Page 106 of Mistletoe and Mischief

“Millie, it is,” Bob said. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Merry Christmas, darling. And Merry Christmas, Millie.”

Millie barked, adding her own greetings.

9

“Let’s go for a sleigh ride,” Bailey said excitedly, as if this was the most brilliant idea of the century. “Can we, Mom?” She clasped both hands. “I mean, now that Gloria and Chad have picked up the puppy...”

“Ah...” Beth hesitated as a sense of dread filled her. Every minute with Kent and Danielle felt more awkward than the one before.

“Mom, we should. Dad’s never seen the Christmas tree farm.” Sophie was as animated as her sister.

“You want to, don’t you, Dad?” Bailey asked, hurrying to her father’s side and slipping her arm through his.

“That way Danielle can breathe some fresh air and not have to worry about sneezing,” Sophie said in a solicitous voice.

Beth didn’t dare look at her ex-husband. She had to believe he was as miserable as she was. This entire family Christmas was a disaster. She’d seen the expression on his face when she’d so vehemently declared Danielle was welcome to him. Shock and pain had flashed in his eyes so quickly she wasn’t even sure she’d read his feelings correctly. Everything inside her cried out to take the words back, swear that none of it was true. But she couldn’t do that. Not with Danielle standing right there.

“Danielle probably isn’t up to this,” Kent said with an unmistakable lack of enthusiasm.

Beth figured the other woman would willingly return to the Thyme and Tide. She couldn’t be enjoying the afternoon any more than Beth was. The only ones who seemed to derive any pleasure from this fiasco were Bailey and Sophie, who were apparently oblivious to the tension in the room.

“A sleigh ridemightbe fun,” Danielle said with a halfhearted shrug.

Bailey and Sophie leaped up and down and clapped their hands. Their behavior reminded Beth of when they were youngsters and were told they could stay up past their bedtime.

“I didn’t know you had a sleigh,” Kent said as he reached for his coat and gloves. His scarf, Beth noticed, was one she’d knit him years earlier for Christmas. It warmed her to know that he still wore it. Did he think of her every time he put it on?

“The sleigh, which is pretty old, is in one of the outbuildings,” she said. “It came with the property. We don’t use it much.”

“A sleigh ride is perfect after a snowfall, though. Right, Mom?” Sophie asked.

Perfectwasn’t exactly the word she’d use.

“You don’t have any horses.” Kent seemed to be looking for excuses to get out of this. Beth didn’t blame him; she’d rather avoid a cozy ride herself. She’d had about all the togetherness she could handle.

“Mom’s neighbors. The Nelsons,” Bailey explained. “They have horses and said we can borrow them anytime we want.” Without waiting for the go-ahead, Bailey picked up the phone and grabbed the personal directory Beth kept in a kitchen drawer.

“We’ll have a great time,” Sophie told Kent.

“The Nelsons said no problem.” Bailey replaced the receiver, her eyes shining with glee.

“I’ll go get a few blankets,” Beth muttered, eager to make an escape. She rushed up the stairs and into her bedroom. Slumping on the edge of her bed, she brought her hands to her heated face. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to pull this off.

“Get a grip,” she ordered herself. She walked into the master bath and splashed cold water on her cheeks. Her reflection in the mirror revealed that her face was flushed. She looked feverish. This wasn’t due to illness, though, but acute embarrassment.

“Mom,” Sophie called her from the foot of the stairs. “The Nelsons said they’d bring over the horses.”

Beth came out of her bedroom. “Okay,” she called down. “I’ll be there in a minute.” Collecting warm blankets from the hall closet, she returned to the main floor.

By the time she got her hat, coat and gloves, Kent and the girls had opened the doors to the storage shed where the sleigh was kept. The large white uncovered sleigh had two red velvet benches, one of them for the driver.

John Nelson, who lived next door, walked over, leading two large geldings. Kent introduced himself. Danielle was still in the house, refreshing her makeup or so Beth assumed.

“When you’re finished, would you mind if we took the sleigh out for a ride?” John asked.

“Of course not,” Beth told him. She glanced up at the sky. “I can’t imagine we’ll be out long. When we’re finished, I’ll take the sleigh over to your place.”

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