Trading Christmas: When Christmas Comes / The Forgetful Bride. Debbie Macomber

might be. He was such a nice young man and for a while, years ago now, there’d been such promise when he’d fallen head over heels in love. Monica. Oh, yes, she remembered Monica, a conniving shallow little bitch who’d broken her son’s heart. On Christmas Eve, yet.

       What was wrong with all those women in Boston and New York? Both her sons were attractive; Rayburn and Charles possessed their father’s striking good looks, not that either had ever taken advantage of that. Bernice suspected Rayburn had been involved with various women, but obviously there’d never been anyone special.

       Sitting in her favorite chair with the phone beside her, Bernice wondered what to do next. This was a sorry, sorry state of affairs. While her friends in the Arizona retirement community brought out book after book filled with darling pictures of their grandchildren, she had nothing to show except photos of her Pomeranian, FiFi. There were only so many pictures of the dog she could pass around. Even she was tired of looking at photographs of FiFi.

       Bernice petted the small dog and with a brooding sense that something was terribly wrong, reached for the phone. She pushed speed dial for Charles’s number and closed her eyes with impatience, waiting for the call to connect.

       After one short ring, someone answered. “Hello.”

       Bernice gasped. The voice was soft and distinctly female. She couldn’t believe her ears.

       “Hello?”

       “Is this the residence of Charles Brewster?” Bernice asked primly. “Professor Charles Brewster?”

       “Yes, it is.”

      Of course it was Charles’s condominium. The number was programmed into her phone and Bernice trusted technology. Shocked, she slammed down the receiver and stared, horrified, at the golf course outside.

       Charles had a woman at his place. A woman he hadn’t mentioned to his own mother, which could mean only one thing. Her son didn’t want her to know anything about this…this female. All kinds of frightening scenarios flew into her mind. Charles consorting with a gold digger—or worse. Charles held hostage. Charles… She shook her head. No, she had to take control here.

       Still in shock, Bernice picked up the phone again and pushed the top speed-dial button, which would connect her with Rayburn’s New York apartment. He was often more difficult to reach than Charles. Luck was with her, however, and Rayburn answered after the third ring.

       “Rayburn,” Bernice cried in near panic, not giving him a chance to greet her.

       “Mother, what’s wrong?”

       “When was the last time you spoke with your brother?” she demanded breathlessly.

       Rayburn seemed to need time to think about this, but Bernice was in no condition to wait. “Something is wrong with Charles! I’m so worried.”

       “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

       “I am,” she cried.

       “Now, Mother…”

       “Hear me out before you Now, Mother me.” The more she thought about a strange woman answering Charles’s phone, the more alarmed she became. Ever since that dreadful Monica had broken off the relationship… Ever since her, he’d gone out of his way to avoid women. In fact, he seemed oblivious to them and rejected every attempt she’d made to match him up.

       “Your brother has a woman living with him,” she said, her voice trembling.

       Silence followed her announcement. “Mother, have you been drinking hot buttered rum again?”

       “No,” she snapped, insulted he’d ask such a thing. “Hear me out. I haven’t been able to get hold of Charles for two days. I left messages on his answering machine, and he never returned a single call.”

       Her son was listening, and for that Bernice was grateful.

       “Go on,” he said without inflection.

       “Just now, not more than five minutes ago, I called Charles again. A woman answered the phone.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “She had a…sexy voice.”

       “Perhaps it was a cleaning woman.”

       “On a Monday?”

       “Maybe it was a colleague. A friend from the History Department.”

       Bernice maintained a stubborn silence.

       “You’re sure about this?” Rayburn finally said.

       “As sure as I live and breathe. Your brother has a woman in his home—living there.”

       “Just because she answered the phone doesn’t mean she’s living with Charles.”

       “You and I both know your brother would never allow just anyone to answer the phone.”

       Rayburn seemed to agree; a casual visitor wouldn’t be answering his brother’s phone.

       “Good for him,” Rayburn said with what sounded like a chuckle.

       “How can you say that?” Bernice cried. “It’s obvious that this woman must be completely unacceptable.”

       “Now, Mother…”

       “Why wouldn’t Charles tell us about her?”

       “I don’t know, but I think you’re jumping to conclusions.”

       “I’m not! I just know something’s wrong. Perhaps she tricked her way into his home, killed him and—”

       “You’ve been watching too many crime shows,” Rayburn chastised.

       “Perhaps I have, but I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of this.”

       “Fine.” Her oldest son apparently grasped how serious she was, because he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

       “Oh, Rayburn,” she said with a sob, dabbing her nose with a delicate hankie. “I don’t know how I’d manage without my sons to look out for me.”

       “Mother…”

       “Take the train to Boston and investigate this situation. Report back to me ASAP.”

       “I can phone him and handle this in five minutes.”

       “No.” She was insistent. “I want you to check it out with your own eyes. God only knows what your brother’s gotten himself into with this woman. I just know whoever it is must be taking advantage of Charles.”

       “Mother. This is Christmas week and—”

       “I know what time of year it is, Rayburn, and I realize you have a life of your own. A life that’s much too busy to include your mother. But I’ll tell you right now that I won’t sleep a wink until I hear what’s happened to Charles.”

       There was a pause.

       “All right,” Rayburn muttered. “I’ll take the train to Boston and check up on Charles.”

       “Thank God.” She could breathe easier now.

      Seven

      The Boeing 767 bounced against the tarmac and jarred Faith Kerrigan awake. She bolted upright and realized that she’d just landed in Seattle. She glanced at her watch; it was just after seven. She’d had less than four hours’ sleep the entire night.

       She’d survive. Any discomfort would be well worth the look of joy and surprise on Emily’s face when Faith arrived and announced she’d be joining her friend for Christmas.

       Remembering that was a better wake-up than a triple-shot espresso. Although the flight—which was completely full—had left the Bay area at 5:00 a.m., Faith had been up since two. Her lone suitcase was packed to the bursting point and she’d stuffed her carry-on until the zipper threatened to pop. After filing off the plane and collecting