by R A Wallace
He found Holly in a stall with one of the horses. He should have known this was where she would be. He knew that she’d have happily lived in the barn just to be near the horses. Which was why he was so surprised to find her sobbing as she stood with her face buried in the horse’s neck.
“Holly? What’s wrong?” Tyler stood outside of the stall. He figured at this point, the horse should be spooked enough without him trying to go in the stall also.
Holly waved her hand. “Nothing. I’m just so happy.”
Tyler felt himself relax. The horse snorted and curled its head around to nudge at Holly. She started laughing and dabbed at her face with her sleeve.
“I’ll take our luggage into the house. Are you going to be okay out here?” Tyler watched as Holly rubbed behind the horse’s ears.
“Yeah, thanks.”
Tyler turned to walk away but Holly called him back.
“Tyler? I mean it. Thanks. Thanks for moving us to Teaberry. I love it here.”
Tyler nodded and turned again. As he walked toward the truck to get their luggage, it occurred to him that it was their first Thanksgiving in an actual house. They’d always been on the road before. He hoped everyone else was as happy as he and Holly were.
***
Hattie Estelle stood in her villa and wondered if she’d made a mistake. She’d thought that moving into the retirement community just before the holiday would be like ripping off a bandage. Moving out of a home you had lived in for most of your life was difficult for anyone. Why prolong it and wait until the holiday was over? Best to just do it quickly and get it over with. This way, Claire could get settled into her old home now and could begin job hunting as soon as the holiday was over.
Hattie went to her closet and took out her coat. They were having a Thanksgiving meal at one o’clock at the clubhouse. She hadn’t had a chance to see many people since she’d moved into her new place. This would be the first opportunity she had to meet her new neighbors. Hattie walked out of her villa and stopped at the golf cart in the driveway. It had come with the villa, but Hattie hadn’t had the time to figure out how it worked yet. She stared at it with a frown. It couldn’t be that difficult, right?
“Hattie? Hattie Estelle, is that you?”
Hattie turned toward the voice. “Annie? Well, my goodness. I didn’t know you lived here.”
Annie Hopkins motioned to the passenger side of her car. “Too cold for the golf cart today. Hop in. I’ll take you to the clubhouse.”
Hattie carefully walked down her driveway to the road in front of her villa and got into the car. It was nice and warm.
“This is nice, thank you. I wasn’t sure I could figure out the golf cart.”
Annie laughed. “It’s easy. I’ll show you on a nicer day. We have a couple of stops to pick Laura and Josie up. Do you remember them?”
“Of course! They worked at the school too.” Hattie had known that some of her old friends now lived in the retirement community. She just hadn’t realized there’d be so many of them. Maybe her move to the retirement community was going to work out well after all.
“There are a lot of us that used to work in the Teaberry schools here now. You should see a lot of friendly faces at the dinner today. It’s also been a busy week for us with visitors. So many come home for the holidays and they stop in here to see us. You’ll probably see some old students at the dinner, visiting their family.”
Annie paused in her story as she turned a corner and stopped in front of another villa. Hattie watched as Laura and Josie emerged. Annie began chattering again but Laura and Josie weren’t quiet either. Hattie was laughing at their stories about living in the retirement community when they reached the clubhouse. It was nice to walk into the clubhouse surrounded by friends. Turned out, Annie was right. There were a lot of familiar faces there.
***
Verna Prince climbed into her cold car and waited for the heater to warm her up and clear the windshield. Her duties for the day at the retirement community were over. As the dietitian, she dealt primarily with the kitchen staff to ensure that the meals met the needs of the residents. Since the retirement community handled a wide range of living needs for the residents, her job kept her busy. Because it was a large facility, she wasn’t the only dietician on staff but she had offered to take the shift today.
Verna typically ended up working the holidays because she was single. She didn’t mind. For her, it was pretty much just another day. That was one of the reasons why she’d volunteered to help with the class reunion this year. It gave her something to do. All of work involved with the reunion made her feel needed and, in a way, important.
She’d loved having everyone contact her about their plans for the reunion. She’d also been working very closely with Libby Danes, now a well-known physician at the Teaberry Hospital. Libby had complimented Verna’s organizational skills several times in the past few weeks. Back when they were in high school, Libby had been the class president and not in the crowd that Verna had hung out with. Not that she’d really had enough friends in school to call a crowd.
As Verna drove home, she realized that her life hadn’t changed a lot since high school. She hadn’t had many friends then and she had even less now. That was another reason why she’d volunteered to help with the reunion. She’d hoped that maybe now some of those people she’d known in school had changed over time. Maybe now they wouldn’t look down on Verna just because she hadn’t come from a wealthy family.
She didn’t remember that she hadn’t planned her own holiday dinner until after she’d pulled into her driveway. Before turning off the engine, she looked at the time and contemplated her options. Most of the restaurants and other businesses were closed today. Verna shrugged. It didn’t matter. She’d make herself a poached egg on toast with cheese. It would be quick, and she could focus on the final preparations for the class reunion. She unlocked the front door with a smile on her face. She just knew that everyone was going to love all of the ideas she’d had for the reunion. She couldn’t wait to see everyone on Saturday.
Chapter Seven
The Station Pub & Grill was closed for the holiday. Caitlyn pulled into the parking lot and reached for her phone. She quickly texted Doug and then waited until the front door of the restaurant opened before turning off her car. After quickly moving into the warmth of the restaurant, Caitlyn was immediately enveloped in a hug.
“Hey there,” Doug said as he held her.
Caitlyn tilted her head back and looked up at him. “Hey there, back. Is Jennifer here?”
Doug gave her a quick kiss before helping her out of her coat. “She is. She’s with Jim trying to figure out your magic.”
Caitlyn followed Doug through the restaurant. “My magic?”
Jennifer looked up from her kneeling position in front of a box of decorations when she heard Caitlyn’s voice. “Yea! She’s here.”
Caitlyn laughed. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw tinsel in Jennifer’s hair. She stopped in front of the large fresh pine and examined it closely. Jim had done very well picking it out. Caitlyn looked over the decorations that Jennifer had been taking from the boxes they’d gotten from storage. She looked around the room and considered her options, then pointed in the general direction of her car.
“I brought a few things with me, just in case.”
Jennifer shot Jim a look. “I told you.”
Jim laughed and motioned to Caitlyn. “I’m not going to argue with an expert. Toss me your keys, I’ll go get whatever you brought.”
Jennifer stood and walked over to Caitlyn. “What did you have in mind?”
Doug and Jennifer listened as Caitlyn explained her ideas for decorating the entire restaurant. Doug was nodding as she talked. He could picture it. Jennifer was frowning. She could not.
“I know it’s going to look beautiful at the end,” Jennifer said shaking her head. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
Jim returned with two boxes, one stacked
on top of the other. He motioned to Doug. “There’s more in the van.” Both left to get the rest of the boxes.
“So, what do you have planned after this?” Caitlyn asked Jennifer.
“My dad is coming over for dinner. Jim is doing all of the cooking so that means the meal will be edible. If I cooked it, we’d be in trouble. How about you guys?”
Caitlyn smiled. As far as she was concerned, she was having the perfect holiday. First, she got to help decorate a restaurant for the holidays. Then, she was spending time with family. “We’re all going to my mom’s house for dinner. We’ll stop over at Doug’s parents’ place for dessert.”
Jennifer nodded. “Figuring out family at holidays can be tough. Some people switch it up and go to one place one year and another the next. Others spread it around like you’re doing.”
“It’s a good problem to have,” Caitlyn pointed out.
“True. I’m just glad that you were able to help decorate here. I’d hate to think what the place would have looked like if they’d had to rely on me.”
Caitlyn laughed with Jennifer as the men returned carrying more boxes.
“I love decorating. I’m doing the hall for the class reunion this weekend too. That should be fun.”
“I’ve never gone to any of mine,” Jim said. “To be honest, the words class reunion and fun just don’t seem to go together. I can’t imagine sitting around with a bunch of people you used to know and trying to one-up them on why your life is better than theirs now.”
Caitlyn nodded. “I can see your point. I’ll bet that happens a lot. But my mom has been living with most of the people from her class all her life. Hopefully, they’ll have something better to talk about.”
***
Amos stood on the front porch of Hilary Boswell’s house and wondered what to say if anyone answered the doorbell. He could see that Linda’s car was in the driveway, so he figured she was here. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the button and took a step back.
Linda opened the door and stood there for a moment, surprised to see Amos. Hilary came into the hallway.
“Amos? Is that you?” Hilary said from the far end of the hallway.
Linda was jolted into action as she remembered her manners. She took a step back and motioned for Amos to enter.
“Come in, please. It’s too cold to stand out on the porch,” Linda said after finally finding her voice.
Amos held out the pie and wine that he held in his hands. “This is for you.”
Again, Linda was too surprised to answer but she took them automatically.
Hilary spoke up. “That is so sweet. Linda, show Amos where to put his coat. Amos, you can join us for dinner. It’s just takeout that we picked up yesterday. A pie and some wine will help to make it a real meal.”
Amos smiled his thanks at Hilary for making his uninvited interruption less awkward.
Linda handed the wine and pie to Hilary. Fortunately, her senses were finally returning.
“Yes, it will. Amos, that was so thoughtful. Hang your coat in here.” Linda opened the closet and took out a hanger. “We’re just eating in the kitchen. Very informal of us, I know, but we’re enjoying ourselves. I’m glad you could join us.”
Amos followed her into the kitchen. “If you’re sure you don’t mind?”
“I’ve already opened your wine, so you can’t leave us now,” Hilary said with a smile. “There’s plenty to go around if you don’t mind barbeque on Thanksgiving.”
“Every day is a good day to eat barbeque,” Amos said honestly as he accepted a glass of wine from Hilary. He turned to Linda. “I thought I saw you go into the restaurant yesterday.”
Linda took a glass from Hilary. “You did, yes. I ended up running into an old friend and we had dinner together. Have you seen Claire yet?”
Amos leaned against a counter. “No, is she here for the class reunion?”
“She’s planning to attend, but she’s actually moving back to Teaberry permanently,” Linda explained. “We had a nice dinner together.”
Amos glanced quickly at Hilary then returned his questioning focus to Linda.
Linda nodded. “I told Hilary. She said she’s done with secrets and, to be honest, I am too.”
Hilary looked between them. “He knew about it?”
Amos shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Some of us did a lot of stupid things in high school.” Amos lifted his wine glass to his mouth to hide his grin.
Linda turned to Hilary. “In Amos’s case, it involved making fun of me for liking Jane Austen.”
Hilary shook her head. “I’m with Amos on that one.”
Amos laughed. “Well, I’m just glad to hear that you made up with Claire. You two were so close in school.”
Linda didn’t try to hide her smile. “I am too. Now that we have this all behind us, we can move on.”
***
She’d spent the morning cooking. She’d hoped that bringing her mom some homemade food would make her feel less guilty about her mom moving into the retirement community. So far, it wasn’t working. She still felt guilty. Maybe she’d be able to talk her mom into moving back into the house with her. She knew that her mother was right. Hattie Estelle was getting older and would soon need more care. But that knowledge didn’t make her feel any better either. She just didn’t want her mom to be alone.
Claire followed the directions she’d been given to her mother’s villa and was surprised to see another car already in the driveway. She grabbed the food she’d brought with her and walked to the front door. The doorbell was answered by a woman that looked familiar, but Claire couldn’t figure out why. She heard a lot of laughing from inside the small house.
“I’m sorry. Do I have the wrong villa?” Claire asked as she took a step back to look at the house number on the front corner of the villa.
“Claire, is that you? I’m Annie Hopkins. Remember me? I used to be the kindergarten teacher.”
That was why she looked familiar. “Mrs. Hopkins, sure. I remember.” Claire looked around the elderly woman and saw her mother waving her in. She was surrounded by several other people.
“Am I in the right place?” Claire asked.
Annie chuckled as she led the way in. “Yes. A few of us stopped by after the dinner to catch up with your mom.”
Claire followed her into the villa still carrying the bags of food. She stopped when she reached a group of people scattered around the open floor plan of the villa.
“You made it,” Hattie said with a smile. She introduced her friends to Claire.
Claire recognized some of the names from when she’d gone to school. Even the former superintendent was here. After greeting everyone, she held up the bags she was holding.
“I brought you a few things. I’ll just put them in the fridge.”
Hattie followed Claire to the kitchen. Claire turned to face her after putting the food in the fridge.
“I didn’t know you had so many friends here,” Claire said quietly.
Hattie smiled and whispered back. “I told you I’ll be fine here. You can stop worrying about me now.”
***
Rhys parked his car on the street in front of Ava’s place and walked around the side of the house to climb the stairs to the entrance for the upstairs apartment. His shift was over and he was looking forward to the dinner Ava and Bella had promised him. He knocked on the door and was surprised when Bella answered it and immediately hugged him.
After stepping back, she reached for his hand and dragged him inside. He barely had time to push the door closed behind him.
“Hey, what’s all the rush?” Rhys asked.
“Mr. and Mrs. Givens want to talk to you downstairs after dinner,” Bella said with a smile.
Rhys saw Ava in the small kitchen area and walked over to greet her. She had the turkey out and a platter was on the counter next to it with a carving knife. Rhys washed his hands in the sink and began cutting the turkey while Ava worked on the gravy at the stove.
/> “Oh, yeah? Do they need help with something?” Rhys asked.
He had often carried heavy things for them or helped them in other small ways. He knew they were like grandparents to Bella. He cut a chunk of dark meat and couldn’t help himself. He took a bite of it and looked over at Ava.
“This is really good.”
She laughed at his enthusiasm.
Bella joined them in the kitchen and began taking the silverware from a drawer to finish setting the table.
“No, Mrs. Givens wants to thank you for helping her brother and his wife.” Bella carefully arranged the silverware on the napkins next to the plates.
Rhys paused as he cut the turkey. “I did?”
Bella nodded. “When they got here, they said that a handsome young police officer changed their flat tire.” Bella shot her mom a grin.
Ava turned to Rhys. “Bella was sure that had to be you.”
“Well, I don’t know about all that, but I know that I’m a hungry police officer. I have been thinking about this turkey all day.”
“It was nice of you to change their tire,” Bella said as she took her seat at the table.
Rhys carried over the platter of turkey. “I’m happy to say that was the most exciting thing I had to do on my shift today. Let’s hope it stays this quiet for a long time.”
Chapter Eight
The bed and breakfast was exactly the way Matthias had described it. Barry Casper finished hanging the last of his clothes and tucked his suitcase into a corner of the closet. He turned to his wife, Tess, and motioned to her. She picked up some of her clothes already on hangers and handed them in to him.
“What did you think of Megan and Dan?” Barry asked. He hung up the first group of clothes that she handed him then took the second group from her.
“I thought they seemed nice,” Tess said as she took the last of her things from the suitcase before handing it over to him also.