Page 21 of Easton Island: Old-Fashioned Christmas
“No, dear.” Grandmother Elizabeth strolled across the room, relieving her granddaughter of the tubs of buttery goodness. “I thought you were kidding when you told me you were stopping by the Easton Harbor Movie Theater to purchase popcorn.”
“They have the best, and I figured this was a splurge-worthy event.” Morgan set the rest of the tubs on the side table. “It feels like we’re part of a red-carpet movie premiere.”
Brett rubbed his palms together. “When David Wynn told me a major network was featuring a show about Wynn Harbor Inn and our restoration project, I thought his mega-movie star daughter would be the main draw but from what David told me, the Easton family made an equally impressive splash on the big screen.”
Quinn nudged her bestie’s arm. “Your follow-up moment of fame, only a year after finding the Shifting Sands Medallion and having your face plastered on every newspaper from here to California. This should be old hat.”
“I wasn’t planning on being a part of it,” Morgan reminded her. “The show’s producer showed up on my doorstep andcaught me off guard. Hopefully, I don’t look like a complete idiot.”
“I’m sure you and Brett both represented the Easton family splendidly,” Gerard said. “I must admit, I’m eager to see how they portrayed the Wynn family.”
He wasn’t the only one. The Eastons and Wynns now shared some history, when Morgan and her brother had partnered with David Wynn to restore his inn on the shores of Mackinac Island’s Lake Huron. Harlow was practically a household name, having carved out a lucrative career over the past few years, becoming both a top model and A-list actress.
After a horrific accident, Harlow, who had been estranged from her father, returned to Mackinac Island to recover…and brought plenty of newsworthy baggage with her.
The ink on the joint-venture agreement had dried months ago. Unfortunately, the trio—David Wynn, Morgan and Brett—had run into a few snags, the fines the property had accrued while it sat in ruins being at the top of the list.
But the hurdles, at least as far as she knew, were behind them. When spring arrived, they would “hit the ground running.” Brett had the contractor and crews ready to roll as soon as the ground thawed.
Clink…rattle.A clinking and rattling ensued. Mrs. Arnsby, the head cook and close family friend, wheeled a double-decker cart loaded with snacks and drinks into the room. “Did I miss anything?”
“Not at all, Jane.” Elizabeth tapped the remote, lowering the projector screen. “We were just settling in.” She did a quick headcount. All the invited guests were there—Quinn, Ben Baker, the estate’s chauffeur, Jax, the handyman, also in charge ofsecurity; Ronni Lansbury; Captain Davey; Grace Coates and her father Denver, along with several other invited guests.
Jax took over operating the projector, and at the two-minutes-until-broadcasting mark, everyone grew quiet.
Morgan whispered a small prayer under her breath. Along with her excitement, she felt a hint of trepidation. Although the Wynn family had their share of skeletons in the closet, the Easton family had just as many. Two powerful, influential families could be a major draw for an audience of viewers or a recipe for disaster.
A commercial began, and Elizabeth perched on her chair, nibbling a piece of popcorn. “Are you sure you haven’t already previewed the show, Brett?”
“No. There was a soft launch on the West Coast, but I promised myself I would wait to watch it with all of you.”
“Meaning this program has already been seen on the other side of the country?” Grace asked.
“In California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona.” Brett rattled off a few other locations. “It’s starting now.”
A hushed silence ensued. Morgan absentmindedly grabbed a handful of popcorn. The show’s host appeared, giving viewers a brief introduction. Photos of the Wynn Harbor Inn back in its heyday appeared.
The first segment of the show explained the history, about the iconic resort, the tragic fire followed by Harlow Wynn fleeing Mackinac Island. Other more recent photos appeared.
It was after the second commercial break that Brett and Morgan were finally mentioned. A clip of Easton Holdings Company’s downtown Toronto office appeared. A photo of Brett,looking distinguished and businesslike in a crisp three-piece suit, appeared in the corner of the screen.
Quinn let out a wolf whistle. “There’s my man.”
The narrator gave a breakdown of the Easton family. A photo of Morgan appeared along with a brief story about the medallion, followed by her interview.
At the three-quarter mark, all talk of restoring the inn ended and the rest of the show focused on Harlow Wynn, her automobile accident and painfully public divorce. A blurry shot of her sporting sunglasses and a ball cap with her head down filled the screen.
The program ended. Jax started to shut the television off when a news alert flashed across the bottom.
“Hang on.” Morgan stopped him. “There’s an update on the storm we’ve been hearing about these last couple of days.”
A screenshot of the Michigan map with Wisconsin to the left and Ontario to the right, appeared.
Jax turned the volume up. “A winter weather advisory has been issued for all areas marked in blue.”
The Michigan map disappeared, replaced by a swirling screen of white—as in blowing and drifting snow, sweeping across the plains.
“Just in time for a white Christmas,” Morgan quipped.
