Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,27

John showed Ted what he knew about making posies—and hoped like crazy his future father-in-law had more talent than he did.

Shelley checked her watch and turned off her laptop. It was four o’clock on Thursday afternoon and time to leave for The Fairy Forest to help decorate the main reception area.

When she walked into The Welcome Center’s foyer, everyone was admiring Gordon Jessop’s gray pinstriped suit and bright red tie.

“You look amazing,” she told him. “Are you going somewhere special?”

Gordon straightened the lapel of his jacket. “There’s a special event at Charlie and Andy’s school for Grandparents Day. I thought I’d dust off my suit and show the boys what their stand-in granddad looks like with a little spit and polish.”

“You’ll put every other granddad to shame,” she said with a smile.

“I’m hoping the boys might invite me back next year,” Gordon whispered. “I’ve enjoyed helping them in their classrooms.”

Shelley gave Gordon a quick hug. “Enjoy every moment.” Each time he went to Andy and Charlie’s school, Gordon had returned full of enthusiasm for what the boys were doing. If he’d been their real grandfather, he couldn’t have been prouder of them.

Mabel looked at her watch. “You’ve both got places you need to be. If you don’t make a move soon, you’ll be late.”

Gordon picked up a plate of sliced cake and smiled. “Thank you for the chocolate cake, Mabel. I have a feeling it will be a big hit.”

Mabel beamed with pleasure. “It’s a family favorite. If anyone wants the recipe, tell them I’ll post it on the community Facebook page tonight.”

“I will.” With a wave to the audience of volunteers and guests, Gordon left the center.

Shelley pulled up the zipper on her jacket and kissed Mabel’s cheek. “Making the cake for Gordon was a lovely gesture.”

Mabel waved away her admiration. “He does a lot for the people at The Welcome Center. It was the least I could do.”

“Even so, he looked really happy. How’s your mom?”

The smile on Mabel’s face faded. “She has more bad days than good. Allan and I drive to Polson most days to spend time with her, but she can’t walk and her dementia is getting worse. Most of the time she doesn’t remember our visits.”

Shelley rubbed Mabel’s arm. “At least you know you’ve seen her.”

When Mabel’s eyes filled with tears, Shelley’s heart sank. Mabel was such an important part of Sapphire Bay that it broke her heart to see her so sad. “I wish there was something I could do to help.”

“Knowing you care is enough. I just hope that when my days on earth are limited, I won’t have dementia. It’s a terrible disease.” Taking a deep breath, Mabel forced a smile. “That’s enough unhappy thoughts for now. You have a Fairy Forest to decorate and a lovely wedding to look forward to.”

“Are you and Allan still able to come?”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Mabel tapped her watch. “You’d better leave before John adds his creative touch to what you and Bailey have planned.”

Shelley didn’t think he’d do that, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “Thanks, Mabel.” And with a quick goodbye to everyone else, she raced out of the center.

If someone had told her six months ago that she would be marrying the man of her dreams on Valentine’s Day, she would have thought they were crazy. But in less than forty-eight hours, she would marry the most amazing man she’d ever met.

Life had a funny way of working out. And, sometimes, an unexpected journey could lead to the most amazing outcome.

Chapter 8

With Steven’s help, John carried another table into The Fairy Forest. Thankfully, they’d both arrived a little earlier than scheduled. The truck carrying the furniture they’d rented wasn’t supposed to arrive for another hour, but it had pulled into the parking lot a few minutes after they had.

“Where does this table go?” Steven asked as they maneuvered it through the doors.

“In front of the one we just took inside. Shelley and Bailey want them five feet apart.”

Steven smiled. “I can guarantee one of them will have a tape measure. If they’re not sitting exactly where they are supposed to, we’ll be moving them again.”

John didn’t mind taking a few extra minutes to place them exactly where they were supposed to go. “As long as Shelley and Bailey are happy, that’s all that matters.”

Last night, Shelley had gone over the entire decorating project with John, Steven, and her parents. John didn’t know whether she was more stressed about