A Christmas Conspiracy: Hope Valley Christmas

By Tess Brennan

The townsfolk in Hope Valley are fed up with the 10-year feud between Dru Moody and Ella Harrison. 

Nobody knows what it was all about—least of all their grown children, Gina and Todd! 

Finally, Dru and Ella's friends decide to take action. They stage an intervention — well, kind of an intervention! They enlist Gina and Todd's help to force a reconciliation. All they have to do is pretend to be in a relationship, their Moms' friends tell them. How can their mothers remain sworn enemies when their treasured children are in love?

But Dru and Ella aren't won over so easily, and the goal of getting the two Moms to reconcile in time to enjoy Christmas dinner together seems to get harder and harder to achieve. 

In the end, will Todd and Gina become victims too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Gem Publishing
• Release date: Nov 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9798201304256

Book preview

Prologue

Gina, tears streaming down her face, tried to yank her hand out of her mother’s grip. "But why, Mom?" 

I have my reasons. Her mother hauled her indoors and slammed the door behind them. You’re never to talk to that boy again, do you hear me? Never! 

Confused and angry, Gina glared at her mother. The grim look on her mother’s face was a sure signal that she should keep her thoughts to herself, but that would not happen. She and Todd had been friends forever. Where was this coming from?

"Mom, you can’t just tell me not to speak to Todd ever again without giving me a reason? Why?"

Her mother’s lips tightened. Do as I say, Gina. If I ever catch you as much as look in his direction ever again, I will ground you for life!

That’s not fair!

Well, life isn’t fair! Live with it! With that, her mother stormed out of the living room, leaving thirteen-year-old Gina to stew in anger and frustration.

What on earth had happened?

Meanwhile, next door, Todd was on the receiving end of the same treatment from his mother. 

He wasn’t to see that Moody girl ever again. EVER.

Mom, this is crazy. It doesn’t make any sense! Todd threw up his hands up in frustration.

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. Stay away from her. His mother left him standing by the door and bolted into the kitchen.

Todd followed her into the kitchen and watched her for some minutes, mixing her dough to make cookies. Stabbing at the dough, more like. 

Cookies that were supposed to be for him and his best friend.

Mom, please tell me what’s going on? I can’t just cut Gina off for no reason. She’s my best friend. Her mother is your best friend, he pointed out, striving to understand.

Not anymore.

Todd stared at her, stunned, striving to understand. But why? What happened?

None of your business! Stay away from her and that’s final! You’d better not disobey me on this or I’ll send you off to Australia to stay with your Aunt Caroline for good!

Todd sat on the kitchen stool, propped his elbows on the counter and let his head drop into his hands. There was no arguing with his mother in this kind of mood. She rarely lost her temper, but when she did, they all knew about it.

He’d try again when she was calmer. 

Clearly, she couldn’t mean this silly argument was forever.

1

A Surprise Phone Call

Ten years later

Home, sweet home, Gina muttered under her breath as she opened the fridge to take out a jug of freshly-squeezed orange juice. After pouring a glass, she took a sip and studied her mother, who was bustling about the kitchen making lunch.

She was still complaining about Ella Harrison, their next-door neighbor.

In the few hours she'd been home, her mother had slipped several derogatory remarks into the conversation. 

It amazed Gina that their feud of many years was still on. Honestly, wouldn't you think that at Christmas, her mother would let it rest? Enjoy the festivities and family… and, since the church had always been a huge part of her life, let the real joy of Christmas shine through. 

Surely, it was time to forgive and forget?

Watching her mother, she sighed, frustrated. Ten years. Unbelievable!

The afternoon she had arrived home after going to the movies with Todd, when she was sixteen, was still fresh on her mind. It had stung when their parents made sure she and Todd didn't walk to school together the following morning. 

They often didn't encounter each other during the day since Todd was a class ahead of her and a year older. But on that morning, they had passed each other in the hallway without saying a word. She'd been sure that Todd was mad, or embarrassed, or both, and he'd catch up later when things had time to settle down. 

He hadn't. 

Still bruised by her mother's words, she could understand why Todd would need some time to process it all. Heaven knew she did! That morning, she'd tried asking her mother again what it was all about, but that just prompted a further tirade. 

That was when she had realized that this was serious.

Maybe his mother had confided in Todd? Perhaps it was something bad… something so terrible that Todd didn't want to be associated with her family anymore? 

Gina decided that she'd give him some time and waited. 

And waited. 

Then she started feeling aggrieved, soon followed by anger, which gave way to hurt resignation. 

They'd drifted apart until first Todd, and then Gina left the small town for college. The crazy thing was that they now worked in Laredo, a short drive from Hope Valley where they'd all grown up, and occasionally saw each other. 

But they had never spoken again. 

Over the years, the feud between her mother and Aunt Ella had persisted, although the reason for it had receded into the dim past. The two women passed each other looking the other way, exchanged sharp glances, or ignored each other if they were forced to be in the same building. 

The problem was that they were both on various committees in the church, and Gina had heard on the grapevine that their friends were just sick and tired of the dispute just as she was.

Now, back home for Christmas, she watched her mother and bit back a retort at yet another poke