She eagerly opened the inn’s front door. If this was what the outside looked like, she couldn’t wait to get inside and see the rest of the Christmas decorations.
She entered the living room, looking around in awe. The first thing that caught her eye was a stunning eight-foot Christmas tree in the corner. It was covered with multicolored lights and so many decorations that it made her tree at home pale in comparison. And to think people gave her a hard time about all her decorations on the tree. This tree at the inn gave her even more motivation to continue to layer on her decorations, showing that you truly could never have too many.
The next thing that caught her eye was two vintage Santa Claus figurines, both about three feet high, that stood on either side of the fireplace. One of the Santa Clauses was wearing a long red robe trimmed with faux white fur, and the other was wearing a similar robe but was dressed all in white. They both had sweet, smiling faces that made Emmie smile back at them.
Her eyes were then drawn to the coffee table, where she was captivated by a beautiful collection of snow globes varying in size and style. One had an antique gold base, and inside was a scene that looked like a Victorian village with Christmas carolers. It looked just like the town of Christmas Point, and it also reminded Emmie of a snow globe that had been her mother’s favorite.
As she carefully picked it up, she couldn’t resist turning the old worn winding pin underneath the base so she could hear what it played. When it slowly started playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” Emmie caught her breath.
It was playing the same song her mom’s snow globe had played. This had a memory come rushing back to her of how her mom would always let her wind the snow globe and play the song over and over again. When the song stopped playing, the memory slowly faded away. Emmie was still staring at the snow globe when a woman walked into the room.
“Hello,” she said with a welcoming smile. “You must be Miss Sanders. I’m Ruby.”
Emmie quickly but carefully put the snow globe down and smiled back at Ruby. “Yes, hello. But please, call me Emmie.” Emmie walked over and held out her hand to Ruby. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person, after all our emails and calls.”
As they shook hands, Emmie looked into Ruby’s eyes and saw genuine warmth and kindness.
“It is so good to finally meet you in person, too,” Ruby said as she smiled back at her. “I feel like I already know you for as much as we’ve talked on the phone.”
Emmie laughed and nodded. “I know. I do too. You’ve been so wonderful to help me plan all this. I really appreciate it, and I am so excited to be here.” Emmie looked around the room with admiration. “Your place is wonderful, even better than the pictures, and I didn’t think that was possible, because the pictures are so amazing. This is like a Christmas dream that I never want to wake up from.”
Ruby looked pleased by the compliment. “I’m so glad you like it. Welcome to Christmas Point. The whole town is pretty special. I’m glad you can feel that already.”
“I can,” Emmie said. “I really can.”
An adorable border collie with a cute white stripe running down the middle of his black face ran into the room and headed straight for Emmie. He barked as he sat down right in front of her. He tilted his head to one side as he studied her, then stood back up and wagged his tail, barking again.
Emmie was delighted. She thought he had the sweetest face she’d ever seen. She leaned down to pet him. “And who do we have here?”
“That’s Dasher,” Ruby said with love.
Hearing his name, Dasher barked again and started playfully circling Emmie.
Emmie laughed. “Dasher, like the reindeer?”
Ruby nodded. “Exactly, and you can see why we call him Dasher—he’s always dashing about. He’s full of energy.”
Emmie laughed as Dasher continued to run circles around her. “Doesn’t he get dizzy?”
“Oh no,” Ruby said. “He’s a border collie. That’s what they do. Hundreds of years ago they were originally bred to herd sheep.”
Emmie chuckled. “So he thinks I’m a sheep?”
Ruby laughed with her. “No, it’s just his natural instincts kicking in.”
When Emmie, delighted, leaned down to pet him again, he instantly stopped circling and sat down next to her. He looked up at her with adoring big brown eyes, He was clearly loving all the attention.
“Well, aren’t you a handsome fella?” When Dasher barked and wagged his tail, Emmie laughed. “Border collies are really smart, right?” Emmie asked. “My aunt Margaret had one when I was growing up. Aren’t these the dogs that always win those competitions, where they run and jump through hoops and stuff like that?”
Ruby looked impressed. “You’re exactly right. They’re called dog agility competitions, and now even the famed Westminster Dog Show has added agility to its show.” When Ruby patted her leg, Dasher came over and sat in front of her. “But Dasher here, he’s no show dog. Just don’t tell him that. He’s probably a mix of something else as well. We’re not sure.”
Dasher, as if he knew what she was talking about, looked up at Ruby and wagged his tail.
“Dasher doesn’t come with any kind of pedigree,” Ruby said. “At least none that we know of. Actually, we don’t know much about where he came from. He sort of found us, didn’t you, boy?”
Dasher barked and wagged his tail again.
“My husband, Ken, used to drive one of the town’s snowplows, and one morning after it had snowed almost a foot, out of nowhere, there was Dasher, chasing after him and the plow, barking up a blue storm.” Ruby smiled as she remembered. “The story Ken told me was that he didn’t want Dasher waking up the whole town, so he let Dasher get into the cabin with him while he was driving the plow, and that was it. The two became inseparable.”
“Dasher didn’t have a tag? No one was looking for him?” Emmie asked.
“No,” Ruby said, “that’s what was crazy. We checked and he didn’t have a chip, either. We called all the local shelters, put his picture online, and even put an ad in the regional paper, but no one ever claimed him.”
Emmie watched as Dasher gazed lovingly up at Ruby. “Looks like he was meant to be your dog.”
Ruby nodded. “I think so.”
Emmie smiled down at Dasher. “So does he still ride on the snowplow with your husband?”
Dasher laid down and put his head on his paws.
“No, unfortunately not,” Ruby replied. “My husband passed away two years ago, a heart attack. So now it’s just me and Dasher.”
“I’m so sorry,” Emmie said.
Ruby nodded. “Me too, but Dasher here, he keeps me company and on my toes.”
When Dasher barked, Emmie and Ruby both laughed.
“He might not be a purebred,” Ruby said, “but I can tell you he’s a pure joy. Even with all his crazy energy, which makes him hard to keep up with. I’m thankful for his company. You’re a good dog, aren’t you, Dasher?”
Right on cue, Dasher barked and looked from Ruby to Emmie.
Emmie laughed. “Well, he’s adorable, that’s for sure.”
“Careful,” Ruby said. “He knows a softy when he sees one, and then he won’t leave you alone.”
“I wouldn’t mind that a bit,” Emmie said.
Ruby laughed. “Remember, I warned you. Dasher thinks he owns the place and sometimes he’s too smart for his own good. If he bothers you at all, you just let me know.”
When Dasher gave Emmie an innocent look, she was sure they would get along just fine. “I’m sure he won’t bother me at all,” Emmie said. “I love dogs. I’ve always wanted one, but I’m too busy with crazy work hours to have one. It wouldn’t be fair to the dog.” Emmie’s smile grew as she looked around the room again. “I’m just so excited to finally be here. Thank you again, Ruby, for all your help. I know my boyfriend, Grant, is going to love it as much as I do.”
Ruby smiled as she picked up a Christmas-themed quilt off the couch. I
t was covered with quite the Christmas menagerie of snowmen, Santas, Christmas trees, and reindeer. She folded it carefully and put it back where she’d found it.
“This inn has been in our family for three generations,” Ruby said. “It’s a lot of work keeping it up. You know how old things are. They need a lot of ongoing maintenance, but this is home, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Being able to share what has been so important to my family with other people is a true blessing. I get the greatest joy when guests like you come, people who truly appreciate it.”
Emmie started walking around the room, admiring all the unique decorations. “I just can’t believe all the different things you have,” she said. “My mom loved Christmas, and she collected decorations for decades and even had some of my great-grandma’s from Germany, but your collection is next level.”
Emmie picked up the snow globe she had been admiring earlier. She shook it gently and smiled as she watched the snow flutter down covering the Christmas carolers. “My mom used to have one like this,” Emmie said. “She used to let me play the song over and over again.”
Ruby joined her. “That’s one of my favorite parts of the snow globes. The different songs and the memories they bring back.”
They shared a smile.
“I knew I made the right choice picking this inn,” Emmie said. “It couldn’t be more perfect. I’m so happy I’m here.”
Ruby smiled back at her. “I’m glad you like it. We have only five rooms. My family never wanted to add on. They wanted to keep it original, and I guess, cozy. We’re small, but a lot of Christmas magic has happened here.”
Emmie’s smile grew. “That’s what I’m counting on. Like I was telling you when we talked on the phone, my boyfriend, Grant, really needs some Christmas magic. He has been working way too hard lately. This time together is really important to both of us.”
“And right now you and your boyfriend will pretty much have the place to yourselves,” Ruby said. “We had a family coming that had the three other rooms, but they had to change their plans at the last minute. Usually this time of year we’re booked months in advance.”
“I know,” Emmie said. “I got my reservation months ago. That’s too bad about the other family. I know I’d be heartbroken if I’d had something happen and we hadn’t been able to come.”
“Well, I’m so glad you made it,” Ruby said. “Thank you for choosing us.” Ruby walked over to a pretty red wicker basket sitting by the fireplace and picked out two Christmas stockings and handed them to Emmie. “Here you go,” Ruby said with a smile. They were vintage red felt stockings with a white trim on top. On one stocking, Emmie was embroidered in red thread, and on the other Grant was embroidered. The rest of the stockings were decorated with white sequins and beads. One had the outline of a Christmas tree; the other, an outline of a candy cane.
Emmie touched her heart. “For us? These are amazing. Did you make them?” Emmie asked, still in awe.
Ruby nodded and looked pleased at Emmie’s response. “I did. It’s one of our traditions here at the inn. So Santa can know where to find you.”
Emmie, overwhelmed with gratitude and genuinely touched, couldn’t help but give Ruby a hug. “Thank you. Thank you so much for these and for everything.” She held the stockings to her heart. “We will treasure them always.”
“I’m so glad you like them,” Ruby said. “My mom started the tradition, making me one like this, with the red felt and my name embroidered on it, so now I try and keep up that tradition with my guests.”
“I love that,” Emmie said, still admiring the stockings. “Do you still have your stocking?”
Ruby nodded. “I do, and it’s one of my most cherished possessions. I put it out on Christmas Eve.”
Emmie smiled back at her. “I really do love these. Thank you again so much.”
“You’re very welcome,” Ruby said. “I’m sure you’d like to get settled into your room. I saw your final schedule of Christmas activities, and you’re going to be very busy.”
Emmie smiled brightly. “I know. Isn’t it great? I can’t wait. You can never have too much Christmas!”
Dasher barked and wagged his tail as he looked at Emmie.
“See, Dasher agrees.” She smiled down at Dasher. “I knew you and I were going to get along great!”
Ruby laughed. “Let me show you to your room.”
When Dasher barked again, this time looking at Ruby, she laughed. “I’m sorry. Like I said, Dasher thinks he runs the inn. Let me rephrase that. How about Dasher and I show you to your room?”
Wagging his tail and barking again, Dasher ran over to Emmie and then started to head up the stairs. He stopped and looked back at her.
Emmie laughed. “Let me guess. I’m supposed to follow him?”
Dasher barked from the top of the stairs.
“Well, there you go,” Emmie said. “I got my answer.” Emmie and Ruby both laughed as they joined Dasher at the top of the stairs, and he went running toward a room before stopping at the door and looking back at them.
Ruby nodded her approval. “That’s right, Dasher, we’re putting Emmie in the Starlight Suite.” When Ruby opened the door for her, Emmie stepped inside and let out a little gasp.
A fire was already crackling in the fireplace and the lights were all turned down low except for the canopy of white twinkle lights over the bed that made everything sparkle and glow.
Emmie gave Ruby a look of wonder. “This is magical and such a surprise. I didn’t see the twinkle lights in any of the pictures online.”
Ruby smiled back at her. “I know. I added them for you. You said it was your favorite decoration, so I thought you might like it. We call it the Starlight Suite because you have a beautiful view of the stars at night outside your window, but now by adding the lights, it’s like we’re bringing the stars inside, too. You can lie in bed and look up and make your Christmas wishes.”
As Emmie looked up at the lights, she had a flashback of making Christmas wishes with her parents.
Ruby, watching her, looked worried. “Or if it’s too much, I can take them down. It’s not a problem.”
Emmie reached out and took Ruby’s hand, looking into her eyes. “No, Ruby, it’s perfect. Really,” Emmie said. “It means so much to me. More than you know. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Ruby said. “You just let me know whatever you need. We’re all set for your big romantic dinner at six o’clock, but we can change the time if you need to. Do you think your boyfriend will be on time?”
Emmie gave her a confident look. “I checked with him earlier and everything’s going great, so six o’clock should work. Just like we planned. I can’t wait for him to get here.”
Chapter Ten
As Sam carried the Christmas tree he’d gotten as part of his last scavenger hunt clue into the Transitions Family Shelter center lobby, he was warmly greeted by Lynn. He figured she was close to his age, in her mid-thirties, and looked very excited to see him.
“You made it!” Lynn said. “Welcome to the Transitions Family Shelter.”
“I’m glad to be here,” Sam said. “And I come bearing gifts.” He held up the tree.
Lynn’s eyes lit up when she saw the Christmas tree. “And we’ve been waiting for you and that beautiful tree. It can go right over there,” she said as she pointed to the corner over by the window, where a Christmas tree stand was already set up, just waiting for a tree.
Sam chuckled. “Well, I guess you are ready. Would you like me to put the tree up for you?”
Lynn nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I was hoping. If it’s not too much trouble?”
Sam laughed. “Not a problem at all.” As he took the tree over to the corner, he looked back at her. “I think you found the perfect spot. Right by the window where everyone will be able to see it when they’re passing by.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Lynn said. “I just started working here, and it was ac
tually the children who are staying here right now that got to pick where the tree would go.”
“That’s really great,” Sam said. “Kids always know best. I bet this time of year is very busy for you.”
Lynn sighed. “It is. The holidays are always extra hard on families who are struggling, so we try to do what we can. We give them a safe place to stay while they’re getting back on their feet, and we still try and help them have some Christmas cheer. You have no idea how excited the kids have been to get this tree.”
Sam laughed. “I can imagine, and this tree is a beauty. Is there anything else you need? Decorations? Lights? Presents for the kids?”
Lynn smiled back at him.
“That’s very kind of you to ask, thank you, but the Alpine Community Center across town always takes good care of us,” Lynn said. “Because I’m new, I haven’t met the director, Emmie, yet, but I heard she’s really amazing.”
“I think what you all do, helping families, is what’s amazing,” Sam said.
“It definitely takes a village,” Lynn said. “We’re doing a big Christmas dinner with them this year, and we’re always looking for volunteers.”
Sam laughed. “When it comes to cooking, I’m not much help. I don’t think you’d want me in the kitchen.”
Lynn smiled back at him. “There are also jobs serving up the food, clearing tables, and just talking to people, and making them feel at home. There’s always a way to help.”
“You’re right,” Sam said. “Thank you. That’s a good reminder and—” But the rest of what he was going to say was cut off when he saw an adorable little girl peek her head around the corner. She was staring at the Christmas tree.
“Well, hello there,” Sam said to the little girl. He guessed her to be about seven years old. She had pigtails and was wearing jeans and a pink sweatshirt.
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