Page 6 of Christmas at Pine Ridge Inn
“I’ve workedhere,” he said, emphasizing the word, “for nearly twenty years, so I know how to take care of our guests.” Turning his back to her, he continued setting up.
“Lila, I see you’ve met our manager, Brady Hanson.” Carol’s voice came from the doorway.
Brady straightened, giving Carol a warm smile that was completely different from the guarded expression he’d worn with Lila. “I’ll start setting the table,” he said to Carol before turning back to give Lila a once over before retreating into the kitchen.
“Brady’s a bit protective of how things are done around here,” Carol said gently. “Don’t take it personally, dear.”
But it felt personal. Lila couldn’t shake the feeling that Brady had sized her up in those few minutes and somehow found her lacking. Or maybe he’d simply categorized her as another interfering guest who thought she knew better. She’d certainly encountered that before at other hotels and resorts.
“Is he your son?” Lila asked.
A shadow crossed Carol’s face before she quickly replaced it with a tight smile. “No, unfortunately having children wasn’t in the cards for me. I’d certainly be proud to have a son like him though.”
Other guests began filtering into the dining room, greeting Carol before grabbing drinks and beginning to claim spots at the table. There was an older couple and two women who looked like they could be sisters. Lila spotted a woman alone near the end of the table who looked to be in her mid-fifties. She was readinga book, glasses sliding down her nose as her short brown hair framed her face.
“Mind if I join you?” Lila asked as she approached the empty seat next to the woman.
“Please do,” the woman said, closing her book and smiling. “I’m Sarah.”
“I’m Lila. Nice to meet you.”
“Are you here by yourself?” Sarah asked. She didn’t say it with the pity hostesses sometimes used with Lila when she was dining alone. Instead, it sounded like she hoped it was something they had in common.
“I am,” Lila said. “How about you?”
“Me too.” Sarah’s smile was warm. “I’ve spent a few Christmases here. I guess you could say it’s become my Christmas tradition.”
“It’s my first time here, but it seems like a lovely place to spend the holidays.”
“It really is,” Sarah said. “Pine Ridge has a way of making you feel less alone.”
Lila felt something ease in her chest. Sarah seemed like someone who understood that Christmas wasn’t always about unbridled joy and celebration.
Before Lila could ask more questions, Carol, Tom, and Brady began carrying large bowls and platters from the kitchen and encouraged everyone to introduce themselves while they finished getting things set up.
Eight guests were now gathered around a long farmhouse table: Lila and Sarah, an elderly couple from Phoenix, the pair of women who did turn out to be sisters, and a couple closer to Lila’s age from Florida. Everyone seemed genuinely excited about the week ahead, discussing the planned activities with enthusiasm that reminded Lila of all the traditions she’d be without this year.
Carol signaled that everyone could line up to fill their plates now, and Lila found herself at the back of the line. Brady was standing off to the side, and Lila noticed how his eyes were scanning the buffet and the guests now lined up waiting for the people in front of them to move forward. Now did he see it the way she had? When his eyes found her at the end of the line, they jumped away as if he hadn’t wanted her to catch him looking.
Ha! She was right about the inefficiency of the buffet, and he knew it. That’s why he couldn’t look at her.
Once everyone was finally seated, Carol, Tom, and Brady grabbed plates and joined them. Carol and Tom clearly enjoyed dining with guests. They answered questions about the planned activities and other things to do in town. Brady took the lead when the question was about outdoor activities like skiing or horseback riding, but it felt more perfunctory than enthusiastic. It was clear the three of them had been doing this for a long time together as they finished each other’s sentences and prompted each other to share stories about previous guests.
“So, what brings everyone to Pine Ridge for Christmas?” asked one of the sisters, a cheerful woman named Kimberly.
The answers varied. The older couple, Sophie and Miles, were here to celebrate their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary. They’d spent two nights here after their wedding and always returned for big anniversaries and in years where their daughters both spent their holiday with in-laws. The sisters, Kimberly and Kendall, had come a few times as children and decided to return on their own when their parents booked a Christmas cruise to celebrate their retirement. The younger couple, Ali and Mike, wanted an escape from big city life in Miami and planned to ski a couple of days over in Breckenridge. Sarah, like she’d told Lila, had made her Christmas visits to Pine Ridge Inn a bit of a tradition over the years. When the attention turned to Lila, she felt all eyes on her.
“I needed a change of scenery,” she said simply. “This seemed like the kind of place where you could have a quiet, peaceful Christmas.”
“Oh, it’s anything but quiet,” laughed Sophie. “Carol and Tom keep us busy with activities, and the whole town gets involved. There’s Christmas caroling, a tree lighting ceremony, and even a Christmas service at the church that’s absolutely beautiful.”
Lila’s chest tightened again. All around the table, the other guests smiled and expressed their delight in being part of this Christmas wonderland. Meanwhile, Lila just wanted to forget it was Christmas and focus on the mission that had brought her here.
“Of course, you can participate as much or as little as you like,” Carol said gently, as if sensing Lila’s panic. “Some guests prefer simply reading a book by the fire or soaking in the hot tub out back.”
“The tree selection is really something special,” Sarah said, turning to Lila. “Brady takes us up into the woods where the Brennans have permission to cut, and we help choose the inn’s Christmas tree.”
“And then we make ornaments and decorate it together,” Carol added. “I must admit, it’s my favorite of our holiday activities.”
