Christmas Surprises at the Door by Ann Hazelwood

Author:Ann Hazelwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C&T Publishing

Chapter 53

We arrived at Mom’s house around ten o’clock the next morning. Mom and Bill were in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast. They looked especially happy and comfortable together, like they’d been married much longer than a week. I introduced the men, and they shook hands. Mom gave both of us warm hugs and told Grayson how happy she was he could come with me.

“Michael and Jon will join us for dinner tonight at the country club,” Mom announced.

“They have good home cooking, and your mother won’t have to bother,” Bill noted.

“What time would you like us to arrive?” I asked, as Mom served us coffee.

“We’re seniors, you know, so we planned an early night,” Mom joked. “Cocktails are at five o’clock, and dinner’s at six.” We nodded and grinned.

“That sounds good to me,” I responded with a smile. “I’ll be ready for bed by eight o’clock.” Everyone laughed, but I felt a little awkward afterward since Grayson and I weren’t married.

We conversed about the history of our house and family. Grayson admired the photographs Mom had placed throughout the room and asked questions about several of them. Bill was interested in hearing more about Grayson’s business. I gave Grayson a tour of the house and shared a few childhood stories.

We went back to the hotel around three to freshen up. I’d brought a simple black dress and a strand of pearls that Mom had given me when I turned fifty. I looked more like I was going to a funeral than a wedding. Grayson wore a lavender shirt and plum tie under his pin-striped, gray suit.

Grayson knew my nerves were all over the place. On the way to dinner, he squeezed my hand and tried to reassure me that everything would be fine.

The country club looked more refined than when I was there last. White starched tablecloths and triangle-fold cloth napkins covered the round tables. The centerpieces were tall vases of red, orange, and yellow roses surrounded by three white votive candles. The glow from the candles created a nice ambiance.

We were the last to arrive of my family. Jon and Michael had saved us a couple of seats next to them. They looked so handsome. It was their first time to meet Grayson, but shortly after the introductions, they were acting like brothers.

Bill’s daughter Candice was the last to arrive. Mom had told me she’d been divorced for about fifteen years and wasn’t seeing anyone. She stayed close to Bill, showing little interest in getting to know us.

The server brought out our dinner family-style. The roasted turkey was the highlight, but we also had mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans topped with slivered almonds, Brussels sprout salad, cornbread dressing, rolls, and a sweet potato souffle.

Before we were able to make the first toast, Bill stood up and got our attention with his deep, serious voice.

“What a joyous occasion this is for Mary and me,” he said, beaming at her. “We thought long and hard about how to share this moment with all of you.

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