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The Mills & Boon Ultimate Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy
Читать онлайн.Название The Mills & Boon Ultimate Christmas Collection
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781474095891
Автор произведения Kate Hardy
Жанр Контркультура
Серия Mills & Boon e-Book Collections
Издательство HarperCollins
“Let’s get them all,” Amory said. “They might sell out and then we’ll be upset.”
I held my laughter in check, doubting very much that anything would sell out in Evergreen except Aunt Bessie’s donuts, but agreed to buy them all, knowing how lovingly made they were, and that if the same product was sold in New York, we’d be paying five times the price without blinking an eye.
“Why, thank you, girls!” Ruth said, wrapping our purchases as we kept finding other scents and adding them to the pile.
After that we went around the corner to a gift shop, tucked into the back of an alley. I often wondered how Henrietta ever made any money as tourists wouldn’t know to look here, and the town wasn’t big enough for her to survive on locals’ purchases, but somehow she did.
“You know, we should make up a folder for each suite, with a map of the town and all these little hidden gems – like Henrietta’s gift shop and Ruth’s candle shop – so they don’t pass through Evergreen completely. There’s lots here, if you know where to look.”
Amory nodded, and pushed open the door. Inside was toasty warm and decorated prettily for Christmas, in a pink and silver theme. “Hey there, Clio!” Henrietta said, grabbing me in a bear hug. “Bessie told me you’re doing well at Cedarwood. I’m so happy to hear it.”
“Thanks, Henrietta.”
She stood back, surveying me, and smiled. “I’m glad the place isn’t empty any more. Such a waste to have it lying there abandoned like that. ’Spose there was good reason for it, though. The townsfolk are still very superstitious about the place, but they’ll come around. I guess they think it’s not fair to her memory… and I can understand that.”
My chest tightened. “Whose memory?” I managed to sputter.
Henrietta’s face paled. “Didn’t your mom tell you before you bought the lodge? I thought…”
“I bought the lodge as a surprise and then told Mom. Who, Henrietta? Who did you mean?”
She waved me away. “I didn’t mean a thing. I’ve had too much eggnog, is all. You know that old place, kinda spooky when it was vacant, that’s all.”
Just like the others, her mouth was closed on the matter. But it was closer than I’d come before. Had someone died there? And, if so, what did Mom have to do with it?
It was hard to continue shopping, as if nothing else mattered, but I did it for Amory’s sake, pasting on a smile and chatting lightheartedly.
With only a few more days until Christmas, Micah had left early for the airport, to pick up Kai, who had finally wrapped up his jobs and was able to get away. Forget the kiss, forget the jelly-legged sensation, and focus on getting the chapel approved. Yes, yes, yes. Really, I had started to think I had imagined the whole take-my-breath-away moment of madness with Kai. Maybe I’d dreamed it up, maybe I was that desperate? Next I’d be journaling about our faux children, and their sporting prowess, their educational achievements… Where Kai and I would renew our vows (beachside, Mauritius) what I’d wear (backless, lemon-colored dress, flip-flops, hair loose), and what… I shook my head. Dang it, usually my away-with-the-fairy moments were about other brides, real brides, ones who were actually engaged or at least in a relationship. I put it all down to lack of sleep…
Isla, Amory and I had just finished inspecting the chalets, making copious notes just like always about how we wanted to furnish them, and what we needed to order, so that when renovations started in the New Year, we would be ready to go. The sooner they were done the better, and another income stream would open up. The chalets were completely self-contained, and also more private, being set away from the lodge itself.
Trudging back through the slushy snow, we chatted about Christmas Day and what our plans were. “I’m meeting Micah’s parents,” Isla said, grinning.
Amory gazed sharply at her. “Oh God, really?”
Isla shrugged. “Well, it’s Christmas! I’m looking forward to it actually. Micah said his mom is a sweetheart and his dad fancies himself as a prankster. Is that right, Clio? Are they as nice as he says?”
It was interesting to note Amory was hanging on every word. My usually confident, sassy friend was clearly still nervous about meeting Cruz’s parents… Whereas Isla was happy to take the next step with Micah, because meeting the parents was always a good sign the relationship was moving in the right direction.
“They’re even nicer than that,” I said honestly. Micah’s parents were caring, compassionate and happy-go-lucky, just like him. They’d been there for me a lot growing up; I was sort of the daughter they never had. “His mom, Sue Betty, sewed my prom dress, and did my hair and makeup, and his dad gave Timothy the big talk about curfews and the appropriate way to treat a woman, i.e. don’t even think about sex before marriage.”
Isla laughed. “Oh, that is totally adorable! Imagine having” – she made air quotes – “‘the talk’ about someone else’s daughter.”
Silence fell between us. I remembered that night so clearly: the fact that my own father was missing another rite of passage, another event in my life he should have been there for; not to mention Mom, who should have been the one dusting on too much blue eyeshadow, and teasing my hair, choking us with hairspray fumes.
“It was hard to buy them Christmas presents,” Isla said. “In the end I settled for Christmas-themed gift boxes, but I’m worried they’ll think it’s cheesy.”
“What did you buy?” I asked, knowing it could have been a day-old newspaper and they’d still have exclaimed how perfect it was, and how thoughtful.
“Gaudy Christmas onesies, and a selection of Christmas movies, then I filled the box with candy canes, reindeer lollipops, and gingerbread men. I thought it could be a tradition, you know, start something new, celebrate my life here in Evergreen with them…”
I gave her arm a pat. “They’ll totally love that, and no doubt wear them and make you all sit down and watch every last movie.”
She grinned. “I hope so.” I watched Amory consider it from Isla’s point of view, and I wondered if it made her think of Cruz, and meeting his folks.
Back inside the lodge, we hung our coats, and unwound thick scarves, taking off our gloves, it was hot in the warm front salon with the fire roaring.
“Let’s get the presents wrapped, yeah?” I said, taking various rolls of brightly colored foil from a shopping bag. The girls dashed upstairs to grab their gifts, so while they were gone, I wrapped theirs. For Isla, I’d found a chunky silver bracelet filled with floral charms – roses, peonies and lilies were recreated in thick silver and it reminded me of her and her love for flowers. Micah had been right when he’d said she could wax lyrical about flora for days… Amory’s present was a Filofax. She adored them, and I’d had the leather cover embossed with her name. Inside, I’d stuffed two tickets to a ballet show she’d been itching to see. With red and golden ribbons tied around the shiny gold foil, I popped the presents under the tree just as they walked back into the room, arms full with shopping bags.
Amory produced her present for Cruz, which I rewarded with an eyebrow-raise. “An apron?” I asked faux-innocently.
“Not just any apron, a Santa apron! Won’t he look adorable?”
“So… he’s staying?”
She folded the ruddy face of Santa in half. “I mentioned that if he wanted to stay to help out, then that was really considerate of him. And that you were totally serious when you asked him.”