Page 39 of Holiday Cheese and Capers
“How are we supposed to get back up to the resort?” Zephyr wondered out loud as they assembled on the deck, waiting to disembark.
“Look up, dear!” Minerva elbowed him, redirecting his gaze upward to the three multicolored hot air balloons that were slowly making their way down toward the deck of the ship.
“Well, I never!” Zephyr exclaimed excitedly. He let out a low whistle. It was true. In all his many years of adventures with the Society, riding in a hot air balloon had been one of the few experiences he had missed out on.
“I’ve never ridden in a hot air balloon, either!” Minerva’s face glowed. She was practically leaping into the air with excitement. “But I’ve always wanted to give it a go! What a treat to get to experience something so new and thrilling at our age, Zippy! And we get to do it together!”
“I’m glad you approve,” Bayard said. “I thought it a fitting way to arrive at the resort. They do cater to adventurous travelers.”
When the first balloon landed, a handsome, energetic couple hopped out from the basket. Both men wore outdoorsy-looking trekking suits that included polo shirts with the resort’s logo. They were probably around forty years old, but they had a much younger air about them. Perhaps it was their obvious enthusiasm and outgoing nature as they greeted the group with warm smiles. They seemed more like beloved camp counselors excited to reunite with their favorite campers and less like resort employees who were greeting total strangers.
“¡Bienvenidos, kids!” called the taller of the two. His skin was sun-weathered and he had distinctive laugh lines around his eyes. “I’m Raoul Martinez, and this is my partner, Geraldo. Welcome to El Refugio de Cabra. Who’s ready to have an awesome time?”
Geraldo was stockier and shorter, with a silver streak in his dark hair. “We are so excited to host your crew. You’ve come at the perfect time. Yuletide is our season here at El Refugio. We love sharing our Queso Luna tradition with our guests from all over the world.”
“Queso Luna?” a passenger asked.
“Oh, yes… The Magic Moon Cheese!” Raoul explained. “It’s made from the milk of goats who graze on wild mountain herbs under the full moon. There’s an old legend about it. They say the cheese has the power to reveal hidden truths and mend broken hearts.”
“What kind of truths?” Wren asked, her journalist curiosity piqued.
Geraldo smiled. “The kind people carry in silence for too long. The feelings they’re afraid to speak. We only eat it during the winter solstice, when the darkness is longest. The tradition says: ‘what the darkness concealed, the moon’s light reveals.’ It gives people the courage to say what needs to be said.”
“So it’s like a kind of truth serum?” someone asked nervously.
“No, no.” Raoul laughed. “It doesn’t force anyone to speak. It simply... makes it easier. Removes the fear. Especially for those seeking to confess the love they’ve been afraid to confess.”
“Do you believe it works?” Wren asked, her pen pausing mid sentence. She shot a look at Jasper who was suddenly preoccupied with the ropes tethering Raoul and Geraldo’s balloon to the ship’s deck.
“Well, I may be a bit biased,” Geraldo said. “It brought us together.” He and Raoul exchanged a knowing look. “But you’ll have to be the judge if you try it. Just be prepared for it to be a potentially life-changing experience if you do!”
Minerva saw Bayard and Exandra exchange a quick glance, both looking away immediately.
“Enough talk. We’ve got so much more to share back at the resort. Who’s ready to fly?”
Geraldo gestured to the waiting balloon basket, inviting the first guests in line to begin boarding.
“I think that Queso Luna sounds lovely,” Minerva said, trailing Zephyr up the ramp and into the waiting balloon basket. “I just wish Zippy and I had heard about it a little sooner.”
“No matter,” Zephyr called out over his shoulder, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the burner heating the air in the balloon. He was almost as giddy about the ride as Minerva. “We’re certainly making up for lost time now!”
The balloons landedinside a vast central courtyard surrounded by stone buildings. To the left they spied a glassed-in pavilion with steam rising from all its windows. To the right, nestled against the hillside, was the fromagerie with its distinctive round door. In the fields behind them were the stables and a barn. And straight ahead was a comfortable-looking three- story lodge with a large, outdoor communal dining area.
“You’ll have the afternoon and evening to relax a bit and enjoy our facilities,” Raoul said. “You can take a dip in the hot springs in the spa’s bathing pavilion, and feel free to explore the meditation garden at your leisure. Tomorrow, weather permitting, will be more adventurous for those who’d like to try out some of the climbing routes in the gorge, explore a bit morein the balloons, or go mountain biking. But tonight, we’ll all come together for a special dinner featuring our very own Queso Luna and other local delicacies.”
As the group dispersed to get their suite assignments, Minerva noticed Bayard and Exandra carefully choosing rooms in opposite wings. They’d barely spoken to each other since the workshop disaster yesterday, both too proud and too confused to bridge the gap.
Something needed to change. And soon. Good thing the plan was already in motion. She caught Geraldo’s eye and he nodded ever so subtly.
“Is everything good to go?” Wren whispered beside her. The younger woman made a show of comparing room keys with Minerva while they both pretended to study the colorful resort map.
“Yes.” Minerva’s cheeks were still flushed from the balloon ride. But it was the scheme that she and Zephyr had concocted that made her eyes sparkle with mischief now. “Zephyr is heading to the office with Raoul as soon as they’re done with the room assignments.”
She watched as Wren signaled a quick thumbs up to Jasper, who was chatting with Raoul on the other side of the lobby.
“Everything is in place.” Minerva smiled. “We couldn’t have pulled this off without your help. As much as I love the legend of Queso Luna, I’m worried it’s going to take a little more than some full moon cheese to get those two to talk.”
IN QUESO EMERGENCY
