Happily This Christmas--A Novel

by Susan Mallery

“Yes. You’ll never believe it. It’s so insane and yet, it’s happening. I’m floating.”

  “Holly, what are you talking about?”

  “Rex proposed! We’re getting married.”

  “What?” Joylyn sat upright. “That’s so great. When did it happen? What did he say? Were you shocked? Have you set a date? Tell me everything!”

  “He proposed last night. We had dinner and then walked on the beach and before I knew what was happening, he went down on one knee. It was so beautiful and I said yes and we both cried. I love him so much.”

  “I know you do.” Joylyn thought about Chandler’s proposal and how happy she’d been. “You’re going to have a wonderful life together.”

  “I know we are, but first we want to get married.” She hesitated. “And really fast. We’re both up for new assignments, and if we’re married, we can request something where we’re together.”

  Joylyn’s mind started working through possibilities. “Then we have to put together a wedding as quickly as we can.”

  “Oh, we don’t have time for a wedding. We need to be married before the end of the year. We’re just going to city hall or something.”

  Joylyn knew that Holly didn’t have any family, so there was no dad to walk her down the aisle or siblings to help out. But she had friends.

  “You have to want a wedding,” she said.

  “Sure, but it’s not practical. I want to be married to Rex more than I want to wait and plan something fancy.”

  “You need a wedding. It will be something you’ll remember forever. I’m living in a destination wedding town right now. My next door neighbor knows people who put on weddings for a living. I’m making a thousand little snowmen for a wedding that’s coming up soon. Let me talk to Wynn and get her advice. Even if all I learn is just ways to have a fun reception, it will be good information.”

  “Thanks. I would like something more than a civil ceremony, but there isn’t much time.”

  “Let me go talk to Wynn and I’ll get back to you later today. Then you can decide.”

  “You’re a good friend.”

  “I love you and I’m super happy for you. He proposed! Yay!”

  They talked for a few more minutes, then Joylyn got in her car and drove to Wynn’s business. She and her mother had taken nearly a year to plan her wedding. She had no idea how to throw something together in a couple of weeks. It might not even be possible, but Joylyn wanted to find out for sure.

  She walked into the printing and graphics company. There was a long counter on one side and several complicated-looking machines available for the public to use. Signs advertised different kinds of services: printing, shipping, design work, wedding invitations.

  There were about six employees, all working away. Joylyn was about to ask one of them where Wynn was when she spotted the other woman in her office.

  Joylyn walked over and knocked on the open door.

  “Hi. Do you have a second?”

  Wynn stared at her as if she’d never seen her before. Joylyn was about to take a step back when Wynn shook her head and smiled.

  “Sorry. I was lost in thought. It’s been one of those mornings with a lot of unexpected disasters, but I’m good now. Come on in.”

  Joylyn sat on the chair across from Wynn’s. “I need your advice. A girlfriend of mine just got engaged. She and her fiancé are both Marines. It’s really great—they’re perfect for each other.”

  “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. Anyway, they want to get married before the end of the year. It’s a whole thing so they can be assigned together. She was talking about going to city hall, but I know they would both hate that. I wondered if I could get some advice about pulling a wedding together in a couple of weeks. How do you do that? I want to help, but I don’t even know where to start. I met Renee when my dad took me to The Boardroom a couple of weeks ago and again at your place on Thanksgiving. Do you think it would be all right for me to get in touch with her and ask her thoughts?”

  Wynn picked up her phone. “I’m sure it would be, but let’s find out.”

  She pushed a couple of buttons, then waited.

  “Hi, Renee. It’s Wynn. Joylyn, Garrick’s daughter, is here with me. She needs some advice on putting together a wedding. Do you have some time to talk to us today?” She paused, nodding as she listened. “We can come right now,” she said, looking at Joylyn.

  “I’m free.”

  Wynn smiled and returned her attention to the phone. “We are on our way. See you in a few.”

  She hung up. “Let’s go see what the miracle workers at Weddings Out of the Box have to say about all this.” She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, passing both to Joylyn.

  They walked to Wynn’s car and drove the short distance to Weddings Out of the Box. The large location had different facades on each side, ample parking and a big outdoor area. Wynn led the way inside.

  Renee was waiting for them in the large foyer.

  “A wedding,” she said, hugging them both. “I love a wedding. Tell me everything.”

  Joylyn explained about the proposal and the quick time line.

  Renee, perfectly dressed in a tailored navy suit, with her long red hair pulled back in a ponytail, pressed her hands to her chest.

  “So romantic. I think we can work something out for two soldiers in love.”

  “Oh, they’re not soldiers,” Joylyn said quickly. “They’re Marines. A Marine is a Marine.”

  Renee laughed. “Lesson learned. Come on to the conference room and we’ll talk.”

  Renee motioned for them to sit on either side of the table. She sat next to Joylyn and set a tablet in front of her. After she touched a few buttons, the screen on the wall lit up and a chart appeared.

  “Weddings are all variations on a theme,” Renee said. “You have the wedding couple, the person marrying them and guests. There is a ceremony and a reception. What you do with those elements determines the personality and expense of the wedding.”

  She pushed a button and another chart popped up. “Usually we like about a year to plan everything, but we can work a quicker time line.”

  The chart was replaced by a calendar of the month of December. “No pressure, but we have a cancellation for the eighteenth of December.”

  Joylyn looked from the screen to Renee. “I don’t understand. You’re saying Holly and Rex could get married here?”

  “If they wanted to. Unless it’s too far.”

  “They’re in San Diego. They could make the drive. What would be involved and what would it cost?” She hesitated. “Neither of them have any family or money. Just what they make from their jobs.”

  “So here’s the thing,” Renee told her. “The wedding that was scheduled for that day didn’t cancel very long ago. That means some items are already purchased and paid for. If Holly doesn’t mind not having a lot of choices, we can use what’s been arranged. I can pull together some numbers, if you’d like.”

  “Yes, please.”

  “What’s the theme?” Wynn asked.

  “Theme?”

  Renee smiled. “We do theme weddings here. Luckily for your friend, this one isn’t space aliens or apples. It was going to be a Christmas wedding. Very traditional. I have all the decorations and linens already. Tables and chairs are no problem. I’ll ask the caterer what’s been ordered and get her costs to move forward. Oh, I’ll need the number of guests.”

  “It won’t be very many. Like I said, they don’t have family. But I’ll ask her.”

  “Great, and I’ll get you my information by this time tomorrow.”

  Joylyn felt the familiar burn of tears. “You’re being so nice. Thank you. This could be amazing for her and Rex.”

  “I hope so. We don’t get many military weddings. This would be really fun for all of us t
o give them the wedding of their dreams.” She smiled. “In three weeks or less.”

  “I’ll text her as soon as I get home.” She turned to Wynn. “Thank you so much for helping me.”

  “I’m happy to be a part of it.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  AFTER WORK GARRICK drove up the mountain to Jasper’s house. About once a month the guys liked to get together to watch a game. They’d stolen the idea from the women in town who had biweekly girlfriend lunches. They rotated locations, and the host provided food. While the women had fancy things like dips and salads, the guys preferred an easier menu, often with a barbecue or smoker involved.

  Garrick parked next to Drew’s SUV and walked inside. Koda was on guard duty, watching as each person entered, carefully sniffing fingers to make sure he really knew who they were. Garrick crouched and petted the old dog before heading into the family room to join his friends.

  He was still thinking about what Wynn had told him that morning. Knowing how she’d come to be pregnant with Hunter didn’t make him think less of her. He could understand why she’d done what she’d done. He supposed if he had to explain why it was on his mind it would be because he was so impressed with the person she’d become.

  She’d taken herself from a struggling single mother to a successful businesswoman. She was strong, compassionate, caring. He knew she gave generously to local charities and had a feeling those gifts were her attempts to pay forward some part of what Chas had done by leaving her his insurance money.

  “Garrick, you made it,” Mathias Mitchell called, waving a beer. “Drinks are in the kitchen and Jasper’s out back working the smoker.”

  Garrick greeted everyone else, then made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, pausing to talk with Nick Mitchell, Mathias’s older brother, before heading outside where Jasper stood in front of the smoker, talking to Cade Saunders.

  As Garrick joined his friends, he inhaled the scent of meat, barbecue seasonings and wood chips.

  “What are you smoking?” he asked. “It smells great.”

  “I’m starving,” Cade admitted. “Being out here isn’t helping.”

  “Only a few more minutes,” Jasper told them. “I have ribs. Pounds of ribs. The sides are waiting inside.”

  Cade laughed. “Trying to show us all up?”

  “Renee got me the smoker for my birthday. It’s fun to get to use it like this.” Jasper picked up his beer. “Planning to stay through the whole game?” he asked Cade.

  “Get off me.” Cade’s tone was good-natured. “She’s only eight months old. It’s hard to be gone.”

  “Bethany is more than capable of taking care of your daughter for a single evening.”

  “She’s more capable than me, but I like to be around.”

  Cade and his wife had had their first child earlier that year. Their circle of friends was in something of a baby boom right now.

  “I’d be careful if I were you,” Garrick told Jasper. “Your time is coming, and Cade is going to be the one teasing you about how you can’t leave your kid for five minutes.”

  Jasper grinned. “Yeah, I know it’s coming and I don’t mind. For so long I never thought I’d have kids, but since marrying Renee, it’s been on my mind. We’re currently dealing with logistics. Renee loves her work too much to want to give it up, and I feel the same about what I do.” He shrugged. “We’re talking about getting in some full-time help. We have enough land where we can build a good-sized cabin right here on the property.”

  The plan made sense, Garrick thought, looking around at the surrounding forest. He wasn’t sure how big Jasper’s lot was, but it was at least a dozen or so acres. Adding a cabin wouldn’t be a problem. As for paying for it all—the new building, the full-time nanny—that wouldn’t be an issue, either. Jasper was a successful author whose books sold around the world. When combined with what Renee made at Weddings Out of the Box, he would guess they weren’t ever going to have money problems.

  A different situation from when Joylyn was born, he thought. Back then his mom and Alisha’s mom had pitched in to cover a lot of the baby duty, and both families had taken care of the expenses. He and Alisha had still been in high school. Even when they’d graduated and gone to college, Alisha’s mother had been a big part of the caretaking.

  “Verity, Renee’s mom, has told us she wants to come stay for at least the first month,” Jasper added.

  “You’re the only one holding up the program,” Cade teased.

  “Renee’s not quite there, either,” Jasper said. “But in the next few months we’ll be ready.” He looked at Garrick. “What about you?”

  “Me? I have my kid, and she’s about to give me my first grandchild.”

  “Sure, but you’re still in your thirties. Don’t you think about having another family?”

  “I haven’t been.” It had been on his mind when he’d been married to Sandy, but not since then. He would want to find the right woman—someone who had the same set of values he did. Someone he loved and who could be a great mom.

  “We want more children,” Cade said. “I just wish they could all be girls.”

  “Afraid what the king will do when he has a grandson?” Jasper asked with a chuckle.

  “You have no idea how intense that man can be.”

  Bethany had grown up with American sensibilities and royal protocol. Despite living on a ranch in Happily Inc, she and Cade still had to deal with royal trappings, including very involved and excited grandparents to their daughter.

  “Didn’t the king declare a national holiday when your daughter was born?” Garrick asked.

  “There was a parade, not a holiday.”

  “So he’s saving that for the boy?” Jasper asked.

  “Don’t even joke about it.”

  Garrick and Jasper exchanged a high five.

  “Laugh all you want,” Cade told them. “But one day the two of you will have more kids, and you’ll know it’s never easy. Even if your father-in-law isn’t royal.”

  * * *

  WYNN SAT ON her front porch. It was nearly ten in the evening. She was tired, but wasn’t sure she was going to be able to sleep—not with everything on her mind.

  A familiar SUV pulled in next door. Garrick got out and walked over to sit next to her.

  “How was the man-fest?” she asked.

  “Good. The Seahawks won and Jasper made ribs with his new smoker.”

  “He’s cooking? Good for Renee. She’s training him well.”

  He looked at her. “How are you holding together?”

  “By strings that are fraying as we speak.” She pulled her knees to her chest. “I haven’t said anything to Hunter yet. I just can’t figure out how to start the conversation. Once I get my thoughts together, I’ll talk to him. In the meantime I called back the lady at Junior ROTC and answered the rest of her questions.”

  He put his arm around her. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

  She shook her head. “I feel trapped. It’s what I said before. If I tell them what he did, which is the right thing to do, he’ll be thrown out of the program. If I don’t tell them, he can stay in but I’m teaching him a lousy life lesson.”

  She looked at him. “I spent some time online, reading about the program. It’s really great. The main focus is leadership. They emphasize helping young women and minority students. He would be exposed to excellent ideals and learn a lot. There are Facebook groups for parents. It’s a wonderful program.”

  “So why didn’t he just talk to you in the first place?”

  “I have no idea.” She sighed, feeling the weight of her responsibilities. “I know what I’m supposed to do, but I don’t want to do it. I don’t want him to lose the chance before he even starts. I wish he’d talked to me.”

  “Would you have said yes?”

&
nbsp; A question she’d been asking herself all day. “I don’t know. I like to think I would have done my research and then I would have said yes, but I’ll never know.”

  “I’m sorry.” He held her close.

  “Thanks. I’ll get through this.” She straightened. “On the bright side, Joylyn’s friend Holly got engaged. Do you know her?”

  “Yes. I met her at the wedding. How do you know about the engagement?”

  Wynn told him about Joylyn coming by and asking for help with the wedding. “There was a recent cancellation at Weddings Out of the Box. The thinking is Holly and Rex can take that spot. Some things are already paid for. Renee’s putting together some numbers.”

  “How far would a couple of thousand dollars go?” he asked.

  She shifted so she could look at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m happy to kick in the money to help pay for the wedding. If I’m remembering who Holly is, she doesn’t have any family to help. They’re both Marines, getting by on their salary. I doubt they have money put away for a wedding. I’d like to help.”

  The sadness in her heart eased a little. “That’s really nice and a great idea. I’ll talk to Renee about it. I’m sure that kind of money would go a long way. I can donate some, too.”

  “You don’t have to. You’re doing enough helping my daughter.”

  “It would make me feel better about my life.”

  He leaned close and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry about Hunter.”

  “Me, too. This is going to mess up our weekend plans.” Whatever happened with her son, there was no way she was going to let him spend the night with a friend.

  “I figured as much. I was looking forward to our plans, but this is more important.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Hey, I have a kid, too. I know what it’s like.”

  She appreciated the information and the understanding. “You could have been mad.”

  He lightly kissed her. “Not my style. Besides—” He grinned. “I’m looking pretty good right about now.”

  Despite everything, she managed a laugh. “You know what? You really are.”