Christmas In Icicle Falls
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Maybe Dot had more than a friendly interest in Arnie and wanted him all to herself. She certainly managed to find time to join them whenever Muriel and Arnie came in for breakfast. Now here she was, with the restaurant packed and her waitresses running in circles, sitting around happily making plans for an international getaway with him.
Well, if that was the case, good for Dot. She’d worked hard, running her business and raising her daughter single-handedly. Arnie had been thrifty all his life and spent very little money on himself. It was time they both got out and had some fun. Good for them.
She said her goodbyes and made her way home to her little cottage next to Ed and Pat York’s vineyard feeling a little less cheerful than she had an hour ago.
She’d always wanted to see the vineyards in Germany.
You had your chance. Reminding herself didn’t exactly restore her cheery mood.
But then she pulled up in front of the cottage and was cheered by the sight of a big box sitting on her front porch. Wonderful! Her new artificial tree had arrived. Arnie and Dot were off to Germany but she would enjoy life here in Icicle Falls as the holidays approached. And she had a new tree. A woman could always find something to be happy about, she told herself as she hauled it into the house.
When she’d seen the tree on an online site, she’d hardly been able to believe her eyes. It was beautiful, with lots of full branches. And so realistic looking. A perfect replacement for her old, tired tree, which she’d taken to the Kindness Cupboard. On sale and with free shipping, too. Of course she’d purchased it immediately. It would be the perfect centerpiece at her annual holiday tea party.
Filled with anticipation, she opened the box and lifted out...a sad, bald poor excuse for a tree. What on earth? She looked inside the box, hoping to find, what? A note that said “Ha, ha. Your real tree is coming”?
“I’ve been had,” she muttered. She stood the tree up against the living room wall, feeling cranky. This was not going to work. No way could she display this pitiful excuse for a tree. It was an insult to Christmas, not to mention an insult to trees.
It served her right. She should have purchased her new tree from Ivy Bohn over at Christmas Haus. Well, it wasn’t too late. She dialed Ivy’s shop.
Ivy answered, sounding almost breathless. Hardly surprising considering how busy the shop got this time of year.
“Ivy, I won’t keep you long,” Muriel promised. “But I’m wondering if you have any artificial trees left.”
“Gee, I’m sorry, Muriel. Our last one just walked out the door.”
“Already?”
“I know. Go figure.”
Muriel looked at her ugly tree and frowned. “Will you be getting more in?”
“I hope so, but I’m not sure. We’ve been having some problems with our supplier.”
Muriel had experienced a problem with her supplier, too.
“I’m sorry. If you’d told me you wanted a tree, I’d have set one aside for you. But you’re usually all set for Christmas so far ahead of time—I’m surprised to hear you don’t already have one.”
Ivy was right. This was definitely unlike her. Christmas was hands down her favorite holiday. She’d pull out all her favorite cookie recipes and bake up a storm, putting together gift boxes of cookies for all the Sweet Dreams employees, always making sure to bake Arnie’s favorite fruitcake cookies for him. She loved to entertain and always threw herself into decorating. In her mind, setting a festive backdrop for gatherings was a must. She was sure that beautiful surroundings sent a subliminal message that life was beautiful and being together was worth rejoicing in.
“That’s okay,” she told Ivy. “I’ll work something out.”
“You can always get a live tree.”
Yes, she could but, much as she loved that wonderful fragrance, she preferred an artificial tree that she could put up right after Thanksgiving and leave up until after New Year’s Day. Besides, getting a live tree home and set up wasn’t a job she liked to tackle alone, and she hated to bother the kids.
She thanked Ivy and ended the call and returned her attention to her ugly tree. “Someone didn’t spend much time or love on you,” she informed it. Poor Ugly Tree.
What to do now? She absently ran a finger along one of its branches. Maybe, with enough ornaments... She had three boxes of silver balls that she’d purchased on sale the year before and some silver garlands. And she could pull out those pinecone-shaped lights, buy a few red cardinals at Christmas Haus. Maybe she could fix up her ugly little tree and make it into something pretty. Maybe it was salvageable. It was worth a try.
Always make the most of what you have, even if it isn’t much. She’d said that in one of her books. It was time to take her own advice.
“We have a week to get you gorgeous,” she told her ugly tree. “Let’s see what we can do.”
She could almost hear the poor thing saying, “Yes, please. Don’t give up on me.”
She’d barely determined her course of action when one of her grandmother’s favorite sayings came to mind. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Maybe her grandmother was wrong. Maybe you could. She certainly hoped so.
Her daughter Samantha wasn’t so sure she’d succeed. She dropped by later with Muriel’s three-year-old granddaughter, Rose. “That’s the most pitiful tree I’ve ever seen,” Samantha said.
“Did you go to the woods, Grammy?” Rose asked, cocking her head and staring at the tree.
“No, sweetie. This is a pretend tree,” Muriel explained.
The child wrinkled her nose. “It’s ugly.”
“It’s not pretending very well,” Samantha agreed. “Is that the one you found online?”
Muriel sighed and nodded. “The picture looked much better.”
“Ivy’s probably got some.”
“I called. She’s sold-out already.”
“Wow, not even December 1 and there’s a run on trees. Do you want us to cut you one when we go to the tree farm?”
Freshly cut, the tree would last. Her son-in-law would set it up for her. The whole house would smell woodsy.
Except Samantha and Blake weren’t going to put up their tree for another two weeks and Muriel wanted hers up for her party. “No, that’s okay. I think I can make this little tree look good. Anyway, it doesn’t seem right to toss the poor thing without at least giving it a chance.”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “It’s not like it’s got feelings, Mom.”
Yes, it was silly, but somehow Muriel felt like there was a principle at stake here. “I can dress it up.”
“Well, if anyone can do it, you can,” Samantha said. “If you change your mind, though, the offer still stands.”
“I won’t, but thanks.” It was game on now. Somehow, she was going to make that tree lovely.
And maybe if she stayed busy with the tree and all the other Christmas preparations she loved, she wouldn’t have time to think about Arnie and Dot having fun in Germany without her. Maybe.
Chapter Three
Look for the good in everyone and every day, and you can’t help but be happy.
—Muriel Sterling, A Guide to Happy Holidays
Come the afternoon of Muriel’s party her tree was, indeed, beautiful. The bald spots had been filled in with the ornaments she already had as well as some elegant filigreed silver bells she’d found at Christmas Haus. The red cardinals were a brilliant addition, if she did say so herself. They added a splash of vivid color, backed up by the pastel colors of the lit pinecones. The silver garlands finished it all off nicely. Poor Ugly Tree was now a thing of beauty. It just went to show you what lavishing a little love could accomplish.
She checked her makeup and adjusted her long green scarf, then got busy setting out her refreshments: red velvet cupcakes, peppermint fudge from Sweet Dreams, brie cheese baked in puff pastry, crudités, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and her favorite holiday punch. And of course, her signature chocolate-mint tea. She started some Christmas music playing, lit her fresh balsam-scented candle and she was ready to go.
Her dear friend Pat York was the first to arrive, along with Dot. “Good Lord,” Dot said, taking in the table centerpiece of red Christmas balls nestled among greens and the array of red candles and pine boughs marching across the mantelpiece. “Martha Stewart lives. Sometimes I really don’t like you.”
Muriel was used to Dot’s sense of humor. She merely smiled and took Dot’s coat.
Her daughters came in one big group, bringing laughter and plates of food. “Everything looks wonderful, Mom,” said Cecily, her middle child.
Samantha nodded in the direction of the tree. “I should have known you’d pull it off. The tree looks great.”
More people began to arrive—Pat’s new employee, Sienna Moreno; Charley Masters, her daughters’ good friend and owner of Zelda’s restaurant; Beth Mallow; Cass Masters; Stacy Thomas; Maddy Donaldson; and of course, Muriel’s other close friend, Olivia Claussen—and Muriel’s little cottage began to hum with conversation.
“Your tree is gorgeous,” Olivia raved as the women settled in the living room with drinks and plates of goodies.
“You should have seen it when she first got it,” Samantha said and shook her head. “It was pathetic.”
“It was pretty sad,” Muriel admitted. “But I hated to simply get rid of it.”
“I would have,” Dot said. “That looks like way too much work. I’m not even bothering with a tree this year.”
“You have to put up a tree,” Olivia said, shocked.
“No, I don’t. I’m old,” Dot retorted. “Besides, I’ll be gone for a good part of December.”
“Where are you going?” asked Beth.
“I’m off to Germany,” Dot said. “Arnie Amundsen and I are doing one of those Christmas cruises.”
“You and Arnie?” Pat looked surprised.
“Yep. I’m moving in on Muriel’s man,” Dot teased.
Muriel was aware of all three of her daughters looking at her curiously. Arnie didn’t ask you? She smiled to show she was perfectly all right with this. Arnie needed a life.
“When did you and Arnie become a couple?” Olivia asked, and she, too, shot a look in Muriel’s direction.
“Since Arnie had an extra stateroom,” Dot said. “We’re just going as pals. There’s a whole group of us. It’s going to be a blast.”
“Wow,” said Beth. “I’m jealous.”
Muriel was not jealous. She forced her smile to stay in place.
“By the time I get back, there’ll be no point in bothering with a tree,” Dot continued. “I’ll just come over and enjoy Muriel’s if I need a fix. I’ll bring my own punch, though. This needs booze.”
“If you drink and drive, Tilda is bound to catch you,” Olivia told her.
“That’d make the paper,” Pat joked. “Cop Locks Up Pain-in-the-Neck Mom for the Holidays.”
“Hey, room service and no cleaning?” Dot retorted. “Sounds good to me.”
Pat shook her head and returned her attention to Muriel. “Anyway, the tree is fabulous.”
“Thank you. I’m glad I didn’t give up on poor Ugly Tree,” Muriel said. She was also glad that the conversation had moved on to a new topic.
“I guess you just proved that anything can be made pretty if you put in the effort,” Pat said.
Cass shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve had some cakes that I had to completely give up on.”
“But I bet they still tasted good,” Muriel said to her.
“True,” Cass admitted.
“I think a few little flaws can add charm,” said Stacy Thomas. “You wouldn’t believe how much fine china I sell in my shop even if it has a chip. The Royal Albert Old Country Roses pattern is always in demand.”
“Do you think it’s the same with people?” Maddy Donaldson mused. “Because when it comes to charm, my mother-in-law still has a long way to go.”
“I bet most of us have people in our lives who are a lot like Ugly Tree, maybe not so lovable sometimes,” Muriel said. “It can be hard to see anything good in them. But, really, don’t you think there’s something good in all of us?”
“No,” Dot said, and Muriel frowned at her. Honestly, sometimes Dot could be so...irritating. What had Muriel subjected poor Arnie to?
“I don’t know,” Sienna confessed. “I’m having a hard time seeing anything good in my neighbor. I think he might be the meanest man in Icicle Falls.”
“Yes, but what made him that way?” Muriel countered. “Sometimes people go through hard times and it takes the shine off their smiles.”
“He has no smile,” Sienna said.
“I guess that’s when you’ve got to walk a mile in his snow boots,” put in Bailey, and Muriel beamed approvingly at her youngest daughter.
“No, thanks,” Sienna said with a shudder.
Olivia sighed. “All this talk of seeing the good in people has really convicted me of the bad attitude I’ve had lately.”
“What are you talking about? You never have a bad attitude.” Dot scoffed. “You need bad-attitude lessons.”
Olivia shook her head. “Not where some people are concerned.”
“Oh,” Dot said slowly as realization dawned.
Olivia didn’t have to say any more. Her close friends knew exactly to whom she was referring. Poor Olivia. Sadly, a woman had no control over who her children married. All she could do was hope and pray they used good sense when they picked. Fortunately for Muriel, all three of her daughters had.
“I’m sure you’ll find something you can appreciate in your new family member. And under your tutelage, she’s bound to turn into a wonderful woman,” Muriel said in an effort to encourage her.
Olivia sighed. “If only it was as easy to fix up a person as it is a tree.”
“People often respond to how we see them,” Dot said, surprising Muriel with her insight. Dot was such a character that it was sometimes hard to remember that she had some depth to her. She was older than Muriel and she, too, had racked up a good share of life experiences. Like Muriel, she was a widow twice over.
“Good point,” Pat said. “Maybe this holiday season we should all look for people who need a little extra love and reach out to them.”
Dot rolled her eyes. “You sound like a greeting card commercial.”
“Not a bad idea, though,” said Cecily.
“Yeah,” Samantha agreed. “I can think of a certain supplier who could use some buttering up.”
“I don’t think there’s enough butter in the whole state of Washington for Mr. Cratchett,” Sienna said with a frown.
“I’m not sure we should be thinking in terms of buttering people up,” Muriel said.
“Muriel’s right,” said Pat. “I’m talking about being kind simply for the sake of being kind, seeing the best in people no matter what.”
When had all of Muriel’s friends gotten so wise? And why hadn’t she thought to suggest that? “I think it’s a lovely idea,” she said.
“Although I’m not sure how easy it will be to execute, at least for me,” Pat said. “The only person I can think of is Harvey Wood, and it’s hard to see the good in a landlord who keeps raising your rent and never fixes anything in the building. If the toilet in the employee bathroom makes it through to the New Year, I’ll be amazed.”
“Maybe if you give him some Sweet Dreams chocolates, he’ll get with the program and get you a new toilet,” said Dot.
Pat raised an eyebrow. “Do you really believe that?”
“No. Harvey’s a cheapskate.”
“I know who we should work on showing kindness to,” Cecily said to her sister.
Samantha looked at her warily. “Please don’t say who I think you’re going to say.”
“Priscilla Castro?” Bailey guessed and snickered.
“There’s an ugly tree,” Samantha muttered.
“Who’s Priscilla Castro?” asked Sienna.
“She runs the office at city hall. Every year she does her best to hold up permits for the chocolate festival,” Cecily explained. “I’m afraid she and Sam have been rivals ever since high school.”
“She was a mean girl in high school,” Samantha added. “Nothing’s really changed.”
“Except her name,” Bailey added. “Her friends used to call her Prissy. Everyone else called her Pissy. It kind of stuck.”
“Pissy definitely suits her better,” Samantha said.
“She hasn’t had much success in life,” Muriel reminded her daughters. “I’m sure that has a lot to do with it.”
“I have my hands full working on my own success. I don’t have time to help Pissy find hers,” Samantha replied, obviously not on board with the idea.
“I think she needs love,” Cecily mused. “She’s been pretty bitter since her divorce.”
“If I’d been married to Pissy, I’d have left, too,” Samantha said.
“Samantha,” Muriel scolded.
“Okay, then see what you can do,” Samantha told Cecily, dumping the problem of Priscilla in her sister’s lap.
“I just might,” Cecily replied with a grin.
“What if we all tried to see people in a whole new light?” Muriel suggested.
Dot rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I’ll miss it.”
Muriel frowned. Wasn’t it time for Dot to leave?
“We can start with looking for something beautiful in you,” Pat said, pointing a finger at her.
“I’m already a thing of beauty,” Dot said and struck a pose.
“Well,” Olivia said, “I’m up to giving it a shot. I definitely need to work on my attitude.”
“When it comes right down to it, we can all use some work on our attitudes,” Muriel told her. Herself included. Hers toward Dot was certainly shifting into ugly gear, which was pathetic considering the fact that she’d suggested Dot take her place on the cruise.
“I know mine sucks,” Sienna admitted.
“You’ve got a challenge,” Pat said to her.
“It is the season for peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” Muriel added. And irritating friends.
“So—” Pat raised her punch cup “—here’s to the ugly trees in our lives. Let’s see what we can do with them.”
“To the ugly trees,” repeated Olivia.
“To ugly trees,” the others echoed.
Conversation moved on and so did the afternoon. Toward the end of the party Muriel drew a name to win a small gift basket she’d put together, containing a candle, a box of Sweet Dreams chocolates and a copy of a Christmas novel by RaeAnne Thayne.
Sienna was thrilled when she won it. “Thank you so much,” she said to Muriel before she left. “My son is going to love helping me eat the candy and I know I’ll enjoy the book. I’m reading your new one right now. Maybe it will inspire me to have a better attitude about my neighbor,” she added.
“I hope it will,” Muriel said. “Next time you see him, think of my tree.”
The other guests began to depart soon after Sienna. “Great party,” Dot said as she and Muriel hugged each other. “Be sure to tell me what you want me to bring you from Germany.”
Muriel set aside her earlier irritation. One of Dot’s sterling qualities was her generosity. “I will. And you have fun.”
“Oh, I will. I’ll be sure to drink some glühwein for all of you,” Dot said to the group in general.
“Don’t drink too much and fall off the boat,” Samantha teased.
“Not me,” Dot said and then, with a wave, was out the door.
Olivia was the last of Muriel’s friends to leave. “I guess I should get home and try to figure out where to start with my own little ugly tree. I do hope this idea works and I can start seeing the good in her. I know I need to, for Brandon’s sake.”
Muriel hugged her. “You will.”
With the last friend gone, Muriel joined her daughters, who were in no hurry to leave and still relaxing in her living room. It was only the four of them now, and much as Muriel enjoyed entertaining her friends, moments like this were what she cherished most, when it was just her and her girls.
“Poor Olivia,” said Samantha.
“Meadow is pretty tacky,” Bailey said. “But then, Brandon never did have the best taste in women.”
“Otherwise he’d have picked you,” said Samantha.
Cecily shook her head. “They were never a match.”
Cecily, who had an uncanny gift for seeing who should be with whom, would know, thought Muriel. Although it had certainly taken her long enough to figure out who her own ideal man was.
“Speaking of matches,” said Samantha, “what’s with Dot and Arnie going to Germany? Why didn’t he ask you, Mom?”
Muriel could feel her cheeks warming. She picked up her cup and took a sip of tea. “He did. I turned him down.”
“You did?” Samantha looked at her as if she were crazy. Maybe she was.
“Why, Mom? You guys would have had a great time,” Bailey said.
“It didn’t seem right,” Muriel explained. “I didn’t want to raise false hopes.”
“He’s had false hopes for years,” Samantha pointed out. “So what’s the difference if he’s having them here or in Germany?”
“The difference is that I’d have been taking advantage of him.”
“Mom, taking advantage of someone is doing things with an ulterior motive, letting them always do things for you without getting anything in return,” Samantha argued. “You and Arnie don’t have that kind of relationship. You’re always making him cookies or feeding him dinner.”
“Poor Arnie,” Bailey said. “I bet he feels really bad.”
Muriel had seen how bad he felt. “Believe me, he got over my rejection in record time. He’s perfectly happy going with Dot.” In fact, the two of them were downright ecstatic. Muriel was suddenly aware of Cecily studying her. She smiled as if nothing at all were bothering her—because, really, nothing was—and finished her tea.
“I’m wondering if perhaps Arnie is your ugly tree, Mom. Maybe you’ve never really seen him,” Cecily said.
“I see the good in Arnie,” Muriel insisted. “We’ve been friends for years.”
“You could be more,” Cecily suggested.
More, after all those years? “Well, honestly, a woman can’t manufacture attraction. You of all people should know that.”
Cecily shrugged.
“I don’t know why all three of you couldn’t have gone,” Samantha put in.
They could have, probably. If Dot was paying her own way anyway, there was no reason Muriel couldn’t have just bought an extra ticket and truly made this a trip among friends. Really, though, it was better this way. Arnie needed to expand his horizons, do more things with other people. “I think he and Dot will have fun.”
“Maybe something will happen between them,” said Bailey.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Muriel was quick to say. “Arnie and Dot are two very different people.” Arnie was quiet and refined; Dot was outrageous and often uncouth.
“Opposites attract,” pointed out Samantha.
“Not those two opposites,” Muriel said firmly. Samantha and Cecily exchanged smiles and that annoyed her. “I don’t know what you two are smirking about,” she said irritably, and all three of her daughters grinned.
“Mom, I’m beginning to suspect you don’t want to share your special friend,” Samantha teased. “I wonder why.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Muriel snapped. “I was the one who suggested they go together. There’s nothing between Arnie and me. We’re good friends and that’s all we’ll ever be.” She wasn’t attracted to Arnie. Dot could have him!
“Okay, whatever,” Samantha said. “But I think you should have gone to Germany.”
Yes, she probably should have. Was Arnie interested in Dot?
* * *
Sienna normally worked Mondays, but it was parent-teacher conference week and her conference was scheduled for early Monday afternoon, so Pat had given her the afternoon off. She’d promised Leo that after her meeting with Mrs. Brown he could help her put up Christmas lights. He’d also begged to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and she’d agreed, hoping the anticipation of a fun-filled afternoon would lift his spirits. His poor excuse for a father hadn’t bothered to call on Thanksgiving and it had left Leo feeling down.
He wasn’t exactly happy that she had a conference with his teacher, either. And once she sat down with Mrs. Brown, she knew why.
“Leo is a sweet boy,” Mrs. Brown began. “He always wants to help. He loves to help me collect and pass out papers, but...”
Oh, no. Here came the but.
“...we need to work on his concentration. He’d much prefer to clown around and put pencils up his nose or talk to his neighbor than work on his addition and subtraction.”