Page 33 of Promise Me This Christmas
Portia and Wren—in fact, the entire family—were always so welcoming and inclusive, Amy felt like a member of their extended family.And since her bed and breakfast guests knew that they could expect a self-serve buffet on Christmas morning, she was free to accept.“We’d love to come, thank you.”
“Perfect.Little Mable, Xavy, and Julie will have so much fun with Robin.”
At the mention of their children Amy asked, “Who’s looking after your kids this afternoon?”
“Their fathers are taking them to visit Santa at the Graff,” Portia said.“They’re super excited.”
“Hm, I was wondering if Robin is still too young to meet Santa,” Amy said.
“A photo of your child crying on Santa’s knee is pretty much a classic childhood moment you don’t want to miss,” Wren pointed out.
While Amy was laughing at that, Mattie—petite and still lovely at fifty—moved forward and clasped one of Amy’s hands between both of hers.“Amy, hello.It’s so nice to be back in Bramble House and to see all the memorabilia you’ve preserved.”
“Down to the themed Christmas trees,” Wren added.
“Exactly,” Mattie agreed.“As well as the family china and silver.We’re just so thankful to you and Chet for keeping our great-aunt’s tradition of Christmas tea alive.”
“Not that we enjoyed those teas very much.Great-Aunt Mable could be an ogre,” Callan pointed out.She was the youngest sister who, along with her husband, had taken over the Circle C Ranch after the death of their father.
“Yes, but that tea was a tradition,” Mattie said.“And Mable wasn’t all vinegar.”
“Hm.If there was honey, I never saw it,” Callan said.“Still, the same could be said of our father, I guess.”
Amy listened to the interchange with interest.The sprawling, loving, tangled family that was the Carrigans fascinated her.
“Let’s not get into that,” Sage said, coming between her oldest and youngest sisters and linking her arms over their shoulders.Sage, the town’s beloved chocolatier, was taller than her sisters and generally pretty easygoing.“We do thank you, Amy.For everything you’ve done to preserve our family’s history.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”Dani, the intellectual Carrigan sister, who worked as a professor in Seattle, added her thanks too.“We’re so glad you chose Marietta—and Bramble House—for your bed and breakfast.”
“It’s been the best move I ever made,” Amy assured them.“And Chet and I love hosting the Christmas tea—especially since the proceeds go to the rodeo school.”
While they were talking, Chet and Sage’s husband, Dawson—who was also the town’s sheriff—had been unloading the boxes of food from their vehicles and taking them to the dining room.Amy and Shelley helped the Carrigan women stack the three-tiered silver platters with finger sandwiches on the bottom, Jo’s assorted scones in the middle, and tiny lemon shortbreads, candy cane truffles, and chocolate-dipped dried apricots on the top.Four platters were set out on each of the tables, along with bowls of clotted cream and huckleberry preserves.
It all looked so beautiful, but Amy only had a minute to take some pictures for Bramble House’s Instagram account before guests began to arrive.First in were the Kettles and Gibson, followed quickly by the town’s mayor and her husband, and then Gemma and Oliver, the newlyweds who had met at Bramble House two Christmases ago.
“I’m so glad you guys could come,” Amy told Gemma.The couple had come together under such unusual circumstances.Gemma had been on the run from her aborted wedding, while Oliver was in town to connect with a sister he hadn’t known existed until his mother’s deathbed confession.Fortunately they’d both decided to stay at Bramble House and the rest was history.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Gemma said.“You know how special Bramble House is to us.And you and Chet of course.”
“Craig and I feel the same way,” said Mackenzie, joining their group.Amy gave her a hug.Mackenzie had been booked at Bramble House the week Amy gave birth to Robin.Thanks to her—and Chet—Amy had come home from the hospital to a completely outfitted baby’s room.It had been such a special surprise.
“I never dreamed when I moved to Marietta that I would make so many wonderful friends,” Amy said.“Thank you all so much for coming.”She’d love to keep chatting, but there were new guests to welcome.
Time seemed to speed up after that.More and more guests arrived, and Amy was torn between making conversation and refreshing the pots of tea and plates of food as required.Fortunately she and Chet had help from Shelley and the Carrigans.
It felt like hours, though it had only been thirty minutes, when Chet put his arm around Amy’s waist and pulled her into a quiet corner by the Bramble family Christmas tree.
“I don’t have time—” she began, but he shushed her with a finger on her mouth.
“We’ve got a problem.”
She could feel her eyes widen and her heart thump.“What is it?”
“Those brownie bites the Carrigans brought over?I think they’ve been laced with weed.”
*
Larkin felt likeshe was socializing with the who’s who of Marietta as she nibbled at goodies and circulated among the well-dressed guests.She was glad she’d worn the nicest outfit she’d packed: a moss green pleated slip skirt and a figure-hugging cashmere sweater in the same color.When she’d commented on how well everyone was dressed to the mayor—in an exquisite wide-legged navy suit with a stunning chunky necklace—Chelsea had laughed and said, “We clean up well in Marietta.”
