Page 3 of A Winter Thaw

Elaine coughed delicately. “I’ll certainly try,” she said, unable to hold back her sigh any longer.

Shep looked as though he was about to say something else, but at that moment, the front door opened behind him and a swarm of guests spilled into the hotel. Two rosy-cheeked parents tried to corral three small children, all under the age of five and outrageously excited.

“I’ll get out of your hair,” Shep said with a wink. “Looks like you’re going to have your hands full here.”

Michelle appeared miraculously at the desk behind them, and Elaine guessed that she had simply stepped into the kitchen for a moment. She was tempted to tell Shep that Michelle definitely had it covered and that she could walk him to the sidewalk, but one more glance at the exuberant youngsters told her that Michelle was in fact going to need a little extra help getting the family settled in.

“I’ll see you later,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Thanks again for the cookies.”

“You’re so welcome,” he said with a warm smile, and disappeared through the front door.

Now what do I get him? she thought with an internal groan. I’d finally landed on that wine subscription idea and I was hoping that was the solution. What on earth would he like for Christmas?

She wanted to ponder over the question of what to get Shep for Christmas a little longer, but duty called her from her reverie.

“Hello, folks, welcome to The Birchwood House,” she said to the mother and the little kids as Michelle talked with the father, getting them checked in. “Would anyone like a delicious peppermint bark cookie?

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CHAPTER TWO

Audrey moved slowly along the clothing racks in Common Thread, a local clothing boutique, bobbing her head in time to the Christmas carols that were playing over the loudspeakers. She loved shopping at Common Thread, and she found it especially pleasant at Christmas. The wax melters that usually released citrus and floral aromas were filled with peppermint, evergreen, and sugar cookie scents, and the effect was delightful.

Audrey was doing her Christmas shopping, and she’d been thrilled to find two beautiful scarves that she knew were perfect for Elaine and Michelle. She was on the lookout for more items she could buy for her mother, her daughter, her friends Penelope and Harper, and potentially even herself.

After a few more minutes of browsing, Audrey decided to wait on making any more decisions and come back in a while, when the shop was sure to have even more items.

She paid for the scarves and asked to have them gift-wrapped, since she knew that Common Thread always did a stellar job of wrapping presents, adding mini candy canes and tying the colorful boxes up with red and gold ribbons.

A few minutes later, with her presents held carefully in her arms, she stepped out the front door of the clothing boutique. She was met by a frosty winter wind and the sight of her dear friend Harper Clements, who was in the middle of hanging up a poster on the window of the shop.

“Hey!” Audrey shuffled the way she was holding the gifts so that she could give Harper a big one-armed hug. “How are you?”

“Great!” Harper said with her usual cheerfulness. Her bright emerald eyes were shining and tendrils of her long dark blonde hair were poking out from underneath her pink winter hat and blowing across her face.

Harper was a good friend of both Audrey and her daughter Michelle. She ran the local animal shelter, and she always seemed to be lightly dusted in dog and cat fur. Her warmth and kindness ensured that she took great care of the animals, and she often invited her friends to come visit the animal shelter and pet the animals.

“What’s the poster for?” Audrey asked curiously, noticing the eye-catching red and green border that surrounded a darling image of puppies, kittens, an adult St. Bernard and two sleeping cats.

“We’re hosting a holiday adoption event at the animal shelter,” Harper said, practically squealing. “We’re hoping all kinds of people come in—tourists and locals alike—and decide to adopt one of our fur babies. People are so busy this time of year, they’re not thinking about adopting pets. But pets actually make perfect Christmas gifts, if I do say so myself, and I just want to make it Christmas for them too, you know? There’s no better gift for an animal than getting a loving home.”

Audrey smiled at her friend. She could just imagine Harper going into the shelter on Christmas morning and cuddling all the animals that were under her care. Audrey’s heart gave a pang as she reflected that it probably was what Harper planned on doing for the holiday, since she wasn’t really on speaking terms with her family.

“This event is going to be amazing,” Harper said proudly. “There’s going to be hot cocoa and cookies, and games you can play with the animals to get to know them better. And of course everyone can pet the animals. That’s always the best way to bond with a potential pet.”

“That sounds incredibly fun,” Audrey said, meaning it sincerely. “I’m sure we’ll all be there. I know I wouldn’t miss it.”

“You definitely should be there,” Harper said, waggling her brows mischievously. “Who knows? Maybe it might be time to add a furry addition to The Birchwood House.”

Audrey laughed, shaking her head. “Oh Harper, I wish. I love animals. But I don’t think we need any more chaos right now, especially not at Christmastime. The hotel is full to bursting, and we’re up to our ears in kids. They take a lot of wrangling, especially in a house filled with valuable antiques.”

“Oh, I’m sure the parents have got that handled, don’t worry.” Harper grinned. “You have to admit, guests would absolutely adore having a dog around. It’s the one thing The Birchwood House is missing. After you get a dog—poof! The mansion will officially be perfect.”

Audrey chuckled. “Well, I’ll think about it. I don’t want you to get your hopes up too much, though, Harper. Chances are a pet isn’t in the cards for us right now.”

Not at all deflated, Harper winked. “We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.”

Laughing, Audrey gave her friend another hug and started to walk back to The Birchwood House. A light snow was falling, and Audrey took deep breaths of the fresh, cold air. She shivered a little, not from cold, but from a feeling of happiness and expectancy. She could feel it in her bones that good things were around the corner, and that it was going to be a wonderful Christmas.