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“No, not grandchildren.Ourkids. We’re missing five of them.”
“Huh.” Kevin shrugged. “Must have gotten tired.”
“Tyler? Lauren?” Helen frowned at him. “Too tired for this kind of fun? When have you ever witnessed that?”
Watching the activity on the hill, Kevin merely shrugged again. But something tugged on his lips. Something . . . suspicious.
Helen leaned in closer. “What are you up to, mister? First you tell me Imustget out of the kitchen. Then you insist that the kidsmustgo sledding. Now you are trying to tell me two of the most energetic people on the planet are tired and they somehow convinced three others to go back with them for a group nap?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Helen crossed her arms. “Tell.”
Amused eyes turned on her, and Kevin straightened her stocking cap. “My dear wife, some things you must simply trust me with.”
“But what is going on?”
He kissed her forehead and then sat back and laughed.
Chapter Seventeen
(in which marriage is holy)
“MamaHelen,youhaveto come with us.”
Rather than question Kenzie, who along with Lauren and Becca had intercepted her path up the driveway and to the house, Helen turned her suspicious gaze onto the man who held her hand. “What is going on here?”
As he had up at the sledding hill, Kevin just chuckled. “You’ll see.” He turned her by the shoulders and gave her backside a sassy little pat. “Do as you’re told.”
Helen flung a mildly irritated look at the man over her shoulder a breath before she was dragged by both arms, one tugged by Becca and the other by Kenzie.
“It’s a fun surprise, Mama.” Lauren beamed as she walked backward so she could face Helen. “I promise you’ll like it.”
Forcing a mocked scowl, Helen met the jolly young woman’s eyes with her own. “Ido the surprises at Christmas.”
“It’s not Christmas,” Becca sassed.
“But—” Helen nearly complained about the Christmas Eve soup that she needed to check on. And there were rolls that needed to go into the oven, and she wanted to see that the apple and cherry pies she’d baked were cooling properly. And oh! She still needed to whip the cream to go with those pastries. But realization struck.
It was their anniversary.
Normally, the day that marked another year beyond their vows was celebrated with a simplehappy anniversary, honey. Choosing to marry on Christmas Eve sort of did that, but neither she nor Kevin had ever really minded. Their marriage was something they both cherished every day, worked at every day. One day wasn’t a make-it-or-break-it kind of deal.
But this . . . this was theirfortiethanniversary. Perhaps that was a big deal.
Stumbling through the ankle-deep snow after her daughters-in-love, a giddy, girlish sort of sensation bubbled in her middle. Kevin had planned something special, and he’d recruited the kids to see it through.
“Oh no, she’s guessed it, I think.” Kenzie dropped Helen’s hand, as they had to shift into single file onto the path that would take them to the cabin. For the time, Brandon and Megan and Brayden and Audrey were staying there, so it didn’t make sense that these three girls were leading Helen that direction.
Except whatever Kevin had planned was something really special.
“What have you guessed?” Becca glanced backward with a mischievous grin.
“I have no idea. But I’m sure I’ll like it.”
“You’re going to love it!” Lauren clapped her hands and squealed. Not really a Lauren-esque sort of thing to do, except she did have a daughter named Fiona who oozed drama like it was her lifeblood.
“Does it involve your cupcakes, Bec?”
