Merry Ex-Mas

by Sheila Roberts

  “And my mother never spoke to me again.”

  This was one story Ella had heard in plenty of detail. Sadly, her grandparents had died when she was young. Maybe that was why Mims had clung to her so tightly. She was all her mother had. “I never left you, though,” she said.

  “He’d have been happy if you did,” Mims said, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was referring to Jake. “And he showed his true colors with that awful song.”

  The sounds of a guitar strumming intruded on their conversation. Ella looked up to see Jake approaching, his guitar strung over his shoulders.

  “What’s he doing here?” Mims said sourly.

  Singing, obviously. “‘This is just a thank-you to the women in my life,’” he crooned. “‘To the mama who shared with me the beauty who’s my wife.’”

  A new song. He’d written a new song to make up for what he’d done! As Jake sang on, Ella stole a look across the table to see how Mims was receiving his peace offering. She was studying her salad plate, and wiping at a corner of her eye.

  “‘So here’s a simple thank-you from a humble man, to the women in my life who make me who I am,’” Jake concluded.

  The other diners applauded but he ignored them, keeping his gaze focused on Mims. “Lily, I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I’d like to find a way to change that,” he said. “I hope this song will be a beginning. I’m gonna sing it with my band and put it up on YouTube.”

  “Thank you,” Mims said stiffly.

  To Ella he said. “I have one more song. This one’s for you.” He began to strum and silence descended on the restaurant. Not a single fork clinked, not a glass was raised. Everyone, including the waitstaff, listened as Jake sang about the rough ride they’d had over the past year.

  It had been, but maybe the ride had taken them to a new place, someplace more solid.

  Now he was into the chorus, and every word held the promise of a better future.

  By the time he’d finished, most of the women were blowing their noses or dabbing at their eyes, and that included Ella.

  “I didn’t get a chance to tell you, a talent manager from Nashville called me.”

  “A talent manager?” Ella smiled across the table. “He’s going to make it, Mims.”

  Her mother grimaced, then—reluctantly—nodded.

  “When you finish your dinner, how about you both come back to the house for dessert.”

  “We don’t have any dessert,” Ella said.

  “Oh, yeah, we do. I called Cass and told her I had an emergency. She sold me a red velvet cake.”

  Ella’s favorite, and the only dessert for which Mims had a weakness. Ella turned to her mother.

  She was trying hard to look put upon. “I don’t know. I have plans…”

  “Well, if you do…” Jake began.

  “I can change them.”

  Jake grinned. “Great. I’ll see you girls back at the house.”

  He left and Ella turned to her mother. “I still love him, Mims. I tried not to but I can’t seem to stop.”

  Her mother sighed. “Well, you could’ve done better. But I suppose you could’ve done worse. Time will tell.”

  Not exactly a movie ending, Ella thought, but a not a bad new beginning, maybe for all of them. And the best Christmas present she could ask for.

  * * *

  It was Friday and the sign on the door of Gingerbread Haus read Closed for My Daughter’s Wedding. Cass had taken the wedding cake home to decorate.

  Late-afternoon shadows were stealing the light as she stepped away from the kitchen table to admire her magnum opus. It was a work of art, worthy of a baked-goods museum—a three-tiered pile of cake presents wrapped in fondant of white and red with silver frosting ribbon and dusted with delicate white snowflakes.

  “Mom, it’s beautiful,” said Dani, who had joined her to admire the finished product.

  The awe in her daughter’s voice made the stiffness in Cass’s back disappear. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Like it? I love it!” Dani hugged her. “Now I’m glad you talked me out of cupcakes.”

  That was saying a lot.

  Dani had just taken a picture with her cell phone when Mason entered the kitchen. “We’re all ready to go to— Whoa, that is something else.”

  Cass smiled as she watched him approach the cake as though he was Indiana Jones moving toward lost Incan treasure. She’d come a long way from doll cakes and butterflies, and she couldn’t help feeling gratified by his admiration of her art.

  “And to think I used to make fun of your doll cakes,” he said.

  Now Babette joined them, with Cupcake trotting along behind. “Oh, that is gorgeous!”

  Babette went up another notch in Cass’s estimation.

  A moment later Louise and Maddy were in the kitchen. “We’ve been standing by the door forever,” Maddy complained. “Are we leaving for the holiday lights parade or aren’t we?”

  “We were just looking at the cake,” Dani said. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Louise studied it. “Hmm. Very nice.”

  Nice. Damning with faint praise. Cass felt a sudden desire to shove a pie in her former mother-in-law’s face, but since there was no pie handy (probably just as well), she forced a smile and said, “We should get going.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be able to come with us,” Louise said.

  Just one more day of her, Cass told herself. “I didn’t, either,” she said, pretending her unexpected presence was a pleasant surprise to Louise. “I thought this would take me longer.” She’d figured she’d be decorating right up until the rehearsal, so the original plan had been to skip the parade and appetizers at Olivia’s, finish the cake, then take it to the inn and set up before the rehearsal. Now she liked the idea of being able to join her family for all the festivities. Well, most of them.

  “I don’t understand why it took you so long to decorate,” Louise said. “There isn’t much to it.”

  Where was a good cream pie when you needed one?

  “Fondant’s very hard to work with,” Dani said, springing to her mother’s defense.

  “Really?” Louise sounded like she didn’t believe it.

  “Let’s go,” Mason said. “We’re all going to roast standing around here with our coats on.”

  Everyone trooped out of the kitchen, Cupcake dancing along with them and yapping. Willie and Amber had been waiting patiently on the couch—easy to do when you had a phone to play with—but now they both stood and the party was complete. Quite an impressive group.

  We look like one, big, happy family, Cass thought. Boy, were looks deceiving.

  At the door, Babette knelt and gave the furry little monster she called a dog a kiss on the head. “No, baby, you have to stay here and guard the house.”

  Mess up the house, more likely. Cass hoped Willie had shut his bedroom door. Otherwise, he’d be missing more shorts.

  “The cake really is gorgeous,” Maddy said to her as they paraded down the front walk.

  “Thanks,” Cass said. Maybe Maddy wasn’t so bad, after all. Maybe this whole weekend wouldn’t be so bad, after all. Life is good, she concluded with a smile.

  * * *

  Life is really good when you’re a dog and you’ve discovered the world’s biggest doggie treat sitting on the kitchen table.

  * * *

  The visiting exes had all been charmed by the parade, which consisted mostly of cars and horse-drawn sleighs decked out in lights and bearing various festival princesses and dignitaries and, of course, Santa. Now they all walked back to the house to get their cars for the drive to the lodge.

  “The town looks like a giant snow globe,” Babette said, taking in the twinkle lights everywhere. “I can see why you like living here,” she said to Cass. Then to Mason, “I wouldn’t mind having a condo up here.”

  Please God, no, Cass thought. She’d made her peace with Mason, but that didn’t mean she wanted him and Babette living ri
ght around the corner.

  Before she could speak, Mason said, “Cheaper to rent a condo once in a while.”

  Thank you, Mason.

  “Anyway, I’m not sure Cass would want us here all the time.”

  Cass decided to change the subject.

  A few minutes later they were back at the house. Louise said she needed to use the bathroom, Babette wanted to freshen her makeup and Mason offered to help Cass load the cake. It was too cold to wait outside, so everyone trooped into the house. Surprisingly, Cupcake wasn’t at the door to greet them with her high-pitched bark. Or anything else, thank God.

  “Where’s Cupcake?” Babette wondered.

  “Did you shut your bedroom doors?” Cass asked the kids.

  “Uh, yeah,” Willie said in a tone of voice that plainly stated he’d learned his lesson.

  “Cupcake,” Babette called, and walked through the dining room. “Cupcake.” Now she headed for the kitchen. “Cup— Aaah!”

  Cupcake…kitchen. Cass connected the dots and her heart dived to her feet. She rushed in past a stunned Babette and found Cupcake, destroyer of all, on the table and up to her furry face in frosting. She’d obviously used one of the kitchen chairs as a doggie stepstool to get to it. And get to it she had. There wasn’t a layer of cake the little beast hadn’t sampled.

  With a shriek, Cass shooed the dog off the table. Cupcake yelped and scrammed, trailing cake and icing behind her, and the rest of the family entered the kitchen to see what was going on.

  “Oh, Cupcake,” Babette moaned. “Oh, Cass.” That was as far as she got before bursting into tears.

  Mason hesitated, torn between helping his distraught new wife and calming his former one.

  There was no calming Cass. “That dog, that damned dog! Look what she’s done. I’m going to kill her!”

  “My cake,” Dani wailed. Now she was crying, too.

  “You shouldn’t have left it on the table,” Louise said. “You should’ve known that stupid dog would get it. In fact, I don’t know why you brought it home.”

  Because, between waiting on customers and dealing with some family member calling her at the bakery every other minute with questions and needs, she’d thought it would be easier. Because she’d wanted to be where the family was. She’d wanted Dani to see her creation taking shape. She’d… Oh, she’d been stupid, that was all there was to it. She shoved her fist into a ruined layer and squeezed, pretending it was Cupcake’s neck.

  “Cass, I’m so sorry,” Babette said in between sobs. “Your poor cake.” Her eyes got big and she gasped. “Oh, no, and poor Cupcake. This is going to make her sick. Mason, we’ve got to find a vet.” She whipped out her cell phone and strode from the kitchen past Willie and Amber.

  “That cake is shit city,” Willie observed.

  “Shut up,” Amber snapped at him. “It’s okay, Mom,” she said, hurrying over to Cass. “Maybe you can fix it.”

  “You’ll never be able to fix that,” Louise predicted. “The stupid animal has had its mouth all over the thing.”

  “Uh, let me know if you need me to do something,” Mason said, and beat a hasty retreat.

  Cass didn’t blame him. She wished she could run away, too.

  Accidents happened all the time, and she had mended many a gingerbread house over the years and many a cake, too. But never one that had been practically bulldozed. She stood staring at her ruined work of art, her brain frozen.

  “Do you have anything in stock at the bakery?” Maddy asked.

  Two cakes that would feed twelve, six gingerbread houses and two dozen gingerbread boys, a dozen cream puff swans a-swimming… And a partridge in a pear tree. Cass began to laugh hysterically. She caught her former mother- and sister-in-law exchanging concerned glances. The person responsible for the wedding cake has gone around the bend. She fell onto a kitchen chair, willing her brain to cook up something.

  Sheet cakes. She’d have to throw together some sheet cakes. Now, there was a memorable wedding present for her daughter.

  Babette was back in the kitchen now. “Mason’s taking Cupcake to the vet,” she announced.

  “Good for Cupcake,” Cass muttered.

  “Oh, my gosh, that’s it!” Babette cried.

  “What’s it?” Louise demanded.

  “Cupcakes. We could make cupcakes,” Babette said gleefully.

  “Oh, yes,” Dani exclaimed.

  Just what her daughter had wanted all along.

  And Babette had been the one to suggest it—a bitter icing to top off this disaster. What made it even worse was that Cass didn’t see how she could pull it off.

  Dani was looking at her hopefully. Heck, everyone was looking at her.

  “All right, cupcakes it is.” They wouldn’t be fancy and she’d have to bake all through the night, but she’d get them done. Sleep was overrated, anyway.

  Her daughter rushed to hug her. “Thank you, Mama. You’re the best!”

  Not the best at sharing, though. She still hated that it was Babette who’d promised to deliver Dani her heart’s desire. But Babette was in her daughter’s life to stay and someone needed to learn to share. There was no time like the present.

  “We can all help,” Babette said eagerly.

  “I could use it,” Cass admitted.

  “Then let’s get cracking.” Louise rolled up her sleeves. “Tell us what to do, Cass.”

  “Okay,” Cass said. “Dani, you take Amber and Willie and go on over to the lodge. Your father can join you there once he’s dropped the dog off at the vet’s.”

  “But the rehearsal dinner,” Dani fretted.

  “Will still happen,” Cass assured her.

  “Without you?”

  “Never mind me,” Cass said. “You’ve got your whole bridal party and Mike’s family. You go and have fun.”

  “I can’t leave you to bake all by yourself,” Dani protested.

  “You won’t,” Babette told her. “Remember, she’ll have us.”

  “Absolutely,” Maddy agreed.

  “Family pulls together,” Louise added, making Cass wonder if the woman’s body had been taken over by aliens.

  “I’m going to the bakery,” Cass said. “I can bake more cupcakes more quickly over there. You all go to work here.”

  “I’ll run to the store and get cake mixes.” Babette started out of the kitchen.

  “Don’t forget butter and powdered sugar,” Louise called after her, searching the cupboards.

  “I’ve got plenty of both at the bakery,” said Cass. “Stop by there on your way back.”

  “What should we do with this?” Maddy asked, pointing to the cake.

  “Let’s eat it,” Willie said, and stuck a finger in the frosting.

  “It’s got dog drool all over it,” Amber said in disgust.

  Willie made a face, then said, “I’ll eat around the drool.”

  “You don’t have time,” Amber told him. “We have to get to the rehearsal.”

  “I’ll take a piece with me.”

  Cass didn’t stick around to hear any more of the conversation. She had things to do.

  She’d just put her first batch of cupcakes in the oven when she heard pounding on the bakery door. Thinking it was Babette coming by for frosting supplies, she hurried to answer.

  It was, but she also had Samantha and Bailey with her.

  “Sam, what are you doing here?” Cass asked.

  “Kidnapping you,” Samantha said.

  “What?”

  “I’m here to make sure you get to the rehearsal and the dinner.”

  Cass shook her head. “Maybe Babette didn’t tell you, but we’ve got an emergency.”

  “She did and that’s why we’re here,” Bailey said. “I’m taking over for you until after the dinner.”

  “Mom and Cecily are baking,” said Samantha. “So are Ella and Charley. And Blake will be taking my cupcakes out of the oven in…” She checked the time on her cell phone. “Five minutes. Then I have to get a new
batch in.” She grinned. “Our secret chocolate cupcake recipe.”

  “How did you— I don’t understand.”

  “Babette found me and I spread the word,” Samantha said. “Half the women in town are busy baking even as we speak. So, come on. You have some mother-of-the-bride duties to perform.”

  Cass blinked back tears. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank Babette,” Samantha said. “She’s the one who sounded the alarm.”

  Her beautiful cake was ruined and that made Cass sad. But her daughter’s day wasn’t ruined, thanks to friends and former in-laws pulling together. And that was amazing.

  Even more amazing, she was becoming downright fond of Babette.

  21

  Dani’s wedding was one to remember and, happily, not because of any more wedding disasters but because everything was perfect. Sitting with Babette in the transformed big meeting room at Icicle Creek Lodge, Cass watched teary-eyed as Amber came down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon, looking much older than the fifteen years she now was in a sophisticated red satin dress. Dani’s friends Vanessa and Mikaila, both in gray satin, were next, two girls barely into their twenties and just beginning their lives.

  Now, here came Dani, walking an indoor garden path lined with white roses, silver netting froth and greenery, carrying a bouquet of red and white tea roses. Her baby, all grown up, a snow princess, escorted by her beaming father. Cass was so glad her brother, Drew, was here, recording the whole thing.

  “Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?” asked Pastor Jim once they’d reached the front of the room.

  “Her mother and I, with all our love,” Mason said. His part in the ceremony over, he sat down between Cass and Babette and, much to Cass’s surprise, took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She smiled and squeezed back. It was so much better to be allies than enemies.

  Pastor Jim made sure his talk was short and sweet. “I wish I could promise you that your life together will always be just like this day—perfect. But it won’t, and I think you already know that. There are going to be times when you’ll look at each other and ask, ‘Why did I pick you?’ So I want you to file away in your minds what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, right now. Remember the good you see in each other right now. If you do that, you’ll be fine.”