The Albright Hotel (A Frosty Season #4)

Chapter 26

It was a Christmas breakfast for the ages. Olivia, Maya, Aunt Veronica, Brad, and Phoebe sat before a feast of sausages and French toast and omelet and various types of French cheeses, plus scones and croissants and fresh jams. Christmas music played from Aunt Veronica’s little speaker, and everyone spoke excitedly at once, refilling coffee mugs and sharing stories from Christmases past. Olivia’s heart swelled. This was her second Christmas with the Albright family. She prayed for many more.

Phoebe looked a little bit tired. Her eyes were lined with red, and she cupped her hands around her mug and spoke intermittently. But twice, she burst with laughter, laughter that reminded Olivia of the Phoebe she’d met last year, and Olivia decided she would be all right. Maybe not today. Perhaps not even next week. But soon.

Of course, everyone wanted to know what it was like at Robby’s with the grandkids. Olivia’s cheeks were red as she talked about them opening their presents, about Stan and Adam looking at her distrustfully before laughing at her jokes. “It’s a warm and loving family,” Olivia admitted after a pause. “Just like ours.”

“It sounds like you belong with them,” Aunt Veronica said. “Just like you belong with us.”

Toward the end of breakfast, Officer Billy came by with more news about Christopher and Walter—the men they’d arrested yesterday. It was hard to believe those were their real names.

Officer Billy ate a Christmas cookie in the kitchen and explained what he knew. “We called over to the Vermont inn where you met them,” he said to Olivia. “It took a little bit of time to get in contact with them because they had to close not long after you left!”

Olivia gaped at him. The inn! It had been so beautiful! A treasure in the woods!

“The inn applied for bankruptcy,” he explained, licking crumbs off his fingers. “It looks likely that Christopher and Walter were to blame. They infiltrated their system and took money from various areas of the inn. At first, the innkeepers couldn’t figure out where the money was going. They couldn’t find the hole, as they called it. But they figured it was their fault. They were told over and over again that hotels were difficult to manage. They figured this was just the way things had to go.”

Olivia’s heart felt dark. She remembered the kind innkeepers who’d asked Robby for help around the inn. They hadn’t been able to pay, she remembered now. But they’d given them a couple of extra days for free.

It was all clicking now.

“Do you think they’ve done this to other hotels?” Maya asked.

“When I met Christopher in Vermont, he said he’d worked for a lot of them,” Olivia remembered. “Walter said that, too.”

It was bizarre calling Harry by the name Walter.

“It’s certainly possible. We have a number of other IDs and passports from Walter’s cabin down the road,” Officer Billy explained. “We’re going to track them down, see where else they might have worked.”

Olivia and Maya walked Officer Billy to the door, handing off another few cookies as he left.

“Merry Christmas,” he called as he crunched through the snow.

Back in the kitchen, Olivia cleared the plates from the table and began to scrub. “I think we should call the inn in Vermont,” she said. “I want to give them some of my inheritance so they can reopen.”

Maya turned to look at her. She bowed her head. “That’s a wonderful idea.”

It had come to Olivia just like that; like a bolt of lightning. Never in a million years would she spend all that money on herself. This was a good and worthy cause.

Maybe it would right the wrongs of the past a little bit.

Olivia and Maya made the phone call that afternoon.

“I hope we aren’t interrupting anything!” Olivia said.

But the innkeeper—the wife, not the husband—said, “Don’t you worry about it. We’ve been reading all about the incident at your hotel. We’re just so sorry!”

Immediately, Olivia remembered that kind, compassionate face. “We’re so sorry, too.”

It was Maya who came out with news of the money first. The innkeeper insisted it was too much. “We can’t take it.” But bit by bit, Olivia convinced her it was the right thing to do.

“We were all swindled by these guys,” she said. “The only way we can prove we’re stronger than them is if we keep going—together—and help one another.”

Not long after that, the innkeeper’s husband came to hear their proposition. He sighed, then said, “If my wife says that’s what she wants, we’ll do it. The inn has been a labor of love for us for years. We hated closing it.”

“Reopen it tomorrow!” Olivia cried, smiling like a maniac. “I’ll be there next autumn and the one after that. What a beautiful place.”

“That means the world. We can’t wait to check out the Albright, too,” the innkeeper said.

Maya and Olivia got off the phone and went to the Albright Hotel to say hello to Marcia and the guests celebrating Christmas brunch in the dining hall. Olivia had the sensation that they were celebrities. Everyone wanted to shake their hands and wish them Merry Christmas. Everyone wanted to ask more about the arrests. It was afternoon, and Maya decided it wasn’t too early for a little glass of wine, so they sat with a few of their guests and heard their stories, listening to their laughter. Olivia’s heart felt open and free.

But not long after they sat down, Brad appeared in the dining hall. He wore a grim expression—one that told Olivia that not everything was going to plan.

“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked nervously.

“I hope we can all go back to the house soon?” he asked, sniffing.

Maya got up and peered into Brad’s eyes. “Honey, are you all right?”

Brad looked jittery. Olivia and Maya made their excuses and followed Brad through the mighty foyer and back through the house entrance. Aunt Veronica was in front of the Christmas tree with her hands crossed over her lap. Phoebe was beside her with a book, her hair streaming out along her shoulders. Nothing looked off, exactly. But why did Brad look like he was about to faint?

“Brad, what’s going on?” Maya asked. She gripped his hands.

Olivia remained in the doorway. Her palms were clammy.

“Maya,” Brad said, then stuttered. Suddenly, he was on one knee, peering up at her.

Oh! Olivia thought. It’s time!

She’d forgotten.

This had been his plan from the very start.

Phoebe and Aunt Veronica got to their feet. Phoebe didn’t look surprised. Olivia had a hunch that Brad had asked her permission, maybe this afternoon. He wouldn’t have wanted to hurt her feelings so soon after the Braxton situation.

Brad was a good guy like that.

The perfect stepfather.

Brad’s eyes filled with tears. “Maya, I don’t know what to say. I’ve loved you all year long. I’ve loved you through beautiful and easy times, through stressful times, and full-on chaos. With each day, my love for you has grown. And that’s why I want to ask you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

Brad produced a velvet box and opened it to reveal a vintage diamond ring. Olivia’s jaw dropped. It was far bigger than a teacher’s salary should have allowed for.

Maya gasped. Tears spilled from her eyes. “I’ll marry you, Brad,” she whispered. “I’ve dreamed of marrying you since I met you.”

Brad erupted from the ground, forgetting to put the ring on her finger. He covered her in kisses and wrapped his arms around her.

Phoebe, Aunt Veronica, and Olivia cheered with congratulations. Finally, Maya remembered the ring, and everyone watched as Brad slid the ring over her finger.

It wasn’t far from Olivia’s mind that Robby would be on one knee before her—maybe soon. All in good time, she reminded herself.

“Who wants champagne?” Phoebe hurried to the kitchen to fetch flutes and bottles, just as Maya and Olivia had done after “Braxton” had proposed to her.

Olivia hurried after Phoebe, watching as she popped a bottle and filled two flutes—one for Brad and another for Maya, first.

Olivia wanted to say something to Phoebe. Something to empower her.

But Phoebe raised her chin and looked her aunt in the eye. “I’ve loved and lost,” she said softly. “But I always thought I’d do anything to make my mom happy. And she looks happier than I’ve ever seen her. That’s the best Christmas present of all.”

Olivia helped Phoebe with the rest of the glasses and hurried back to the living room to toast Brad and Maya’s future. Aunt Veronica couldn’t get enough of them and told them little funny stories from Brad’s youth, when she’d been his elementary school teacher. “I always knew he’d be something special,” Aunt Veronica said. “And by that, I don’t mean president or a famous actor or anything like that. I just knew he would be good and honest and true. I knew he would wear his heart on his sleeve.” Her eyes shimmered. “I didn’t know he would ever marry into my family. But some old ladies get lucky, I guess. I’m so glad to be one of them.”

Just as he’d promised he would, Robby came to the Albright Hotel that night after his grandchildren and sons went to bed.

Olivia leaped to hug him and cover him with kisses. “I missed you today,” she breathed, guiding him to the empty living room. Brad and Maya had gone upstairs. Phoebe was in the library, and Aunt Veronica had gone to bed.

It was just her and her man near the crackling fire as a Christmas snow fluttered downstairs.

It was just her and the love of her life.

A little champagne was left over from Maya’s engagement. Olivia poured them glasses and told Robby the story, imitating Maya’s expression when she’d said yes. “I’ve never seen her so happy,” she exclaimed.

Robby told her what had happened today at his place. How they’d played and eaten cookies, more cookies than Imogen and Bee had told them they could. “But everyone breaks the rules on Christmas,” he said with a funny smile.

Olivia and Robby cuddled on the sofa and watched the flames lick the stones. Sometimes they fell into an easy silence and linked their hands together. Other times, they toppled over with laughter.

Maybe I’m one of those people, Olivia thought as the day closed and the fire dwindled. Perhaps I’m one of those people who are lucky enough to begin again.