The Meaning in Mistletoe - Rachael Bloome Page 0,60
hugged her tightly, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of affection. Sniffling, she pulled back, trying to compose herself. “I brought you something.”
Penny shot her customer a sheepish glance. “Frida, would you mind if we—”
“Not at all, dear. I’ll come back later.” The elderly woman shuffled past them, her eyes glinting with her latest piece of gossip. In a few hours, the entire town would know Kat had returned.
Which meant Kat needed to be quick if she wanted to reach Jack before the rumor mill.
Penny flipped the Closed sign and led the way upstairs.
Although she’d been gone only a few days, Kat relished being back in Penny’s apartment. She’d become accustomed to its coziness and quirky charm.
“Would you like some tea?” Penny asked, setting another log on the hearth before prodding the embers.
“No, thanks. I can’t stay long. I have to—”
“Find Jack?” Penny cut in, her eyes twinkling.
Kat answered with a coy smile as she lugged the tote bag over to the chaise lounge. “First, I want to show you something.”
When Penny sat beside her, Kat handed her a small rectangular scrapbook.
“What is it?” Penny asked, peering curiously at the nondescript cream cover.
“Open it.” Kat’s stomach fluttered, anticipating her sister’s reaction.
The second Penny cracked the spine, she gasped.
A snapshot of a smiling couple cradling an infant gazed up at her.
“It can’t be….”
“I found it in Helena’s hope chest.”
“I can’t believe it,” Penny murmured, misty-eyed as she slowly turned the pages of her baby album.
After a few minutes, Kat reached into the tote bag, retrieving a second binder. “There’s more.”
Setting the ivory satin album on Penny’s lap, she flipped to the first page, revealing a photo of Helena and Timothy Heart sharing a tender kiss on the front steps of a chapel.
“Their wedding album?” Penny’s question carried a note of disbelief.
“Did you know they were married on Christmas Day?”
“I didn’t. But it looks… perfect.” Her voice broke as she stared at the white steepled church veiled in snow. A simple wreath with a red satin bow hung on the front door and crimson poinsettias lined the stone steps. “Her dress is stunning. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s from the 1920s.”
For a moment, both women silently admired The Great Gatsby–inspired beaded bodice and slimming silhouette.
“Are those…” Leaning forward, Penny squinted at the Polaroid. “Are those feathers along the hemline?”
“See for yourself.” Barely able to contain her excitement, Kat stood and pulled the last item from the canvas bag.
As the silvery fabric unfurled, sunlight shimmered off the intricate beadwork, causing it to glitter like diamonds.
Penny sucked in a breath as the feathery hem floated to the floor.
“What do you think?” Kat asked, smiling wide. “I’m pretty sure you two were the same size.”
“You mean…” Penny met her gaze, her eyes glistening.
“I think she would’ve wanted you to have it.”
As a solitary tear slid down her cheek, Penny gently brushed the feathers with her fingertips. “Remember how I told you my father described Helena as some magical creature out of a fairy tale?”
Kat nodded.
“He said she had a haunting, angelic voice and enormous, billowing wings that could carry them through the stars.” Another tear followed the first, but she didn’t wipe them away. “I never told anyone this, but I’d always imagined her wings were silver, as though they’d been dipped in stardust.” Lost in her thoughts, she caressed the soft plumes.
“Do you want to try it on?” Kat asked gently, touched by her sister’s story.
“More than anything,” she murmured, then her expression brightened. “But first, I just had an impulsive, irrational, and completely wonderful idea.” She bolted from the chaise lounge, suddenly bursting with energy.
“What is it?” Kat asked cautiously, wary of her sister’s abrupt change in demeanor. Not to mention the wild glint in her eyes.
Even Chip looked concerned as he poked his head out of his enclosure to watch Penny pace the carpet.
“It would require some last-minute planning, which isn’t ideal. But it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Of course, we did just have Frank and Beverly’s wedding, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if—”
“Whoa! Hold on,” Kat interrupted. “I’m not following you.”
“I want to get married on Christmas Day!” Penny cried, clasping her hands in excitement. “At the chapel. Just like my parents.”
Stunned, it took Kat a minute to respond. “You realize that doesn’t give you much time to prepare.”
“Yes, but we wouldn’t need a lot! We could have a simple ceremony in the afternoon. And in lieu of a