Celebrating Flora: Weaver's Circle, #6

By Christa Maurice

Wally Kohler left Weaver's Circle to go on the road with rock bands. Over the years his job has changed from moving equipment to protecting people and fixing problems for Touchstone and SendDown. He hasn't had time to visit home in years so when Candy needs someone to take a spoiled starlet out of the limelight for a couple of weeks at Christmas he agrees. Honestly how much trouble can she be?

Flora Mason could be a super star, unless she wrecks her own career. For her latest stunt, she went on national television to promote her blockbuster Christmas movie and instead announced that Christmas is a sham. But it is really that she has something against Christmas or is something else ruining her Christmas spirit?

Warning: Family guilt, spirited actresses, and bad press

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christa Maurice
• Release date: Jun 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386009900

Book preview

Table of Contents

Celebrating Flora

Dedication

Contemporary Timeline

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

Also By Christa Maurice

Celebrating Flora

Christa Maurice

About the Author

Christa Maurice spends a lot of time lost in imagination. When not writing, she loves to travel and has spent several years living overseas (literally.) She recently returned to the United States after four years living in Abu Dhabi where the temperature was always hot, the sunrise and sunset were pretty stable year ‘round and she could go weeks at a time without speaking to a man who wasn’t selling her groceries. You know that happens to a woman living in what amounts to a harem situation? She spends a lot of time talking about shoes and thinking about men. Which brings us right back to being lost in imagination…

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Dedication

To the real Kohlers, many thanks and much love

Contemporary Timeline

Because my series are interlocking, characters cross over into other books and they share a timeline. This list will allow you to figure out where the book in your hands falls in the timeline and if you spot a character you want to know more about, track them down in another book. The dates provided are not the years the books were published, or even the years the books were written, but when the action in that book took place. Shorts show up in my newsletter or on my website.

2007

Satellite Of Love, Maureen & Bear, Drawn To the Rhythm

2008

Heaven Beside You, Jason & Cassie, Drawn To the Rhythm

Decisions, Decisions (short), Maureen & Bear, Drawn To the Rhythm

2010

Love the One You’re With (short), Suzi

2012

Waiting For a Girl Like You, Alex & Marc, Drawn To the Rhythm

2013

Victim Of Love, Rick & Tara, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

2014

Let Me Be the One, Brian & Suzi (& Logan though not all at once), Drawn To the Rhythm

Send Me an Angel, Alan & Angie, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Kickstart My Heart (short), pretty much everybody

2015

Not Second Best, Tessa & Brett, Drawn To the Rhythm

Gift To Be Simple, Gian & Rachel, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Baby Come Back, Trent & Jenny, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Remembering Beth, Beth & James, Weaver’s Circle

Redeeming Johnny, Johnny & Elaine, Weaver’s Circle

Saving Sue, Sue & Greg, Weaver’s Circle

2016

Try a Little Tenderness, Ryan & Taylor, Hollywood Nights

Protecting Lucy, Lucy & Dan, Weaver’s Circle

Rescuing Jack, Marie & Will (& Jack), Weaver’s Circle

Celebrating Flora, Flora & Wally, Weaver’s Circle

2017

Love Me Tender, Mick & Sarina, Hollywood Nights

Keep Coming Back To Love, Candy & Ty, Drawn To the Rhythm

Tender Is the Night, Gale & Lisa, Hollywood Nights

Chapter One

I can’t believe you’re making me spend Christmas in this freezing backwater. Flora sulked.

Just pretend it’s a movie and you’re playing a part. Wally turned off the highway onto route nine. The diner parking lot was full. Across the street glittering snow blanketed the township cemetery.

Flora snorted.

I am not the one who went on national television and trashed my blockbuster Christmas movie.

I didn’t trash the movie, I trashed Christmas. I mean look at that. The little gazebo in the town square all lit up with a couple hundred dollars in lights. Flora gestured to the offending building.

Huh, they had put a copper roof on it. Tiff—er—Marie had told him they had, but he hadn’t been able to picture it.

It’s all just a way to get people to blow their money. It doesn’t mean anything.

You are not alone in thinking that, but you make your living selling the fantasy. And it’s a circle, not a square. The Circle Inn was hopping, too.

What is that supposed to be? Flora demanded.

Wally glanced away from the bar as he stopped at the crossing of old seventy-six. Two evergreens had been planted at this end of the circle when he was in high school by an Eagle Scout. At some point in the last dozen years, someone had strung lights on the trees and never removed them. They glowed from the inside of the trees like the ghosts of Christmas Trees Past. It’s a small town. Probably nobody sees a point taking the lights down when they still work.

Flora scrunched down into her coat and glared out the window. Too bad she was such a sour puss. She was pretty. Black hair that fell like water around her face. Round blue eyes. When she smiled, she was the girl everybody wanted to be near, believably innocent and sexy at the same time.

Except she seemed intent on trashing the superstar acting career she had been building for the last couple of years. Last week, she went on Good Morning America and announced that Christmas was a hollow pursuit of junk when she was supposed to be promoting her new movie, Heart of the Holiday. Box office had plummeted, and the studio was screaming. Candy had Weaver’s Circle on her radar since that thing with Tiff and the puppy a couple of months ago. Suzi thought it was a wonderful idea.

And Wally was still willing to do anything Suzi asked despite her being married to Brian Ellis and expecting his child. Wally sighed.

What? Flora demanded.

Nothing. We’re almost there.

Flora grumbled.

As they drove over the crest of the hill, Wally glanced back at the Circle. When he left after high school, he’d wanted to go out, see the world, and party like a rockstar. He’d never thought about when, or if, he’d come back.

But over the last few years most of his buddies had settled down. Even Sandy had met a woman and Ty was looking really uncomfortable in his confirmed bachelorhood. Maybe he could find a nice girl while he was home.

He turned into his parents’ driveway. The house sat close to the road facing the barn across the street. He pulled around back and parked the rental in front of the two story garage.

Flora jumped out.

For an instant Wally thought she might be cheering up. The place was beautiful with the snow and the lights from the house. His mom still put up the icicle lights around the back porch and the Styrofoam Santa that had hung on the back door every Christmas since it was purchased by his grandparents in the sixties.

You have to be kidding me! Flora shouted. This makes the backwateriest backwater look like Times Square.

You’re here! his mother shouted from the door.

Wally climbed out. Hi, mom. This is Flora Mason.

His dad came down the steps in his ancient Carhardt coat. Let me get your bags. We’ve got your old room ready for you and your friend can sleep in Cindy’s room. Cindy’s going to bunk with your sister.

Flora gave his dad a dazzling fake smile. Thank you so much.

Wally grabbed Flora’s leaden suitcases before his dad could put out his back trying to carry them. His parents had to have heard what she said and everyone was pretending it hadn’t happened.

Speaking of things that hadn’t happened, his sister and niece were standing on the porch. Ellen’s expression was unreadable, but Cindy’s eyes were bright and curious. His mom had her arm around Flora, guiding her in the house. Ellen and Cindy moved out of the way and then Ellen followed them inside.

Come on, scooter monkey. Grab this bag from your old granddad. His father tossed Wally’s duffle at Cindy.

She hugged it to her chest. Have you really gone on tour with Savitar?

Yeah.

So you’ve met Logan Callahan?

Ugh. Yes. Know him well. Helped his ex-girlfriend move out of his house and stored her stuff while she healed and ended up falling in love with Brian Ellis.

Wow. And that’s really Flora Mason?

Scooter monkey, can we move this inside?