Better Than Chocolate Part 40

Obviously it was working, and that made Ca.s.s want to break the wishbone she'd been saving into a thousand pieces. This wasn't right. How to make Dani see that, though?

She cleared her throat. "You know he travels a lot."

"I know," Dani said, "but we want a Christmas wedding and he'll be here for Christmas."

"Christmas Day?" Willie made a face.

Dani looked at him in disgust. "What, are you afraid Santa won't come?" To the others she said, "Actually, we thought the weekend before."

"That's not much time to plan a wedding," Dot pointed out. "What's the rush?"

Now Mike was beaming like a man with a big announcement.

"Because Mike got a job as a.s.sistant manager at a hardware store in Spokane," Dani announced for him, "and when he moves for his new job I want to go with him."

Everyone at the table got busy offering Mike congratulations.

Except Ca.s.s, who was truly in shock. They'd be moving away. Her daughter would be moving away practically the moment after she got married. The vision of Dani raising her family here in Icicle Falls, of someday taking over the bakery, went up in smoke. It was all Ca.s.s could do not to cry. She pushed away the plate with her half-finished pumpkin pie and hoped n.o.body asked her what she was thankful for.

"Anyway, we just want a small wedding," Mike said. "Nothing fancy."

Nothing fancy? Dani had always wanted a big church wedding. What happened to that?

"And I know Daddy can come that weekend," Dani said.

"You already talked to your father?" Before you even shared the news with me?

Hurt welled up in Ca.s.s, giving her the worst case of heartburn she'd ever had.

"Just to see if he was going to be around," Dani said quickly. "I thought maybe everyone could come up and stay for Christmas."

"Here?" Ca.s.s squeaked.

"Whoo boy," Drew said under his breath.

"There's no room," Ca.s.s said firmly. No room at the inn.

"You could probably put them up at Olivia's," Dot said.

Thank you, Dot. Remind me never to invite you over for Thanksgiving dinner again.

"Dani, you know how crazy it gets this time of year," Ca.s.s said. "I'm sure most of the B and Bs are already booked solid with people coming up for the Christmas festival that week."

"Olivia still has a couple of rooms," Dani said.

"You already talked to her?" She'd told Olivia, too?

"This morning. I just called to ask if she had any rooms left."

"Well, then, I guess that settles it," Ca.s.s said stiffly.

"You'll help me plan it, won't you?" Dani asked her in a small voice.

Ca.s.s was hurt and she was mad, but she wasn't insane. "Of course I will. And I'll make the cake."

"Well, duh," Amber said.

Dani beamed at her. "Thanks, Mom."

She'd even suck it up and be nice at the wedding. It would be wrong to poison her daughter's big day with petty jealousy.

It's not petty, whispered her evil twin, and Ca.s.s told her to shut up.

"I know it's a busy time of year," Dani said.

"'Tis the season," Dot cracked.

The season to be jolly. That was going to be hard with her ex-husband strutting around town, pretending to be the world's best dad. It was going to be hard to greet his bimbo trophy wife with good cheer. And she didn't even want to think about dealing with her former mother-in-law and sister-in-law. If Santa thought this was what Ca.s.s wanted for Christmas he needed to retire.

"This is going to be a pain in the b.u.t.t for you," Dot said to her later, after the dishes were done and the kids were setting up the Wii game.

Ca.s.s leaned against the kitchen counter and stared into the contents of her coffee mug-black, just like her mood.

"But you'll get through it."

Of course she would. Exes were a part of life. She'd put on her big-girl panties and deal with this. After all, it was only one day. A woman could survive anything for just a day.

Ca.s.s managed a reluctant smile and raised her mug. "Well, then, here's to getting through."

Dot clinked mugs with her. "Merry Ex-mas, kiddo."

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