Page 30 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
“Are you getting your writing done with Jonah here?” Mia asked after Jonah disappeared to answer the door.
Bronte shrugged. “Enough.”
“Martha told us that he wasn’t able to meet up with his family. I wish I could offer him a place to stay, but my house is completely packed with family for Christmas.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m starting to get used to him being here, and this is a big house. I’m not sure what I’d do all alone.”You’d write your book, one part of her brain told her, while the other part told her that in a big, quiet house like this, she’d be jumping at every little noise. She should never have opted for such a big house, but then again, it wasn’t like she’d had a ton of options.
“We have two more for dinner!” Jonah declared, stepping back into the kitchen carrying a tray of something, two people following him. “And they brought brownies.”
“And homemade eggnog,” the girl following Jonah declared, holding up a bottle of white liquid.
Jonah set the brownies on the counter, and Bronte didn’t think it was possible after all the cookies that afternoon, but her mouth started watering. “Bronte, this is Dani and her fiancé, Liam.”
A tall, willowy woman turned to Bronte with a smile taking up most of her face, her green eyes bright. The man, Liam, shrugged out of what Bronte could tell was an expensive coat, but even if he looked like he belonged in New York City, his cheeky grin told her he would be kind and down to earth.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Dani said, and before Bronte knew it, she’d been pulled into a hug.
It took her off guard. She had to remind her arms to hug Dani back. “It’s good to meet you too.”
“Dani, it’s great to see you out!” Mia said, getting a hug from Dani as well. She turned to Bronte again. “Dani’s my cousin, but I’ve hardly seen her lately.” She gave Dani a little side elbow and a teasing smile. “She’s been hard at work planning not only the Christmas stroll but also the comeback of the Jonathon Island Christmas Ballandher wedding.”
“You sound busy.” And Bronte thought writing ninety thousand words in three weeks was stressful. “I can’t imagine having to plan all that.”
Dani slid onto a barstool and, lifting the plastic covering the brownies, tore a corner off one and popped it into her mouth. “Busy is one word for it.”
“How’s everything going?” Jonah asked, pulling the bread from the oven and dropping each perfectly buttered slice into a waiting basket. Bronte’s mouth started watering again, and she wiped at it to make sure she wasn’t drooling all over the place.
“Oh, you’re in for it now,” Liam said, stepping up behind Dani and putting his hands on her shoulders.
“I finally got all the permits and the fire department’s all clear for the ballroom. I could have wrung Tommy’s neck for how long he took. He’s the new fire chief. But honestly, the ball’s next week!”
“Someone on the ferry over was telling me about it. So, it’s a pretty big thing?” Bronte was really starting to feel like Jonathon Island was the setting for a Hallmark movie—which was the only place she’d ever heard of a Christmas ball happening.
“It used to happen every year, but this will be the first one inyears,” Cody replied. “I think I was still a teenager the last ball.”
“Yes, and all this snow had me worried we’d have to cancel the ball and the stroll.” Dani ran her hands through her hair. “The stroll is still on for Saturday, and I expect to see everyone there.” She pointed down each of them, Bronte included.
Normally Bronte would be ruffled at someone she hardly knew giving her orders, but in this case, she didn’t mind. “The ferry will be back running by then?” she asked.
Dani nodded. “Yes, thankfully. I paid for it to operate a few extra times on Saturday to make sure everyone can make it over here since there isn’t anywhere for tourists to stay on the island right now.”
“I don’t mean to ask a dumb question, but whatisa Christmas stroll?”
“Not dumb at all. It’s new this year, actually. I got the idea from something Nantucket does every year. It’s basically a festival of sorts, held all day the Saturday before Christmas. Tourists come over from the mainland, all the shops have fun Christmas specials, and there are gingerbread-house-making contests, a gift-wrapping station, and a snowman-building contest.” Dani’s eyes sparkled as she ticked off the different events on her fingers.
“That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll be there.” Wait? She would? What was it about this island that made her want to do more than just hide in her hole and write? She needed to backpedal and tell them she had a book to write and couldn’t come to the Christmas festival, but her mouth stayed firmly shut. It sounded fun, and there was an entire day between now and then. A lot of work could be done in that time, and she could use the Christmas festival as her reward for getting it done.
“Dinner is ready!” Jonah declared as he handed out bowls of soup and warm slices of bread wrapped in a paper towel.
“Should we watch a movie while we eat?” Dani asked, popping up from the stool and moving to the couch. “Holland has the best collection of Christmas movies.”
“But of course. What were you thinking?” Jonah asked.
“Girls pick,” Mia called out, ignoring the boys’ protests and moving toward the cabinet under the TV, where the movies were stored. “Come on, Bronte, help us choose.”
Bronte looked to Jonah. They wanted her to help?
Jonah winked at her and nodded toward the girls in encouragement. She set her bowl on the side table and kneeled next to Dani and Mia.
