Yuletide Bride by Danielle Lee Zwissler Page A

in love. It was something fairytales were made of, and it was nice to see. James didn’t see love often—not like that of his grandparents—mainly because he was a divorce lawyer. Everyone knew there wasn’t a whole helluva lot of love there. But at “Pine Meadow” the assisted living home where his grandparents lived, James saw plenty. Enough to know that one day he would marry with the promise of forever. He didn’t reminisce very often, but on days like these, when he visited his family, he realized that one day he would like to have what they had.
    “Why are you smiling, James?” Ava asked as she folded her hands into his grandfather’s.
    “Oh,” James smiled and said, “I was just thinking of your marriage video.”
    Ava smiled, too, and looked at her husband, John.
    “It’s hard to believe that we’ve been married seventy-two years this Christmas Eve.”
    John smiled at his bride and then looked at his grandson. “You know, James, you should look for a girl of your own. You are already older than your grandmother and I were when we had our three daughters.”
    James laughed. “I know…Mom reminds me of that every year. It’s kind of hard to forget. It’s not like it’s an easy thing, you know…falling in love. I haven’t found the right woman yet.”
    “Maybe it’ll happen for you this year, James,” Ava said. “Maybe, you will get some magic.”
    James chuckled, “I don’t know if I would be able to do what you two did—get married without even knowing one another. It seems too risky.”
    “That’s the divorce lawyer in you speaking, Jimmy,” John said smoothly. “What’s your heart tell ya?” John pointed to his heart and smiled.
    James’s heart told him it was absolutely crazy, and his brain confirmed it. “Well…”
    “James, you will understand one day,” his grandmother said sweetly as she gazed into his grandfather’s eyes. “And when you do, you will be more than willing to make that leap, even if it’s on the stage at the festival.”
    James smiled even though he knew it wasn’t true. But who was he to ruin his grandmother’s fantasy?
    ****
    After a grueling day of researching the stupid magic festival, Mary finally got to go home, and she didn’t plan to waste any more time thinking about it. A few minutes after she’d popped dinner into the microwave, the phone rang.
    “Hello?” Mary answered, as she watched the timer. Only four minutes to go.
    “Mary?”
    “Yes, this is she…may I ask who—”
    “Oh, sorry, this is Susan Conley—from Pine Meadow. The nursing home.”
    “Oh, yeah, sorry! I just got home,” Mary said, and shook her head. That damn festival would be the death of her. Three of the couples she needed to interview resided there. One of the couples—Ava and John Rochester—were about to celebrate seventy-two years of wedded bliss—or torture.
    “I just wanted to let you know that they have agreed to meet up with you Thursday if that’s all right with you.”
    Mary pulled out her Android and looked down at the screen. No appointments yet for Thursday. “Yep, that would be great. What time?”
    “They thought it would be good to do a lunch, and it is their Turkey day…Their grandson usually comes on Thursdays and they thought it would be good if…”
    “If I am supervised?” Mary asked, annoyed.
    “Well, not so much that, but…”
    “It’s all right, Susan, I get it. Trust me, I don’t really want to do this interview either. And I am sure that they have done enough of these over the years that they wonder why we just don’t pull the information from the archives, but I have to do my work…”
    “Oh, no, Mary, that’s really not…”
    “It’s okay. I’ll see you on Thursday at noon then. Thanks so much.”
    “Uh, you’re welcome,” Susan said and sighed.
    “Bye.”
    After she hung up, Mary pulled open the microwave door and looked down at her feast. Mmm, stuffed manicotti. It looked like canned cat food, but she