life goes on, Jenni. You and I both know that. You're young, beautiful, and intelligent. What man wouldn't want to sweep you off your feet?”

“I'm also the mother of your three grandsons. They aren't baggage, Dorothy, they're crates, fifty-ton crates that own my heart.”

“As mine.” Dorothy's smile looked sincere. “Coop doesn't seem to be running in the opposite direction.”

“Not yet. Let Tucker recondition the upholstery of his truck with dog shampoo, and we'll see how fast the man can run.” Tucker had cleaned her seats once. It had taken her an entire weekend with an upholstery cleaner to get all the bubbles out of the fabric.

Dorothy muffled her laughter with her hand.

She loved seeing her mother-in-law laugh. It made her green eyes dance, and she appeared to be younger. Eli Fischer was making Dorothy laugh a whole bunch lately. “Do you realize what a wonderful woman you are?”

Dorothy blinked. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” She reached and grabbed Dorothy's hand. “I have a feeling that maybe I haven't been telling you often enough how much I appreciate everything you do for me and the boys.”

“Nonsense. It's you that holds us all together, Jenni. I throw together the meals and toss clothes into the washer.”

“You do more than that, and you know it.” Jenni could feel her smile wobble under the weight of unshed tears. “When Kenny died, you were the one who gave me the strength to go on.”

“How? I was a complete mess. I crumbled, Jenni, and you were the one to pick me back up. I needed you so desperately then.”

“I know, and that was what pulled me through, Dorothy. Don't you realize that being needed by you at that time saved me? Between you and the boys, I was forced to get out of bed every morning. Forced to live until I could manage my own grief.” She remembered those bleak, dark days. “Then a year ago I told you of my dream of starting the Mistletoe Bay Company, and do remember what you told me?”

“Not really. Probably something like, ‘that's nice.'”

She shook her head. “You said, ‘go for it.' Then you told me you would help any way you could. Why would you do that, Dorothy?”

“Because you are a daughter to my heart, Jenni. Ken was taken away from both of us, but you still had the ability to dream. I wanted you to have that dream.”

“So you sold your home, uprooted Felicity, and moved two hours away with me to a rundown house on the coast of Maine. Why would you do that?”

“You needed me,” said Dorothy in wonder.

“I did. I do.” She left her chair and hugged Dorothy. “And you wonder why I think you are the strongest woman I have ever known.” She squeezed her tight. “Don't ever change.”

“If I'm so strong, why is it that I feel so weak most of the time?”

“It's your heart.”

“My heart?” Dorothy stopped and looked at her.

“Yep, it's all squishy and soft and filled with love” —for the first time she called Dorothy what she had become to her over the years—“Mom.”

Chapter Fourteen

Jenni glanced at the three bickering boys in the backseat, and then at the man driving her SUV. Coop Armstrong was grinning like a fool and seemed to be enjoying himself. His smile was infectious. Who would have thought shopping for a Christmas tree would be so much fun? She glanced behind them, and spotted two other pairs of headlights. Not only were Sam and Felicity following them to Kreider's Christmas Tree Farm, but so was Eli, his two daughters, and, amazingly, Dorothy, who was riding shotgun.

“Are we almost there yet?” asked Tucker.

“How much farther?” asked Chase.

“Less than five minutes.” Coop chuckled. “Can't you guys wait?”

“Tucker, stop kicking the seat,” she said. Her middle child was antsy, and he was taking out his lack of patience on the back of her seat.

“Mr. Brown,” said Corey, not to be silenced by his brothers, “Mom says we're getting two trees this year.”

Coop chuckled, gazed over at her, and winked. “So I heard.”

“Santa only delivers presents under the one, boys. There won't be stacks of presents for each of you in different rooms.” That many toys she couldn't handle.

She had wanted to use Dorothy's heirloom decorations on their tree, while her mother-in-law wanted to use Jenni's. She had wanted the tree in the living room, near the fireplace and the stockings that would be hung. The boys wanted it out in the glass-enclosed family room so they could see it snowing when they opened their presents from Santa. Why they thought it would be snowing come Christmas morning was beyond her logic. Maybe they had been watching too many Christmas specials on TV. She had settled the argument by saying they were getting two trees.

That started a host of other problems and arguments. The boys mistakenly thought two trees had meant two deliveries from Santa. Dorothy still wanted to use Jenni's mismatched, hodgepodge, kiddie assortment of ornaments on the living room tree, while she thought Dorothy's heirloom decorations should be used in the more formal of the two rooms. Calling the living room formal was a joke; the only room in the house that fitted that description was the dining room. Eli had done an outstanding job, and the stubborn man refused to take so much as a dollar for all his hard work. Eli claimed that he probably still owed them another room or two for all the food Dorothy had been feeding his family over the past month.

Dorothy had spent the past two days hand washing china, polishing the furniture, and hanging new drapes. Last night Eli had even helped her re-cover the seats of the dining room chairs with a fabric that coordinated with the new wallpaper. The room now looked like it belonged in a house-and-garden magazine.

The boys were under threat of death not to enter the room.

“Here we are,” said Coop as he pulled off the highway and onto a side road.

She could see bare lightbulbs strung everywhere. There had to be hundreds of Christmas trees cut and waiting to be bought. They also weren't the only family out tree shopping tonight. The place was doing a brisk business.

“Wow, look at them all!” shouted Corey.

“Can we get a big one, Mom?” Chase had his nose pressed to the side window as Coop pulled into the parking lot.

“We can get one as tall as our ceilings allow us—and that will fit in the back of Sam's truck.” The living room ceilings were ten feet tall, while the family room's were only eight. They were going to be some big trees.

“I want a tall one,” said Chase as he unsnapped his seat belt.

“I want a really fat one,” Tucker said. “That way Santa can fit more presents under it.”

“I want a green one,” Corey said as he grinned at Coop, who had turned around in his seat now that the car was parked.

“And I want you guys to stay with your mom and me. No wandering off on your own.”

“No wandering off at all,” she clarified. “You don't say ‘on your own,' Coop. Last time I did, Tucker took Corey with him and went wandering off.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Tucker mumbled as he lowered his head.

She would have bought his pitiful apology if she hadn't seen the gleam of mischief that had been in his eyes before he could duck his head. But she had to admit, lately the boys, especially Tucker, had been on their best behavior. Of course, that didn't count the trick Tucker and the Higgin's twins had planned to pull. She had been forewarned and had easily spotted Fred in Tucker's backpack.

Santa was coming soon, and the boys all knew that the big guy didn't leave presents for naughty boys.

“Let's go find our trees and try not to act like barbarians who have never seen a tree before.” She undid her seat belt and opened the door. Coop's chuckles filled her heart.

The boys piled out the back doors, and she grabbed the back of Corey's coat before he could dart out into the parking lot. “Careful, Sam's pulling in.” She watched as Sam parked his truck. Eli had already parked two spaces down. She smiled as Dorothy joined her. “So how was the ride?”

“Comfortable, why?” Dorothy gave her a look that dared her to say anything.

“Just wondering, that's all.” She tried to hide her smile as Eli joined them. Eli was on a mission, and it wasn't to buy a tree. It was to get her stubborn mother-in-law to see that a six-year difference in their ages didn't make him too young for her. Jenni thought they made a cute couple. Dorothy had other ideas.

Hope grabbed Corey's hand. “Come on, Corey, let's go see the trees.” Faith had already run ahead to catch up with Chase and Tucker, who were in the first row of trees not so patiently waiting for the adults.

Coop reached for her hand and started to tug her toward the waiting boys. “Now remember, Jen, just because you have a ten-foot ceiling doesn't mean you have to get a ten-foot tree.”

“I know that.” She turned around and frowned at Sam's pickup truck. Neither he nor Felicity had gotten out of the truck yet, and by the looks of their silhouettes, they appeared to be discussing something. Her sister-in-law kept shaking her head. “Dorothy has an antique porcelain angel that has to go on top, so nothing over nine feet.”

Eli and Dorothy had already joined the kids and were checking out the trees.

Jenni frowned and dug in her heels. “Let's wait for Sam and Felicity.” Her sister-in-law hadn't even wanted to come on this outing; it had been Sam who had convinced her to come. Now it looked like he was trying to get her out of the truck.

Coop glanced over at Sam's truck. “Jen, leave them alone. They're fine. They're teenagers, they live on drama.”

“I don't know, Coop. Felicity hasn't been herself lately.” Dorothy was brushing off her daughter's behavior as nothing, but Jenni wasn't too sure about that.

“Well, you have to cut her some slack, Jen. She's dealing with a lot on her plate right now.” Coop pulled her toward the trees and out of the parking lot.

“Like what?”

“Like everything.” Coop lowered his voice so they wouldn't be overheard. “You can start with a new school, new friends, new boyfriend, new house, grades, learning how to drive, college applications, living with her nephews and sister-in-law, and to top all that off, Fred likes her room better than his cage.”

“Well, putting it like that, I can see where she might be moody.” Maybe Felicity was still adjusting to everything. It was a lot to ask of a seventeen-year-old.

Coop lowered his head further and nodded in the direction of Eli and Dorothy, who were standing really close to each other arguing over a tree. “Now, add on the fact that her boyfriend's father is hitting on her mother.”

Jenni felt her heart sink. Why hadn't she thought of it that way? Instead she had been concentrating on how Dorothy has changed since Eli appeared on the scene. Her mother-in-law had been smiling more and truly enjoying herself. At first Jenni had thought it was because the boys were in day care and Dorothy had the day to do whatever she wanted. Dorothy might not admit it, but she liked Eli and all that male attention. She had even gone to Estelle's the other day and had a manicure. The only other time she remembered Dorothy getting her nails done had been the morning of her son's wedding.

“This isn't going to have a happy ending, is it?” Jenni leaned closer to Coop. She wanted to rest her head against his chest and cry for both her mother-in-law and Felicity. All she wanted was for them both to be happy, and right about now that looked impossible.

“No one can predict the future, Jen.” Coop cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. “I never would have predicted falling in love with a woman with three children.”

Jenni stared back into his dark eyes and knew he was telling the truth. Her heart fluttered, and all her breath seemed to leave her lungs at once. Coop loved her! How could it be? How could it not be?

She sucked in a deep breath. Cold, fresh air once again filled her lungs as joy exploded in her heart. The smile she gave Coop came from the heart.

“Mom!” shouted Tucker. “Come see this one. It's real fat. Santa can fit my new bike under it.”

“I want a new bike,” cried Corey. “I asked first.”

“You have a bike,” yelled Tucker. “Ask for something else.”

Her heart screamed in protest as her dream of a life with Coop faded. She turned and glanced at the bickering boys. Hope was hauling Tucker out from between the towering evergreens while Chase seemed to be inspecting every tree on the lot. Corey stuck his tongue out at Tucker as she slowly buried her face in her chilly hands and shook her head.

She gave Coop the only advice she could. “Run.”

Her dream not only faded. It had crashed and burned. The next sound she would hear over her breaking heart was Coop starting up the car and driving away. The man might think he was in love, but he wasn't suicidal. She listened for the sound of the starting engine and peeling tires as he rushed from the parking lot.

What she heard was a far cry from squealing tires. She peeked out through her fingers and dared to hope. What she saw sent her heart soaring. Cooper Armstrong stood there with his head thrown back, laughing like a fool.

“Coop?” She slowly lowered her hands. The crazy man wasn't running.

Coop picked her up and swung her around in a circle.

Her arms gripped his wide shoulders and she could read every emotion on his handsomely chiseled face. Coop had no intentions, of running.

“My turn, my turn,” cried Corey as he hurried over to them. “I want a turn.”

Coop slowly lowered her to the ground, gave her a wink, and reached for her son.

The smile that had been plastered across her face slowly faded as she spotted Felicity and Sam standing at the entrance. Felicity had her arms crossed and was staring right at her. Her sister-in-law did not look happy.

 

 

Dorothy dashed into the house to start the coffee for the adults and hot chocolate for the kids. The men were outside getting the trees out of the truck, and everyone was freezing. Oh, but what a wonderful time they'd all had.

Eli had shocked Dorothy by pulling her into the shadows, while trying to find the perfect tree, and giving her a quick kiss. She had been too stunned to respond. By the time her senses came flying back in a rush, Eli had joined his daughters and declared that the tree they were holding upright was perfect.

It hadn't been perfect and just to teach the kiss-stealing sneak a lesson, she had taught his daughters how to pick out the proper tree. Eli had stood there grinning like a big ox while she explained how you had to make sure that the trunk was straight and that the tree was evenly filled out. She had even bent needles and shook the tree to test for dryness. The girls had been impressed and went searching for the perfect tree for their house.

Eli had tried to drag her back into the shadows, and she might have gone too, if Tucker hadn't jumped out from between a group of trees, growling like a maniac and nearly giving her heart failure.

All the way home in the car, she watched Eli's strong, capable hands on the wheel and wondered what they would feel like against her skin. What he would feel like in her bed. Wicked thoughts. Delightfully wicked thoughts. Eli Fischer might be six years younger than she, but the man was old enough to know what he wanted. He obviously wanted her.

She was tired of arguing with him. Tired of running from her feelings.

She tossed her coat on the back of a kitchen chair and got to work filling the coffeepot. If Eli ever tried to kiss her again, she'd make sure it was a real, proper kiss—one that would curl his toes and make him have these same crazy butterflies that were dancing in her stomach. She didn't like being the only one walking around with them.

She grabbed the milk out of the refrigerator as the men carried in the trees and once again the house was in total chaos. She couldn't say she liked the chaos, but she was getting used to it. With the coffee flowing and the milk warming she went in search of the cookies she had baked this morning. Dreamsicles was the name of the cookie Eli had been raving about. They were orange-flavored cookies with white chips. She had never made cookies with Tang before, but she would be the first one to admit they tasted just like the ice cream bar Eli had been talking about.

“Grandmom, can we have a cookie?” asked Corey as he sprinted into the room.

“In a little while.” She loved spoiling her grandsons as much as she always did, but she was now making conscious decisions to cut back on too many goodies. Last night she had made them banana milkshakes using bananas and yogurt. Today, with the trees going up and little hands and feet frozen from being outside so long, they needed a celebration. A warm celebration. “Why don't you go see if Coop or Eli need any help setting up the trees?”