Page 67 of The Clause in Christmas
Frank grumbled under his breath, but shut the door, leaving the wreath in its place.
“Have you tried my blend yet?” Cassie asked, loosening her scarf as the warmth emanating from the large brick fireplace enveloped her.
“It wasn’t half bad,” Frank said with a glimmer in his eye.
“Half bad?” In mock protest, Cassie placed both hands on her hips. “It was nearly perfect, thank you very much! But I was thinking we could try using the same beans and take the temperature to four hundred degrees this time.”
“You want to go lighter?” Frank furrowed his brow, but after a few moments, the tension released. “That could work. It would balance out the earthiness of the Sumatra.” His eyes brightened with eagerness as he ambled down the hall toward the back porch.
Stomach fluttering, Cassie followed closely behind. She loved seeing the excitement in his step. Without knowing the details of his ailment, she assumed he had good days and bad.
Today seemed like a good day.
Once again, Frank let Cassie take the lead with the roast. When they returned to the kitchen afterward, he made a pot of coffee using Cassie’s original blend from a few days earlier while the new version cooled. Although he kept his back to her as he shuffled about the kitchen, Cassie could have sworn she heard him whistling.
Taking the seat opposite her, Frank slid a mug across the table.
Cassie gripped it with both hands, inhaling the aromatic steam as it curled above the rim. “Frank, can I ask you something?”
“I joined the navy so we could live in a free country.” His lips twitched before he took a sip from his mug.
Cassie smiled, feeling a little more hopeful after his attempt at humor. “I’m going caroling tonight with a few friends and some folks from town. I’d like you to come with us.”
The humor drained from Frank’s features and Cassie rushed on. “We’re meeting at the little chapel at the top of the hill before walking to Main Street. Seven o’clock. I can pick you up if you don’t drive.”
“I drive,” Frank muttered. “But why would I want to do something like that?”
“Because it’s fun.” Cassie hoped her tone conveyed enough enthusiasm.
Frank narrowed his eyes. “And that’s the reason you’re going?”
Cassie shifted under his scrutinizing gaze. She supposed that were half-true. The other half was a little more complicated. But maybe he’d just given her the opportunity she’d been waiting for.
“That’s part of it,” she said slowly.
“And the other part?”
Cassie’s grip tightened around the mug. She’d gone over this conversation a thousand times in her head, but now that she faced it, she didn’t know what to say. “Do you… know why I’m here?” she asked, hoping to lay a foundation for the conversation to follow.
“To pester an old man?” he teased.
Cassie couldn’t help a slight grin. “I meant in Poppy Creek.”
Frank shrugged and took another sip of coffee.
“I’m here because I inherited my grandmother’s house. Her name was Edith Hayward.” Holding her breath, she waited for his response. But except for an almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw, she saw nothing. “But it wasn’t as simple as I thought,” Cassie continued. “She added a clause in her will. To inherit the house, I have to carry out a different festive task each day until Christmas.” This news elicited a flicker of surprise and Cassie pressed on. “Today I have to go caroling. Turns out, there’s an organized group that goes on the same evening every year. My grandmother used to be one of them. I’m told she had a beautiful voice.”
“Like a nightingale,” Frank murmured. His eyes widened in shock as though the words had escaped without his consent. The legs of the chair scraped against the hardwood floor as he stood abruptly. Turning his back to her, he refilled his mug from the Moka pot resting on the stove.
From behind, Cassie caught his shoulders tremble slightly. But when he turned around, his expression remained unreadable.
After easing himself into the chair, he took a long sip.
Cassie reached inside her pocket and withdrew the velvet box. “I found something among my grandmother’s belongings last night.” She set it in the center of the table and nudged it toward him. “There’s a note inside. For you.”
His steely gaze darted to hers, panic settling in his features.
“Don’t worry,” Cassie assured him. “I didn’t read it. But I did see what’s inside the box.”
