Page 52 of A Winter Thaw

This is a wonderful evening, Audrey thought. Penelope seemed truly touched by all of our support, and I feel so proud to be a part of this group of women. I couldn’t ask for more supportive friends.

“This is amazing, what you’ve done for me,” Penelope said, taking another sip of her wine. “I’m so grateful.”

“This is a new chapter in your life,” Audrey said warmly. “And it should be celebrated.”

“’Tis the season for celebrating,” Michelle said. “We’re celebrating tonight, and before we know it, it’ll be Christmas.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Elaine looked around the dining room of The Birchwood House and sighed with happiness. Candles were flickering, and garlands of evergreen had been strung across the China cabinets. Outside, snow dusted the lawn of The Birchwood House, faintly lit by a magnificent silver moon.

This Christmas celebration is going to be everything we hoped it could be, she thought, her heart fluttering with excitement. I’ve had so many wonderful Christmases in my life, but I think tonight is truly going to be the best one yet.

She felt a surge of pride and happiness as she reflected on all that she and her daughter and granddaughter had accomplished that year. They’d started the hotel together and made it a haven of happiness and joy for all who came there. Elaine thought about how lonely she used to be before Audrey and Michelle moved to Coral Sands, and she closed her eyes for a moment, letting her gratitude fill her.

She went over to the buffet table, which was placed underneath the dining room windows, to make sure that the trays of Christmas cookies hadn’t been disturbed by any of their littlest guests. Of course there was no way to preserve the way the trays had been beautifully arranged once the party officially started, but she and the girls had spent a lot of time making the trays look just right, and she wanted all the details of the party to be in order before the guests started arriving.

Satisfied that the cookies still looked artfully arranged, she went over to the insulated beverage dispenser, which had been filled with hot cider that had been enhanced with spices and orange slices. It let off a scrumptious aroma, and she smiled, thinking to herself that the smell of hot apple cider always made her think of Christmas. There was another beverage dispenser filled with hot water for cocoa and tea, and three trays of clean mugs rested on the end of the buffet table.

Elaine decided that the dining room was perfectly festive, and she made her way to the kitchen next, where three beef and potato pies were cooking in the oven along with empanadas and egg rolls. The delicious smells of the food filled the air, and the radio was on, playing cheerful Christmas carols.

Elaine hummed along to the carols as she checked on the food in the oven and then made her way out to the hallway, where the coffee makers were letting out their own nutty, rich aromas. A few Christmas pies that Shep had dropped off earlier were displayed along with bunches of holly and berries on the hallway table, and Elaine bent down to sniff a chocolate peppermint pie, which she couldn’t wait to try a slice of. Next to the pies and the stacks of little plates that had been set aside for them were wine bottles and wine glasses, as well as a bowl of Christmas punch and punch glasses.

“I think we’re all ready!”

Audrey stepped out of the parlor, wearing a beautiful burgundy dress and a sparkling diamond necklace that Evan had given her for her birthday. She looked radiant, and her cheeks were flushed with anticipation.

“I think so too.” Elaine gave her a big hug. “I’m so excited. You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“So do you!” Audrey stepped back to admire her mother’s outfit. “That emerald green dress is one of my favorites. You look like the Christmas Queen, especially with those gold clips in your hair.”

“Oh, stop.” Elaine flushed and laughed, delighted by the compliment.

“People will be arriving any minute!” Michelle came thumping down the stairs, wearing a short black dress with tights and boots, which featured a rhinestone pattern reminiscent of snowflakes around the collar and wrists. She’d pulled back her hair with a festive red ribbon and applied a daring red lipstick to match. She scampered up to the front window and peered through it, looking across the yard. “Let’s get a fire lit in the parlor.”

“Perfect,” Elaine said. “Let the festivities commence.”

They’d just coaxed the fire in the parlor’s fireplace into a cheerful blaze when their first guests started to arrive.

“Hello!”

“Merry Christmas!”

“Gosh, it looks beautiful in here!”

Most of the hotel’s guests had been out and about around town, and they returned to the mansion one by one. The ones who had stayed upstairs in their cozy rooms wandered downstairs, smiling and remarking on how wonderful everything smelled.

Audrey, Elaine, and Michelle worked together, setting out the rest of the food and greeting their guests and friends. People kept spilling into the warmly lit, cozy hotel, lightly dusted in snow and smiling and laughing.

Elaine was sitting next to the Christmas tree in the parlor, enjoying a cup of punch and breathing deeply of all of the wonderful smells that wafted through the air, when the front door opened again and the guest she was most looking forward to seeing stepped inside.

“Shep!” she exclaimed eagerly, sitting up and setting down her punch glass. She hurried over to him, giving him a hug. The snowflakes on his coat melted against her cheek as he held her back tightly.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he whispered.

“Merry Christmas,” she whispered back.

For a while, Shep and Elaine lingered with the rest of the guests. Audrey, Michelle, Harper, Penelope, and Evan started a game of charades in the kitchen, and Elaine knew that wasn’t Shep’s cup of tea, so she beckoned to him and together they slipped out to the parlor, which was quieter, since most of the guests were eating in the dining room or playing games in the kitchen—or, in the case of all the youngest guests, playing hide and seek around the big old house.