Holiday Wedding

by Robyn Neeley

  “Oh, the whole town’s talking about your arrival.”

  Drew raised a curious eyebrow. “Really? It’s just a wedding. Does that not happen here?”

  “Oh, lots of special weddings take place in this town,” she said and tossed an exaggerated wink in Drew’s direction. “We’re so glad you’ll be with us this holiday season.” She poured them coffee and scooted away.

  “How strange,” Lauren remarked, opening her menu.

  Drew shrugged. “The gossip probably spread about the rich CEO wedding here. I’m sure Luke will be dropping a lot of cash for us to get this done the way he wants it. They’ll probably unveil a statue of him in the village square.”

  Leaning forward, he motioned for her to do the same. Her familiar vanilla scent intoxicated him. “Do you get the feeling we’ve been dropped into a Charles Dickens story?”

  She raised her eyebrow, playing along. “Would you like to see the ghost of your Christmas past or present?”

  “Future,” he said, not missing a beat.

  She straightened and for some reason, her mood went serious. “I’m sure you’ll see your future soon. We should get to work.” She pulled her laptop out of its black vinyl case and powered it on.

  Why was she changing the subject? He looked out the window. Because she doesn’t want a future with you, you idiot.

  The waitress returned to take their orders, while Lauren contacted Miles. Within minutes, Drew could hear the wedding planner’s annoying voice from the other side.

  It wasn’t that he hated the guy. He just hated that Lauren’s friendship with Miles had taken off the same time his and Lauren’s relationship had flatlined. Even after the misunderstanding with Kate and the kiss on the beach was straightened out, she’d still chosen her new life working beside his brother and moving in with Miles.

  “Say good morning, you two.” She pushed the laptop to the corner of the table so Miles could see both of them.

  “Good morning, Miles,” Drew said flatly.

  “Drew, you’re looking Christmas-y.”

  Drew smirked his response. What was wrong with his red sweater?

  “Okay, Miles.” Lauren tapped on her iPad. “Got your agenda this morning. Can you tell us what S.W. stands for?”

  He looked down, which Drew guessed he was also looking at the agenda. “You know, I don’t know. That’s all the information Luke’s assistant gave me. Said to head toward the mountain. You couldn’t miss it on the right.”

  “Interesting. We’ll just ask someone. Maybe the waitress knows.” Lauren took a sip of her coffee. “So the agenda also says we’re tasting wedding cakes this afternoon.”

  “Yes, I’ve made some notes about the type of cake you should look for. I’ll e-mail them over to you.”

  “It’s a wedding cake, dude.”

  Miles rolled his eyes. “It’s not just a wedding cake. It’s the perfect symbol of their love. The wedding cake has to be deliciously exquisite, representing our elegant bride and dashing groom.”

  “Seriously?” Drew asked. “It’s sugar, eggs, and flour with frosting.”

  “Why don’t you just buy a box of Duncan Hines and bake it yourself then?” Miles shot back.

  “Okay, you two, time to go to separate corners of your screens.” She tilted the laptop so it faced her. “Miles, I think we’ve got it. I’ll send you pictures of what we pick out.”

  “I would like that.”

  “I promise it will be scrumptious.” She lowered her eyes at Drew. “And not out of a box.”

  “Call me if you need anything. I’ve got to run and check in with Kate.”

  “Thanks, Miles. Have a good day.”

  “You, too. Lauren.” It was clear he was done with Drew.

  Lauren turned off her laptop as their breakfast arrived and they both dug in. “Will you two ever get along?”

  “Doubt it.” Drew grabbed the ketchup for his eggs, giving the bottle a pat. “So we’re looking at a space and tasting cakes today. Anything else on the agenda?”

  Lauren took a bite of her syrupy pancake and glanced over at her iPad. “No, it looks like that’s it.”

  “Easy enough.” He reached for his coffee. “This planning a wedding thing doesn’t seem so hard.”

  “Oh, now you want to plan the wedding?”

  “What can I say? Always the groomsman, never the groom.”

  Lauren finished her breakfast in silence, eyes glued to her iPad. Before Drew knew what was happening, she’d thrown on her coat, eyes full of agitation. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He watched as she slid out the booth, stuffed her laptop and iPad in to her bag, and bolted for the door. Why was she so mad? This couldn’t be about their not getting married. She was the one who’d called it off. The waitress came over with the check, and he handed her his credit card.

  Standing, he glanced out the window to see Lauren cross the road and head toward the Christmas tree in the town’s square. It hadn’t occurred to him that planning his brother’s wedding might be like twisting a knife into an open wound. Would she be able to do this?

  “We can do anything together.” He whispered her reassuring words from last night and headed out the door.

  • • •

  Lauren stood in front of the enormous Christmas tree, shoving her shivering hands deep inside her jacket pockets. She was still ticked off over Drew’s insensitive “always a groomsman” comment.

  She might have called off their wedding, but he was the one whose feet had been beyond cold. Her gaze rested on a tiny silver snowflake ornament tucked inside the tree.

  How odd. She looked the tree up and down, but there were no other decorations other than lights. She reached in and snatched the sparkly ornament from its resting place between branches. Her hand began to shake, realizing the tiny snowflake in her palm was an exact replica of the snowflakes she’d made for their Charlie Brown Christmas tree. If only they could go back to that simpler time.

  Her parents had expected her to get married straight out of college, especially her mother—who’d had her eye on a number of appropriate suitors. When Lauren had come home from spring break announcing she was seeing someone and transferring from UCLA to NYU, it had put a crimp in her mom’s plans.

  Those first few years together, Lauren had enjoyed her independence, and Drew’s lack of interest in marriage hadn’t really bothered her. Sure, she’d often thought of what it would be like to be Mrs. Cannon, but just as he was establishing his footing in JDL Toys, she was making her mark as a marketing executive at an international cosmetics company.

  A ring, white picket fence, two-car garage, and screaming children could wait.

  Over time, things changed. As they grew more established and their friends started to marry off, she thought it might be nice to have that fence, two parked cars, and a house full of noise. Drew, however, was perfectly content leaving things the way they were. It was only after she strongly hinted that a ring needed to be placed on her finger or she would be reevaluating things that he’d finally proposed.

  She studied the snowflake in her palm. Would he ever be ready to get married? What if this thing he had with Olivia escalated into an engagement? How on earth would she deal with it?

  “Merry Christmas.” An old man stopped in front of her, gripping a bright red cane for balance. “Beautiful tree, isn’t it?”

  “Merry Christmas,” she repeated and added, “It’s gorgeous.” Feeling a little bit like a thief, she attached the rogue snowflake, sliding it along the branch. “I found this one ornament on it.”

  “Then you’re in luck.”

  “Why is that?”

  “This here is our official Wishing Tree, only one like it in these parts. Last weekend, hundreds of people stopped by to collect their wishes.” He grabbed the snowflake and handed it back to her. “This beautiful spruce was full of ornaments, each representing one wish. Looks like you got the last one.”

  Lauren’s fingers wrapped around the snowflake
, and her eyes watered. “Even if I made it, I’m not sure my wish can come true now.” She put the snowflake in her purse.

  “Well, you’ve got a few days to turn things around.”

  She laughed. “I’ve only got this week and next until Christmas.”

  The old man grinned. “Or other events …You enjoy your adventure here.” He started to walk away.

  What did he mean by “other events”? “Excuse me, sir.” She paused. “Could you help me? I’m meeting someone at a place with the initials S.W., and the instructions I was given said it’s at the base of Snow Frost Mountain. Is that a hotel or resort?”

  He chuckled. “You must be meeting Natasha.”

  “Yes! Is she an event planner?” Her gaze flew back to the restaurant where her eyes rested on Drew standing in the parking lot. She waved to get his attention.

  “You’ll find her at the base of the mountain. She runs my workshop. Maybe I’ll see you there soon, but right now I’ve got to run.” He winked. “It’s my busy season, but I’m really glad you’re here, Lauren.”

  Lauren watched as the old man made his way across the street and disappeared into what appeared to be a candy shop. How did he know her name?

  Drew joined her. “Nice tree.”

  She smiled, pulling her purse that contained her wish closer. “Apparently it’s a special tree.”

  “Special?” He repeated. “How so?”

  “It’s a wishing tree.”

  “In that case.” He tugged on a branch and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Flinging them open, he said, “Okay, you ready?”

  “What did you wish for?”

  “I can’t tell you. It won’t come true.”

  “I don’t think it works quite like that.” She laughed. “At least, not according to the old man who was just here.”

  “Well, we’ll see. All good wishes are worth the wait. You ready for our first adventure?”

  “Yeah.” She turned her attention to Drew. “What took you so long?”

  “My credit card wouldn’t run through for some reason. They tried twice.” He shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe I maxed it out in Thailand last month.”

  Her heart fell, realizing that was probably where Drew’s and Olivia’s matching tans came from.

  “Did you find out what S.W. stands for?” Drew asked.

  “Not really. But the old man told me we’d be meeting someone named Natasha there. And that’s what it says on Luke’s agenda, so I guess we’re on the right track.” She paused. “And the old man knew my name, too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I get the feeling something bigger is going on than us planning your brother’s wedding.”

  “Like what?”

  “Not sure.” Her eyes rested on the tree. She’d refrain from telling Drew about the rogue snowflake ornament that had appeared out of no where and was the exact replica of the one she’d made for him all those years ago. He’d think she was nuts.

  They walked back to the car and drove the short trip toward the mountain. “So,” Lauren tapped on her iPad, “We’re meeting a woman named Natasha. It says on the agenda that she’s short and sweet.”

  Drew tilted his head to see Lauren’s iPad screen. “Those are weird notes. Who’s Luke’s assistant these days? A second grader?”

  “Vivian’s actually very nice, and just celebrated her sixtieth birthday last month.” She glanced out the window, taking in a huge conglomerate of red and green houses, all decorated from top to bottom in Christmas lights. This place must be spectacular in the evening all lit up.

  “Where the hell are we?” Drew ran his hand through his hair.

  “Oh, my God,” she whispered, not believing what was in front of her. “It’s Santa’s Workshop.”

  “What?”

  “S.W. stands for Santa’s Workshop.” She thought back to the old man she’d just met. He’d said it was his workshop. Did that make him Santa?

  Drew parked the car and they got out. “Why would Luke want to get married in some tourist trap when we have a perfectly good Santa’s Village set up at JDL Toys?”

  “That’s a good question.” Luke was definitely up to something, but she wasn’t quite sure what. A woman wearing a long green wool coat greeted them with a smile that lit up her face. Vivian had been correct—if this was Natasha, she was definitely on the short side.

  “Lauren. Drew.” She waved. “How was your trip in? Are you all settled in at the cabin?”

  “Yes. Thank you. You must be Natasha.” Lauren extended her gloved hand. The fact that this woman knew they were staying at the cabin really didn’t surprise her. It was becoming clear with each interaction that all of the town’s residents had gotten the memo.

  “Yes, I am. It’s so nice to finally meet you both. Let’s get you inside. It’s been a bit frosty on the mountain this week.” The petite woman spun on her heels and headed toward the first of the red and green houses.

  Drew leaned in. “What did she mean by ‘finally meet you’?”

  Lauren shrugged, and he hummed the Twilight Zone theme.

  “Stop it.” She gave him a playful swat. “Natasha seems sweet.”

  “Yeah, and that’s probably what Hansel and Gretel said about the lady they met before they entered the Gingerbread House.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing Luke’s the one with a sweet tooth and not you,” she teased as they caught up to Natasha and entered the first building. Inside, her mouth dropped. The open space was packed with Christmas trees, sparkly decorations dripping from branches. A model train circled above them while holiday music filtered through the air. A big sign hanging on the wall read “Toys this Way” with a bright red arrow pointing to the left.

  “Is this a toy store?” Drew loosened his scarf.

  “Oh, no.” Natasha laughed as if he’d said the silliest thing on earth. “We make toys here, not sell them.”

  “And that’s why you call this place Santa’s Workshop.” Drew crossed his arms, obviously convinced he’d solved the mystery. “Makes total sense … a little cliché.”

  “Well, we’ve had that name for quite a while.” She reached out and offered to take their coats. “We open Santa’s Workshop on October first every year. Visitors from all around stop in and help us make toys for kids in need. All the toys we make are then donated to charities up and down the East Coast.”

  “Do you charge an admissions fee?”

  Lauren pulled off her gloves and slapped Drew with one. Typical Ebenezer Drew always looking for ways to turn a profit. “How many toys do you make?”

  “Thousands.” Natasha grabbed a green bowl full of candy canes and offered them both one. “Many of our town residents help out, too.”

  “How wonderful.” Lauren could stay there forever soaking in all the Christmas merriment, or at least the rest of the day. She highly doubted her partner in crime felt the same way and was kind of surprised—given his aversion to Christmas—he hadn’t bolted for the door.

  Drew watched the train set circling overhead for a few seconds, then turned to Natasha. “We should probably get started. Can you show us the room the wedding reception will be in?”

  Natasha’s eyebrows burrowed. “We don’t hold wedding events here.” She laughed at the thought. “Goodness, no.”

  “You don’t?” Lauren asked, taking her eyes off the trees.

  Drew didn’t wait for Natasha’s answer. “There must be a mistake. My brother sent us here to look at a space for his wedding. Is there another place with the initials S.W.? A hotel, maybe?”

  Natasha motioned for them to follow her. “The only hotel in town is the Snow Frost Inn. We did speak to your brother and arranged for you both to visit this morning. I don’t know anything about your seeing a reception venue, but this morning you’ll be making toys.”

  “What!” Drew shook his head and Lauren could tell her ex was going to lose it any second. She’d been around him enough to know what it looked like when one twin pushed the other ove
r the edge, and Drew was just about to plummet.

  Lauren linked her arm through his. “Come on. We’re not going to blow our first assignment.”

  An hour later, Drew plopped down next to Lauren. Their workbench was full of toy trains they’d assembled and painted. Additional visitors sat throughout the room, working on their toys, enjoying complimentary Christmas cookies and hot cocoa, and listening to holiday music.

  Lauren waved her paintbrush in the air. She’d just finished the tiny white trim to her red wooden train. “Isn’t this fun?”

  “Yeah, a blast.” Drew had been quiet for most of the hour but, to Lauren’s delight, had finally picked up a paintbrush. Maybe there was help for him yet. If there was a place for Drew to finally let Christmas into his heart, this was it.

  “Come on. It’s therapeutic, and just think how excited some kid is going to be to get this train set.”

  He nodded, but lowered his voice. “What they do is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But how is our wasting time in this place going to help us accomplish the job we came here to do? I thought we were planning Luke’s wedding, not on some Christmas version of The Amazing Race.”

  “I love that show.”

  “Lauren, not the point.”

  “I know.” She dipped her paintbrush into the bright red paint and grabbed another unpainted wooden train. “Do you trust your brother?”

  “Not on your life.” He pushed off his chair. “I’m calling him now and ending this.”

  Lauren sighed. Not even being in a town saturated in Christmas cheer could defrost Drew’s cold heart. Her own broke watching him pace back and forth.

  He did have a point that they were probably wasting precious time that could be spent on the wedding or preparing to sell the Happily Ever After dolls. As she continued to paint her train, she realized she was okay with that.

  “Care for more cocoa?” A young man dressed in a red sweater vest with a green scarf around his neck offered to refill her cup.

  “Sure. Thank you.”

  “Your friend mellow out?”

  She couldn’t help but smirk. “You noticed?”

  “That he’d rather slide down Snow Frost Mountain on his butt naked than be here? Yeah, it’s pretty noticeable.”