Married for Christmas (Willow Park)

by Noelle Adams

  “Why don’t you just buy one online?” she suggested. “You can get a better deal that way anyway.”

  “Would you stop that?” Daniel groaned. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to buy an engagement ring for you without at least holding it first.”

  It really was very sweet—that he was taking this so seriously, even though he’d never thought about her as anything but a friend. Her heart melted, just a little, at the sight of his stubbly, aggravated face.

  “I don’t even need an engagement ring,” she said.

  He completely ignored that comment and kept peering at the rings in the case.

  “What about this one?” he asked, gesturing toward another one in the expensive display.

  She tried to tug him to another case—one with more reasonably priced options. “I don’t need a real diamond. What about one of these other stones? They basically look like diamonds, and they’re so much cheaper.”

  He ignored her again. She could tell he was doing it on purpose.

  Annoyed, she stepped back over and gave him a hard poke in the side. “I’m talking to you.”

  “You’re not saying anything I’m going to take seriously. My wife is going to have an engagement ring, and it’s not going to be a piece of junk.”

  She knew he’d been comfortable financially, since he’d saved for years and didn’t splurge on anything except books. But preachers never made fortunes, and he’d had to use some of his savings while he was between jobs.

  “But—” She broke off when she noticed a ring in the corner of the expensive case. It was white gold with a princess cut diamond in an engraved setting. It was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.

  She stared at it for a few seconds before she jerked her eyes away. She pointed toward another ring that was obviously much cheaper. It wasn’t nearly as beautiful, but that simply didn’t matter. “I like this one.”

  “You are the most frustrating woman on the face of the earth,” he gritted out.

  “You just say that because I beat you at that math competition in fifth grade, even though you were two years older.”

  His face softened into a smile at the memory. “I’m still not sure that competition wasn’t rigged.”

  She tried—very hard—not to laugh. Didn’t exactly succeed.

  “But seriously,” she went on, “this ring here is perfectly nice.”

  “Forget it. This is futile. I’ll get the ring myself, and you’ll be stuck with whatever I pick out.”

  “Fine. Whatever you get me will be great, as long as it’s not too expensive.”

  Daniel gave her a look as they left the store and a very confused salesman. She giggled and took his arm companionably, since she knew his grumpiness was mostly for show.

  The few times she’d seen Daniel genuinely angry, he’d been silent and ice cold. Just the thought of it gave her shivers.

  Their normal camaraderie restored, they went to grab some coffee before they headed back to Daniel’s truck.

  She absolutely didn’t care about the engagement ring. She was getting what she most wanted, and romance wasn’t high enough on the list to matter.

  ***

  “Yes, I’m really getting married,” she said the next day on the phone. “To Daniel. Yes, it’s sudden. But you know we’ve always been friends, and we just realized we wanted more than that.”

  Her mother’s voice was thin and wispy. “You’re getting married?”

  “Yes. In six weeks. On December 7th. In Willow Park. You know I always wanted to get married in our old church.”

  “Who are you marrying?”

  “Daniel,” Jessica said patiently. Daniel was sitting across the room, working at her dining room table. They’d had dinner together so they could make plans for the wedding. He glanced over at her but then looked back at the email on his laptop.

  When the only response was confused silence, Jessica said, “He lived next door to us. Remember? He used to always stop by, hoping for some of your cookies or caramel corn.”

  “Who?”

  “Daniel. He broke the window with a baseball when he was twelve.”

  “Oh, I know him. He’s a very naughty boy. I haven’t seen him lately.”

  “He’s all grown up now. I’m marrying him.”

  “Who are you marrying?”

  Jessica swallowed over an ache in her throat. Talking on the phone was so hard for her mother, since there wasn’t any face-to-face context to place the conversation. Plus, it was getting late in the day. Her mom was always more disoriented in the evenings. “I’m marrying Daniel. He’s going to be the pastor at First Church in Willow Park. They voted to call him as pastor today. He starts in three weeks.”

  “Daniel broke the window.”

  “Yes, he broke the window, but that was a long time ago.”

  After another minute, Jessica finally gave up and said goodbye.

  She put her phone down and went into the kitchen, mostly just for something to do.

  Bear followed her, so she leaned down to pet the dog, taking comfort in her warm, soft body and absolute loyalty.

  “You okay?”

  She jerked at the voice from behind her. She hadn’t even heard Daniel follow her into the kitchen.

  “Yeah. It’s just…Mom.”

  “I know.”

  He looked understanding, sympathetic, and it meant something to her. She really would have liked a hug, but they’d never been touchy that way. There was no reason to expect it to change now.

  “I just got a text from Martha. She said she’d love to do the flowers.”

  “Great,” Jessica said, feeling better at having something to do, something to organize. “It’s nice that we’ve known these people for so long, so they’re willing to work with us at the last minute. So we’ve got the flowers, the caterer, and the photographer. Kim is driving in on Saturday—did I tell you? She’s going to help me look for a dress.”

  Kim had been her college roommate and had always been her best friend, aside from Daniel. She lived in Asheville now.

  “Good.”

  She sighed. “Everyone is really excited.”

  “Of course, they are.”

  “Yeah.”

  He took a step closer to her, nudging Bear out of the way. “We’re not lying to them, Jessica. We’re getting married. It’s a real marriage. Our motivations are irrelevant. People are allowed to be happy for us.”

  “I know.”

  “We’re not doing this at all if you’re going to feel guilty about it.”

  “I don’t feel guilty. I promise I don’t feel guilty.”

  She didn’t feel guilty. She felt a little poignant that this wasn’t happening the way she’d always dreamed. But then she reminded herself of what she was getting—a home, a husband, a family, a life not always spent in waiting.

  Excitement bubbled up in her heart again.

  He searched her face and seemed satisfied with whatever he saw there.

  Then he stuffed his hand into his pocket. “By the way, here.”

  She blinked as he extended his hand with a ring resting on his palm.

  It was the beautifully engraved, princess-cut diamond solitaire she’d seen in the shop. The one she’d adored.

  She gasped, everything in her heart reaching out for that gorgeous ring, even as she held herself very still. She managed to say, “You shouldn’t have—”

  “Don’t even start.” He sounded grumpy again, and he grabbed her left hand and pushed the ring on her finger before she could object. “There. Now we’re officially engaged.”

  She stared down at her hands. They were pale and thin with neat, no-nonsense fingernails.

  But now she had an engagement ring there.

  She made sure to keep her voice dry as she said, “Yay us.”

  Two

  “What do you think? The couch against the wall?”

  Jessica looked from Daniel’s face to the long empty wall adjacent to the fireplace in the house
they’d be moving into in Willow Park. “I guess.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “Wouldn’t it be nicer in front of the fireplace? Like this?” She gestured toward a space in the middle of the room, walking off the length of it. “And then the TV could go here, my big chair could go here, and we could put bookcases against the wall.”

  She got increasingly enthusiastic about plans as she talked, but when she’d finished she looked over at him hesitantly, hoping he hadn’t thought she was trying to take over. It was hard not to be excited, though, since it was starting to feel real—like she would really be living here in Willow Park, married to Daniel, in just a month.

  “Yeah. That would be better.” He grinned at her in his endearing way, causing her chest to tighten. “We are talking about my couch, right?”

  She tried to hide a smile. “I don’t know. My grandma’s couch is almost an antique—” She broke off when his eyes widened in horror, and then she burst into laughter.

  She’d been using her grandmother’s old sofa for years because she’d never felt it worth the trouble of replacing it with something more her taste. It was perfectly comfortable but also boasted huge pink peonies all over it. Daniel’s couch was only a few years old and was made of brown leather.

  He narrowed his eyes as he realized she was teasing him, making her laugh even more.

  The manse—the house owned by First Presbyterian Church in Willow Park and used as housing for the pastor—was charming, built about a hundred years ago, with original hardwood floors, a big front porch, and two big willows in the backyard.

  Jessica had always loved the house. She couldn’t believe she’d actually be living in it soon.

  She couldn’t believe she’d be living in it with Daniel.

  They’d been engaged now for two weeks, but she still had trouble wrapping her mind around that fact.

  Since they’d finished walking through the first floor, they headed upstairs to the second. Several years ago, the church had turned two small bedrooms into a master suite, and there were three other bedrooms down the hall.

  Jessica was hit with the vision of having children in those rooms. All her life, she’d wanted kids, and she’d started to lose hope that she’d ever have them.

  She shook off the tempting daydream. She didn’t want to assume that everything would work out according to her plans.

  But she couldn’t help but see them. She couldn’t help but hope.

  “You okay?” Daniel asked, evidently noticing her distraction.

  “Yeah. Good.” She smiled at him, trying not to look too ridiculously happy. Most women she’d known were excited about the romance part of the marriage. She could definitely understand that. She didn’t have the romance—but she’d have all the other stuff.

  And that was still a lot to be excited about.

  She added, “I’ll make one of these bedrooms my office, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course. Which one do you want?”

  She stepped into the bedroom with two big windows, one that looked out onto the back yard. “This one, I think.”

  Daniel eyed the room assessingly. “I like it. You could put a desk in that corner, so you’d have a view of both windows.”

  “My desk wouldn’t work in that corner.”

  “You could get a new desk. Didn’t you find yours at a yard sale, anyway?”

  She walked out to look through the second window. If she turned her head right, she could catch a glimpse of the charming, tree-lined street. “I’m not going to spend money on a new desk. Yard sale or not, the one I have is still fine.”

  He didn’t argue. Just looked out the windows for a few more seconds and then wandered out of the room and down the hall to the master. She followed him, since there was nothing else to see in this room.

  He stopped before he walked in and cleared his throat. She suddenly realized his expression was slightly self-conscious.

  “What were you thinking about the bedroom situation?” he asked.

  She gulped, feeling a wave of self-consciousness washing over her, much stronger than what she’d just seen in his face. They were both adults, though, and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Not really. “Well, I guess we should probably share the master if you’re okay with it. I mean, it’s going to look strange to everyone if we have separate rooms.”

  “You’d be all right with that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I didn’t know if you’d want me all in your space.”

  “I’ll have plenty of space, since you’ll be working at the church most days. If we’re going to be married for real, then we might as well…” She trailed off. Couldn’t bring herself to say the rest.

  He didn’t answer, and she didn’t have the nerve to look at his face. It might be hard for him—moving on after Lila, even just moving on to a half-fake marriage.

  The flood of sympathy at the thought compelled her to raise her eyes. His face looked stiff, a little lost.

  She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “We don’t have to share a room if you’d rather not. We can work it out with how everyone else might view it.”

  “No. You’re right. We should share the bedroom.” He gave her a half-smile, his mood suddenly lifting. “Besides, if we had separate bedrooms, I’m sure you’d insist on claiming the master, and I’d be stuck in one of those cubbyholes.”

  She giggled, relieved they’d fallen back into casual friendliness again.

  No use to get nervous about sharing a bed with Daniel quite yet. Or get excited about it.

  It was still a month away.

  Daniel would be starting his job and moving to Willow Park next week. She wouldn’t move until after the wedding.

  They went into the airy master bedroom. It wasn’t huge, but it was much bigger than was normally found in a house of this age, and it also had an updated attached bathroom. She couldn’t help but shiver in delight at the big window and window seat against the far wall.

  “My grandma’s furniture would look great in here, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Yeah. It’s nicer than what I have. I can just sleep on a mattress until we get your stuff out here.”

  They both stared for a minute at the wall where the bed would be placed.

  Jessica tried to smother the jittery excitement that arose once again at the thought of going to bed with Daniel.

  To distract herself, she gestured toward one corner. “Bear’s bed could go there.”

  The nature of the silence that followed made her shoulders stiffen. “Right?” she asked, glancing back at Daniel.

  “The dog really sleeps in the bedroom?”

  “Of course. And her name is Bear.”

  “Wouldn’t she be just as happy sleeping downstairs?”

  “No. She wouldn’t be happy at all.” All of her soft, trembling feelings vanished completely in a rush of anxious indignation. “She’s slept in the bedroom all her life. I’m not going to send her downstairs. She wouldn’t understand. She’d probably howl and scratch at the bedroom door to get in.”

  Daniel sighed. “I told you that you shouldn’t spoil that dog.”

  “What are you talking about? This is hardly an ethical issue. She’s a dog, and she’s perfectly well behaved. I’m not going to banish her from the bedroom. I’ll sleep in another room if I have to.”

  Daniel’s family had never had pets. His mother hadn’t liked them. So he’d never grown up with a dog as a part of the family the way she had. But it didn’t make sense to Jessica. He had the warmest heart when it came to people. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t love her sweet dog.

  When he didn’t reply, she added, “She’s been with me for five years. I’m not going to send her away at this point. It would really hurt her feelings.”

  “You know dogs don’t have feelings to hurt, right?”

  She almost choked on her outrage. “You close the door on her face and then tell me she does
n’t have feelings to hurt.”

  He was starting to get a little annoyed, probably thinking she was overreacting about something absolutely absurd.

  But she saw him take a deep breath, obviously suppressing his initial reaction. “Fine,” he said, gravel in his tone. He rubbed a hand over his thick hair. “She can sleep on her bed in here.”

  Jessica opened her mouth to reply but shut it again immediately.

  “She does always sleep on her own bed, right?” He’d obviously picked up some sort of nuance in her silent response.

  “Most of the time.” She casually walked to the window and looked out on the wide expanse of backyard and the large shed. It was definitely getting to be winter, with gray skies and chilly wind. No hint of snow yet, though.

  Suddenly, he put his hand on her shoulder and swung her around. “Jessica?”

  “I told you. She’s usually sleeps on her bed.”

  “And the times she doesn’t?”

  She cleared her throat. “Sometimes she gets hot. Then she goes to the hardwood floor. It’s cooler.”

  “Uh huh.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment.

  “The dog is not going to sleep on the bed with us.”

  “Her name is Bear.”

  “She’s not going to sleep on the bed with us. She’s huge.”

  “She’s not that big. Don’t be mean.”

  “Mean? She’s almost as big as you are.”

  “She usually sleeps on her own bed.”

  “She’s going to sleep on her bed all the time now. I’m going to have to put my foot down about this.”

  She was suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of attraction for him. Daniel was tense and annoyed and deeply authoritative. He felt really big, standing only a few inches away and glaring down at her.

  She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to touch her.

  She forced the attraction back—since he obviously didn’t feel the same attraction for her. There was no use arguing about this anyway. Things would happen as they happened. “Fine. You go right ahead and put your foot down.”

  He blinked, obviously surprised by her response. “I’m serious about this.”