Rescuing Christmas

by Nancy Lee Badger

  “We met briefly. Well, unless this is another of your flings, I am happy for you. Will you stay around?”

  “A lot depends on Elinor. She has been less than happy with me, except when we kiss.” He sighed so loud, Mona laughed.

  “Good luck, and keep me informed. Now let’s finish our dinner and let me get to bed. You can tell me more about your fancy machines tomorrow. I already saw the bills.”

  ***

  “I don’t believe it! Where did all this snow come from?” Elinor stared at the mountain of white fluffy snow being shoveled into a front loader.

  She walked over to where Andy seemed to be supervising the project, with his arm still in a sling.

  “Oh, hi there, Ellie. These snow machines have been running the last forty-eight hours. Not having to worry about real snow falling in time for the festival is genius. How did you manage to pull this off?”

  “I knew nothing about this.”

  “Aren’t you part of the festival committee?”

  “Well, sure but—”

  “Ellie! Come over here and check out our ice rink,” the librarian called from somewhere closer to the pond.

  “Oh, no! The pond can’t be safe enough to walk on!” Ellie was running before she realized her feet were moving, but slid to a stop well before reaching the pond. Elvira was waving her arms, then pointing toward the lights surrounding a man-made ice rink.

  “Where did this come from?”

  Elvira ignored the question. “Ellie, you have thoroughly outdone yourself. The townspeople from here and the next town over will enjoy skating.”

  Bruce hugged her. “We’ll sell tons of tickets once the ticket booth signs catch their attention.”

  “You’re darn right,” Henry added, “because the radio ads are reaching all the way to White River Junction.”

  No one would listen to her. She had no idea where the ice rink came from, but the urge to slap on some skates and try it out almost won over her need to discover where such an expensive attraction came from. Paying the rental fee would be beyond them. They needed all the proceeds to go to the equipment fund.

  “They even have a huge selection of rental skates. Anyone can skate. The auxiliary is setting up a cocoa and hot cider booth right over there,” Elvira added, pointing. “Sarah Jane promised to bring a huge batch of plain doughnuts, too.”

  Sarah Jane was in on it? To make so many doughnuts she had to be, but hadn’t said a word.

  My fault. I haven’t stopped at her store ever since spotting her and Bradley hugging.

  She kicked a pebble to the side, then walked closer to the rink. The muffle of an engine meant it had electric pipes below it. Most likely it would stay frozen until the festival ended. It was perfect. “What do you know about the snow-making machines?”

  “They are a little noisy, but they can be turned off once the festival is in full swing. The loader plans to distribute a path around the meadow to give the horse-drawn sleigh a route to give rides.”

  “What? What sleigh?”

  “Elinor! Where have you been? Didn’t your sister tell you? She and Mr. Wainwright spent hours fixing it. That fellow we did the potluck supper for is bringing his horse and the tack, in order to pull it and he isn’t charging us. Donations come in all shapes and sizes, you know.”

  Sarah Jane and Bradley refurbished the sleigh. Is that why they were hugging? What other reason could there be for them to be alone in the building?

  “No one mentioned bringing out the sleigh. It was pointless to use without snow, so…oh, now I see. We have man-made snow. Those two knew this was going to happen, yet failed to let me in on the news.”

  She was partly to blame. She wasn’t speaking to Bradley, and she kept making excuses not to visit her sister’s store. She missed her scones! Finding out more about the ice rink and the snow machines meant asking questions.

  The oldest members of the fire department auxiliary were setting up their hot beverage booth. Gray heads bobbed up and down as they emptied boxes of cups, napkins, and more. The image of boxes of doughnuts, cocoa, and hot cider grew so strong, Ellie’s stomach rumbled.

  “Ellie, dear, did you miss lunch? I must say, your sister is a whiz in the kitchen, so you better come back for a doughnut.” Julia said. “Or, head inside the fire department about seven tonight. We need another judge for the holiday pie contest!”

  Elvira tittered and slapped a wrinkled hand on her chest. “Why isn’t she married? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, you know.”

  Lucky for me, I can’t cook. “Can we level with each other?”

  “Of course, dear. What’s wrong?” Elvira asked.

  “Where did the money for the ice rink and the snow-making machines come from? I never saw them mentioned on the committees meeting minutes, and their cost certainly isn’t in the budget. Who plans to pay for them?”

  “Oh, it was an off-the-books idea. Both of them really. Didn’t cost the committee or the town a dime, either.”

  “Bradley Wainwright!”

  “Of course, dear. He really is a nice man. He did the research, asked our opinions, and made it happen. The fire department will earn a lot of money and you, my dear, will have the equipment you need.”

  “But, this is the first I’ve heard of it.”

  The women looked at each other, then came around the booth. Standing in front of her, Julia said, “He felt you would not welcome any help, even though it was needed.”

  “You wanted to cancel the festival, if you remember,” Elvira reminded her.

  “So, you took his money?”

  “No, the ice rink company and the snow-making machine owners did. Then they said they planned to stay at the B&B, purchase food downtown, and hang around and buy tickets for the festival.”

  “What goes around, comes around. Bradley simply wished to give back to the community that has welcomed him with open arms.” Julia handed her a cup of cider. “It’s not hot yet. The festivities don’t start until dusk.”

  “And I told him we didn’t need his big city ways. So, he did an end-run around me. I should have known he was devious.”

  “Devious? Sweetie, he’s in love,” Julia said.

  She choked, spraying cider down over the grass, missing the women. “Who is he in love with?”

  “Oh, Elinor,” they said in union.

  Chapter 20

  “I’m leaving,” Bradley said to his cook. “You are in charge until you tell me you have found a person you feel can take on the chore. I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch, but I cannot stay.”

  The cook looked up at him, dismay making her eyes teary and her expression sorrow-filled. “I’ll miss you. Many folks around here will. Who is going to carry my chili to the festival?”

  Bradley smiled. “I will call a few people. One will certainly have a minute to stop and give you a ride. Make sure you dress warm. Those snow-making machines were running at full speed for the last couple of nights. You will not believe the mountain of snow covering that field by Mac’s Garage. If you like to skate, the ice rink looks like glass.”

  “Why aren’t you staying to enjoy it all? I’ve heard rumors you were behind most of it.”

  “Just rumors. There is nothing here for me. Greg is doing well at the tree farm, and the inn is in your capable hands. Good-bye.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek, grabbed his leather satchel and overnight bag he’d purchased to carry the clothes he had bought in town as well as his ruined clothes, in hopes a dry cleaner could save them. With a deep sigh, he headed out the door.

  He had told the woman he’d bought the inn and that Sean had left town. The smile on her face had warmed his heart.

  Wait until she hears how much I’ll be raising her salary on January first.

  He’d already said goodbye to Mona, who had decided to stay at least a week. He’d attempted to steal her rental car, but she admonished him.

  “You don’t expect me to walk around town in this ungodly weather, do you?” Mon
a had stated.

  It was cold, so he had made other plans. He’d already spoken to Sarah Jane earlier. She and her two teen helpers had decorated a lovely booth on the sidewalk outside their business’s front door. No book sales today, just food and hot cider.

  “You should stay,” she’d said as he paid for two muffins.

  As he waited for her to drop them in a bag along with a napkin, he had told her what he knew was true. “I do not belong here. This was a wonderful dream, but my heart will only ache more, if I stay.”

  “Have faith?” she had added.

  He’d shaken his head and left, headed back to the inn.

  Now that he was packed, he would make it back to the city in time for Christmas. Mona had chartered a private jet that would meet him in Montpelier. The tree farm needed to transport a truckload of Christmas trees to the Montpelier hardware and grocery stores that had teamed up with them, to sell their last-minute fresh trees on commission. Greg said he would drive him personally, giving them time to talk about their new partnership.

  He wished he wasn’t leaving the inn without a manager, but Elinor had broken his heart. He could not stay, only to watch her berate him for being wealthy and all but predicting he would break a woman’s heart, then head back to the city.

  She broke my heart. If only she would see reason.

  Maybe if he had told her about the inn and the tree farm. What if she knew he had organized raising funds for the delivery and payment of the ice rink and snow-making machines? She would probably throw it all back in his face and call him a man who thought money could buy anything.

  Obviously not, since I do not have her in my life.

  He set his overnight bag and laptop satchel on the sidewalk outside the inn. His inn, now. He stood alone waiting, and could hear the celebration getting underway in town and beyond. Many stores had set up booths in the afternoon, but closed down at dusk to go and enjoy the rest of the festival.

  Holiday lights were strung across the street and along the roof edges. The single blinking light in the middle of Main Street had a huge silver snowflake hanging from beneath it. The theme was obviously snowflakes, but the town would have no trouble knowing the fundraiser was for the fire department. An antique fire truck passed by him on the side road. Loaded with squealing children, it skirted around the closed Main Street. The siren blew and giggles filled the early night air.

  Bradley waved at their happy faces and knew the night would end with success. As soon as Greg picked him up at the end of Main Street, near the inn, he would try never to think about Snowflake Valley, or Elinor, again.

  ***

  Elinor stomped across the meadow, away from the drone of the snow-making machines and the sad look the two women had given her. She would know if a man was in love with her, and Bradley Aaron Wainwright was not. Yes, he had kissed her several times, but lust and opportunity were not the same as true love.

  Elinor had witnessed him flirting with Sarah Jane on numerous occasions. His phone calls to a woman named Mona were filled with charm and affection. He had called her sweetheart, and claimed to love her! She even heard he had hired a local attorney for some unknown reason. A female one, at that.

  Cursing him under her breath, she thought back to the day they met. He had crashed a rental car, ruined a suit, and lost a pack of papers in the river. Then he demanded she drive him to civilization. He wanted to be taken to where he could rent another car and continue his travels to Canada. The arguments started then and there.

  Then, why do I miss him?

  Her heart squeezed, the ache growing every minute. As she looked for him, she’d also promised the auxiliary she’d at least thank him for his thoughtfulness to the community. Finding him was the issue. She hadn’t bumped into him for days. Sarah Jane might know where he was tonight. Maybe it was time to mend fences with her, too.

  Sarah Jane should be inside the fire house setting up the food she planned to sell to help raise funds. Finding out how well her storefront booth did was a good excuse to start a conversation with her. Many of the store owners held sales all day, but tonight all the funds raised were earmarked for the fire department.

  As she walked, Elinor sniffed the air. The sun had barely set and the sky had grown cloudy. She hoped it wouldn’t rain. But even more, she wished it would snow. The fake stuff belching from the two loud snow-making machines would help in a pinch. The ice rink was a plus that would keep people from daring to skate on the half-frozen pond, and she would love to ride in the sleigh. The thought of riding next to him, snuggled together under a blanket, would make her dreams come true.

  Had Bradley done all this for her? He knew how she felt about men who threw their money around, but what he’d done was benefitting the town’s fire department. The rescue toboggan might become a reality.

  Entering the fire house’s truck bay, which had been emptied for tonight, Sarah Jane’s golden hair and smiling blue eyes found Ellie. A shy grin washed over Ellie. Before she could say anything, her sister walked up to her and wrapped both arms around Ellie’s middle. “I’ve missed you,” Sarah Jane whispered.

  “Right back at you. I’ve really missed your scones.”

  Sarah Jane stepped back and slapped her shoulder. “I hope I mean more to you than free scones and books.”

  “You know I don’t read any of your books. Just dad.”

  “Maybe you should,” she said, heading to the kitchen table piled high with boxes from her store.

  “What do you mean by that?” she asked, trailing after her.

  Her sister smiled up at her as she placed a fresh butterscotch scone on a napkin and slid it toward Ellie. “I have a big section called Romance. Read a few of those titles. It might make you see what a fool you’ve been.”

  “Now, wait just a minute!”

  “Nope. This is my one and only chance to say what’s on my mind. Bradley Wainwright is the answer. Any fool could see the looks he gives you. The man is in love.”

  Sputtering, unaware of how to respond, Ellie stormed out of the fire house.

  Chapter 21

  Ellie headed toward the ticket booth they’d placed between the fire house and the meadow where outside activities would soon begin. Tickets were reasonable, and would mean the ticket holder could enjoy any part of the festival for one price. Food and beverages were not included. Also, the tree auction should produce a large amount of money. The decorated trees were gorgeous. Maybe she should bid on one. She’d been too busy to buy a tree, let alone drag out their boxes of ornaments and lights to decorate one.

  She knocked on the back door. Her father let her in and returned to his stool in front of the ticket window.

  “Are we ready?” she asked.

  “You bet. Plenty of tickets, change, and a thermal jug of hot coffee to keep me going. People are already lining up.”

  “Will you be warm enough in here?”

  “Yep. I brought Grandma’s quilt, just in case.”

  Ellie glanced through the hard-plastic ticket window at the crowd of people waiting patiently for the festival to start. The little room was warm and cozy. Safe, as well, since he would keep the door latched until the designated banker could pick up the money at intervals.

  “Things look good, so time to start selling tickets. Make sure you mention the ice rink and…what are we doing with all that snow?” She’d forgotten to ask. She remembered the sleigh, but what else?

  “There’s a snowman-making contest going on in an hour, under the lights. Also, the tree farm is sponsoring a sugar-on-snow event.”

  “Greg brought maple syrup to drizzle on fresh snow?” Ellie remembered doing that very thing every year. The maple syrup, curled into shapes, tasted so fresh and sweet.

  “Nope. Not this year. The local grocer is helping with that. Greg plans to start a sugaring business this winter. Seems the funds came through for buckets, sap spouts, a boiler, and more.”

  That made no sense. Greg told her several times how the business was in
trouble, and that he suspected his brother was somehow siphoning funds to help himself. “I’m glad to hear that he is branching out, but starting a new side business? I can imagine what Sean had to say about that.”

  “Sean is out of the picture entirely. Thought you knew. Sean doesn’t own the B&B, either.”

  “No way! He loves strutting around town as the big business owner.”

  “I heard the news from that banker fellow you lined up to handle the ticket sale proceeds. The one that supplied us with start-up change. Sean was going to lose the inn, until an anonymous buyer took over the loan and made sure Sean got his fingers out of the tree farm business as well. I hear Sean already high-tailed it to Colorado. Well, got to sell these tickets!”

  Ellie let herself out the back door, making sure her father locked it behind her, and walked toward the meadow, in a daze. Huge lights mounted on poles brightened the scene. The ice rink glistened and a band could be heard tuning up somewhere near Mac’s garage, now that the snow-machines had quieted. He promised to open his bay doors, if the weather turned, so the band’s equipment would stay dry. “Please don’t rain.”

  The news that Sean had left town with little notice lifted a weight off her shoulders, yet they would be down one volunteer. Maybe Bradley would like to…

  No, don’t go there.

  Greg’s tractor trailer, filled with Christmas trees, whooshed to a stop beside the pumps at Mac’s garage. Curiosity had her jogging over to talk to him as he popped in his credit card, and grabbed the nozzle.

  “Hi, Greg. Where are you headed?” she asked, as he fueled the vehicle.

  “Ellie, sorry, but I’ll miss the festival. Got a call from two vendors in Montpelier for more trees.”

  “Too bad you’ll miss this. Looks like a success even without snow.”

  “We’re fortunate Bradley fell in love with our town.”

  “Bradley?”

  Greg smiled at her. The click of the fuel pump kept time with her heart. Could it be that Bradley would stay around long enough for them to figure out what comes next?