Yule Log Eulogy

by Addison Moore

  “Hey?” I pull Everett in by the arm. “What about the angry looking brunette standing behind them? Ella, was it? You told me she had a dark secret. What was it?”

  Everett grimaces and gives a rather covert shake of the head. “Not here. It’s the kind of thing that can carry with a whisper.”

  Noah and I exchange a glance.

  Everett tips his head as he sweeps the vicinity with his gaze. “Is the reindeer here?”

  “No.” I can’t help but make a face. “But most likely it’s because he’s too sloshed to attend. The dead can now eat—and drink. And Carlotta has been plying him with both chocolate and whiskey. It looks like my powers are growing again.”

  Noah’s chest bounces with a silent laugh. “It sounds like it’s a good time to be dead.”

  Cressida raises a fluted glass of something sparkling. “The girls and I want to thank every last one of you for coming to join us for drinkies this snowy night. As you all know, all of our previous little drinkie get-togethers were Larcy’s doing. But now that she’s no longer with us, I’ll be taking over for her. So expect to have more fun!” She laughs at her own joke, as does the crowd around us. “I guess you could say, Larcy could be a little stiff. And, of course, she’s a lot stiffer now, isn’t she?”

  More laughter ensues.

  I lean over to Everett. “No offense, but you have questionable friends.”

  “No offense taken. In fact, it’s an astute observation.”

  “I’m glad you escaped your childhood unscathed.”

  He shoots Noah a quick look. “Mostly.”

  Everett and Noah’s relationship never really recovered after Noah saw fit to nab Everett’s high school sweetheart, more like piranha—Cormack. And now that Cormack isn’t an issue anymore, I’ve sort of become the bristled edge between them.

  “And now—” Cressida beckons everyone to lift their glasses just as a waifish blonde wedges her way between Cormack and Cressida.

  “I’d like to say something.” The girl’s blonde hair is thin and cut to frame her face. She looks every bit like the deceased, and I remember Everett pointing out that she was Larson’s sister.

  The girl staggers a few paces out, and Cressida tries her best to pull her to the side.

  “Let go.” The girl snags her wrist back.

  Everett grunts, “Brace yourself, Lemon,” he whispers. “This might get ugly.”

  Cressida yanks her back violently. “I said no.”

  The girl nearly knocks Cressida to the ground as she struggles to free herself, and Kippy steps between them still sporting his glowing summer tan, his suit giving his shoulders the appeal of a linebacker.

  The girl clears her throat, staggering on her feet as if she could hardly stand.

  “I realize some of you might have a hard time placing me,” she shouts to the crowd. “My name is Shelly Rosenberg. And I want to toast my sister.” She lifts her glass high, spilling champagne to the floor. “Ding dong, the witch is dead! Enjoy the night. I plan on enjoying every other night of my life.” She knocks back the rest of her drink as we watch in horror.

  Then, one by one, each of her friends lifts their glasses and shouts salute!

  And just like that, I think I’ve expanded my suspect base by the dozens.

  The party grows far more boisterous by the moment and the bodies in the bar seem to be pressing up against one another, so Everett, Noah, and I call it a night.

  We head back out into the snow, and Everett bows his head my way.

  “Lemon, we’ll talk.” He comes just shy of scowling at Noah. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.” He takes off, and Noah and I do the same.

  The snow starts falling, thick and heavy as Noah helps navigate us into his cabin.

  We get in, and I slam the door behind us as I look up at this handsome steed before me.

  “It’s time to get frosting, big boy.”

  Noah carries me to the bedroom, and I dip a hand into his nightstand and produce a condom.

  He squints over at it as if he has no clue what it’s used for.

  “I’m pretty sure we don’t need that.”

  My mouth falls open. Great. Just my luck. Noah knows exactly what it’s used for.

  “I think we should, you know…” Good God! GAH! Double GAH! “For the baby. Until I speak with the doctor, of course. You know, to make sure all is clear.”

  His forehead wrinkles in confusion before it smooths out again.

  “As you wish.”

  And just like that, Noah makes all of my wishes come true.

  He frosts my cookies long into the night.

  And as much as I keep telling myself that my lies are protecting him, I can’t help but think they’re hurting him, too.

  Chapter 7

  There are some things in life that are totally expected, and then there are the surprises that seem to come right out of the snowy blue—take now, for instance.

  It’s not quite noon, and both Everett and Noah just walked right into the bakery together as they make their way to the counter.

  I’ve baked more Yule logs and gingerbread houses than I know what to do with, and just seeing these two handsome men, I feel a slight bit of respite creeping into my soul.

  Then a thought hits me. Everett and Noah are probably here to give me bad news. Why else would they team up to be anywhere in the middle of a perfectly snowy afternoon?

  “What’s happening?” My heart races at the sight of them. “Everett? Why aren’t you at work? Oh God, something’s happened, hasn’t it? It’s Pancake and Waffles, isn’t it?”

  Noah’s chest bounces with a sorrowful laugh. “The boys are fine. In fact, I was just there giving them a little treat.”

  “You spoil them,” I say with relief. Just the thought of something happening to my sweet cats is enough to send my blood pressure into the stratosphere. There has been more than one occasion that they’ve sneaked out the door as I’m headed to work. And with the snow piled high out there, it might just turn them into catsicles.

  “What’s going on?” I shake my head as I look to Everett. He’s his usually dapper self, dressed in a suit. Noah has a pair of jeans and a dress shirt and a tweed blazer. Both of them are wearing wool coats to keep toasty in the elements.

  “I thought we’d take a drive.” Everett hitches his head toward the door. “Show off our new place to Noah.” He gives a sly wink.

  “Our place?” And then it hits me. “The Maple Meadows Lodge in Hollyhock!” My fingers are already working off my apron as I ask Lily to watch the shop. I put together a couple of boxes full of cookies and pastries and grab a Yule log as well for the employees at the lodge. Technically, they’re my employees, too, and I’d like to keep them happy.

  Everett, Noah, and I pile into Everett’s car as we make the almost hour-long trek to get there. Everett has already been out twice to speak with the employees and check on the place, and I love that he cares so much about it.

  We pass miles of evergreens weighed down with snow as the highway twists and turns in creamy vanilla sheets. The cabins that dot the side of the road look like frosted confections, and snow falls from the sky like a soft dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

  “I just love this time of year,” I say with my nose nearly pushed to the passenger side window. “Oh, look!” I jump in my seat. “I just saw a bunny!”

  Noah grunts, “Can I say I’m glad it wasn’t a reindeer?”

  “Especially not a dead one.” Everett tips his head.

  “You mean the ghost of a dead one,” I counter.

  Everett’s mouth twitches as his eyes keep flitting to the rearview mirror.

  “Everett, what’s wrong?” I glance back and spot a navy sedan a good distance away, our only company along this lonely stretch of highway.

  Noah gives a covert glance into the rearview mirror himself. “We’re being followed.”

  Everett shakes his head. “Knew it. The guy’s been tailing me ever since we switched highways.
”

  Noah leans in from the back seat. “There’s a split coming up in the road. Take a right, and there’s a turnout you wouldn’t necessarily see unless you know it’s there.” Noah grew up in this neck of the woods, so he’s familiar with every nook and cranny.

  The split comes up and Everett takes it, and sure enough there’s an immediate right that leads to a dirt road. Everett pulls in tight against the evergreens, and we watch as the blue sedan continues down the road, picking up speed as if the driver was afraid he was losing us. He would be right, by the way.

  “I saw him,” I pant the words out as my adrenaline kicks in. “He had dark hair and light skin. I think it was the same guy that came to the bakery last week.”

  “What?” Both Noah and Everett turn my way.

  “Did I say that out loud?” I sink in my seat a bit. “Oh heck, so what? We all know you’re presiding over a dangerous case.” I look to Everett as I say it. “When does this wrap up, anyway?”

  “Closing arguments will be coming up shortly, and then it’s up to me to lay down a judgment.”

  My insides burn with heat as he says those last few words. So not fair the things that man has the capability to do to me with just a few simple words.

  “Lottie”—Noah commands my attention, and I turn around—“what happened that day at the bakery?”

  “Nothing.” My voice rises an octave. “And I mean nothing. A well-dressed man walked into the bakery and asked if I was Lottie Lemon.”

  Everett moans and closes his eyes as if he knows where this is going.

  “And?” Noah demands the rest of it.

  “I said yes. And he said tell Judge Baxter he said hello before he took off.”

  The two of them give a hard groan.

  “Lemon,” Everett says it curt. “I’m hiring a personal security firm to watch over you every minute. I don’t want this to turn into a nightmare for you.”

  “No way,” I’m quick to protest.

  “I agree with Lottie.” Noah pulls his gun out of its holster and checks the chamber for bullets before returning it into its place. “She’s got me. I won’t leave her side.”

  Everett tosses a hand in the air. “It’s already turning into a nightmare for you.”

  “You’re not funny.” Noah hitches his head toward the window. “Get a move on, Judge Baxter, before the Canellis come back and slap a GPS device on your car next.”

  I gasp at the thought. “Can they do that?”

  “Yup.” Everett makes a U-turn and gets us on the right road once again. “But they don’t need to. They know where I work, where I sleep, where my girlfriend works.”

  A spiral of heat warms me in a flash as he calls me his girlfriend.

  Noah leans forward. “I didn’t think Cressida had a job.”

  Everett shakes his head. “You’re not funny either.”

  We drive straight up to the lodge in a thick cloud of silence as we all consider what dark storm the Canelli family might inflict.

  And then finally, like a mirage in this snowy winter wonderland, the enormous wooden structure pops up on the horizon with its adorable Lincoln log build, its glittering windows, and the smoke puffing out of the chimney in billows.

  “Wow, this place is grander than I remember,” I say.

  Noah takes a deep breath. “And a little rougher around the edges than I remember.”

  He’s right, of course. The paint around the windows is peeling, and the front doors look pale and weathered. And if I’m not mistaken, it looks as if they have a few lines running through them filled with wood putty.

  The Maple Meadows Lodge is an enormous structure that boasts fifty-five rooms and half as many bathrooms. It looks as magnetic as any chalet I’ve ever been to, with its grand entry and its glittering enormous antler chandelier that you can see through the enormous window just above the doors.

  “Hey?” I squint over at the sight as Everett pulls up in a parking spot up front marked VIP. “I don’t remember that antler lighting fixture. It’s gorgeous. I would have committed that to memory. And the VIP parking? I don’t remember that either.”

  Everett flashes an all too brief smile. “That’s because I had the chandelier installed first thing. The entry is the first impression. It needed a little something extra.” He points to the VIP sign. “And I wanted us to have a place to park when we visit.”

  “Everett!” I marvel at him as Noah helps me out of the car and we make our way inside the entry, pausing a moment to take in the antler chandelier in all its pale gray glory. The lights are on, and it gives off a peachy glow—and there must be at least thirty tiers. “It’s bigger than my Honda,” I tease. “I love it so much.”

  “I do, too.” Everett wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I’m thinking we get rid of the old wooden entry and put in glass doors, two sets—about six feet apart to further insulate it.” He points to the river rock fireplace that sits against the south facing wall and runs up both stories. “That should be the focal point once you come in. Pick out some furniture and we’ll have it brought in.”

  “That would be perfect,” I coo. “Comfy chairs and couches—and we should have a lending library, too.”

  “I like that idea.” He winces a moment. “Unfortunately, the manager left for a better prospect, so we’ll have to scour high and low to find someone we really trust to run this place. Right now I’ve got it going on a skeletal crew.”

  “I’ll help you vet them,” I say. “I agree. It’s totally important to find trustworthy people.”

  The grand room in the center of the lodge is open with vaulted ceilings, and the rooms run along the periphery of the second level, in addition to the structure that’s added onto the back.

  “Noah, you were right,” I say, taking it all in as the guests mill around and the staff at the counter offer pleasant smiles our way. “There’s a frozen lake out back, and in the summer it boasts fishing and boating, and there’s archery and about a dozen other outdoor activities to do here. And, in the winter, it’s a straight shot up the road to the nearest ski lift. It really is the perfect location.”

  “Of course, I was right.” He plucks me free from Everett’s hold on me and lands a warm kiss to my lips. “I have great taste in real estate and women.”

  My insides bisect with heat as his dark green eyes bear into mine. Those memories we shared last night come charging to the forefront. Noah knows what he’s doing both in and out of the bedroom.

  Noah looks to Everett. “And that’s exactly why I’m willing to buy you out today. I’ll write you a check and we’ll have Hook Redwood take care of the legal end of this real estate nightmare I pulled you into.”

  “You didn’t pull me in,” Everett is quick to protest. “I wanted to do it. Lemon didn’t have the down payment, and I knew how much it would mean to the both of you.” He twists his lips as he gives an appraising look around. “But I’m not selling. I like it. I think I needed something like this—something away from the courthouse, a project to dive into.”

  My mouth falls open at Everett’s sudden reversal.

  “See this?” Noah glances from him to me. “It’s not good enough that he’s still laying claim to you, he wants all of my hopes and dreams. The man doesn’t know how to let go of a grudge.”

  “What I have is yours.” I’m quick to toss the idea to Noah.

  Everett takes a breath. “And—I’m willing to sell you half of my share, but I’m not entirely backing out.”

  “Hear that?” Noah lands a quick peck to my cheek. “He’s never entirely backing out.”

  A staff member named Wendy with a short spiral perm and the rosiest cheeks I have ever seen offers us a cheery greeting.

  “Judge Baxter!” She quickly offers him a warm embrace. “The women here are just in love with you. And trust me, word is spreading quickly that you’re gracing us with your presence once again. You wouldn’t happen to be single, would you?” She titters as she asks the question, and her cheeks bright
en ten times more than before.

  “I’m actually taken,” he says, and I would swear on all that is holy that I just heard an audible sigh of disappointment circle the interior of the lodge. “By this woman right here.” He nods my way, and Wendy’s eyes widen a notch as she sees Noah’s left arm locked around my waist in an intimate embrace.

  I ask Noah to retrieve the dessert boxes from the trunk and we take them to the kitchen and meet just about every staff member on the premises as they come in to partake of the delicious confections. The Yule log is the biggest hit, and it’s no wonder with its creamy filling and decadent fudge frosting.

  Eventually, Noah, Everett, and I pick up lunch in the main dining hall, and we share our plans of renovation with each other.

  “I’m thinking booths,” I say as I make a face at the long picnic-like tables strewn sloppily around the enormous cafeteria-like space.

  “And a better dining experience,” Everett agrees. “We need to put together a menu and a waitstaff.”

  Noah nods. “Lottie, you should redo the menu, and, of course, we could arrange to have a baker on site you can collaborate with. We should have pizza, too, that can be delivered to the rooms for families that want to eat in with their kids.” His gaze presses my way. “I can’t believe we’re starting a family of our own. I want to teach him or her to ski. I want to build memories right here at the lodge as soon as we can.”

  My mouth opens as I look to Everett a moment, wide-eyed and terrified that I’m stringing Noah along so boldly in the name of staving off a setback.

  “Yes.” I take up Noah’s hand and give it a firm squeeze. “I want that with you. I want all of those things. This lodge is magical. It would be an idyllic part of any child’s life.” And in this moment right here, I really feel the words. Noah and I would have a beautiful family. I can picture Noah on the bunny slope with a bundled little ray of sunshine as he teaches him or her to plow safely down the mountain.

  Tears come to my eyes, and try as I might to blink them away, I can’t seem to do it.

  “Sorry,” I say, dabbing the corners of my eyes with my napkin.

  “It’s okay.” Noah kisses the back of my hand. “You have hormones surging through you at a hundred miles an hour. Don’t ever apologize for shedding a few emotions. It’s to be expected.”