Mistletoe and Memories (Evergreen Hollow Christmas #4)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

As concerned as she was about what Caroline had had to run off to deal with, Nora was over the moon that her mother was so excited about her purchases. Rhonda had tried on a few more outfits before going back to the plaid skirt and sweater that they’d all loved, and she ended up purchasing that along with the braided leather belt, a pair of black suede knee-high boots, and a pair of silver and garnet earrings that Beatrice had there on consignment.

“No matter what you girls have planned, I know this will be perfect,” Rhonda said as Beatrice handed her the blue and silver bag containing her new clothes. “I’m so excited. This has already been such a special treat, I can’t believe there’s more.”

“There’s definitely more,” Margo assured her. “But I’m starting to get hungry. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?”

“Oh, I would love that,” Rhonda said. “If we walk down to the water, there’s a little cafe called the Wharf. They have amazing seafood.”

“That sounds perfect,” Margo said. “Nora? What do you think?”

“Sure,” Nora agreed, and the three of them headed out into the brisk cold, walking the short distance to the waterfront restaurant.

There was the fresh smell of fish, batter, and spices as they walked in. A blonde girl who looked like she couldn’t be more than a year out of high school greeted them at the hostess stand, and took Rhonda and Margo back to a booth. “I’ll catch up,” Nora said, as they started to follow her. “Just give me a minute, I’m going to make a call really quick.”

By now, she thought Caroline must have some answers as to what was going on. She quickly dialed Caroline’s number, sitting down on one of the rustic wooden benches next to the door, bouncing Madison as she waited anxiously for Caroline to answer.

“What’s going on?” she blurted out as soon as she heard Caroline’s voice. Her heart dropped as soon as Caroline started to explain how they wouldn’t be able to use Rockridge Grill because of the broken window.

“Even if it could be cleaned up and made to look nice, it just won’t work with how ill Dad has been,” Caroline said. “The cold will be uncomfortable, and he could get sick.”

Nora let out a breath as disappointment washed over her. She knew their parents would be thrilled with anything that they planned, that all of this was already above and beyond what they had expected, but she couldn’t help feeling let down.

She’d worked so hard to decorate that room perfectly, and it had been the very first part of their idea. The photo with the old malt shop decorations in Rockridge Grill had been what started the entire plan of the anniversary surprise. And the specially decorated room and date had been what she’d planned and contributed the most to. She’d been looking forward to seeing her parents’ reactions to it so much.

“Well…”

She pushed aside her disappointment, trying to think logically about what to do, the way she would if she had been planning this for a client. Mishaps and cancellations were a part of every event, and there were always problems to deal with. She was an expert at managing them with a clear head, it was part of what had always made her so good at her job.

“We’ll just have to reserve a place in Plymouth, then. That’s our only choice, really. I’ll figure out what to do for that ASAP. The three of us are just getting lunch right now, so I can find a spot on my phone while we eat and I’ll text it to you so you can handle the details without Mom knowing. That should be easy. It’s just a bummer that totally takes away the nostalgia aspect we were going for, but it will still be special.”

“Actually,” Caroline broke through Nora’s stream-of-consciousness planning, a note of satisfaction in her voice. “I think I have the solution to that. We don’t have to sacrifice the nostalgia at all. Oh, wait, hold on.”

Nora heard her sister say something else, her voice muffled as if she had looked away from the phone.

“I’m going to put you on speaker,” Caroline said when she came back a second later. “I’m with Leon and Bethany, and they have a great idea.”

“Okay, let’s hear it,” Nora said hopefully, glancing back to where Rhonda and Margo were seated at a booth near the window.

She desperately wanted it to work out, so that they could have the nostalgia-filled walk down memory lane that she and her sisters had so carefully planned. She knew that their parents would be thrilled for a special night out no matter where it was, but she wanted it to be perfect.

“Here’s the idea.” Leon’s rumbling voice came over the line. “Before Donovan and Rhonda officially started dating, Donovan was doing odd jobs to help me out a lot. Trying to keep his income up in the off-season for construction, all of that. Anyway, Bethany had the grooming place next door, and your mother had that Maltese she loved so much. What was her name…?”

“Dixie,” Nora supplied.

“Yup. That was it. Dixie. Anyway, your mother would bring Dixie into the grooming salon for a bunch of made-up reasons—just to get her brushed out or a bow put in her hair—so she’d have an excuse to talk to Donovan back when they were just sweet on each other and didn’t know it yet.”

“She thought she had us fooled, but we definitely weren’t,” Bethany added, a fond nostalgia in her voice. “She was always so insistent it was just to spoil that dog, but I could see her looking around for Donovan every time she walked in.”

“Same thing every time she stopped by the general store,” Leon added with a chuckle. “Anyway, I think we could take the same idea you girls had, and do it right here.”

“There’s the room in the back of the general store,” Caroline said. “It’s storage right now, but the three of us can clear it out in plenty of time and get set up, once I get the decorations back from Rockridge Grill. I’m going to go over there and do that now. And then we’re going to take all those pictures that we found of Mom and Dad when they were dating, and the blueprints and photos of the stages of the house that he and Leon built for Mom, and hang them all around the room.”

“Leon and I will print all of it out so that you girls don’t have to worry about a thing,” Bethany added. “I already called Sabrina, and she said she’d be happy to help too. So we’ve got it all sorted.”

Nora was so choked up that it took her a moment to speak. She clearly remembered the first Christmas she’d spent in her and Aiden’s house, and how everyone in town had come together to fix her issue of the chandelier for the Christmas party, so that their first party in their new home could be a success. Now, she could see it happening again, this time for her parents’ anniversary celebration.

It made her feel so thankful to live in a place like Evergreen Hollow, where everyone cared about each other so much. “Thank you,” she said fervently. “Thank you so much. This solves everything.”

“It looks like it’s going to work out after all,” Caroline said, coming back on the line. “Just enjoy lunch with her and Margo, and then we’ll put the final touches on everything when you get back. I’ll handle everything that I can here.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Nora asked, feeling guilty. “I feel bad that you’re missing out on lunch. We’re at the Wharf, and?—”

“Oh, no.” Caroline made a gagging noise. “The last thing I can handle right now is seafood and all the smells associated with that. Maybe it’s good I’m not there,” she added with a laugh. “Jonathan got me a burger for the lunch special, so I’m going to eat that and hope it all works out. I’ll text you if I need anything, but I think I have it all handled here.”

“Okay,” Nora said. “I’ll keep an eye on my phone. Thanks for taking care of it all.”

She walked back to the table, where she saw that Rhonda had a glass of white wine and Margo had gotten a hard cider. There was a basket of fried calamari with jalapeno tartar sauce and cocktail sauce between them, and Nora’s stomach rumbled as she sat down.

The view was beautiful. They’d gotten a booth right next to the window looking out on the water, and Nora glanced at the menu that was in front of her spot, excited for a lunch out. Madison cooed in the baby carrier, quiet despite having been awake for quite a while. She waved a small, chubby fist at the server as the woman waiting on their table walked up to get their order.

“I’m getting the shrimp and scallop alfredo,” Rhonda said decisively. “Margo?”

“Fish and chips,” Margo said, closing her menu. “Theirs is always really good. But that alfredo sounds amazing,” she added.

“I’ll have a water with lemon, and the crab cake sandwich with fries and tartar sauce,” Nora said. “And some extra fries for Madison,” she added.

The food came shortly after, and it looked delicious. The alfredo looked creamy and the seafood perfectly cooked, and the fish and chips were perfectly crispy. Nora’s sandwich smelled amazing, and she set Madison in the high chair that the server had brought, scattering some fries out for the baby to smash and nibble at.

“Is everything okay, by the way?” Rhonda asked as she twirled her fork in the creamy pasta. “You were on that call for a minute.”

“Nothing to worry about.” Nora looked from her mother, to Margo, to her daughter and back again, feeling a wave of happiness wash over her. “Everything is perfect.”

She meant it too. Everything about the day was perfect, mishaps and all.

Caroline pulled back up to The Mistletoe Inn right at six in the evening, to pick Donovan up for dinner, while Rhonda finished getting dressed and dolled up at Nora’s house. There had been a note left for him telling him to get ready for a surprise night out.

She walked in to find him in the living room, waiting. He’d put on a pair of dark gray slacks and a forest-green wool sweater, with the black leather jacket over it that Caroline had seen him wearing all her life. She knew exactly what it smelled like from being given hugs as a little girl—aftershave and tobacco and car grease. She’d always loved all of those scents as a result.

“I can’t believe how much effort you girls have put into all of this,” Donovan said fondly as he tugged on a hat and leather gloves before they went outside into the cold. “I hope you all know how much your mother and I appreciate it. It really means a lot, what you’ve all done.”

“We were happy to,” Caroline said as she opened the door. “I know how excited you and Mom were for your trip, and we’re still hoping and crossing our fingers that it works out. But we wanted to be a part of your celebrations too. After all, it’s the two of you who gave all three of us such a good model for what we should want as adults. And we didn’t want this anniversary to only be a disappointment if the trip couldn’t happen.”

“Nothing is ever a disappointment when I have you girls and your mother,” Donovan said firmly. “And this is all above and beyond. You’re amazing daughters, all three of you. By the way,” he added with a grin as he slid into the passenger’s seat and Caroline started the Subaru, “how did your mother like the scavenger hunt part of today’s surprise?”

“She loved it,” Caroline said with a smile. “It was great. And you’re definitely in for a surprise with this next part. Actually, even I am.” She laughed. “I’ll explain later.”

As they sat there with the car warming up, the familiar smell of her father’s aftershave and leather jacket filling the space between them, a sudden wave of emotion hit her. It was suddenly all too easy to imagine Jay and his now-little baby brother or sister all grown up, doing something similar for her and Rhett years down the line. The feeling of time moving too fast washed over her, and she felt her eyes mist over as she dabbed the back of her wrist against them, trying not to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Donovan asked gently, surprise in his voice. Caroline could imagine why, she so rarely got emotional over anything. For a moment, she wondered if she should say anything, but she didn’t want to just say nothing was wrong. It wasn’t exactly true, and anyway, she suddenly very much wanted her father’s advice. She’d always been close to him, following him around as a child and learning everything she could from him about how to take care of the inn, and she wanted to know what he thought of all that she was facing.

“I just have a lot of emotions right now,” she said with a watery laugh. “Everything from gratitude to a ton of stress, honestly. I…” She swallowed hard. “I’m going to have a baby. And I haven’t said anything to Rhett yet, because I don’t know how he’s going to feel about it. We never talked about more children, and we weren’t trying.” She managed a small smile. “But it happened anyway, and I keep putting off telling him the truth. Meanwhile, he probably thinks I’m either sick with the worst flu ever and carrying on anyway, or that he married an insane woman who eats jalapeno poppers at ten in the morning.”

When she looked up at Donovan again, he had a huge smile on his face.

“That’s amazing, sweetheart,” he said, and it was clear from his voice that he was absolutely thrilled. “That’s the best news your mother and I could get, that we’re having another grandbaby. And I know Rhett will be thrilled too,” he added sincerely. “I know you’re worried about it, and I can understand that, but there’s no need to be. He’s going to be just as over the moon.”

“I’m so worried about being a mother,” Caroline said quietly, looking down at her hands. “I feel like I struggle with Jay sometimes, knowing what to do. And I don’t want to do it wrong.”

“Making mistakes is part of parenting,” Donovan said firmly. “But you’ve always been so great at taking care of everyone else, Caroline. You deserve to finally have a family of your own. And Rhett loves you so much. Everyone can see that, clear as day. He’s going to be so excited.”

Caroline sniffed, wiping away the few tears that had started to fall.

“That all makes me feel a lot better,” she said quietly. “I’m definitely going to tell him, just as soon as I can.”

“You do that,” Donovan said, reaching over to pat her hand.

They drove to the Sugar Maple General Store, through the gently falling snowflakes, the streets lined with bright Christmas lights and wreaths all along the main thoroughfare. Caroline pulled up to the store to see the lights on inside, Nora and Margo and Rhonda visible through the front window, standing with Bethany and Leon.

Margo jumped up and down excitedly as soon as she saw Caroline and Donovan walk in. Caroline saw Donovan’s eyes widen as he took in Rhonda standing there, in her beautiful new outfit, her gray hair curled and pinned back in the front, her makeup lightly done.

“You look just as beautiful as you did the first day I met you,” he said gruffly, taking her hands in his and leaning down to give her a kiss. “Now let’s see what these girls have put together for us.”

“Follow me,” Nora said, and she led them to the back room of the general store.

The room had been completely cleared out and cleaned, a table set up in the center with the tablecloth and place settings that Nora had bought, although she hadn’t brought out some of the more overtly malt shop-styled decorations.

White Christmas lights were strung all around the room, giving it a soft, romantic holiday glow, and holly was hung in intervals around the room, giving it an even more festive feel. There was a red bow tied to each holly garland as well.

And underneath the rows of lights and holly and bows, spaced out, were all the photos that Caroline and her sisters had found of Rhonda and Donovan over the years, along with the pictures and blueprints of the house he’d built for them, from the very first sketches all the way to the last picture of him asking Rhonda to marry him in front of it. It had been framed and set in the center of the table, along with the flickering candles in little holly-bush-shaped holders.

“Oh my—” Rhonda raised her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes that glittered in the glow of the lights and candles. “Oh, this is so beautiful. It’s perfect.”

“This is really amazing.” Donovan’s arm slid around Rhonda’s waist as he took in the decorated room, a smile on his face. “Nothing could have been more special than this,” he added, looking at Caroline, Nora, and Margo. “You girls really outdid yourselves.”

“We had Jonathan pick out a special menu for tonight too,” Nora added, pointing to the table set up on the back wall, with a series of covered dishes. In front of each was a small card with the menu item written in a pretty script on the front of it.

“Oh, this is so sweet.” Rhonda shook her head, dabbing at her eyes. “And everyone pitching in to help you girls with this too.” She sniffed as Donovan led her forward, pulling out a chair for her as she sat down.

“There’s a bottle of red wine from Rockridge Grill too,” Margo said, going to get the bottle and uncork it, setting it on the edge of the table. Nora went to get the first menu item on the table, bringing it over to their parents—a winter salad with gorgonzola, dried cranberries, and a peppercorn dressing, along with warm bowls of pumpkin crab bisque.

Next to that first course were covered dishes for the main course—venison brisket with a red wine sauce and caramelized onions and mushrooms, along with wild rice pilaf and roasted root vegetables—and the dessert, a maple bread pudding soaked in sweet cream.

“Thank you so much, girls,” Rhonda said, clasping her hands in front of her as Margo poured the wine and set the bottle back down, beaming at her parents the same way Caroline and Nora were.

“We’ll let you enjoy your evening,” Caroline said, motioning for Nora and Margo to come back and join her. “Leon said he’ll lock up when you’re done. The place is yours for as long as you want to enjoy your date.”

“It worked out after all,” Nora sighed as the three girls stepped outside, into the brisk winter air. “I really thought losing the room at Rockridge Grill was going to screw the whole thing up, but it turned out just fine in the end.”

“There was no way that I wasn’t going to figure something out,” Caroline said firmly. “Now, how about we all go to my place for dinner? Jay is having a sleepover with some friends, and Rhett is working the evening shift, so we’ll have the place to ourselves. And I have leftover turkey and squash lasagna.”

“That sounds amazing,” Nora said. Caroline turned to see what Margo thought, only to see her spin to the left, her gaze tracking a shape flying toward the trees outside of town.

“That’s one of the snowy owls I saw earlier this week!” Margo exclaimed excitedly. “And I’ve got my camera with me too.” She patted the camera hanging around her neck that she’d used to get pictures of the setup at the general store, so that Rhonda and Donovan could remember the evening. “I know where the nest is. Dinner sounds great, but I think I’m going to go get some shots.”

“Be careful,” Caroline cautioned. “You coming, Nora?”

“Definitely,” Nora said, and the two sisters waved to Margo as she jogged off, heading back to Caroline’s car together.

“We did it,” Nora said with a smile, sliding into the car. “It all worked out perfectly.”

“It did,” Caroline agreed. “Now, let’s go eat.”

The snow began to fall a little more thickly as she pulled out onto the street, the two sisters eager to go home and relax after the long day.

A day that had turned out just as they hoped, despite everything.