by Kathi Daley
Chapter 13
By the time I arrived back at the inn, the Trentons had checked in and had gone into town, and Mylie and Andrew had met, and she’d gone with him to take his aunt shopping and to lunch. Mark had decided to head up north to speak to the resort owner I’d told him about, and Colt had given me contact information for, and Riley had decided to go with him to check out the area for his blog. Christy and Haley had gone somewhere with Noah and had taken Annabelle with them, and Nikki and Jeremy had cleaned all the rooms and were currently in the kitchen doing the prep work for dinner.
“Has anyone heard from Georgia?” I asked.
“Not yet,” Jeremy answered. “I’m sure she’s busy, and we won’t hear from her until the contest is over.”
“I really hope she wins,” Nikki added. “Although, even if she doesn’t, it’s really awesome that she was chosen as a finalist for today’s competition, which will be on TV tomorrow. Win or lose, it will be good publicity for the inn.”
“She has been working really hard to find the perfect recipe,” I said. “I really hope she wins as well, but I do think, win or lose, she was excited to have the opportunity to compete in the finals.”
“I heard that a lady who owns a bakeshop west of here wins almost every year,” Nikki said.
“I guess that is the way it happens sometimes,” I answered. “This is Georgia’s first year in the competition. I’m sure if she doesn’t win, she will have picked up some tips that will help her next year.” I poured a cup of coffee and then went to stand in front of the small brick fireplace we’d built into the kitchen when we’d done the remodel. It had been chilly up at the snow park, and I was still trying to warm up.
“So, did you find out what you needed to find out?” Jeremy asked.
“We did,” I confirmed. “We were able to verify that Pamela’s father was at the snow park buying the snow globe during the window of time when Pamela’s mother was murdered. I called Colt, and he is going to do the paperwork to have the case reopened and clear Pamela’s father’s name. He won’t be able to do anything until after the holidays, but given what we found, he doesn’t think there will be any problems.”
“So, if the father didn’t kill the mother, who did?” Nikki asked.
“I don’t know for certain, but I suspect it might have been the nanny. I don’t have evidence that proves this theory, but it is the one that has stuck in my mind. The thing is that if the nanny did kill Pamela’s mother, I’m afraid that fact will destroy her. This woman was like a mother to her. I really think that if the nanny is guilty, Pamela is better off not knowing.”
“Yeah,” Nikki said. “That does sound like a tough one.”
I’d picked a cookie up off the tray when I heard a crash, followed closely by a screech, and then giggling. “It sounds like the gang is back.”
I’d barely finished my sentence when Haley and Annabelle came crashing into the kitchen.
“We don’t run indoors,” Jeremy reminded the two little girls.
“Sorry,” Annabelle said. “Can we have hot cocoa and a cookie?”
“I’ll make the cocoa while the two of you go and put on dry clothes. What did you do, take a snow bath?”
“We went to the little sledding hill in the park,” Annabelle answered. “It was pretty lame compared to yesterday, so Noah rented snowmobiles. I rode with Christy, and Haley rode with Noah. It was so much fun! Christy has photos for the board.” Annabelle grabbed Haley’s hand. “Let’s go and change, so we can have cocoa.”
The girls had just left the room when Christy and Noah came in with huge grins on their faces.
“It sounds like you had fun,” I said as Jeremy poured milk into a pan to heat.
“We really did have the best time,” Christy confirmed. “I’m glad that Annabelle and Haley get along so well together. I really think that having Annabelle here is helping her to forget about her sadness over the death of her father to an extent. I was worried this would be a difficult holiday, but so far, it has been really fun.”
Noah grabbed a cup of coffee, but Christy indicated that she would wait for cocoa.
“So, are Mylie and Andrew back?” Christy asked after grabbing a cookie and settling on a barstool at the counter.
“Not yet,” I answered.
“I spoke to her this morning, and she is really nervous about this whole soulmate thing,” Christy shared. “She is so sweet, and I really hope that she finds the perfect guy, but I think the psychic might have gotten into her head about finding the perfect guy to the point where she might not be able to approach things organically.”
“What do you mean?” Jeremy asked.
“Her approach is just so methodical. She has a checklist of traits she’s looking for, and I’ve actually seen her checking things off as she goes. I would say that it is rare that you can decide to find your one true love and then go about meeting him and falling in love in two weeks. If you are juggling three men and are that calculated in your approach, the chance of falling in love naturally is all but impossible. I know she really wants to get started on a family, but there are just some things that need to happen naturally.”
“I agree,” Jeremy said. “Mylie is an awesome person, and she deserves a great guy who will be a real partner for her. I do feel like she might miss something special if she approaches things too logically. Still, I guess this is her journey to take, and all we can really do is support her.”
“I was thinking about…” I began when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID. It was Georgia.
“Hey,” I answered. “The gang is here, so I’m going to put you on speaker if that is okay.”
“Yeah. That’s fine.”
“So?” Jeremy asked. “How did it go?”
“Second place, which actually isn’t bad since this is my first year competing.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, but there’s more.”
“More?” I asked.
“The producer came up to me after the judging and said he wanted to talk to me. It turns out that he thinks I have an engaging presence, and he wanted to know if I would like to do a weekly segment on cable TV.”
“Weekly segment?” I asked.
“Cooking with Georgia. He offered me a ten-episode contract to start so we can try it out and see how it all comes together, but he said if it went well, they would extend it to a thirty-episode contract. I’d only have to be in the studio one morning a week for taping, and I could do a lot of the prep work at home. What do you think?”
What did I think? “Do you want to do it?”
“Honestly, at first, I wasn’t sure. I have responsibilities at the inn that are important to me. But the producer is fine with me plugging the inn, and they would introduce me as Georgia Carter from the Inn at Holiday Bay. If I take the job, it would mean a lot of free publicity for the inn. I guess since it’s only a ten-episode contract to start, I’m inclined to try it. If it doesn’t work out, I don’t have to extend.”
“I’d be happy to handle breakfast on the days you tape,” Jeremy said. “I can work out a carpool for Annabelle if I need to.”
“If you want to do it, I’m all for it,” I offered.
“I think you would be so good in that role,” Christy added. “I know I’d watch the show.”
“Me too,” Noah added.
I could hear Georgia breathing, but she didn’t say anything right off. Eventually, she spoke. “Okay. I think I’ll tell them I will sign on for ten episodes, and then we can take it from there. If it interferes with my role at the inn, I won’t extend, but if we can work out the logistics and it helps to promote the inn, then maybe I will take on the show for the longer term.”
“I think this is going to be really awesome,” I added.
“Me too. I need to go. I will be later getting back than I thought, however.”
“No problem,” Jeremy said. “Nikki and I can handle the preparation and ser
ving of dinner.”
After Georgia rang off, I asked Christy about her photos from the day. She pulled them up on her phone and invited me to scroll through them.
“Oh, I love this one with Annabelle and Haley sitting together on the snowmobile,” I said. “They look like they are having a lot of fun.”
“They were. We didn’t let them ride without an adult, but we did take some photos with just the two of them.”
I continued to scroll through. “Oh, and look at these you took in the park.” I felt my heart squeeze just a bit. “I love this one with Haley sitting on Santa’s lap.”
“That is a good one. I think I’ll print that one and a few others for the board.”
“I am really loving that board,” I said. “I feel like I can experience all the Christmas moments, even those I have been unable to participate in.”
“What are you going to do with all the photos at the end of the season?” Christy asked.
“I think I’m going to put them in an album and date it Christmas 2019. Then I’ll do a new album each year and leave them in the library so that guests can experience a genuine Inn at Holiday Bay Christmas for years to come.”
Chapter 14
Christmas Eve
When I woke on Christmas Eve to find Rufus snuggled up next to my face and Molly sleeping next to my leg, I smiled. I glanced out the window at the gently falling snow, and somehow deep inside, I knew today was going to be an exceptional day. The little tree I’d set up in the corner of my room twinkled with white lights, and I could hear the sound of carols on the stereo coming from the main living area of the cottage. I took a few minutes to count my blessings before crawling out from beneath the layers of blankets I’d piled onto the bed. I pulled on my robe and slippers and then wandered into the kitchen just as Georgia was getting ready to head out.
“Good morning” She smiled. “Happy Christmas Eve.”
“To you as well.”
“I’m heading next door to get breakfast ready. The coffee is made if you’d prefer to relax over here for a while.”
“I want to join everyone for breakfast. I’ll grab a cup of coffee to wake me up, and then jump in the shower.”
“Okay, great. I have homemade cinnamon rolls to accompany the meat and egg dishes. I know they are your favorite.”
That was a true statement. I loved Georgia’s homemade cinnamon rolls quite a lot.
After Georgia left, I poured a cup of coffee and took a minute to drink it. I walked over to the window and looked out over the endless sea. The sky was dark and overcast, but the snow flurries in the air provided a perfect feel for the holiday. When I’d first come to Holiday Bay, I knew I’d found the perfect place to heal my life. The fact that I greeted this morning with actual joy in my soul after the darkness that had lived there the past two Christmases, proved to me that my gut instinct had been right.
By the time I got over to the inn, the gang had all gathered.
“Santa is coming tonight!” Haley was jumping up and down with so much pent up energy I was afraid she was going to burst.
“Yes, he is,” I jumped up and down a bit myself. “And I’m so very excited as well.”
She hugged me hard and then took a step back. “When I sat on Santa’s lap yesterday at the park, I asked him for a kitten. Do you think he will bring me one?”
“Uh, I’m not sure.” This was the first I’d heard of the kitten wish. “Does Santa bring kittens?”
“Mom said he doesn’t, but I know he does because my friend, Veronica, got a kitten last Christmas. I can’t wait to see if mine is orange or black or even white.”
I supposed I should pull Christy aside and ask her if she knew about Haley’s special Christmas wish. It sounded as if Haley had at least mentioned a kitten to Christy, but I wasn’t sure if she knew she still had her hopes pinned on one.
“I asked for ice skates,” Annabelle said, joining us. “I didn’t even know I liked to skate until we went so we could take photos for Pamela’s list, but once I tried it, I loved it. Uncle Jeremy said I can even take lessons so I can get really good like those girls in the Olympics.”
“Ice skates are a wonderful gift. I actually enjoy skating as well,” I replied. “If Santa brings you your wish, we’ll go together sometime.”
I supposed I might also want to pull Jeremy aside and find out if he knew about Annabelle’s Christmas wish.
“I thought you were heading upstairs to get dressed,” Christy said to her daughter. “Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes.
“I’m going,” she answered.
“I’ll go with her,” Annabelle, who was already dressed, joined in.
After the younger girls left, I turned to Christy. “Did you know that Haley asked Santa for a kitten?”
She bit her lip and bobbed her head. “She told me she was going to ask for a doll, and then yesterday, when we were at the park and went to see Santa, out of the blue, she decides to ask for a kitten. Where am I going to get a kitten before tomorrow morning?”
“Do you want her to have a kitten?” I asked.
Christy hesitated and then nodded. “I do. I didn’t think I did, but then Noah and I talked about it. I had a cat when I was about her age. I remember how much I loved having him sleep with me, and I remember that he was the one I’d tell all my troubles to. I reminded Noah that we were staying here until after New Year’s, but he said if you wouldn’t allow a kitten to be in the room, he would keep it at his place.”
“I’m fine with a kitten in the room. I even have an extra cat box. If you are serious about getting a kitten, I can make some calls. Velma knows everyone in town. Tanner does too. If there are kittens anywhere in the area, I’m sure one or the other will know where we can get one.”
“If you could find a kitten in need of adoption, that would be great. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind having a kitty in the house either. Haley’s dad was allergic, so we never had pets, but we always had dogs and cats when I was growing up.”
“Okay. I’ll make some calls and let you know what I find.”
Christy decided to head upstairs to check on the girls, and I headed into the kitchen, where I found Georgia chatting with Mylie while she put the finishing touches on the meal.
“Good morning and happy Christmas Eve,” I greeted.
“Same to you,” Mylie smiled. “Those cinnamon rolls Georgia has in the oven are causing my stomach to growl big time.”
“They do smell good,” I agreed as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Is Jeremy out shoveling?” I asked Georgia.
“He is, but he should be about done. I was going to text him and let him know breakfast is about ready.”
“I’ll go and tell him,” I offered. “I have something to ask him about anyway.”
I was pretty sure that Annabelle would have told Jeremy about her Christmas wish, but since she’d told me, I figured I should pass it on just in case. As Georgia predicted, he was just finishing up when I found him out near the back shed.
“Happy Christmas Eve.” He gave me a hug.
I returned the sentiment. “Did you know that Annabelle wanted ice skates for Christmas?”
“I did, although she didn’t mention it until last night. I hope I can find some today.”
“I’m planning to make some calls to see if I can track down a kitten for Haley. I can call around and try to find skates as well if you’d like.”
“That would be great.” He looked relieved. “Georgia has a full day of activities planned, and I know she is counting on me to help out.”
“No problem. I’m happy to help. I’ll let you know what I find.”
I didn’t have children of my own to track down last-minute gifts for, but I found I was actually excited to have last-minute gifts to find for other people’s children.
Everyone showed up downstairs this morning, which made for a crowded, but happy home.
“So, how was the resort you checked out yesterday?” I asked Mark, hoping with al
l my heart and soul that he loved it and planned to go in that direction.
“I loved it.”
I blew out a breath in relief.
“I really wasn’t sure at first, but after visiting the resort where your friend likes to stay, I can see that if we modify things a bit and bring our high-end amenities to the mix, we could build something special. Riley made a few calls to folks he knows in the area, and between us, we came up with several properties I can check out.”
“That’s really wonderful.”
“I’m actually planning to check out after breakfast. I’d planned to stay here at the inn through the twenty-seventh, but I found a resort up near the border, which seems, on paper, to be exactly what I am looking for, and they have a room for me, so I am heading north right away. I want to say that I have enjoyed staying at your lovely inn. You really have something special here.”
“Thank you so much, and I hope you find exactly what you are looking for.”
After speaking to Mark, I headed toward the table where a few of the guests had already assembled. I expected to find Andrew and Mylie sitting together during the morning meal, but Mylie was actually chatting with Riley, while Andrew was standing near the window, chatting with Jeremy, who’d just come in from shoveling.”
“Good morning and happy Christmas Eve,” I said to Andrew.
“Happy Christmas Eve to you as well.”
“Do you have plans with your aunt today?” I asked conversationally.
“Actually, I do. In fact, she was quite insistent that I spend tonight on her sofa so we can be together for the entire holiday, so I’m going to have breakfast and then head to her house.”
“Will you be back?”
“I will. One night on her lumpy old sofa is about as much as my back will be able to take.”
Based on the fact Mylie seemed totally intent on talking to Riley and hadn’t even glanced at Andrew, I was going to go out on a limb and make a guess that in spite of how perfect the man was on paper, she’d decided that he wasn’t the right man for her.