by Kathi Daley
“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 is 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 that excuse to go back to the store after we’d all left. She’d said she’d left her mittens inside, but I 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 is 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. “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.
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Santa Sleuth
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House
Holiday Hostage
Lunacy Lake
Celtic Christmas – December 2019
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
The Inn at Holiday Bay:
Boxes in the Basement
Letters in the Library
Message in the Mantel
Answers in the Attic
Haunting in the Hallway
Pilgrim in the Parlor
Note in the Nutcracker
Blizzard in the Bay – January 2020
A Cat in the Attic Mystery:
The Curse of Hollister House
The Mystery before Christmas
The Case of the Cupid Caper – January 2020
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
The Cat of Christmas Present
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time
The Catsgiving Feast
A Whale of a Tail
The Catnap Before Christmas
A Mew Beginning – Early 2020
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House
The Thanksgiving Trip
The Saint Paddy’s Promise
The Halloween Haunting
The Christmas Clause
The Puppy Project – Early 2020
Rescue Alaska Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage
Finding Christmas
Finding Shelter – Early 2020
The Hathaway Sisters:
Harper
Harlow
Hayden – Early 2020
Writers’ Retreat Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter
Eighth Witness
Ninth Grave
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise
Thanksgiving in Paradise
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea
Missing by the Sea
Betrayal by the Sea
Thanksgiving by the Sea
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Murder at Pope Investigations
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than a hundred books in eleven series, including Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Tess and Tilly Cozy Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Inn at Holiday Bay Cozy Mysteries, Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Haunting by the Sea Paranormal Mysteries, Family Ties Mystery Romances, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com
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