December 17, 2019

NOTE: This is NOT a mystery, but this would be considered Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Book 3.5. Events happen between LEMON FILLED DISASTER and A SIMMERING DILEMMA.

Eugeena Patterson is marrying her neighbor and companion, Amos Jones. Her family and friends are happy to finally see the couple walk down the aisle. But there’s something missing. Since his wife’s death, Amos has been estranged from his two daughters. Eugeena encourages Amos to reach out to his daughters by inviting them to spend Christmas with him. Will Amos’ family accept the invitation and will they accept the pending nuptials?

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Chapter 1

“Do you hear what I hear?” was playing over the boutique’s speakers. Normally I loved listening to Whitney Houston’s version, but my mind was wrapped up in my current state, with my holiday mood being smothered by satin and lace.  

I see why young people threatened to elope. At my age, that seemed like the better choice. Maybe I should run this by Amos. I always loved hearing his stories about being in Vegas, and I’d never been.

I let out a breath and then scrutinized myself in the 3-way mirror.  I was one of those people who could never hide their true feelings from their face.  Sure enough, my nose was turned up as if I smelled something bad.

“Lord Jesus, help me.” That was all the prayer I could muster, though I’m pretty sure I knew the answer. This wasn’t the dress.  Now if I was forty years younger, with more of an hourglass shape. Maybe. This was the season for miracles, but I’m a realist.

  A knock on the dressing room door broke my intense concentration. 

A shrill voice asked, “How are the dresses working for you, Ms. Patterson?”

I sighed and rubbed my hands down the silky material. I had asked the attendant to help me select off-white dresses. I was a woman of age and this was my second go-around at a wedding. The color was perfect.  I turned to view the sides of my current selection again as if I needed to make sure it wasn’t the one. 

Who was I fooling?

 I’ve had an uphill battle with my weight all my life, but thanks to a diabetes II diagnosis, I’d lost forty pounds in the last two years. Some months, I struggled with the scale, agonizing over gaining and then rejoicing over lost pounds.  I’d never fully gotten rid of the rolls around my waist and this dress was unforgivable.

Keep it simple, Eugeena.

I called out to the attendant, “The first two aren’t going to make the cut. I think I will try the next one.”

I slipped out of the dress, thankful that I thought to put on my spandex for extra support. A big girl still needed all the help she can get. I hung the dress on the hangar and slipped the door open. “Here you go. You can return these two to the rack.” 

My attendant’s name was Barbie. She was blond and blue eyed like the doll.  Barbie beamed as she looped the two dresses over her arm, “I hope the next one works. You have some impatient ladies out there waiting to see you.” She winked.

I sighed deeply. “I know, I know.”

Leesa, Carmen and Cora at times seemed more excited than me. It’s not that I’m not looking forward to my upcoming nuptials. I’m still kind of stunned. Whenever someone referred to me as a bride I felt several emotions all at once. One being disbelief at sixty-one, I was about to be married again. All of my life I’ve only known one man. 

But God had found someone else for me. I, Eugeena Patterson, had fallen in love. With a very good-looking senior citizen.