A Christmas Surprise (Second Chance Christmas) Read online

  The Christmas Surprise

  A Sweet Second Chance Christmas Story

  Hayley Wescott

  Copyright © 2018 Hayley Wescott and Sweet River Publishing

  All rights reserved.

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  This is a work of fiction. Any references to names, characters, organizations, places, events, or incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  Prologue

  “It’s obvious that we’re heading in completely different directions, Cole,” Kristin said, trying hard to keep her tone calm. They stood on Cole’s front porch, and the neighbors would probably witness yet of another argument between the previously happy high school sweethearts.

  She felt her heart was being ripped from her chest and torn into pieces as she spoke the words she never imagined herself saying. What other choice did she have, though?

  “We’re what?” Cole said, his tone bitterly angry. “We’ve been over and over this, Kris. I know I shocked you, but this is the right thing. For me, and for us. You know my family can’t afford to pay for college and neither can I.”

  “You can get a job to pay for college. We’ve been over and over that, too. Or don’t you remember that part?” She stepped away and went to sit on the stairs.

  “I don’t have any skills, Kris.” He laughed bitterly. “The only job I’ve ever had was working at Jack’s Place. Taking orders in a burger joint doesn’t bring in enough money to pay for college. Plus, when would I have time to study?”

  “Well, that could work. It might take longer, but then you wouldn’t have to take such a drastic step.” She nodded at him encouragingly, trying to smile. She knew he’d never agree to this plan and she had to admit it had many flaws.

  “I’m not certain going in the army is considered drastic. We know quite a few people who’ve done it. They’ve all been better for it, or at least that’s how it looks to me. I know you don’t get this, but I feel like this is something I should do. For more than just getting college paid for.”

  “When did you get so patriotic? I’ve never known you to have a burning desire to serve your country.” She was immediately embarrassed by her words and her tone. She looked up at him and saw the words had hit their mark. “Cole, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just upset.”

  He was looking at the ground and didn’t look up. “Yeah, I know. But you really don’t understand, and I don’t know how to help you get there.” He thought for a minute and breathed out loudly. He looked at her and they locked eyes as he continued. “One of the reasons I want to do this isn’t because I’m so patriotic as you put it. It’s because I want to be part of something good. I want to do good and I know I can. I don’t know where it’ll lead, but I do know you’re not excluded from it. You couldn’t be since I want you to be with me no matter where I go.”

  “Well that’s just part of this, Cole. I can’t go with you if you go into the army.”

  “But if we make a small sacrifice now, we can do everything we’ve ever dreamed of.”

  “If you come back from wherever it is they send you.” Kristin couldn’t hold his gaze. Those words were hard to say out loud. “You’ve told me you think this wouldn’t change anything between us. But, it does. It changes everything.”

  Cole looked at her, even though she wouldn’t look back at him. His eyes were sad but his jaw was set in an angry line. Kristin knew he would never understand why all the things he saw as bumps in the road were mountains to her. She wasn’t going to fight him any more to try and make him see. He had given up every right to an explanation with his recent actions.

  He thought she didn’t understand and she thought he didn’t. They were at an impasse.

  “It’s only a few years,” he said, his eyes pleading with her.

  “A few years of worry, a few years of not knowing where in the world you’re? Have you even considered how hard that will be for me, for your family?” Kristin exploded, unable to keep her anger inside. She sighed heavily, and shook her head “Cole, just make this easier on us both. We were crazy to believe a romance we had in high school was going to last. We’ve both changed, and we don’t want the same things.”

  “Kris, it won’t be like that, and why shouldn’t it last? My folks were high school sweethearts, so were yours. It’s more than possible to only ever love one person for a lifetime.”

  “But you want me to leave everything I know, everyone I love, to follow you goodness knows where! What about my plans? My dreams? It’s all about you now, Cole. I feel like I don’t even know you anymore. We used to talk about everything. We made decisions together – and I thought we never kept secrets.” Kristin glared at him unable to control her anger and hurt. Part of her felt like she was being selfish, but she was too distraught to do anything about it.

  “What have I kept secret?” he asked, looking genuinely confused. “We’ve been talking about it since I started thinking about it. As soon as I made my decision, I told you.”

  “That’s exactly my point,” Kristin said, exasperated “You told me once you had decided. You haven’t even listened to me when I’ve tried to tell you why it makes me unhappy. You’re not considering my thoughts. You’ve made up your mind. You know where you’re headed, and have been determined to block out anything that goes against that.”

  “I never meant to make you feel that way,” Cole said sadly, running his fingers over his stubbly hair then letting his arms drop, tucking his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans, and kicking at the ground.

  She smiled ruefully, thinking that in a very short time, his brown shaggy locks would be no more when he got his military buzzcut. She tried to imagine him in uniform. The very thought of it made her want to cry. He would look so very handsome, but that wasn’t the point.

  “You have your goals, your ideas and you need to be free to follow them – and I need to be free to follow mine,” Kristin said firmly.

  She was determined not to give in this time. She so wanted to reach out and comfort him, as she always had, but she knew that this was a hurt she could not, and would not be able to help him with. He was going where she could not follow. She would not give up her own goals to become a military wife. When she thought of her conversation with Jeremy last night, she knew she was right not to follow Cole blindly wherever he rambled off to.

  “I still don’t see why we can’t do that, together,” Cole said, his mouth set in an oddly petulant look. “You can do anything you want. I’ll back you, support you – whatever you want to do.”

  “But, you can’t replace my family. You can’t replace my friends. I come with you, and I have to say goodbye to all of them. And how easy would it be for me to be able to go to college if you’re being moved around all the time. I’d just get settled and then have to move on – you don’t know how much that will mess with my gaining the credits I need. Believe me, it wouldn’t work. And I’
d come to hate you for it. So, it’s best for us both if we just call it a day and be done with it.”

  She began to walk away. “Don’t turn around, don’t look back,” she muttered to herself over and over.

  “Kristin,” Cole called. “Please, don’t do this!”

  “Cole, just let me go. Live your life, and do it your way. This has been coming for too long. Let’s stop the bleeding now,” Kristin said, without turning back.

  Tears flooded over her cheeks as she started to run down the street. When she finally made it to her own back yard, stopped long enough to get her breath. Then she flung the screen door open and bolted up to her room, where she threw herself onto the bed.

  The sobs took over, but she knew she had done the right thing. Since Cole had announced his determination to join the army, Kristin had felt as if she didn’t know him at all. Every day had brought a new revelation and few of them good. She didn’t want to find out anything else she couldn’t deal with far from home with nobody to care for her.

  1

  “Have you heard?” Mrs. Lockwood said as she picked out her favorite freesias and irises from the display by the door. “The Wright boy is going to be home for the wedding. Evelyn is absolutely beside herself. Delighted doesn’t cover it.”

  “I’m sure she is,” Martha said hurrying over from behind the counter. “They feared he might be sent overseas.” She smiled and took the flowers from the woman waiting at the counter. “Would you like me to wrap those for you, or did you want something else today?”

  “Maybe a bundle of baby’s breath. I know they’re considered old-fashioned these days, but I do think they make a bouquet special, don’t you? And some lilies, I think,” Mrs. Lockwood said, tapping lightly on her rose-bud pink lips.

  Kristin smiled tightly as her boss agreed with their most regular client. All she had heard for days now, everywhere she went, was the news that Cole Wright was coming home. It was a day she had been dreading for over seven years. She hadn’t exactly parted on friendly terms with him when he left town, and given that the Wrights only lived four doors down, she was bound to bump into him at some time.

  “Kris, could you grab me some of the lilies from the cold storage?” Martha called.

  Kristin pulled her cardigan around her slender frame tightly and made her way into the temperature controlled room at the rear of the store. She pulled the pails down from the large metal shelving to her right and took them through. Mrs. Lockwood came in every other day. If she wasn’t putting together arrangements for her own home on the edge of town, she was collecting the flowers for the church – and lilies were her favorite option for the altarpiece.

  “Oh, thank you,” Mrs. Lockwood said, hurrying over to look at the elegant green stalks with tight buds awaiting to burst with color and scent in the coming days. “They will be perfect.”

  At that moment, the door opened, setting the bell above it jangling. Evelyn Wright stood on the mat, shaking out a sodden umbrella. “Hey, how’re y’all doing?” she drawled, grinning madly.

  “Very well, thank you, Evelyn,” Mrs. Lockwood said as Evelyn came to stand next to her. “You must be so excited that Cole’s coming home for your wedding.”

  “We all are. I never thought he’d be back. It means so much to me to know he’s going to be here.”

  “And your mom and dad will be home from Hawaii tomorrow?” Martha asked.

  “Yes,” Evelyn laughed. “They sent a text and said they’re having the best time and don’t want to come home. Before I know it, they’ll be selling up, like your parents did, Kristin, and heading off out of Sandy Cove.”

  “I think Mom and Pop would encourage them to do just that,” Kristin said. “I think they both wish they had done it years ago. It’s such an idyllic spot they found, up by the lake.”

  “Oh, I know. Your Mom showed me the pictures. It’s a beautiful spot. She said we could get married there.” Evelyn sighed wistfully. “Part of me would love to do just that, but since Kyle’s Pastor Olson’s nephew, we really can’t get married anywhere else but here in town.”

  “I know he’s very happy you want to be married in church,” Mrs. Lockwood said, patting Evelyn on the arm. “Now, can you put these on the church account?” she said to Martha, glancing down at the neatly wrapped blooms on the counter.

  “I will, Mrs. Lockwood. We will see you soon.” Martha smiled. She moved to the other side of the counter to see the old lady to the door, carrying the bunches of flowers for her. Martha opened it wide and handed Mrs. Lockwood her purchases. “And, look at that, the rain has stopped.”

  Mrs. Lockwood smiled, and shrugged her shoulders. “What a blessing.” She made her way slowly along the sidewalk, heading towards her old pink Cadillac. She had bought it brand new in 1968, and had it re-sprayed every couple of years in whatever happened to be her favorite color at the time. Kristin had known it to be yellow, blue, green, baby pink as it was now, fire-engine red, and even a bright teal.

  “Now, what can we do for you, Evelyn?” Martha asked turning back into the flower store. “Come to grill me again about wedding flowers?”

  “No, I just popped in to see Kristin,” Evelyn said, turning towards the counter. “Mom and Dad will be back tomorrow from their vacation, and I wondered if you wanted to come to a little get-together I’ll be having to welcome them back. Kyle’s family will be there, too, since not everyone has met yet. I’d love a bit of moral support.”

  “I’d love to, but we are so busy right now. What with your wedding, and all the Christmas orders, we’re working until late every night. I’m falling into bed as soon as I get home,” Kristin said, with a rueful smile.

  She felt a little guilty. She didn’t want to spend any more time around the Wright family than she had to, especially with Cole due home any day. She hadn’t lied. The flower shop was incredibly busy right now, but she knew that Martha wouldn’t have minded if Kristin left an hour or so early on just one night. Her daughter would probably be happy to fill in if she needed to.

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you? I know they would love to see you,” Evelyn wheedled, bestowing her most winning smile on Kristin.

  “I’m sorry,” Kristin said firmly, though she gave her friend a grin. She moved to pick up the bouquet she had been working on before Mrs. Lockwood arrived, and started to fidget with the foliage, trying to get it just right, hoping to avoid both Evelyn and Martha’s knowing glances.

  “Well, if you change your mind you know you’re welcome to just drop in,” Evelyn said. “Now, I get going. There’s a never-ending list for me to work through before Christmas!”

  The bell clanged loudly as Evelyn left, making Kristin wince.

  “You could have gone,” Martha said, picking up a pail of holly and moving to work on a wreath beside Kristin.

  “I know.”

  “But, you don’t want to. I understand. So, Cole is coming home. Are you scared he won’t have changed, or that he will have changed too much?” Martha asked perceptively.

  “Neither, really,” Kristin admitted. “I’m more worried that I haven’t changed one bit, and that one look at him and I’ll be smitten all over again.”

  “You still care for him that much?”

  “No,” Kristin said defensively, but even she didn’t believe herself.

  “I know you’ve dated a few others off and on, but there never seems to be anyone you let stick around. Are you sure Cole isn’t still lurking around in your heart? It’s tough getting over your first love, and you two were pretty hot and heavy back in high school,” Martha said, her eyes full of empathy.

  “Martha, please don’t think me rude, but can we just get on with our work. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  “Sure, but I’m here for you if you ever need to get it all off your scrawny little chest,” Martha said softly.

  Kristin laughed. It was a standing joke between them. They were poles apart in terms of physique. Martha was generously plump. She was amply endo
wed in all womanly ways, and was not ashamed to show off. Kristin was slender and looked good in anything she decided to wear.

  The house was dark, and cold when she finally returned home that night. Kristin was oddly glad that she was bone-tired so it didn’t bother her too much.

  “Why did it seem like such a good idea to buy this place from Mom and Pop?” she asked herself as she turned the key and let herself inside. She flicked on the light switch and turned the thermostat in the hallway up a few degrees. She waited for the heat kick in and made her way into the front room where she sank onto the sofa gratefully.

  A small bundle of grey and white fur hurtled into the room and landed squarely on her chest. “Hey beastie,” she said to the cat as she stroked its silky head. “I suppose you want something to eat, don’t you?”

  The cat purred and nuzzled against her cheeks. Kristin rubbed at the soft patch of velvety fur on Bo’s nose and picked him up. Slowly she stood and made her way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The blast of cool air made her blink, and she looked in dismay at the empty shelves. “Not much for me in here. But, you’ll be pleased to know there is a tin of tuna with your name on it, Bo.”

  He made an odd little squeak as she placed him onto the floor and took the can out and began to spoon it into a dish. She placed it on the floor and stroked him a few times. She loved how he could lap up food he loved and purr at the same time. The noise was unique and quirky and it made her smile. She watched Bo lap up the stinky fish for a minute then turned back to the refrigerator. She was saved from having to find something she could make herself for supper by a knock at the door.

  Wearily she crossed the hallway and peered through the peep hole. She smiled when she saw her friend, Jeremy, holding a large paper sack up so she could see it clearly. She opened the door. “You’re a lifesaver,” she said, grabbing the grease-stained bag and rushing inside to fetch some plates.