Sleigh Bells Ring in Romance Read online

  “That sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day.” Doris wished Glen had made more time for fun. He’d always been so driven and hardworking, she often had to remind him that time to rest and play was important, too.

  “Shall we go find a tree?” Jess asked, holding out his arm to Doris after she tossed their garbage in a trash can, and they headed toward the door.

  “Absolutely. If you ask nicely, I might even be coerced into helping you decorate it.”

  At the tree lot, Jess would have taken the first tree they came to, but Doris made him walk with her up and down the rows of trees. There were noble firs, Douglas firs, grand firs, white pine, and Scotch pine.

  “This one,” Doris blurted, fingering a Frasier fir and inhaling a deep breath. The scent was fabulous and the tree was perfectly proportioned.

  Jess took a whiff of the tree’s aromatic perfume and nodded. “I’ll get someone to put a fresh cut on the bottom and stick it in a tree stand.”

  While he walked off in the direction of what appeared to be the area where one paid for trees, Doris stared at him in disbelief. He’d not even glanced at the price tag, which was quite ridiculous in her opinion. She’d always wanted a Frasier fir, but Glen had told her they were too expensive, even though they could well afford it. His mother had always liked a white pine, so that’s what they always had, too. Since he’d been gone, Doris had invested in a high-quality artificial tree she generally put up the day after Thanksgiving and didn’t take down until all the confetti from New Year’s Eve had been swept up.

  Would Jess really buy the expensive tree just because she said he should? When he returned with a lot attendant who hefted the tree and carried it off to make a fresh cut on the trunk, Doris grabbed Jess’s arm.

  “We could find a less expensive tree.”

  He merely shrugged and placed his hand on her back, guiding her through the maze of trees. “I like the way that one smelled and it’s pretty.”

  “But, Jess, we could get a Douglas fir. It would smell good and cost less…”

  He stopped and glanced down at her. “It’s just a tree, Doris, not a Cadillac. I think you chose well. Now, are we gonna stand out here freezing our toes or go pay for that tree and take it home? I even hauled in all the ornaments this morning and left them in the living room.”

  “Let’s go home,” Doris said, giving him a slightly bewildered smile. For more than fifty years, the Rockin’ G Ranch had been her home. However, lately Jess’s place felt more like home to her. She didn’t want to think about why that was. There’d be time enough for that later.

  Right now, she had a gorgeous tree to decorate with the help of a very handsome man.

  Doris sat at the kitchen table, toying with a spoon while Blayne kissed his wife goodbye.

  He tugged on his insulated coveralls and picked up his hat, then pecked Doris on the cheek. “You two girls have a great day.”

  “I won’t be home for lunch, sweetie. You are on your own,” Doris called after him as he hurried out into the cold.

  “Are you heading over to see Jess again today?” Brooke asked as she loaded the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher. She glanced over at Doris. “Grams, you’re awfully quiet. Is everything okay?”

  Doris shrugged. She felt… oh, she didn’t know exactly how to explain it or describe it. She felt like a girl in love for the first time. She felt like a wicked woman, secretly betraying her husband. She felt like soaring and crawling all at the same time. How could one feel invigorated and vibrantly alive while wanting to curl up in a ball and weep until there were no tears left?

  The emotions warring inside her were about to get the best of her and she didn’t know who to talk to. She couldn’t share her troubles with any of the women at her book club. She certainly couldn’t discuss anything with her grandson because he clearly was in cahoots with Jess. She hated to bother Brooke with her worries.

  In the past, when something was eating at her, she would have gone to Jess and Julia. After Julia passed away, she’d still found Jess to be a good sounding board. He’d always offered a listening ear and gave her good feedback.

  Since he was at the center of her current inner turmoil, she couldn’t very well march inside his house and ask him what she should do.

  Brooke sat down beside her and placed a hand over Doris’s. “What is it, Grams? What can I do to help you?”

  “I’m just being a silly old woman, honey. It’s nothing you need to be concerned with.”

  Brooke smiled. “Try me.”

  Doris looked at the lovely woman, saw the compassion in her gaze and the warmth in her smile. Before she could stop herself, words began tumbling out. “Jess Milne has quite nearly turned my head, and I don’t know whether I should keep running or let him catch me. The past few days have been so wonderful. I feel like a girl again, but when I glance in the mirror, there’s a wrinkle-faced old woman who looks frighteningly like my grandmother staring back at me.”

  Brooke remained quiet, listening attentively.

  Doris absently traced the lines of the plaid pattern of the tablecloth with her index finger, unable to meet Brooke’s gaze. “I just wish I looked more like I feel inside.”

  “And how do you feel inside?” Brooke asked.

  “Like I’m young and carefree and my whole life is ahead of me. Jess makes me feel so alive. I know it is utter nonsense,” Doris sighed. “Then there’s part of me that feels like I’ve lived two lifetimes and to even consider welcoming Jess’s attention is a blatant betrayal to Blayne’s granddaddy.”

  “I know Blayne doesn’t feel that way and you shouldn’t either. He’s mentioned several times how much he admires Jess. And I think he’s quite a catch, Grams. Not only is he handsome for a man his age, or any age for that matter, he’s a kind, gentle man. And he adores you.” Brooke gave her hand a squeeze. “Do you really want to change your look?”

  Doris hadn’t really given it any thought, but she immediately liked the idea. “I think I do.”

  “Get your things and meet me in my car in fifteen minutes.” Brooke raced to finish cleaning up the breakfast dishes then ran from the room.

  Doris hastened to her room, combed her hair, brushed her teeth, and changed into the clothes she planned to wear when Jess picked her up to take her into town. He’d asked her to have lunch with him and help him choose gifts for his hired men to go with the cash bonuses he planned to give them. He promised to stay in town while Doris took care of a few errands, then drive her home afterward.

  Now, it looked like she’d be heading to town with Brooke. She had no idea what the girl had planned, but she was clearly up to something.

  Doris yanked on her coat, grabbed her gloves and purse, then hurried out to Brooke’s vehicle.

  “Where are we going, honey?” Doris asked as Brooke turned onto the highway and headed toward Romance.

  “You’ll see when we get there.” Brooke gave her a broad smile and cranked up the local radio station that was playing Christmas music.

  Rather than drive to her studio, Brooke turned down a different street and parked in front of the hairdresser’s shop Doris had gone to for years.

  “What are we doing here?” Doris asked.

  Brooke hopped out of the vehicle and jogged around to open Doris’s door. “Changing your look, Grams. Are you gonna chicken out?”

  Doris squared her shoulders and raised her chin. “Lead on, darling.”

  An hour later, Doris gawked at the mirror, unable to believe the image staring back belonged to her.

  “Oh, Grams!” Brooke hugged her shoulders as she stood behind her, smiling in the mirror. “You look like one of those glamorous stars from the golden days of Hollywood.”

  Doris put a hand to the chunky curls surrounding her face that were now a light shade of blond instead of white. Just the change in her hair color made her feel twenty years younger. From the way everyone in the shop was gaping and grinning, it appeared she looked that way, too.

  The sty
list had cut a few layers in Doris’s hair and curled it. The curls were then loosened until they softly framed her face — a face sporting more makeup than Doris had ever worn in her life.

  “You really like it?” Doris asked, touching the soft curls again. She’d forgotten what she’d looked like without a halo of white hair surrounding her head.

  “I love it, Grams. You look amazing.” Brooke took her hand and pulled her out of the chair. “But we aren’t done yet.”

  “We aren’t?” Doris asked, as she slipped on the coat Brooke held for her. When she took out her wallet to pay, Brooke gently pushed it back in her purse.

  “Consider this part of my Christmas gift to you.”

  “No, honey. That’s too much. I’ll…”

  “Please, Grams?” Brooke gave her an imploring look. “You and Blayne are the only family I have. Let me spoil you a bit.”

  Doris hugged her, forcing her tears away as Brooke paid the bill then the two of them stepped outside.

  “A new look isn’t complete without a new outfit. I know just the place.” Brooke held open the door to her SUV and Doris hurried inside.

  A few minutes later, they parked behind Brooke’s shop. Brooke wrote a note and stuck it on the door in case anyone came looking for her, then escorted Doris across the street and down the block to the dress shop.

  They spent an hour going through every piece of clothing that was in Doris’s size. She tried on everything Brooke handed to her in the dressing room.

  “How about this one?” Doris asked, stepping out of the dressing room and striking a pose that made Brooke laugh.

  “Grams! That is it. That’s the one. You have to have that dress and I saw a pair of shoes…” Brooke raced off to find a pair of matching shoes with kitten heels. “Try these on,” she said, holding out the shoes to Doris.

  Doris slipped them on her feet, loving the way they looked and completed the outfit.

  “Oh, you look amazing, Grams!”

  “You really do look wonderful, Mrs. Grundy,” the salesgirl said. “That outfit looks as though it was made for you.”

  Doris gave herself a studying look in the full-length mirror. The wrap-style gown was simple in design, but the luxurious fabric glided over her curves and accented the fact she’d kept in good shape all these years. The piece of shapewear the salesgirl insisted she wear assisted in giving her a nice silhouette as it lifted and smoothed her form. A slim black belt encircled her waist while long sleeves provided a bit of elegant coverage. The neckline was square, not too low. And the deep sapphire hue perfectly matched the color of her eyes.

  In spite of her head shouting, “What have you done?” her heart applauded the changes.

  “I’ll take it,” Doris said, smiling at Brooke and the salesgirl.

  “The dress? Shoes? The three other outfits you liked?” Brooke asked.

  “All of it,” Doris said with a laugh.

  “Yes!” Brooke said, and gave her an exuberant hug. “Are you still planning to meet Jess for lunch?”

  Doris nodded, pleased by the way she looked in the mirror, especially with Brooke hugging her around the shoulders and giving her a big smile. “I called and let him know to meet here in town instead of picking me up at the ranch.”

  “That’s great. I think you should wear that dress for your lunch date.”

  “Oh, it’s not a date, honey. It’s just Jess.”

  Brooke gave her a knowing look as she raised an expressive eyebrow. “Whatever you say, Grams. I still think you should wear that dress, though. And I think you should get that other dress you liked, too.”

  “I will, then.” Doris started to head back into the dressing room, but Brooke removed the tag on the dress and gathered the rest of the clothes she planned to purchase.

  “I’ll take these up to the counter for you.”

  Doris started to protest, but then nodded once. She returned to the dressing room, fully intending to change back into the clothes she’d worn to town, but she looked in the mirror again, ran her hand down the front of the silky fabric of the dress and decided to wear it. She wondered if Jess would notice the change in her hair or attire.

  Annoyed her thoughts continually turned to him, she tried to redirect them, but they just came back around to Jess.

  “Oh, what could it hurt, for one day?” she whispered.

  Excitement began to stir inside her, swirling through her veins and she suddenly wanted to laugh and dance and enjoy the wonder of being so fully alive in that moment.

  Instead, she folded the clothes she’d worn to town, grabbed her coat, purse, and shoes, and headed to the cash register where the salesgirl stuffed her purchases inside a large bag.

  “Here, Mrs. Grundy. Let me take those things from you,” the girl offered, tucking her shoes and clothes in another bag.

  “What do I owe you?” Doris asked, starting to take out her wallet.

  “It’s all taken care of, Mrs. Grundy,” the girl said, glancing at Brooke.

  “I’m spoiling you today, Grams. Remember?” Brooke smiled at her and ignored Doris’s protests. Brooke took the coat Doris held and helped her slip it on then glanced at her watch. “Come on back to the studio with me until it’s time for you to meet Jess. We can have a cup of coffee or tea while you wait and I’ll show you my latest project.”

  “Sure, darling, and thank you,” Doris said, picking up one of the bags while Brooke carried the rest out the door.

  They returned to Blown Away where Brooke set Doris’s bags of clothes in her SUV. She came back inside and made cups of peppermint tea for them both, then they sat down at the worktable and Doris looked at some new pieces Brooke had made.

  She had clear glass balls that were so iridescent, they looked like bubbles. Doris touched one, almost expecting it to pop like a bubble would.

  “Honey, these are glorious!” Doris exclaimed, amazed by the woman’s creativity.

  “Thanks, Grams. I thought I’d hang them on fishing line in the display window, so they look like they’re floating.”

  “That’s a brilliant idea.” Doris smiled as she picked up a small bubble and held it up to the light. “What else have you been working on?”

  Brooke showed her a vase that was dark green on the bottom and faded to a soft mint hue at the top where varying shades of pink glass roses rested around the rim.

  Doris studied the creation from several angles. She had no idea how Brooke created it, but she held no doubt it would sell quickly. “It’s amazing what you can do with glass, darling.”

  “I just have fun with it, Grams. Want to see what I made Blayne?”

  Doris grinned. “Of course!”

  “I had to try three times to get it just right,” Brooke said, removing a wrapped object from a heavy cardboard box lined with tissue. She set it on the worktable, removed the wrapping and stepped back. “What do you think?”

  “I think he’ll love it,” Doris said, tracing her finger over one of the horses that appeared to be running right off the lid of an amber-toned glass box.

  “You really think so?” Brooke asked, sounding uncertain. “I thought he could keep his good watch and the one pair of cufflinks he owns in it instead of tossing them in a drawer.”

  “He’ll love anything you make, Brooke, but he’ll truly cherish this.”

  The bell above the door jangled, letting them know Brooke had a customer. While Brooke went out front, Doris carefully rewrapped Blayne’s gift and tucked it back in the box. She finished her tea, used Brooke’s bathroom, and spent a few minutes reapplying the lipstick she’d purchased at the beauty shop then gave her nose a quick dusting of powder.

  She returned to the workroom, pulled on her coat and strolled out front. Brooke’s customer had just left and Brooke was rearranging a display near the front counter.

  “Are you heading off to lunch?” Brooke asked as Doris walked over and gave her a long hug.

  “I am, darling. Thank you so much for this morning’s makeover. I feel
so different, it’s kind of scary.”

  Brooke returned her hug then kissed her cheek. “You look like a million bucks, Grams. Just enjoy it. Are you still planning to spend the afternoon with Jess?”

  “Yes, I think so. If I need a ride home, I’ll give you a call.”

  “Okay. I’ll be here until five. And don’t forget, I promised to make dinner tonight, so if you get home before I do, no cooking for you this evening.”

  “All right, but I feel like I should do something to pay for all you’ve done for me this morning.”

  Brooke shook her head. “No, Grams. It was my pleasure to buy a few things for you. You’ve been so good to me ever since I first visited the Rockin’ G. It’s my turn to do something for you. Have fun with Jess. You have to promise to tell me what he says when he sees you. I bet he drops his teeth.”

  Doris laughed and opened the door. “Now that would be something. Have a wonderful afternoon, darling.”

  The air outside held a frosty nip. Doris snuggled into the warmth of her coat as she hurried to the restaurant where she said she’d meet Jess. Delicious aromas floated on the air and she realized she was hungry. She saw Jess’s pickup parked out front as she rushed inside the warmth of the restaurant.

  He sat at a table facing the door, so Doris smiled at the hostess and breezed past her.

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she said, slipping off her coat and setting it with her purse on a chair then turning to smile at Jess.

  He rose to his feet and stared at her open-mouthed, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

  A giggle rolled out of Doris before she could contain it. Brooke might have been right about him dropping his teeth if Jess had worn false chompers. Since they were all his own, he merely looked as though he’d had the air knocked out of him and waited for it to return.

  Abruptly, his mouth snapped shut, but his eyes remained wide, full of surprise, as he stepped around the table and pulled out her chair.

  “Doris? Is that really you?” he whispered in her ear, giving her a hug that lasted far longer than she deemed appropriate in such a public place.