Ellery was about to reach for another, but Bea bent down and picked up a colorful backpack next to the bed, her smile almost shy.
“Do you want to see the one I wrote?”
Ellery was intrigued. “You wrote a book?”
“Uh-huh. Miss Maddie read a story called The Best Christmas Ever and then she gave all of us paper to make one, too. I didn’t know how to spell all the words, so I drew the pictures and Miss Maddie helped with the letters.”
Bea reached into the backpack and pulled out a “book” made from pieces of construction paper stapled together. The cover alone drew a smile. A little girl with yellow pigtails and big blue eyes stood beside a Christmas tree strikingly similar to the one in the Bristow’s family room.
“Isabella’s Best Christmas Ever.” Ellery read the title aloud.
“Miss Maddie said I should practice writing my whole name,” Bea confided, settling under the covers once more.
With every turn of the page, Ellery was given a precious glimpse into Bea’s heart.
Decorating Christmas cookies. Ice-skating on the pond. Building a snow fort. A pony of her own...
Ellery’s heart stuttered when she saw a dark-haired man dressed in brown from head to toe, a shiny gold star over his heart.
Written in neat block letters underneath the picture were three words.
Daddy smiles more.
Ellery’s heart ached for the little girl. And for Carter. Didn’t he realize that he kept a shield around his emotions even when he wasn’t on duty? One that kept the people who loved him at arm’s length?
“Do you like it?” Bea sounded a little uncertain. “There’s extra pages ’cause Gramma came to get me and I didn’t have time to finish it...”
“It’s perfect,” Ellery quickly assured her.
“Prayers next.” Bea’s smile had returned and she bowed her head. “God...it’s Bea. Thank You for Gramma and Daddy and Sugar and Miss El’ry. And help Gramma feel better so we can have ice cream tomorrow.” One blue eye opened a crack. “It’s your turn.”
“God...” Ellery didn’t know quite where to start. Her prayers had been as raw as her emotions lately, pouring out from her heart in fits and stops. Her mom had always told her that it was impossible to get weighed down by circumstances when your hands were lifted in praise, so she followed Bea’s example and listed some of the things she was thankful for.
God’s goodness. His love and faithfulness.
All things Ellery had experienced in the past that shouldn’t have left any room for worry about the future.
Bea echoed Ellery’s whispered “amen” and it turned into a yawn.
“Is Daddy coming soon? My eyes are...” Another yawn. “Falling asleep.”
“He’s here.” Carter stood in the doorway. A little rumpled, but upright and in control once again.
And way too attractive for Ellery’s peace of mind.
* * *
This was the second time today that Ellery had come to Carter’s rescue.
A dad was never off duty, but he must have fallen asleep on the job. Because the last thing Carter remembered was sending Bea upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.
He padded into the room. “What did I miss?”
“Stories and prayers,” Bea sang out. “But not good-night kisses.”
Carter couldn’t prevent his gaze from dropping to Ellery’s lips any more than he could have stopped his heart midbeat.
A hint of rose bloomed in her cheeks as she vaulted off the bed.
“I... Good night.” Ellery smiled at Bea and slipped past him without a backward glance.
There were things Carter wanted to say. Thank you being at the top of the list. But he didn’t dare follow her.
Not with good-night kisses on his mind.
Carter tucked the blankets around Bea’s shoulders. “Sleep tight, Izzybea.”
“Is Gramma going to pick me up after school tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure.”
Karen’s room had been Carter’s first stop on his way down the hall and her “I’m feeling better” would have been more believable if she hadn’t been shivering underneath the down comforter.
Whatever had grabbed hold of Karen didn’t seem in any hurry to let go.
“But she promised we could go to The Happy Cow for ice cream afterward.” Bea’s lower lip trembled. “It’s a special flavor and everything.”
Carter vaguely remembered the ice cream parlor being on the list of businesses that participated in the Countdown to Christmas every year.
“Well, we can’t pass up a special flavor, now can we?” Carter said. “If Gramma can’t take you, we’ll figure something out.”
Even though he was on the schedule for the rest of the week.
And had an inn to run.
Bea sank back into the pillow, the absolute trust on her face a gift Carter knew he didn’t deserve. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned out the lamp.
Now he could finally get that cup of coffee.
The kitchen looked spotless, everything in its proper place. Carter expected to find two inches of liquid mulch in the bottom of the carafe, but Ellery had brewed a fresh pot. He filled his mug and scanned the oversize calendar on the wall.
Every square was filled.
Carter shouldn’t have been surprised. His mom took on way more than she should...especially this time of year.
Refreshments for the library’s Victorian tea for instance.
Carter opened the fridge and saw the fruit of Ellery’s labor in the form of dozens of mouthwatering tarts. The sandwiches were the size of his index finger, but the clotted cream actually looked like something he’d like to eat.
He snagged one of the scones and took a bite. Heard a discreet cough behind him.
Carter glanced over his shoulder.
Busted.
Ellery stood in the threshold between the dining room and kitchen, arms folded across her chest. But in an oversize fuzzy sweater the color of a ripe peach and loose-fitting lounge pants, she looked about as threatening as one of Bea’s stuffed ponies.
One perfectly shaped sable brow lifted. “Isn’t stealing a crime?”
“Only if there’s evidence that one was committed.” Carter popped the rest of the scone into his mouth. “Do you want one?”
“Resorting to bribery, Deputy Bristow?” The stern look Ellery leveled in his direction belied the teasing smile that danced at the corners of her lips. “I’m shocked.”
And Carter was still shocked at how easily Ellery’s smiles could slip through his defenses.
“Thanks for helping out today,” Carter said. “We don’t usually put the guests to work.”
Because that was what Ellery was. A guest. Something Carter was having to remind himself of on a regular basis lately.
“I enjoy spending time in the kitchen,” Ellery murmured. “It’s relaxing.”
“Most people prefer to relax by the fire.”
“I’m not most people.”
Carter was beginning to realize that. He also realized that Ellery hadn’t moved from the doorway. Her posture had changed, too. Hands fisted at her sides now, shoulders tense. Ellery hadn’t returned to the kitchen for a snack. She’d sought him out for a reason.
“Did you need something?”
“No...” Ellery’s teeth nipped her lower lip. “How is Karen doing?”
“If you ask her, she’s fine,” Carter said. “But I decided a second opinion was in order and called the after-hours line at the clinic. Dr. Wallis wants to see her first thing in the morning.”
As dangerous as Ellery’s smiles were, Carter preferred them to the frown that knit her forehead.
“Don’t worry, though. I’ll make breakfast before we leave.” He walked over to the wall and with a sw
ipe of his finger, erased strawberry crepes from the menu.
Flashed a smile.
“I hope you like cereal.”
Chapter Thirteen
The inn disappeared in Ellery’s rearview mirror as she turned onto the county road at the end of the driveway.
Her phone was charging, moisture beaded on the lid of the travel mug riding in the console...and the back seat of her Lexus was packed with refreshments for a Victorian tea.
Because Ellery hadn’t been able to tell Carter she was checking out in the morning after all.
She’d packed her suitcase and made her way down to the kitchen, only to discover that Karen wasn’t improving...and that she was totally susceptible to handsome men who brazened it out when they were caught foraging for food.
And teased her with a smile when they changed the breakfast menu.
Now if only Ellery could convince Jameson she’d made the right decision by delaying her departure. Again.
But what were the chances she would run into her brothers at the local library? They didn’t exactly look like the kind of men who would attend a Victorian tea.
Ellery drove past the city limits sign and parked in front of the two-story brick building she’d noticed during the sleigh ride. After retrieving the plastic containers from the back seat, she made her way up the snow-dusted sidewalk.
The wide double oak doors looked as if they’d been hewn from the trees when the town had been founded, but when Ellery stepped inside, she was astonished to see that the interior of the library looked like a cross between a comfortable living room and a coffee shop.
“Good morning!” The woman behind the circulation desk spotted her. “Can I help you?”
“Maddie Montgomery?” Ellery guessed.
“Nope! Connie Donohue, assistant librarian and loyal sidekick. Sometimes comic relief.” She pointed to the narrow corridor between two walls of books. “Maddie and some of the volunteers are setting up for the tea. Go through biographies and poetry, take a left at Shakespeare and follow the historical romances until you see the conference room.”
Ellery chuckled. “Thanks.”
She followed the woman’s creative directions to the conference room and peeked inside. Two women, one a statuesque blonde, the other a slender redhead, seemed to be taking instructions from the petite, bespectacled young woman wearing a vintage gown made from tiers of champagne-colored lace.
Three heads turned in Ellery’s direction when she stepped into the room.
“Maddie?” Ellery looked at the woman in lace. Her companions had dressed up for the event, too, but their dresses were more modern in style. It made sense the librarian would wear an outfit that reflected the theme of the event.
“Yes!” Maddie Montgomery glided toward Ellery, her leather ballet flats barely making a sound against the hardwood floor. “Oh, this looks amazing. And heavy!” Laughing, she motioned to a linen-covered table near the fireplace. “We left a spot for the food right over there.”
Ellery set the trays next to a centerpiece made up of crimson poinsettias, sprigs of holly and white roses. Turning, she found herself on the receiving end of not one, but three openly curious smiles.
Because they hadn’t been expecting a total stranger to drop off the refreshments.
Ellery smiled back. “I’m—”
“Ellery Marshall.” Maddie didn’t wait for her to finish the introduction. “You’re staying at the Evergreen.”
“Ah...yes.” What Ellery had heard about small-town grapevines must be true. Although where the information had originated, she had no idea.
“Thank you for bringing the refreshments,” the blonde volunteer chimed in. “When word got out that Karen was providing the food, registrations started pouring in. People have been trying to coax her to open a catering business on the side for years.”
Confession time.
“Actually...” Ellery released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Karen wasn’t feeling well this weekend and she gave me permission to take over the kitchen.”
Maddie’s fern-green eyes rounded. “You made all this?”
“Yes.” Ellery glanced down at the tray. She’d followed Karen’s menu and added a few touches of her own. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” The woman with the chestnut hair echoed. “Everything looks absolutely delicious! Are you a chef, too?”
“No.” Bittersweet memories of working beside her mom in the kitchen misted Ellery’s eyes. “I...do a little of this and a little of that.”
“Well, you certainly do it well.” The blonde chuckled. “Brendan described you as ‘very capable.’ And believe me, coming from him that’s high praise.”
Ellery’s heart lurched against her rib cage. “Brendan?”
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners?” Laughter sparkled in the violet-blue eyes. “I’m Lily Kane. Brendan is my husband. One of the guys who tried to play cowboy at the Evergreen when they transferred Sugar to her new home.”
Lily Kane.
Ellery struggled to keep her smile in place. It hadn’t occurred to her that her brothers might be married. Have families of their own.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she murmured.
“And this is Anna Leighton.” Lily introduced the woman with the chestnut hair. “Anna is a future Mrs. Kane,” she added cheerfully. “Although technically, I suppose we could say the same thing about Maddie.”
“It’s only fair that Aiden and I wait our turn,” the librarian demurred. “Liam and Anna got engaged first.”
Ellery tried to process what she’d just heard.
Lily, married to Brendan. Maddie Montgomery and Anna Leighton, her brothers’...fiancées?
“Congratulations.” Ellery practically gasped the word. “To both of you. When...when are the weddings taking place?”
“Anna and Liam are getting married on Christmas Eve.” Lily exchanged a quick glance with her future sisters-in-law and, for some inexplicable reason, everyone’s smiles dimmed for a moment.
Maddie was the first to recover.
“And it’s going to be beautiful,” she said. “Just like the bride.”
Anna linked arms with Maddie and Lily. “And bridesmaids.”
The three shared a smile.
Ellery swallowed hard. These women weren’t a group of volunteers, working together. They were friends. Part of her brothers’ lives.
Confident of their place in the family.
Ellery backed toward the door. “I shouldn’t take up any more of your time. I’m sure you have a million things to do before the tea starts.”
Instead of returning to their work, the women fell into step with Ellery as she retraced her steps through the maze of bookcases to the main lobby.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Maddie asked. “It’s only fair you get to sample some of the food you made.”
In her mind’s eye, Ellery saw Carter pop a scone in his mouth. Heard the low, masculine hum of appreciation that had dared her to tease him a little.
She hadn’t expected him to respond in kind.
Her heart did that freefall thing again.
“I can’t. I’m sorry.” Ellery made herself say the words. “I’m actually checking out this morning—”
“Miss El’ry!”
Ellery turned at the sound of a familiar voice and saw Bea crossing the lobby at full tilt. She launched herself into Ellery’s arms a split second before a middle-aged woman wearing a denim dress and tennis shoes caught up to her.
Seeing the distressed look on Bea’s face, Ellery gathered the little girl closer. “I thought you were at school today.”
“The kindergarten class came over to participate in the children’s activity during the open house today.” Maddie glanced at the teacher. “But I believe Mrs. Larson sent home
a note asking the parents to pick them up here afterward?”
The woman looked a little affronted that Maddie had to ask. “I certainly did.”
“But Daddy’s late.” Bea’s lower lip quivered.
“He took your grandma to the clinic this morning, remember?” Ellery gave Bea’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “Sometimes it takes a while to get in to see the doctor.”
Mrs. Larson’s expression softened. “I have a mandatory staff meeting, but Bea is welcome to come back to the school with me and wait in the office until he arrives.”
At the word office Bea’s lips drooped even more.
“Or...” Ellery silently changed her plans again. “She can hang out with me.”
Lily grinned. “That’s a great idea! Ellery is a family friend, so Carter won’t mind.”
Ellery wasn’t so sure about that.
Because the truth was, she didn’t know where she fit in Carter’s life any more than she knew where she fit in her brothers’.
* * *
Being late was becoming a habit.
When Carter had arrived at the clinic with his mother, the doctor was already backlogged with patients suffering the same symptoms as his mom. He’d stopped at the pharmacy after dropping her off at the inn, only to discover the crowd standing in line for prescriptions rivaled that of the clinic’s waiting room.
Carter pushed open the double doors and headed straight for the colorful partitions that separated the children’s area from the rest of the library.
There was no sign of Bea. No sign of anyone.
“Deputy Bristow.” Maddie Montgomery emerged from behind a wall of bookcases. The dress she wore should have looked out of place in Castle Falls—and, if Carter were being honest, this century—but it fit the quiet librarian with the shy smile.
He wasn’t the only one who’d been surprised when Maddie and Aiden had announced their engagement last month. A librarian who preferred velvet and lace and an avid outdoorsman whose wardrobe consisted of flannel shirts and jeans.
The Holiday Secret (Castle Falls Book 4) Page 10
