Page 6 of A Bright Winter Season

“I guess I’ve just been struggling with missing some of the aspects of my old career. It’s hard for me to put into words—I love living here in Rosewood Beach, and I think keeping the pub going is some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. But—it doesn’t really change. It’s always the same kind of work, day after day. I miss having big important events to work around, you know? There was always such a sense of excitement that came along with that.”

“Hmm, I understand what you’re saying.” Hazel parked the car outside their mother’s house, but she kept the engine running. She wanted to keep talking to Julia about what was on her mind.

“There’s not much I miss about my old career, but I do miss that. Everything else I liked I’m experiencing by running the pub’s finances. But I miss feeling like I had something important to work toward. Not that the pub itself isn’t important, but it was nice to have that extra motivator, that feeling that I was putting my efforts toward a really valuable happening.”

Hazel nodded. “You loved working on stuff like that. I think it’s because you’re so good at organizing things. Maybe you’re just getting bored with keeping the pub running, because it’s not taking all that much effort from you. Not much changes with that, so all of your superhuman organizational skills are in need of exercise.”

“Oh, gosh, thanks for being so flattering. I guess I do miss really having to make an effort for something. It was exciting to try extra hard to do something well. I love our family and the life I have here in Rosewood Beach, but sometimes I feel as though life is passing me by without enough of a challenge for me to put my mind to. I want an overtly important task, with a deadline, you know?”

Hazel chuckled and reached over to squeeze her sister’s hand. “Maybe something will come along to challenge you. You never know.”

“Maybe.” Julia sighed. “I’m not banking on it, though. Rosewood Beach is quiet and peaceful and people here have their regular routines. I think I’m just going to have to learn how to be content with my workload being as slow and steady as it is.”

“Even if that turns out to be the case, remember how much you helped the pub get back on its feet after we learned about Dad’s gambling debts. It might feel slower paced, but it’s still a hugely important task. The Lighthouse Grill wouldn’t be what it is now without you. You’ve turned the place around, and there’s even more work to do.”

Julia appeared somewhat comforted. “Thanks, Hazel. You’re right. I—” Julia stopped talking as she saw Alexis and Grayson’s car drive up and park behind them. “Come on, let’s go inside! Thank you for chatting with me.”

“Anytime.” Hazel smiled at her sister, hoping that her words had been helpful.

As they stepped out of the car and greeted Alexis and Grayson, Hazel realized how happy she was to be in a place in her life where she was so able to focus on her family’s needs. She wasn’t as wrapped up in her own issues as she had been when she’d been obsessed with Jacob. Back then, she’d thought about him a great deal and fretted about whether or not to tell him how she felt. Now, she felt at peace with herself and her own circumstances, allowing her to put more energy forth to take care of her family.

I really have grown so much as a person, she thought as she followed her siblings up the front path of their childhood home.I’m so proud of myself for reaching this place.

Alexis knocked a couple of times on the front door and her sisters started to laugh.

“Alexis, Mom lives here,” Hazel said.

“Oops, you’re right.” Alexis laughed. “Just trying to be polite.”

“Come on, let’s go in,” Grayson urged. “It’s cold out here.”

The siblings stepped inside the cozy warmth of the house, and Hazel felt full of happiness and contentment.

Vivian let out a sigh of satisfaction as she placed the chicken pot pies into the oven. She’d been working hard at cooking a meal for her whole family for the past couple of hours, and she was looking forward to when her children arrived to eat it.

She leaned against the counter, going through a mental checklist. She had apple cider that she would heat up just before her children arrived, and there would be sparkling water and wine to drink at the table. In addition to the pot pies, she’d made sides of seasoned butternut squash cubes and a blue cheesechopped salad. She thought about portions and how much everyone in her family usually ate. Samantha, who ate a great deal for a twelve-year-old, was at her friend’s house that night, and Cooper wasn’t going to be there either.

“Oh, we should have more than enough,” she thought, smiling to herself. Even though her children were now all grown up, she still liked to feed them as though they were growing kids.

She glanced at the clock, reflecting that she had some time to read while the pot pies cooked. She went into the living room, where she had a balsam fir scented candle burning, filling the room with a rich, cozy aroma.

She sat down in her favorite armchair, laying a soft knit blanket across her lap. She was looking forward to reading Rosewood Beach’s most popular magazine,The Seagull. It was filled with recipes and home maintenance ideas as well as news articles, and she always found wonderful recipes and decorating ideas in it around Christmastime.

She was turning the pages at her leisure, enjoying looking at all of the beautiful pictures, when an article caught her eye. She frowned as she recognized the name of Judd McCormick, a man who had tried to buy The Lighthouse Grill from her family. Although the Owens family had never born the McCormicks any ill will, Judd had acted as though there was a rivalry between their two families. He owned a local brewery that was prosperous and respected, but he’d wanted the location of the pub for himself, thinking that he would be able to run a food and beverage place as successfully as they had there. He’d learned of Frank’s gambling debts and had been confident that Vivian wouldn’t be able to say no to him. Thanks to a fundraiser, however, the Owens had been able to keep the family business, something that Judd still seemed sore about.

Her eyes scanned over the article quickly, and she began to tut in dismay as she read. She began to read aloud a quote fromJudd, muttering to herself indignantly. “Our brewery always does especially well at Christmastime. We’re the only family business in Rosewood Beach that’s really worth any salt. The other ones are sloppy, unprofessional little places. Not business-savvy. My sons and I are proud of the work we do here together at the McCormick Brewery.”

She set down the magazine with a huff of indignation.

The nerve of that man,she thought.He as good as said that it was us he’s talking about. We’re the only other family-run business in Rosewood Beach. He said what we do can’t contend with them.

She stared into space for a few moments, feeling outraged. Vivian was usually a patient woman, but she and her family had been putting their heart and soul into the pub for years, and it irked her to read about Judd besmirching the name of their business. Besides, he was wildly incorrect and she had a feeling that he knew it. The Lighthouse Grill was the most popular restaurant in town, and even though it served comfortable, home-style food instead of gourmet dishes, its quality of food and service were well respected. Even tourists passing through often said they’d rarely had food so delicious and they intended to come back the first chance they got.

She stood up and went to check on the pot pies. They were cooking beautifully, and she went to work setting the table. She put a little more effort into it than usual, wanting to take her mind off her frustration over the article. Despite the beautiful way she folded the napkins, or the way she arranged red berries around the candlesticks, however, she didn’t stop fretting over Judd’s words.

I don’t like bullies, she thought.And he’s a bully. Right from the start he just decided he had the right to try to take what was ours away from us. And now that he’s been unable to do it, he’s sore about it and saying mean things as a way of gettingback at us. Not very nice, especially considering we never did anything bad to him!

She was just sitting back down in the armchair, trying to convince herself not to read the article again, when she heard the voices of her children as they approached the front door. She felt a rush of relief, knowing that they would make her feel better, but also a twinge of uncertainty. She didn’t want to show them how upset she was.

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