The Holiday Secret (Castle Falls Book 4)

by Kathryn Springer

  His mom chuckled. “The light in the atrium burned out yesterday and I couldn’t find the ladder. Do you know where it is?”

  As a matter of fact, Carter did. But it was safer to dodge the question than admit he’d hidden it after he’d spotted Karen teetering on the top rung, feather duster in hand, attacking a cobweb on the ceiling.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Your to-do list is already a mile long,” Karen said. “And this is supposed to be your day off.”

  “Cutting firewood is relaxing.”

  His mom smiled and shook her head. They’d had variations of this conversation in the past but Carter couldn’t convince her that spending time outdoors, no matter what he was doing, didn’t fall under the category of work.

  “You skipped breakfast.” Karen lifted the coffee carafe and tested its weight. “We have a new guest and I was hoping you’d have a chance to meet her before you disappeared into the woods.”

  “Bea already introduced us,” Carter said curtly. And Ellery Marshall was the reason why he planned to stay as far away from the house as possible. “She decided to stop by Ellery’s room and give her one of the snowflakes she’d made at the library.”

  Karen didn’t appear nearly as shocked by his daughter’s unsanctioned visit to the guest wing as Carter had been.

  “You know Bea. No matter what craft project Maddie assigns to the children, she always makes extras to give away.”

  “To a woman she’d never laid eyes on before last night?”

  “Ellery Marshall is close to Maddie’s age and you know how much Bea likes her. Maybe that’s why they bonded so quickly.”

  True. The local librarian and Ellery Marshall were both in their midtwenties, but as far as Carter could tell, that was the only thing the two women had in common. Maddie Montgomery had grown up in the area and her recent engagement to Aiden Kane, a man as fiercely devoted to the family business as he was to his shy fiancée, proved that Maddie was content with life in a small town.

  Ellery reminded Carter of a rare butterfly that had briefly lit in Castle Falls. Looking for, in her own words, a change of scenery. And when she grew tired of the view from her upstairs window, she’d go back to where she belonged.

  Like Jennifer had.

  Which meant the last thing Carter wanted was for Bea to “bond” with his mother’s newest guest.

  “How long is she planning to stay?”

  “I’m not sure,” Karen admitted. “Ellery decided to go day to day.”

  She wouldn’t even commit to an entire weekend.

  The thought pushed Carter toward the door. “I’ll plow the driveway before I cut wood, so if there’s anything you need, let me...”

  Know.

  The last word got caught in Carter’s throat when he spotted Ellery standing beside the desk in the lobby. It was a little unsettling to admit that a pair of ocean-blue eyes could be so...unsettling.

  “You mentioned a tour...” Ellery’s gaze slid back to Karen, who glided past Carter with a warm smile. “Is this a good time?”

  “I have to call about a delivery, but it won’t take long.” Karen’s smile expanded to include Carter and before she said a word, he knew his mom was about to take him up on his “if there’s anything you need” offer. “I’m sure Carter won’t mind taking my place. It will give you two a chance to become better acquainted.”

  Um. Carter did mind. A lot, actually. And he knew everything he needed to know about Ellery Marshall. But he couldn’t admit that without jeopardizing the inn’s five-star hospitality rating.

  “Sure.” He pushed the word out. “Not a problem.”

  “Wonderful! I’ll catch up in a few minutes.” Karen slipped the cell from the pocket of her apron and retreated to the kitchen to make the call.

  Leaving Carter alone with Ellery for the second time that morning, the wary expression on Ellery’s face a clue she wasn’t looking forward to spending time with him, either.

  Fine with him.

  “The common areas all have names.” Carter pointed at the French doors off the lobby. “That’s the gathering room. Mom keeps it stocked with games and puzzles, so people like to hang out there in the evening.

  “You’re already familiar with the dining room, so we’ll start down here.” Carter strode through the lobby, bypassing both the kitchen and the parlor he’d converted into the family’s private living room and opened a door at the end of the hall.

  “The atrium.” Carter turned and almost bumped into Ellery, who’d positioned herself in the doorway for a better look.

  “I love the windows.” She took a step forward and the fragrance of something exotic and floral—jasmine, maybe—teased his senses.

  “You may want to come back later.” Carter tried unsuccessfully to block both the scent and Ellery’s attempt to enter the room. “I haven’t started a fire yet and the room gets pretty cold.”

  * * *

  Cold.

  Ellery decided the description fit her tour guide, too.

  Karen probably hadn’t noticed the wintry look in Carter’s eyes when she’d drafted him to take her place, but Ellery certainly had.

  Was the man this abrupt with all the guests? Or just her?

  She tried to peek around Carter, and she could almost feel his impatience as he moved to the side.

  In spite of Carter’s reluctance to linger any longer than was necessary, Ellery couldn’t help but step into the room.

  A couch upholstered in emerald-green velvet and two matching chairs curved around the hearth like a smile. A light glowed in a rustic crèche on the mantel, illuminating a small band of shepherds gathered around the holy family.

  Ellery’s gaze moved to the balsam tree in the corner and a lump instantly formed in her throat.

  This would be her first Christmas alone.

  Like Karen, Ellery’s mom had decorated every room in the house. Miles of lights, rooms scented with bayberry and cloves and exquisitely wrapped gifts underneath the tree.

  The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas had been filled with laughter and a steady stream of guests. Candace Marshall had understood that entertaining was more than simply sharing the same space—it meant sharing your life.

  A legacy Ellery had continued after the private plane her parents had rented had gone down on their way to a medical conference.

  For the last eight months, Ellery had poured all of her time and energy into starting a foundation that bore the Marshall name. Caring for people gave her a purpose. Something that filled the empty spaces in her heart when she returned to an empty house at the end of the day.

  Still... Christmas.

  Ellery couldn’t imagine celebrating the Savior’s birth without her parents.

  She walked across the room, each step giving her a precious moment to collect herself.

  Mullioned windows framed the peaceful scene outside. When Ellery had arrived, travel weary and white-knuckled from maneuvering through the snow-covered back roads, all her attention had been focused on the inn itself, not her surroundings.

  Now she could see a weathered barn and a cluster of tiny stone outbuildings with arched windows and sloping rooflines dusted with snow.

  “It looks like a gingerbread village.”

  “I’ve always thought the same thing.” Karen appeared at Ellery’s side. “It’s been suggested that I have those old buildings torn down, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it yet.”

  “No!” The word rolled out before Ellery could stop it. “They’re part of the inn’s history.”

  “But not as practical as a parking lot,” Carter interjected.

  Ellery should have known. The person who’d “suggested” that Karen level the outbuildings was the same one who’d voiced his opinion on how best to utilize the empty space.

  But a parking
lot? Really?

  Karen turned toward Carter with a smile, unaware of the tension that had been crackling in the air since the beginning of the tour. “I’ll pick up Bea after school today. A package we ordered was shipped to the post office, and we can swing by to get it on our way home.”

  Carter shook his head. “More decorations?”

  “Christmas,” Karen responded cheerfully, summing up the reason for the festive environment with a single word. She winked at Ellery. “We do tend to go a little overboard this time of year.”

  “The tree is beautiful,” Ellery murmured.

  “Carter and Bea found it on the property,” Karen said. “Cutting down the tree has become a tradition.”

  Carter cleared his throat. “And speaking of cutting down trees...”

  “I believe that is my cue to take over and let my son get back to work.” Karen linked her arm through Ellery’s. “Carter keeps some trails open for the guests, so feel free to explore the grounds. I also have a map of cross-country ski trails near Castle Falls, if you’re interested.”

  Ellery was interested in the people who lived there.

  And more than ready to escape the chill in the air.

  She could practically feel Carter’s watchful gaze as she and Karen left the room.

  “There’s a full breakfast every morning, but in the winter, I discovered that people don’t like to venture very far from the inn,” the innkeeper told her as they retraced their steps down the hall. “You’ll find a pot of homemade soup and bread in the dining room for lunch, but supper is on your own. There’s also a grocery store in Castle Falls if you prefer to stash a few things in the minifridge in your room.”

  Karen retrieved a colorful flyer from a wire basket next to the computer and slid it across the desk. “Compliments of the Chamber of Commerce. If you decide to stay through the weekend, you might want to watch the parade.” Her eyes sparkled with humor. “I can’t guarantee peace and quiet, though. Most of the town shows up.”

  Ellery’s mouth went dry.

  In a small town, didn’t the majority of conversations revolve around the people who lived there? If Ellery kept her eyes and ears open, it was possible she could learn more about her brothers’ character from the people who saw them on a daily basis than she would from a private investigator.

  Ellery studied the collage of tiny photographs on the flyer. A family sharing a picnic in a gazebo. The silhouette of a man paddling a red canoe down the river. Slices of life that made up the town her brothers called home.

  “There’s a calendar of events inside,” Karen continued. “The Happy Cow—that’s the ice cream parlor on the main street—introduces a new flavor during their open house, and that always draws a crowd. The local businesses get pretty creative.”

  “What do you do here, at the inn?”

  “The pastor of a local church asked if I would host the live nativity this year. I’ve been looking for ways to connect with the community more and it seemed like the perfect opportunity...” Karen’s voice trailed off and she glanced in the direction of the gathering room.

  Ellery couldn’t prove it, of course, but she suspected that the handsome, gray-eyed Scrooge who preferred concrete parking lots to quaint stone outbuildings didn’t approve of live nativities, either.

  Chapter Four

  The next day, Carter spent the majority of his time in the heated garage, fixing the ancient plow that Karen had inherited when she’d bought the inn. The thing was as temperamental as an old mule, but there wasn’t enough money in the budget to replace it, so Carter did his best to coax the engine to life after every snow.

  On his way out, he grabbed the bucket of salt by the door. Making sure the sidewalk didn’t double as a skating rink was the last item on his to-do list for the day.

  A flash of color in the center of the yard caught Carter’s eye and he walked over to investigate.

  Bea had informed him that she was going to make a snow “horse” after school, but it had undergone a transformation since the last time Carter had seen it. The snow sculpture now boasted button eyes, a shaggy white mane recycled from the head of a dust mop and reins fashioned from a scarf that looked as if it had been spun from cotton candy.

  Carter wasn’t all that savvy when it came to fashion, but thanks to Jennifer’s high-end taste in clothing, he could tell the difference between wool and cashmere.

  Considering there were only two female guests in residence at the moment, he had a pretty strong hunch who the scarf belonged to.

  How it had ended up in Bea’s possession, though, was a mystery.

  In his mind’s eye, Carter saw his daughter blithely skipping across yet another invisible boundary. There were two rows of hooks in the back hallway, one designated for family and one for guests, but to a five-year-old, a scarf was a scarf. Especially when said five-year-old was in a hurry. Or when the article of clothing that caught her eye happened to be in her favorite shade of pink.

  Carter wasn’t completely sure if either theory was correct, but there was one thing he did know. If he didn’t remove the scarf before the temperature plummeted, it would be permanently welded to Bea’s snow horse come morning.

  Carter’s careful attempt to loosen it stirred a hint of jasmine into the night air, providing yet another clue about the owner’s identity.

  The temptation to place the scarf on one of the hooks in the hallway and go about his business was strong. But if Bea had taken it without permission, an apology might be in order, too.

  He took the stairs two at a time to the second floor, rapped on Ellery’s door and waited. And waited some more.

  It suddenly occurred to Carter that he hadn’t seen Ellery all day. A thin layer of snow still blanketed the Lexus, which meant she hadn’t driven into Castle Falls.

  Feel free to explore the grounds.

  His mom extended the same offer to all the guests, but Carter couldn’t imagine Ellery Marshall taking her up on it, let alone helping herself to one of the extra pairs of snowshoes or skis and striking out on her own.

  Then again, this was the woman who’d stopped along the road during a snowstorm to take a picture of a bald eagle.

  Karen Bristow kept a motherly eye on everyone who stayed under her roof, so it was possible she would know where Ellery was.

  Knowing his mom usually prepped for breakfast this time of the day, Carter retraced his steps to the first floor and walked into the kitchen.

  “Have you...” The rest of the sentence snagged in Carter’s throat.

  Because Ellery Marshall sat on a stool at the butcher block island, one foot tapping to the lively beat of “Sleigh Ride,” both hands wrapped around a coffee mug.

  His coffee mug.

  * * *

  Ellery took one look at Carter’s expression and knew there was a reason this particular room hadn’t been included on her tour the day before. She wasn’t supposed to be here.

  Growing up, though, the kitchen had been Ellery’s favorite room in the house. The air seasoned with her mother’s laughter, a tangle of fresh herbs in terra-cotta pots on the windowsill and whatever soup was bubbling away on the stove.

  Even now, when she was alone, Ellery found the simple task of kneading bread dough or chopping vegetables more relaxing than a day at the spa.

  And Karen Bristow’s kitchen, with its canopy of gleaming copper pots and splashes of daffodil yellow and periwinkle blue, had invited Ellery to linger.

  Ask God to reveal what her next step should be.

  No. That wasn’t quite true.

  What Ellery needed was the courage to take the next step and actually spend some time in the town her brothers called home.

  The reason she’d driven to Castle Falls in the first place.

  Carter’s gaze lit on the chunky ceramic mug in Ellery’s hand and she made another impulsive decision.
>
  “Would you like some coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”

  “There’s always a coffee bar set up in the dining room,” he said slowly. “My mom is pretty strict about guests wandering into the kitchen—”

  “Unless that guest knows her way around a French press.” Karen glided into the room, Bea bouncing along at her heels, and smiled at Ellery. “And is willing to share.”

  Ellery returned the woman’s smile as she slipped off the stool. As tempting as it was to linger, she didn’t want her presence to be a source of friction between Carter and his mother. “I’ll take this upstairs to my room.”

  “Wait...” Carter stepped into Ellery’s path. Dipped his hand into his coat pocket and produced an enormous ball of fuzzy pink yarn. “Does this belong to you?”

  Bea recognized it first. “Those are Snowflake’s reins, Daddy!”

  “I gave the scarf to Bea, Deputy Bristow,” Ellery said quickly, in case Carter had assumed his daughter had taken it without permission. “When we put the finishing touches on Snowflake, I was the one who suggested she needed reins.”

  “We?” Carter repeated.

  Ellery should have known that a man trained in investigative techniques would zero in on that particular word!

  Bea danced across the room and landed at Carter’s feet. “Miss El’ry helped me! And tomorrow we’re going to find a blanket and make Snowflake a saddle and—”

  “Miss El—Marshall—is here on vacation,” Carter interjected when Bea paused to take a breath.

  “I know that, Daddy, but I heard her tell Gramma that she needs some peace and quiet.” She looked up at him, her expression earnest. “And snow horses are very, very quiet.”

  Ellery suddenly witnessed an amazing transformation take place. A mixture of love and tenderness kindled in Carter’s eyes and the corners of his lips rustled, sparking what looked to be the beginnings of an honest-to-goodness smile.

  One that Ellery felt all the way down to her toes.

  And if only a hint of a smile could wreak havoc with her pulse, she could only imagine what kind of lasting damage a real one would do.