Happily This Christmas--A Novel

by Susan Mallery

“Yes. That number is firm. Joylyn is going to be my attendant. It’s more complicated for Rex.” Holly grinned. “He has five Marines who are going to be co–best men. So we’ll need room for them there.”

  Joylyn looked at Wynn and Renee. “They all served together and they’re like brothers. Ben S, John, Ben Z, Peter and Will.”

  “We will make that happen.” Renee typed on her tablet. “So let’s talk about the overall structure of the day. We have a large room that we can easily partition. We’ll use part of it for the ceremony and part for the reception. For the ceremony with fifty guests, we’ll do a center aisle, with say seven rows of ten chairs. I know that gives us more seating than you’ll need, but sometimes people like to leave a seat empty.”

  She put a picture of chairs up on the screen. Large lanterns sat on the floor, along the aisle.

  “We have these in our warehouse,” she said. “They’re about eighteen inches high, so substantial but they don’t get in the way. We also have flameless candles that go inside. The only cost is for new batteries.”

  “They’re lovely,” Holly said.

  “Good. Now I’m thinking we’ll do a cluster of deep red dahlias on the backs of the chairs along the aisle. Probably every other chair, so it’s not too busy. The florist will add ribbons and some greens to make them pretty.”

  “I like the look,” Holly said, her tone hesitant, “but there’s a cost factor.”

  Renee glanced at Wynn, then back at the screen. “Let me explain all my suggestions and we’ll talk money at the end. For now you can simply enjoy the show.”

  Holly nodded. “Okay. Sure.”

  Joylyn thought the slide with the lanterns and flowers was beautiful, but she was with Holly. No way could they afford that.

  “We’ve reserved a local minister to perform the ceremony,” Renee said. “Now about your bouquet—what are you doing for a dress?”

  “I don’t know,” Holly admitted. “I found a dress at David’s Bridal I really like. It’s on sale, but it’s still three hundred dollars. I think that money might be better spent on the wedding itself.”

  “Do you have a picture?” Renee asked.

  Holly reached to her left and came back with a printout of a strapless dress. The style was simple—fitted to the waist, then gently flaring out to the floor. Joylyn leaned closer to study the sweetheart neckline and the pleating at the bodice.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said. “You’ll look amazing in that.”

  Holly smiled. “It’s taffeta and looks great on. I don’t need much in the way of alterations, but the cost...”

  Renee typed on her tablet. “It’s lovely and very classic. I think a teardrop bouquet with cascading flowers would be best. Red roses.” She smiled. “They’ll look fantastic against the simplicity of the dress.”

  Joylyn met Holly’s gaze on the screen. A bouquet like that was going to be expensive. Roses? Really? Maybe Renee didn’t understand Holly didn’t have a lot of money. But before she could figure out what to say, Renee had moved on to the reception.

  “We’ll do rectangular tables forming a loose square,” she said, putting another picture on the screen. “More dahlias down the center with votives floating in glasses. The long-stemmed glasses will give height and interest, but won’t get in the way of conversation across the table.”

  Holly nodded. “The centerpieces are beautiful.”

  “For the dinner, I’ve spoken with the caterer. Are there any vegans?”

  Holly smiled. “No. All our friends eat meat.”

  “Good. We’ll have a vegetarian option, just in case. Risotto is always good. For the first course, given the time of year, we’re thinking soup. A butternut squash soup with an Asiago truffle mac and cheese muffin is very popular.”

  “It sounds delicious,” Holly said. “But expensive.”

  “No thoughts of money just yet. Don’t forget, our previous bride has paid for a lot of this.”

  “Okay. I’ll just listen.”

  Renee went through the rest of the menu, including filet mignon and a potato gratin.

  “I was thinking simple for the dessert,” Renee said, putting another slide on the screen. “Chocolate dipped strawberry towers. They look incredible, they’re light and delicious. Plus it’s fruit. The serving plates are tiered, so the stacked strawberries take the shape of a Christmas tree.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Holly murmured.

  “Great.” Renee made more notes. “The cake is problematic. We are stuck with what the previous bride ordered. It’s a four layer cake. There’s no time to get anything fancy, so what I suggest is a simple white frosting and then we cascade red roses down the side. It’s elegant, it’s easy and it meets our time constraint.”

  Holly nodded without saying anything.

  Joylyn could see her confusion and worry. Even with the deposit money waived, there was no way Holly and Rex could afford even a portion of this.

  “On to the drinks,” Renee said. “We’re thinking traditional. A champagne toast after the ceremony, then an assortment of champagne cocktails to start, with red wine at dinner. Is that all right?”

  “It all sounds wonderful.”

  “Good,” Renee said quickly. “Now, last but not least, the wedding favor.” She put up another slide. This showed a round red ornament personalized with Holly’s and Rex’s names, along with the date.

  “I have someone who can do the fancy writing,” Wynn said. “We’ll use a gold marker and tie a gold bow on the top. We can put them in big bowls by the door and people can take one as they leave.”

  Holly pressed her lips together. “We can’t afford this. I’m sorry you put all this work into the presentation, but our budget is—”

  “There’s no cost,” Renee told her. “Everything’s already paid for.”

  Holly’s expression of surprise was nearly comical, although Joylyn had a feeling she didn’t look any different.

  “What? No. That’s not possible.” Holly’s eyes were wide. “Rex and I can’t let some poor bride who had to cancel her wedding pay for ours.”

  “She’s not.” Renee smiled. “I told a few people about you and Rex, and they offered to chip in. Word spread and even more people wanted to help out. The bride who had to cancel is getting all her money back, and you’re getting the wedding I described. You might want to head to David’s Bridal and buy your dress.”

  Tears filled Joylyn’s eyes. Holly had a bit more control, but she still looked shaken.

  “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Joylyn, did you know about this?”

  “Do I look like I knew about it?” She turned to Wynn. “What happened?”

  “What Renee said. People wanted to be a part of this.”

  Renee nodded. “I’m serious, Holly. It’s all being taken care of. You and Rex just have to show up. Oh, and his five co–best men, too.”

  The rest of the meeting was a blur. When they were done, Joylyn drove to the Happily Inc police station and asked to see her dad. She was shown back to his office. When he saw her, he immediately came to his feet.

  “Are you all right? What’s going on? Do you need to go to the hospital? Is it Chandler?”

  The tears returned and she couldn’t speak, so she held open her arms. Her father came around his desk and hugged her.

  “Talk to me, Joylyn. I’m freaking out here.”

  “We’re all f-fine,” she managed to say, then gave into the sobs.

  He held her against him, angled so there was room for her belly. She cried until she was empty, then took the tissues he offered her.

  “I’m fine,” she repeated. “It’s just I was at a meeting for Holly’s wedding and everything is paid for.”

  “Oh, that.” He looked relieved. “Why is that a problem?”

  “It’s not. It’s wonderful. Her wedding is goin
g to be perfect. But I don’t understand. Why would people who’ve never met her give money to her?”

  “Why not? She and Rex don’t have much financially, so we’re helping them out. Come on. They’re Marines and it’s Christmas. What else would we do?”

  She stared at him. “You gave money?”

  He shrugged. “Some. I helped.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I knew you’d find out at the meeting. I thought that was more fun.”

  Which was just like him, she thought. He’d always done nice things for her and her friends. He was generous and kind and she couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been as a teenager.

  “I’m sorry I wouldn’t see you all those times,” she said, brushing away more tears.

  “Water under the bridge.”

  She leaned against him again. “I love you, Daddy.”

  “I love you, too.”

  * * *

  THE TEMPERATURE MIGHT be close to seventy, but the scent of pine in the Christmas tree lot made it feel like the holiday season. Wynn inhaled deeply, enjoying the familiar smell. Yes, an artificial tree was more practical, but she didn’t care. The real ones were a tradition.

  She stood next to Joylyn while Hunter and Garrick debated the merits of each tree. Wynn had already reminded them twice that they only had eight-foot ceilings in their respective houses and anything taller than that was going to have to be topped off, but the guys seemed determined to go with the biggest tree they could.

  Joylyn shook her head. “He was always like this when I was a kid. He bought some huge tree, then was shocked when it didn’t fit into his place.” She yawned and covered her mouth. “Sorry. The baby was active last night and kept me up.”

  “You’re going to have to get him on a schedule.”

  Joylyn smiled. “I know.”

  “Speaking of him, where are you and Chandler on names? I feel funny just saying ‘him’ every time I mention him.”

  Joylyn laughed. “I know. We talk about that, too. But we want to wait until he’s born. It feels weird to name someone before you’ve met them. We have a list, but we’ll decide on the day.”

  Hunter walked over to her. “Mom, do you want a taller tree or a fatter tree?”

  “Probably best not to call the tree fat. You might hurt its feelings.”

  Her son rolled his eyes. “Fine. Wider or taller?”

  “Wider. These trees all have good shapes. It’s silly to have to cut off the top two feet because it’s too tall for the room.”

  He turned to Garrick. “See? We want a fat—ah, wider tree.”

  “But tall is majestic,” Garrick insisted.

  Joylyn sighed. “Dad, you do this every year.”

  He grinned. “I know. I can’t help myself.”

  “Then it’s decided,” Wynn told him. “You can be weird and get the too-tall tree. Hunter and I will get one that can hold more ornaments.”

  “It’s not a competition,” Garrick muttered. “Although your point about the ornaments is a good one. We do have a lot.”

  He walked around the four trees that had made the finals. Wynn tried to be subtle as she checked out his butt. The man was good-looking, and their regular make-out sessions kept her girl parts humming. As Hunter was scheduled to do deck work and community service over his holiday break, she was starting to think there was no reason not to let him have a sleepover the next time he asked.

  She forced her attention back to the trees. “I like the one on the far right. Hunter, what do you think?”

  He nodded. “It’ll look good in the front window.”

  “I agree. Okay, we’ve picked ours.” She patted Joylyn on the arm. “Good luck with your dad.”

  Joylyn laughed. “You can’t just leave me here. What if he takes another hour to make up his mind?”

  “I won’t take an hour,” Garrick grumbled. “Ten minutes, tops.”

  “Let’s go to the front of the lot,” Wynn told her. “We’ll pay for our tree, and you can find somewhere to sit.”

  Once the tree was purchased, one of the guys on the lot tied it to the top of her car. She and Hunter waved at Joylyn as they pulled out. When they got home, they managed to wrestle the tree off the car and into the house.

  “I got this, Mom,” Hunter said. “Get the stand in place, and I’ll handle the tree.”

  “You’re so strong,” she said, remembering when he’d been younger and smaller. “This growing thing is starting to freak me out.”

  It didn’t take long to get the tree secured and in front of the window. They left it a few feet out from the wall so they could move around it to decorate, then push it in when they were finished.

  “I’ll go get the ornaments, Mom,” Hunter said.

  She followed him onto the front porch and saw Garrick and Joylyn pulling in next door, a tree sticking out of the back of his SUV.

  “Which one did you get?” she asked, crossing her driveway.

  Joylyn smiled. “The wider one so more ornaments will fit.”

  Wynn looked at Garrick. “You were sensible.”

  “Don’t sound surprised. I saw the value of your point and agreed with you.”

  “Still, a man who can be reasoned with. Impressive.”

  He winked at her, then picked up the tree as if it weighed nothing and carried it inside. Wynn sent Hunter to help him get the tree into the stand before heading to the garage and carrying in the last of the bins. Joylyn followed her.

  “I’m not going to be much help,” she said, patting her belly. “I’m not sure I can get close enough to hang anything.”

  Wynn pointed to the sofa. “Why don’t you keep me company while I decorate?”

  “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your traditions with Hunter.”

  Wynn shook her head. “You won’t. He likes putting on the lights, but after about five minutes of hanging ornaments, he wanders away.”

  “Oh, okay, then sure. I’d like to stay.”

  She settled on the sofa. Wynn had just pulled out the various strings of lights when Garrick and Hunter walked in.

  “Our tree is in its stand,” Garrick said. “We’re here for light duty.”

  “Because putting on the lights is man work?”

  “Of course. Decorating is more a woman thing.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “It’s Saturday. There’s no professional football on today.”

  Hunter shifted his feet. “There’s a great college game on, Mom. It’s the end of the season so who wins is important.”

  Wynn glanced at Joylyn. “Too bad you’re having a boy.”

  Joylyn laughed. “I can see that it might be a problem.”

  The guys made quick work of the lights. Garrick plugged in each string to make sure it was working, then he and Hunter wound them around the tree. They all squinted at the finished product and declared the lights were even, then the two of them disappeared next door to do the same to Garrick’s tree.

  Wynn turned on Christmas music, made hot chocolate for herself and Joylyn, then put out a plate of cookies before opening the bins and studying the contents.

  “I still have all the ornaments Hunter made for me in school,” she said. “Some of them are pretty fragile. Last year I freshened all the glue so they would last a few more years.”

  Joylyn picked up a star made of popsicle sticks and glitter. “You must love these.”

  “I do. They’re silly, but so special.”

  She sat on the floor and started pulling out other ornaments. “I have a few from my mom.” She held up a wishing well ornament. “She said as long as we could make wishes, it was going to be a good Christmas.”

  “When did she pass away?”

  “While I was pregnant with Hunter.”

  Joylyn’s eyes widened. “You w
ere young.”

  “I was. She was living in Alaska at the time.” Wynn remembered her mother telling her she was moving. “She believed she needed a man in her life to be happy. When I was little, she told me I had to be pretty in order to win my handsome prince.”

  “Shouldn’t the message be more about studying hard and making something of yourself?”

  Wynn smiled at her. “You’d think, but no. While I was growing up we had a neighbor, Ms. James. She was a schoolteacher who had never married. She always talked to me about going to college and being successful. My mom said Ms. James hadn’t amounted to anything because she never had a man in her life. It was confusing.”

  She unwrapped several ornaments before finding the one she was looking for. She put the sparrow in its nest ornament on the palm of her hand.

  “Ms. James gave me this one year. It’s supposed to remind me that if I want to get anywhere, I need to spread my wings.”

  “I love it when ornaments tell a story,” Joylyn said. “My dad and I had a different themed tree every year. I wonder if he kept the ornaments we collected together. He said he did.” Her tone was wistful.

  “When we’re done here, we’ll go over to your place and find out.”

  “You don’t have to decorate our tree as well as yours.”

  Wynn stood. “It’s not difficult work.”

  With carols playing in the background, she and Joylyn chatted about Holly’s wedding and Joylyn’s upcoming birthing class. Wynn decorated the tree, filling up the branches with happy Santas and red and gold stars. She hung two boxes of ornaments that looked like icicles before finishing with the decorations Hunter had made for her. When she was done, she stood back and admired her work.

  “I like it,” she said. “When Hunter gets back, I’ll have him push the tree closer to the window.” She grinned at Joylyn. “Teenage boys don’t mind grubbing around on the ground, so that’s a plus.”

  “I’ll look forward to that.”

  She struggled to her feet, then rubbed her back. “I am counting the days until this baby is born.”

  “I’ll bet. The last month is the most difficult. It’s hard to get comfortable anywhere.”

  Wynn carried the mugs and the plate into the kitchen before opening the front door. She and Joylyn walked over to Garrick’s place. Sure enough, the giant TV was tuned to a college football game.