LITMIR.BIZ

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house looks lovely,” the woman called.

      “Thanks,” Sienna called back.

      At least most of her neighbors were nice. If only the Grinch would come along and steal Cratchett. Then they’d have peace on earth.

      * * *

      Once the guests had checked out, Mondays were often a quiet day at the Icicle Creek Lodge, and Olivia took advantage of that to run errands or go shopping in nearby Wenatchee. She usually tried to buy from her fellow business owners in town, but many of those shops were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. In addition to that, while the town was filled with charming specialty shops that catered to tourists, as well as a grocery store and drugstore, it was lacking the malls or department stores the larger cities boasted. When a woman wanted new underwear or a nightgown, she had to look elsewhere.

      Today Olivia was in need of a new bra. She also wanted to do a little Christmas shopping, and this was as good a time as any to slip away and do it.

      She mentioned her intention to scoot off while she and Brooke were in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast.

      “Would you mind if I come with you?” Brooke asked. “Eric needs some new jeans and I want to pick up a few things for the baby.”

      “Of course not. I’d love the company.”

      She always enjoyed spending time with Brooke. Her daughter-in-law was sweet and generous and she shared Olivia’s love of elegant home furnishings, fancy soaps and all things lavender, especially the lavender lemonade and lavender cookies to be had at Bailey Black’s tearoom.

      When they’d first met, Brooke had been mourning the loss of her mother and hadn’t been enthused about another woman taking her mom’s place in her father’s heart. But in the end she’d been happy to see both James and Olivia find love again, and while Olivia knew she could never take the place of Brooke’s mother, she and her stepdaughter had become good friends.

      Once the last guests departed, Olivia and Brooke left, also. “We’ve been so busy it seems like we’ve hardly had any time together, so this is a real treat,” Olivia told her as Brooke drove them down Highway 2 out of town.

      “Yes, it is,” Brooke agreed. “Gosh, I wonder if Meadow wanted to come with us.”

      Olivia should have asked her, but really, she’d been looking forward to getting away from the girl for a while. “I’m sure she and Brandon are going skiing today,” she said airily, determined to silence the nudge from her conscience.

      “I thought that was tomorrow.”

      “Was it?”

      “Should we go back?”

      “They probably have plans. After all, they’re still newlyweds.” And brides wanted to spend time with their husbands. This bride did, certainly. She was always there. Every time Olivia hoped for a moment to enjoy her son’s company, along came Meadow, demanding attention, wanting him to go somewhere with her, needing Brandon’s advice. Sometimes Olivia thought the girl was jealous of the relationship she had with her son.

      Who else is sounding a bit jealous? Olivia pushed the thought away, consigning it to a far corner of her mind, right along with her earlier vow to look for the good in her new daughter-in-law.

      With all guilty thoughts gone, she enjoyed her afternoon with Brooke and got most of her holiday shopping done. She still had to think of something for Meadow. What would the girl like? Olivia had no idea. Well, she still had plenty of time until Christmas. She’d figure out what to get later.

      “That was fun, Mom. Thanks,” Brooke said as they walked back into the lodge, laden with packages.

      “Yes, it was,” Olivia agreed. The words were barely out of her mouth when she caught sight of Meadow on the first stair landing, looking down at them, the hurt plain on her face.

      Oh, no. Olivia could feel her cheeks go hot with shame. She should have asked Meadow to join them.

      Meadow whirled around and vanished down the hall and Olivia was aware of Brooke looking at her with concern. “I’d better ditch your father’s present before he returns from his errands,” Olivia said and beat a hasty retreat. There was going to be fallout from this.

      Sure enough, she was barely done putting away her purchases when her son came to the apartment looking for her. It didn’t take a psychic to know why he was there.

      She gave him a kiss and forestalled the unpleasant conversation by asking if he’d like a cup of coffee.

      “No, thanks.” He wasn’t smiling.

      “Were you and Eric able to fix those burned-out lights on the trees out front?” A silly question. She’d seen the two firs out front when she and Brooke returned and all the lights had been working fine.

      “Yeah. Mom.”

      Here it came. Olivia retreated to her kitchenette in search of coffee, Muffin, the cat, following in the hope of getting more cat food.

      “Meadow’s feeling left out. She’d like to have gone shopping with you and Brooke.”

      They should have gone back and invited Meadow. Wicked Mother-in-Law of the Year, that was her.

      “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, dear, and she was nowhere in sight.” Olivia took a mug from the cupboard, keeping her back turned to her son.

      “Would you have asked her if she was?”

      She wasn’t that awful. “Of course.”

      He frowned. “Mom, I know you don’t like her.”

      Olivia focused her attention on putting a pod in her Keurig. “Don’t be silly. Of course I like her.” Oh, what a whopper.

      “Is that why every time you smile at her, you look like you’ve got gas?”

      “Don’t be crude.”

      The scold didn’t sidetrack him. “You spend time with Brooke. You’ve got her doing a lot of stuff around here. Meadow could help, too.”

      Ah, now here she at least had a leg to stand on. “She did on Thanksgiving Day, and I had her help decorate on Saturday.” Not content with being a handicap in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, Meadow had managed to drop a box of imported glass balls the day they decorated, breaking several. She’d been quick to point out that they hadn’t been very well packed. “Really, Brandon, what more do you want?” Olivia hoped he’d realize that was a rhetorical question.

      He moved to her side and put a hand on her arm. “I want you to give her a chance. Can you do that, Mom? For me?”

      Of course, she had to. If she didn’t, she’d lose her son. She turned to face him. “I’ll try. But honestly, I don’t know what you saw in this girl,” she couldn’t help adding.

      His eyes narrowed and a muscle in his jaw twitched. “Try harder—then maybe you’ll see.”

      Okay, she deserved that. Even so, her son’s displeasure stung. She managed a nod.

      Brandon’s expression softened. “She’s got a good heart, Mom, and she really wants to be part of the family.”

      “I want her to be, too.” Another lie, but at this moment honesty would not be the best policy.

      “Good, because otherwise it’s probably not going to work out for us to be here.”

      The ultimatum made her blink, but she knew she shouldn’t be surprised by it. When it came to picking sides, a wise man sided with his wife. Sad for her, but that was how it should be. What God has put together, let no mother-in-law put asunder.

      Anyway, a man shouldn’t have to choose. It was wrong of her to put her son in that position. “Darling, I really will make more of an effort, I promise,” she said with tears in her eyes. The thought of him leaving so soon after he’d decided to move back in with them was not one she wanted

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