One Snowy Night

by Patience Griffin

  It was pure blackmail, but Ella couldn’t resist. “Give him to me.” She knew there was a tone in her voice, but she didn’t care. Donovan handed over the dog. “Let me get my coat.”

  But as she turned, Lacy was there. “What’s going on?”

  Ella sighed heavily. “Do you want to come for dinner?” If she had to go, then she was bringing a friend with her.

  “Let me dump these in the sink first.” The drinks. “I’ll need to text my mom at work, too.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Donovan said. “Your mom’s already at the lodge.”

  “Why?” Lacy asked.

  “Because the Sisterhood of the Quilt is back,” Sparkle announced.

  “What’s the Sisterhood of the Quilt?” Lacy asked.

  Ella knew. Her mom talked about them when she told stories about Aunt Izzie. “All these old ladies used to sew at the lodge together and called themselves the Sisterhood of the Quilt.” She set Boomer on the couch and slipped on her coat. “Mom talks about it as if it was special, but it sounds boring to me.”

  “Come on, you two,” Sparkle said, “so you can see for yourself.”

  * * *

  • • •

  MISS LISA WAS draining the spaghetti when Donovan returned to the lodge and his duties in the kitchen. “Are you ready for me to take over?” he asked the elderly woman.

  “Yes. I’d like to start cutting out the Highland Cow fabric. I’m making a Snowball quilt design for the Highland Coos Cabin.”

  “I’ll join you,” Sparkle said.

  Donovan peeked into the living room and saw that Ella, Boomer, and Lacy were sitting in the beanbag chairs. “Ella, can you do me a favor?”

  “Do I have to?” she shot back in typical teenage fashion.

  “I would appreciate it,” Donovan said.

  “Fine. What is it?”

  “Can you go to the sewing studio and ask the ladies and Bill what they’d like to drink with dinner?”

  She didn’t bother to reply, but with much groaning, she put Boomer on the floor and she and Lacy got to their feet.

  Donovan pulled the Parmesan cheese from the fridge, but his curiosity was too strong to resist. He handed Rick the pot holders. “Take the bread out. I’ll be back in a second.”

  He headed down the hall but didn’t go into the studio. Instead he listened from just outside the door.

  “Good grief, Mom,” he heard Ella say. “Did you buy out the store?”

  “Several stores,” Hope replied. “Listen, would you and Lacy like to make a quilt for one of the cabins?”

  Piney chimed in. “We could really use you girls’ help. How about Wandering Moose Cabin? It’s a Rail Fence quilt. Not that hard. It won’t take you long with the two of you working together.”

  “I guess,” Ella said. “I’m loving the moose fabric.”

  “Me, too,” Lacy squealed.

  It was working, just like Piney had predicted. He was sure that if Ella would just get involved, the Sisterhood of the Quilt would provide some stability for her. Give her a life raft in a sea of teenage angst.

  Chapter 16

  HOPE WOKE UP in her lodge bedroom to the smell of coffee brewing downstairs. She felt groggy from her throbbing sprained ankle. She’d been lucky last night that Donovan hadn’t insisted on carrying her upstairs. Instead Rick and Sparkle had come to her rescue and helped her up to her room. But Hope couldn’t shake how good it felt yesterday to be cradled in Donovan’s arms. She squeezed her eyes shut, disgusted with herself.

  She would do better today, she promised herself. Besides, she had a lot to occupy her mind if she was going to have everything decorated in time for the Wines of Alaska event. She put her feet over the side of the bed and took a second to strategize how best to get to the coffee. She hopped and hobbled to the door, then fumbled her way downstairs as quietly as she could, though her ankle hurt like crazy. As she neared the kitchen she heard, “Do you want me to fix you eggs? Bacon?” Donovan sounded as eager as Boomer begging for a treat.

  “No. I’m good,” Ella said sharply. She sighed. “Mom said I need to thank you for the new clothes.”

  “No problem. Do you need a lunch for school?”

  This was painful. Hope decided to help him out. She plastered a smile on her face and hopped into the kitchen, hoping pain didn’t register on her face. “So how is everyone this snowy morning?”

  Ella rolled her eyes. “I assume you don’t need the car today. Can I take yours?”

  “Yes, as long as you come straight home after school.”

  “What about Tyler’s party?”

  “You have to get your homework done and have dinner here before you go.” Hope went on, hoping to defuse the argument that was coming. “Bring Lacy with you after school. I bet Aberdeen will be here and we can have a family dinner.”

  Ella’s gaze flitted to Donovan, then back to Hope. “No family dinner. Lacy and I can eat in the room I’m staying in. Speaking of . . . when are we moving into the cabin like you promised?”

  Hope opened her mouth, but Donovan jumped in.

  “It would be better for your mom if she stayed here until her ankle healed.”

  “Yeah. Sure. Mom can stay here,” Ella said firmly, “but I’ll go stay in one of the cabins.”

  “Nope,” Hope said. “You and I stick together.”

  Ella threw her half-eaten toast in the trash, mumbling under her breath, “Unless I’m staying at Lacy’s.”

  Hope decided to ignore it. “Have a nice day at school.”

  Ella harrumphed, then turned to the dog at her feet. “Come on, Boomer.” They left the room.

  “Aren’t you worried she’ll follow through?” Donovan asked.

  “Not this time.”

  “But you didn’t tell her not to,” Donovan said.

  “It’s best not to engage when she’s being snotty. Can I give you a piece of advice when it comes to Ella?”

  “I guess so.”

  “What you’re doing is not how you do it,” Hope said.

  “Do what?” Donovan asked.

  “The eggs, bacon, and lunch thing. You can’t get Ella’s affection that way. You’re going to have to be cool.”

  “I am cool,” Donovan said, but there was a bit of questioning in his voice.

  “Maybe you were cool in high school, but this is a different kind of cool. I’ve had years of practice and I still blow it all the time. Just be chill and let her come to you. It’s like holding out your hand to a dog to let it know you first, instead of running straight to the dog for a big old hug. You’re likely to get bitten.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Just be there for her. Be present but don’t hover,” Hope offered, though she could think of a million times when she hadn’t struck the right balance. “The goal is to not act overeager. Teenagers easily pick up the scent of desperate.”

  “I wasn’t acting overeager—”

  But Hope cut him off. “Yeah, you were.”

  “Fine, I’ll do better. But only if you sit down and put your foot up. I’m going to hunt down some crutches for you today.”

  Hope put herself into a chair and lifted her leg to rest in another one. “Crutches would be appreciated.”

  “Don’t worry about working. You have sick days.”

  Hope scoffed. “I’ve only been working for you for a short while.”

  “We’re waiving the probation period.” Like she was part of Stone Enterprises, Inc. He stared her down. “You were hurt on the job. Period.”

  “No. I was a klutz at that grocery store,” she said.

  He poured a mug of coffee and set it in front of her. “Eggs? Bacon? Do I need to fix you a lunch?”

  She threw a napkin at him. “I don’t like desperate either.”

  “Good to know.�
� He popped a bagel in the toaster. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”

  When the bagel was done, he set it in front of her with a container of whipped cream cheese. “I’ll be back.”

  Piney showed up just as Hope finished her coffee and bagel and helped Hope to Elsie’s studio. “I know you want to start decorating today, but I feel like you should rest your ankle.”

  Hope sighed. “You’re probably right.” The rest of the day was a blur as she first read the directions for the Arctic Adventures pattern, then worked out the details on how to redo the Sisterhood of the Quilt wall hanging. She also took time to make a project list of what needed to get accomplished in each room and each cabin to get all the decorating done in time. Izzie’s quilt pieces sat untouched in the box in the corner, but Hope knew that she would eventually get to them when the other work was done.

  From what Hope could ascertain, several older women of Sweet Home were taking over her tasks as the lodge’s housekeeper. When she tried getting to her feet to find out what they were working on, Miss Lisa reminded Hope, “If you allow your ankle to heal properly, you’ll be back to work sooner.” But from her place on the couch, she was able to direct others on where to hang the new items on the wall after the paint was dry, what towels were to be stored for the cabins, and what linens were to go to the living quarters upstairs.

  At some point, Donovan deposited a set of crutches next to her. But then she didn’t see him the rest of the day, not even when Sparkle announced that dinner was ready. But at least Ella showed up after school with Lacy in tow. With help from Piney, the girls quickly got to work cutting out their quilt for Wandering Moose Cabin. When it came time to go to Tyler’s party, they both seemed reluctant to leave their project. Ella even said she wouldn’t be gone long as she kissed Boomer’s nose. Two hours later, Ella and Lacy were back.

  “We just want to work a little more on the quilt. Aberdeen said it was okay if Lacy stayed the night.”

  “That’s fine by me.” Though her daughter hadn’t asked permission. Hope was just thrilled that Ella hadn’t come back drunk. “If you want, Sparkle just made hot cocoa. It’s in the kitchen.”

  Ella picked up Boomer, who was really getting too big to lug around, and took him with her. When she and Lacy went to bed, Boomer went with them. Stoically, Hope made it upstairs by herself. Everyone had left and Donovan hadn’t returned from the hardware store.

  Feeling lonely, Hope considered stealing Boomer from Ella, but the truth was that cuddling a dog wasn’t going to fix the problem.

  * * *

  • • •

  FOR THE NEXT several weeks, Donovan worked night and day at the hardware store. He usually arrived home late to a quiet house and barely saw Hope at all. He glanced in the bathroom mirror and wondered what she thought of the Alaskan-man look he was sporting. He’d stopped shaving, to save time, and he’d needed a haircut even before coming back to Sweet Home.

  He finished up in the bathroom and walked into the hall, wondering if Hope would be at breakfast this morning. But he knew the answer: she wouldn’t. She must be making herself scarce on purpose, while he had breakfast alone with Ella. If only the city council hadn’t forced him to fix up the hardware store he’d have more time to get to know his daughter. He wouldn’t be in Sweet Home forever. The good news was that Ella didn’t seem to be nearly as angry at him as she’d been. He’d done what Hope had suggested—basically played hard to get—and it seemed to be working. Ella had loosened up, talking to him about Boomer and how to train dogs. It was a start. He’d have to thank Mr. Brewster for giving him a job with dogs when he was a kid.

  What he really needed to thank Mr. Brewster for was all he’d done to renovate the hardware store. The old man had really pulled everyone together, putting the right person in the right job. Donovan still wasn’t convinced it would be ready in time for the Christmas Festival, but everyone sure was trying. He was so incredibly grateful for the town’s help.

  As he walked down the stairs, he pondered the logistics for Thanksgiving. While everyone took off for the long weekend, Donovan planned to work as much as possible, especially since Ella wouldn’t be around. Hope had said she took Ella on a turkey camping trip every year, where they brought a turkey roast and baked it over the coals. He wished Ella would come help him at the hardware store over the weekend, or it might have been nice if he’d been asked to go along on the camping trip, too.

  But maybe it wouldn’t have been the best to be camping with Hope again, which would dredge up the old feelings and bring back the good times they’d had together. He already had enough recent memories to deal with . . . like holding Hope in his arms. And how it made him feel both vulnerable and invincible at the same time. Though she could take care of herself, holding her made him feel fiercely protective, and in those seconds, he wanted to be her man always. Even more unnerving, and frightening, was that those few moments with Hope had been the first time he’d felt right in close to two decades.

  In the kitchen he found Ella sitting quietly at the table. “You’re up early.”

  “Yeah.” She didn’t even look up from her phone.

  Donovan started the coffeemaker, then pulled down two boxes of cereal—Ella’s Lucky Charms and Life for him.

  “So,” Ella started, still concentrating on her phone. “In the trophy case at school, there’s two pictures of you, holding trophies.”

  “Yeah. State football champs, junior and senior year.”

  “So you were a real hotshot, huh?”

  “Not all that impressive, since our division was super small. Everyone had to play to make up a team.”

  “Quarterback?” she asked, looking up this time.

  He nodded. “I could throw.”

  “Were you a jerk to the girls? Acted like you were all that?” There was something in her voice—she seemed . . . hurt.

  “What’s his name, Ella? If someone is treating you badly, I’ll take care of it!”

  She jumped to her feet, grabbing her phone. “It’s nothing. It’s none of your business anyway. Stop acting like you’re my dad!” She stomped from the room without pouring one ounce of cereal.

  So much for the headway he’d made.

  “Did I hear Ella?” Hope asked.

  “Yeah. I screwed up again.”

  Hope patted his arm as she limped by. “Not your fault. She didn’t come with an instruction manual.”

  It was nice that someone knew how he was feeling.

  “How’s your ankle?” he asked. “I noticed your crutches have gone missing.”

  “I’m glad to be rid of those devil sticks. My ankle’s fine.”

  “Your limp speaks volumes. I hope you’re staying off it, letting it heal.”

  “I spend most of my time at my sewing machine or guiding others on what piece of furniture needs to be put where. Speaking of sewing, you should peek in your grandmother’s studio when you have a minute, to see how the quilts are coming along.”

  “I’ll do that.” He gazed at Hope for a long time and wondered what it would be like to have days like this on a regular basis. Passing in the hallway, feeling her touch, moments of him sharing his life with someone like Hope.

  She gazed back, but finally broke the spell. “How’s the hardware store coming? I hear bits and pieces from the Sisterhood of the Quilt. I’d like to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

  “It’s coming along well. In fact, I think I can start spending more time helping here.” He was hoping that if he was around more, he could navigate Ella with more finesse. “Besides, someone needs to take Rick’s place here at the lodge. I understand he’s taking Sparkle back to Louisiana for Thanksgiving to meet his family.”

  Hope’s smile lit up the kitchen. “Those two are something.”

  “Yes, they are. I don’t know about Sparkle, but for Rick it was love at first sight.”

 
Hope blanched at his words. “Yeah, well, that happens sometimes.” She stood. “I better get to work.”

  “What about breakfast?” he asked, not sure what he’d done to run her off.

  “Maybe later,” she said. “I have no appetite now.” As she shuffled to the doorway she tossed over her shoulder, “Just to keep you in the loop, Ella and I are moving into Wandering Moose Cabin today.”

  “Why? You both are so settled here.”

  “We need our own space. According to Rick, the cabin’s ready.”

  Why couldn’t they stay here with him? And why did Rick have to be such a blabbermouth? “I don’t understand.” Then he grasped a straw to stop them from leaving. “What about Boomer? He’s gotten used to sleeping with Ella, and I think she’ll be disappointed if he’s not with her.”

  Hope tilted her head. “Disappointment is part of life. It’s better to learn that disappointment can be around any corner, instead of being blindsided when the rug gets pulled out from under you.”

  Okay, he got that she wasn’t talking about Ella and Boomer. But what had he done to disappoint Hope?

  “I really think staying here would provide stability for our daughter.”

  She raised an eyebrow and stared him down for a long moment. She didn’t need to say what she was thinking. My daughter! Not yours! Then without a word, she walked from the room.

  He put his mug down, hard. He’d messed up with both of the McKnight women this morning and his coffee mug had more of an idea of what he’d done wrong than he did.

  * * *

  • • •

  HOPE WAS FURIOUS at Donovan and at herself. He’d never loved her the way she loved him and that made her a chump. Chumps believed in love at first sight. And falling in love with him at six years old made her the biggest chump of all.

  She needed the job here at the lodge, but she didn’t need to live under the same roof as him. As soon as she saved up enough money to fix her house, she’d get back to her small, uncomplicated life.