“And we even got a family photo,” Sam said as he walked over to Ruby.
“What?” Ruby asked.
Emmie joined Sam when he showed Ruby the picture. “It was Sam’s idea to make a snow family so the family members we’ve lost could share the night with us.”
Ruby looked at the picture and looked up at Sam. “I think that’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever seen. These snowmen are wonderful.”
Emmie nodded her agreement.
Sam smiled back at them. “Emmie helped. She’s almost as good at making snowmen as she is at making cookies.”
Emmie laughed. “I don’t know about that, but it was a lot of fun.”
Ruby handed Sam back his phone and stood up. “Well, since you’ve both been working so hard outside, how about some hot chocolate to warm you up?”
Sam’s eyes lit up. “Do you have marshmallows?”
Ruby put her arm around Sam. “What’s hot chocolate without marshmallows?”
“Exactly,” Sam said. “Ruby, I knew I loved you.”
They all laughed as they headed into the kitchen.
It didn’t take long for Ruby to whip up a delicious batch of hot chocolate. Emmie was taking notes after she found out Ruby added cinnamon and a dash of vanilla as her secret ingredients. As they all sat together at the kitchen table drinking hot chocolate out of Ruby’s Santa mugs, Sam added a few more marshmallows to his.
Emmie gave him an incredulous look. “Seriously, you’re adding more? You’ve already had, like, ten.”
Sam didn’t look fazed. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying the attention. “Are you counting?”
“It’s hard not to,” Emmie shot back at him, but she was smiling.
Sam held up a mini marshmallow. “Do you see how tiny these are? Ten probably equals only one regular marshmallow, and I usually put two or three big marshmallows in my cocoa. So, yeah, to answer your question, I am adding more marshmallows. You should try it before you knock it.” Sam picked up a few more marshmallows and plopped them into Emmie’s hot chocolate.
Her mouth dropped open. “No, you didn’t!”
Sam gave her a look. “Apparently, I did.”
Ruby laughed. “Okay, you two. Be nice.”
Sam stared Emmie down. “Oh, I am being nice, Ruby. I’m trying to get this girl to live a little.”
Emmie couldn’t help but laugh. “By eating extra marshmallows?”
“It’s a start.” Sam grinned back at her.
When he picked up another handful of mini marshmallows, Emmie quickly covered her mug so he couldn’t add any more.
“Oh no. Not this time,” Emmie said, giving Sam a stern look.
“You’re no fun,” Sam said and then popped all the marshmallows in his mouth.
Dasher barked.
“See, even Dasher agrees,” Sam said.
Emmie gave Sam a look. “You’re impossible.”
Dasher barked again.
Emmie gave Dasher the same look. “And so are you!”
Ruby laughed as she stood up. “Who wants more hot chocolate?”
Both Sam’s and Emmie’s hands shot up.
Chapter Twenty-Four
This time when Ruby brought them their hot chocolate, the Santa mugs were piled high with mountains of whipped cream.
Emmie’s eyes lit up. “Okay, now we’re talking!”
Ruby laughed. “So I take it you’re a fan of whipped cream?”
Emmie gave her a look. “Isn’t everyone?”
Dasher barked.
“See,” Emmie said, pointing victoriously at Dasher. “Dasher agrees.”
Ruby gave Dasher a sweet look. “Dasher, you’re really getting in on some important conversations here.”
For an answer, Dasher jumped up from where he was still sitting at Sam’s feet and ran circles around Ruby.
“Oh boy, now you really have him going,” Sam said.
When Dasher barked, they all laughed.
Ruby handed Emmie and Sam two candy canes. “Your stir sticks.”
Emmie popped hers in her mouth and shut her eyes in bliss. There was something about candy canes that always brought back the best memories. She remembered how her mom would always put one in her stocking. It would be the first thing she’d see on Christmas morning when she looked over at her stocking to check and see if Santa had come. That candy cane peeking out of the stocking was always her confirmation that Santa had been there. That and the half-eaten cookies he’d leave behind.
She carefully put the candy cane in her hot chocolate, then took it out again and happily put it back in her mouth. She looked over at Sam and saw he was watching her. She smiled back at him with the candy cane still in her mouth.
He laughed. “You know,” he said, “you’d get more cocoa if you just drank it.”
Emmie gave him a look as she put her candy cane back into her hot chocolate and took it out again and licked off the hot chocolate. “You do you . . . and I’ll do me.”
Laughing, Ruby took her Santa mug over to the sink and rinsed it out. “I’m going to turn in. If you want any more hot chocolate, there’s still some in the pan on the stove.”
Emmie stood up and gave Ruby a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
Sam stood up, too. “And for letting me stay.”
Ruby smiled back at him. “It has been my pleasure.” She started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back to Sam. “I almost forgot. I have something for you.”
“For me?” Sam asked, surprised.
“Just give me a moment.” Ruby hurried out of the kitchen.
Sam looked at Emmie. “Do you know what this is about?”
Emmie shook her head. “I have no idea.”
Ruby returned holding a Christmas stocking. She walked over to Sam and turned the stocking around. The name Sam was embroidered in gold letters across the front of the stocking.
Sam looked touched as she handed him the stocking. “Really? You did this for me?” he asked.
“Well, it has your name on it, doesn’t it?” Ruby responded in a teasing voice.
Sam laughed as he admired the stocking. “It sure does. This is so cool. Thank you so much.”
Ruby smiled as she nodded her head. “It’s one of our traditions here, and now you’re part of that tradition, too.”
Sam, looking emotional, kissed Ruby on the cheek. “This is great. I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” Ruby said. “I wasn’t sure how long you were going to be able to stay, so I’ve been working as much as I could on it.”
“It’s perfect,” Sam said. He held it out so Emmie could see.
Emmie nodded. “Sam’s right. It’s really great. You do amazing work, Ruby.”
Ruby looked pleased by the compliment. “Well, it has been wonderful having you both here, and we all know Dasher loves the extra attention.”
Dasher barked and wagged his tail as he looked from Emmie to Sam.
Ruby laughed. “Okay, Dasher, time to come with me. You two sleep well.”
“You too,” Emmie said.
“See you in the morning,” Sam added.
Emmie and Sam both watched Ruby leave with Dasher.
Sam was still admiring his stocking. “Can you believe she did this?” he asked.
Emmie smiled back at him. “I know. She’s pretty incredible. I don’t know how she does it.”
“The stockings?” Sam asked.
“All of it. Running the inn all by herself, doing the meals, everything,” Emmie said. “I mean, right now there’s just the two of us, but she’s usually booked solid for the holidays. I had to make my reservation months in advance, and I imagine all year long the inn does great business. If all the rooms were full, she’d have a lot more people, and that’s a lot for one person to handle.”
“But she seems very capable and is obviously very passionate about what she does,” Sam said as he held up his stocking. “Being passionate about something can fuel you forward.”
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br /> Emmie nodded and thought about how she’d been running the community center on pure passion and how unfortunately that passion didn’t come with a corresponding paycheck. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and then closed her eyes, blissful.
“Good?” Sam asked, watching her.
She opened her eyes and smiled. “So good.”
The way Sam was looking at her made her nervous. She quickly brushed her hand across her lips.
“What?” she asked. “Do I have whipped cream on my face?”
“No,” Sam said as he locked eyes with her, “you look perfect.”
Emmie felt a jolt of electricity sizzle through the air. He’s doing it again, she thought. He was looking at her in a way that was leaving her with more questions than answers. As she stared back at him, this time she knew she wasn’t imagining it.
“Then what is it?” she finally asked. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Sam didn’t look away. “I didn’t know I was staring at you.”
They stared at each other a few moments longer in silence before a smile appeared on Sam’s face. When he started to walk away, Emmie looked surprised.
“You’re leaving?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said as he headed for a snowman cookie jar. “I’m just looking for something to go with this hot chocolate.” He opened the jar, took out a frosted sugar cookie, and held it up to Emmie. “Want one?”
Emmie shook her head. “I’m good. Now I see why your agent sent you that fruit basket that Grant ended up with. Do you always eat this much sugar?”
Sam took a bite of his cookie. “Only at this time of year.”
Emmie gave him a look.
“Okay, maybe all year long, but usually not cookies. I’m an equal opportunity offender. I also like pies, cakes, candy—you name it.”
Emmie laughed. “Does it help with your writing? The sugar high?”
Sam laughed. “No. But I don’t think it hurts, either, although Candace is always trying to get me to eat healthier. She probably sent me that fruit basket thinking it would help my writer’s block. I guess I should try anything at this point.” Sam’s smiled faded.
“But you love writing, right?” Emmie asked.
Sam nodded. “Usually. You know what they say: if you love what you do, it’s not work . . .” Sam’s voice trailed off.
“But?” Emmie asked.
Sam took a deep breath. “But lately, it’s been a lot harder. I feel like I’m letting everyone down, even my sister, because she wanted me to keep writing. For me, creative writing comes from a place deep inside me. It’s like the blood in my veins, it’s a part of me. The way I work is, I create characters and then they take over the story.” He looked over at Emmie. “I know that sounds weird. It’s hard to explain.”
“I get it,” Emmie said. “You can’t just flip a switch and get your imagination working.”
Sam smiled. “Yeah, something like that. I just really hate missing deadlines. That’s not like me.”
“Are you any closer to coming up with an idea?” Emmie asked.
Sam looked back over at her and picked up his Santa mug and took a sip of his hot chocolate before answering. “Actually, I have an idea I sent to my agent earlier. I’m just waiting to hear back to see what she thinks.”
“That’s great!” Emmie said. “That’s a start, right?”
“We’ll see what Candace says,” Sam said.
Emmie looked confused. “You have to get her permission?”
“It’s not so much that I have to,” Sam said. “I want to. We’re a team. We’re usually on the same page, pun intended, but this story is a little different from what I normally write, so we’ll see.”
“But you like the idea?” Emmie asked.
Sam smiled. “I do. I really do, but I guess I’m just not feeling that confident about my work right now. I’m so far behind with my publishing deadline I don’t want to do a bunch of writing and then have Candace say it’s not going to work. She’s dialed into what the publisher wants and keeps me on track for my brand.”
Emmie shrugged. “It just seems to me like when the stakes are as high as you say they are, the only person you should really be betting on is yourself. You’re the one who has the most to lose. Didn’t you say you have to feel it before you write it?”
Sam looked impressed. “Yes.”
“Then if you’re feeling it, why aren’t you writing it?” Emmie asked.
Sam gave her an incredulous look. “You know what, Emmie, you’re right.”
“So what are you waiting for?” Emmie asked in a teasing voice.
Sam, excited, went straight to the cookie jar. He took out several cookies. “I’m going to need some reinforcements. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night.”
Emmie picked up the bag of mini marshmallows and waved them at Sam. “Don’t forget these.”
Sam hurried over and took the bag from her. “You’re the best.”
Emmie laughed as she watched him leave and then found a few mini marshmallows on the table that had spilled out of the bag. She picked them up, smiled, and popped them into her mouth.
She was stirring her hot chocolate with her candy cane, humming “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” when her phone rang. It was Grant calling.
Surprised, she answered it. “Grant? Is everything okay?”
Grant laughed. “Everything’s great. How’s my girl?”
Emmie forced a smile. “Your girl is wondering where her boyfriend is.”
“That’s why I’m calling with some good news.”
Emmie was suspicious. “What kind of news?”
“That I’m all packed, and I’ll be there first thing in the morning and I have an idea, a surprise, on how I can make this up to you,” Grant said, sounding quite pleased with himself.
Emmie didn’t even try to hide her skepticism. “Really?”
Grant laughed. “Really!”
Emmie wanted to feel excited, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up again.
“I’ll be there soon. I promise. Good night, Em.”
“Night,” Emmie said. This time she hung up first.
UPSTAIRS, IN HIS room, Sam was sitting at his desk. His fingers were flying across his laptop’s keyboard. He couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with his thoughts. He was in the zone. Finally. He hadn’t felt this good about what he was writing since before Katie passed away.
When he heard something at the door, he looked up and saw Dasher sitting there, wagging his tail.
Dasher gave Sam a hopeful look.
Sam laughed. “Okay, Dasher. Come on in.”
Dasher ran into the room and laid down right at Sam’s feet.
When Sam leaned down so he could pet him, Dasher licked his hand. “Oh, I know you’re just trying to be sweet so I’ll take you for a walk.”
At the mention of the word walk, Dasher jumped up and barked.
Sam gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, buddy, I can’t right now, but I promise I will later.”
Dasher looked disappointed as he lay back down and put his head on his paws.
Sam petted him a few more times. “I’m finally writing again, so I need to do as much as I can, while I can. Understand?”
For an answer, Dasher barked and wagged his tail.
“Good boy,” Sam said and gave him a grateful look before he turned his attention back to his laptop, his fingers racing across the keyboard again.
He felt invigorated, hopeful, and more than anything else, excited about this new story he was working on. Emmie had been right. He didn’t need to wait for Candace’s or anyone else’s permission. He just needed to follow his heart and trust his writing.
When he paused a moment to stretch his back and massage the crick in his neck, he glanced outside and saw a stunning full moon; a moonbeam was shining through his window, lighting up his desk.
He thought about how if he was someone who believed in signs, and he did, this surely was
one he couldn’t ignore.
After giving Dasher a few more quick pets, Sam stretched his arms above his head, wiggled his fingers, and went back to work. This time it didn’t feel like work at all.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next morning Emmie was in bed sleeping when she heard something at her door. Groggy, she opened her eyes and listened for a moment. When she heard nothing, she thankfully shut her eyes again.
She was exhausted. She’d been tossing and turning all night and felt like she needed at least a few more hours of sleep. She’d had the weirdest dreams. In one, she and Grant were stuck in their car in the snow and couldn’t get out, because it was snowing so much. She had woken up from that dream in a cold sweat. When she’d finally gotten back to sleep, she dreamed Dasher had eaten all the Christmas cookies she had decorated for the tree-lighting ceremony. It was crazy. She blamed all the hot chocolate she had before bed for firing up her imagination.
She hugged her snowman pillow and was just starting to relax again when she heard the noise outside her door. It sounded like . . . scratching.
“Dasher?” she called out in a soft voice.
Dasher barked back loudly.
“Shh,” she said as she jumped out of bed and rushed to open the door to keep him from barking again.
When she opened the door, she found Dasher sitting there. He was looking up at her and in his mouth was a white scroll with a red velvet ribbon. He dropped it at her feet.
“What in the world?” she said as she picked it up. It looked just like the scrolls she had made for Grant. “Where did you get this, Dasher?”
When Dasher barked again, she quickly shut her door and gave him a stern look. “Shh, no more barking. You’re going to wake everyone up.”
Emmie checked her cell phone to find out the time and couldn’t believe it was already nine in the morning. She never slept in this late. She remembered Grant had said he would be here first thing in the morning. He always liked to get a really early start on road trips to avoid the traffic. She needed to take a shower and get ready, because she knew he could be here within the next hour, and she had a big day planned for them.
When she tossed the scroll onto the bed and headed for the bathroom, Dasher barked. Then he jumped up on the bed and picked up the scroll again. By the time Emmie got the scroll out of his mouth, the ribbon was a little soggy and had slipped off. That’s when she realized it wasn’t one of the Christmas clues she’d made for Grant. Surprised, she looked closer and read what was written on the scroll out loud:
Finding Christmas Page 18