A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft

by Shelley Shepard Gray

“Maybe. Or maybe not. Now that I think about how I carried on so much that you took the first flight out, how I had to sleep over at the Kaufmanns’ because I was afraid, how I didn’t even want to see new guests because I felt like I’d lost my trust in everyone . . .” She shook her head. “It was a pretty poor response.”

  “But this inn has meant the world to you. It’s been your refuge since your breakup with your fiancé. Then you clung to it for security after your aunt died.” He smiled softly. “Most recently, you discovered that the inn you thought was yours was actually mine. All of those things are reasons why this place means so much to you.”

  It would be easy to let Eric’s statement absolve her of her mistakes. But she wasn’t going to hide behind excuses. “Eric, while it is true that this inn is mighty special to me, I am still guilty of forgetting about forgiveness and compassion. I was so selfish.”

  Shifting again, he shook his head. He reached out and took her hand. “You were not, Bev. What Peter did was not good. Stealing from you was not okay. Breaking a window was not okay. Searching through the rooms, looking for things to pawn was wrong, too.” His voice was firm. Sure. After taking a breath, he added, “That boy did a lot of damage around here. And after? Instead of confessing, he kept his secrets. Who knows, maybe he would have stolen again. I would have.” He grimaced as he let go of her fingers. “I did.”

  “He was hungry. He was trying to provide for his brother.”

  “I know. But robbing the inn wasn’t the right course of action.”

  She pressed a hand to her brow. “Those poor boys, afraid to let anyone know that their father had been taking off for weeks at a time.” With a sigh, she looked at him. “Why would a father do that?”

  His brown eyes darkened with what she guessed was the same pain and confusion she felt. “I have no idea.”

  “And the worst part is that you tried to warn me. You tried to remind me that there are dozens of reasons why someone might rob the inn. But I didn’t listen.”

  “Bev, I did not warn you about this. I had no idea a hungry teenager was your thief.”

  “Eric, you told me about yourself and your brother. You explained that there might be more to the story than I had realized. And there was!”

  “Yes, there was, but you didn’t know that.” He shifted in his chair. “Kids sometimes make bad choices. I know I did. I know my brother did, and he paid the consequences. Though Peter’s intentions were good, what he did was wrong. I hope he realizes that. I hope we’re not letting him off too easy.”

  “His father left for weeks at a time, leaving him with a little brother to take care of. I think he’s already learned that life isn’t fair. He’s certainly learned the consequences of only thinking about himself.”

  “I agree.” He smiled softly then, and she was reminded how he was always on her side. No matter what happened, he had always been her support. And he’d been more than that to her, as well. Eric had become her friend and her confidant. Together over the last year, they’d navigated a rocky relationship, helped several couples with their romances . . . and become very close.

  Now, when Beverly looked at him, she didn’t just see a handsome man with a devil-may-care attitude. She saw a man who had been through a lot but still found a way to move forward. Just as important, she saw a man whom she could move forward with.

  “I hope they’ll spend time with Emma and Jay,” Beverly said. “If anyone can give those boys both love and structure, it’s those two. They’re such a nice couple.”

  “They are. I have a feeling that they’ll both bend over backward to give those boys a Christmas they’ll always remember, too. Bev, I really think that those boys are going to eventually be all right. They now have a lot of people in town looking out for them.”

  “I hope so. I’d love for them to feel less alone now.” She sighed. “Maybe they’ll be okay after all.”

  “And maybe we will, too.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “We will. We have so much to be grateful for this Christmas.”

  He tilted his head to one side and studied her carefully. “What are you grateful for?”

  Beverly was done hiding her heart. “You.”

  “You really are okay, aren’t you? You don’t want to press charges.”

  “Nee.” She shrugged. “I never would have believed this, but I think I needed that break-in, Eric. It jarred me. It made me realize that life happens. God doesn’t promise us easy lives. Instead, he promises that we’ll have obstacles and bumps and pain . . . and glory and beauty and love and mercy. Yes, being robbed was painful. But learning why it happened means more to me than my false sense of security ever did. Something needed to happen for those boys. And if it took this robbery to spur that change, then I choose to be grateful for it.”

  “Choose to be grateful. I like that.”

  “Me, too. I like the idea of the Lord giving us options.” Looking him in the eye, she finally felt as if she’d laid herself bare in front of him. “For too long I held tight to my pain and let it influence how I lived my life. And though I was tempted to dwell on how upset I was when my fiancé and best friend fell in love behind my back, I made the choice to do something different. I’m really glad about that. It’s a blessing.”

  “Me, too. And now instead of dwelling on how frightened you were after the break-in, you are choosing to think about two boys’ needs instead of your own. That’s pretty awesome.”

  Beverly grinned. “You know, that’s true.”

  “I’m proud of you. Who knows? Maybe Santa will bring you something special, since you’ve been such a good girl and it’s so close to Christmas.”

  “I guess you could say I did something good in the nick of time.”

  He winced. “Beverly, are you making Saint Nicholas puns?”

  “Maybe.” Grabbing a cookie, she said, “That was a good one. Ain’t so?”

  Lines formed around the corners of his eyes as he smiled at her. “No, it was not a good one. At all.” Then he winked. “But it was clever.”

  “I’ll take clever,” she said with a smile.

  Chapter 20

  December 24

  Eric had been pacing in front of the Orange Blossom Inn for almost an hour.

  Beverly knew because she’d been watching him from the window. Over and over, he walked back and forth like a soldier on parade, sunglasses covering his eyes, his cell phone in hand.

  Twice she’d considered walking out to keep him company, but he looked so lost in thought she decided to give him his space. She knew what had him in knots, anyway. His brother was due to arrive at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in just a couple of hours. And though Eric had invited him and was excited to see him, she knew there was also a lingering bit of worry and doubt surrounding the upcoming visit.

  She’d experienced those emotions herself.

  As she continued to watch him pace, Beverly noticed that he had dressed up for the occasion. Well, as much as Eric liked to dress up. He was still wearing his usual faded jeans, but instead of his favorite flip-flops, he had tan loafers on his feet. He’d also replaced his usual T-shirt with a loose-fitting linen shirt in pale gray. With the haircut he’d gotten yesterday and the close shave that morning, Eric looked very handsome. Very clean-cut, too, she thought. So different from his usual relaxed appearance.

  Remembering the faint scent of aftershave that had lingered in the kitchen after he’d gotten his coffee, she knew he smelled good, too.

  He was so very appealing.

  “How’s Eric doing?” Sadie asked from behind her. “Is he still fretting?”

  Beverly turned around in surprise. “Sadie, goodness! You startled me! Where in the world did you come from?”

  She smiled. “I decided to come in through your kitchen door when I saw how deep in thought Eric was out front.”

  “That was probably a smart decision. He is in a bit of a daze.”

  “That’s to be expected, I suppose,” Sadie muse
d. “Visits can be stressful experiences. Especially when they are from long-lost brothers.”

  Beverly blinked in surprise. “How did you know Eric’s brother was coming in today?”

  “Word gets around, dear,” she said in her airy way. “You two have been quite the topic of conversation, you see. Everyone is wondering what’s going to happen next.”

  Beverly could only imagine what gossip had been stirred up around the two of them. She supposed she couldn’t blame the speculation. Their relationship was complicated and at times a bit volatile. It had certainly never been boring!

  And over the past couple of days, their relationship had shifted again. Their friendship had become far closer. Though she wouldn’t exactly say they were dating, they certainly had moved beyond carefully circling each other—which had seemed to be the hallmark of their association so far.

  Even though Beverly remained by the window watching Eric walk back and forth, Sadie made herself at home. Sitting down in the center of the couch, Sadie crossed her legs, taking care to smooth the dark green fabric of her dress as she did so. “Everything looks pretty in here, Beverly. Even the Christmas tree.”

  Beverly glanced over at the next set of windows to where the tree stood decorated with hundreds of white lights. “I must admit that while I would never have bought a tree, I have enjoyed staring at its beauty in the evenings. I’ll miss it when it’s gone.”

  “I expect so.” Sadie inhaled deeply. “It makes the room smell fresh and lovely. As do the cinnamon-scented candles.”

  Beverly glanced at the display of red candles she’d set out just yesterday. “At last, it feels like Christmas is about to come. And just in time, too. I can hardly believe that it’s Christmas Eve!”

  Sadie grinned. “I’m surprised you’re not in the kitchen preparing everything for tomorrow’s meal.”

  “I’ve already made the egg strata and cinnamon rolls for tomorrow’s breakfast. The guests staying here will have that, then head to the parade. Eric and I have decided to simply bake a ham and offer a few side dishes later for Jack. It’s just going to be the three of us since I never make suppers for the guests.”

  “I’m going to Winnie’s haus. She’s hosting supper for fourteen.”

  Beverly whistled low. “I do enjoy having a lot of people over, but this month has been so hectic, I am thankful we’re keeping things simple.”

  “I’m sure you are glad of that.” Looking beyond Beverly, Sadie smiled. Then she stood up. “Well, I think it’s time I was going.”

  “So soon?” Beverly had enjoyed simply visiting with her friend.

  “Eric is coming up the sidewalk. I do believe he’s come lookin’ for you,” she said cryptically as she opened the front door and stepped outside. “Merry Christmas, Eric!” she said before walking down to her house.

  “Same to you, Sadie,” he called out as he walked up the front steps.

  Beverly met him at the door. “Hi,” she said. “So, are you ready to come in for a while?”

  He shook his head. Looking a bit like a child getting ready to go to the circus, he said, “It’s time for me to go to the airport.”

  She smiled. “Wunderbaar. Let me get my purse and a light sweater and I’ll be ready to go.”

  “There’s no need for that.”

  She tilted her head to one side. “You don’t think I’ll need my sweater?”

  “No. I mean, you don’t have to come.”

  What did that mean? Was he trying to tell her that he didn’t want her with him? She wondered if this was another one of those statements where the meaning and the intended message were at cross purposes. “I would like to come with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind, but, well, I have to warn you that Jack is a little rough around the edges.”

  She smiled. “I’ve realized lately that we all are a little rough around the edges, Eric. I wouldn’t want him any other way. I promise, I just want to be there for you. It would mean a lot to me if you’d let me come.”

  His whole bearing relaxed. “I’d love for you to be there. Rough edges and all.”

  Feeling pleased with herself, she rushed to her room to get her purse and light white cotton cardigan to wear over her bright blue dress, then carefully made sure the cabinet holding the lockbox was secure. Finally, she locked the front door. Her guests each had their own keys to let themselves in if they returned before she and Eric did.

  Eric was standing on the porch, his car keys in hand. “Ready?”

  “Very ready.”

  “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m kind of nervous.”

  “I noticed.”

  “Do you think that’s strange? I mean, he is my brother.”

  “Eric, you’ve witnessed me being nervous about most everything over the last couple of months. I’m actually a little glad that you are nervous about this upcoming reunion. It makes me feel like I’m not the only one that gets tense about meeting relatives.”

  He laughed. “I’m glad my stressing out has made you feel better, Bev. Anything for you.”

  They continued their easy conversation the whole way to the airport. She teased him about his fancy loafers and he made her tell him stories about growing up on an Amish farm in Sugarcreek. Later, they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they stood in the greeting area of the airport terminal.

  As the minutes ticked by, Eric kept looking at the monitors, glancing at the screen on his smartphone, and jangling his keys. Beverly had never seen him so agitated. Truly, if she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she would have never guessed that he could ever be anything but his confident, unflappable self.

  Not knowing how to ease his mind—or maybe because she could truly relate to what he was feeling—she didn’t try to offer any words of wisdom. Sometimes what she needed the most was simply a friend to stand beside her. That meant more than meaningless assurances.

  “Hey, Bev?” Eric blurted, interrupting their silence.

  “Jah?” She glanced his way and noticed that the muscles in his jaw were tight.

  “What . . . What if we don’t have anything in common anymore? What if this long-awaited reunion of ours is a bust?”

  The fact was she didn’t know his brother, and his fears could very well come to fruition. He and Jack might not have anything in common anymore. They might very well be in store for three days of strained conversation and disappointment that they no longer had much to say to each other.

  If that happened, Beverly promised herself that she would do her best to make both men as comfortable as possible. And if all else failed, why, she would cook for them nonstop! An array of home-cooked meals might make even the most difficult visit easier to bear.

  Reaching out, she clasped his hand and enfolded it in both of hers. “It will still be all right, Eric.”

  His eyes searched her face. “How do you know?”

  “It will be all right because you both tried,” she said simply. “That is all one can do. Ain’t so?”

  His tense expression relaxed into the grin she was so fond of. “Jah. Ain’t so.”

  “Eric, do me a favor and don’t even attempt to speak Pennsylvania Dutch to your brother.”

  “My accent is still that bad?”

  “It’s worse.”

  Looking at her smile, Eric felt the warmth of affection that he was coming to realize was a consequence of those smiles. “I’ll try to remember to only speak English to Jack. Danke.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Eric, it’s ‘danke,’” she said, emphasizing some sound he wasn’t sure he was capable of producing.

  He was just about to try anyway when he spied a man walking down the hall who looked very familiar. He blinked, wondering if a person’s loping walk could stay with him the way it looked like Jack’s had. “That’s him.”

  Seeing Jack’s stride, along with his faded jeans and boots and the intricate line of tattoos on his forearms, Eric felt a lump rise in his throat. “Excuse me,” he uttered to Beverly, no
t even sure why he was excusing himself.

  All he seemed able to do was go to his brother.

  When Jack recognized him, he paused, then lifted a hesitant hand. “Hey.”

  Eric picked up his pace. “Jack. It’s good you came,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

  Jack’s lips twitched. Stuffing one of his hands into a back pocket, he said, “I figured if you took the trouble to ask me to come down here and buy me a ticket, the least I could do is actually show up.”

  Eric grinned at him, then realized he’d been standing there staring at his brother as if they were strangers. Awkwardly, he stepped closer and hugged him, slapping his shoulder blades as Jack did the same.

  When they parted, Eric looked him over. His brother was bigger than him, probably at least two or three inches taller and a good forty pounds heavier, but it was easy to see that all that extra weight was muscle. His construction job obviously kept him in shape. Honestly, between his girth and the tattoos, Jack was imposing enough that a lot of men would probably think twice about messing with him. Amazingly, Eric felt proud about that. It seemed Jack was always going to be the big brother who could take care of anything, anywhere, and at any time.

  “You look great. Pale,” he teased.

  Jack shrugged. “It’s been pretty cold and snowy up in Cleveland. Not a lot of chances right now to get a suntan.”

  “It was cold up in Philly, too. I was never so glad to get on a plane and head south.”

  Belatedly realizing that they were standing in everyone’s way, he pulled Jack closer to the wall. “Seriously, I’m really glad you’re here.”

  “Yeah. Me, too. It’s been too long.”

  Eric reached for his brother’s duffel. “Come on, I want you to meet Beverly.”

  “She’s the woman who runs the inn?”

  “Yes. But, um, she’s more than that,” he replied, realizing that he now thought of Beverly in a far more meaningful way.

  Jack glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “What does that mean?”

  How could he put it into words for his brother when he was only now coming to terms with it himself? “I’ll tell you later.”