Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series, Volume 3 (128 page)

“Okay,” he yelled from the living room.

With an exasperated sigh Corrie went back to her wrapping paper
and ribbon. She was almost finished with Noelle's birthday gift, the one they'd
take to Grace Harding's party. She still needed to arrange the last of the
Christmas presents under the tree before their children arrived for dinner,
which would be followed by Christmas Eve church services. After that, they'd go
to Noelle's first-birthday celebration at the Hardings'. Gloria, Roy and
Corrie's eldest daughter, would be coming tonight. Corrie hoped Gloria would
bring Chad Timmons.

She couldn't help worrying about Gloria, who was single,
pregnant and determined to manage on her own. What disturbed Corrie most was the
fact that there was no reason for Gloria to be so stubborn. Chad loved her;
Corrie was convinced of that. She'd invited him to dinner and hoped Gloria
wouldn't be upset with her. Oh, she hadn't made a secret of it, but she hadn't
talked it over with Gloria, either.

Mack and Mary Jo would be with them and of course little
Noelle, too. She'd been born on Christmas Eve one year ago, at the Harding
ranch; Mack had delivered her. Corrie had a lovely birthday cake ready for her
adopted granddaughter, not to mention a pile of gifts. Corrie couldn't wait to
watch Noelle open them. There was nothing like a baby to bring excitement and
joy back to Christmas.

“Corrie,” Roy shouted. “It's the Beldons.”

“I'll be right there,” she shouted back as she finished tying
the ribbon on the gift she'd just wrapped.

Corrie had been expecting Peggy and Bob to stop by at some
point that afternoon. It was tradition. Every Christmas Eve the Beldons came
over with a plate of Peggy's homemade cookies and specialty candies.

“Merry Christmas,” Corrie said, hurrying into the room and
opening her arms. She hugged Bob and then, after taking the plate from Peggy,
embraced her, too.

“I hope we aren't interrupting your day.”

“Nonsense,” Corrie told her. “You know you're welcome
anytime.”

“Especially when you come bearing gifts,” Roy joked.

“Sit down, please. I've got eggnog and coffee, whichever you
prefer.”

“We can only stay a few minutes,” Bob said, claiming the corner
of the sofa. “Hollie and Marc are driving over from Spokane.”

“Wonderful! I'm glad they can make it.” Corrie hadn't met the
Beldons' daughter and son, but she'd heard lots about them. She and Peggy often
met for lunch and had a strong friendship.

“It'll be good to have them here for Christmas.”

“We'll have a full house ourselves,” Roy said. “Mack and Mary
Jo are coming for dinner tonight and they'll be here on Christmas Day, as
well.”

“Gloria will be here tonight, too, and she'll attend church
services with us,” Corrie added.

“And Christmas Day?” Peggy asked.

Corrie shrugged. “She didn't say. I imagine she'll come for
dinner, unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless she plans to spend it with Chad.”

“Ah, yes. How are things going between her and Chad?”

“Fine, I think. Gloria hasn't said much, but she seems happier
these days, less…confused. I know they're seeing each other regularly. If they
have any wedding plans, however, they haven't shared them with us.”

“Chad put the crib together,” Roy said. “I volunteered and so
did Mack, but Gloria said Chad would do it.”

“That sounds positive,” Peggy murmured.

“I just wish those two would get married,” Corrie responded. “I
know the world's different these days. So many young women choose to be single
mothers, but it's hard work.”

“A baby needs a father,” Roy inserted. “I wanted to tell Gloria
that, but Corrie wouldn't let me.”

“When has that stopped you in the past?” Corrie retorted as she
headed into the kitchen to get their drinks. It still annoyed her that her
husband had gone against her wishes and informed Chad of Gloria's pregnancy.
After she and Chad had broken up, Gloria had wanted to keep the information from
him.

The irony of her daughter's situation astonished her. This was
history repeating itself. Well, almost…

Years ago, in college, Corrie had discovered she was pregnant
after Roy had ended their relationship. Instead of letting him know, she'd
returned home and given her daughter up for adoption. Not until they'd reunited
a couple of years later did Roy learn about his baby. And not for more than
three decades did they actually meet her. Her husband had been determined that
the same thing not happen to Chad Timmons.

Peggy helped her prepare the coffee. Roy and Bob had both
requested eggnog, which Corrie poured into festive glasses decorated with green
holly leaves and red berries. They'd once belonged to her mother and Corrie
reserved them for this special season and for special friends.

“What have you heard from Linnette?” Peggy asked when they were
all seated again.

“She and Pete will be in North Dakota over Christmas.”

“Was it just a year ago that Pete drove her to Cedar Cove for
Christmas?” Roy asked, shaking his head.

Corrie felt the same way. So much had taken place this past
year.... During the holidays, Linnette, their younger daughter, had brought home
a man she'd met, a farmer named Pete Mason. They'd liked him, but at the time
Peggy hadn't thought the relationship was going anywhere. Pete farmed with his
brothers near Buffalo Valley, where Linnette had recently accepted a position as
a physician assistant. Although Linnette hadn't been in Buffalo Valley long, she
seemed genuinely happy for the first time since Cal Washburn had broken her
heart. Soon after that, she'd packed up her car and set off with no destination
in mind. Peggy had worried endlessly, sure this was a formula for disaster. Then
Linnette had phoned from this small prairie town where she'd ended up and
sounded…content. She'd sounded more like herself than she had in a very long
while.

Corrie hated that her younger daughter lived so far from the
family. But she loved Linnette enough to realize she had to make her own
decisions. Pete had fallen in love with her first and initially Corrie feared
Linnette might have married on the rebound. Those concerns had been laid to
rest. On Corrie's recent trip to Buffalo Valley, after the birth of Linnette and
Pete's son, she had all the reassurance she'd ever need. It was abundantly clear
that Linnette loved her husband and the life she'd created in this small North
Dakota community.

“We had quite a Christmas last year,” Roy commented, chuckling.
“Mack had just been hired by the fire department and he was at the Hardings' to
deliver Mary Jo's baby.”

Bob grinned. “What I remember was Mary Jo's three brothers
racing around town looking for her.”

“And not a one of them had any sense of direction.”

“Hey, be fair. They'd never been on this side of the sound
before.”

“And now Linc lives here, too.”

“And married to the Bellamy girl.”

“They are the sweetest couple,” Peggy said with the hint of a
sigh. “I saw them in the grocery store the other day. It was positively romantic
just seeing the two of them together. We spoke for a few minutes and apparently
Linc and Lori are spending Christmas with her family.”

“Well,” Bob said, “that's an improvement. Bellamy was trying to
ruin Linc's business. Until you and Troy intervened…”

Roy shrugged off Bob's comment. “I'm glad they reconciled with
Lori's family, but I don't know why Bellamy couldn't just accept the fact that
they're married. End of story.”

“It wasn't the only wedding this past year, either,” Bob said.
“Faith and Troy tied the knot, and of course so did Mack and Mary Jo.”

“I do love a wedding,” Corrie said. To her way of thinking,
there should be one more, and preferably soon. She'd feel so much better about
Gloria's situation if she was married to Chad.

“Well…” Bob lowered his empty glass. “I hate to cut this short,
but we've got a few other stops to make.”

Corrie and Roy walked their friends to the front door and
thanked them again.

“This is one small way of repaying you for all you've done for
us,” Peggy said.

“How can you say that?” Corrie asked. Their friendship had been
one of her biggest blessings since moving to Cedar Cove. “You've done so much
for
us.
”

“You kept me out of prison,” Bob reminded them, referring to
the death at the B and B. “Believe me, I'll be forever grateful for that.”

“Ancient history,” Roy insisted, standing on the front porch.
He wrapped his arm around Corrie's shoulders.

“Ancient history to you, perhaps,” Bob said, “but it's
something I'll never forget.”

They got into their vehicle, and Corrie and Roy returned to the
warmth of the house.

“I really didn't do that much,” Roy protested. “Bob was so
obviously innocent....”

“Are you complaining about the cookies and candy they brought?”
she asked, half-joking.

“No way!”

“Then enjoy and quit your muttering.”

He laughed. “You're right. Have you tasted that English toffee
yet? It's good stuff.”

“Don't tell me how good it is, I'm resisting.”

“Why?”

Corrie rolled her eyes. “Because it's hard enough not to
overindulge during the holidays without you telling me how good everything
tastes.”

“Fine. Leaves more for me.”

Sighing, Corrie brought the tray into the kitchen and covered
it with a towel. Out of sight, out of mind. She returned to the back bedroom and
resumed wrapping gifts.

Fifteen minutes later, Roy poked his head in. “You about
done?”

“Yup. I'm putting the final touches on the last package.
Why?”

“Anything here for Gloria?”

“Of course.”

“Well, she just parked outside the house.”

“Oh.” Corrie felt a bit flustered.

“She isn't alone.”

“Did Chad come with her?” Corrie couldn't hide the excitement
in her voice.

Roy nodded. “Only they don't seem to be in any big hurry to
come inside. They've been sitting in the car chatting for the past ten
minutes.”

Corrie arched her eyebrows. “Can you tell if they're arguing?”
She certainly hoped not!

“I didn't want it to be obvious that I saw them.”

“Good point.” Still, one might think that Roy, a private
investigator, would know how to watch without being seen.

“Besides, this is
their
business.”

Another good point, although that hadn't troubled him earlier
when he'd gone to see Chad, which she restrained herself from mentioning.

The doorbell chimed.

“I'll get it,” Roy said.

Corrie made her way into the kitchen and brewed a fresh pot of
coffee. She heard Roy greet their daughter and Chad, and she quickly joined
them.

“I know we're early,” Gloria said. She held hands with Chad—a
positive sign. “Chad thought we should all talk before everyone came for dinner
tonight.”

“Sure,” Roy said, sitting down in his recliner.

Gloria and Chad took the sofa, huddled close to each other.

Corrie slid onto her favorite chair, her heart in her
throat.

A tense silence pervaded the room as both she and Roy waited
for whatever announcement was about to be made.

Gloria looked at Chad as if she wanted him to do the
talking.

“Gloria and I wanted you to know we decided to get married,” he
blurted out. “She agreed to marry me a couple of weeks ago but we wanted to keep
it to ourselves until Christmas, and—”

Corrie was instantly on her feet. “That's wonderful news!” she
said, interrupting him and clasping her hands together. Her mind was whirling.
While she hoped it would be soon, for the baby's sake, she'd love a June
wedding. That would give her enough time to plan. She'd get started first thing
after Christmas. They'd need someplace special for the reception and, of course,
there were the invitations, which they'd want to send out immediately. They'd
have to find a dress; at this stage of her pregnancy, Gloria probably wouldn't
fit into Corrie's wedding gown, which was a shame.

“When's the happy date?” Roy asked.

“Actually…we're already married,” Chad said.

Corrie blinked, assuming she'd misunderstood. “Already
married?” she repeated. That wasn't possible!

“When?” Roy asked, following the first question with a second.
“Where?”

Again it was Chad who explained. “I'm afraid I'm responsible.
Gloria said she'd marry me but we couldn't agree on a date.”

“I wanted to wait until after the baby's born and have a summer
wedding,” she told them.

Corrie nodded, understanding.

“And I wanted us to be married
before
the baby's born,” Chad said.

Ah, yes,
Corrie thought, seeing the
problem.

“So we decided to simply go ahead and get married right away
and then, this summer, have another ceremony and a reception.”

“Makes sense to me,” Roy said, obviously pleased by this
unexpected turn of events.

“Why didn't you let us know?” Corrie asked, feeling a twinge of
hurt despite her happiness. Even if it was a quick affair, she would've liked to
be there.

“I agree we should have asked you to attend,” Gloria said. “But
if you were there and Chad's parents weren't, they would've felt cheated. So we
just did it. We applied for the license and were married a couple of days
later.”