Page 27 of A Winter Thaw

“I’ll be fine, really. I don’t want either of you to miss a second of that business conference. I’m so glad you’re there. I’m also glad you’ll be home soon, not going to lie, but I can definitely hold out until that happens.”

Audrey could hear the grin in her daughter’s voice. “Okay. But keep me posted, please? I want to be sure everything’s okay on your end.”

“I’ll let you know if anything catches fire,” Michelle teased. “How are things going at the conference?”

“Oh, it’s just amazing,” Audrey gushed. “Right now, we’ve been waiting for dinner for an hour, so that’s been frustrating, but the restaurant sounds like it will be worth it, so even that I can’t really complain about.”

“Oo, sounds fancy.”

“I guess so.” Audrey chuckled. “Right now, I’m hungry enough that anything would taste good, so maybe I’m in for the best meal of my life.”

“Amazing. And you said the conference has been good?”

“Incredible. Your grandma and I are both learning such useful things. We’ve taken so many notes, and we can’t wait to share them with you. We went to a seminar on how to use social media to advertise the most effectively, and how to build a wider audience base. You’re going to be so excited about it.”

“I’m excited already! You two will have to give me the condensed version of the conference once you get home. Make a few PowerPoints. That kind of thing.”

Audrey laughed. “I’m sure your grandmother would love to. She’s taken twice as many notes as I have, and she is studying the brochures as we speak.”

Michelle clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Well, it sounds like you two are learning things that are really going to benefit the hotel. I’m really excited for you guys.”

Audrey smiled, loving the way Michelle sounded genuinely happy for her and Elaine. She was about to ask Michelle if she wanted some cute little Boston-themed gift, like a magnet or a keychain, when she saw Elaine waving to her out of the corner of her eye. She turned and looked through the glass doors, and saw Elaine put her phone into her pocket and mouth, “Our table is ready!”

“Oh thank goodness!” Audrey blurted. “Hey, honey, I guess our table is finally ready, so I need to go into the restaurant. We’ll talk again soon, okay?”

“Sounds good. Enjoy your meal!”

“Thanks. Enjoy your puppy snuggles!”

Audrey and Michelle said goodnight and hung up. Audrey was just about to put her phone back in her pocket when she saw the screen light up with a notification from her weather app.

Severe weather warning? she thought, her eyebrows lifting as she read the notification. Severe cold? For a moment, she frowned, and then she shrugged. I’m not too worried. Cold is cold, after all. It’s winter, so what do I expect?

Elaine met her at the doorway, smiling excitedly. “I’m so ready to eat, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely.” Audrey laughed as they left the bookstore and began to cross the street. “I’m starving.” An icy wind blew against their faces, and Audrey shuddered.

“What did Michelle say?” Elaine asked. “How are things at the hotel?”

“Going fine, generally—I’ll tell you more once we’re in the restaurant.” Audrey’s teeth chattered a little as she spoke. “I can’t wait to be somewhere warm, eating a good meal.”

“I second that!”

Audrey shivered again, thinking to herself that once they were back at the hotel, she would enjoy taking a hot bath and snuggling under her quilt and a couple of extra blankets. Winter might be winter, but the cold wind that was blowing seemed to be far icier than usual.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Michelle pushed her cart along the aisles of the grocery store, frowning a little as she perused the shelves. She was looking for cans of blueberries, which she wanted to put into a coffee cake for the hotel’s breakfast. Her cart was already well-stocked with snacks and breakfast supplies, as well as a few basic groceries that she would use for her own lunch and dinner.

She’d brought Puddle along with her, and the dog was romping around like a miniature explorer, intent on reconnoitering the vast jungle that was the grocery store. Although Michelle loved spending time with her new little best friend, she was already regretting bringing the puppy along with her. Puddle’s intense energy was making the already overwhelming trip even more difficult.

I wish my grandma was here, Michelle thought with a sigh. She’s always so good at doing the grocery shopping. She knows where every single item in this place is, it seems like, and I’m still figuring it all out.

She continued to shop until her cart was piled high with supplies. She was about to turn toward the front register when she saw a display of pillows that were on sale.

“Oh, perfect,” she muttered, stopping her cart and going over to the display. She picked up one of the pillows and kneaded it with her hands. It felt great—soft and pliable, and comfortable without being too squishy.

She grabbed four pillows and added them to the top of her cart. The pile of items was now so high that she could hardly see over the top of her cart, and she started to make her way toward the front of the store carefully. Puddle, who was eyeing the pillows as though they were marshmallows she was dying to get a bite out of, yapped and jumped up and down next to the cart.