Chapter 7
7
“I heard a rumor you might be here,” Abe greeted her with a grin. His eyes lit up as Frankie walked into the kitchen and enveloped him in a long overdue hug.
“Might?” Frankie teased, stepping up to the counter and grabbing a knife to help with the vegetables. “Who’s your source?”
“I’ll never tell, but it didn’t come from him.” Abe chuckled, casting a quick glance across the room. His eyes flicked toward Joe, who was seated at a large staff table on the other side of the kitchen, engrossed in a phone call with papers and a laptop spread out in front of him.
Frankie followed Abe’s gaze, her curiosity piqued. “Hmm, keeping secrets, huh?”
“Always,” Abe replied with a wink, returning to his cooking. “So, how are you doing, girl — how’s the city treating you?”
Frankie hesitated, her knife slowing as she considered the question. “Great. Good. Fine? I don’t know.”
Abe raised an eyebrow, sensing something more beneath her words. “Oh? Time for a change?”
“Time for something,” she admitted, sighing. “It isn’t what it used to be, you know? Like something is missing — or maybe it was never really there, and the thrill just wore off?”
Abe nodded, his hands busy but his attention fully on her. “Must be something in the air. You’re not the only one feeling that way.” He subtly nodded in Joe’s direction, a hint of concern in his voice.
Frankie’s gaze drifted back to Joe, who seemed distant and weighed down by something heavy. “I noticed. What’s going on with him?”
“He’s unsettled and unhappy,” Abe said quietly, his tone laced with understanding. “Sound familiar?”
Frankie frowned, the pieces starting to come together. “A little too familiar. I heard he wants to sell the Inn and the ranch.”
Abe paused in his work, glancing over at Joe with a mixture of concern and sadness. “Something is missing for Joe. He’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders since Gus passed. It’s a lot of responsibility.”
“It is,” Frankie agreed softly. “He’s always felt responsible for his brothers and the town. I get how that could feel overwhelming, especially now.”
“Joe’s been running this place by himself like a champ for years,” Abe continued, his admiration for Joe evident. “But he’s grieving, and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.”
Frankie watched Joe from across the room, her heart aching for him as he navigated his own struggles. “It was so sudden and unexpected... it sparked something in him,” Abe said, his voice almost a whisper.
“Make everyday count before you run out of days to count,” Frankie quoted, her smile tinged with nostalgia.
Abe nodded, recalling the old saying with a bittersweet smile. “Ah, you remember Gus’s famous quote. You really are the bonus, King.”
“Maybe Joe’s looking for ways to make his days count,” Frankie said, her eyes fixed on Joe as he hung up the phone, his expression weary and defeated.
Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, the burden of his responsibilities etched into every line of his face.
“Hmm… Maybe you both are,” Abe replied, his words hanging in the air as Frankie fell silent, lost in thought.
Chris and Nick settled in across from Joe at the kitchen table, the tension from the day's events hanging between them like an uninvited guest. In the background, Abe and Frankie moved with practiced ease, the rhythmic sounds of chopping and sizzling providing a comforting backdrop, though it did little to lighten the mood that weighed heavily in the room.
“Got your text,” Chris said, glancing up briefly from his phone. “Sounded urgent.”
Nick leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Rethinking the sale?”
Joe shook his head, his expression serious. “No. If anything, I’d say there’s more reason to sell now.”
Nick’s concern deepened. “What happened?”
Joe let out a sigh. “The better question is, what hasn’t happened? We’re in that phase where everything that can go wrong has.”
Chris’s attention was finally drawn away from his phone. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It isn’t,” Joe confirmed. “I just got off the phone with Devyn. There was an accident up at the sled run.”
Nick straightened in his seat. “Oh no. Is everyone okay?”
“The guests are fine, but Devyn didn’t fair as well and is in a cast or some kind of boot for eight weeks — so limited duty.”
Chris, still half-engaged with his phone, frowned. “Isn’t Devyn the one you hired last year? Kind of your second in command?”
“That’s the problem,” Joe said, frustration edging into his voice. “I can’t run this place at full capacity without Devyn. Especially with some staff already out for the holidays and others down with the flu.”
In the background, Frankie and Abe exchanged worried glances as they listened.
“What happened?” Nick asked, his concern obvious. “Is the sled run unsafe? Do we need to shut it down?”
“A couple of thrill seekers ignored the signs and went down a run they weren’t supposed to,” Joe explained. “Devyn saved them from a nasty collision by stopping the sled.”
“Devyn took the hit?” Nick’s voice was full of admiration and worry.
Joe nodded grimly. “Yep. This isn’t good. It will look especially bad if we cancel reservations this close to the holiday.”
Nick’s face lit up with determination. “No problem. We’ll help. Just like the good old days. Don’t cancel anything. You got us here. Put us to work.”
Chris chimed in, a serious expression on his face, still distracted by his phone. “Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. The good old days at Christmas. We can do this.”
Joe shook his head, skeptical. “This isn’t like the good old days. A lot has changed.”
Nick waved off his concern. “Ah, how hard can it be, big brother? Besides, we’re all grown up now, with plenty of experience under our belts.”
Joe leaned back in his chair, skeptical. “We do a lot more now — excursions, shuttles to town and the slopes for skiing, wagon rides for Christmas trees. It’s not just the small operation it used to be.”
Chris shrugged. “Shuttles. Got it. That’s just driving, right?”
Joe snorted. “Then there’s all of the events we host here on the grounds. Did you know we have glass blowing now?”
Chris’s nodded, his eyes still fixed on his phone, working away. “I vaguely remember seeing that in an email.”
Nick chuckled. “You get emails?”
Frankie and Abe soon made their way over, sliding into seats at the table. Their presence added a touch of warmth to the tension lingering in the room.
Chris shot him a look. “Yes. Often. Well, my assistant does and gives me a highlight reel. Your name’s on every email, Nick.”
“Huh,” Nick said, smirking. “Maybe I should check mine more often.”
Joe looked at his brothers, a mix of exasperation and affection. “Wow. The highlight reel. As much as you’re on that phone, Chris, you’d think you could read your own emails, especially from your brother.”
Chris held up his phone, now dark, and slid it into his pocket. “I do, sometimes. I’m all taken care of. Good to go.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “Which means?”
Chris grinned. “I just arranged for my assistant to join me here tomorrow. Easier and less phone time. I’m in. Where can I help?”
Frankie looked impressed. “There aren’t any flights in or out due to the snow. How’d you pull that off?”
Chris leaned back, looking pleased with himself. “The first leg of travel is by plane, then train, and then rental car, followed by an uncle with a big rig a few towns over the rest of the way in. Sam’s used to this kind of weather and travel.”
“That’s... impressive,” Frankie admitted. “Sam needs a raise.”
Joe’s eyebrows shot up. “You did what?”
“You need help,” Chris replied simply. “I’m helping. And bringing in an extra pair of very capable hands, I might add.”
Joe looked frustrated, rubbing his temples. “We’re booked. I don’t have an available room for... for...”
“Sam,” everyone chimed in unison.
Joe sighed deeply, realizing where this was headed. “Right. Sam. I just don’t have the room.”
“Unless…” Abe began, his voice trailing off as he waited for Joe to connect the dots and come to the realization on his own.
“Unless I give up my room here in the lodge and stay at the family cabin,” Joe relented.
A somber silence fell over the group.
“Fine. I’ll have it ready by morning.” Joe said.
Frankie smiled. “Now that’s settled, how can I help?”
Joe looked at her, surprised. “You?”
“Why not?” Frankie shrugged. “I’m here through the holiday and know this place like the back of my hand.”
Nick grinned. “Bonus King, remember?”
Joe rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “That’s what everyone keeps saying. How could I forget?”
Abe added to the comradery. “I’ll help get everyone up to speed. Plus, I know all the schedules and routes — I can run the shuttles.”
Joe looked at him, nodding slowly. “We have a full-service kitchen and restaurant, Abe. Who’s going to cook?”
Nick sat up straighter, a mischievous gleam in his eye. “If only you knew a world-renowned five-star chef who’s traveled the world, been featured on television, and in countless articles... Hmm...”
Joe blinked at him. “You? You want to cook? Here? Like a full-time job?”
Nick grinned. “It’s where I started cooking — it’ll be like coming home. I mean, technically, I am home, but you know what I mean.”
Joe scanned the table, taking in the determined faces around him. All eyes were on him.
“Okay,” he finally said. “Abe can go over the menus with you tonight and get you up to speed.”
Nick leaned back, already thinking ahead. “I’ll consider the menu. I have a few ideas that would go over well and?—”
Joe held up a hand, cutting him off. “Sounds great. Just don’t mess it up. Chris, I’ll pair you with Devyn. You can drive, do the heavy lifting, and so on.”
Chris nodded, already making notes. “Already added it to my calendar, so I know where to be tomorrow.”
Joe smirked. “Great, because it would be a real shame if you woke up tomorrow and forgot why you were here.”
The group laughed at Joe’s dry humor.
Joe’s tone grew serious again. “We need this season to go well if we’re going to sell the ranch. We do eighty percent of our business from the week before Thanksgiving through New Year’s, so there’s no room to gamble with.”
Frankie frowned. “Really? Bethlehem Falls is a year-round Christmas experience. I would have thought the rest of the year did better than twenty percent.”
Joe nodded. “The entire town survives on this part of the season, and it’s getting harder each year.”
“What about Christmas in July or summer vacations with Santa?” Frankie suggested. “It snows here through February — what about skiing and other snow sports?”
Joe shrugged. “Not our niche, I guess. Any other questions?”
“A lot,” Frankie admitted, her mind already turning over this new information, “but I’ll save them for later.”
Joe sighed, deciding it was time to drop another bombshell. “I suppose this is as good a time as any to tell you all that we already have a potential buyer.”
Nick’s eyes widened. “That was... fast.”
“They’ve been reaching out for some time,” Joe explained. “It’s actually where I got the idea to sell. We really need this.”
A heavy silence fell over the table. Joe pushed back his chair and stood up.
“Okay then. I have to go clean out my room,” he said, walking away with a mix of determination and resignation.