by Susan Sands
“Just put those bags in my room. No, don’t set it on the ground. That’s extremely expensive luggage.”
It was Tuesday morning, the second day of filming in the square, and Matthew called Rachel in to see if she could take some publicity photos for the show now that Jessica Greene had arrived. The woman wasn’t scheduled to appear on camera until Wednesday, but the studio wanted to do some last-minute online promotion. Rachel wasn’t certain exactly how they planned to place it, but apparently Matthew and his team had their hands full doing their job.
“Hi, Ms. Greene, I’m Rachel Prudhomme. I’m here to take some promotional shots for the network.”
“Oh, hello, dearie. Have you come to interview me for a national spot?”
“No, I’m here to take photos for the show.”
The woman’s face fell. It was clear she was hoping for much more than getting her picture taken. “Well, I want a softening lens and full makeup.”
“There’s a makeup artist on set, so once you get settled, you can check in with her. The software I use can soften any imperfections on the shots.”
Ms. Greene narrowed her already heavily made-up eyes at Rachel. “Just make sure I don’t look like somebody’s mother.” The waddle under her chin was going to make that particular request a challenge. Rachel wasn’t a magician.
“Got it.” Rachel smiled sweetly at her, and moved to speak with Ivy.
“Good Lord, that woman is a piece of work,” Ivy said. Ivy, who was normally able to handle most folks without getting ruffled, appeared ready to go for Jessica Greene’s throat.
“Have your sweet-talking daddy deal with her,” Rachel said.
“There’s an idea.” Ivy grinned mischievously.
Rachel asked, “Do you think it would be okay for my dad to drive up today and check in? I know he wasn’t scheduled for a couple days, but there’s a big storm moving this way and I would feel better if he was here before the traffic and the bad weather.”
Ivy pulled up the reservation on her screen. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll just change the booking. We’ve already had some cancellations, so we’re not as tightly booked as before. And while we’ve got a pretty full house because of all the events, we don’t really book up until later in the week.”
“Okay. He’s only a few hours away, so I’ll let him know.” Then she asked, “When are Nick’s parents scheduled to arrive?”
“They should be arriving sometime this afternoon. Sounds like this might get pretty interesting,” Ivy said, her big brown eyes alight with interest.
Rachel nodded. “It might. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Good luck taking pictures of Mimi over there.”
“Mimi?” Rachel didn’t follow.
“Don’t you remember that character on the Drew Carey show when we were kids? She was mean and nasty and wore tons of makeup? That’s who Jessica Greene reminds me of...Mimi.”
Rachel pictured the large woman in a mumu with loads of blue eyeshadow and a perma-scowl. This caused her to burst out laughing in a way that made her very glad she hadn’t just taken a sip of a very hot or cold beverage just then.
The two giggled like teens for another moment before getting it together. “How am I supposed to keep a straight face while doing my job now?” Rachel demanded of Ivy.
Ivy shrugged. “Good luck, sister. I’m rooting for you.” Then she snorted again.
“Bah. Some friend you are,” Rachel muttered and picked up her bag. She headed toward the set where Cammie was hard at work filming. They’d located the set far enough away from the Christmas tree so that residents and visitors could still enjoy taking photos and move freely, but close enough that the tree formed a perfect backdrop for their temporary location.
The point wasn’t to keep people away, but show the town as it was now: filled with the spirit of Christmas. For some, that meant the deeply religious spirit, depicted in the life-sized classic manger on one side of the square. Others observed the holiday in a more decorative and commercial way that included trees, Santa, and gift-giving. Rachel loved everything about Christmas, spiritual and all. Even the most commercial parts of Christmas brought families together to share time, meals, magical moments and memories. While some would argue that wasn’t the meaning of Christmas, Rachel figured it was still special and holy—and certainly better than nothing.
Rachel saw that Jessica Greene was sitting in the temporary tent having her hair and makeup tended to. Hopefully, the photos wouldn’t take too long and she could be available when both her father and Nick’s parents arrived.
She watched Matthew as he directed the segment. Cammie was making banana bread pudding with praline sauce. Rachel took note of the way each member of the production team moved in tandem as they adjusted lighting, tweaked items on the set, and made small sound adjustments as needed. They were a well-oiled machine. Those who’d gathered to watch, stood behind the barriers, and were obviously just as impressed, judging by their awed expressions.
Rachel realized that Cammie was a well-known celebrity, but having gotten to know her so well, Rachel often forgot just how famous Cammie was. Her weekday cooking show held the top spot on the food channel.
A bell rang indicating the filming segment was complete, and there was a commercial break. Normal noise levels could resume within a certain proximity until the red light appeared and the Quiet on the Set, Please sign came on again.
“She used to be my grunt, you know.” Jessica Greene had approached while Rachel was watching Cammie and the crew.
Rachel had no good response to the woman’s rudeness, so instead, she said, “Are you ready?”
Jessica narrowed her eyes at Rachel, probably for not engaging. “Fine, where do you want to start?”
“Right this way.” Rachel had to give it to the makeup artist. She had some serious skills with those products and brushes, which made Rachel’s task immeasurably less difficult.
“Will Cammie join us when she’s done?” Jessica asked.
“She’s supposed to. I need to take some shots of the two of you together. So, we’ll stay close to the square while we work. Let’s get a few next to the tree to start.”
“Fine,” she said.
Nick had received a text from Chuck that he’d made it to Ministry with Mom and Dad. He and his most recent girlfriend, Stacey, had broken up right after Thanksgiving, so thankfully, that wouldn’t be an issue with Mom, since Stacey hadn’t been her favorite.
Nick hoped that one day Chuck would find what he had with Rachel. Though he couldn’t officially announce his plans, Nick hoped that by Christmas, or at least by New Year’s, he would have definitive plans set for big changes in his future—ones that included Rachel. Unless he went big, Rachel wouldn’t truly believe or trust in his intentions.
He’d picked up on her deep distrust of men, based mostly on her father’s actions. Her dad had been the only man she’d truly loved up ’til now, and it was time Rachel understood that what he had done to her mother wasn’t the norm. Sabine’s first husband also had a role in how trustworthy Rachel perceived the men in her life at an extremely vulnerable age.
Even though Sabine was now very happy and settled, and their mother was as well, what had stuck with Rachel was the initial experiences during her formative years. And the deep distrust and anger that followed when they’d let her down.
So, Nick realized he had to do this right. Where he left no doubt for her that she was his one and only, and that he was in this for real.
Today, though, he’d been especially busy at work getting ahead of this storm.
The hospital had gone into crisis mode, and was preparing for the worst, just in case. They’d ordered additional supplies for treating hypothermia and a multitude of other cold weather-related conditions. The staff was also preparing for the rise in weather-related accidents, so today, they’d created a surplus of trauma kits for stitching up, casting, and treating injuries sustained in falls, minor and major traffic accidents, and other possible
traumas.
His background as a trauma and emergency room physician in a large hospital came in especially useful at times like this. “It’s hard to believe we’re going to need all this,” Georgie said, as she wrapped up another sterile tray.
“Hopefully we won’t, but if this storm is as bad as they’re predicting, we don’t want to be caught without enough supplies.”
Then he spotted Suzette, who was carrying several sets of crutches to the supply closet. “Suzette, do we have another portable x-ray we could move down here from another department during the storm?” Nick asked.
Suzette thought a minute. “Let me check with oncology. They aren’t full right now and might be willing to part with one.”
“Thanks. Tell them it’s temporary.”
Dr. Granger approached. “You got the ship ready, son?”
“I think she’ll float, sir.” Granger was a navy man, and his references to running a hospital were most often comparable to running a tight ship.
“Good. I’m relieved at having all the additional trauma kits ready. Good thinking. Bringing down the extra sterilization units was a good idea. It takes too long to run those instruments through a full cycle if you wait too long.”
“You’re right about that. Anything we can have on hand down here to treat minor injuries quickly, the more efficient we’ll be. I hope the main power doesn’t go out, but it’s more likely to happen if there’s ice on the lines. Then, we’re in for a whole other set of issues. We’ve got back-up generators, but they don’t provide the same level of power long-term.”
Nick hoped they’d fueled the generators up completely, because it was likely they would need the alternative power source. He didn’t want to ask because Dr. Granger was overseeing the facilities and personnel. Nick had his specific tasks. “I’m going to call the mayor and send over some basic common sense safety and medical info for residents. We so rarely have this kind of weather, and people tend to lose their minds. There are things they might not know or have forgotten. I’ll send it to you first and you can add anything you want before I send it to Ben,” Dr. Granger said.
“Sounds like a great idea. Information is the best way to keep people from making poor choices,” Nick said.
“Son, I understand your parents are due to arrive today. Go on and spend some time with your family while you can. When the weather arrives, it’s gonna be all hands on deck around here. I’ll cover here. Your shift’s almost over anyway.”
“Thanks, sir. I owe you.”
“That’s not how it works around here. We do what we can for each other. You saved my friend’s life over at the market the other day.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s what we do.”
Dr. Granger nodded.
“Go on, now, and see your folks.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hey there, darlin’.” Rachel turned at hearing the voice of her childhood. Daddy’s here! She had to temper her initial reaction of pure love and excitement. Because she remembered she wasn’t supposed to feel that way about him anymore. He hadn’t changed. He’d gained the weight he’d lost since being released from prison, and was now back to his healthy-looking old self.
“Hey, Daddy. I’m so glad you made it.” She stepped into his hug. What else could she do? He stood there with his arms wide open and waiting. He smelled like men’s Dior, just the same as he had since her earliest memories of him. He pulled her in a big exuberant bear hug, nearly lifting her off her feet.
She’d missed him. Oh, how she’d missed him.
“So, where’s your sister and her little angel?” he asked.
“She should be on her way as soon as Janie wakes up from her nap. I’ve just finished up from doing some promo shots with Jessica Greene and Cammie Laroux. Have you checked into the inn yet?”
“Not yet. I saw you over here, so I came right over. You look fantastic, sweetheart.”
“Thanks. Looks like the beach agrees with you. Why don’t we head over and get you checked in? Nick’s parents should be arriving any time now too. I would like to say hello and make sure they get settled in too.”
“Nick? Who’s Nick?”
Rachel blushed under his scrutiny. “He’s, uh, someone I’ve been seeing. A doctor from Atlanta who’s filling in at the hospital.”
Her father frowned. “What do you know about this Nick?”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Enough. So, don’t come here and get all protective. You don’t get to do that.”
“Fine. But I want to know more about him.”
“He should be here soon. You can ask him all the questions you want. But you must be very polite to his parents. It’s their first visit here as well.”
As they walked toward the entrance of the inn, Rachel noticed Nick approaching from down the street. She sighed with relief. Reinforcement would be a very good thing right now. She just hoped her father would be polite.
She waved to Nick as he approached. Daddy wasn’t looking just then, and instead was focused on rolling in his suitcase through the front door as Mr. Monroe held it open. There were quite a few people in and around the inn now. It seemed the town was indeed filling up early in anticipation of the storm. Rachel thought it was a little odd that people would leave home at all with a storm coming. Maybe being here in Ministry during a storm was better than someplace else for these folks. Who knew how long a storm like this might last?
“Wow, it looks like everyone’s here early for Christmas. I can’t believe they didn’t cancel,” Nick said. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and gave her a quick squeeze.
“I was just thinking the same thing.” She stopped just before going inside. “Be warned. My dad just arrived.”
“Well, I got a text about a half-hour ago that my parents and brother were here. Have you met them yet?”
She shook her head. “Looks like the party’s started.”
“Might as well get through the introductions.” He started to pull open the door, and Mason Monroe took over the task.
“Hello, you two. Welcome to the Ministry Inn. I do believe your relatives are right inside.”
“Thanks, Mr. Mason,” Rachel said.
As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light in the foyer of the inn, Rachel spotted her father instantly. He was smack-dab in the middle of a ruckus at the front counter. With Jessica Greene. The woman’s volume was turned up way too loud for a public venue. As Rachel hurried over, she heard Jessica say, “I don’t know who the devil you think you are, but there’s no way in hell you’re taking my room.”
“Dad, what’s going on here?” Rachel asked.
Her father opened his mouth to answer, but Jessica Greene piped up, again, with her outside voice blaring. “This man thinks he’s going to steal my suite.”
“My good woman, I have no intention of stealing anything. I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation that our room keys share the same number.”
The young woman at the desk appeared flustered. Rachel feared she would bolt should this continue. “Hi there, is Ivy or Mr. Monroe available?”
The girl, Daisy, her name tag said, smiled, sensing an empathetic voice. “Ivy will be back shortly, and Mr. Mason is helping the bellmen with luggage. We have so many guests checking in at once, it’s taking all of us to handle things.”
“Can you tell me why both parties have the same room numbers on their keys?” Rachel asked carefully, so as not to scare her.
Daisy leaned in so as not to be overheard. “Well, best I can tell, it’s just a mix-up. They’re meant to be in suites next door to one-another, but the keys got switched. Before I could explain this, Ms. Greene started yelling.”
“So, there’s no problem with the room?”
Daisy shook her head. “The keys they both have are meant to be for Mr. Prudhomme’s room. I have Ms. Greene’s right here.”
“I’m Mr. Prudhomme’s daughter, Rachel, and a good friend of Ivy’s. Could you give me her room keys and I’ll sort it out?”
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“I’ve seen you in here with Ivy several times, so I know who you are,” Daisy said. “Thank you for doing this. She didn’t want to listen to what I had to say.” Daisy motioned toward Jessica.
Rachel took the key and nodded. She then turned to where she heard her father suggesting he and Jessica Greene share the suite. Rachel sucked in a horrified breath. But Jessica Greene’s response was worse.
“Well, you sly devil, you. What say we get this worked out and you can buy me dinner?”
Oh, Gross. “It looks like there was just a small key mix-up,” Rachel said, trying not to gag at the idea of the two of them getting cozy.
They both turned toward Rachel, who held up the small envelope with the room keys for Jessica. “These are for Ms. Greene’s suite. The other key there—” she pointed to the one in Jessica’s pudgy hand—“is Dad’s second key.”
“Looks like the problem is solved. May I buy you dinner tomorrow night?” he asked Jessica. “I’ve just arrived and have family commitments this evening.”
She blushed full-on. “I would be delighted.”
Good God, that was quick work.
“Until tomorrow then. Unless I see you between now and then. It’s a very small town.” He bowed slightly.
Once they were out of hearing range, Rachel turned to her father. “What in the world was that?”
“A little harmless flirtation to cool the angry little woman’s sails, non?” He grinned.
“Well, from where I stood, it was pretty disgusting. Best stay as far away from that bag of wind as possible.”
Dad appeared thoughtful for a moment. “I think she’s misunderstood, perhaps.”
Before Rachel could reply, Nick approached with an older couple and a younger version of himself.
“Rachel, I’d like for you to meet my parents, Leonard and Beverly Sullivan, and my brother, Chuck Sullivan.”
“Hello, there. It’s so nice to meet you all.” Rachel put her hand out to Nick’s mom first.
The woman pulled her in for a hug. This was completely unexpected. “Please call me Bev, dear.” They separated, and Rachel read a sincerity in her eyes that eased her fears.
