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Rob smiled but it seemed forced. “Sure. We’re okay.”
“Yeah?” Eric wasn’t buying it.
“Okay, we’ve got some shit going on. Well, I’ve got some shit going on.”
Rita Reyes was at their table now, ready to take Eric’s order. “Merry Christmas, Eric,” she said. “How are things at the lodge? Are you guys full up?”
“Not quite,” he said. “There’s still time to make a reservation for Christmas dinner.”
“Someday I’m gonna treat myself and do that. Your mom’s Christmas dinners are legendary. So, what can I get you?”
“Hale’s Mongoose.”
“I’ll have another,” Rob told her, and she nodded and hurried off. “There’s a fine-looking sugarplum,” he said, admiring the view as she threaded her way among the tables.
“Hello,” Bubba said, tapping him on the head. “Married man?”
Rob frowned.
“So, what’s going on with you two?” Eric asked, returning them to the subject at hand.
Rob contemplated his beer. “Sometimes I wonder if, aw, I don’t know. I think we got married too young.”
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of leaving Ivy,” Eric said.
“I don’t know,” he said again. “Sometimes I feel like I missed out somehow.”
Eric couldn’t believe his ears. Rob and Ivy were the perfect couple. In fact, he’d envied his old high school buddy. Rob seemed to have the perfect life. He’d married into a great family, and Christmas Haus, the shop he and Ivy owned, was a gold mine. It was originally called Kringle Mart, and they’d recently changed the name and doubled their business. In addition to sitting on a gold mine, he was married to a pretty woman who was about as nice as they came. A perfect life, a perfect marriage. If Rob couldn’t make it, who could?
Lately, Eric had been feeling the pull toward marriage. It seemed as though all his friends were happily paired off, either married or in a serious relationship. Well, it had until tonight.
“You’re nuts if you leave,” he told Rob.
“Yeah, probably,” Rob agreed. “But I wish I’d stayed single like you, man. Your life is your own. You can do what you want. All of that, plus good home cooking.”
Who was he kidding? Eric’s life was tied up in running the lodge and watching over his mom. Yeah, the home cooking was great and there was nothing else he’d rather do than run the lodge, but living with your mom didn’t exactly make for a great sex life.
“Yeah, right,” he said. “My life’s so great, that’s why I’m hanging out with you two—who, by the way, are a real pair of downers.”
“Love can be a downer,” Rob said morosely.
Rita was back with their beers. Just in time because Rob had swilled all of his. He lifted up his glass. “Okay, guys, here’s to the new year. Let’s hope it gets better.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Eric said. And better for him would include a woman. He was getting tired of his bachelor existence, tired of things not working out. His younger brother didn’t seem to mind going through women like candy but Eric did. He was ready to settle down.
Except if someone in a practically perfect marriage like Rob could be discontented, if a nice guy like Bubba couldn’t hang on to a woman, what chance did he have? And where was he going to find Ms. Right? Date local, great idea. But he’d tried the local girls and nothing had come of it. He’d even expanded his search to nearby Wenatchee and that hadn’t panned out, either. Was he too picky?
No, he decided. It wasn’t picky to want what his folks had. They’d been so happy. Maybe that was some older-generation thing. Maybe it didn’t work that way for people his age anymore. Who knew?
All he knew was that hanging out with his friends should have put him in a good mood and instead they were a holiday bummer.
Never mind, he told himself. Santa’s still alive and well, and it’s Christmas in Icicle Falls. Your life’s not so bad.
But hey, Santa, if you’re listening, it could be better.
Chapter Four (#ulink_50cc030d-359e-5e55-a0d2-6665d6280e85)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
“What do you mean you won’t be coming for Christmas Eve?” John Truman’s mother demanded.
John had not been looking forward to this conversation, which was why he’d put it off to the last possible minute. “I’m doing something with Holland.”
“With her family?” his mother asked suspiciously. When it came to Christmas and her kids, Mom didn’t like to share.
“No. Just the two of us. But we’ll be back Christmas Day.”
His mother harrumphed. “That’s all well and good, but it’ll just be us on Christmas Day. What am I supposed to tell the aunts and uncles, and your cousins? And Ben’s bringing his fiancée, too.”
As if John hadn’t already met his big brother’s girlfriend a million times. Anyway, if all went according to plan, he’d be showing up on Christmas Day with a fiancée of his own.
When he shared this with his mother, she wasn’t all that excited. “So, you’re going to do it.”
“Yep. We’re driving up to Icicle Falls tonight to stay in this really cool B and B and I’ll propose on Christmas Eve. Then we’ll come by the house on Christmas Day and show you the ring.”
There was a long moment of silence on his mother’s end. “Well, John, we love you and you know we’ll welcome her into the family.”
And that was as much as he was going to get out of his mother. She and Holland hadn’t quite warmed to each other yet. Mom thought Holland was self-centered. Translation: Holland didn’t always want to go along with Mom’s social plans for the family. Holland thought Mom was controlling. Translation: Holland didn’t always want to go along with Mom’s social plans for the family. They were both strong women but John knew they’d really come to love each other. Eventually. Once Mom got over the idea that Holland wasn’t good enough for him.
All moms thought that about their kids, right? Except she loved his brother’s fiancée, probably because Margo fell right in with everything Mom wanted to do, from impromptu family picnics to Father’s Day barbecues. But Holland had a family of her own, and an important job at a Seattle ad agency. She had a social life, too. She had girlfriends, and a book club, and that all took time. And she and John had friends. They couldn’t necessarily drop what they were doing and come running whenever Mom called. That was what Holland said when she balked at Mom’s latest plans for family (and girlfriend) solidarity. Fortunately, she’d never said it to Mom’s face, or there would’ve been hell to pay.
“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” his mother added.
Oh, yeah. Feeling the motherly support here. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You haven’t even been together a year.”
“Eleven months.” Close enough. And they’d known each other before then. They worked in the same downtown building and had hung out at lunch sometimes.
“And you two did have that rough patch,” she continued.
“Everybody has rough patches, Mom.” He remembered his parents doing their share of fighting when he was in grade school. “Anyway, that was months ago.” He and Holland had worked things out since then. Okay, so they still had a fight once in a while. Every couple had disagreements, right? “We’re fine now.” And they were going to have a great time up in Icicle Falls, where he’d booked them a room at the kind of classy place Holland would love, with a fancy lobby and fireplaces in the rooms. Oh, yeah. It was going to be totally romantic. He had everything planned out. A late dinner at one of the local restaurants, shopping the next day, followed by a romantic sleigh ride and maybe some skating in the outdoor rink in the town square. Then, after Christmas Eve dinner, he’d whip out the ring he’d bought, get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. After that they’d have champagne in their room, get a fire going in the fireplace and heat up the sheets. Oh, yeah. Holland was going to be blown away.
“I just don’t want to see you hurt,” his mother said.
Had his mother been a wet blanket in another life? “What makes you think I’ll get hurt?” He wasn’t an idiot, for crying out loud.
Another silence on the other end of the line. “Honey, sometimes you’re not...”
“Not what?”
“Not very realistic.”
Okay, sometimes he was an idiot. But how could he have known Sarah Schoop was out to use him? Okay, so she’d gotten him to buy her a few expensive presents. He hadn’t minded. He liked being generous. Maybe he liked being obtuse, too. He and Sarah would probably still be together if his mother and sister hadn’t done an intervention after his sister overheard Sarah asking him to pay for her boob job. They’d explained that Sarah loved him only for his 401k. Yeah, Sarah was a mistake. But he was older and wiser now. Once a guy passed thirty, he developed a little more discernment. And one thing he knew—Holland didn’t need to use him. Well, except as a sex toy.
“You need a woman with a good heart,” said Mom.
“Holland has a good heart.”
“I’m sure she does...somewhere.”
“Mom,” John said sternly, “you’re talking about the woman I love.”
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
“Okay, I have to go,” he said, pissed.
“All right, but what am I supposed to tell the family tomorrow?”
“Tell them that the next time they see me I’ll be engaged.”
That didn’t make his mother happy but it sure made him smile.
He was barely off the phone with Mom when his smartphone rang. This time it was the love of his life. “Hey,” he said. “I’m just leaving to pick you up.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Oh, no. His mind latched on to the image of a building getting whacked by a giant wrecking ball. He could practically hear the crack and crumble of his carefully laid plans. “What?”
“I have to work late.”
Two days before Christmas? Was she working for Ebenezer Scrooge?
“You go on up and I’ll meet you there.”
Oh, yeah, take two cars to a romantic getaway. “No way. We’ll wait and go tomorrow morning.” He’d paid a good chunk of change for the room but so what?
“No, you may as well have fun. Just go on up.”
How was that supposed to be fun without her? Here he was, planning to sweep her off her feet, and instead she was pulling the rug out from under him. “I’m not going up without you. That’s lame.”
“No, it’s not. Anyway, you paid for the room. You might as well use it.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you. I’ll wait and we can go up later, after you get done at work. I’ll drive. You can relax.”
“There’s nothing relaxing about the way you drive,” she informed him.
John frowned. Honesty was important in a relationship, but sometimes Holland was too honest, especially when it came to his flaws. “Thanks a lot,” he muttered.
“Come on, John. Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“All disappointed and grumpy.”
Kind of hard not to be disappointed. He’d had this all planned, and she’d known about it for a month. Since when was she so gutless that she couldn’t tell her boss she couldn’t work late?
“It’s been a sucky day. I just want to get a good night’s sleep in my own bed,” she continued, further bruising his ego.
Yeah, God forbid she’d want to cuddle up to him. They were serious, an item. Weren’t they supposed to want to be together?
“So I’ll see you up there tomorrow. Where are we going again?”
“The Icicle Creek Lodge,” he said, but not grumpily. He was not grumpy.
“Okay, see you there,” she said, and ended the call.
No matter what Holland said, he wasn’t going to go off and start their romantic getaway alone. “This reeks,” he grumbled as he tossed his phone onto the seat next to him and drove home.
Home was a one-bedroom apartment in Seattle’s Belltown. He guessed he’d find some Bruce Willis movie on Netflix and kick back with a beer.
And let that room at the Icicle Creek Lodge sit empty?
Yeah. That was the gallant thing to do because what kind of turd-brain went off and started a romantic weekend without his girlfriend?
A pissed one.
The car was all loaded with the champagne in the trunk, along with his suitcase. And, as Holland had pointed out, the room at the Icicle Creek Lodge was paid for. So, he could go home to his apartment and sit around feeling grumpy or he could go on up to Icicle Falls and check in to a really cool place, get everything ready for when she came up tomorrow. Hmm.
No, it didn’t feel right.
Still, he’d already paid the money. He called Holland again.
“What?” she snapped.
“Are you positive you don’t want to go up tonight? I’ll give you a back rub when we get there,” he promised. Holland loved his back rubs.
“No, I don’t. I’m not sure when I’ll get done and I’m tired from having to come in early. And I told you, I had a sucky day. I’ll see you up there tomorrow. Okay?”
Well, there was no reason to get snappy. Oh, except for PMS. And if that was what was going on he’d be better off letting her get a good night’s sleep.
“Fine,” he said, a little snappish himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” she said in a quasipatient tone of voice, as if she was dealing with someone who was a severe trial.
He knew when to give up. If she wanted to take two cars and waste gas, fine. “Okay.” He wanted to urge her not to take all day getting up there, but then he remembered that possible PMS thing so he didn’t. Instead, he said, “See you when you get there.” He added, “I love you, babe,” but she’d hung up. Well, he was the more romantic of the two of them. Weird, but there you had it.
He was also the thriftier of the two, probably because he didn’t make as much as she did. There was nothing wrong with being thrifty, and hey, if she was determined to bring her own car, then he’d go up tonight.
