The Inn at Holiday Bay: Note in the Nutcracker

by Kathi Daley

  “Good morning, everyone,” I said to the group who had gathered around the dining table for the first meal of the day once I’d made my way over to the inn.

  “Can I get you a plate?” Georgia asked.

  “I think I’ll start with coffee and a muffin,” I answered. “But I’ll get it.”

  After grabbing coffee and a muffin from the kitchen, I returned to the table and joined the others. “So, what are we talking about?”

  “We’re talking about what to do today,” Haley provided before anyone else could answer. She sure did look cute today in her reindeer sweater, green pants, and long curly pigtails.

  “We did cookies and tree decorating yesterday,” Annabelle said, “so I think we are going to do something outside, like sledding or ice skating.”

  “Or maybe build a snowman,” Haley jumped in.

  “A snowman would be fun,” I agreed. “And I’ve been thinking we need one out in front to greet the guests when they arrive.”

  “Maybe even a family of snow people,” Christy suggested, as she leaned over to move her daughter’s juice glass back from the edge of the table.

  “Do we have hats and scarves and stuff to dress them up?” Jeremy asked.

  “I have some stuff we can use,” Georgia answered.

  “And I have an old top hat that will be perfect for one of our snow people. And I remember having a purple scarf.” I added. “After we eat, I’ll go through my closet and see what I can find.”

  “Annabelle has rehearsal for the pageant this afternoon, so maybe we can do the snowmen either right before or right after lunch,” Jeremy suggested. “I think the warmest part of the day is supposed to be right around lunch time.”

  “I can be available to help at lunch,” Christy said.

  I looked at Mylie. “Do you have plans today?”

  She shook her head. “I was just going to hang out and help the others with the snowmen. Bachelor number one checks in today, and I have to admit that I am curious to meet the guy in spite of the fact that he is totally wrong for me.”

  “I suppose we should stop referring to our guests as bachelor number one, two, and three,” I said. “I’m afraid we’ll slip and call them that in front of them once they arrive.”

  Everyone had a chuckle about the possible reactions of these men should a slip occur. Perhaps they’d be the sort to find humor in the situation and join in with the fun, but it seemed just as likely to me that they wouldn’t see the humor and might actually be mad.

  After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways, but they agreed to meet in the lobby at eleven. They figured they’d build their snowmen, have lunch, and then Haley could take a nap while Annabelle was at pageant rehearsal. Riley Camden was due to check in around three o’clock, and while Mylie had already made it clear that Riley was not going to be the one for her, she also mentioned her plan to shower and clean up after they’d tackled the snow people family and before the new guest arrived.

  Unfortunately for Mylie and her plan to present her best self at first meeting of the man who would forever be bachelor number one in my mind, Riley showed up three hours early, which was just about the time Jeremy was dumping an armful of snow over Mylie’s head in retaliation for her putting snow down the front of his shirt.

  “Looks like fun,” the totally gorgeous man, who seemed to ooze personality from every pore, chuckled after parking his car and joining the group.

  “We are making a family,” Haley said. “My name is Haley. Who are you?”

  “My name is Riley.”

  “I used to have a stuffed dog named Riley,” she informed the man.

  He smiled. “Did you now?”

  “He was brown, with floppy ears and only one eye. I’m really not sure what happened to that eye.”

  “Well, I guess as long as you took good care of him and gave him lots of love, he didn’t mind,” Riley responded.

  She grinned. “He didn’t mind at all.” She turned to her right. “This is my mom and our friend, Noah. Mom used to have a cat named Riley when she was a little girl, which is how I got the name for my stuffed dog, but her cat had both his eyes.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he replied.

  Noah stuck out a hand in greeting. “Good to meet you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Riley said.

  “Noah works at a church,” Haley informed the man. “Do you go to church?”

  Riley turned his attention back to Haley. “No. I’m afraid I don’t go to church.”

  “Why not? Mommy says we should be sure to go to God’s house to thank him for all the good things in our lives.”

  “Haley, honey,” Christy interrupted. “I’m sure Riley is happy to meet you, but we don’t want to take up all his time.”

  She looked at him. “Aren’t you staying?”

  “I am. And I do want to head inside and get settled, but first, I want to meet everyone,” he answered.

  “I’m Annabelle, and this is my uncle, Jeremy,” Annabelle jumped in.

  “I’m happy to meet you both,” Riley replied.

  Jeremy held out his hand and shook Riley’s. “Welcome.” He turned to his left. “The victim of my snow bath is Mylie, and the woman in the red ski cap is Abby. Abby owns the inn.”

  “Welcome to Holiday Bay,” I said.

  “Thank you,” Riley answered. “I’ve been looking forward to checking out both the inn and the town.”

  “And I’m Georgia,” she stepped forward and offered a hand. “We spoke on the phone.”

  “Of course. I’m so happy to meet you all. I can already tell that I’m going to love this place.”

  “That is our goal,” Georgia smiled. “We have your suite all ready. If you want to follow me inside, I’ll get you checked in, and Jeremy can see to your bags.”

  “Are you coming back to help with the snowmen?” Haley asked before Georgia could usher the man inside.

  Riley looked down at his slacks and loafers. “I’d love to help, but I guess I’m not really dressed for it.”

  “Didn’t your mom tell you to bring boots?”

  He smiled. “I guess she forgot to mention it, but I should have anticipated the snow and dressed appropriately.”

  “It’s okay,” Haley said. “We are going to do lots of fun stuff. You can help next time.”

  Riley chuckled and offered Haley a wink. I loved the fact that he didn’t seem annoyed that she’d been asking so many questions, and had, in fact, answered her with respect rather than talking down to her as many adults did with children. Mylie had faded into the background after Jeremy introduced her, but I think, given the fact that she had snow in her hair and down the neck of her jacket, that was intentional.

  By the time Riley had checked in, changed into warmer clothes, and come back down, everyone had gathered for lunch. I took the opportunity to provide the man with a few fun facts about the inn and the activities we had planned. Haley seemed fascinated by Riley and made sure to sit next to him on one side, while Annabelle had sat down on the other. The guy was a looker and oh so charming. I guess even females as young as Haley and Annabelle naturally gravitated toward him.

  “I’m going to be in a play tomorrow if you want to come,” Annabelle informed Riley, as Georgia served homemade stew and hot out of the oven bread.

  “That sounds fun. What time is it?” he asked.

  “It starts at six, but you should come early to get a seat. My uncle is going to take me early, but Abby, Mylie, Georgia, and Georgia’s boyfriend, Tanner, are going if you need a ride.”

  “I’m coming too,” Haley jumped in.

  “I’d planned to spend some time in town tomorrow, but maybe I can meet everyone there,” he answered. “I love Christmas pageants. When I was a few years older than you are now, I got the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in our local production.”

  “I did Scrooge when I was a kid,” Mylie jumped in. “I was the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

  “I don�
�t like ghosts,” Haley said.

  “The ghosts in this play were funny ghosts,” Mylie informed Haley. “Not really scary. Well, maybe the Ghost of Christmas Future was a little scary, but it was pretty kid-friendly. I have the book in my room. I always read it at this time of the year. I can read it to you later if you’d like. At least part of it.”

  Haley looked at her mom.

  “That would be fun,” Christy answered.

  “I want to hear it too, so don’t do it while I’m at rehearsal,” Annabelle said.

  The conversation migrated to everyone’s plans for the afternoon. Christy wanted Haley to have a nap, Annabelle had rehearsal, Georgia had another cookie recipe to try, and Riley expressed interest in checking out the town. He invited anyone who was interested in going to join him, but everyone other than Mylie was busy. He made a comment about it being up to her to show him around. She shyly accepted his offer to have a drink and check out the store windows. When I’d spoken to Mylie yesterday, she’d seemed so assured and confident, but now she seemed shy and nervous. Maybe finding Mr. Right wasn’t going to be as easy for her as I’d thought.

  After lunch, I headed back to the cottage to check my emails and gather my thoughts. Georgia came in behind me. She had left the specialty pan she needed in the cottage and had come to get it. “Will you be here for dinner tonight?” she asked.

  “Actually, I’m waiting to hear from Colt. If he gets back to me, I am going to head over to Lacy’s so we can look over the police report pertaining to the death of Pamela’s mother.”

  “The whole thing really is so tragic.”

  I nodded. “It is. And while I want to help Pamela if I can, I don’t want to introduce the tragedy into our Christmas celebration here at the inn. I think that while the guests seem to be having a lot of fun with Pamela’s list, maybe we shouldn’t bring up the rest unless someone specifically asks about it.”

  “I agree, and I won’t bring it up unless someone asks.”

  After I spoke to Georgia, I realized I needed to clear my head, so I decided to take Ramos and Molly for a walk along the bluff. There were a few flurries in the air, but the temperature was well into the thirties, and the air was still, so it was actually a pleasant walk once I’d layered up and changed into my warmest boots. I had to admit that not knowing why Pamela’s parents hadn’t found her letter had left me in a melancholy mood, but I knew my mood was nothing compared to what Pamela must have gone through on that long-ago Christmas. I wasn’t sure I could help her find her answer, but I hoped I could. Of course, it was going to be a very busy couple of weeks here at the inn. We had guests checking in every day through Monday, Annabelle’s pageant, and the weekend events both in town and at the inn to navigate and enjoy. I had a lot of help at the inn, but it still wasn’t like I had a ton of time to run around playing Nancy Drew. Of course, finding the answer Pamela needed was important, as well. Perhaps the most important thing I had to do.

  I was just getting ready to turn around and head back toward the cottage when my phone rang.

  “Hey, Colt. How’d it go?”

  “I emailed you the file you requested. It seems to me that the only chance we’ll have of finding a new direction to take with the investigation will be to find a witness that didn’t come forward back then, but keep in mind that the incident occurred a long time ago, so there most likely won’t be many folks in the area who even remember what happened.”

  “I know. I don’t think either Lacy or I have unrealistic expectations.”

  “If you have questions, call me and be careful not to ruffle anyone’s feathers. There is a temp at the local station in my absence, and he isn’t likely to want to have a couple of civilians digging around in an old murder case.”

  “I’ll be careful and discreet. How was Disney today?”

  “Fantastic. As with the other parks we’ve visited, the decorations are breathtaking. The kids and I feel like we landed in the North Pole. Without the cold and snow, of course.”

  “Of course. I’m glad you are having a good time. I’ve seen photos, and it really does look magical. What are you planning tomorrow?”

  “Animal Kingdom, I think. There was talk about Universal Studios, but with all the running around the kids did today, I think we might want to go with something a bit lower key.”

  “It sounds like anywhere you choose will provide a lot of interesting things to explore.”

  “The kids are getting antsy for our afternoon break to be over, so I really need to go. Maybe I’ll call you tonight after I get them to bed.”

  “I’d like that. And thanks again for the file.”

  When I got back to the cottage, I called Lacy and told her I had the file. The kids would be home from play rehearsal in a couple of hours, and she planned to have dinner as soon as they got home, so we agreed we’d wait to talk about the file after the meal was served. I headed into my bedroom to shower and change. Once I was dressed, I fed the animals, checked the thermostat setting, and headed back to the inn to tell Georgia what I was doing. When I arrived at the inn, I found Georgia, Christy, and Haley making ornaments.

  “Do you want to join us?” Haley asked.

  “I’d love to, but I am heading over to Lonnie and Lacy’s for dinner.” I glanced at the cookies that were still piled high on the counter from yesterday. “I bet the kids would love one of those cookies.” I looked at Georgia. “Can I take some?”

  “Take as many as you want. We have plenty. There is a box in the pantry you can use to transport them.”

  Georgia donated a lot of baked goods to events in the community, so she’d ordered boxes with our logo on them to provide extra advertising.

  “Something smells good,” I said as I entered the kitchen to get the box.

  “I’m making seafood lasagna for dinner,” Georgia said.

  I groaned when I realized I was going to miss one of my favorite dishes. “I love seafood lasagna. If there is any left, please leave a plate in the refrigerator in the cottage for me.”

  “There will be plenty,” Georgia assured me. “I’ll save some for you.”

  After I grabbed the box, I loaded it up and headed back to where the group was working on the ornaments. “Those are so special and pretty,” I said.

  “You can make one when you get back,” Haley offered.

  “I just might do that.”

  “Tell Lacy and Lonnie hi for me,” Christy said. She’d met them when she stayed with us in November.

  “I will.”

  “And ask them if they are coming to Annabelle’s play tomorrow,” Haley added.

  “I know they plan to come because the triplets all have small parts.”

  “Oh, yeah. Annabelle told me they are going to be elves,” Haley responded.

  “And I bet they are the cutest elves ever,” I said as I pulled on my mittens after securing the box of cookies. It was hard to leave the warm inn for the cold exterior, but it would be nice to visit with Lacy and Lonnie. They were two of my closest friends, but I’d been busy, and it had been a while since we’d gotten together.

  Chapter 6

  As I predicted she would, Lacy had decorated every square inch of her large yard and cozy home. While the decorations at the inn tended to fall on the side of sophistication, Lonnie and Lacy’s home sported plastic reindeer, life-size Santas, homemade tree decorations, and personalized stockings hung from the fireplace. In a word, it was perfection.

  “The candy cane lights you have lining the walkway are really cute,” I said to Lacy as I took off my coat and hung it on the rack. “And the Santa and his eight tiny reindeer on the roof are adorable. I guess it was because it was still daytime, and they weren’t lit up, but I didn’t really notice them when I picked you up and dropped you off yesterday.”

  “You just pulled up on the street, and I ran out, so it isn’t surprising you didn’t notice them. And they really do show up best when lit. The kids enjoy the decorations, so even though it takes two full days to ge
t them all set up, and another two days to take them down, I find myself going overboard every year. Can I get you a glass of wine?”

  “I’d like that. Where is everyone?”

  She pulled two wine glasses out of the cupboard. “Lonnie went to pick up the triplets from rehearsal, and then he was going to take all the kids to the hardware store to see if the seven-foot-tall North Pole sign they ordered is in.”

  I smiled. “Now, that sounds like a perfect family moment.”

  “Memory making can take a lot of work, but in the end, Lonnie and I both feel it is important,” she said, setting a glass of deep red wine in front of me. “There are times I want to declare that enough is enough, but then I see those smiling faces, and I know I would travel to the real North Pole for a sign if it meant I could bring a moment of joy to the little hearts of those I love so much.”

  “I totally get it.” My heart ached just a bit as I considered the memories I would never have the chance to make with Johnathan. My baby hadn’t even made it to his first Christmas. What I would have given for him to have done so. “Georgia and I have had fun with our decorations this year. It isn’t the same or as special as building memories with a family, but we are really enjoying the family we’ve managed to patch together.”

  “You guys are both so awesome. And you have patched together a family. I really admire you for that.”

  I smiled and took my laptop out of my bag.

  Lacy glanced in my direction. “So, what did Colt manage to dig up?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t opened the file yet. Should we wait until after dinner?”

  “We can take a peek, and then take a break to eat when the gang gets back. Once dinner is over, we can really dig into it.”