Christmas In Icicle Falls. Sheila Roberts

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      “No James and Olivia today, I figured,” he said as he took a sip of his coffee.

      “You’re right. She’s busy at the lodge. How was your Thanksgiving?”

      “All right,” he said with a shrug. “At my sister’s again this year.”

      Sometimes Muriel felt downright guilty about Arnie’s lackluster life. He’d loved her since they were teenagers. Sadly, she just hadn’t felt the same about him. Other men had come along to steal her heart. Still, Arnie had remained her steadfast friend, seeing her through the loss of two husbands. Arnie was a dear.

      “How was the gathering of the Sterling clan?” he asked.

      “Chaotic, noisy as always.”

      “In other words, a good time was had by all.”

      “Yes, that sums it up,” she said with a smile.

      Dot appeared with her coffee carafe. “I hope you two aren’t in a hurry today,” she said as she filled Muriel’s mug. “As you can see, we’re slammed.”

      “That’s okay, we’re not in a hurry,” Muriel assured her. “Unless... Arnie?”

      “I can stay as long as you want me to,” he said.

      What a sweetie. It was a shame to see such a nice man single.

      “Good,” Dot said and hurried off.

      They filled in the time with small talk as they waited for their orders. Arnie wanted to know how Muriel’s book signing had gone. “Sorry I missed it,” he added.

      “You’ve attended more than your share of signings,” she said.

      “Yeah, but I like to support you.”

      “You’re the most supportive friend I have,” she told him, and it made him beam with pleasure.

      Talk turned to plans for the holidays. “I’ve booked a cruise,” he announced.

      “Really? Where are you going?”

      “To Germany.”

      “Germany, how lovely.”

      She’d always dreamed of going there. That had yet to happen. With her first husband, Stephen, she’d been busy raising a family, keeping things together on the home front while he ran the family chocolate business. She and her second husband had talked about taking a trip but then Waldo had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, and that had been that. She couldn’t help feeling a little wistful. She would’ve loved to have seen some of those German towns after which Icicle Falls had been modeled.

      “It’s a river cruise and we’ll be stopping at all the famous Christmas markets—Nuremberg, Bamberg, Heidelberg.”

      Heidelberg. She’d always wanted to see the castle ruins.

      He pulled out the brochure with its glossy pictures of outdoor markets, smiling couples leaning on the railing of the river barge, lit-up cities. It all looked so romantic.

      “Joe, from the Yakima branch of Cascade Mutual, invited me. He had a group from the bank going and a couple of them had to cancel at the last minute. I was able to book their staterooms.”

      “How fun! Good for you,” Muriel said, impressed. Arnie was rarely spontaneous and always careful with his money. It was nice to see him taking a step toward living large.

      “Actually, I’d like you to go with me. You’d be back in time for Christmas with the family,” he hurried to add.

      “With you?” she repeated. Like a couple? But they weren’t a couple. They were simply friends. Good friends, dear friends. But that was all. She’d never thought of Arnie as anything else. Besides, at this point in her life, after being widowed twice, she had no intention of starting anything with anyone. “Oh, Arnie, I couldn’t.”

      His smile flipped upside down.

      “It’s a lot of money,” she explained, trying to soften the blow of her refusal.

      “Muriel, you don’t think I’d ask you and then expect you to pay,” he said, shocked.

      She couldn’t let him spend that kind of money on her even though she knew he had it to spend. “It’s sweet of you, but...I can’t.” She’d feel like she was using him. He’d get his hopes up. It would get awkward.

      Dot had returned with more coffee to tide them over as they waited for their food. “Can’t what?” she asked, having caught the tail end of Muriel’s rejection. “Arnie, you look like you’ve got indigestion and your food hasn’t even come yet. What’s going on here, you two?”

      “Arnie’s taking a river cruise in Germany,” Muriel explained.

      “Go, Arnie,” Dot said encouragingly.

      “I wanted Muriel to come with me,” he said, and Muriel felt the weight of his disappointment settling over her. Their waitress arrived with their breakfasts and he moved his plate away.

      Oh, dear. Muriel felt awful about upsetting him. “Arnie, I’m sorry.”

      “I know how much you always wanted to see Germany,” he said, his expression wistful.

      “I do.” But not with you. She bit her lip.

      “Seriously, you don’t want to go?” Dot asked, and she and Arnie exchanged glances. Muriel, the ingrate.

      “I have too much going on. The new book and everything,” Muriel added feebly. It was a flimsy excuse and they all knew it.

      “I guess I should have checked with you before I bought the tickets, but I needed to act fast,” Arnie said. Then he added, “I was sure you’d be all over something like this.”

      “You should still go,” Muriel said, not wanting to be responsible for spoiling her old friend’s good time, not to mention being responsible for him losing money. At such a late date, he’d never be able to get a refund.

      Maybe she should go, if only not to have his money go to waste. She’d make it clear that they were going only as friends...

      “Yeah, Arnie,” put in Dot. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip.” She shook her head at Muriel. “You’re crazy not to go, Muriel. I’d be all over that like white on rice.”

      Now there was an idea. “Maybe you should go,” Muriel suggested. Dot was single, Arnie was single—they could become travel buddies.

      Except now she’d just put Arnie on the spot. She looked to see how he was taking her suggestion.

      He did blink in surprise, but before he could say anything, Dot settled herself next to Muriel and set down her carafe. “What do you say, Arnie? Would you like some company?”

      “Well,” he said slowly, the gears turning as he worked to keep up with this sudden change in his plans.

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