Free Spoonful of Christmas by Darlene Panzera Page A

“They want to know tonight. ”
    R ACHEL SMILED AS she stepped over the threshold of the boutique where she and Kim had decided to shop. The beat of her heart kicked up a notch as she breathed in the scent of new clothes, sweet perfume, and the promise of another glorified purchase. She couldn’t understand why anyone— like her cousin —wouldn’t love to shop.
    Okay, Kim didn’t exactly share her enthusiasm either, but she had been excited to come along to find a gift for Nathaniel—which made all the difference in the world.
    “Last night Nathaniel took me on a horse-drawn sleigh ride at one of the farms by Youngs River Falls, and he kept hinting he got me something special for Christmas,” Kim explained. “I want to find something special for him, too, something that shows how much I care.”
    “I take it luggage tags are out?” Rachel teased.
    “He talked to my dad,” Kim said, twisting the shoulder strap of her hobo bag around and around.
    “What about?”
    “He won’t tell me. Nathaniel said he saw my father in town, and they went for coffee. Coffee! Can you believe it? First I asked him if he was sure he had the right father, because my dad’s never chatted with me or Andi over coffee.”
    Rachel frowned. “I thought you said your father had been opening up more with you and Andi over the last few months?”
    “Yeah, but not enough to have a full-blown conversation. What could they possibly have talked about?”
    Rachel laughed. “You look nervous. Maybe Nathaniel asked your dad for your hand in marriage. Nathaniel is a traditional kind of guy.”
    Kim shook her head. “Nathaniel hasn’t even hinted at marriage. If anything, he keeps pressing me on my thoughts of continuous travel.”
    “Speaking of travel,” Rachel said, picking up a pair of sunglasses from the rack in front of her. “Do you think I’ll need these for Hollywood?”
    Kim smirked. “Yes, in fact, I think you’ll need a different set for each day of your honeymoon.”
    “Great idea!” Rachel agreed. “I should buy Mike some, too.”
    “What about your agreement?”
    Rachel pictured herself with Mike in sunny California with the famed white Hollywood sign on the hill behind them. She’d wear one of those stylish wide-brimmed floppy hats she’d seen in the fashion magazines, and Mike could wear a black beret to go with his gorgeous dark brown hair. They’d each wear their sunglasses and sit under an umbrella table at a cafe sipping champagne like the movie stars.
    “Oh, but he’s going to love it,” Rachel said. “Who can go to Hollywood without a pair of sunglasses?”
    Kim looked at the price tag. “Did you know they cost a hundred dollars? You can find cheaper ones at the drugstore.”
    “Oh, but these are perfect,” Rachel whispered. “And I’ve already planned the perfect wedding with a videographer, ice sculptures, a chocolate fountain, a live band, and hundreds of white rosebud flowers.”
    She ignored the skepticism on Kim’s face and made her purchase at the cash register. “Besides, I don’t have time for the drugstore,” she continued, breaking into another smile. “I’m getting married tomorrow!”
    R ACHEL STEPPED ONTO the red-carpeted staircase with her two bridesmaids and waited for Grandpa Lewy to come give the signal that the wedding was about to start.
    The historic downtown Liberty Theater, which opened in 1925 as a vaudeville/motion picture palace, had more recently been turned into an exquisite performing arts venue. She’d rented the McTavish Room, where both the ceremony and the reception would take place.
    The elegant room, with its cranberry red carpets, wooden dance floor, and candlestick crystal chandelier, held 185 people, seated in groups of eight around fifteen tables. She’d calculated the numbers over and over when making her plans. Five large serving tables would be spread with the catered food, along with a buffet table for the chocolate fountain fondue and a small