It Started with Christmas: A heartwarming feel-good Christmas romance

by Jenny Hale

  After Papa passed, when Nana started regularly renting the cabin where they usually spent family holidays, Holly’s parents planned big trips for Christmas instead of staying in Nashville—last year it was Paris, and this year they were all going to Playa del Carmen in Mexico. While she’d been invited to go, Holly didn’t want to admit that she thought being away from home wasn’t very Christmassy, and she felt like she’d lost something important when they stopped getting together at the cabin.

  Last year Holly made the excuse that Nana was still too emotionally fragile and Holly needed to stay in Nashville. This year, she’d blamed work. Nana made it easy, too, because she’d been indignant at the thought of spending Christmas anywhere but Nashville. So they settled for a family Christmas Day call as their new tradition.

  “I suppose we shouldn’t let Joseph starve…” Nana said, bringing Holly back to the present.

  “Joe,” Holly corrected her.

  Nana threw her gaze to the rafters, pinching those lips together. She cleared her throat and headed into the house. Holly left the stickers, grabbed her sandwich, and followed Nana inside.

  “I’ll go check on him,” Holly said, once she got into the cabin. “I should probably keep moving around anyway or my ankle will get stiff.”

  She limped down the hallway and lifted her hand to rap on Joe’s door, but stopped when she heard his voice from the other side. It sounded like he was on a phone call.

  “I don’t know, Katharine,” he said softly. “Could you do the gold and gray?”

  Holly stretched out her fingers, looking down at her nails and tried not to listen, instead considering how walking around was helping her sore ankle. While it was still throbbing, it was definitely better, which was good, because they couldn’t get to a doctor if they tried. She’d just give Joe a minute to get off the phone…

  “Yes, but what do you like?” she heard. “Why are you letting Brea decide?”

  Holly casually rested against the wall, pondering what she’d say if he opened the door. Perhaps she should just come back.

  “I’m still thinking,” Joe said, drawing her attention to the door again.

  He was silent then, and Holly wondered what his fiancée was telling him. She leaned toward the door quietly, something making her curious about their conversation, but knowing she shouldn’t eavesdrop. What kinds of things did they talk about? Did he make her laugh? When he looked at Katharine did his lips turn up in that way she’d seen them do? Had he explained to Katharine about her and Nana yet?

  “I’m trying,” he said, his voice tense.

  Holly held her breath.

  “I don’t know,” he said and then, “All right. Well, just keep me in the loop, I guess.”

  When she heard him end the call, she knocked.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Holly pushed the door open, and she found the bed was made, drawing her eyes to it, which sent her mind into a rewind to when she’d first encountered him. Joe was at the small desk in the room, tapping on his laptop, his back to her, his phone resting beside the computer. He finished whatever he was typing and swiveled around in his chair.

  “Nana’s making some soup and we have ham sandwiches. Are you hungry?”

  “That’s very generous of you to offer,” he said, that smile of his now slightly more reserved. “I’d love some, but you two need to have a bit of space, I’m sure. I’ll just eat in here, if you’d be so kind as to let me know when it’s ready.”

  Holly took a step inside and shut the door a little to keep her voice from traveling down to the kitchen. “Please don’t feel like you have to spend the whole time in your room. You’re more than welcome to have lunch with us.”

  There was a ping on his computer and his head twisted back around to view it. “I should probably just stay in here and work. My hot spot finally has a signal and I’ve got a ton of things piling up from when I was out looking at the venue for the wedding. It set me back.” He stretched. “And I’m supposed to make a decision soon on the wedding items Katharine sent me. I’m terrible about that sort of thing.” He eyed Holly for a second. “Perhaps we could take a look at it all at some point? It would be helpful to have your perspective.”

  Talking wedding details with Joe would be too hard. “Didn’t Katharine give you her thoughts on them?” she said, stalling, not wanting to tell him “no” outright.

  “No. She offered the options, but she’s in the middle of a pretty heated case right now, and she asked me to finalize these things. She said if I can’t decide, it would default to our wedding planner, Brea.” He was facing away from her again, turning off his computer, and a current of excitement zinged through her chest. Was he coming out to eat with them?

  He stood up.

  “If I leave it to Brea we’ll end up paying millions for things we’d never have chosen, so if Katharine can’t decide, I suppose I should.”

  Katharine was a soon-to-be bride—this was supposed to be the day she’d dreamed about since childhood. Didn’t all brides have a pretty clear vision of what they wanted for their wedding? And if not, wouldn’t she want to explore the choices herself? Or with Joe, as a couple?

  “Please don’t make me have to call Brea.” He walked toward the door, his coming to lunch obviously a plea for help with the wedding. “You know, she goes by just Brea. Like Cher or Madonna.”

  Holly giggled. But in all seriousness, she didn’t even want to think about how lavish this wedding would be. Joe had said the word, “millions.” Plural. As in more than one million. The wedding was in Brentwood, the land of mansions. The wedding planner had only one name… Holly jumped, as he put his hand on her shoulder and waved his other arm to usher her out of the room.

  “Tammy said you were her wedding planner, right?” he asked as they started walking.

  “I helped her plan the wedding, yes. But it was more of a backyard barbeque with white paper tablecloths and a tall cake.”

  He stopped and faced her, making her turn mid-stride. They were super close in that tight hallway and her heart rate sped up from the proximity.

  “It was casual,” he said, “because that’s what she probably wanted. I’ve seen your work right here in the cabin. I know you have great taste and an incredible eye for detail. That backyard barbeque was probably the most elegant barbeque in history.”

  They fell back into silence as they walked into the living room, and all Holly could think about was how easy it would be to make those wedding decisions for him. She’d know in seconds what Katharine should have, as long as their tastes lined up. Even if they didn’t, however, all Holly had to see was the venue and the dress and she could guess pretty accurately.

  The entire cabin brimmed with the aroma of Nana’s famous vegetable chowder. The savory, cheesy smell of it made Holly aware of her hunger. The Christmas tree lights were on, and, even with her aching ankle, Holly had managed to keep the fire going in the fireplace most of the day.

  It was so cozy in the living room that she decided to set the coffee table with dishes, grabbing some from the kitchen cabinets. She placed them on the table and then scattered a few large throw pillows on the floor, an extra one for her foot, and an afghan on the sofa for Nana, who was in the kitchen, giving the soup one last stir. The glow around the room from the fire and the lights, the greenery and stockings on the mantle, and the delicious scent of holiday cooking filled Holly with nostalgia.

  She noticed Joe was watching her.

  “I thought we could eat in here.”

  “That sounds great,” he said, but she wondered if he found it unusual.

  Nana came in and quietly settled on the sofa.

  “Please,” Holly said, “make yourself comfortable and I’ll get our soup. How does everyone take their ham sandwiches? Nana, cheese and mayo?”

  Nana allowed a little smile. “That’s right.”

  “How about you, Joe?”

  “Let me help you,” he offered. “You don’t need to be doing all that w
ith your ankle.”

  “Thank you,” she said, happy he offered.

  Nana eyed him suspiciously, fiddling with her napkin, while Holly went into the kitchen to prepare their sandwiches. She couldn’t help but wonder about Katharine, that phone call still on her mind.

  She’d have to kick into waitress mode. She was great at it. She knew just how to ask questions to get the customers talking but not seeming like she was prying. She had tricks for remembering the little details and she was an ace at knowing just when to slip them in to conversation later. She did it a hundred times in a night, her mind shut off, but her smile bright and her people skills going like a well-oiled machine. That same tactic could work with Joe: she could ask him about the wedding since he seemed to be okay with sharing that information. After all, he’d asked for help in decision-making. That would be a good place to start.

  Then maybe she wouldn’t feel so awkward around Joe all the time.

  Eight

  Holly handed Nana her bowl of soup and glass of iced tea first, setting her sandwich on the table. She’d been a little wobbly carrying it all in, so Joe insisted on bringing in her lunch, asking her to sit and rest. With Joe in the room, Nana was not the picture of enthusiasm. She looked like she’d rather eat out in the snow than have to endure sitting with him. Holly wasn’t sure how she was going to persuade her to enjoy this.

  “It smells delicious,” he said, placing Holly’s plate and glass down onto the table in front of her and heading back toward the kitchen.

  “I assure you, it tastes as good as it smells. Nana’s famous for her cooking.”

  Joe smiled over his shoulder, his interest apparent.

  Nana didn’t look up from her soup, but Holly did catch a small smile twitch at her lips. Holly knew it wasn’t due to the comment, however; Nana loved cooking, and she was truly great at it. Regardless of the reason, Holly was relieved to get even the tiniest indication of anything less than hostility.

  “She won first prize in the Leiper’s Fork Farmer’s Market pie contest one year with her cherry cobbler,” Holly added, her voice carrying lightly across the room. She was trying to capitalize on Nana’s slight hint of happiness. “And her ginger snaps are to die for.”

  This made Nana look up, that pout relenting. She dipped her spoon into her bowl and took another bite.

  Joe came back with the last few things from the kitchen and sat down beside Holly, his clean scent wafting toward her. She held her breath so as not to smell it, as he leaned closer momentarily, trying to get comfortable on the pillow. There was a slightly awkward silence when the three of them began to eat. Time for waitress mode. Her head was buzzing for some reason and she wasn’t on her game like she was at the restaurant. Talk about the wedding, she told herself.

  “So, Joe’s fiancée, Katharine,” she said to Nana, “she’s a lawyer in New York, is that right, Joe?”

  “Uh, yes.”

  He seemed a bit startled. Maybe she should’ve talked more about the ginger snaps. They were a safer topic, weren’t they? Too late now, though. She’d have to press on. Her mind raced for a springboard from her last comment. She thought about weddings. Weddings… Proposals usually happen. She wondered about Joe’s proposal, that gentle voice of his sailing back into her memory. Had it been romantic? Had he shopped for months to find the perfect ring just for Katharine? Had he whisked her away to a secluded place, or had he proposed in front of masses?

  “Holly.” Nana’s voice cut through her thoughts and Holly met her eyes.

  “I just asked Joe about the boxes of things I encountered in my room.”

  Holly took a large drink of her iced tea and let the cold wake up her realistic side, now completely focused on Nana.

  “I told her you and I were going to go through them together,” Joe said, those dark eyes sending her that information as a question.

  “Yes! And I’m sure Nana could help us too. She’s great at that sort of thing.” She wasn’t sure if Nana was great at wedding planning or not, but at least the subject got them all talking.

  “Perfect,” Joe said.

  He smiled at her, making her feel like her lunch had swelled in her stomach. Holly was one of the best waitresses in the business. She nailed every single job interview with her charismatic banter and pulled tips that made the other wait-staff envious. But she’d become a pile of mush today, spacing out, not able to form coherent sentences…

  “I think I’ll leave you two to the wedding choices, although I’m wondering why your fiancée isn’t having those conversations with you, rather than my granddaughter.”

  “Mm,” Joe said, clearly understanding Nana’s apprehension. “Katharine is very practical, and whether flowers are red or yellow is of no concern to her. She finds them all beautiful in their own way. However,” he raised his eyebrows addressing Nana, “we’ve had talks about this very thing, and she says that she’s more interested in being married than she is in the wedding, but we have around a thousand people who’d like to celebrate it with us, so she’s going along with it all.”

  Joe’s phone rang in his pocket, drawing Holly’s attention to it. “Sorry.” He glanced quickly at his watch. “Katharine is supposed to be in the courtroom right now, in the middle of a trial and she’s calling. Mind if I get this?” he asked.

  Holly shook her head.

  He slid his finger across the screen to take the call, sending an apologetic glance to both Holly and Nana.

  “Hello?” he said, placing his napkin beside the soup bowl and standing up. “Slow down. I can’t understand you.” He started to walk out of the room but stopped, whatever she was saying keeping him fixed in one place. “It’s okay.” He regarded Holly quickly and then looked away. “Katharine…”

  Joe started to slowly stride back and forth through the room. Questioning, Holly tried to catch his eye again, but he was too busy listening.

  “Don’t panic.”

  That was when Katharine got so loud Holly could hear her coming through the phone: Don’t panic? Brea just quit on me! She has an emergency conflict out in LA! Something went wrong with the wedding after ours and it’s a “high-profile” issue, she said! Why didn’t she plan for this sort of thing? That’s her job! This is completely unacceptable! I don’t have time to finish planning a wedding, Joseph!

  “Slow down,” he said calmly, clearly grasping for answers himself. “It’s almost finished. We could make the last few decisions ourselves—”

  Katharine sent through an inaudible couple of sentences and Joe pulled the phone away from his ear as if he were saving his eardrum, pacing back over toward Holly. When he neared her, it looked like something occurred to him. He took a large breath. “I might have a wedding planner.” Joe stared at Holly as if she had the answer.

  Why was he looking at her? Holly didn’t know any million-dollar-wedding planners. Did he want her to start searching for them online? Was there a list in one of his wedding boxes—what?

  “She does it on the side,” he continued, attempting to soothe Katharine, still looking at Holly, “so I’ll have to check her availability. She’s here in the Nashville area.”

  He was tapping his hand nervously against his leg. “Yes. She planned a wedding in Leiper’s Fork, in fact.”

  Nana’s head slowly turned toward Holly, complete disbelief on her face.

  That was when it hit Holly. What? Was Joe really suggesting that she finish this wedding? She had zero experience in this and she was taking over from a professional! There was no way she could compete with that. Oh, no. No, no, no… Holly wobbled her way to a standing position and stuck her face in front of his. “I can’t plan your wedding,” she mouthed to him.

  “She’s really good, yes.” He turned away from her. “She has an eye for design.” He peered over his shoulder briefly but wouldn’t look Holly in the eyes this time, to avoid her objections.

  Her mouth bone dry, Holly grabbed her iced tea off the table, wishing there was a shot of whiskey in it. But as she
looked back at Joe, she could see he was scrambling to help his fiancée. He was trying to fix this, and the gesture was so sweet that she couldn’t say no. She realized right then that maybe she and Joe could be friends after this. He was so kindhearted that she wanted to be friends, to have someone like him in her life.

  “What does she do for her full-time job? She’s a wait—”

  Holly tugged his sleeve and shook her head, fearing her choice of career wouldn’t make her seem versed in the ins and outs of the wedding industry.

  “She works with high-end clientele, in… sales.”

  Holly started to cough, the tea stinging her nose as she choked. The minute they met, Katharine would see right through this, Holly was certain. She’d never planned anything on such a big scale in her life! How would she take care of Nana and complete the final details of a wedding like this? Her heart was pounding, her mind racing, and she was caught between the total horror of taking this on and the absolute excitement that filled her at the thought of it.

  Joe put his hand over the phone and whispered, “It won’t be much work, I promise. We’re almost finished—it’s just a few things. I’ll help—you’ll have my cell, Katharine’s cell, and all the information you’ll need on my computer. But if you don’t want to, I’ll tell her you were already busy, and we’ll start looking for someone.” He stood there as if he were waiting for an answer right now, while Katharine kept talking.

  Holly turned and searched Nana’s face for her reaction, but for the first time in her life, Nana had a neutral expression: she wasn’t upset, but she didn’t look overly excited either. It was completely up to Holly to decide this.

  “What do you say?” Joe whispered, a tiny bit of happiness reaching his eyes. He seemed to like the idea.

  That look of his could make Holly say yes to almost anything. It was only the final details… She found herself warming to the suggestion. Why? What in the world was going on? Could she actually use her skills to her advantage and turn her passions into work? Or was she in over her head? She was off from the restaurant until after New Year’s, which should give her just enough time… She peered back up at Joe, her hands trembling just slightly. With a nervous grin, before she could talk herself out of it, she nodded.