Page 75 of The Forever Christmas Tree

“I feel like Cinderella,” Wendy said with a laugh, “and you’re all my fairy godmothers.”

“You couldn’t have said anything nicer,” her aunt whispered.

“Make sure you don’t lose your shoe,” Elmer quipped.

“Or anything else,” JAM muttered under his breath.

Claudette also managed to find a pretty, white, fake-fur jacket for Diane. Everyone teased Diane that folks would think she’d shot not just a grizzly, but a bunny rabbit, as well.

Soon after that, “Prince Charming” rang the doorbell, which reverberated through the house, echoed by the ruff-ruff-ruffing of Elmer’s dogs. Ethan wore a black suit, a pale blue, crisply starched shirt, and a thin black tie, with gold knot cuff links peeping out of the sleeves. He didn’t say a word—at first—about how she looked, but his blue, blue eyes said it all.

Then they were off to the ball.

Chapter 18

Walking (Dancing) in a Winter Wonderland . . .

It was a magical night, in Ethan’s opinion, and he didn’t care if that made him seem less than manly. It was what it was. Perfect.

The moon was full. (There is nothing like the sky over the Outer Banks when fully lit.) The air was crisp with the promise of snow. (Perennial Bell Cove wishful thinking, no doubt.) Wendy looked heavenly in a pink (Rose, pink, same thing!) cotton candy fluff of a dress with silver shoes, the bare skin of her shoulders and arms like sweet cream (or foam on a Bud Light, take your pick), the twinkle of promise in her caramel-colored eyes (Good enough to eat!).

From the moment Wendy got in his car and leaned in for a kiss to the moment she sighed at the transformation of Gabe Conti’s mansion ballroom into a winter wonderland, Ethan was entranced. Cassie had asked him to take some pictures of the evening’s events with his cell phone, but more than that, he wanted to imprint every part of this night with Wendy on his memory to savor for years to come. It might be the last night they could be together, alone, or as alone as they could be as a couple in the middle of a dance party, and he didn’t want to waste a second of it.

If he couldn’t have a forever kind of love, he wanted this night to last forever. What better place for that than Gabe’s converted mansion!

Under a canopy of thousands of hanging snowflakes, fake trees—dozens of them with frosted limbs—were arranged around the perimeter of the room into a Christmas forest. Peeking out from behind some of the trunks were deer (not reindeer, but regular deer) and other wild game—foxes, squirrels, even a bear.

“Can you believe this?” Wendy said, gazing around. “Where do you suppose they got all this forest stuff? The trees alone must have cost a mint, even if they’re rented.”

“At a hundred bucks a ticket, they had a good amount of cash to work with,” Ethan pointed out.

“Still . . .”

“Laura probably made a deal with some theatrical company,” Ethan guessed. “They could have had all the cut trees they wanted, for nothing, day after Christmas. That’s when all my unsold trees become mulch.” Ethan realized, belatedly, how unromantic that sounded.

But then, Wendy’s friend Geek’s mind ran in a similar practical direction. “I bet the animals are from Gabe’s inherited collection,” Geek said. He and Wendy’s other California friends had followed them here in a rented SUV, and they’d just walked into the hall, equally stunned by the transformation of the house.

Ethan nodded. “Could be, although I don’t see the infamous ten-foot gorilla anywhere.”

“He better do something soon, or the Fish and Wildlife Service will be driving up with a U-Haul and an arrest warrant. We laugh about it, but it is against the law,” Wendy noted.

“When did you become Miss Law and Order?” K-4 teased.

“Ignorance being no excuse for Gabe?” Ethan asked.

“Nope,” Wendy replied to Ethan, giving K-4 a cross-eyed look of disdain for his teasing.

After Diane’s fake rabbit coat (Cassie would be so upset!) and Wendy’s wrap (or whatever you call those shawl things) were taken to a makeshift coatroom, they all scattered, for drinks, dancing, or just mingling. There were already about fifty couples in the ballroom, some of them dancing to the music of Nostalgia, a Cape Hatteras classic rock group of local fame, who were situated up on a portable stage. People also stood about in the hallways and off in the one addition where beverages were being served and furniture was arranged into conversation areas.

Coming up to greet them was Laura, no longer painted green like she had been that afternoon, but wearing a tight black gown that would do Beyoncé proud. Not that Ethan knew much about popular singers, except what he saw on his daughter’s TV when passing through a room. Oh, no! Does that make me an old fogey? I hope not!

Laura hugged Wendy, but just gave Ethan a curt nod. He was still on her twelve-year-old shit list. “Isn’t this wonderful?” she cooed.

“Spectacular! Is this your work?” Wendy asked.

“Mine and about twenty volunteers. I would’ve called you to come help, but I know you want to spend as much time as possible with your aunt before you have to leave.”

Another reminder of time going by at the speed of light. He sighed over the tightness in his chest.