Page 58 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
“Sorry, that was me,” Paige admitted getting up. “As I fell, I yelled, ouch, I think I broke my butt.”
“Nice!” Zac shook his head. “You’re lucky Zac’s the only young person here right now, or you might’ve gotten us kicked off the ice.”
“Are you coming to skate with us, Dad?” Oscar looked hopefully at him. “I’ll hold you up if you can’t skate.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Zac said, smiling. “I might take you up on that. But I think for now, I’ll sit here and keep our drinks safe.”
“Okay.” Oscar nodded as Paige took his hand, and they skated off, laughing.
It was so lovely seeing his son and sister together. This is how it should be—Zac, Barb, and the kids with his family and their friends—doing things together. The next few hours flew past way too quickly, and all too soon, theywere headed back to Mistletoe Lodge. It was four in the afternoon as they drove through the gates.
People had started putting booths together for the festival, and the car park was fuller than usual.
“Looks like the preparations for the festival are in full swing,” Paige commented. “Pricilla told me that they were opening the festival a week earlier to give it three weeks instead of just two.”
“That makes good business sense, as Heather told me how popular it’s become in the two years it’s been reopened,” Zac answered.
“Rose, Max, and I are going to help with the hayrides,” Zac told him proudly. “We are going to make the kids not be frightened.”
“That’s a really important job,” Zac stated. “And you get free hayrides.” He smiled as Oscar’s grin widened.
“Yup!” He nodded. “The hayrides are our favorite thing to do at the festival.”
“Have you been to one?” Paige asked, trying to figure out when.
“They were here when the first festival was held,” Zac explained as the limo drew to a stop. “I think I’ll get changed and go find out where I can help.”
“I’ll come with you,” Oscar offered.
“Let’s ask your mom first,” Zac suggested. “She may have something she needs you to do.”
“Okay!” Oscar nodded as they climbed out of the limo.
“I’ll take Oscar back to Barb,” Zac said.
“Okay, I’ll help Herschel get our purchases to the chalet.” Paige left them as Zac and Oscar went to find where Barb was.
“Oscar!” Rose saw them and rushed toward them. “Hello.”
“Hi, Rose,” Oscar greetedhis friend. “What are you doing?”
“Going back to the lodge,” Rose told him, “Chef’s making cookies, and I’m going to help. Wanna come?”
Oscar looked at Zac. “Can I go, please, Dad?”
“Let’s ask your mother first,” Zac said.
“I’ll meet you at the kitchen,” Rose told them, sprinting off with her dog Rory in tow.
“Mom’s going to say yes,” Oscar assured Zac as they made their way through the people busy at work.
“Maybe,” Zac agreed. “But it’s best we ask her first, or she’ll be mad at me.”
Oscar nodded in understanding and spotted her. Barb was helping Emily, Heather, and Avery paint a booth with red and white stripes.
“There’s Mom.” Oscar pointed, his eyes widening in delight. “She’s at the candy cane booth. They’re going to have a giant candy cane that Chef’s making as a prize for a raffle draw.”
“That sounds awesome,” Zac said, biting back his comments on diabetes and tooth decay. “Let’s go speak to her.”
