The Christmas Key To Her Heart (McCormick's Creek Series Book 5) Read online

  The Christmas Key to Her Heart

  Jen Peters

  Blue Lily Books

  Copyright © 2019 by Jen Peters

  Blue Lily Books, Blue Lily Publishers

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN 978-1-949876-25-3 (ebook)

  ISBN 978-1-949876-26-0 (print)

  To Blaik, who keeps the Christmas sparkle in our lives.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Thank You

  Trusting His Heart (excerpt)

  The McCormick’s Creek Series

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  The Christmas Key to Her Heart

  By Jen Peters

  Nora Cooper clanged the mixing bowl and beaters onto the counter and reveled in the jarring sound. Loud noises, slamming things, baking—after nearly six decades on this earth, she had learned how to best deal with stress, even if it did startle her daughter’s dogs.

  And stress this was. Single-parenting was no joke, but her kids had grown up well—until Justin had oh-so-casually set a wedding date less than a month away. At Christmas, no less!

  He might be thirty-two years old, but she’d like to turn him over her knee.

  Nora calmed a bit as she fit the bowl into the mixer and creamed the butter and sugar.

  Justin was laid-back, true, and she’d always been glad for that. Cat, his fiancée, was too. They were a good match and loved each other deeply.

  But while right now they might think they’d just stand up in front of a Justice of the Peace and get married, probably wearing jeans, Nora knew they’d regret that in the years to come.

  A wedding should be magical. It didn’t have to be fancy, but it should be something to cherish over the years, long after the magic of the day had dissipated.

  Cherished memories were hard to pull off in twenty-three days. And yes, she was counting.

  She added the eggs, vanilla, and flour mixture, then chocolate chips and walnuts. She needed no recipe by now—it had been Justin and Robin’s favorite cookie, no matter how many different types she’d offered them.

  She slid the first batch into the oven, set the timer, and wandered out to the living room. She petted one dog, nuzzled another’s curly fur, and checked on the other three hanging out in Robin’s room.

  Nora meandered through the rest of the empty house while she waited for the cookies. The nativity sets were out, but not many of her other decorations. They’d always put up Christmas decorations together, but the kids were working or out having fun these days. It was what she wanted for them, and she’d never minded the silence before. But now? They were moving on, and this stillness might be what remained for her.

  What would her life hold when Robin moved out too? Would the restaurant be Nora’s whole life? She hoped not, but when she tried to think into the future, she couldn’t imagine anything new.

  Nora tried to shake off the sudden melancholy—she had too much to organize, too many lists to make, and people to contact, to spend time wallowing. Instead, she picked up her own wedding photo from the dresser. Memories washed over her of the shining joy in Gary’s eyes, the heartfelt vows they wrote for each other, and him holding her as they danced…her heart was full once again.

  “It’s been too long, love,” she whispered, running her finger along the outline of his face.

  And now? Now she needed to make sure Justin and Cat had that same magical wonder to carry them through the hard times. Although, please God, hopefully they wouldn’t have to face what she had.

  The timer dinged and she hurried to the kitchen. She set the cookies to cool, slid another pan in, and sat down to start her lists. It was hard enough to juggle the restaurant and Christmas, but to add a wedding… She’d need to be organized and super-focused, plus have a lot of luck.

  * * *

  Nora cleaned her prep area and turned the restaurant kitchen over to Angus, her other chef. It had been a busy breakfast and lunch service, and she tidied herself before heading out to see Lori Swanson about wedding flowers.

  When she poked her head into the dining room one last time, though, Justin was sitting at a booth with two other men. She’d thought he and Cat were spending all their time finishing construction on their house.

  Nora whispered in the waitress’s ear. “Can you bring out four pieces of lemon meringue pie, please?”

  “Sure thing, Mrs. C.”

  Nora approached Justin and his friends with a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here today. Got room for one more?”

  Justin slid over. “Hey, Mom. I didn’t want to interrupt you in the kitchen. Do you remember Eric, my roommate from college? And this is his dad, Forrest Holt.”

  Eric’s smile hadn’t changed over the years, even if he had filled out. She could see the resemblance to his father—same square jaw, same bushy eyebrows, same broad shoulders.

  “I do remember Eric—how are you? And Mr. Holt, hello.”

  “Please, call me Forrest,” the man said, half-standing at the introduction. His salt-and-pepper hair was short, but he ran a hand through it anyway.

  “Forrest, it is. And I’m Nora,” she said, sitting next to Justin. “What brings you up our way?”

  Justin grinned. “Eric and his dad are buying the old gold mine.”

  Nora sat back. “You’re going to reopen the mine? It’s been closed almost a hundred years!”

  “Oh no, Mrs. Cooper,” Eric said. “Not reopening it for mining operations. It’s been in the back of my mind since Justin couldn’t shut up about it in college, and we think it would make a great tourist attraction. I came up in the spring—”

  “And didn’t even tell me he was here!” Justin protested.

  “And since the McCormick Inn is open now—” Eric continued.

  “It’s a beautiful restoration Justin did, by the way,” Forrest interjected.

  Eric just shook his head and grinned. “They don’t even let me finish a sentence. Anyway, I was thinking the old mine would be great for kids and parents and anyone with extra time between whatever events they come up for. Panning for gold, maybe a flume of some sort, and, if it’s not too complicated to make it safe, a small tour of the mine in an old cart.”

  “And a store for gemstones and souvenirs, of course,” Forrest said.

  Eric glanced at his father. “Dad’s supposed to be my silent partner, but he hasn’t been very silent so far.”

  Forrest grinned, his brown eyes twinkling. “I’m only semi-retired. I have to make sure my investment is being handled properly.”

  Nora leaned back. “Exciting news, but…you do know the roads off the highway are pretty bad in the winter, don’t you? The town would love a new business bringing people in, but there’s not much happening here through the winter.”

  “Oh yes,” Forrest said. “Eric has done his due diligence—economic studies, population and traffic, structural costs, the wor
ks. He’s worked hard, made some good investments, and just has me onboard for backup.”

  Eric looked down, his face reddening.

  “Don’t be shy, son, you’ve done your old man proud.” Forrest turned back to Nora. “And if he needs to shut down for the winter, he can always spend a few months at one of my companies.”

  As the boys talked, Nora looked at the older man more closely. She could see the take-charge person he must be to have built more than one company, but she could also see the warm relationship between him and Eric.

  Forrest Holt was the same type of man Gary had been—friendly, successful, proud of his family. Good-looking, too. A man she might have been interested in, but fifteen years of widowhood had taught her to keep her focus on her children. Speaking of which…

  “If you’ll excuse me,” Nora said, risin, “Justin here announced a Christmas wedding last night, and if it’s going to be something other than a hole-in-the-wall event, I need to see about some details.”

  Eric shot up and reached across the table to fist-bump Justin. “You’re actually doing it!”

  Forrest stood. “It was lovely to meet you, Nora. I can see why Justin is such a great young man.”

  Nora looked over at her son. “He is, whether or not I had anything to do with it. It was nice to meet you, too. Come back and visit us sometime.”

  Forrest clasped her hand warmly. “I will.”

  Chapter 2

  Nora scurried with her umbrella, protected from most of the rain after work. Just a few more steps to the shelter of the church porch. She hoped Pastor Mark was in.

  “Hey, there,” she heard a deep voice say. She tipped her umbrella back, nearly impaling Forrest Holt with the point.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I didn’t see you.”

  Forrest pulled her under the porch roof with him. “Umbrellas and rain don’t allow for great visibility,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Some of us only had the rain to contend with.”

  “It’s December third in Oregon, and you don’t have an umbrella?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “I get along. There’s always a plastic grocery bag.”

  Nora laughed, surprised at his light-hearted attitude. She would have thought a businessman would be more particular about details. “I figured you would be gone by now.”

  “Trying to get rid of me?” He grinned.

  “Oh! No…I’m sorry. I just—”

  “It’s fine, Nora. Eric went back last night, but I retired—mostly—last year, and my time is my own. Since there’s nothing pressing now, I figured I’d hang around and explore a bit.”

  “You’re staying at the McCormick Inn, I hope.” Nora didn’t like to think about him at the Sleepy Time Motel, although she wasn’t sure why she cared. She didn’t really know him, after all.

  “Yes, Ms. Swanson put me up in a delightful room at the Inn. It’s a beautiful place. She told me its history, coming back into the family and getting a makeover—by your Justin, no less. I also heard about everyone pulling together to help the family who had the fire and the firefighter who got injured. It’s a cute town—I like it.”

  Cute. Nora had heard many descriptions of McCormick’s Creek, but cute hadn’t been one of them. Tired or run-down used to fit. Growing or has-potential would fit now. But cute?

  “Not cute yet, but maybe someday,” she said. “So what are you doing today?”

  Forrest shrugged. “I was heading to your restaurant for a cup of coffee. But you’re obviously not there.”

  Nora smiled. “The coffee’s good all day long. My daughter Robin is waiting tables this afternoon. Tell her I said it’s on the house.”

  “Thanks.” Forrest met her eyes. “Actually, part of the reason for going to the restaurant was to ask you to dinner. Saturday, perhaps?”

  Time froze. Raindrops fell in slow motion. A man was asking Nora out.

  A girlish giggle almost escaped before she clamped it down. What was she, back in high school?

  “Thank you,” she finally said. “I’m flattered, but with Justin’s wedding and everything, I simply have no time.”

  Forrest looked determined. “Perhaps not dinner, then, but is there anything I can do to help with preparations?”

  “I, um…”

  “You surely must be delegating tasks. You can’t do everything yourself, Nora.”

  “Robin and Ree Swanson are helping—she’s a friend—but there’s a lot more than just the wedding. Robin’s animal shelter is having its groundbreaking ceremony next weekend, and this Saturday is the Christmas Tree Contest, and…” Nora eyed him speculatively. “Are you any good at decorating trees? I’m supposed to be putting two up, and I could use some help.”

  “I’d be delighted. What time and where?” His chocolate eyes gleamed. He really was a handsome man.

  “Four o’clock at the high school tomorrow—anyone in town can direct you. And now I’ve got to talk to Pastor Mark.”

  “Don’t work too hard.” He lifted her hand, kissed it lightly, and trotted down the steps.

  Nora looked at the hand he’d kissed as if she were an elegant Regency duchess. She glowed inside. No one, no one, had ever done that before.

  Bemused, she wandered around the church until she found Pastor Mark decorating a children’s room. They discussed the complications of a Christmas Day wedding and the possibility of moving it to Christmas Eve. Nora went home, preoccupied with the issue, but still tickled at the idea of Forrest asking her on a date. A date at her age!

  As if she didn’t have enough else to think about.

  She’d kept her focus completely on the children when Gary died. After a couple years, though, she’d tried a few dates. She half-shuddered with the memory. One groped her on the first—and only—evening out. Three of them expected her to get a babysitter anytime they called, as if she could just shove her children out of her mind when they weren’t convenient.

  Her last experience had been nice—Bert was kind and considerate, and they’d seemed to be building a relationship. Until he wanted ‘payment’ for the gifts and lovely dinners he’d given her. Their relationship was no more than manipulation on his part.

  Nora had missed the cuddles and companionship of a man, but after Bert, she’d shut down any thought of romance until the kids were grown. And until she was attracted to someone with honor.

  Could Forrest Holt be that man?

  Back home, Nora pulled down the ladder to the attic, climbed up, and tugged the light cord. Hunched over, she made her way to the back, where all the boxes of keepsakes were stored. She shifted Legos and School Projects, was grateful Yearbooks was at the bottom of a stack, and finally unearthed the box labeled Wedding Dress.

  Thirty-four years it had lain here, dry-cleaned, carefully layered in tissue paper, and packed away for a future daughter. She ran a hand over the dusty box, remembering the satin and lace and seed pearls, the sweetheart neck and full skirt. How beautiful she had felt in it!

  Nora knew it was dated. She didn’t know if Robin would want to wear it, or if she’d object to Cat wearing it first, or even if Cat would want to. But she felt a need to offer this piece of her own happiness.

  She wiped her hands on her jeans, balanced the box in one arm, and climbed back down the folding stairs.

  Chapter 3

  “Nora? You in the kitchen?” Cat’s voice came from the entryway.

  Nora came out from the bedroom and gave her future daughter-in-law a hug. “I don’t see enough of you. You guys have been keeping yourselves busy.”

  Cat shrugged. “There’s a lot of finish work to do if we want to move into the house by Christmas. And we’ve both got other contracts, so evenings are the only time.”

  Nora chuckled. “If you’d been working Tuesday evening instead of coming to Brandt’s welcome home party, we’d probably be planning your wedding at a more leisurely pace.” Brandt was a volunteer firefighter, as were Justin and his best man, Javi. Brandt had been injured at a Thanksgivin
g house fire, and he and his broken legs were now confined to a rehab center. It had scared them all, and Nora was grateful no other firefighters were hurt.

  Cat stuck her thumbs in her back pockets. “I’m so glad Brandt wasn’t hurt worse. I think it brought us all up short, realizing how fast things can change. I looked at Justin that night and we both knew—there’s no reason to coast with a long engagement.” She brightened. “So what did you want to see me about?”

  “Come in and sit down for a minute,” Nora said, suddenly nervous.

  Frowning, Cat followed her to the living room and perched on the edge of the sofa.

  “I know you’re not into fancy things,” Nora began, “and I know you don’t want to take days shopping for a wedding dress—”

  “I figured I’d just wear my church dress,” Cat broke in. “I didn’t grow up dreaming of a lavish wedding, especially considering my mother.”

  Nora studied the young woman’s face and wondered again how best to approach this. “I know you didn’t. And I’m glad that you know that the marriage itself is more important than the wedding. But I also believe the day you get married has a magical feeling which can’t happen any other day. I think it’s worth making it…well, not lavish, but at least memorable. Beautiful.”

  “You know our budget, Nora. Neither one of us wants to spend a lot of money on a single day.”

  Nora shook her head. “You don’t have to. But you want to be able to look at pictures and not have regrets. My cousin cut single chrysanthemums and just pinned them on for corsages because she had no money, and she hates that she did it, even 30 years later.”