Chapter 11 #3
Brady turned to face her more fully, his green eyes serious.
“Then you still found something valuable here. You found a place where you feel like you belong, people who care about you, and experiences that have changed you.” He gave her a teasing smile.
“And you found me, without whom this entire experience would be less memorable.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
As they ate their lunch, he told her about growing up in Pine Ridge. It sounded like he’d only spent time indoors long enough to sleep. He hiked, snowboarded, kayaked, went fly fishing, and whitewater rafting.
“It’s why the job at the inn is perfect for me. I get to take guests to do all those things and call it work.”
“I know what you mean,” she said. “I get to book spa treatments and fancy dinner reservations at the hotels where I work so I can offer suggestions for improvements. It’s definitely the best part of what I do.”
“And do the managers always get grumpy about your suggestions?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “No, they’re usually owned by corporations, not individuals, so it’s a little less personal. The management track at the big resorts tends to be such that people move around a lot.”
“So how are you enjoying the personal touch here in Pine Ridge?” He gestured at the landscape before them, obviously proud of himself for treating her to a fun afternoon.
“More than I thought I would,” she admitted, bumping her shoulder against his playfully.
They were quiet for a moment as they took in the scenery. As she watched the smoke puff from the chimney of the inn down below, she was curious if Brady would one day take over the inn, so she asked him.
“We’ve talked about it,” he said. “Tom and Carol would like to start traveling more, especially during the quieter times of the year, so I’ve started taking over more of the back office work already.
I was always afraid they might sell since they didn’t have children to leave it to .
. .” His voice trailed off, no doubt remembering their conversation from the previous evening.
Would things change if she was indeed Carol’s daughter? It was a ridiculous thing to even think about right now. Even if she was, Brady was the person who deserved to inherit the inn. He was the one they’d actually helped raise. And besides, she couldn’t get ahead of herself.
“Don’t look at me,” she said, holding up a hand and laughing. “I’m not trying to home in on your inheritance.”
“Good.” He smiled at her. “Because we aren’t getting that Brew Pro whatever you want. I’m sure it would take a degree in electrical engineering to fix that thing.”
“You know,” she teased, “that’s what extended warranties are for.”
“You just like to spend other people’s money, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “It is actually kind of fun.”
“Well, this place can’t afford someone like you.”
“Oh, I’d write up a plan for this place for free if I thought you’d actually follow it.”
“But you know better, right?”
“I do. You’re a lost cause.”
“Or maybe just not properly motivated,” he challenged, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Okay, Romeo,” she said, playfully punching his arm. “We better get back so we can clean up for this big Christmas Eve feast Carol promised.”
“I’m wearing you down,” he said as he gathered up the trash from their lunch and stuffed it back in his bag. “You’re almost having fun.”
“I am having fun,” she assured him. “Thank you for helping get my mind off things.”
“Of course,” he said, untying Thunder from where he was secured to a tree.
Now that it was time to head back, the conversation Lila needed to have with the woman she thought might be her birth mother occupied her thoughts.
“Any advice on how to approach Carol?” Lila asked him.
“Follow your instincts. You’ll know when the moment is right.
” Brady helped her back up onto Thunder, his hands lingering at her waist for just a moment longer than necessary.
She missed his touch the instant it was gone.
“And remember, whatever happens, Carol is a good person. If she is your birth mother, any pain or surprise will come from a place of love, not rejection. Remember that you’ve had more time to process this than she has. ”
The ride back to the inn felt shorter than the ride out, perhaps because Lila was more comfortable in the saddle now, or perhaps because she was dreading the end of this peaceful interlude.
As they approached the stable, she could see warm light pouring from nearly every window of the inn, the lights wound around the porch railing adding a festive glow.
Inside, the lobby buzzed with Christmas Eve preparations.
Sophie and Miles were stringing popcorn for the tree, the sisters were arranging evergreen boughs on the mantel, and Sarah was polishing silver candlesticks at the dining room table.
The scene was so picture-perfect, so full of warmth and tradition, that Lila felt a pang of longing for all the Christmases spent at her childhood home.
Carol appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron decorated with holly and berries. “How was your ride?” she asked, her face glowing with the pleasure of someone who loved seeing others enjoy themselves.
“Magical,” Lila said, meaning it. “The town looks so beautiful from up there.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful this time of year,” Carol agreed. “I’m so glad you got to see it. Now, I hope you both worked up an appetite, because we’re planning quite a feast for tonight.”
“Is there anything I can help with after I get cleaned up?” Lila asked.
“Sarah’s been such a dear, helping all afternoon,” Carol said, gesturing toward the dining room where Sarah was now setting the table. “But if you’d like to help me with the final touches in the kitchen in about an hour, I’d welcome the company.”
An hour later, they were working side by side, adding garnishes to platters and arranging rolls in baskets.
Lila found herself studying Carol again.
When Carol hummed softly while she worked, Lila wondered if she’d inherited her love of music from this woman.
When Carol adjusted a flower arrangement with careful precision, Lila thought about her own eye for design and detail.
“Carol,” she began, then stopped, not sure how to continue.
“Yes, dear?”
“I just wanted to say how grateful I am that you let me extend my stay. This place, being here with all of you . . . it’s exactly what I needed this Christmas.”
Carol’s expression softened, and she reached over to squeeze Lila’s hand. “You know, Lila, from the moment you arrived, I’ve felt like you belonged here. There’s something about you that just fits with our little family.”
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with possibility and unspoken questions. Lila felt like they were dancing around the edges of something enormous, both of them perhaps sensing a connection they couldn’t quite name.
“Sometimes,” Carol continued, her voice growing thoughtful, “I think the people who are meant to be in our lives just find their way to us, as if by magic. In this case, a little Christmas magic, I suppose.”
Before Lila could respond, Brady appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Ladies, Tom’s calling for all hands in the dining room. Apparently, there’s some debate about proper candle placement that requires a committee decision.”
The moment broke, but as they made their way to the dining room, Lila caught Carol watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.
Tonight, during Christmas Eve dinner, she was going to find the courage to ask the question that had brought her to Pine Ridge.
Whether Carol was her birth mother or not, she needed to know the truth.
As she helped carry the final dishes to the dining room, where the rest of their Christmas Eve family was gathering around the candlelit table, Lila felt a mixture of anticipation and peace. Whatever happened next, she was exactly where she wanted to be this Christmas Eve.