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reheated foods Sahara and Roman had prepared earlier. The smell of the baked hot wings and grilled chicken tenders eventually ruled over the other scents. Swedish meatballs and beef cocktail wieners simmered in a light but very flavorful teriyaki sauce. Three kinds of pasta had also been made: spaghetti, penne and an angel-hair/vegetable salad.
    The group hadn’t finished trimming the tree, but they decided to stop long enough to enjoy the evening meal together. The ladies quickly began to hustle around the room to tackle several chores. Jessica laid out the plates while Sandra took care of the silverware. Sahara busied herself filling the drinking glasses with snowball-shaped ice cubes. She had seen the cute trays on one of the aisles inside a convenience store in town and she hadn’t been able to resist purchasing a few of the cleverly designed items.
    Roman requested that Weston ask for the blessing on the food and all the hands that had prepared it. Jacque and Sandra had prepared the sinful desserts. Apple cobbler was their son’s favorite and the triple-layer devil’s food cake was the one dessert Jacque loved most. Sandra and Jacque had also baked sweet-potato pies, an absolute favorite of all the Harringtons, including Jennifer and Samuel. Once the simultaneous “amens” rang out, the group wasted no time at all digging right in.

    The tree duties had resumed right after the two families had polished off their dessert. The group worked well together and had worked rather quickly to complete the fun tasks. Everyone had been designated a job and each person had taken it seriously. The families finally stood back to view the end results of their handiwork.
    It was now time for the colorful and brilliant show of light. Roman was to do the honors. Jacque scurried around the place, turning off all other lights.
    â€œLights, action,” Roman breathed excitedly. One flick of his finger on the switch caused the tree to come to life with hundreds of dazzling miniature white lights.
    The magical moment had taken everyone’s breath away. All hands were linked together as the oohs and aahs continued to ebb and flow. There was not one pair of eyes without tears of holiday sentiment. Then the laughter broke out, loudly and freely.
    â€œOh, we forgot one thing,” Weston said. He ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up the mistletoe, holding it up for everyone to see. “Who wants the honors?” Weston looked directly at Jessica, hoping she might step forward. He would like nothing better than to kiss her breathless beneath the fresh sprig of mistletoe.
    â€œI’ll hang it,” Jennifer sang out, moving toward Weston. As soon as she reached for the mistletoe, she saw the disappointment in Weston’s eyes. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what was wrong with him.
    After Jennifer took possession of the mistletoe, she walked over to Jessica and handed it to her. “You should be the one to do the honors. Does everyone agree?”
    Enthusiastic hand-clapping thundered in the room.
    Jessica knew what everyone hoped for; she would hang the mistletoe and Weston would kiss her while she stood under it. She had no desire to disappoint anyone, especially herself. Jessica took the offered mistletoe from Jennifer and quickly stepped up to the plate, her heart beating rapidly. The thought of Weston kissing her had her heart rate going berserk. She couldn’t wait to feel his mouth on hers.
    â€œGet the camera,” Sahara told Roman. “This is a special holiday moment.” Although the video camera had been running throughout their time in Aspen, its adapter plugged into the electrical wall outlet, Sahara also wanted still photographs.
    Jessica ended up having to get a stool to stand on because the space at the top of the kitchen entry was too high for her to reach without one. Weston rushed over to help her up on the stool, holding it firmly in place as