by Kathi Daley
“I might be good with words, but you are good with people.” I drank the last of my milk. “You know, I am really looking forward to the holiday this year, and I can’t wait to meet Mylie. She sounds like just the sort of person to bring the spirit of the holiday to the inn.”
“I agree. When I spoke to her on the phone, I just knew she was going to fit right in. She even seemed excited about the ornament decorating and the other preholiday events we have planned.”
“I’m pretty excited about the events we have planned as well. And the inn feels just right with all the decorating you and Jeremy have done.”
“We really tried to create a Norman Rockwell moment.”
“Did the wreath we ordered for the inn’s front door ever show up?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, but I got an email yesterday that said it would be delivered before five today. I left instructions for the delivery guy to come around to the cottage since I knew we were going to be between guests for a few days, and I wanted to use the kitchen here to practice for the cookie bakeoff.”
I glanced out the window at the falling snow. “I hadn’t realized the inn was going to be totally empty between guests.”
“Initially, I didn’t think we’d have a break either, but the last of the weekend guests checked out yesterday, and the first of the Christmas guests won’t check in until tomorrow. At first, I was sorry that we weren’t booked straight through December as I thought at one point we would be, but then I realized that with the place empty for a day, we could really get in there and do some deep cleaning. I spoke to Nikki, and she is coming in after her job at the diner, and Jeremy plans to help out once he gets home from picking up Annabelle after pageant rehearsal. I’m going to finish up here and meet them over there.”
“I’ll help,” I offered. I didn’t usually participate in the chores or the management of the inn, but I needed a break from writing, and mopping floors and washing windows seemed like as good a diversion as anything. “I’ll call Colt and see if he wants to bring pizza by for everyone who will be working this evening.”
“Is Colt planning to come by?” Georgia asked about Colt Wilder, the man who had become one of my very best friends and provided law enforcement for the town.
“He mentioned that he might. He’s going to be leaving to take his niece and nephew to Disney World for a few days and wanted to see me before he left.”
Colt’s sister and her husband had been killed in a car accident not long before I moved to Holiday Bay, and while their children lived with Colt’s parents, their grandparents, he did what he could to help out during the summers and school holidays.
“That sounds like fun. Will he be back by Christmas?”
I nodded. “They leave tomorrow and will be back late in the day on the twenty-third. He is taking the kids to his parents for Christmas, however, so I doubt I’ll see him until he gets back from there. I think he plans to drive home on the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh.”
“I’m sorry he won’t be here for Christmas, but I do understand him wanting to be with his family.”
“He’s actually off until after the first, so he plans to spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with us. I know we’ll have a full inn, but I thought it would be fun to have an early gathering for the guests here at the inn, and then we can migrate to Tanner’s and spend New Year’s Eve with friends. I asked him about it when I saw him a few days ago, and he seemed to be all for it.”
“That sounds fun,” Georgia agreed. “I know Tanner is planning a big blowout this year and has even invited some of his trainers to ring in the New Year at his place.”
Tanner owned Peyton Academy, a training facility for search and rescue and service dogs.
I glanced out the window. The snow was still coming down at a steady rate. The outdoor lights that Jeremy had strung along the eaves and around the windows of both the inn and the cottage provided a cheery feel to an otherwise dark day. Georgia had added lights to the shrubs and small trees as well, so the entire estate really did feel like a fairyland.
“It looks like a delivery truck is in the drive,” I said.
“Oh, good. That should be the wreath for the inn’s front door. When I’d ordered a custom wreath made from fresh greenery, I had no idea it would take so long for it to get here.” Georgia pulled her jacket on, opened the door, and stepped onto the wrap-around deck. Once the truck stopped, she walked over and spoke to the driver. After a moment, she came back to the cottage. “The driver has the wreath, but he has something else as well.”
“Oh, what is it?” I asked.
“A life-size nutcracker. Apparently, it is a gift from Lonnie and Lacy.”
I smiled. “I wonder if it’s the nutcracker we saw at the antique store a few weeks ago.” I’d admired it, but after much deliberation, I’d decided it was too expensive and that I needed to tighten my belt a bit, so I hadn’t bought it. “I guess Lacy must have bought it for me. She did make up an excuse to go back to the store after we’d all left. She’d said she’d left her mittens inside, but I’d had a feeling she was up to something.”
“I know Lonnie and Lacy wanted to get you a special gift,” Georgia said. “On many occasions, they both voiced how much it meant to them that you trusted Lonnie with the remodel on the inn.”
“He did an excellent job. It is I who should be looking for a special gift for them, but I am pretty happy about the gift they bought for me.”
“The delivery guy wants to know what to do with it. He has a handcart and is willing to bring it inside. It’s made of wood and close to six feet tall, so he says it is heavy.”
“Let’s put it in front of the window next to the fireplace in the parlor,” I answered. “That way, everyone can enjoy it, it won’t be in the way of normal traffic patterns, and we won’t have to lug it upstairs.”
She nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll show the guy where to take it.”
“I’ll pull on my boots and meet you over there.”
I was going to have to call Lacy with a huge thank you. The nutcracker really was exquisite. It was really old and in excellent condition. I supposed it was somewhat impractical since it would be hard to move around, and I would need to find a place to store it for eleven months out of the year, but from the moment I saw it, I wanted it.
“So, what do you think?” Georgia asked, taking a step back once the delivery driver had positioned the tall statue where I’d indicated.
The tall figure provided just the right accent to top off the room. “I think it’s perfect.” I handed the driver an envelope with a generous tip. “Thank you so much for bringing it in. I’m not sure how we would have managed without you.”
“No problem. Merry Christmas.” With that, the man left.
I turned to Georgia. “Isn’t he great?”
“I think it’s perfect. It gives the entire room personality. I wonder how old it actually is.”
“The woman at the antique store told us that she was certain it was more than fifty years old, but she wasn’t sure of the exact age.” I smiled as I really took it in. “I think our nutcracker is going to make a wonderful conversation starter.”
“I agree. There is something about the statue that just seems to scream the fact that if he could speak, he’d have an interesting story to tell.”
Georgia looked up, as did I at the sound of the door opening and then closing, followed by footsteps on the hardwood floor.
“Hey, guys, what’s going on?” Nikki asked, after poking her head in through the door and then joining us in the parlor.
“Lonnie and Lacy sent us this life-size nutcracker,” I answered.
“Awesome.” She stepped forward for a better look. “Annabelle is going to love it. She was just telling me the other day that she’d gone to see The Nutcracker with her mother last Christmas, and how it had turned out to be one of the best days they’d spent together.”
“It is sad that her mother couldn’t make it home this year,”
I commented.
Nikki nodded. “It is, but Annabelle seems to be having fun with Hannah.” Nikki was referring to Annabelle’s best friend, Hannah Danson. “And I know she’s excited to be part of the Holiday Bay Christmas Pageant. She has been talking nonstop about it since she was cast as the snow princess.”
“She has seemed excited about the part,” I agreed.
“And we are planning a lot of activities between now and Christmas that an eight-year-old will enjoy,” Nikki added. “I’m sure we can keep her occupied.”
“We can, and Jeremy is really good with her. He’ll make sure she has the perfect Christmas in spite of the fact that her mother isn’t here.” As I said it, I was determined to make sure Annabelle’s Christmas was the best we could provide.
Georgia walked over to the window and looked out. “The snow is coming down harder.”
“I noticed that,” I answered. “The weather report is calling for clearing overnight. I’m hoping it is clear this weekend for the sleigh rides and snowman competition we plan to sponsor here at the inn.”
“I think the forecast is for a mild weekend. If it does snow, we’ll focus on wreath making and ornament decorating inside.”
The conversation paused as the front door slammed shut. Must be Annabelle. I’d talked to her about not slamming doors, but she was only eight, and eight-year-olds tended to slam doors.
“Anyone here?” Annabelle called out.
“We’re in the parlor,” Georgia called back.
I could hear the sound of running feet in the instant before Annabelle appeared in the doorway. “Oh, wow! Look at that.” She walked over to the nutcracker and touched his arm. “He is beautiful. Just like the nutcracker in the ballet.”
“He is pretty awesome,” Jeremy seconded. “Where did you get it?”
“It’s a gift from Lonnie and Lacy,” I said. “Isn’t he great?”
“He really is,” Jeremy agreed.
“I love his hat, but the chin strap is covering his mouth. Aren’t nutcrackers supposed to have mouths that open and close?”
“The strap from the hat is hiding the nutcracker’s mouth, but I checked when he first arrived and confirmed it is there behind the strap,” I said.
“I feel like the fact that you can’t see his mouth gives him a shifty look,” Jeremy said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’m not sure exactly.” He stared at the statue for another minute. “It’s something with the eyes. They look guarded. Like he has a secret.”
“Maybe he really does come to life at night,” Annabelle giggled.
Georgia smiled. “That would be fun. Maybe you can get up in the middle of the night and dance with him.”
“And maybe there will be sugarplum fairies.” Annabelle twirled around the room.
Having an eight-year-old in the family really did add an element to our lives that I enjoyed. “How was the rehearsal for the pageant?” I asked.
“It was really, really good,” Annabelle said after she stopped pirouetting around the room. “The play is on Saturday, and we are going to do a full dress rehearsal on Friday. The director was worried that not everyone knew their lines, but I think everyone does. Are you coming?” She looked around the room. “Are all of you coming?”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I confirmed.
“Good. I really want you to see my snow princess costume. It is all silvery and sparkly. It really is the best costume in the whole play.”
“What is Hannah going to be?” Georgia asked.
“Actually, she is playing the piano and doesn’t really have a costume.”
Hannah was Annabelle’s best friend and an accomplished concert pianist in spite of her young age.
“She is wearing a red dress with black tights and black shoes,” Annabelle added.
“Well, I can’t wait to see her all dressed up then,” I answered.
“Do we have cookies to taste?” Annabelle asked, seeming to grow bored with the current conversation.
“We do,” Georgia said. “I brought a plate over so anyone who wants in on the tasting should follow me to the kitchen.”
Jeremy, Nikki, and Annabelle all followed Georgia out of the room. I figured the two cookies I’d had should do me through dinner. I adjusted the lights on the tree and then stood back to look at the nutcracker one more time. Jeremy was right. The nutcracker did have shifty eyes, which made him look like he was keeping a secret. I took out my phone, snapped a photo, and sent it off to Lacy. Then I dialed her number. I wanted to thank her and let her know the huge decoration had arrived. The nutcracker really had been a thoughtful and heartfelt, if somewhat impractical gift. I supposed that the logistics of storing him could be an issue, yet he really did seem to add an element to the room that seemed to pull the other decorations together in a special way.
Of course, as we would soon learn, the real magic of the nutcracker was the secret he had kept for more than fifty years. A secret, I was to learn, that would be steeped with both warmth and heartache and would be revealed to us as the week unfolded.
Chapter 2
The cleaning party from the previous evening had actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Colt had stopped by with beer and pizza, and after Tanner heard that the cleaning party had turned into a bit of a party, party, he’d come over and joined us as well. I called Lacy to thank her for the nutcracker, which opened the door for me to invite her and her family to join us, so while very little deep cleaning was actually accomplished, fun was had by all.
As the owner of the inn, I naturally wanted it to be fully booked as often as possible, but I did admit that I really enjoyed those odd breaks when the place was free of guests, and I could treat it like a home. I enjoyed having my friends over, even if the fare of the evening was takeout pizza. The cottage Georgia and I lived in was too small to have more than a couple of guests at a time, so the only time we ever really hosted a group of friends was during the summer when we could grill outdoors, or during the gaps between guests during the winter.
Colt and his niece and nephew had left early this morning for Disney World. I would miss him, but I was sure they’d have fun, and given the complex nature of my emotions when it came to this really wonderful guy, I found I was actually happy for a brief time apart. I know there are those who feel that Colt and I are perfect for each other and that it is silly for me to want to keep our relationship in the friend zone, but I’d lost my husband a little over two years ago, and while many feel two years is a significant amount to time to mourn, I just don’t feel ready to move on yet.
And then there were little hints that kept popping up that suggested Ben may not have been totally honest with me during our relationship. I really wanted to hope he had been, but with all the red flags, I had to admit there were times I wondered if I’d known him at all. It was those feelings of doubt, mixed in with emotions brought about by deep mourning that had me messed up a lot of the time.
But that was not something I was going to dwell on over the holiday. It felt like it had been much too long since I’d been able to embrace the magic of the season. Two years ago, my loss had been fresh and I’d barely even noticed the festive decorations or magical feel of the season, last year had been better, but my grief had still cut deeply. This year, I thought enough time had passed that I could once again open my heart to all that the season had to offer.
As for Colt, I knew I’d miss him, but I was sure I’d speak to him on the phone during his time away. Before he’d left yesterday, he’d promised to call, and I’d promised to do likewise. I’m not exactly sure when or even how it had happened, but we’d settled into a pattern of chatting with each other for at least a few minutes every day.
I hummed to the carols playing over the stereo as I folded the clothes I’d laundered that morning. I was alone in the cottage today and found that I liked the peace and quiet quite a lot. Our first holiday guest, Mylie Sanders, was due to arrive today, so Georgia had mov
ed her cookie baking experiment to the kitchen in the inn so that she would be on hand when Mylie showed up. The cookies that Georgia created each day had become a pattern I’d grown to look forward to. I couldn’t wait to see what she’d come up with today. So far, every cookie she’d made had been delicious, but then again, everything that Georgia made turned out to be delicious.
I glanced out the window to see that the snow had stopped, at least temporarily, but the sky was still dark and heavy with clouds. The morning weather report had indicated that there would be periods of snow over the next several days but nothing serious and very little additional accumulation. That sounded just about perfect to me. A little snow added to the atmosphere, which I think everyone enjoyed, but if we got too much snow, it would hinder the outdoor events we’d planned for the weekend.
I’d been working on my manuscript for most of the morning before deciding to clean up a bit and then take care of my laundry. Now that my room was straightened and clothes folded and put away, I decided to take a break from work and chores and see how Georgia was doing. I didn’t have the benefit of being able to smell the cookies baking today, so I pretty much just had to guess when they’d be ready to taste test.
Jeremy had draped little white lights in the trees that lined the path that led from the cottage to the inn. During the summer, the trees provided for a shady stroll between the properties, but during the winter, when the path was made to look like a fairy trail, it was simply magical. I’d made a good choice when I’d decided to offer Jeremy a job. Not only was he as close to me as a brother could be, but he always seemed to know exactly what to do to add that final accent that would take a wonderful display and make it truly enchanting.
I stomped the snow off my feet and entered the inn through the back door, which led directly into the kitchen. Once inside, I slipped off my boots and left them on the drying rack. Then I slipped off my hat and gloves and shoved them into the pockets of my jacket.
“Abby, this is Mylie.” Georgia introduced me to the woman whose dark ringlets hung to the middle of her back as I hung my jacket on one of the pegs provided for just such a purpose.
