Page 345 of Screwged for Christmas

Her mouth fell slack. She worked it a couple of times as she looked between the papers in her lap and the other woman. “But what about you? What will you do?”

“Oh, sweetheart, Harry and I are going to travel the world. Now that I don’t have to tend to the joint. Ahh…retirement will be bliss! Harry has promised me a honeymoon I’ll never forget.”

Ivy thought back to the conversation she had with Mr. Langley. She should introduce them at some point because they would get along splendidly.

“Are you happy with Harry, Gran?” She took her hand in her own.

“I miss your grandfather every day and he’ll always have a special place in my heart, but it’s okay to move on too. Life is made for loving and laughing.” Gran squeezed her hand. “It’s okay to get mad, make plans, toss them aside and start again. It’s okay to move on from Lewis, sweetheart. I think you know this now. Know that it’s okay to be happy. You deserve that.”

The tears that had haunted her for the past few days, ones she’d refused to acknowledge, now fell free but not out of stress or sorrow. These were of pure joy. As if the weight of an entire unhappy future fell from her shoulders and she could finally take a deep breath.

She ran a gentle finger down the deed and across her name as the new owner. “It’s funny how you don’t know what you want until it stares you in the face.”

Ivy gathered her gran in a fierce hug and let the tears come as they may. “I don’t know what to say, Gran.”

“Say you aren’t done setting your future right. Say you have more plans in the works and tell me that you have a plan on how to get Aspen’s attention. Oh, and if it’s not bluntly obvious, it’s okay to have a plan, just know when to change it if the damn thing doesn’t work.”

Ivy sat a little straighter. “You’re right. And I do, but…I don’t know… Aspen spent the last week trying to help me find my happiness and I know he wanted a second chance.”

Ivy paused. Of course! How could she be so blind!

“Gran, I have a terrible, horrible, beautiful idea.”

“That’s my girl! So, which is it? Terrible, horrible or beautiful and what can I do to help?”

“Can you plan a large dinner for all the guests and invite Ms. Lucille and Charlie? If it works out we’ll need to celebrate. If not, we’ll all need comfort food and copious amounts of whiskey.”

Gran whistled low. “You have a doozy up your sleeve. Okay. I’ll set to work and see if I can get Harry to help me. Mrs. Wilber would love to jump in too.”

Ivy paused. “You knew this would happen all along, didn’t you?”

Her grandmother looked at her, the wisdom of her years crystal clear in her blue eyes. “You needed the perfect storm and I knew the guests would help create the perfect conditions to move you along. Everything else was kismet. Now get to it before the getting isn’t good anymore.”

“Yes, ma’am. If you’ll excuse me I’ll do just that.”

Aspen was hers damn it and nothing and nobody would ever keep them apart again. Ever her foolish self.

CHAPTER 18

Five hours later Ivy had a plan in place. Okay, so plans were her pitfall and her Achilles heel, but this one would work. It had to. Her future really did depend on this one.

“Joe, I can’t thank you enough.” She shook hands with the former Joe’s Christmas Tree Farm owner. A portion of his property connected to the B&B’s. During the summer it would be a wonderful hike, but in the winter the snow was too deep so she opted to drive.

“The pleasure is all mine, Ivy. I know you’ll take care of the place and I couldn’t be happier knowing the place is in good hands.”

“What will you do now?” She couldn’t imagine wanting to part ways with such a beautiful place. He must have his reasons.

“My daughter moved to Hawaii last year and I’ve always wanted to live at the beach.”

“Wow! That’s a big change. All that sunshine and white sand.”

“These old bones can’t take the winters up here anymore, you see.”

“I do. You’ll be happy and close to your daughter.”

“Yes.” He smiled taking her hands in his. “Now you have a Merry Christmas and settle into the place. We’ll talk after the New Year’s again, of course and finish any outstanding paperwork. Give your gran a hug for me.”

She waved as Joe climbed into his truck and vanished down the long drive.

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