26. Ashley
Chapter twenty-six
Ashley
The sound of sleigh bells carried across the estate as Ashley, Carter, Lena, and all the Winterridge staff as well as most of the Wetherbys waited for the gates to open to kick off the Christmas festival.
Children’s excited chatter floated through the gates, mingling with the Christmas music and the distant clip-clop of horses’ hooves.
Grandpa wasn’t among them, even though both Ashley and Carter tried to persuade him to join the festivities. He wasn’t ready. Maybe next year.
She pulled her coat tighter, and Carter draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in close.
They were no longer hiding from her family or the staff.
It’s not like their love affair that had spanned two decades was a secret, even if they had thought it was.
Turned out everyone had an inkling they were more than friends.
Aunt Marilyn even admitted she’d been rooting for them from the very beginning. Gabe, on the other hand was still being a dick. The only reason he was here at all was because Lena apparently threatened his manhood.
“You ready, sir?” Carter asked her dad, and Ashley spun toward him.
“You bet.”
Ashley looked between the two men, confusion swirling in her mind. Dad stepped forward and pressed the button to open the gates. He stepped out in front of the crowd. “The Wetherbys and our extended family.” He glanced at the staff, then back to the crowd. “Welcome you to Winterridge!”
Cheers erupted, and Carter gave a thumbs up to Larry, who flipped a switch.
Thousands of white lights twinkled against the fresh snow, transforming the grounds into a winter wonderland.
The oversized velvet bows swayed gently in the breeze, and smoke curled from the firepits.
The smell of pine, hot chocolate, and fresh gingerbread wafted down the path.
Families walked onto the grounds, mouths open in awe, kids wearing Santa hats jumping in excitement. Ashley turned toward the lighted path that led to the vendors and the hot cocoa station where Santa would greet the kids and take pictures.
This wasn’t just the festival she remembered.
It was better.
Seeing it through a child’s eyes, through teenage eyes and early adulthood eyes was different every time.
And now, seeing it as a thirty-one-year-old woman, she appreciated the little details she never noticed before: The hours spent tying every bow by hand.
The extension cords hidden beneath fresh snow.
The garland carefully woven around each section of gate and railings.
The volunteers greeting strangers like friends.
Every detail had been placed with purpose, all in the hope of giving complete strangers a little Christmas magic.
As a little girl, she got lost in the magic.
As a woman, she understood it didn’t just appear out of thin air. Someone had created it.
For years it had been Grandma Lily. And now…
Her attention turned to Carter. The man who had quietly carried the festival on his shoulders for years, making sure generations of families could experience the same Christmas magic she’d grown up with.
“What do you think?” Carter asked.
Lena ran up beside her. “Yeah, what do you think?”
She hugged Lena, grateful for her help with everything. “It’s amazing.”
A little girl with pigtails held her grandma’s hand and excitedly pulled her toward the hot cocoa booth. A memory of her doing the same with Grandma Lily flashed so brightly in her mind it brought a tear to her eye.
Extra marshmallows are good for the soul. Her words echoed in her head, and she smiled at the memory.
“You two have kept the magic alive that my grandma created for so many years. Thank you.”
“Don’t forget,” Lena said, bumping her shoulder. “You helped.”
A smile spread across her face, warmth surging through her heart. “I did, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Carter said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his heat, his strength, and allowed herself to absorb it for a moment.
This was everything she’d been missing in her life.
She had the big, fancy job, the accolades, the apartment in New York City, but she was lonely.
She hadn’t realized just how lonely she was until she came back to Winterridge surrounded by family and all the people who kept the estate standing. And most of all, Carter.
He had been a huge part of her life for so many years. Every holiday, every visit to Winterridge and the emails and texts they sent to each other during the times they weren’t able to be together. The video chats that would last way into the night.
After their last time together, she kept herself busy.
Throwing herself headfirst into school, then work.
Grandpa was proud of her, and earning his respect once felt like the finish line, but now that she proved herself, what did she have left?
Another client who wanted warm minimalism instead of traditional elegance.
Another penthouse overlooking Central Park.
Another boutique hotel? Another magazine spread?
Another award to put on a shelf in an apartment she rarely spent any time in?
She’d spent years creating and curating houses for other people while never building one for herself. Somewhere along the way, success had become a substitute for happiness.
Standing here at Winterridge, surrounded by generations of families making memories that would last them a lifetime, she realized she’d been designing beautiful rooms… while forgetting to fill her own life with the things that made a house feel like a home.
Excited gasps went through the crowd, and everyone turned toward the main house. Curiosity grabbed Ashley, and she spun around with the crowd.
She had to blink and do a double take.
“Grandpa!” Ashley exclaimed. “But I thought he didn’t—” Ashley’s words broke off as she watched the man behind Winterridge Ho, Ho, Ho-ing his way down the steps in a full on Santa costume, a bell in his hand as he rang it in beat with his movements.
“He didn’t. Hasn’t,” Carter said.
“I might have made a bargain with the old man.” A satisfied smile spread across Lena’s face. “He’s missed this. He just needed a push.”
“It’s a Christmas miracle,” Carter announced.
Ashley rested her head against Carter’s shoulder as they watched her grandfather put the past behind him and step into a future that might have been unsure, but it was bright as hell.