Christmas in Icicle Falls

by Sheila Roberts

  When they’d first met, Brooke had been mourning the loss of her mother and hadn’t been enthused about another woman taking her mom’s place in her father’s heart. But in the end she’d been happy to see both James and Olivia find love again, and while Olivia knew she could never take the place of Brooke’s mother, she and her stepdaughter had become good friends.

  Once the last guests departed, Olivia and Brooke left, also. “We’ve been so busy it seems like we’ve hardly had any time together, so this is a real treat,” Olivia told her as Brooke drove them down Highway 2 out of town.

  “Yes, it is,” Brooke agreed. “Gosh, I wonder if Meadow wanted to come with us.”

  Olivia should have asked her, but really, she’d been looking forward to getting away from the girl for a while. “I’m sure she and Brandon are going skiing today,” she said airily, determined to silence the nudge from her conscience.

  “I thought that was tomorrow.”

  “Was it?”

  “Should we go back?”

  “They probably have plans. After all, they’re still newlyweds.” And brides wanted to spend time with their husbands. This bride did, certainly. She was always there. Every time Olivia hoped for a moment to enjoy her son’s company, along came Meadow, demanding attention, wanting him to go somewhere with her, needing Brandon’s advice. Sometimes Olivia thought the girl was jealous of the relationship she had with her son.

  Who else is sounding a bit jealous? Olivia pushed the thought away, consigning it to a far corner of her mind, right along with her earlier vow to look for the good in her new daughter-in-law.

  With all guilty thoughts gone, she enjoyed her afternoon with Brooke and got most of her holiday shopping done. She still had to think of something for Meadow. What would the girl like? Olivia had no idea. Well, she still had plenty of time until Christmas. She’d figure out what to get later.

  “That was fun, Mom. Thanks,” Brooke said as they walked back into the lodge, laden with packages.

  “Yes, it was,” Olivia agreed. The words were barely out of her mouth when she caught sight of Meadow on the first stair landing, looking down at them, the hurt plain on her face.

  Oh, no. Olivia could feel her cheeks go hot with shame. She should have asked Meadow to join them.

  Meadow whirled around and vanished down the hall and Olivia was aware of Brooke looking at her with concern. “I’d better ditch your father’s present before he returns from his errands,” Olivia said and beat a hasty retreat. There was going to be fallout from this.

  Sure enough, she was barely done putting away her purchases when her son came to the apartment looking for her. It didn’t take a psychic to know why he was there.

  She gave him a kiss and forestalled the unpleasant conversation by asking if he’d like a cup of coffee.

  “No, thanks.” He wasn’t smiling.

  “Were you and Eric able to fix those burned-out lights on the trees out front?” A silly question. She’d seen the two firs out front when she and Brooke returned and all the lights had been working fine.

  “Yeah. Mom.”

  Here it came. Olivia retreated to her kitchenette in search of coffee, Muffin, the cat, following in the hope of getting more cat food.

  “Meadow’s feeling left out. She’d like to have gone shopping with you and Brooke.”

  They should have gone back and invited Meadow. Wicked Mother-in-Law of the Year, that was her.

  “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, dear, and she was nowhere in sight.” Olivia took a mug from the cupboard, keeping her back turned to her son.

  “Would you have asked her if she was?”

  She wasn’t that awful. “Of course.”

  He frowned. “Mom, I know you don’t like her.”

  Olivia focused her attention on putting a pod in her Keurig. “Don’t be silly. Of course I like her.” Oh, what a whopper.

  “Is that why every time you smile at her, you look like you’ve got gas?”

  “Don’t be crude.”

  The scold didn’t sidetrack him. “You spend time with Brooke. You’ve got her doing a lot of stuff around here. Meadow could help, too.”

  Ah, now here she at least had a leg to stand on. “She did on Thanksgiving Day, and I had her help decorate on Saturday.” Not content with being a handicap in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, Meadow had managed to drop a box of imported glass balls the day they decorated, breaking several. She’d been quick to point out that they hadn’t been very well packed. “Really, Brandon, what more do you want?” Olivia hoped he’d realize that was a rhetorical question.

  He moved to her side and put a hand on her arm. “I want you to give her a chance. Can you do that, Mom? For me?”

  Of course, she had to. If she didn’t, she’d lose her son. She turned to face him. “I’ll try. But honestly, I don’t know what you saw in this girl,” she couldn’t help adding.

  His eyes narrowed and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “Try harder—then maybe you’ll see.”

  Okay, she deserved that. Even so, her son’s displeasure stung. She managed a nod.

  Brandon’s expression softened. “She’s got a good heart, Mom, and she really wants to be part of the family.”

  “I want her to be, too.” Another lie, but at this moment honesty would not be the best policy.

  “Good, because otherwise it’s probably not going to work out for us to be here.”

  The ultimatum made her blink, but she knew she shouldn’t be surprised by it. When it came to picking sides, a wise man sided with his wife. Sad for her, but that was how it should be. What God has put together, let no mother-in-law put asunder.

  Anyway, a man shouldn’t have to choose. It was wrong of her to put her son in that position. “Darling, I really will make more of an effort, I promise,” she said with tears in her eyes. The thought of him leaving so soon after he’d decided to move back in with them was not one she wanted to consider.

  He came around the counter and hugged her. “Thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you.”

  Theoretically. So far she hadn’t been very reliable. And that was hardly to her credit.

  “I don’t think she’s got a good relationship with her mom,” he continued. “She could use someone in her corner.”

  He was right. Olivia would do better. She’d try harder. “Maybe Meadow would like to help with breakfast. We only have a few guests checking in later today, so tomorrow will be easy.”

  “Good idea,” he said, grinning.

  That settled it, then. “Tell her to be in the kitchen tomorrow at six.”

  “How about you tell her?”

  After that moment in the lobby Olivia wasn’t particularly excited about facing her daughter-in-law, but she nodded. “All right.”

  She didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome when she went to her son’s little suite at the opposite end of the lodge. The look Meadow gave her shot her back to an incident in her childhood when she and a friend had snubbed another little girl on the playground at lunch. The hurt had come off the child in waves and Olivia hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything the teacher said the whole rest of the afternoon. Those same waves were coming at her now.

  “May I come in?” she asked.

  Meadow nodded and moved aside, opening the door farther.

  Olivia stepped in. The TV was on. Dr. Phil was working with a dysfunctional family. Olivia could almost hear him saying, You’re next, Mrs. Claussen. She cleared her throat. “Meadow, I’m sorry I didn’t think to invite you to come shopping with me today.” And sorry I didn’t want to think to!

  Meadow studied the roses on the carpet. “It’s okay.”

  Of course, it wasn’t, and the fact that Meadow was so quick to forgive only shone a spotlight on Olivia’s lack of kindness. “Maybe we can fit i
n an outing, just the two of us.” Penance.

  Meadow’s gaze lifted and the gratitude Olivia saw in her daughter-in-law’s eyes made her feel small. “Yeah?”

  “Yes. Meanwhile, I could use some help at breakfast tomorrow. Would you be up for that?”

  The girl was beaming now. “Sure. What time?”

  “We start serving at seven, so I need you in the kitchen at six.”

  Meadow’s eyebrows shot up. “Six?”

  “If that’s too early for you...” I’ll be off the hook.

  “No, I can do that,” Meadow said gamely. “I’ll tell Brandon we have to wait and go night skiing.”

  “Oh, if you had plans...”

  “No, no. I’ll be there.”

  “Are you sure? Because if you’re already busy...”

  “I can change my plans. Really. I want to help.”

  Olivia smiled weakly and tried not to think about the so-called help Meadow had been with the Thanksgiving Day meal. Well, they weren’t serving gravy at breakfast, so maybe it would be okay.

  “If you’re sure,” she said in a last-ditch effort to give Meadow an out.

  Except the one she was trying to give an out was herself. Once more that spotlight exposed Olivia’s own ignoble attitude. Who was the real ugly tree here?

  “Oh, yeah,” Meadow said, still smiling. “I’m sure.”

  Okay, the girl did seem to have a good heart. “Wonderful,” Olivia said. And darn it all, she was determined to mean it.

  Chapter Five

  The important thing to remember this time of year when things get a little awkward is that we’re all different.

  —Muriel Sterling, A Guide to Happy Holidays

  Come six o’clock Olivia and Brooke were in the kitchen, ready to go, Olivia in her dirndl and Brooke in a maternity-friendly version of the classic German garb. No Meadow.

  The two women got busy filling bread baskets with Olivia’s eggnog muffins, setting fruit on trays and putting out hot water and coffee. Still no sign of Meadow. Olivia put her breakfast casserole in the oven to bake and started cooking sausages.

  It was now six twenty. Meadow had obviously overslept. She was probably rushing around the apartment right now, throwing on clothes and brushing her teeth.

  Or not. By ten after seven the first guests were accumulating in the dining room but there was still no sign of Meadow.

  Fortunately, Olivia’s midweek crowd was sparse, so the extra help wasn’t needed. Still, it irked her that she’d given Meadow a chance to be involved and, after her enthusiasm of the day before, the girl hadn’t bothered to show up. Meanwhile, here was Brooke, eight months pregnant but happily pitching in, keeping the cold-cereal dispenser and the pitchers of juice filled and chatting with the guests.

  By eight James, too, was on deck, clearing tables. “No sign of Meadow?” he asked Olivia as he headed for the sink.

  “No.” So much for her wanting to be a part of things.

  “Maybe she overslept.”

  At that moment Brandon came into the kitchen.

  “Where’s Meadow?” Olivia greeted him.

  “She doesn’t feel good. She said to tell you she’s sorry. She’ll be down as soon as she can.”

  Sick. How convenient, Olivia thought but said nothing.

  “Nothing serious, I hope,” James said.

  “I don’t think so,” Brandon said. “You got any of your casserole left, Mom?”

  “I do,” she said and pulled a second pan from the oven.

  “I always loved this one,” Brandon said as she cut him a large piece. “Thanks, Mom,” he added and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  The smile that had been dodging her all morning made its appearance. She so loved her boy, and just a simple compliment from him was enough to fill her with happiness. It kept her in a good mood clear through the rest of the breakfast hour.

  It was edging toward ten and the last guests were strolling out of the dining room when Meadow made her appearance, wearing fashionably torn jeans and a long-sleeved black top. She hurried over to where Olivia sat at a corner table, ready to take a coffee break.

  “Sorry I’m late. Did Brandon tell you I was sick?”

  She didn’t look sick now. “He did,” Olivia said and took a sip of her coffee. “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yeah. I’m ready to help.”

  Now that the guests were all done eating... But there was still plenty to do. “Why don’t you spell Brooke and help James with the cleanup?”

  “I can do that,” Meadow said with a nod.

  Olivia watched as she scooped up several plates from a nearby table and moved off to the kitchen. Okay, she was willing to pitch in. Maybe she really hadn’t been feeling well. Maybe she had a little low-grade...something.

  Olivia ate one of the muffins she’d served herself and continued to observe her new daughter-in-law as she bustled in and out of the kitchen, clearing away dirty dishes and silverware, empty pitchers and serving bowls. Perhaps Olivia had misjudged her, thinking she was a slacker. She wasn’t slacking now.

  Brooke came to the table with a glass of milk and a muffin and joined Olivia. “This is my second muffin. I need to stop.”

  “Well, you are eating for two,” Olivia said.

  “More like eating for three. I’m getting as big as a house.”

  “You’ll take it off after the baby comes,” Olivia assured her. Not that she had managed to do that but oh, well. She’d been carrying those extra pounds for years and they had made themselves happily at home. Lucky for her, James thought her figure was just fine the way it was.

  “You’re not going to have many left for tomorrow,” Brooke said. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay. They’re best when they’re fresh.” Which was why she’d helped herself to three.

  “That’s what I told Meadow,” Brooke said with a smile. “She’s eating one now.”

  Yes, a very short-lived sickness.

  “She says it’s helping settle her stomach.”

  Whatever. Olivia didn’t say anything, just smiled and took another sip of her coffee.

  Soon Meadow joined them, sitting down next to Olivia and facing her. “Okay, the kitchen’s all clean.”

  “That was fast,” Olivia said.

  “James had most of it done already,” Meadow admitted. “What else can I do?”

  “Well...”

  “I don’t want to just sit around and eat muffins and get fat.”

  Two muffins still sat on Olivia’s plate. She frowned.

  “So, tell me what to do.”

  “We need to put out silverware and napkins for breakfast tomorrow,” Olivia said.

  “Okay.” Meadow jumped up.

  “And replace any stained tablecloths.”

  “I can do that.”

  “I’ll help you,” Brooke said and got up.

  “No.” Meadow waved her back down. “You’ve been working all morning. I can do it.”

  Meadow was certainly on her best behavior now. Olivia let her go at it, knowing James was still around and could answer any questions she had.

  “I guess I’ll run back to the apartment and throw in a load of laundry,” Brooke said to Olivia.

  Olivia, too, got up and returned her cup and her uneaten muffins to the kitchen. “See you later,” Meadow called as she walked by, bearing a bundle of dirty tablecloths.

  Brandon was manning the front desk when Olivia got there. “How’d Meadow do?” he greeted her.

  “Fine.” Of course, he wanted to hear more than that. He wanted to hear approval. “She’s working hard.”

  He beamed and that made Olivia feel good.

  “I can take over here now,” she said.

 
“Thanks. I need to get out and help Eric shovel the walkways.”

  Yes, it was nice to have her boy back home. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and left, and she settled in behind the front desk, feeling happy with her life and the world in general. She had just finished checking out a young family when Meadow joined her.

  “Dining room’s all ready for tomorrow,” she reported.

  “Good. Thank you.”

  “Stuff sure starts early around here,” Meadow said and leaned on the desk.

  “That’s how it is in the hospitality business,” Olivia said.

  Meadow wrinkled her nose. “Who the hell wants to eat at seven in the morning when they’re on vacation?”

  “A lot of people like to eat early.”

  “I don’t see why. Nothing much opens up around this town until ten. We should wait until eight to serve breakfast.”

  In some ways that sounded perfectly logical, but Olivia had been running her lodge for many years and she knew that people expected to be able to eat early if they had plans to get on the road. Or if they were just plain hungry.

  “I guess,” Meadow said dubiously after Olivia had explained. “Running a motel is kind of a pain in the butt, isn’t it?”

  “This is a lodge,” Olivia corrected her.

  Meadow was not impressed. “Lodge, motel, what’s the difference?”

  “Ambiance. This is more of a resort, a specialty kind of place with a garden and grounds around it.”

  “Oh.” Meadow thought on that a moment, then shrugged. “It’s still kind of a pain in the butt. I mean, look how hard you guys all work.”

  “Well, yes, we do. But we’re working at something worthwhile. We’re providing people with a nice place to stay, helping them make memories. We’re offering more than rooms here, Meadow. We’re offing hospitality.”

  “Hmm. Never thought of it that way. Kind of cool.”

  Yes, it was.

  “Pretty cool that Brandon will own all this someday,” she added.

  Spoken like a true gold digger. The feeling of warmth that had started in Olivia’s chest cooled.