Merry Ex-Mas

“I’m grateful for something,” Dani said. She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a diamond ring and slid it on her finger.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re engaged!” cried Amber.

Cass set down her fork and gaped. Of course she’d known this was coming, but she was a little upset that her daughter hadn’t told her before everyone else. “When did this happen?” she asked.

Dani’s brown eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked at Mike and they shared the smile reserved for a couple in possession of newly minted love. “Last night. We wanted to wait and surprise everyone.”

Well, they had.

“Don’t know how surprised anyone is,” Dot said, “but I think you made your mother’s day.”

Of course she had. Why was Cass sitting there like a turkey in a pan? She jumped up and went to hug her daughter and future son-in-law. “This is wonderful. You two are going to be so happy.”

How could they not be? Unlike her mother at that age, Danielle had been wise and thoughtful when selecting a mate. She hadn’t rushed into a relationship with her hormones on fire and her brain dead from smoke inhalation. She’d held out for the right man. They even looked perfect together, Mike with his dark hair and eyes and that big frame, Dani with her lighter coloring and sandy hair and willowy figure. In their wedding garb they’d look fit for the top of a wedding cake.

“This calls for more pie,” Drew said with a grin, and helped himself to another piece.

“I’m going to be a bridesmaid, right?” Amber asked her sister.

“Of course,” Dani said.

“You’d better dig out your Armani,” Cass said to Drew. “Dani’s going to need you to walk her down the aisle.”

Dani’s face lost some of its bride-to-be glow and she bit her lip.

“Hey, I’m cool sitting in the front row with your mom,” Drew said quickly. “I don’t have to be the one.”

Oh, yes, he did. Who else was going to? Oh, no. Surely not…

“Actually, I was hoping Daddy would walk me down the aisle,” Dani said.

The undeserving absent father? The man who’d been M.I.A. for most of Dani’s life? Cass fell back against her chair and stared across the table at her daughter.

Dani’s cheeks bloomed with a guilty flush and she studiously avoided her mother’s gaze.

“Daddy?” Cass echoed. It came out frosted with scorn. Way to be mature and poison your daughter’s happy moment, she scolded herself.

With her sunny disposition and eagerness to please, Danielle was generally easy to get along with, but now her chin jutted out at a pugnacious angle. “I know he’ll want to.”

Oh, he always wanted to be there, but he never had been.

Until lately. Now that their children were practically grown. He and his thirty-two-year-old trophy wife, Babette, seemed to think they could have the kids come over to Seattle anytime he swooped in from his business trips and buy their affection with shopping expeditions and Seahawks tickets.

Obviously it was working, and that made Cass want to break the wishbone she’d been saving into a thousand pieces. This wasn’t right. How to get Dani to see that, though?

She cleared her throat. “You know he travels a lot.”

“I know,” Dani said, “but we want a Christmas wedding and he’ll be here for Christmas.”

“Christmas Day?” Willie made a face.

Dani frowned at him. “What, are you afraid Santa won’t come?” To the others she said, “We thought the weekend before.”

“That’s not much time to plan a wedding,” Dot pointed out. “What’s the rush?”

Now Mike was beaming like a man with a big announcement.

“Because Mike got a job as assistant manager at a hardware store in Spokane,” Dani announced for him, “and when he moves for his new job I want to go with him.”

Everyone at the table got busy offering Mike congratulations.

Except Cass, who was in shock. They’d be moving away. Her daughter would be leaving practically the minute after she got married. The vision of Dani raising her family here in Icicle Falls, of someday taking over the bakery, went up in smoke. It was all Cass could do not to cry. She pushed away the plate with her half-finished pumpkin pie and hoped nobody asked her what she was thankful for.

“Anyway, we just want a small wedding,” Mike said. “Nothing fancy.”

Nothing fancy? Dani had always wanted a big church wedding. What happened to that?

“And I know Daddy can come that weekend,” Dani added.

“You already talked to your father?” Before you even shared the news with me? Hurt welled up in Cass, giving her the worst case of heartburn she’d ever had.

“Just to see if he’s going to be around,” Dani said. “I thought maybe everyone could come up and stay for the week.”

“Here?” Cass squeaked.

“Whoo boy,” Drew said under his breath.

“There’s no room,” Cass said firmly. No room at the inn.

Dot shrugged. “You could probably put them up at Olivia’s.”

Thank you, Dot. Remind me never to invite you over for Thanksgiving dinner again.

“Dani, you know how crazy it gets this time of year,” Cass said. “I’m sure the B and Bs are booked solid.”

“Olivia still has a couple of rooms,” Dani said.

“You talked to her?” She’d told Olivia, too?

“This morning. I just called to ask if she had any left.”

“Well, then, I guess that settles it,” Cass said stiffly.

“You’ll help me plan it, won’t you?” Dani asked her in a small voice.

Cass was hurt and she was mad, but she wasn’t insane. “Of course I will. And I’ll make the cake.”

“Well, duh.” Amber rolled her eyes.