A Kiss Under the Mistletoe by Jennifer Basye Sander

Author:Jennifer Basye Sander
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS AT UNCLE JOE’S

JERRY WHITE

“Jerry,” said Marie, “I have a niece you should meet.” Marie was a hostess at a nightclub I frequented in Fresno. “You two would make a great couple,” she continued.

Well, what could I say? “Sure, I would be delighted to meet your niece.”

Marie smiled and said, “Donna. Her name is Donna; I will ask her to come by on Saturday night.”

Donna arrived at the club Saturday night with two of her girlfriends in tow—safety in numbers, I guess. As advertised, Donna was indeed a beautiful and charming young lady. I asked her on a date; she accepted. By the end of the first date I had proposed to her. There was no question about it—she was the one for me. It was the long dark hair, the soft voice, the warm smile and the eyes that sparkled with a mischievous glint.

“You can’t be serious,” she said when I proposed. I was very serious, but I figured it would take at least one more date to convince her. I knew what I wanted right away, but apparently she needed more time to reach the same conclusion. In fact, it would take years.

Donna’s sister, Carolyn, was getting married soon after I met Donna. At the wedding I got to meet the entire family—and what a family it was. Dena, Donna’s mother, was one of nine children, all of whom still lived in Fresno. Their yearly tradition was to gather at Uncle Joe and Aunt Norma’s home for a Christmas Eve celebration, and then attend Christmas Eve mass at midnight. Christmas Eve at Uncle Joe’s became a tradition for us, even though we were sometimes only dating on and off. Families with Italian heritage know how to celebrate religious holidays—lots of great food, laughter and hugs.

Four years after we met, Donna was working as a nurse in San Francisco and I was on orders for duty in Vietnam as a captain of infantry. We spent Christmas Eve at Uncle Joe’s for the fourth time in a row that year, knowing that soon the tradition would be broken. Next Christmas I would be overseas.

After a few months in Vietnam I was reasonably sure I would not survive the one-year tour. I often thought that dying would be acceptable if only I could see Donna’s smile, hear her voice and hold her hand one more time. Just one more time, that was all I asked from the war.

Soldiers who had served several months in Vietnam were entitled to a seven-day Rest and Recreation period outside the country. Married soldiers would travel to Hawaii to meet their loved ones. A few days before Christmas I saw a fellow officer and good friend, Lieutenant Chuck Boyle. He didn’t look too happy.

“Why so glum, Chuck?” I asked.

“I was going to meet my wife in Hawaii for Christmas, but now she can’t make it.” He looked at me with a gleam in his eye. “Hey, Jerry, why don’t you take my R & R space? You’re always going on about that nurse in San Francisco.

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