Page 130 of Mistletoe and Mischief

Beth visualized the slights, the put-downs, the irritations on both sides as pebbles, each a small stone in the growing pile that eventually crushed their marriage. Kent was right; it hadn’t been any one thing. Nothing big. No infidelity. No drugs or alcohol abuse. No money problems.

“Folks,” the teenager said. He stood in front of their table with a tray and a white rag. “We’re closing now.”

“Oh.” Feeling disjointed, Beth looked up.

“Normally I wouldn’t mind staying while you finished your coffee, but it’s Christmas Eve and my grandma’s at the house.”

“No problem,” Kent said. He took one last drink of his coffee and left the cup on the table. “Thanks, and merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Beth echoed. She left her cup behind, too.

Kent walked her to her car. He seemed to have more he wanted to say. Beth knew she did. Perhaps later...

“I’ll see you at the church in twenty minutes,” Kent said. He tucked his hands inside his pockets. “Bob at the B and B told me where it is.”

“I’m going to pick up Bailey and Sophie. We’ll see you there.”

He started to turn away, but Beth stopped him.

“Kent...”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind sitting with the girls and me?”

He smiled. “I’d be happy to,” he said.

Beth smiled back. Even if that meant Danielle joined them—well, she could tolerate that. It was the season of goodwill, after all. The important thing was for their family to be together.

16

Emily Flemming blew out the last candle after the seven o’clock Christmas Eve service at the Methodist church where her husband, Dave, was pastor. Every pew had been filled and the choir had sounded glorious. Both of their sons had gone back to the house with her parents. Emily appreciated the fact that the service was relatively early. Some churches waited until after nine, and the Catholic church always had a midnight mass.

Dave finished greeting the last of his parishioners, Bible in hand, as Emily joined him in the vestibule.

“That was lovely, sweetheart,” she told her husband. Dave worked hard on his sermons, heading over to the church two hours before the first service in order to practice and pray. He took his responsibilities seriously and looked after his flock.

“Thank you.” Dave slipped his arm around Emily’s waist. “Did you see the man with Beth Morehouse?”

Emily had noticed him, and it wasn’t the local veterinarian. Emily had suspected for some time that a romance between Beth and Ted Reynolds was in the offing. But when she’d seen Beth with this other man, she’d changed her mind. Judging by the electricity that sizzled between them, they were more than acquaintances or even friends. “I saw him.”

“That’s her ex-husband. His name is Kent.”

“Her ex-husband?” They sure didn’t act like exes, Emily thought. They’d exchanged frequent looks throughout the service and seemed keenly aware of each other. At first, Beth’s glances had been shy, but as the service progressed, she’d grown bolder. Several times their eyes had met, and neither seemed inclined to look away.

The two girls had been sitting on one side of Beth, with Kent on the other, closest to the aisle. The girls hadn’t exactly hidden their delight.

“On her way out of church, Beth mentioned a litter of part-Labrador puppies that were left on her doorstep. Ten in all.”

“Ten? But I thought she was leaving for a short vacation with her daughters.”

“She is, so she needs to find homes for these puppies quickly. She’s only got two left and wanted to know if we’re interested.”

“Are we?” Emily asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“I was thinking a couple of puppies would help teach Mark and Matthew a sense of responsibility.”

“Mark’s been asking for a dog,” Emily added with some reluctance. Her fear was that her son would lose interest and she’d be the one taking care of his dog. She had no concerns about Matthew; he was the dependable one.

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