The snow bride, p.17
The Snow Bride, page 17
“I tried to put him out of my mind,” she admitted. She’d tried to convince herself that her feelings for him had dwindled, but then the letters had started coming and her heart had refused to maintain the pretense.
“What are you planning to do about it?” Brad asked next.
Jenna knew the answer, although she’d delayed facing the truth. “I’m going back with my mother. I’m sorry, Brad. I’m letting you down, but this isn’t working.”
To her amazement, he grinned. “I know, Jenna. Don’t feel guilty about it. Go, with my blessing.”
Jenna leaped to her feet. Dropping the pad and pen, she blinked back tears. Until he’d pressured her for an answer, she hadn’t realized how lonely she was for her friends, her mother and—above all—for Reid.
She understood now what her mother had tried so hard to tell her in letters and phone calls. Chloe had indeed found her soul mate in the unlikeliest of places, and so had Jenna. But Jenna didn’t have the courage or the faith in her own judgment to follow the dictates of her heart, to believe in her feelings. Not anymore. She knew she loved Reid and as soon as she could, was telling him exactly that.
“Go,” Brad said again. “I know you’re in a hurry to leave. Don’t worry about giving me your two weeks’ notice. And wish your mother much happiness, all right?”
“My mother? You want me to give my mother your best wishes?”
“Sure do.” Brad chuckled. “I’ve let bygones be bygones.” He gave her a quick, affectionate glance. “Keep in touch, Jenna. And send me an invite to your wedding.”
Jenna hurriedly, joyfully, gathered up her personal effects and was out the door. She drove to her mother’s house, which was in a friendly neighborhood of row houses constructed in the early 1950s. Signs of Christmas were everywhere. Lights glittered from rooftops and brightly colored bulbs dangled from trees and bushes. A Santa and reindeer were propped on the roof across the street. She saw that the front door to the house was open.
Jenna parked in the driveway and hurried inside. “Mom?”
But it wasn’t her mother who came to greet her. Instead, Reid walked out of the kitchen.
“Reid?” She felt as if someone had knocked the breath from her lungs. “What are you doing here? Where’s my mother?” Then it occurred to her that none of those answers mattered. What did matter was seeing him. She tossed her purse aside and ran into his outstretched arms.
Reid lifted her from the ground, and their mouths met in an urgent, hungry kiss. A kiss that held back nothing, gave everything.
Jenna was weak and breathless when they finished. Her legs would barely hold her upright. Reid’s large hands framed her face as his eyes devoured her in the same way his mouth had.
“Your mother’s with Pete,” he murmured, his voice husky.
“In Snowbound?”
“No, here. They went out to get boxes.”
“Pete came with her?”
He nodded. “They couldn’t bear to be apart, so he left Addy and Palmer to run the store.”
“You came, too?”
He smiled, and Jenna swore it was the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. Then he kissed her again, and finally, reluctantly, eased his mouth from hers. With what appeared to be a huge effort, he clasped her shoulders and stepped back. “Let’s talk, all right?”
“Sure.” There wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d object.
Reid led the way into the kitchen, where they sat side by side at the small table. “I got a phone call from Brad Fulton last week.”
“Brad phoned you?” This was a shock. “Why?”
“Frankly, I wondered the same thing.”
“What did he want?”
Reid held her gaze. “He asked me if I was in love with you.”
Her heart stopped, then started again at an accelerated pace. “What…what did you tell him?”
Reid shook his head. “It irritated me, if you want to know the truth.”
Jenna bit her lower lip and looked down, trying to hide her disappointment.
“I asked if he’d called to gloat,” Reid said with a humorless chuckle. “But Fulton said I’d won. You’re in love with me.”
“He told you that?” Jenna cried.
“Is it true?”
When she hesitated, he added, “Your mother said it, too.”
“And if I am?”
“Then I think Addy and Palmer might be on to something.”
“What do Addy and Palmer have to do with this?”
“Well, you know they’ve opened a wedding chapel. I’d like to give them some business.”
Jenna stared at Reid. Unlike her mother, Jenna intended to marry only once in her life—and she wanted it all. She wanted the romance and the companionship, the laughter and the heartfelt declaration of love. She needed the sure knowledge that this man would move heaven and earth to make her his.
“Are you asking me to marry you, Reid?”
“Yes.” Then he quickly said, “You came to Alaska for adventure and romance. I want to give you both, but I want our marriage to last longer than a vacation. What I need is forever.” He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Jenna. I don’t have anything to offer you but my heart— and an entire community that loves you and wants you back. Please say you’ll marry me. Be my snow bride.”
With tears blurring her eyes, she nodded.
Reid kissed the inside of her palm. “I hope you don’t believe in long engagements.”
“No.”
“Good. Because I propose a Christmas wedding.”
She was in his arms then, and Jenna knew that was exactly where she was meant to be.
Epilogue
Jenna and Reid were getting married in Snowbound on Christmas Eve. The ceremony would take place in Jake’s Café, with Addy and Palmer serving as wedding consultants. Their own cabin was far too small for the expected number of guests, so they’d agreed to the restaurant instead. Thankfully Lucy and Chloe offered the two entrepreneurs lots of assistance with all the arrangements. In fact, the entire community was caught up in the wedding plans.
A couple of hours before the ceremony, Jenna stepped into the brightly lit café to look around. She was astonished by the transformation the rather mundane café had undergone. The tables had been set against the wall, covered with white tablecloths. Orderly rows of chairs had been arranged in a churchlike setting, with an aisle wide enough for Pete to escort her down. Poinsettias lined the front of the room, where a square table held a large candle, as yet unlit, and a Bible.
“I wondered if I’d find you here,” Reid said from behind her.
Everyone in town was preparing for the wedding. The only two who seemed to be at loose ends were Jenna and Reid.
“It all looks so beautiful,” she whispered, glancing around the room, feeling the love of her friends in every detail. Even Brad Fulton, who wasn’t able to attend, had sent two cases of the best champagne and his very good wishes.
“Who’s there?” Jake called, sticking his head out from the kitchen. “Hey,” he muttered, wearing a cantankerous frown, “the groom isn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”
Reid was having none of that as he gave Jenna a quick hug. “I didn’t know you were so conversant with wedding etiquette.”
Jake shook his head. “If I wasn’t so busy, I’d chase you out of here, but I’m rolling meatballs for the reception and I don’t have time for you.”
“Good.” Reid shared a sexy grin with Jenna.
Still mumbling under his breath, Jake returned to the kitchen.
“How are you holding up?” she asked, sliding her arm around his middle. She’d been in town a week, and was living with her mother and Pete—who’d been married, much to Addy’s and Palmer’s consternation, while visiting California.
“I’m doing okay,” he muttered, which told Jenna he wasn’t.
“Honestly?”
“No,” he confessed, and leaned down to kiss the bridge of her nose. “I want you with me. Every minute we’re apart is torture.”
Although Jenna loved hearing it, she had to point out that her situation these past few days hadn’t been any easier. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mother this much…in love. Those two—I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “Oh, Reid, they’re just crazy about each other.”
“I’m crazy about you,” Reid whispered. “My snow bride.”
Jenna basked in his words. “I love you, too.” She giggled, adding, “My snow man.”
“I can’t believe you’re actually willing to marry me.”
“It took you long enough to ask,” she said sternly, reminding him that he’d made no effort to stop her from leaving Snowbound.
“You flew out of here and it was as if my whole world went dark.”
“It is dark in Alaska,” Jenna said, “especially in winter.” In December there was barely an hour of daylight before night descended on them again.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” Reid said. “I let you leave, thinking I was better off without you, but I was wrong.”
Reid couldn’t come up with poetic lines the way Dalton could, but he possessed so many more of the qualities she considered important. “I felt pretty dreadful, too.”
“The only reason I let you go was that I assumed you’d marry Fulton, and really, why shouldn’t I think that? One of the richest men in the country came chasing after you.”
“Why shouldn’t you think that?” Jenna echoed. “Because, my soon-to-be husband, I’m in love with you.”
Reid pulled her into his arms and held her close. “Do you mind saying that again? I can’t seem to hear it often enough.”
The door opened, and Kim and Lucy entered. Both came far enough into the café to notice Reid and Jenna with their arms entwined and stopped cold.
“What are you two doing here?” Lucy cried.
“Together?” Kim added.
Jenna exchanged a look of longing with Reid, a look that reminded him that within a few hours they’d be together. Forever.
“Everyone was hustling and bustling about,” Reid confessed. “I was only in the way.”
“Me, too,” Jenna told her friends.
The café door opened a second time, and Addy and Palmer hurried in, each carrying a small wicker basket filled with what Jenna assumed were wedding favors. She didn’t think it would be a good idea to examine those too closely.
“You’re early,” Addy commented, and rubbed the side of his neatly trimmed beard. He wore his heavy boots and hat with dangling earflaps; his nose was red from the cold.
“You aren’t dressed proper, either,” Palmer complained, glaring at Reid. “If I’m going to wear a suit, you should have to.”
“You’re wearing a suit?” This Jenna had to see.
“He looks good, too,” Addy said, nodding proudly in his friend’s direction.
“It’s a bit tight.” Palmer reluctantly removed his heavy winter jacket. “I can’t remember the last time I tried it on, but I think it’ll do. As soon as the preacher finishes, I’ll take off the jacket.”
The suit, a bold green-and-blue plaid, looked like something out of a fifties clown catalog. Jenna managed to squelch a laugh when she realized how hard her friends had tried to make her wedding as beautiful as possible.
“Oh, Palmer,” Lucy whispered.
“He looks dapper, doesn’t he?” Addy said, as if to claim credit.
“Quit talking about me,” Palmer insisted. “I don’t want to grab any attention away from the bride. Jenna’s the one people should admire, you know.” He sent Jenna an apologetic glance. “Sorry, Jenna, I didn’t mean to steal your thunder. This is your big day, yours and Reid’s. If you want me to change, I will,” he said hopefully.
“Oh, no, Palmer, you wear your suit. I’ll take my chances.”
Reid reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers, letting her know he appreciated her patience with his friends.
“You’re going to be a beautiful bride,” Kim whispered.
“She is,” Lucy agreed.
Despite herself, Jenna blushed.
“Now scoot,” Lucy said, ushering Jenna out the door. “The wedding’s in a couple of hours and we want to have everything ready.”
“I think we have our marching orders,” Reid said.
“It seems that way.”
Before Jenna had a chance to object, Kim and Lucy whisked her out the door and away from Reid. She shrugged and cast him a resigned smile before the door closed.
Two hours later, with the entire population of Snowbound in attendance, Pete escorted Jenna down the aisle to the makeshift altar, where Reid waited. She wore a white dress that was elegant and traditional at the same time—the perfect garb for a snow bride. Chloe stood off to the right, in the front row, weeping decorously. Loud sniffling came from Palmer and Addy, who sat on the other side. Kim and Lucy were serving as maids of honor, while Reid had asked Jim to be his best man.
The flame on the candle danced and cheered as “Silent Night” played softly in the background.
Reid held out his hand. With tears of happiness blurring her eyes, Jenna stepped toward him, ready to link her life with his.
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About the Author
Debbie Macomber is a number one New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her books include 1225 Christmas Tree Lane, 1105 Yakima Street, A Turn in the Road, Hannah’s List and Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook, as well as Twenty Wishes, Summer on Blossom Street and Call Me Mrs. Miracle. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide and her work has appeared on every major bestseller list, including those of the New York Times, USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and Entertainment Weekly. She is a multiple award winner, and won the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance. There are more than 100 million copies of her books in print. Two of her MIRA Christmas titles have been made into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, and the Hallmark Channel has recently launched a series based on her bestselling Cedar Cove series. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit her website, www.DebbieMacomber.com.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-1472-2
The Snow Bride
Copyright © 2003 by Debbie Macomber
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Debbie Macomber, The Snow Bride
