Page 44 of Easton Island: Old-Fashioned Christmas
Their eyes met. Two strangers—a boy and a young woman—sharing a bond…losing the most important person in their lives. “Like when my mom died and how I found out about it too.”
Morgan leaned in. “Easton Island is the most magical place on the planet. It’s full of hopes and dreams and people who love you for who you are.” She said it in a low voice, so low she hoped only Tristan could hear.
His lower lip trembled and gently…ever-so-gently…he reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
“All you have to do is give it a chance, and Easton Island will work its magic on you too.”
“I wish it could,” he said earnestly. “I wish it more than anything.”
She impulsively hugged the boy, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shared his grief. Morgan whispered a small prayer he would find a home like she had, a place to heal and become whole again.
And Morgan Easton would do everything in her power to help her nephew. Simple as that.
Chapter 19
Morgan squinted her eyes, struggling to adjust to the bright beam of light filtering into her Easton Estate’s bedroom. Chester, who had nudged the bedroom curtain aside, sat staring out.
“Hey, buddy. Merry Christmas. I wonder what Santa brought you.”
Now wide awake, she sprang from the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, where she swapped out her pajamas for a pair of black slacks and a sparkly blue blouse she’d found on clearance. Flying through her morning routine, she returned to her bedroom and unplugged her cell phone from the charger.
Morgan glanced at the screen and found a text from Wyatt.Merry Christmas. I’m coming home soon.A second text, this one more detailed, explained he’d already talked to Captain Davey. The fast-moving winter storm had passed, which meant ferry service would start up again as soon as the winds died down.
Morgan promptly replied,I love you too. We had a very interesting Christmas Eve here at Easton Estate. I’ll fill you in later. Tell your family I said Merry Christmas.
Setting the phone back on the nightstand. She called her pup. First things first, she took Chester out for a bathroom break and confirmed what Wyatt had already told her. Instead of whiteout conditions, the clouds had cleared, giving way to bright blue skies.
Back inside, she breezed into the kitchen, where she found Mrs. Arnsby already hard at work. “Good morning, Morgan. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you.” She gave the cook a quick hug. “The storm has passed.”
“Indeed, it has. I spoke to Jax a few minutes ago. The crews are already out in full force, working on restoring the power.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Morgan lowered her voice. “Have you seen Naomi or Prissy yet?”
The cook shook her head. “Nope. Not hide nor hair. I was almost expecting fireworks at some point last night, but I guess the two had enough sense to behave themselves and not risk getting booted out.”
Morgan grinned. “And find themselves sitting in a snowdrift. What about our other guests?”
“Jeff and Tristan? I haven’t seen them yet. Quinn stopped by to grab a cup of coffee a few minutes ago. She’s out on the sun porch.” The cook shot a quick glance over her shoulder. “Brett must’ve told her what was going on. She has circles under her eyes. I don’t think she got much sleep last night.”
“I probably wouldn’t have, either.”
“Tristan is such a sweet boy. I hope things work out for him.”
“Me too,” Morgan said. “He seems to love Easton Estate.”
“Jax told me he was so excited to see all the cars and begged him to take him for a ride on the snowmobile. I believe now that the weather is clearing, they’ll probably take one out for a spin later today.”
“I should check on Quinn.” Morgan poured a cup of coffee and trekked into the sunroom, only steps away from the kitchen.She found her friend facing out toward the yard, her back to the door. “Merry Christmas.”
Quinn spun around. “Good morning, Morgan. Merry Christmas. The snow is pretty, isn’t it?”
“It’s beautiful.” Morgan eased into the seat next to her. “It’s a winter wonderland.” Wall to wall windows gave them an unobstructed view of the trees, blanketed in a thick layer of snow. The garden area’s park benches were barely visible. “Mrs. Arnsby mentioned crews were already working on restoring power so we should be back up soon, although I barely noticed last night.”
“Thank God for the generators. Naomi should count her lucky stars Elizabeth invited her here to ride out the storm.”
“Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of their decades of conflict.”
