Christmas in Cedar Cove Read online

  Christmas 2010

  Dear Friends,

  Merry Christmas! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a Christmas kind of girl. And I can’t think of any Christmas more special than one in Cedar Cove. That’s why I wrote A Cedar Cove Christmas, which was published as a small hardcover a couple of years ago. In it, I introduced the character of Mary Jo Wyse. Mary Jo comes to Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, pregnant and unmarried and looking for a hotel room. I also introduced her irrepressible brothers, the three Wyse men. By now, I’m sure it’s obvious that I was retelling the original Christmas story. I had a lot of fun with that, right down to the little drummer boy—but I’m getting ahead of myself. If you haven’t read the story yet, I don’t want to spoil it for you. And if you have, you’ll see that I’ve included extra content in the form of a prologue. Time doesn’t stand still in Cedar Cove!

  Soon after A Cedar Cove Christmas was published, my readers asked if the story would ever come out in paperback. The answer is yes—here it is—but as you probably know, I want you to think of me as a value-added author. So I wanted to give you something more…. 5-B Poppy Lane was part of an anthology published four years ago. Again, I’ve written a prologue and also an epilogue to frame the story and offer a bit of Christmas spirit. I wrote this in honor of my father, who was a POW during World War II. 5-B Poppy Lane is, of course, an address in Cedar Cove; it’s also a story of romance and adventure, and I’m confident you’ll enjoy it.

  I’m delighted that you’re joining me in my favorite town at my favorite time of year!

  As always, I love getting your comments. You can reach me at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366 or via my website at www.DebbieMacomber.com. May your Christmas be filled with the warmth and joy of the season.

  Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author DEBBIE MACOMBER

  “Familiar townspeople, three impulsive brothers…and a pair of appealing protagonists bring to life this sweet, humorous romance that, with its many obvious parallels, is a satisfying, almost tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Christmas story.”

  —Library Journal

  “It’s just not Christmas without a Debbie Macomber story and A Cedar Cove Christmas is no exception.”

  —Armchair Interviews

  “[A] wonderful, emotional and uplifting story. Debbie Macomber, one of the best wordsmiths in the business, has gifted readers with one of the sweetest stories ever to be written for the Christmas season. The storyline is right from the Good Book, and the characters are from the author’s heart. Most of Cedar Cove’s residents make a personal appearance to meet Mary Jo, and several new residents are on hand. This feel-good story is full of love, humor and enough ‘warm fuzzies’ to last you throughout the holiday season.”

  —ReaderToReader.com

  “You need look no further for the perfect Christmas gift than A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber. This precious love story will be the most beloved Christmas gift under any one’s tree, or in their stocking.”

  —SingleTitles.com

  5-B Poppy Lane “is a beautiful story that might bring tears to your eyes. Ruth, Paul and Helen are great characters: believable and real ones that you can take to your heart and hold closely.”

  —ReaderToReader.com

  “The books in Macomber’s contemporary Cedar Cove series are…irresistibly delicious and addictive.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  DEBBIE MACOMBER

  CHRISTMAS IN CEDAR COVE

  Also by Debbie Macomber

  Blossom Street Books

  The Shop on Blossom Street

  A Good Yarn

  Susannah’s Garden

  Back on Blossom Street

  Twenty Wishes

  Summer on Blossom Street

  Hannah’s List

  Cedar Cove Books

  16 Lighthouse Road

  204 Rosewood Lane

  311 Pelican Court

  44 Cranberry Point

  50 Harbor Street

  6 Rainier Drive

  74 Seaside Avenue

  8 Sandpiper Way

  92 Pacific Boulevard

  1022 Evergreen Place

  A Cedar Cove Christmas

  The Manning Family

  The Manning Sisters

  The Manning Brides

  The Manning Grooms

  Christmas Books

  A Gift to Last

  On a Snowy Night

  Home for the Holidays

  Glad Tidings

  Christmas Wishes

  Small Town Christmas

  When Christmas Comes

  There’s Something About Christmas

  Christmas Letters

  Where Angels Go

  The Perfect Christmas

  Angels at Christmas

  (Those Christmas Angels and Where Angels Go)

  Call Me Mrs. Miracle

  Dakota Series

  Dakota Born

  Dakota Home

  Always Dakota

  Heart of Texas Series

  VOLUME 1

  (Lonesome Cowboy and Texas Two-Step)

  VOLUME 2

  (Caroline’s Child and Dr. Texas)

  VOLUME 3

  (Nell’s Cowboy and Lone Star Baby)

  Promise, Texas

  Return to Promise

  Midnight Sons

  VOLUME 1

  (Brides for Brothers and The Marriage Risk

  VOLUME 2

  (Daddy’s Little Helper and Because of the Baby)

  VOLUME 3

  (Falling for Him, Ending in Marriage and Midnight Sons and Daughters)

  This Matter of Marriage

  Montana

  Thursdays at Eight

  Between Friends

  Changing Habits

  Married in Seattle

  (First Comes Marriage and Wanted: Perfect Partner)

  Right Next Door

  (Father’s Day and The Courtship of Carol Sommars)

  Wyoming Brides

  (Denim and Diamonds and The Wyoming Kid)

  Fairy Tale Weddings

  (Cindy and the Prince and Some Kind of Wonderful)

  The Man You’ll Marry

  (The First Man You Meet and The Man You’ll Marry)

  Orchard Valley Grooms

  (Valerie and Stephanie)

  Orchard Valley Brides

  (Norah and Lone Star Lovin’)

  Debbie Macomber’s

  Cedar Cove Cookbook

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Some of the Residents of Cedar Cove, Washington

  Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes: Mother of Olivia and of Will Jefferson. Now married to widower Ben Rhodes, who has two sons, David and Steven, neither of whom lives in Cedar Cove. Charlotte and Ben live on Eagle Crest Avenue.

  Olivia Lockhart Griffin: Family Court judge.

  Mother of Justine and of James (who lives in San Diego). Married to Jack Griffin, editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle. Their home is at 16 Lighthouse Road.

  Justine (Lockhart) Gunderson: Daughter of Olivia.

  Mother of Leif. Married to Seth Gunderson. Their home is 6 Rainier Drive.

  Will Jefferson: Olivia’s brother, Charlotte’s son. Formerly of Atlanta. Divorced, retired and back in Cedar Cove, where he has recently bought the local art gallery.

  Grace Sherman Harding: Olivia’s lifelong best friend.

  Librarian. Widow of Dan Sherman. Mother of Maryellen Bowman and Kelly Jordan. Married to Cliff Harding, a horse breeder living in Olalla, near Cedar Cove. Cliff has a married daughter, Lisa.

  Maryellen Bowman: Oldest daughter of Grace and Dan Sherman. Mother of Katie and Drake. Married to Jon Bowman, photographer.

  Bob and Peggy Beldon: Retired. Own the Thyme and Tide B & B at 44 Cran
berry Point.

  Roy McAfee: Private investigator, retired from Seattle police force. Three adult children—Mack, Linnette and Gloria. Married to Corrie, who works as his office manager. The McAfees live at 50 Harbor Street.

  Linnette McAfee: Daughter of Roy and Corrie. A physician assistant, she now lives in North Dakota.

  Mack McAfee: Son of Roy and Corrie, brother of Linnette. Fireman and EMT in Cedar Cove.

  Gloria Ashton: Deputy in Cedar Cove Sheriff’s Department. Daughter of Roy and Corrie, born prior to their marriage and adopted by the Ashton family of California as a newborn.

  Troy Davis: Sheriff of Cedar Cove.

  Pastor Dave Flemming: Local Methodist minister. He and his wife, Emily, are the parents of Matthew and Mark.

  Shirley Bliss: Widow and fabric artist, mother of Tannith (Tanni) Bliss.

  Shaw Wilson: Friend of Tanni’s. Works at Mocha Mama, a local coffee shop.

  Helen Shelton: Widow and friend of Charlotte Rhodes. Helen lives at 5-B Poppy Lane.

  CONTENTS

  5-B POPPY LANE

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  5-B POPPY LANE

  To my parents

  Ted and Connie Adler

  who married July 25, 1942,

  before my father

  headed off to war

  Prologue

  It was early afternoon, Christmas Eve. Snow was falling lightly, adding to the festive atmosphere inside and out. Helen Shelton fussed with the decorations in her small Cedar Cove duplex, making sure everything was in place. The tree, a real one, featured the ornaments she’d started acquiring when she’d married Sam in 1946. He’d bought her many of these, and as she hung them carefully on the branches she’d relived their history, hers and Sam’s. He’d died almost thirty years ago but she remembered every Christmas they’d spent together.

  The Nativity pieces were arranged on her coffee table with the Infant Jesus nestled in the manger, surrounded by the other familiar figurines. A large evergreen wreath hung on her front door. The house was redolent with the scents of spruce and spice—ready for Christmas.

  Helen wanted everything perfect when her only granddaughter and her husband arrived. In preparation she’d mulled cider and baked Ruth’s favorite Christmas cookies from an old gingerbread recipe; they’d first made it together when Ruth was a child. Even now, after all these years, Helen remembered the thrill she’d felt when her granddaughter was born. Oh, she loved her grandsons, but for a grandmother there was something special about a girl.

  The doorbell chimed and Helen peeked outside to see her dear friend Charlotte Rhodes standing on the porch. Delighted, she opened the door and quickly ushered Charlotte inside. They were both getting on in years, and Helen suspected neither of them had many Christmases left. She didn’t have a fatalistic view of life by any means, but she was a practical woman. Helen knew what it was to face death. She had no fear of dying.

  “Merry Christmas,” Charlotte said, unwrapping a hand-knit lace scarf from around her neck. Her friend was the most exquisite knitter. Many a time she’d assisted Helen with her knitting projects. She gave her the confidence to try new things. Why, with Charlotte’s help a few years back, Helen had completed a complicated Fair Isle sweater. She still felt a bit of pride whenever she wore that sweater. She was a competent knitter in her own right; she didn’t mean to discount her skills. But Charlotte had such an encouraging way about her, and not just when it came to knitting. Helen had confided in Charlotte about what had happened to her during the war, and Charlotte had urged her to share it with her family. Eventually, she had…

  “Merry Christmas,” Helen said, taking Charlotte’s coat and scarf and hanging them up. She led her friend into the kitchen. “This is such a pleas ant surprise.”

  “I knew your granddaughter and her husband were stopping by, so I brought some of my green tomato mincemeat.” She removed two beribboned jars from her ever-present knitting bag. “Oh, Charlotte, thank you.” Helen accepted the jars and put them on the counter to admire. Charlotte was well aware that Helen had a weakness for her homemade green tomato mincemeat.

  “Consider this a small Christmas gift,” Charlotte said, looking pleased at Helen’s reaction.

  “Didn’t you say it was too much work this year?” Helen could swear Charlotte had claimed she was finished with canning. And who would blame her?

  “I did say that, and then I took a look at all those green tomatoes and I couldn’t help myself. Besides, Ben swears mincemeat is his favorite pie.”

  “I thought your peach pie was his favorite.”

  Charlotte actually blushed. Those two had been married for several years now but they still behaved like newlyweds. It always made Helen smile.

  “Ben says that about all my pies.”

  “Well, I’m very happy to get these. I’ll make a pie for tonight’s dessert.” Helen automatically set the teakettle on the burner, dropping teabags in her best china pot.

  “What time is your granddaughter getting here?”

  Helen glanced at the kitchen clock. “Not for several hours. Around five.”

  Charlotte pulled out a chair and sat down, reaching into her voluminous bag for her knitting. Socks again. Charlotte was never without her knitting, and these days it was usually socks. Helen had recently made socks, too, but not ones you’d wear. She’d knit both Ruth and Paul Christmas stockings to hang by the fireplace. Because of the intricate pattern, it had taken her the better part of three months. She planned to give them their made-with-love Christmas stockings when they exchanged gifts that evening.

  It wasn’t long before the tea was ready and the two of them sat across the table from each other, a plate of the gingerbread cookies between them.

  “I’ve met your granddaughter, haven’t I?” Charlotte asked, picking up her teacup and frowning slightly.

  “Yes, don’t you recall? Ruth certainly remembers you.”

  “She does?”

  “It was a few years ago. She was in quite a state when she came by to visit. She was absolutely beside herself because she wasn’t sure what to do about Paul.”

  Charlotte looked confused.

  “That was shortly after they met,” Helen explained, surprised her friend had apparently forgotten the episode, since Charlotte had answered Ruth’s knock at the door. “They’d been corresponding for a while. Paul was in the marines. Well, he still is, but that’s not the point.”

  Charlotte chose a cookie. “It’s coming back to me now,” she said. “They had a lovely romance, didn’t they?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  She took a bite. “Mmm. Delicious. Now, remind me again how they met.”

  Helen settled back in her chair and picked up her own cup of tea. This was such a wonderful story. Her own love story was part of it, too. All those years ago during the Second World War. There were fewer and fewer people who knew what that war had really been like.

  For more than fifty years she’d refused to talk about that time, refused to even think about her adventures and ordeals.
She’d lost so much—and yet, she’d gained, too. At the urging of the few friends she’d confided in, including Charlotte, she’d finally told Ruth what had happened. Ruth and her Paul. Afterward, her granddaughter had said that her experiences were more than family history; they were history.

  “Helen,” Charlotte murmured, shaking her out of her reverie. “You were going to tell me about Ruth and Paul.”

  “Oh, yes. The story of how they fell in love…” She settled back, listening to the comforting click of Charlotte’s needles, and began.

  One

  Ruth Shelton hurried out of her class room-management lecture at the University of Washing ton, where she was completing her master’s of education degree. Clutching her books, she dashed across cam pus, in a rush to get home. By now the mail would have been delivered to her small rental house three blocks from the school.

  “Ruth,” Tina Dupont called, stop ping her in midflight. “There’s an other antiwar rally this afternoon at—”

  “Sorry, I’ve got to run,” Ruth said, jogging past her friend and feeling more than a little guilty. Other students cleared a path for her; wherever she was headed must have seemed urgent—and it was, but only to her. Since Christmas, four months ago, she’d been corresponding with Sergeant Paul Gordon, USMC, who was stationed in Afghanistan. There’d been re cent re ports of fighting, and she hadn’t received a letter or an email from Paul in three days. Three interminable days. Not since they’d initially begun their correspondence had there been such a lapse. Paul usually wrote every day and she did, too. They emailed as often as possible. Ruth had strong feelings about the war in Iraq, al though her opinions didn’t match those of her parents.

  Earlier in the school year, Ruth had been part of a pro test rally on cam pus. But no matter what her political views on the subject, she felt it was important to support American troops wherever they might be serving. In an effort to do that, Ruth had voluntarily mailed a Christmas card and letter to a name less soldier.

  Paul Gordon was the young man who’d received that Christmas card, and to Ruth’s surprise he’d writ ten her back and en closed his photograph. Paul was from Seattle and he’d chosen her card be cause of the Seattle post mark. He’d asked her lots of questions—about her history, her family, her interests—and closed with a post script that said he hoped to hear from her again.