Christmas In Icicle Falls. Sheila Roberts

Muriel scolded.

      “Okay, then see what you can do,” Samantha told Cecily, dumping the problem of Priscilla in her sister’s lap.

      “I just might,” Cecily replied with a grin.

      “What if we all tried to see people in a whole new light?” Muriel suggested.

      Dot rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I’ll miss it.”

      Muriel frowned. Wasn’t it time for Dot to leave?

      “We can start with looking for something beautiful in you,” Pat said, pointing a finger at her.

      “I’m already a thing of beauty,” Dot said and struck a pose.

      “Well,” Olivia said, “I’m up to giving it a shot. I definitely need to work on my attitude.”

      “When it comes right down to it, we can all use some work on our attitudes,” Muriel told her. Herself included. Hers toward Dot was certainly shifting into ugly gear, which was pathetic considering the fact that she’d suggested Dot take her place on the cruise.

      “I know mine sucks,” Sienna admitted.

      “You’ve got a challenge,” Pat said to her.

      “It is the season for peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” Muriel added. And irritating friends.

      “So—” Pat raised her punch cup “—here’s to the ugly trees in our lives. Let’s see what we can do with them.”

      “To the ugly trees,” repeated Olivia.

      “To ugly trees,” the others echoed.

      Conversation moved on and so did the afternoon. Toward the end of the party Muriel drew a name to win a small gift basket she’d put together, containing a candle, a box of Sweet Dreams chocolates and a copy of a Christmas novel by RaeAnne Thayne.

      Sienna was thrilled when she won it. “Thank you so much,” she said to Muriel before she left. “My son is going to love helping me eat the candy and I know I’ll enjoy the book. I’m reading your new one right now. Maybe it will inspire me to have a better attitude about my neighbor,” she added.

      “I hope it will,” Muriel said. “Next time you see him, think of my tree.”

      The other guests began to depart soon after Sienna. “Great party,” Dot said as she and Muriel hugged each other. “Be sure to tell me what you want me to bring you from Germany.”

      Muriel set aside her earlier irritation. One of Dot’s sterling qualities was her generosity. “I will. And you have fun.”

      “Oh, I will. I’ll be sure to drink some glühwein for all of you,” Dot said to the group in general.

      “Don’t drink too much and fall off the boat,” Samantha teased.

      “Not me,” Dot said and then, with a wave, was out the door.

      Olivia was the last of Muriel’s friends to leave. “I guess I should get home and try to figure out where to start with my own little ugly tree. I do hope this idea works and I can start seeing the good in her. I know I need to, for Brandon’s sake.”

      Muriel hugged her. “You will.”

      With the last friend gone, Muriel joined her daughters, who were in no hurry to leave and still relaxing in her living room. It was only the four of them now, and much as Muriel enjoyed entertaining her friends, moments like this were what she cherished most, when it was just her and her girls.

      “Poor Olivia,” said Samantha.

      “Meadow is pretty tacky,” Bailey said. “But then, Brandon never did have the best taste in women.”

      “Otherwise he’d have picked you,” said Samantha.

      Cecily shook her head. “They were never a match.”

      Cecily, who had an uncanny gift for seeing who should be with whom, would know, thought Muriel. Although it had certainly taken her long enough to figure out who her own ideal man was.

      “Speaking of matches,” said Samantha, “what’s with Dot and Arnie going to Germany? Why didn’t he ask you, Mom?”

      Muriel could feel her cheeks warming. She picked up her cup and took a sip of tea. “He did. I turned him down.”

      “You did?” Samantha looked at her as if she were crazy. Maybe she was.

      “Why, Mom? You guys would have had a great time,” Bailey said.

      “It didn’t seem right,” Muriel explained. “I didn’t want to raise false hopes.”

      “He’s had false hopes for years,” Samantha pointed out. “So what’s the difference if he’s having them here or in Germany?”

      “The difference is that I’d have been taking advantage of him.”

      “Mom, taking advantage of someone is doing things with an ulterior motive, letting them always do things for you without getting anything in return,” Samantha argued. “You and Arnie don’t have that kind of relationship. You’re always making him cookies or feeding him dinner.”

      “Poor Arnie,” Bailey said. “I bet he feels really bad.”

      Muriel had seen how bad he felt. “Believe me, he got over my rejection in record time. He’s perfectly happy going with Dot.” In fact, the two of them were downright ecstatic. Muriel was suddenly aware of Cecily studying her. She smiled as if nothing at all were bothering her—because, really, nothing was—and finished her tea.

      “I’m wondering if perhaps Arnie is your ugly tree, Mom. Maybe you’ve never really seen him,” Cecily said.

      “I see the good in Arnie,” Muriel insisted. “We’ve been friends for years.”

      “You could be more,” Cecily suggested.

      More, after all those years? “Well, honestly, a woman can’t manufacture attraction. You of all people should know that.”

      Cecily shrugged.

      “I don’t know why all three of you couldn’t have gone,” Samantha put in.

      They could have, probably. If Dot was paying her own way anyway, there was no reason Muriel couldn’t have just bought an extra ticket and truly made this a trip among friends. Really, though, it was better this way. Arnie needed to expand his horizons, do more things with other people. “I think he and Dot will have fun.”

      “Maybe something will happen between them,” said Bailey.

      “Oh, I don’t think so,” Muriel was quick to say. “Arnie and Dot are two very different people.” Arnie was quiet and refined; Dot was outrageous and often uncouth.

      “Opposites attract,” pointed out Samantha.

      “Not those two opposites,” Muriel said firmly. Samantha and Cecily exchanged smiles and that annoyed her. “I don’t know what you two are smirking about,” she said irritably, and all three of her daughters grinned.

      “Mom, I’m beginning to suspect you don’t want to share your special friend,” Samantha teased. “I wonder why.”

      “Don’t be ridiculous,” Muriel snapped. “I was the one who suggested they go together. There’s nothing between Arnie and me. We’re good friends and that’s all we’ll ever be.” She wasn’t attracted to Arnie. Dot could have him!

      “Okay, whatever,” Samantha said. “But I think you should have gone to Germany.”

      Yes, she probably should have. Was Arnie interested in Dot?

      * * *

      Sienna normally worked Mondays, but it was parent-teacher conference week and her conference was scheduled for early Monday afternoon, so Pat had given her the afternoon