Page 63 of Summer Weddings
“Matt Caldwell’s fixing it up.” Again it was Chrissie who provided the details. “He’s Lanni’s brother.”
“You didn’t meet Lanni Caldwell,” Mitch explained. “I told you about her—she’s engaged to Charles O’Halloran.”
“I met Charles?”
“Briefly. He was in and out.”
“The tall man wearing the Midnight Sons sweatshirt?”
“That’s right.”
Chrissie leaned closer to Bethany. “No one lives at the lodge now ’cause of the fire. Matt bought it, and he’s fixing it up so people will come and stay there and pay him lots of money.”
“The fire?”
“It happened years ago,” Mitch told her. “Most of the damage was at the back, so you can’t see it from here.” He shook his head. “The place should’ve been repaired or torn down long before now, but I guess no one had the heart to do either. The O’Hallorans recently sold it to Matt Caldwell, which was definitely for the best.”
“Matt’s going to take the tourists mushing!” Chrissie said. “He’s going to bring in dogs and trainers and everything!”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Eagle Catcher’s a husky,” Chrissie added.
Mitch caught Bethany’s questioning look. “That’s Sawyer’s dog.”
“He belongs toScott,” his daughter corrected him.
“True,” Mitch said with a smile at Chrissie. “I’d forgotten.”
“Scott and Susan are brother and sister, right?” said Bethany. “Abbey’s kids?”
“Right.”
Mitch could tell Bethany was making a real effort to keep everyone straight in her mind, and he thought she’d done an impressive job so far. Maybe a memory for names and faces came with being a teacher.
“Are there any restaurants in town?” Bethany asked. “I’m not much of a cook.”
Mitch glanced her way. Their eyes met briefly before he looked back at the road. “The Hard Luck Café.”
Bethany nodded.
“Serves the best cup of coffee in town, but then Ben hasn’t got much competition.”
There was a pause. “Ben?”
“Hamilton. He’s a bit of a grouch, but don’t let that fool you. He’s got a heart of gold, and he’s a lot more than chief cook and bottle washer. Along with everything else, he dishes up a little psychology. You’ll like him.”
“I—I’m sure I will.”
Mitch drove to the end of the road. A single light shone brightly in the distance. “That’s where the cabins are,” he said. “Mariah’s place is the one on the far left.” Mitch had lost count of the number of times the youngest O’Halloran brother, Christian, had tried to convince his secretary to move into town. But Mariah always refused. Mitch was just gladhewasn’t the one dealing with her stubbornness.
He turned the truck around and headed back toward the school. When he pulled up in front of Bethany’s little house, she smiled at him.
“Thanks for the tour and the ride home.”
“My pleasure.”
“Chrissie,” Bethany said, her voice gentle, “since I’m new here, I was wondering if you’d be my classroom helper.”
