Page 10 of Christmas at Pine Ridge Inn
Lila looked up to find Carol coming from the kitchen carrying a basket over to the small table along the wall that had held drinks and sweet treats the evening before, when Lila arrived.
“It was lovely. The town is so charming, especially in the snow.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
Her breath caught in her throat that Carol might have somehow intuited that Lila had come to Pine Ridge searching for something. That was ridiculous, of course. She surely meant a souvenir or perhaps a gift for someone else.
“I bought a couple of gifts for friends at Birchwood’s, and I stopped in the quilt and yarn store. All the shops are so cute.”
“Oh, you must have met Cynthia at Emily’s then. We’ve been friends since I first moved to town.”
“I did,” Lila said, deciding not to mention the quilt that brought her to town. “You don’t see many shops like that anymore.”
Carol nodded, settling into the chair across from her. “Emily was something special. She taught half the town to sew and knit, and her quilts were legendary. She made the ones we keep on the beds in the winter, but when someone had a baby or got married, Emily went all out to mark the occasion.” Carol’s expression grew fond. “Emily believed in celebrating life’s important moments with something made by hand that would last.”
Before Lila could respond, the front door burst open with a gust of cold air and laughter. The snowshoeing group had returned, their cheeks red from the cold and their eyes bright with excitement. Brady followed behind, brushing snow from his coat before he came through the front door.
“We had so much fun,” Kimberly said.
“And we managed not to get completely lost in the snow,” added Kendall with a grin.
“I haven’t lost anyone yet,” Brady joked as he shrugged off his coat and hung it on a peg by the door.
He certainly seemed to be in a better mood after some time outdoors. Maybe he had hit it off with Kimberly or Kendall? They’d both said the evening before that they were single, and they looked to be in their thirties like Brady.
“Thank goodness. That would be bad for business.” Carol laughed. “Brady, would you mind putting a few more logs on the fire while I grab the hot cocoa?”
Brady moved to the fireplace in front of where Lila sat, and she noticed how his green and black plaid flannel shirt broughtout the green in his eyes. The shirt tugged tight over his broad shoulders as he leaned over to pick up logs, and she allowed herself to take a longer look at him. He was inarguably attractive with his strong build, angular jaw, and hair that always seemed perfectly swept back. Lila hadn’t been on a date since her mother passed, and it was the first time she’d even stopped long enough to notice a handsome man. Of course, he was literally right in front of her, so he was hard to miss.
Sarah came to sit by Lila as the rest of the group dispersed to shower and change clothes. “How was your morning?” she asked.
“I had a nice time shopping downtown.”
“She hit Birchwood’s and Emily’s,” Carol supplied as she reentered the room with the carafe of hot chocolate.
“Oh, wonderful,” Sarah said. “I always stop by Emily’s when I’m in town. There’s something soothing about being surrounded by all those cozy quilts. My grandmother loved to sew quilts, so I guess it reminds me of her.”
“Do you sew?”
Sarah smiled, but it seemed wistful. “I used to, but it’s one of those things that kind of fell out of vogue. Sometimes I think about taking it up again. There’s something to be said for creating something beautiful with your hands.”
“Speaking of creating things with your hands, I could use some help setting up for cookie decorating if anyone is interested,” Carol said. Brady had already exited out the back door, leaving only Lila and Sarah in the lobby.
“I need to grab a quick shower,” Sarah said, “but I can help as soon as I get back down.”
Carol looked expectantly at Lila, and she found it hard to say no even though she had no plans to participate. She really had no excuse, and it seemed impolite to refuse.
As they worked together in the inn’s kitchen a few minutes later, measuring flour and arranging baking sheets, Lila found herself appreciating the way the task kept her mind busy and allowed her to think about something other than the quilt and her potential connection to Pine Ridge.
Carol watched Lila efficiently organize ingredients. “Do you bake much at home?”
“Not really. I’m usually too busy with work to cook much of anything.” An image of decorating cookies in the shape of snowmen and reindeer alongside her mother the previous Christmas for the neighborhood cookie swap threatened to take Lila’s breath away, but she pushed it aside to revisit later when she was alone.
“What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a hospitality consultant. I help luxury hotels and resorts improve their operations.”
“Oh, boy,” Carol said. “I hope we’ve passed your tests.”
