Mistletoe Mine (2 page)

Even as fresh tears spilled from her eyes, she held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers. The diamond flashed in the sunlight. Sarah moved forward to wrap her arms around Molly and said, “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

Celeste beamed at Charlie. “That’s a beautiful engagement ring, Charlie. I’m thrilled for you both.”

“Thanks,” Charlie said.

Celeste addressed Molly. “So, dear, these are tears of happiness?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Molly smiled crookedly and added, “It’s complicated.”

Celeste clicked her tongue and glanced from Molly to Charlie and back to Molly again. “I don’t want to intrude, but is there anything we can do to help?”

“I wish you could help. It’s the wedding. It’s my parents.” Molly met Sarah’s gaze and added, “It’s the wedding
and
my parents.”

“They don’t approve of your choice?” Nic asked.

“They love Charlie.”

“Your mom loves me,” Charlie corrected. “Your dad tolerates me. He doesn’t think any guy is good enough for you.”

“So what’s the problem?” Sarah asked.

Molly swiped tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. “My parents don’t speak to each other. They haven’t seen each other in over three years.”

“Oh, no,” Celeste said.

Sarah frowned. “I know your mother is a renowned concert pianist and that she travels the world, but I didn’t realize your parents were divorced.”

“They’re not divorced,” Charlie said.

“They just hate each other,” Molly added.

That pretty much put a stop to the questions. One of Nic’s girls started crying, and she took her leave. Lori’s mom finished packing up her booth, then moved to help pack the glass Christmas ornaments in the Angel’s Rest booth. Celeste didn’t have a whole lot of stuff left, but what she did have was fragile. When Charlie put a knitted angel puppet on his hand then used it to “kiss” her cheek, Molly gave him a watery smile.

“I’m so happy and so sad at the same time because I’m thinking about my marriage, which makes me think about my parents’ marriage. Isn’t that stupid? I should be able to just be happy.”

“I don’t think it’s stupid at all.” Celeste reached over and patted her hand. “Nothing gives us quite as much joy or causes quite as much pain as family.”

“Is your mother’s career the problem?” Sarah asked. “Your father is a rancher, right?”

Molly fingered a glass ornament shaped like angel’s wings. “Commercial farmer and rancher, yes. He’s tied to the land, but Mom’s career was something they seemed to manage okay. Then, four years ago …”

She closed her eyes and shuddered. Charlie gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze. “Her uncle committed suicide.”

“Oh, no,” Celeste said.

“He was Mom’s brother and my dad’s best friend and business partner.”

Sarah shook her head, her violet-blue eyes soft with sympathy. “What a tragedy. I’m so sorry, Molly.”

Molly’s throat worked. “I don’t know all the details about what happened or why,” she said. “They didn’t share. But it totally screwed Mom and Dad up. She canceled one concert tour, but when time came for the one after that, she left and she never came home. He didn’t call her. They did all their communicating by email. I don’t think they even do that anymore.”

Charlie took her hand and brought it up to his mouth for a comforting kiss. “They are masterful when it comes to avoiding each other.”

“That’s true,” Molly agreed. “I’ve tried everything to get them together. Conference calls, ‘accidental’ meetings—nothing works. It takes a miracle to get him to leave the ranch, and she won’t even take a flight that crosses West Texas airspace. They’ve already figured out a way for them both to attend graduation in December without having any interaction.”

“Oh, Molly.” Celeste gave her a quick hug. “Are you afraid that they won’t attend the wedding or else attend and cause a scene?”

“No.” The young woman blinked away the wetness in her eyes. “I know they love me, and I have faith that they’ll be civil to each other on my special day. I even think they’ll try to get along. But I want the tension dealt with beforehand so that I’m not on pins and needles all the time.”

“They put you in the middle?” Sarah asked.

“Yes. Not on purpose, though. They don’t mean to do it, but it happens, and somehow that makes it worse. If I go to the ranch instead of coming to New York, she’s hurt. If I see her instead of him, he goes quiet. It’s a silent tug-of-war and I want it to stop, at least on my wedding day. I want to be thinking about my marriage on that day, not the disaster that is my parents’ marriage.”

“I see.” Her arms crossed, Celeste lifted one hand to thoughtfully tap her lips with her index finger.

Sarah said, “I don’t know your mother, but I’ve spoken with your dad on the phone, Molly. He strikes me as a reasonable person. I’ll bet if you say to him what you’ve just said to us, he’ll listen and do what he can to make it right for you.”

“Maybe,” Molly said glumly.

Celeste asked, “Do you have a date for the wedding in mind yet?”

The couple glanced at each one another, then Molly said, “Between Christmas and New Year’s. We’ll need to look at a calendar.”

“And where will it take place?”

Molly winced and bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know. I split my time between Dad’s ranch in Texas and Mom’s place in New York.”

“Knowing them, they’ll want us to do two weddings,” Charlie drawled.

“Nonsense.” Celeste gave a dismissive wave. “I suggest you two get married on neutral ground. Have a destination wedding.”

“You mean like in Hawaii?” Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Mrs. Blessing. That would probably be okay with my family. My folks like to travel every chance they get. But I think we’d like to have our friends at our wedding, too, and they’re mostly poor college kids.”

“Actually, I was thinking of someplace closer,” Celeste said. “Why don’t you get married here in Eternity Springs? You’d have a historical church for the ceremony, and Angel’s Rest is a lovely venue for a reception. I happen to know that your friends could get an extra-special deal on their rooms. Our college-student winter discount is even better than what we offer in summer.”

Interest lit both Charlie’s and Molly’s eyes. As they glanced at each other, Sarah said, “In a town this small, your parents couldn’t avoid each other for long.”

“That’s a thought,” Molly said.

Celeste added, “I know of a perfect place for a secluded honeymoon if you want to stay in the area. Sarah, you’ve seen what the Timberlakes have done to Bear’s yurt, have you not?”

“Yurt?” Charlie asked.

“It’s a year-round universal recreation tent.”

“You want me to spend my honeymoon in a tent?” Molly exclaimed.

Sarah laughed. “That yurt is no ordinary tent. It was luxurious before our friends bought it, but after their upgrades, it could compete with a five-star hotel. It’s their romantic getaway, but I’m sure they’d let you use it.”

“That sounds cool,” Charlie said.

“You and your parents could come here for Christmas. You’ll have last-minute preparations to make, and that way you could deal with the tension issue before your wedding day.”

Charlie nodded. “I’ll bet my family would come here for Christmas, too. It’d be nice to spend Christmas with you, Molly.”

Molly took a long look around, her lips pursed in thought. “Lori says it’s beautiful here at Christmastime. Cold but beautiful.”

Charlie had a wicked glint in his eyes as he observed, “Good snuggling weather.”

“I’d be honored to bake your wedding cake,” Sarah said. “Ali Timberlake could do the catering, too. She’s a wonderful cook.”

Molly met Charlie’s gaze with a questioning look.

“It could be great,” he said.

“Or a disaster,” she replied.

“Either way, it’d break the ice.” He shrugged and added, “It’s up to you, Molly. You’re the bride, and I’m fine with whatever you want.”

“I’m the bride,” she repeated, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “How cool is that?”

“Very cool,” Sarah said.

Molly considered the question for another minute, then nodded. “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s get married here in Eternity Springs.”

“Excellent.” Celeste stepped forward and gave them both a hug. “When we finish here, let’s stop by the office and get it on the calendar. How exciting.”

“Very exciting,” Sarah agreed. “Lori will be thrilled.”

“I want to ask her to be one of my bridesmaids,” Molly said. “Do you think she’ll do it?”

“In a heartbeat. She’ll be so happy and honored to be asked. It’ll be her first time to be a bridesmaid.”

“A winter wedding in Eternity Springs!” Celeste clapped her hands.

Charlie leaned over and kissed Molly lightly on the mouth. “And with any luck, a family Merry Christmas at Angel’s Rest.”

“Merry Christmas? With my parents?” Molly closed her eyes and grimaced. “I hope it doesn’t turn into Shootout at the O.K. Corral.”

Celeste laughed and gave Molly another hug. “Don’t worry, child. I have a feeling this will be a Christmas season of joy for the Stapleton family.”

“From your mouth to God’s ears, Celeste.”

“That’s the way it works, dear. That’s the way it works.”

* * *

London

Emma Stapleton disconnected the online telephone call with a trembling hand, then stood staring at the screensaver, lost in thought, blinking back tears. Her manager, Nicco Berlini, walked into their suite at the Savoy and halted abruptly. “
Cara mia
,” he said, worry in his tone. “You are as pale as a ghost. What is wrong? What terrible thing has happened?”

“Not a terrible thing,” she replied, proud that her voice didn’t shake. “A good thing. A wonderful thing.”

When she didn’t continue, Nicco crossed the room to her, took her hands and lifted them to his lips for a kiss. “And what is this wonderful thing that puts such sorrow in those big blue eyes?”

“It’s not sorrow,” she insisted. “It’s not. Truly. I’m happy.”

Nicco arched his brows.

“My Molly is getting married.”

“Aha,” he murmured, the look in his eyes warm and full of caring and concern.

Emma’s mouth lifted in a crooked smile. When the man looked at her like that, she could almost forget that he could give Lothario a run for his money. Nicco was the clichéd tall, dark, and handsome. His thick, black-as-midnight hair set off liquid brown eyes that smoldered on a whim. His nose was a thin Roman blade, his cheekbones sharp, his lips thickly sensuous. He dressed in Armani and flirted with anything in a skirt. Emma trusted him with her career and her money, but her heart was strictly off-limits.

Been there, done that with too-handsome-for-her-own-good men.

Not that Jared had been a horn dog like Nicco. No, his sins against her were something else entirely.

“So young Charlie popped the question, did he?” Nicco asked, his voice gentle. “You told me you adore the young man. Why the watery eyes?”

Emma opened her mouth, then couldn’t find the words. How could she verbalize the emotions running through her when they didn’t make any sense? She
did
adore Charlie. She
was
happy for Molly. Why did the thought of being mother of the bride make her want to cry?

Two words: Jared Stapleton.

This should be a moment when mother of the bride turned to father of the bride and said, “Our baby is all grown up.”

Instead, she was on one side of the Atlantic sharing a hotel suite with an Italian stallion, and he was undoubtedly on the other, holed up on that godforsaken ranch with his … cows. How sad was that?

“Where did the years go, Nicco? When did I get to be old enough to have a son-in-law?”

“It’s your own fault, bella. You should not have let that cowboy seduce you when you were twelve.”

She laughed then, as he’d surely known she would.

“Now, come, love. Dry your eyes and take me to dinner. We should have prosecco, I think, to celebrate. Tomorrow you can begin your diet.”

“My diet!”

He shrugged. “You are a beautiful woman, a young Sophia Loren. But I suspect that if you were to climb upon the scale tonight, my Emma, you would discover that in the past month, you have gained as much as three pounds. That might be acceptable for a concert pianist, but as a mother of the bride? Impossible!”

“I hate you, Nicco.”

“You adore me, Emma, love. And I want you to know that I will overlook the thickness in your waist if you’ll finally abandon the silly nonsense about being a married woman and take me to your bed.”

Drily, she replied, “How kind of you.”

“What can I say? I am a prince.”

“My waist isn’t thick.”

He shrugged. “You are not twenty-five anymore, and three pounds can easily become thirteen. I will not cater to your vanity, my love. That is why you hire me, no?”

Originally, she’d hired him with the idea of driving Jared crazy, but in the past two years, he’d become a dear friend and an indispensable manager. Of course, she dare not say that too often, so instead she grumbled, “I don’t know why I haven’t fired you.”

“Because I refuse to accept anything less than your best, and this is not an easy job. What has happened to your self-discipline of late? I shudder to think what might become of you were I not here to keep you in check.”

Emma had the sudden urge to stick out her tongue at the man, but instead she reached defiantly for the candy dish and one of the Parisian chocolate-covered caramels she kept in constant supply.

Nicco grinned as she gleefully unwrapped the candy. “Ah, but I do so love that fire in your eyes. Indulge tonight, love, for tomorrow we begin preparations for both the performance in Milan and your meeting with the devil himself.”

The chocolate halfway to her mouth, Emma froze. “Jared.”

Nicco folded his arms. “This is why you need me, Emma. You had not put those particular pieces together, no? As mother of the bride, you will not be able to avoid the father of the bride. Nor he you.”

He was right. As usual, Nicco was right. “Despite everything else, he’s been a good father to Molly. We can’t let our … disagreements … ruin the day for Molly.”