Page 43 of Easton Island: Old-Fashioned Christmas
He tipped his hand back and forth. “Is taking it like I figured she would. She’s in shock.”
“I noticed her staring at Tristan,” Morgan whispered. “I’m sure she noticed the resemblance between the two of you.”
“Perhaps even Prissy noticed,” Elizabeth said. “I saw her giving him a couple of sidelong glances.”
“I’m picking up a DNA testing kit at the drugstore.”
“They sell testing kits at the drugstore?”
“Believe it or not, yes. As I mentioned before, I have a friend who works in the field. I’ll send it to her the day after Christmas. She promised to put a rush on it for a small fee, of course.” Brett assured them he would have the test results back the following day. “After we have the results, we’ll figure out our next step.”
“I would plan on them coming back positive,” Elizabeth advised. “The boy is your son.”
“I believe you’re right. As soon as I can confirm it, I’ll talk to Tristan and his uncle.”
“And then what?” Morgan asked. “Tristan needs a home.”
“I agree. However, he’s old enough to have a say in where he wants to live.”
“Jax showed him around the property,” Elizabeth said. “Tristan wants to go fishing, hunting, snowmobiling.”
“It’s one thing to be excited about visiting somewhere new with cool stuff to do,” Brett said. “I would like to chat with him to get a feel for what he’s thinking. It could go one of two ways.”
“He could reject you entirely, thinking you’ll abandon him like his former father did, or try to please you and live up to what he thinks you want him to be,” Elizabeth said.
“Yep. I need a neutral party to kind of feel him out. Jeff said Tristan has been withdrawn since his mother’s death.”
“Not only is he mourning her death, but he feels like no one wants him,” Morgan said. “I’ve been in his shoes. He’s lost, which is how I felt until I found Easton Island. It changed my life forever. I bet he would love it here if he gave it half a chance.”
“You know what?” Brett snapped his fingers. “I don’t want to put you on the spot, but would you be willing to talk to Tristan? As you said, you’ve been in his shoes and you know how he feels.”
“I…”
“Brett is right. You’re the neutral party we need,” Elizabeth said.
“Of course. I mean, I’ll try.”
“Thank you.”
“The guests are waiting. I say you chat with Tristan tomorrow. Tonight is all about celebrating Christmas Eve.”
Reaching the library, the trio found Prissy seated at the piano, playing a lively Christmas tune while the others gathered around for a singalong.
The song segued into another, the start of a medley of familiar carols and tunes. After finishing, Morgan invited them to the parlor, where she’d set up craft tables to create handmade ornaments using the supplies she’d bought for her bed-and-breakfast guests.
Morgan, Ronni, Jax, Ben, Mrs. Arnsby, Mary, Elizabeth’s best friend, Prissy, Naomi, Gerard, Brett, Quinn, Jeff and even Tristan took a seat at the table while holiday tunes played in the background.
Chester, along with Esther, Quinn’s pup, made their rounds, curious to find out what they were doing before finally curling up by the fire for a long winter nap.
Conversation was easy, with the guests sharing favorite memories from Christmases past.
Morgan worked diligently on her ornament, decorating it with glitter and buttons, yarn, beads, pinecones, and dried citrus slices. After finishing, she added a twined twig to the base. “Mine was only a few years ago, when my mom was still alive. She hosted a holiday open house at her art gallery. After it ended, we packed up the car and drove down to Key West. Mom booked us a room right on the water. We sat on our balcony watching the Christmas boat parade.”
Her eyes filled with tears at the memory of the special holiday. It was one of the last trips they’d taken together. Instead of a traditional Christmas dinner, they feasted on conch fritters and Cuban sandwiches. Mother and daughter meandered around town, visiting several touristy spots, including The Hemingway Home.
Tristan, who sat on her right, stared at Morgan. “You didn’t come here for Christmas?”
“I didn’t know about Easton Island until after my mom’s death. I found out about it in her will.”
