“What the… why did you do that?” she whisper-shouted incredulously.
Sam scowled at her and crossed his arms over his chest. “Because you’re lost in your own world and have barely heard a word I’ve said all day, Annabanana. What’s going on with you? Is your grandmother okay? You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, I mean… she’ll be okay. She’s in the hospital right now... in recovery. But I’m supposed to go back and get her out of the hospital and you booked this dinner without telling me. So, I have no idea what I’m going to do about spending Christmas in Wintervale. And…”
Sam leaned forward conspiratorially. “And what? Don’t hold out on me. I know there’s something else going on. We can figure out a way to get you back to your grandmother after the dinner. This isn’t about the dinner. And it isn’t about your grandmother. You’ve gotten it together under much more stressful situations than this.”
Annabelle sighed and put her head in her hands. The waitress walked up again at that exact moment and just turned around and left, already perfectly aware she wasn’t getting her order. When Belle looked back up, there were tears in her eyes, and she was bordering on being embarrassed about it. Crying had never been her thing, especially in front of Sam, but now it was all she could do to keep from straight up bawling in Katy’s Diner, with a very concerned waitress watching her from the corner.
“It’s insane, Sam. All of it. I went back there to take care of gran, and now… I can’t believe I got myself into this situation.”
Sam’s eyes went wide. “What situation, Annabelle?”
“Have I ever told you about my high school sweetheart, James?”
And then she told him everything; from the time she got to Wintervale right up to the incident at the Middle Road Inn with Addison. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open, listening to every word, and periodically apologizing to the waitress when she would come back to get their order but walk away empty handed. By the time Belle was done, Sam was leaned forward with his elbows on the table, his expression flabbergasted.
“You weren’t kidding, Annabelle. That is insane. Do you think the spark has always been there and seeing him again just reignited it?”
“I do,” she said, finally admitting it to herself. “Think about it, Sam. Have you ever known me to date anyone for longer than a few months?”
Sam made a face and appeared to be considering her question very seriously. “There was that nerd in culinary school, Sid… Mustache?”
Belle laughed in spite of herself. “You know full well his last name wasn’t mustache. I don’t remember what it was right now, but that wasn’t it.”
He shook his head with a laugh that Annabelle didn’t expect. “For the record, that Addison girl was clearly messing with you. I hope you realize that. I bet you all of the money in my bank account that James has never once thought about whether you do or don’t measure up to his departed wife. And for the record, the thought of that is simply insane. You are a beautiful, wonderful, talented, intelligent woman who stands second to nobody.”
Annabelle almost started crying again. “Thank you, Sam. I just don’t know what to do. I have a life here and going back to Wintervale means giving everything up. But staying here means giving something else up too. So… what do I do?”
There was a flash of panic in Sam’s eyes and Annabelle knew exactly what he was thinking. He didn’t believe that he could run the restaurant on his own, or that he could even manage without Belle by his side. But the truth was, she knew he could do it. He was brilliant and charismatic, and it wasn’t like she would be a million miles away.
Wintervale was just three hours or so away by car, so she could still come down and help whenever he needed her input on things. Still, making the decision felt like something she wasn’t ready to do yet, and Sam could see that on her face.
“You don’t need to make your mind up about this today, Annie. Let’s just get through this dinner, then you can go back and spend Christmas with your grandmother. Maybe by then something will have clicked?”
Belle reached out and squeezed Sam’s hand. “Thank you.”
“As long as it doesn’t mean you’re going to be abandoning me with a kitchen staff who doesn’t listen to me and no one who knows how to make those lemon bar things you’re so good at.”
She laughed just as the waitress walked up, exasperation written all over her face.
“Are you ready to order now?”
Belle nodded. “You bet we are! I’m starving.”
20
James
It was the day before Christmas Eve, which traditionally meant it was the day James and Daisy were supposed to start doing all of their prep for the Wintervale Christmas Bake-off. They would go to the store and the specialty market and buy all of the ingredients they needed, then sit down and formulate their plan of attack for the day of the competition.
But that morning, James realized that he hadn’t seen or spoken to Belle or Meg in a couple of days and it was starting to worry him. While he was still a little angry that Annabelle had blown him off and hadn’t returned his call, he couldn’t stop caring about Meg, or her well-being.
James sat at the kitchen table, staring at his stack of recipes, still totally undecided on what he was going to make and unable to come to any sort of conclusion. Daisy was in the living room, dancing to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and periodically shouting out ideas.
“The cranberry orange cake with the lemon icing!”
James looked at the recipe and sighed. “I made that three years ago.”
“Upside down gingerbread pear cake!”
“We just served that at the restaurant. It will be too fresh in people’s minds,” James called back to her.
A minute passed with nothing but the sound of the song echoing through the house before Daisy yelled, “FRUITCAKE!”
“Daisy be serious.”
His little girl came skipping into the kitchen, a pair of jingle bells she’d tied to her wrists announcing her arrival before she even walked through the door.
“Why are you making this so hard, daddy? You have a million awesome recipes and a bunch that you’ve only made for me. Why don’t you use one of them?” Then Daisy looked him up and down as if she was catching on. “Is something else wrong?”
James was startled by his daughter’s perceptiveness but tried not to let it show in his face. “No, what else would be wrong?”
“Well, for one, we haven’t seen Belle in days, and you seem kind of sad about it. Why don’t we just go find her and talk to her?”
He chuckled even though he didn’t mean to; he never wanted Daisy to think he was making fun of one of her ideas, but he also thought maybe it was time to teach her about what it meant to be too forward with a lady. “Daisy, if a woman doesn’t answer your calls, just showing up to see her isn’t considered polite. It’s better to respect someone’s wishes when they’ve made them clear.”
Daisy hoisted herself into the chair next to him, jingling as she did. “You’re not being rude, daddy. You’re just worried about her and Meg. Why don’t we go by Meow & Then on our way to the store? I bet Belle is there right now. You can talk to her, find out how Meg is doing, and if she doesn’t want to see us, then at least we know, right?”
James shook his head with a smile. “You are one smart kiddo, but I’m sure you know that.”
“I sure do! I’m going to own my own business when I grow up, just like you do.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked, his eyebrow raised. “And what kind of business will that be?”
“A store full of dog toys right next to Meow & Then, but I’m going to call it Happy Tails! Then dogs will have somewhere to shop in Wintervale too!”
James burst out laughing and pulled his little girl into a hug. “I love you, peanut.”
“I love you too, daddy. Now, let’s pick out a recipe for this contest and get moving!”
Onc
e they had settled on a family recipe for maple pumpkin pie as his entry in the Christmas Bake-Off, James loaded Daisy into the truck, so they could make their way into town. Into an attempt to delay the inevitable, they stopped at the Inn first to make sure everything was going okay there, even though it was James’ day off. After almost an hour of James dawdling around and bothering with things he didn’t need to, Daisy finally stomped into the kitchen with a frown plastered firmly on her face.
“Dad… if you don’t come with me right now, I am going to go ever there myself and tell Belle you love her!”
The entire kitchen staff froze in place, then turned to stare at James, who could barely move from embarrassment.
“Daisy! What the…”
Raph walked up to James’ side and wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re in love, huh? That didn’t take long.”
“If you say another word, you can ask Santa for a new job for Christmas.”
Raphael backed away slowly until he was in the walk-in freezer, then shut the door in front of him gently, safely sealed away from James’ ire. James glared at the closed door and then knelt down in front of his daughter, offering her the same stern stare.
“You’re a trouble-maker, kid. Did anyone ever tell you that?”
Daisy smiled and pressed her forehead to his. “You’ve said something like that before.” She grinned and grabbed his hand, not chastised in the least. “Come on! Let’s get over there before they close the shop for the day!” She tugged on his hand, trying to drag him out of the kitchen.
James couldn’t help but laugh as his daughter grunted dramatically and pulled harder when he didn’t budge. “Daisy, it’s like… 11am. No one closes their shop at 11am two days before Christmas.”
He finally got to his feet and allowed Daisy to have her way. His little girl was on a mission, and she didn’t let go of her tight grip on his hand as she pulled him through the restaurant and out the door of the Middle Road Inn. Her steps were as determined as the look on her face, and she almost slid them both down a patch of ice, as she pulled him toward Meow & Then.
Daisy threw the shop door open, which triggered a cat meow recording in lieu of a bell that Gladys had just installed as Meg’s Christmas present, and she yelled, “Belle! We came to visit!” But they didn’t find Belle behind the counter. Instead, it was Gladys, reading a book and drinking coffee. The last time James had been in the shop, it had been a chaotic mess, and the older woman looked incredibly grateful that the store was empty before they walked in. She looked up from her book, annoyed at first, but her demeanor softened when she realized who it was.
“Daisy Everley, as I live and breathe, back again already?” She saluted James, who nodded politely, but he was already scanning to the store to see if he could figure out where Belle was. His daughter trotted up to the counter and heaved herself up, so she was dangling off the ground, supporting herself with her arms, so she could look over the other side.
“Where’s Belle?” Daisy asked loudly which made Gladys laugh.
“Well, she’s not hiding behind the counter, I can tell you that much. What’s going on?”
James walked over and grabbed Daisy off the counter and set her back down on her feet. “I was just going to ask you that, Gladys. With Meg in the hospital, I thought Belle would be here. Or is she there visiting?”
Gladys picked up her coffee, took another sip, then waved a dismissive hand at James. “Aw, heck no. She went back to New York.”
James watched as Daisy’s face dropped. He barely managed to stop himself from reacting the same way and only avoided it for his daughter’s sake.
“She… went back to New York, huh? Did she say why?”
Gladys shrugged. “Meg didn’t give me all the details. Just said it was important and Belle had to go, she asked me to watch the store. I have to go up and feed Henry after I leave here. Sure hope my old car can make it up their driveway,” she hinted over the top of her coffee tumbler. James forced a smile.
“I can go if you give me the key. And do me one small favor…”
Gladys surveyed him suspiciously. “Go ahead.”
“Can you watch Daisy? Just for a few minutes please?”
“Daddy?” Daisy asked, confused. “Aren’t we going to the store for the,” she paused to whisper, “pumpkin pie?”
He ruffled his little girl’s hair. “Of course! I just need to just up the street for a second and there is no reason to drag you along. Is that okay, Gladys?”
She nodded begrudgingly. “As long as you feed, Henry, sure. I needed to organize those new cat nip toys by color, anyway, so this little moppet can help me!”
Daisy mouthed a desperate, “daddy,” but James just nodded at her.
“I’ll be right back. Fifteen minutes tops.”
He jogged out of the shop, across the street, and down to the corner, where he could sit in the park without anyone bothering him. It was too bitterly cold for anyone to come out there right now, which meant he would have more privacy than anywhere else at the moment, especially since Daisy was going to be stuck to him like glue. He had no idea how he was going to explain why Belle left to his daughter, so he hoped he could call her, and she would give him something to tell Daisy instead.
James found a bench that was in a fairly secluded part of the park and pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Belle. The first time, it just rang until it went to her voicemail, but he wasn’t going to let that slide this time, so he called back again. He thought it was going to ring through again, but then she answered on the last ring, like she’d been staring at it, debating whether to pick up or not.
“Hey, James.”
That’s it, huh? “Hey… Daisy really wanted to see you, so we just stopped by the shop to see if you were there, I was hoping we could talk. But Gladys said you’re back in New York?”
There was a long pause, and for a second he wondered if they’d been disconnected, or if she had hung up on him, but then he heard her sigh quietly.
“There was some stuff going on here and I needed to come back for a few days. I’ll be back for Christmas with gran. I just needed to get back to Arcadia to help Sam with some things.”
He was embarrassed about it, but James felt a pang of jealousy at the mention of that Sam guy’s name. “So, you just left. Again. And this time you didn’t even tell me?”
“It wasn’t like that and I think you know that. I said I’m coming back. Can’t we just talk about… all of this when I get there? Please?”
James felt like he was melting into the bench, even though he was pretty sure that the temperature had dropped close to zero. He took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts before he said anything he would regret. But he also knew he couldn’t keep doing this.
If Belle’s heart was in New York, and not Wintervale, she could never truly be there with them. Maybe it was best for all of them to just move on.
“Forget it, Belle. Just worry about your grandmother when you come back. I’ll see if you I see you. Tell Meg that I said Merry Christmas.”
He hung up before she could say anything else that might make his resolve crumble. The idea of never seeing Belle again made him sick to his stomach, but he also knew that lately, every time he considered the idea of loving and losing her again, the pain was unbearable. If pushing her away was the only option, then it would have to do, even though it was killing him.
He and Daisy had already suffered enough loss to last them a lifetime and he wasn’t going to put either of them through it again. And he certainly wasn’t going to do it at Christmas. Despite everything that had happened, he wouldn’t tarnish Daisy’s favorite holiday for anything. She had barely clung to her spirit when they lost Marisa; a second loss, now, would be too much for her.
With all of the energy he could muster, James stood up and started back towards Meow & Then to collect his little girl. He didn’t know what he would tell Daisy about Belle, not yet. All he knew was that they had a maple pumpkin pie to shop for
, and baking that pie together was exactly the distraction they were both going to need.
He just hoped maybe it would be enough of a distraction to carry them through the rest of the holidays…
21
Belle
Belle sat at a table in the corner of Arcadia Café, poking at a glass Christmas ball with a spoon, watching it roll back and forth across the tablecloth. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there doing it when Sam stomped up and snatched the ornament off the table with an exhausted sigh.
“Annabelle… I know you are in some sort of mood and seem intent on making me suffer for it too, but could you please get up off your rump and help me with this table setting before I throw a handful of fake snow in your face?”
Belle groaned and crawled out of her chair with a dramatic flourish. “Why can’t you just leave me to my misery?”
“Because you’re acting absolutely ridiculous. It’s not even two days before you go back, girl. You’re acting like you’re never going to see this guy again.”
She walked over to the stack of decorations they had bought at the Chelsea Market and started poking through them as she tried to make sense of the chaos. They had gone a little too crazy without any real focus, mostly because she’d had none when they were shopping, and now she had to compile a tastefully eclectic table design from the mess of items they had purchased.
Without even thinking about it, she plopped down on the floor in front of the bags and boxes and let out a long sigh. Sam stalked up behind her with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Are you kidding me with this?”
She waved a branch of frosted holly berries at him and scowled. “I’ll get it figured out. You know I will. I’m just stewing in a little bit of my own holiday melancholy. I’ve let you do it plenty of times.”
A Sugar Cookie Christmas: A Sweet Holiday Romance (Wintervale Promises Book 1) Page 14
