1225 Christmas Tree Lane - Debbie Macomber [1]
Bob and Peggy Beldon: Retired. They own the Thyme and Tide B & B at 44 Cranberry Point.
Roy McAfee: Private investigator, retired from Seattle police force. Three adult children, Mack, Linnette and Gloria Ashton. Married to Corrie. They live at 50 Harbor Street.
Linnette McAfee: Daughter of Roy and Corrie. Lived in Cedar Cove and worked as a physician assistant in the new medical clinic. Now living in North Dakota.
Mack McAfee: A fireman and paramedic, who moved to Cedar Cove and subsequently married Mary Jo Wyse. They have a daughter, Noelle, and live at 1022 Evergreen Place.
Gloria Ashton: Sheriff’s deputy in Cedar Cove. Natural child of Roy and Corrie McAfee. Pregnant by Dr. Chad Timmons, who previously worked at the Cedar Cove medical clinic. He and Gloria had an on-again, off-again relationship but are now a couple.
Troy Davis: Cedar Cove sheriff. Widower. Father of Megan. Now married to Faith Beckwith, his high school girlfriend, who was also widowed. They live at 92 Pacific Boulevard.
Bobby Polgar and Teri Miller Polgar: He is an international chess champion; she was a hairstylist at Get Nailed. They have triplet infant sons. Their home is at 74 Seaside Avenue.
Christie Levitt: Sister of Teri Polgar. Married to James Wilbur, Bobby Polgar’s friend and driver.
Pastor Dave Flemming: Local Methodist minister. Married to Emily. They live at 8 Sandpiper Way and have two sons, Matthew and Mark.
Shirley Bliss: Widow and fabric artist, mother of Tannith (Tanni) Bliss. Recently married artist Larry Knight.
Miranda Sullivan: Friend of Shirley’s. Also a widow. Now working as an assistant to Will Jefferson in his gallery.
Linc Wyse: Brother of Mary Jo (Wyse) McAfee. Formerly of Seattle. Opened a car-repair business in Cedar Cove. Married to Lori (who was formerly Lori Bellamy and is from a wealthy area family).
Beth Morehouse: Dog trainer and Christmas tree farm owner. Moved to Cedar Cove three years ago. Divorced from Kent Morehouse and mother of two college-age daughters, Bailey and Sophie. Beth lives at 1225 Christmas Tree Lane.
Ted Reynolds: Cedar Cove veterinarian.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 1
“Mom!”
The front door slammed and Beth Morehouse hurried out of the kitchen. Three days before Christmas, and her daughters were home from college—at last! Her foreman, Jeff, had been kind enough to pick them up at the airport while Beth dealt with last-minute chores. She’d been looking forward to seeing them for weeks. Throwing her arms wide, she ran toward Bailey and Sophie. “Merry Christmas, girls.”
Squealing with delight, they dropped their bags and rushed into her embrace.
“I can’t believe it’s snowing. It’s so beautiful,” Bailey said, holding Beth in a tight hug. At twenty-one, she was the oldest by fourteen months. She resembled her father in so many ways. She was tall like Kent and had his dark brown hair, which she’d tucked under a knitted cap. Her eyes shone with a quiet joy. She was the thoughtful one and that, too, reminded Beth of her ex-husband. Three years after the divorce, she still missed him, although pride would never allow her to admit that. Even her budding relationship with Ted Reynolds, the local veterinarian, paled when she thought about her life with Kent and their history together.
“My turn.” Displacing Bailey, Sophie snuggled into Beth’s embrace. “The house looks fabulous, Mom. Really Christmassy.” This child was more like Beth. A few inches shorter than her sister, Sophie had curly auburn hair and eyes so blue they seemed to reflect a summer sky. Releasing Beth, Sophie added, “And it smells wonderful.”
Beth had done her best to make the house as festive and bright as possible for her daughters. She’d spent long hours draping