The Christmas Key To Her Heart (McCormick's Creek Series Book 5)

by Jen Peters

  Robin frowned. “Not specifically. Not physically, anyway. But neglect? Probably. I mean, they had food and everything, but I guess Cat’s mom was always more focused on her boyfriends than her kids. Didn’t care much where they went or who they were with. Total opposite of you!”

  “Was I too strict?”

  “I probably thought so a time or two,” Robin smiled, “but no. You cared about us and we knew it. I think that’s Cat’s problem with her mother—it was just a place to stay and grow up as best she could, instead of it being a home with someone who loved her.”

  “But we can be her family now.”

  “I don’t know, Mom. Maybe she doesn’t feel that yet. Maybe the dress is too much, too soon. Or maybe it just reminds her of what she didn’t have, and she can’t cope.”

  “I guess I need a quiet place to talk to her. Somewhere away from the restaurant, away from her projects. Somewhere with no time pressures.” Nora already thought of Cat as a daughter, but she must not have conveyed her feelings very well. “How’d you get so wise, anyway?”

  “I watch people when they don’t realize. Like I watch you.” Robin grinned. “Did you know you sort of light up when Forrest Holt is around?”

  Nora blushed and half-heartedly swatted Robin with a dishrag. “Oh, go on, you must have something that needs doing out front.”

  “Just saying.” Robin hopped off the stool and sauntered out of the kitchen with a smirk.

  Chapter 8

  “Okay, you two,” Nora said the next morning, ushering Justin and Cat into the kitchen. “We need some decisions here.”

  Justin stared at the five cakes and various bowls of frosting and fillings. “Mom! You weren’t supposed to do all this!”

  “Hmmph. Like I wouldn’t want to make my son’s wedding cake.” Nora gave him a stern look. “You’re not changing my mind, so don’t even try. I just need to know your thoughts on flavors.”

  Cat hadn’t said a word, just looked between Nora, Justin, and the cakes. Nora thought she just might be seeing a slight sheen of tears in Cat’s eyes but couldn’t be sure.

  “All right, then,” Justin said, “I guess it’s a good thing I’m hungry. What about you, sweetheart?”

  Cat took a deep breath. “I’m game. What kind are they?”

  “Let’s start with the red velvet.” Nora gave them each a piece with cream cheese frosting, glad that Cat was willing. There was a harder conversation coming, so to not have an argument over this was hopeful. She put a spoonful of smooth berry filling on the side of their plates. “The cream cheese frosting can go between layers too, but try a bite with this.”

  Justin and Cat ate and nodded, but Nora could tell it wouldn’t be a favorite. “Here, try this one—chocolate peppermint.”

  They went through the cakes, dipping bites in lemon, berry, and chocolate filling to see how they brought out different flavors, but it wasn’t until the raspberry sour cream cake that Nora saw their eyes light up.

  “Oh, that is divine!” Cat said through a mouthful.

  Justin swallowed his third bite, met Cat’s eyes, then turned to Nora. “This is it, Mom. It’s perfect.”

  Nora puffed with satisfaction. It was nice having a son who didn’t scarf down everything in sight without tasting it. “Raspberry sour cream it is, then. And don’t worry—I’ll keep the decorations simple.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Justin and Cat enveloped her in a hug, and the love from them was palpable. This was what made everything worth it.

  She kissed them both. “The next question is, are you set on getting married on Christmas Day itself?”

  They looked at each other. “I don’t know,” Cat said. “Why?”

  Nora refilled their plates with more cake. “It’s more complicated than the day after, or even Christmas Eve. Working around the services at church, family schedules, things like that.”

  Justin shrugged. “I think mostly it was an easy date to think of. But I like the idea of tying our wedding into Christmas—the day after doesn’t thrill me.”

  Cat looked at him. “Christmas Eve would be wonderful. In the afternoon, maybe, and the party in the evening? I don’t think there will be a lot of people, so we can keep it short.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Justin said, kissing her on the cheek. “I’ve got to get to work—Mrs. Cheng’s dryer wiring is smoking.”

  “Get along then,” Nora said. “And Cat, can I hang on to you for a few more minutes?”

  “Sure,” Cat said, looking puzzled. And a little apprehensive. She gave Justin a kiss at the door while Nora brought sodas to the living room.

  “What’s up?” Cat asked, popping the tab and taking a sip.

  Nora patted the couch next to her. For all the phrases she’d run through in her mind, she wasn’t sure how to start. This was about more than the dress—it encompassed their relationship for a lot of years ahead.

  She closed her eyes briefly and sent a quick prayer upwards. “When I was a girl, I dreamed of what my wedding would be. I wanted a handsome man, a beautiful gown like Princess Diana’s, all my bridesmaids in pink, and a towering cake with a fountain inside. I even wanted white horses and a carriage to drive away in.”

  Cat’s mouth dropped open.

  “I know you want this simple,” Nora said, “but did you have childhood dreams of what you wanted your wedding to be like?”

  Cat lifted one shoulder. “Not really. Well, sort of. I had a friend and we’d have Barbie and Ken weddings. She had a Dream Bride Barbie and I loved the shimmery fabric of her dress. It was so different from anything at home.”

  “What was home like?” Nora asked gently.

  Cat blew her breath out. “I guess it wasn’t so bad. We always had food, and Tim and I had our own bedrooms about the time he turned twelve. But he did his thing and I did mine, and Mom was…well, she was there but not there, if that makes sense.”

  “She didn’t do much mothering?”

  “None, really. She was too wrapped up in her boyfriends. She didn’t care if I came in late or who I hung around with, and when Tim got arrested for joyriding, she didn’t even come down to the police station until they made her. And then I—” Her voice cut off and she picked at a fingernail. “So no, not much mothering, and definitely no dreams of weddings.”

  Nora was silent. The poor girl was carrying a lot of baggage.

  “Will your mother come for the wedding?”

  “No,” Cat said flatly. “Tim’s going to come up, but Mom has plans for a Caribbean cruise with her latest. And the sad thing is that I don’t think I even care.”

  Looking at her face, Nora knew Cat cared. She just didn’t want to admit it because that would mean letting a world of hurt come to the surface.

  Finally, she said, “If this weren’t happening so fast, but still keeping it simple, what would you like your wedding dress to be like?”

  “Oh no, Nora,” Cat protested. “I see where you’re going with this, and I can’t accept your dress. That’s a mother-daughter thing. And besides, Robin will want it.”

  Nora drew Cat’s hands toward her. “I love you, Cat, and not just because you love Justin. I’d say you were the daughter I always wanted, except I already have one.” She chuckled, imagining what Robin would say to that. “But I’d adopt you in a heartbeat if you weren’t already grown up and marrying into the family. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would…I’d be honored if you’d let me be a mother to you.”

  “The dress—”

  “Not just the dress, but you. You and me, and all the things that mothers and daughters do together and for each other. Late-night talks and Christmas shopping and manicures…” She looked at Cat’s strong hands and well-muscled arms and thought of her wielding construction tools. “Well, maybe not manicures, and you’ll have your late-night talks with Justin, but you know what I mean.”

  Cat smiled at those last words. A tear leaked from one eye, trailing slowly down her cheek. She finally swiped it away. “I don’t
know how to be a good daughter.”

  Nora pulled her in for a hug. “You do it by being you; by being a full-fledged, loving member of the family. And if ‘daughter’ freaks you out, just think of it as being an extra special friend.” She wiped her own tears away and sat back. “Now, do you think you might consider wearing your new mother’s dress?”

  Cat nodded and grabbed Nora back into a tight hug. “I do want it to be magical, just not to go crazy over it.”

  “You do know that crazy might be a requirement for joining the family, don’t you?”

  Cat smiled. “Well, yes, I’m getting that idea.”

  Nora pulled her up and led her back to the guest room where she had left the gown. She laid it out across the bed. “It was gorgeous then, but it’s a bit much for today. Robin probably thinks so, too.”

  “Robin…” Cat’s voice trailed off. “This should be hers to wear.”

  “It will be,” Nora reassured her. “She’s thrilled to share it and just wants to be in on the alterations with you.”

  “She’s got the best heart.” Cat smiled and slid her hand under the skirt and lifted it. “I love the lace over the satin, and the tiny pearls, but the sleeves…”

  Nora folded the sleeves under the back. “What about strapless? It wouldn’t be hard.”

  Cat looked horrified. “You’d do the alterations, with everything else going on?”

  Nora laughed. “Oh no, I know my limits. And Susie Whittaker would kill me if she didn’t have the opportunity to make over my gown for you. Good publicity for her dress shop, too.”

  Cat giggled. “Okay then, Mom, let’s do it!”

  Nora blinked back tears as her heart swelled. She’d never thought she’d be so proud claiming someone else to be part of her family, but to be loved and claimed in return… This was the best Christmas present ever.

  They chatted happily over possibilities before Cat said she had to get back to work or she wouldn’t have time to take off for the wedding.

  Nora texted Susie to ask about alterations, then sat envisioning the modernized wedding gown. Her own dream dress pulled at her, and she opened the page on the computer. It was an up-to-date version of Dream Bride Barbie, sleek and flowing, and not white. She closed her eyes and pictured dancing at the wedding, the bronze changing shades in the light.

  Then she closed the browser and tried to put it out of her mind.

  Chapter 9

  Early Saturday, Robin took the dogs to Cliff’s ranch with her for the animal shelter groundbreaking, and Nora used the extra time to do some housework and change the laundry. She reveled in the quiet until she realized that this was how silent the house would always be whenever Robin moved out. It had been a big adjustment when Justin got his own place—he was a big guy with a loud voice—but Robin and the dogs had kept their home lively. Now it was just the hum of the refrigerator and the swish of the broom.

  She strode to the TV and punched in the buttons for her Christmas Pandora station. Jimmy Durante’s gravelly voice sang out and she smiled—some “Frosty the Snowman” would go a long way to shifting her mindset.

  She conjured images of the cartoon and kept her mind off the empty future. Energy built and joy came as the songs shifted, and she sang along with “We Three Kings.” The vacuum drowned the next few carols out, but it didn’t matter anymore.

  It was almost time to go by the time Nora finished. She stored the vacuum, took a few minutes to check her email, and groaned. The blue and white dress she’d ordered had shipped but wasn’t expected to arrive until the nineteenth. She’d just have to cross her fingers and hope there were no problems.

  Her mood slightly soured, Nora cast an eye out at the tiny snowflakes and frozen ground—she’d need to bundle up well for Robin’s ceremony.

  There was already quite a crowd gathered at the ranch by the time she arrived, looking like a ball of wool with her hat, scarf, mittens, and a sweater under her coat. Cat and Justin were taking a break from work on their own house, all the town big-wigs were in attendance, and Robin clung to Cliff against the bitter breeze. Nora shivered and stomped her feet while Robin thanked everyone, explained the shelter’s plans, and invited a few main contributors to wield a shovel.

  Nora was a little surprised not to see Forrest there—he’d become a regular at the town gatherings in the last couple of weeks. Still, he had his own life to live, and there was no logical reason he had to say a personal goodbye if he’d gone back home.

  She stuffed her hands in her pockets. Maybe there was no logical reason, but she’d thought there might be an emotional one. She was surprised at how disappointed she felt for a crush not to develop into something else. But even if he had been interested, perhaps she’d stomped on his feelings when they’d been organizing the wedding needs.

  She walled off the feelings like a sensible adult and watched Robin and her helpers work the shovels through the frozen crust and into softer ground. They each turned over a shovelful, then stood back while Robin declared the Forever Friends Animal Shelter underway.

  The crowd applauded one last time, and then Nora grinned widely—Cliff had taken Robin’s microphone away and dipped her back for a long and healthy kiss. Nora warmed at the sight—it was so good to see this tender daughter of hers moving on with her life, and at the side of a good man, too.

  It seemed to be a theme in the front of Nora’s thoughts—Robin was starting a career that fit her perfectly and had found someone to love, and Nora knew she was settling into her adult life. Justin had been on his own for years, but marrying Cat in ten days—gasp—told Nora just how much he’d moved on.

  So what about her? Other than those few dates years ago, she’d kept her heart locked away. There’d been no way to take on a romance while she had the children and the restaurant to handle on her own. Now, with Forrest gone, just how interested was she in joining the dating scene again? What if…

  “I missed it all, didn’t I?” Forrest said, startling her.

  He hadn’t left after all. Nora tried to keep the glow inside her from spilling out, but she knew her smile was reaching her eyes. “The program was short and it’s freezing,” she assured him. “You’re probably better off.”

  He took her mittened hand in his gloved one. “Any place to get you warm after I congratulate your daughter?”

  She felt warmer just having him there, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “There are dogs in the barn for adoption.”

  “Oh no,” he said, raising his hands. “I’m not in the market for a dog!”

  “No, but you could pet them. And it’s a whole lot warmer in there.”

  “All right, give me a sec.” He talked to Robin and Cliff for a few moments, then returned and reclaimed her hand. “Time to see some dogs.”

  Nora snuggled close as they walked toward the big wooden barn. It felt right. He felt right. Perhaps it was her turn now, with him.

  Chapter 10

  Nora invited Forrest over for a movie Sunday afternoon while Robin was at the ranch with Cliff. He greeted her at the door with flowers in hand. “For you, my lady,” he said.

  She blushed like a girl on a first date. “You didn’t have to do that.” She held them to her nose and inhaled deeply, soaking in the spicy scent. “How did you know I love carnations?”

  It was his turn to blush. “Well, I asked—” he began.

  “Robin,” she finished, shaking her head. “If I don’t watch out, she’ll give away all my secrets.”

  “And what would be wrong with that?” Forrest followed her into the kitchen.

  Nora snipped the ends off the carnations, pulled a vase from a top cupboard, and set them in. “Depends on what secrets,” she teased. “So tell me some of yours. Movies—do you prefer old classics or are you into the newest ones?” She started a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

  Forrest smiled, his brown eyes looking more like gingerbread rather than chocolate today. “Both? Classics with Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart or Humphrey Bogart. A
nd Katherine Hepburn—wasn’t The African Queen great? And new movies? Anything action—love the Avengers series, love disaster movies. I’ll even enjoy a good chick flick if I’m on a date. Not so much into artsy-type stuff.”

  Nora wasn’t surprised that he went to movies on dates, but it made her wonder what he expected afterward. He had been the perfect gentleman so far, but he was definitely interested in her and they hadn’t been on an official date yet.

  “Are you up for It’s a Wonderful Life? I can’t seem not to watch it every Christmas season.” She handed him sodas from the fridge as the microwave counted down.

  “Sounds good. I’ve seen it a few times, but not in years.”

  Nora emptied the popcorn into a bowl, added some extra butter spray, and led the way to the living room where the Christmas tree sparkled. Clumsiness took over as she grabbed napkins off the table. She knocked her hip into the solid wood, setting the candlesticks to shaking. She stood still for a moment and moved her leg in circles to ease it.

  Forrest stopped close behind her, ready to offer a hand. “You okay?”

  “Yes, sorry. I’m not usually such a dork.” An embarrassed dork, but she didn’t need to spell that out for him.

  “What’s this?” he said.

  She turned and saw that her bump had woken the computer up—to the screen where she had been drooling over The Dress earlier.

  “Oh, nothing,” she said. “Just a dream.” She walked away from the evidence of her foolishness and sat down on the couch.

  “It’s not nothing—dreams are important.” He followed and sat next to her, putting the sodas on coasters on the coffee table. “Is that the dress you want for the wedding?”

  Nora shrugged. “If I were rich and famous, maybe. But I’m not, so it’s not happening. I’ve ordered a perfectly lovely dress that will be here soon.”

  “But you’re still dreaming of that one?”