Read Online Mist on the Meadow by Karla Brandenburg - Free Book Online Page B

the alcohol to pronounce it done
before he’d hand out glasses of the hot brew.
    Wolf hadn’t been old enough to drink the
glogg back then, but his nose twitched in memory of the spicy
aroma.
    A car blared its horn and Wolf straightened
to attention. The rush hour traffic crawled out of the city.
    Uncle Pete hadn’t made glogg after .
After the accident, Uncle Pete barely acknowledged Wolf’s
existence, as if he’d wished Wolf had been in the car with the rest
of his family. When Wolf had become old enough to claim his share
of the family business, Uncle Pete fought him every step of the
way. No surprise, once Wolf discovered how Uncle Pete managed the
company.
    He was still family, and in spite of the last
eleven years of animosity, Wolf warred with himself over the
potential scandal, scandal his grandmother had taught him to
avoid.
    Wolf wouldn’t have survived without his
grandmother. He hoped she’d understand what he planned to do.
    The clock showed quarter to five. His stop at
the liquor store hadn’t taken as long as he’d thought it might. He
was making good time. The GPS showed he was five minutes away from
the Maitland’s, but the GPS was always optimistic. Last chance to
back out.
    Day after tomorrow he would alienate all the
family he had left. Might as well get used to being a stray.
    * * *
    Marissa helped her mother transfer dinner
from cooking dishes into serving dishes while the rest of the
family entertained their guests in the family room. Uncle Balt had
taken particular interest in Derek, the sailor they’d invited from
the Great Lakes Naval Base.
    Derek’s face was baby smooth, as if he didn’t
yet have to shave every day. The sailors at the naval station were
generally fresh out of high school, but he didn’t look quite that
young. His hair was close-cropped, little more than brown stubble
on his head, and he had smiling brown eyes. His service uniform
didn’t have a rating on the shoulder, so he hadn’t yet advanced to
a higher pay grade. Likely early twenties, then, but definitely
younger than she was. If she didn’t know better, she’d suspect
Uncle Balt of interviewing a prospective husband for her, the same
way he’d seemed to each Christmas in the years since she’d
graduated from college.
    But she knew better.
    Marissa pulled the green bean casserole from
the oven and placed the glass dish into a serving basket. She
paused to close her eyes and turned her thoughts to Wolf Harper.
Had he made up his mind? Cramp.
    “Tired?” her mother asked.
    Marissa opened her eyes and smiled. “A
little.”
    “Do you think Wolf Harper will show up?”
Funny how her mother sensed her thoughts. “It was nice of you to
ask him, but he might prefer to spend the holiday with the rest of
his family after Gerda’s death, you know.”
    “There seem to be bad feelings with the rest
of the family,” Marissa said. “But people usually set that aside
for the holidays, wouldn’t you think?” She shook her head. “I’m not
sure if he’ll come.”
    Her mother picked up the cranberry relish and
the dinner rolls and headed to the dining room. “I’m not holding
dinner for him. No sense in spoiling a perfect meal.” She smiled
and nudged Marissa on the way by. “Dinner, everyone,” she called
out from the dining room.
    As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Marissa drew
a deep breath and smelled cinnamon. Wolf had decided.
    Her father answered the door. “Wolf?”
    “And you must be Mr. Maitland.”
    “You’re just in time,” he said as he shook
Wolf’s hand and took his coat.
    “Thank you for having me.”
    “Is that wine?” Max pointed to the bag in
Wolf’s hand.
    “Yes. I hope that’s okay?”
    Marissa’s mother sailed back to the kitchen.
“That’s lovely,” she called over her shoulder. “Thank you, but you
know you didn’t have to. We’re happy you could join us. Stuart, can
you introduce Wolf around?”
    Marissa’s father led him into the dining
room. “Looks like it’s