The Holden family ended up spending the rest of Christmas eve at the hospital.
It turned out that Elaine had broken her wrist, and she’d ended up with a festive red and green cast for the holiday. I’d fractured two ribs and got a few pain pills for my efforts, and Ezra, under protest, needed four stitches where a bullet had grazed his shoulder. As bad as we all felt, tomorrow was going to be the real test of endurance.
Hal, Lynn, and Rob were in the emergency department’s waiting area when the doctors finally released us.
When Rob’s gaze met Elaine’s, she practically ran into his arms. It was like something out of a Hallmark movie.
“I was so scared,” he choked out. “I thought I would lose you.”
“You’ll never lose me.” She kissed him many times. “I’m never letting you go again.” And while it might be the pharmaceutical-grade narcotics the hospital had me on, I thought it was fantastically romantic. Elaine and Rob were getting a second chance love story, and it was wonderful.
Lynn gave me a, thankfully, brief and gentle hug. Even with the medications, I was still sore when touched. “Elaine told us how you saved her life.” She took my hand and clasped it between hers. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”
“Elaine did all the hard work.” I waved off the thanks. “I just picked the lock.”
Ezra shook his head. “Nora is being modest. I’m not sure any of us would’ve gotten out without her quick thinking.” He and his mother stared at each other for a moment. “Mom,” he said.
“Son,” she replied.
He put his arms around her and hugged her hard. “I forgive you, and I’m sorry, too. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’ve spent too many years being mad at you. I don’t want to do that anymore. I want us to be close again. To be a family.”
Lynn’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I want that more than I can say.” She held him tightly. “It’s the best Christmas present I could ask for.” She let him go and shook her head. “And after today, I think it’s going to be all the Christmas any of us get. I didn’t have any time to do dinner preparations today.”
It could’ve been the drugs, but I had a lightbulb moment, and I wondered if I had one more Christmas rabbit I could pull out of a stocking hat.
“Maybe we can work some holiday magic.” I glanced at Ezra and smiled. “How about a Holly Molly Christmas, eh?”
* * *
December 25th, Christmas Day, and we all survived…
Molly Higgins, the owner of the Thorny Creek Inn, had been eager to help when I told her about Ezra’s family weekend. She said, and I quote, “The more, the merrier.”
We called Lynn as soon as we had the thumbs up, and she started the phone tree to invite the rest of the family. The main house had a ballroom, and that’s where Molly had put the Holdens for their family dinner.
Lynn, Hal, Lettie, Orsen, Rollo, and Baxter, along with their wives, Carla and Wendy, had arrived around noon. Lorena, Rose Marie and her son Ryan showed up. Rose Marie brought a date. It turned out she’d been dating Rollo’s friend Blake. He was a little younger than her, and she’d worried her mother would ruin their relationship. She told me that Ezra and I had inspired her to finally come clean to Lorena.
Elaine and Rob, of course, along with Prissy and Tessa, made it shortly after. Elaine’s face was a little swollen and bruised, but considering what she’d been through, it could’ve turned out worse.
Penny wasn’t there because she was still in the city jail. But from what Rob said, she would probably be out on Tuesday with bail. She would probably face some jail time for her part in the crimes, but whatever the outcome of her arrest, Lettie and Orsen were just happy she was safe.
Tom-tom, on the other hand, was looking at some serious time for assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, conspiracy, larceny, and a few other charges that I was certain a creative prosecuting attorney could tack on.
As to Clark Faber, Penny had reluctantly confirmed that his real name was Kevin Duncan. He had been in the military with the real Clark Faber, who died of a heart attack. He’d taken the dead man’s identity to run away from a massive gambling debt he’d accumulated. According to Penny, though, Kevin took taking care of Faber’s mom seriously. He’d cared for the woman and had grieved when she’d died. That was something, I supposed. They had planned to use Clark’s inheritance to start over somewhere else. When Penny had been taken, he’d gone to the farmer’s field in order to exchange the charity money for her freedom. Howdy, of course, had other plans.
Howdy, whose legal name was Jason Birdsong, aka Jaybird, had grown up in the same neighborhood as the real Faber, and that’s when his plan to rob the imposter blind had formed. He’d employed his then-girlfriend, Penny, to get close to the man and learn his secrets. What Penny ended up learning was that she wanted to be with someone sweet like Kevin, even if he was an identity thief and not an abusive jerk like Howdy. I wasn’t sad Howdy was dead. The world was a little less terrifying without him in it.
Christmas carols played softly in the background. I’d made sure everyone got lotions, soaps, and gift boxes from Scents and Scentsability. Ezra was laughing and joking with his cousins and his sister, and while I’d seen him happy plenty of times, I don’t know that I’d ever seen him quite so joyous.
Lorena walked over to me, holding a cranberry mint gift set that included lotion, hand-crafted soaps, and a body spray. “This is pretty nice,” she said to me. I waited for the follow-up zinger, but it didn’t come.
“Thanks,” I told her. “It’s one of my shop's best-selling holiday scents.”
“I’m not talking about the gift.” She shook her head. “When Ezra left, he broke his mother’s heart. She’d hoped when Mason graduated, he’d move back, and she’d have her son home again. But I can see how much he cares for you.” Her gaze flicked to mine then she rolled her eyes. “How much he loves you. So, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being a crabby ass.”
“Are you…being nice?” I teased.
Lorena smirked. “What if I am?”
“I’d say it’s a freaking Christmas miracle.”
The woman let out a guffaw that would’ve startled the ghost of Christmas past. “I like you, Nora. You’re not a simp.”
“I like you too, Lorena. You’re hilarious.”
Ezra made his way to us. “Ari’s ready,” he said.
I rubbed my hands together. “Yay.” Ari, our technical genius, had set up a video call for us with all our family in Garden Cove. Ezra set a tablet on the dining table.
I’ll admit, I teared up when Gilly, Scott, Marco, and Ari appeared on the screen. “Merry Christmas, Aunt Nora,” the twins said in unison.
I waved to them. Then Pippa, Jordy, and J.J. showed up in their own box as the screen split. “Happiest of Holidays, Ezra and Nora,” Pippa said. “And the whole Holden family!”
The whole Holden family came around the back of us and wished their good tidings to my family. And finally, Mason popped into a box at the bottom center.
“Hey, Dad and Nora. Merry Christmas.”
Ezra beamed. “Happy Christmas, kid,” he said. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“You too, Dad,” Mason told him. “Hi, Grandma and Grandpa Holden,” he added. “Merry Christmas.”
Lynn and Hal waved, and Lynn blew kisses.
Gilly shook her head at me and said, “Can you go one holiday without getting in trouble?”
I snickered. “I certainly hope so.” We all talked for a little while, then said our love and goodbyes.
Lynn looped elbows with her son. “You’ve made a wonderful life for yourself,” she told him. “I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
He patted his mother’s hand. “You guys are coming to Garden Cove for New Year’s Eve, right?”
“Is this a whole family invitation?” Elaine asked. “Because you’ll have to get a restraining order to keep me away.”
They all laughed together, and I wished I could bottle the memory and take it out whenever I needed a cheer.
Ezra took my hand, and we strolled over to the mistletoe. “Any excuse to kiss you is a good one.” He pressed his mouth to mine, and the warmth and tenderness of his lips made me feel as if I were floating. Of course, it could’ve been the drugs. I’d had to take a pill just to get out of bed that morning.
When the kiss ended, I pressed my palm to his cheek. “I love you.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“We’ll call it a tie.”
He touched his forehead to mine. “Deal.”
Our hostess Molly, along with her chef—who turned out to be her son—rolled a giant honey ham and a roasted turkey out into the room. “Dinner is served,” she said with a brightness that lifted the room. “Take your seats, and we’ll get you all set up.”
My mouth watered as she brought out scalloped potatoes, green beans with candied bacon, stuffed butternut squash, cranberry gelatin, whipped cream salad, and Parker House rolls. It was a feast fit for a family.
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Molly said.
In near-perfect unison, the table rejoined, “Merry Christmas!”
And to all, a Happy New Year.
Nora Black
The end
Read the next book!
My name is Nora Black, and I’m celebrating my BFFs midlife matrimony!
Gilly is engaged, and I have invited a couple of friends to help us celebrate her bachelorette vacation in wine country. We are leaving work behind for three days of good food, good friends, and good fun.
Or so I thought. When the youngest of our group, Tippy Davenport, gets flirty with a local musician, his girlfriend is less than pleased. Some might even call her reaction homicidal. But when the woman turns up dead during a hiking tour, our vacation turns into an investigation.
It doesn’t take a sommelier to sniff out the sour grapes surrounding this murder, including the astringent scents of old money, family intrigue, jealousy, and greed. I’ll have to employ my psychic nose to catch a killer and get the bride back home to Garden Cove in time for her wedding.