Chapter 2
Morgan draped the last strands of tinsel on the tree and stood back to admire their handiwork. “It’s perfect.”
Ronni eased in next to her. “It’s a beautiful tree. These decorations were designed for Locke Pointe. Your mother would be tickled pink.”
“I hope so.” As soon as they finished carrying the boxes and bins up the stairs and into the living room, Morgan promptly emptied every single one. The ornaments, the Dickens Village collection, every wreath was proudly showcased.
The décor was exactly what Morgan had envisioned—a step back in time, a tribute to the Locke side of her family.
Despite her decision to share her precious treasures, she’d had a brief moment of second thoughts, with Ronni’s warning ringing in her ears, concern over an ornament or delicate decoration breaking, but the thought of keeping them to herself was unbearable.
They had already spent years packed away in boxes, never seeing the light of day, or in this case, the twinkle of the Christmas lights.
In the end, she’d stuck with her resolve and lovingly displayed each piece for others to enjoy.
Morgan tapped the engraved sterling silver bell with the Locke family’s name elegantly scrolled across the front. The bell jingled cheerfully. “What would my grandparents have done to celebrate the holidays?”
“Ann was a wonderful cook and baker. She made platters of cookies, giving them as gifts, along with her delicious made-from-scratch cinnamon swirl bread. And then there were the Christmas celebrations. As I mentioned before, she and Joseph hosted an annual holiday open house, similar to what Locke Village does with the local businesses. I guess in a way the islanders have carried on the tradition.”
After Ronni had mentioned her grandparents’ holiday open house and being invited to take part in the village’s celebration, she’d enthusiastically embraced her chance to continue it by offering to host the event, but in her own way.
Finally, Locke Pointe was decorated, and she was ready to show it off, to let it once again shine.
“Which reminds me, I need to run to the harbor to pick up the flowers.” Morgan, with Ronni’s help, finished packing up the empty boxes and stashed them in the basement.
It was a quick trip to Easton Harbor’s flower shop. Sticking with the nostalgic theme, Morgan had selected antique hurricane candles with sprays of red roses and white carnations, along with blooming poinsettia plants.
She loaded them into the back of her SUV and took a shortcut through town. Burnie, her grandmother’s burnt orange Ford Crown Victoria, sat parked in front of her art gallery.
Making a last minute decision to pop in, Morgan found an empty spot close by. “C’mon, Chester. Let’s go see Grandmother.”
Chester bounded across the front seat and leapt onto the sidewalk. Knowing exactly where they were going, the pup trotted ahead and stood waiting for her at the door. The overhead bell tinkled, announcing their arrival.
Elizabeth Easton-Ainsworth and Quinn Schultz, Morgan’s best friend who had recently been promoted to manager of the Easton Harbor Art Gallery, stood chatting near the back.
“Hello, dear.” Elizabeth crossed the gallery and gave her granddaughter a peck on the cheek. “Were your ears ringing? Quinn and I were just talking about you.”
“I stopped at the flower shop to pick up the open house arrangements and noticed your car was here, so I thought I would drop in.” Morgan tilted her head. “Speaking of flowers, the bouquet sitting on the counter is beautiful. Let me guess…they’re from Brett.”
For the past month, Morgan’s half-brother, who was dating her best friend, had been showering her with flowers, thoughtful gifts, and surprise date days.
She was thrilled the couple seemed to have finally worked through their issues and the relationship appeared to be on steady ground.
Not only steady but getting more serious by the day.
“Brett is courting Quinn in a most earnest manner,” Elizabeth teased. “I’ve never seen my grandson more smitten in his life.”
“He’s a keeper and spoils me rotten.” A small smile played across Quinn’s lips. “I figured I was on track to become an old spinster, never finding my soulmate.”
“Until fate stepped in,” Morgan said. “If someone had told me I would be living on Easton Island, running a bed-and-breakfast, divorced from Jason and had a brother, not to mention a grandmother, even a couple of years ago I would have laughed in their face.”
“Life has a way of twisting and turning,” Elizabeth said. “All for the better, I might add, at least for you two.”
“Speaking of Locke Pointe,” Quinn leaned her elbows on the counter. “I was going to swing by after work to see if you needed help.”
“Ronni, Greg, Tina and I have it all under control.” Morgan ticked off the items still left on her to-do list. “Brett sent a message. He’s still trying to get his hands on a copy of the Wynn Harbor Inn documentary.”
“And I’ll be hosting a watch party as soon as we have it,” Elizabeth promised.
“He mentioned they’ve already aired it a few times over on the West Coast,” Quinn said.
Elizabeth’s brows furrowed. “I thought we were allowed a special preview.”
“A special preview for our neck of the woods. Apparently it’s already premiered in certain areas.”
Morgan dusted her hands. “I’m not worried about it. The taping went smoothly. Brett and I tooted the Easton Holdings’ horn the best we could. Besides, most of the show is about Wynn Harbor Inn.”
“True.” Elizabeth changed the subject, reminding them she and Gerard planned to host Christmas Eve dinner at Easton Estate. “Don’t you dare try backing out this year.”
“Not a chance. I promise I’ll be there.” Morgan made an “x” across her chest. “Although I still miss my mom, I know she wouldn’t want me to be sad.
Hosting the Locke Village business owners’ open house is a way to honor her memory as well as my grandparents’ memory.
Your celebration is an Easton family tradition I wouldn’t miss for the world. ”
A customer arrived, and Morgan excused herself. On her way back to Locke Pointe, she swung by her home to grab a bite to eat.
While she ate, Morgan pulled out her list and went over it line by line.
The event was a big deal, at least to her.
Although she’d hosted other events at Locke Pointe, this would be her first attempt on a grand scale.
Similar to what her grandparents had done, the business owners’ open house was an open invitation to all the islanders.
A flit of movement through the window facing the side driveway caught her eye.
Morgan slid off the barstool and hurried to the back where she found her boyfriend, Wyatt Dawson, climbing the porch steps. She flung the door open and ushered him inside. “I was just getting ready to text you.”
“Great minds think alike.” Wyatt sneaked in a kiss, stamping his snow-covered boots on the rug before stepping into her kitchen. “I drove by Locke Pointe and noticed your SUV wasn’t there, so I figured you were either home or running errands.”
“Errands and lunch.” Morgan held up her half-eaten sandwich. “Are you hungry?”
Chester trotted over to greet him.
“Hey, Chester.” Wyatt patted his head. “Starving. I planned to grab a sandwich at the grocery store deli.”
“Let me fix you something instead. It’ll only take a minute.” Morgan ran to the fridge and began setting sandwich fixings on the counter. “I hope a turkey on rye is okay.”
“It sounds great.”
“With cheese or without?”
“With cheese, please.” He washed his hands in the sink. “The least I can do is help.”
“Too late. I’m already done.” Morgan slathered a thick layer of mayonnaise on the bread and placed it on top of the lettuce. She set the sandwich in front of him before pouring a glass of milk.
“Thanks.” He hung his jacket on the hook and settled in at the kitchen bar. “How is the party planning going?”
She licked her finger and ticked an imaginary box. “Running like clockwork.” Morgan told him about Ronni and Greg finding the Christmas decorations. “As soon as I saw them, I dragged them upstairs and started decorating. It turned out exactly as I’d envisioned.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” Wyatt started to say something and abruptly stopped.
“What were you going to say?”
“Nothing. It can wait.” He avoided her gaze and looked away.
Morgan immediately sensed something was wrong. “Wyatt, you’re not telling me something. Now that I think about it, you don’t randomly drop in for no reason, at least not without calling first.”
“I’m sorry, Morgan. I have some bad news.”