Home for the Holidays: The Forgetful Bride / When Christmas Comes. Debbie Macomber
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Praise for New York Times bestselling author
DEBBIE MACOMBER
“Debbie Macomber’s gift for understanding the souls of women—their relationships, their values, their lives—is at its peak here.”
—BookPage on Between Friends
“Macomber is known for her honest portrayals of ordinary women in small-town America, and this tale cements her position as an icon of the genre.”
—Publishers Weekly on 16 Lighthouse Road
“As always, Macomber draws rich, engaging characters.”
—Publishers Weekly on Thursdays at Eight
“Macomber is an adept storyteller…many will be entertained by this well-paced story about four women finding happiness and fulfillment through their growing friendship.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Shop on Blossom Street
“Macomber offers a very human look at three women who uproot their lives to follow their true destiny.”
—Booklist on Changing Habits
“An insightful look at relationships through the interaction of four women.”
—Midwest Book Review on Thursdays at Eight
“Ms. Macomber provides the top in entertaining relationship dramas.”
—Reader to Reader
“Macomber's storytelling sometimes yields a tear, at other times a smile.”
—Newport News, VA, Daily Press
“Well-developed emotions and appealing characters.”
—Publishers Weekly on Montana
Christmas 2005
Dear Friends,
I genuinely love Christmas. I love everything about it—the decorations, the baking, the shopping and goodwill toward mankind. My love of the holidays is one reason I’ve written a book centered on Christmas almost every year of my writing career. Home for the Holidays includes two of my favorites: The Forgetful Bride and When Christmas Comes.
The Forgetful Bride is one of my early Christmas stories, written back in 1991. It’s about a woman who meets an old flame over the holidays. Okay, at the time of their “romance” she was only eight and she’d refused to kiss him unless they were married. Now her childhood husband is back—right in the middle of the Christmas season—and insists they’re actually married.
When Christmas Comes tells the story of what happens when two people decide to trade homes over the holidays. Throw a Christmas curmudgeon into a town obsessed with Christmas, add a few neighborhood kids, Santa and his elves—and there’s Christmas fun to be had.
Two stories for the price of one. That’s the kind of deal Christmas shoppers are looking for! My wish is that you’ll be able to relax during the holiday craziness, laugh away the stress and fall in love with life.
P.S. If you enjoyed these stories, please visit my Web site at www.debbiemacomber.com and leave me a message on the Guest Book page. If you aren’t online, I can be reached at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.
Home for the Holidays
The Forgetful Bride
When Christmas Comes
Debbie Macomber
CONTENTS
THE FORGETFUL BRIDE
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
The Forgetful Bride
Debbie Macomber
For Patti Knoll
My witty, charming and talented friend
Prologue
“N ot unless we’re married.”
Ten-year-old Martin Marshall slapped his hands against his thighs in disgust. “I told you she was going to be unreasonable about this.”
Caitlin watched as her brother’s best friend withdrew a second baseball card from his shirt pocket. If Joseph Rockwell wanted to kiss her, then he was going to have to do it the right way. She might be only eight, but Caitlin knew about these things. Glancing down at the doll held tightly in her arms, she realized instinctively that Barbie wouldn’t approve of kissing a boy unless he married you first.
Martin approached her again. “Joe says he’ll throw in his Don Drysdale baseball card.”
“Not unless we’re married,” she repeated, smoothing the front of her sundress with a haughty air.
“All right, all right, I’ll marry her,” Joe muttered as he stalked across the backyard.
“How you gonna do that?” Martin demanded.
“Get your Bible.”
For someone who wanted to kiss her so badly, Joseph didn’t look very pleased. Caitlin decided to press her luck. “In the fort.”
“The fort?” Joe exploded. “No girls are allowed in there!”
“I refuse to marry a boy who won’t even let me into his fort.”
“Call it off,” Martin demanded. “She’s asking too much.”
“You