Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
It was Caroline’s first year getting two children ready for Christmas at The Mistletoe Inn, but thanks to all of Shelby’s help, it had been so much easier and more enjoyable than she could possibly have expected.
Since the wedding, Shelby had continued to show Caroline every day that hiring her really had been the best decision. She was always prompt in the mornings, ready to help with the breakfast service, eager to do whatever little tasks she could take off of Caroline’s hands. And Caroline had gradually become more and more comfortable taking long lunches with her children, and heading home at five, assured that the social hour for guests was in good hands.
She’d told Shelby that she would be at the inn more often once Jay was back in school, especially around lunchtime, but Shelby had waved her off and told her to make her own hours and not feel guilty about it. It was the perk of running your own business, after all.
Caroline had never really let herself accept that until now, but more and more, she felt as if she were able to let go by degrees, actually enjoying her time away and soaking up all of the little moments that she was able to. And she’d never appreciated it more than on Christmas Day, as she flitted back and forth between the inn and her cottage.
Rhett had the day off from the fire station, unless there was an emergency, and he’d pitched in too. Caroline had gotten up early that morning to make fresh, hot cinnamon rolls for herself, Rhett, and Jay, complete with hot cocoa and the marshmallows that her mother had finally managed to teach her to make from scratch.
She’d headed over to the inn afterward, confident that Shelby would have handled breakfast for the few guests who were staying over Christmas, and helped prep the lunch for a couple who had purchased the full meal plan in their reservation, then assisted Rhonda with getting started on Christmas dinner. Shelby had pitched in with that too, and while not all that long ago Caroline would have thought it would feel like an intrusion, now it felt like having a close friend there to join in on the delight and joy of the day.
Around lunchtime, she went home to make mozzarella chicken melt sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch, and start getting everyone ready for Christmas dinner. Rhett dressed up in a pair of dark gray chinos and a forest green shawl-collared sweater with little wooden toggles on the front, a birthday present from Rhonda earlier that year.
Caroline forewent her jeans and flannels, one of only a few times during the year that happened, instead opting for a festive red sweater dress, with a pair of tall black boots. Jay had a handsome red and green checkered button down with his own pair of chinos like his father, and they bundled Toby into an adorable pair of sweatpants with a sweater embroidered with gingerbread men. She gathered up a tote bag stuffed with the remaining few presents that she needed to put under the tree and surveyed her small family, all eager for the holiday festivities.
She had always loved routine, and tradition, and structure. It was one of the things she loved about the holidays, for all their chaos, there were the same things that they did as a family every year, moments she could rely on, and look forward to. And now, she reflected as they headed up the hill to the inn, she was getting to enjoy those traditions even more because she’d relaxed her expectations a little, and agreed to have Shelby come on to help.
This Christmas was even more full of special moments with her family, because she’d gotten to relax and enjoy them more. And she would keep that in mind, going into the next year, to keep from falling back into those old habits.
As they walked into the back door of the inn, she was hit with the familiar smells of sweet frosted sugar cookies, rich fudge, and the scent of a cooking roast with vegetables being braised along with it.
Rhonda was in the kitchen, a glass of wine at her elbow that she took sips from as she got down the China from the cupboard, puttering around and finalizing the last things that needed to be done for the evening. As Caroline carried Toby into the living room to hand him over to her father, who she knew would want to hold him for a little while until the other grandchildren arrived, she smiled at the sight of the living room all decked out.
The tree was glowing softly by the largest of the windows, the fir garlands strung along the mantle and staircase, and over the door, The fire was crackling, and all the stockings were hung up, full of the candy and small gifts that would be distributed later.
Caroline tucked the last few presents that she had wrapped that afternoon under the tree, heading back into the kitchen to help Rhonda as Rhett and Jay relaxed in the living room, Rhett already chatting with Donovan about the next year’s hunting season. There would be a Christmas dessert board later, and Caroline always liked helping her mother arrange it.
Just as they were finishing up the last touches on dinner, Caroline heard the sound of the door opening, and familiar voices as the rest of the family started to arrive.
Nora and Aiden were the first to get there, Madison’s happy cooing echoing through the house, a moment before a flurry of barking and skittering paws announced that Chessie had come along as well.
Caroline walked out to see Aiden and Nora both wearing Christmas sweaters—hers with bells and snowflakes embroidered on the front, his with pine trees—and Madison wearing a red and white striped candy cane sweater. Chessie, who was running in circles around their feet, was wearing a matching sweater, her ears dragging along the floor as she took off toward the warmth of the fireplace.
“Looks like you already have the puppy thing down,” Caroline remarked with a laugh as Nora closed the door, carrying Madison over to join Toby. “Right down to the matching clothing.”
Nora laughed too, tucking a piece of dark hair behind her ear as she handed Madison over to Donovan and went to join Caroline, Aiden sitting down next to Rhett. “We’re getting there,” she said with some amusement. “One day at a time.”
“Come help me start setting the table?” Caroline asked. “Margo and Spencer should be here soon.”
A little while later, just as Caroline and Nora were finishing up the table settings and lighting the candles, the sound of Spencer and Margo arriving was announced with another flurry of barking from Chessie. Margo walked in a minute later, wearing a red tartan jumpsuit with a green belt, her hair in looped milkmaid braids around her head, her camera bag in her hand. “Anything I can help with?” she asked, and Rhonda motioned for her to come and help start taking dishes of food out to the table.
The inn was bursting at the seams with Christmas merriment, it felt like to Caroline. She could hear the happy sounds of Jay, Madison, and Toby playing in the living room, Jay watching over the two babies like a good older brother and cousin. There was the hum of the men talking in the living room, and the happy yips from Chessie as she got petted and scratched by the various family members sitting around the living room. Spencer came into the kitchen to ask if he could help as well, not long after he and Margo arrived, as if he already missed being near her. It was abundantly clear, just looking at the two of them, that they were blissfully happy as newlyweds.
“Our first Christmas married,” Margo sighed happily as the family all sat down to eat, briefly resting her head on Spencer’s shoulder before reaching to pour them glasses of wine. “It’s the best Christmas yet.”
“Tell us about the honeymoon you’ve planned,” Rhonda urged, as Donovan began to carve the pot roast and she passed the dishes of sides down the table. “It sounds like a thrilling adventure.”
“Very much so,” Spencer said with a smile. “And lots of hiking.”
“Margo’s favorite,” Nora said with a laugh, and Margo grinned.
“But I’m looking forward to visiting a new place,” he continued, reaching over to squeeze Margo’s hand, his wedding band glinting in the candlelight. “This means a lot to both of us—me trying new things, and Margo sharing with me what she loves. I’m excited to see all of it. Especially the penguins,” he added, and Jay let out an excited yell.
“ Penguins?” He bounced in his chair, leaning forward to look at Margo. “And lots of other animals too, right?”
“Lots of them,” Margo confirmed. “Tortoises and Komodo dragons and sharks. And I’ll have a waterproof camera with me as well, so I can take pictures of all of it.”
Jay was beside himself with excitement over that prospect, and the rest of the family also couldn’t wait to see the photos and souvenirs that Margo would bring back.
“I’ve always wanted to travel more,” Shelby said, from her seat between Rhonda and Caroline. She had come back just before dinner, wearing a pretty navy blue sweater dress, invited to come and share the family meal by both Rhonda and Caroline, and encouraged by everyone else as well. She’d decided to split her evening between their family and Audrey’s, and would be heading back over there for dessert and presents. “Maybe hearing your adventures will be just the push I need to do more of that.”
“I hope so,” Margo said. “I would love nothing more than to be the reason you went on more adventures. You should come to my wildlife photography class,” she offered. “Maybe sit in and audit a session, and then sign up, if you’d like.”
“I’ll do that,” Shelby said with a smile, as the last of the dishes were passed around and the family began to dig in to their Christmas meal.
“I’m glad you’re here with us for dinner,” Caroline said, glancing over at her as they all began to eat. “You’ve played a big role in helping Christmas happen the way it always has, by being here to be an extra set of hands. Goodness knows we needed them, with all of the wedding planning, and then Margo sending us all on a wild goose chase for her rings that were in the spice cabinet all along.” She looked at Margo teasingly as she said it, and Margo threw up her hands, grinning good-naturedly.
“I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?”
“Every Christmas,” Caroline promised, and everyone laughed.
After dinner, everyone said their goodbyes to Shelby as she headed back to Audrey’s for dessert, and gathered in the living room to open gifts. Before long, there was a sea of wrapping paper strewn around the living room, and just as Caroline and Nora went to start gathering it up, Chessie broke loose from Aiden’s arms, tearing through it. A flurry of wrapping paper escaped the space near the Christmas tree, flying everywhere as Chessie, wrapped in it, began barking and running wildly in circles, sending bits of paper all around.
“Oh my.” Nora covered her face with her hands, but Caroline just laughed, going to scoop up the wayward dog and bring her back, as she brushed the remnants of wrapper off of her.
“We’ll get it cleaned up,” Caroline said with a smile. “But that’s hardly the priority right now, right?”
Nora raised an eyebrow. “Is that my older sister saying that?”
Caroline laughed. “I’ve learned to loosen up a bit,” she said, holding the puppy as Jay noisily unwrapped his new video game. “And it’s done me more good than I could have imagined.”
With a living room full of family, and three kids, it was noisy and chaotic, she thought. But it was also warm, and sweet, and full of happiness, full of memories of past years and the ones they were making right then, and all of the ones they would make in the future.
It was, Caroline thought, everything that Christmas should be.