“Doesn’t your leg hurt?” Belle asked.
“Nah,” Meg said, settling back into the bed. “It hurt a little when I first woke up, but I asked for some ibuprofen. It’s good enough for now. So… where did you sneak off to, hmm?” She wiggled her eyebrows for emphasis, which made Belle groan and drop her head onto the bed.
“I went to see James, but when I got to the Inn, he wasn’t there…” She went on to tell Meg everything that had happened, until her grandmother began to crunch her ice furiously.
“I never liked that Murdoch girl! Not even a little bit!”
Annabelle laughed. “That’s not the point, gran. Maybe Addison is on to something, you know? Maybe I’m not enough for James and Daisy. Maybe this all happening too fast. I just don’t know if I should have ever let us get tangled up again, even for so little an amount of time. You know how we are with each other.”
“I do know, Annabelle. That is the point. It like you two have been bonded by something stronger than love. Perhaps you needed to spend time apart to learn how to be people on your own, without that entanglement. But you were always meant to find your way back to each other again. And I think leaving now would be the worst thing you could do... for either of you.”
Belle sunk down further into the bed with a sigh. “I don’t know, gran. I think I just need to go back to New York for a while and get my bearings. I can’t think here, not when I could run into James anytime I go into town. Plus, I’m missing so much at the restaurant. It would just be for a few days, while you’re safe in here and being watched by the nurses. I’ll come back before they discharge you.”
Meg reached down and patted her granddaughter’s head gently. “You do what you need to do, Belle, but I just want you to consider that your bearings might not be in New York. And anyway, it would be really nice to have you here for Christmas.”
Annabelle squeezed her grandmother’s hand and sighed. She didn’t want to leave Wintervale, but if she was going to clear her head, it was her only option. Besides, she knew she’d be back for Christmas.
One way or the other…
18
James
James’ truck skidded to a stop in front of the Middle Road Inn; he barely managed to throw the emergency break before hitting a street lamp on the corner. He had no intention of being so late to meet Belle, but Patty had taken her sweet time getting to the house, and by the time she knocked on the door it was already almost 4:30.
His stomach was in knots by the time he ran through the front door of the restaurant. He knew that any opportunity to talk to Belle alone was absolutely shot since the early bird crew would already be lined up for their dinner. But at least he might be able to take her into the storeroom, so they could talk for a minute before things got hectic.
His prediction had been correct; the restaurant was already packed. Except he didn’t see Belle anywhere.
I should have called. James thought as he peeked through the customers to see if she was just hidden among them somewhere. Instead, Addison came charging at him from the kitchen as though she had been watching for him.
“James! You’re a little late, huh? Something hold you up?”
James raised a confused eyebrow at her. “What? Addison, I group messaged the whole staff and let them know I was running late. I know you got the text.”
Addison slapped her head like she was the silliest person in the world and laughed a little too loudly. “I’m so sorry! I forgot. Well, you didn’t miss much. Just the kitchen guys goofing around and some people showing up a little earlier than usual.”
James looked around the dining room again; even more confused than he had been when he got there. “I don’t… you’re telling me no one came here to see me? At all? All afternoon?”
Addison shrugged. “Not a soul. Were you expecting someone?”
His shoulders slumped in frustration. Why would she do that? Why would she just blow me off like that? At first, he worried that something was wrong with Meg, but he knew that Belle would have told him if that were the case. What other reason could she have for not showing up?
“Oh! James! You’ll never believe what I fount when I was poking around online earlier. A magazine in New York wrote a story on your friend, what’s her name, Annabelle Harrison? I thought you’d get a kick out of reading it!”
James turned around, not entirely processing what Addison was saying to him. “What?”
She handed James a printed-out article from Midtown Monthly titled, “Dynamic Duo Bring a Taste of France to SoHo,” and at the top, there was a picture of Belle snuggled up with a man in a booth at her restaurant. He was devastatingly handsome, like movie star from the 40s. He had stylishly cut salt-and-pepper hair and a smile that practically lit up the whole photo. Annabelle’s head rested on his shoulder as the man looked lovingly at her and all of it made James’ forehead crease with anger in a way he couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Read the article” Addison said, a little too much excitement in her voice. James shook his head at her in annoyance but went behind the register to read it anyway.
* * *
If you’ve been looking for a taste of the delicacies of France with a touch of that South of Houston charm, then look no further than Arcadia Café, recently opened by long-time partners, Annabelle Harrison and Sam Patton. Together since culinary school, the pair have found a way to turn their gastronomic dreams into a reality.
Arcadia Café, now open at the corner of Spring and Greene St., has something for everyone, because every dish is made with love. Harrison and Patton, who have developed a shorthand in their years together, crafted their menu of classic French dishes and delicious pastries based on the meals they have shared together in Paris.
“I couldn’t have done this with anyone but Annabelle,” Patton said when we recently visited Arcadia. “We understand each other in a way that is vital to making something like this work, and our connection will show in the amazing food you will undoubtedly enjoy here.”
* * *
James set the article down, unable to read any more, he stared out unblinking into the crowded restaurant. Suddenly, Addison appeared around the corner with a huge smile on her face.
“Isn’t that article sweet? It really sounds like Annabelle and that Sam guy are close. I wish I had someone who cared about me that much.”
James just scowled at her as he tried not to spiral out of control. There was absolutely no way that Belle would keep something like that from him, Meg definitely wouldn’t. If she and this Sam guy were a couple, it would have come up. Meg would have known and mentioned it. And yet… he couldn’t help but feel a little queasy when he glanced back down at the photo. It didn’t help that Addison kept walking by him making little comments.
“I think the next time I go into the city, I’m going to have to stop by their restaurant. If the food is really that good… I mean, you would know, right? She used to cook for you, right? It’s been a while though. Not since she met Sam?”
James glared when she hurried past him to deliver a tray of food to a large table of seniors in the back without giving him time to respond, which was likely her plan.
With a sigh of frustration, he crumpled up the article and tossed it in the trash, unsure of what he should do next. Should he go to the hospital and see if Belle was there? Should he go to the house? Should he do nothing until he’d calmed down?
He could hear Marisa’s voice in his head, voting for the last option, and he knew it was the right one. But a small part of him was also still worried that something was wrong with Meg, and he didn’t want to take a chance of that being the answer.
“James, is everything okay? You look a little upset?” Addison said, sliding up next to him, her eyes wide and innocent as she blinked up at him. He wasn’t sure how she expected this stunt to go, but it certainly wasn’t going the way she intended because all he wanted to do was get away from the restaurant and from her as quickly as possible.
“I have to
go. Tell Raph to keep an eye on things until I get back.”
Addison’s mouth dropped open in surprise as he scooted around her headed for the front door. He only paused long enough to grab his coat from the rack before running out to his truck.
The early evening air was even colder than usual, and it took his breath away as he unlocked the doors and jumped inside. He just sat there for a while, waiting for the truck to heat up, still unsure if he was going to go anywhere, or if he was just going to sit there and fume. He stared at the road in front of him not sure how to reorganize his thoughts or figure out what he should believe.
A light snow had started to fall again, but it wasn’t the kind of snow that stuck. It just tumbled down on to everything, lingered for a moment, and then disappeared. For some reason, it made James sad. He watched it fall like whisper in the street light until he realized he’d been sitting in his truck for half-an-hour, doing nothing, and he still hadn’t made any decision about whether or not to go see Belle.
He knew he couldn’t hide there all night, paralyzed by indecision, so he found a happy medium in pulling his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialing Annabelle’s number.
It rang. And rang. And kept ringing until it was clear that she had no intention of picking up. Before the voicemail clicked in, he considered hanging up, but once he heard her voice, he knew he couldn’t do it. He had to say something. He had to let her know that, at the very least, he was thinking about her.
“Hey, Belle. It’s James… I guess you obviously knew that. Caller ID, right? Anyway, I’m sorry I was late to meeting you, but it doesn’t sound like you came anyway? Unless I missed you? I honestly don’t know what happened today, but I hope everything is okay with Meg and that we just had a miscommunication about the time or something. I really would like to talk to you. Just the two of us. Whenever you have a minute... I’m sorry, you’ll probably never even listen to this anyway. Just, give me a call if you do. This is James, by the way. I said that already, didn’t I?”
Feeling like an absolute fool he ended the call. He had no idea why he had rambled like an idiot but that was exactly what had happened and when she listened to that message, she was going hear how disorganized his thoughts were... maybe even that leaving things the way they were was affecting him too.
But he also couldn’t shake the feeling that she might never listen to the message at all…
Was that it? Had he completely blown his chance with Belle without ever getting a chance to apologize? James had no idea what else to do or how to make it better; all he knew was that he had to go back to the restaurant and act like everything was fine for the regular dinner customers when all he wanted to do was go home and watch TV with his daughter…
And maybe start to pretend the last week had never even happened.
19
Belle
Belle hadn’t even bothered to set her alarm when she got back to her apartment the night before; she barely managed to catch the last train out of Burlington and it had only been because she sped a little too fast in her monstrous rental car to get to the train station. She’d gotten into Grand Central well after midnight, caught a cab, and crawled into bed only to fall asleep with all of her clothes on.
All of the stress and worry collapsed down on top of her as soon as she walked through her apartment door and all she wanted to do was sleep straight through the holidays. She knew that wasn’t an option… she had to be at Arcadia and back in Wintervale in time to pick up Meg when she was discharged, but there was a huge part of her that never wanted to leave her cozy little apartment ever again.
When she finally pulled the covers down from over her head, it was already after ten, and she knew she couldn’t get away with hiding for much longer.
Sam knew she was back in town and he would be all over her to hang out before she even had a chance to drink her morning coffee. With a groan of resignation, Belle tossed the blankets away and crawled out bed. She had barely pressed the button on her coffee maker when she heard the lock turn on her front door.
She dropped her head down on to the counter and groaned; Sam had a key to her apartment and he was taking advantage of his twice-a-year permission to use it when it wasn’t an emergency.
“Annabelle Harrison, where are you?” he shouted into the tiny apartment. Just the sound of his voice made her head throb.
“I’m right here, Sam. And keep the volume a little lower, huh? I have a headache.”
He walked into the kitchen, meticulously dressed, as always, in a three-piece suit. He was still wearing his sunglasses. He took them off and handed them to Belle and regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “Have a few too many Christmas spirits on the train last night?”
She waved the sunglasses away. “I didn’t drink anything. It’s just been a long few days. What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting for lunch later.”
“I thought we could hit up the Chelsea Market first and find something to make some table settings for the dinner on Christmas Eve Eve.”
Belle looked up from the counter, her eyes wide with alarm. “What dinner on Christmas Eve Eve?”
“Oh, I told you about it ages ago.”
She narrowed her eyes as she scowled at her best friend. “You most certainly did not, Samuel. What dinner?”
“Whoops… Well, Logan Gale booked a dinner party for some guests and himself tomorrow night at 8pm. Just a little thing. I think there are maybe twelve people? No more than fourteen for sure.”
“WHAT?” Belle shrieked. Logan Gale was one of the hottest up-and-coming actors in the business and he was known for being brooding and moody. He also tended to be difficult to work with and that didn’t just apply to co-stars and directors. But he had just booked a role in some epic super hero film and once word leaked out that he was having a Christmas dinner at the Arcadia it would bring them even more attention. It was a huge deal, and as far as Belle knew, Sam hadn’t even planned anything yet.
“How could you forget to tell me something like that, Sam? Do you have any idea how much work we have to do? Decorating, meal-prep, baking, we need to book music... discreet wait staff! You need to give me an allergy list and you know there is always an allergy list. And what about the exterior of the restaurant!”
“There’s my girl!” Sam exclaimed and clapped his hands. “As far as the music, I’ve got that covered. I’ve hired a cool jazz quartet that’s going to do a lovely holiday catalogue. I already picked out staff and offered them a holiday bonus. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas weeks ago. All we need to do is design a table and plan the meal, allergies accounted for, and those are what you are best at! Come on, Annie, don’t tell me you aren’t excited about this!”
A part of Annabelle was unbelievably overjoyed at the prospect of getting to plan a dinner for a soon-to-be famous young actor, even if he was a huge pain. But there was also something missing… a spark she always used to feel whenever she and Sam were getting ready for an event. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to find it again. The light inside of her that existed solely for her business had dimmed just a little bit in favor of family and friends and… Still, it wasn’t as if she had the option of saying no. This was a huge deal and it was time to work, whether she wanted to or not.
“Okay, give me a second to get dressed and take something for this headache. Then I’ll be ready. But hey… please don’t touch my bag. I’ll do it later.” Sam had a tendency to clean her apartment when she turned her back, and she didn’t want him messing with anything. He was also notoriously nosey.
He drew an X over his chest. “Cross my heart. I’ll sit right here on this stool until you get back.”
Belle ran into her room and started digging through her laundry basket for something clean to put on since the only clothes in her closet had gone to Wintervale with her. She settled on an oversized sweater, jeans, and her favorite boots. Once her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail and she had taken something for her headache, she
bolted back into the kitchen, where she found Sam putting a load of dishes in the dishwasher.
“Sam!” she shouted.
“Sorry!” he said spinning around. Then he surveyed her curiously. “You look like a Connecticut housewife running errands for her husband.”
Annabelle’s shoulders slumped as she debated whether or not she should take that as an insult. “Vermont, if you want to get specific. Come on, we need to get going if I’m going to bake anything decent in time for the dinner and get back here to change before service starts, so I don’t look like a housewife. Rude, by the way.”
“What?” Sam asked, confused.
The duo made their way to the Chelsea Market and got everything they needed to decorate a table: understated centerpieces, candles, and flatware in silver and gold that would sparkle underneath the twinkle lights on the ceiling. Then they stopped at the cheese shop and picked out a few classics to serve on an appetizer platter. Once they had dropped everything off at the restaurant, which involved a twenty-minute bus ride loaded down with bags and boxes and an even more annoying six block walk, they turned right around and headed for their favorite lunch place, Katy’s Diner.
They sat down at a booth and ordered drinks, but then neither of them said anything for what felt like a really long time. Belle never picked up her menu; she just stared down at the cover like she was looking through it, never uttering a word to Sam the entire time. Eventually, the waitress came back over and looked at them like she’d walked up on a really awkward situation, or maybe they had just come from a funeral.
“Do you… need more time?” she asked, shifting from foot-to-foot.
“Yeah, I think so,” Sam answered. The waitress walked away again, but Belle barely noticed her departure. Sam picked up his menu and smacked her on the side of the head, snapping her back to reality.
A Sugar Cookie Christmas: A Sweet Holiday Romance (Wintervale Promises Book 1) Page 13