Midnight and Mistletoe At Cedarwood Lodge Page 3

  She gazed in the direction I looked. “Oh, the star? It’s made from tempered dark chocolate and covered in golf leaf, cost a pretty penny, but it’s worth it, don’t you think?”

  “Aunt Bessie it’s totally amazing. It’s so grand!” The stack of donuts had been truly transformed. It was a piece of art. “You’ve got such an incredible talent, sometimes I think you’re wasted here in Evergreen,” I said.

  “Well funny you should say. About that,” Aunt Bessie said, dipping her head as if shy, which was out of character for her. “I’m not technically minded, I’m more a ‘get your hands dirty in the kitchen’ type, as you can clearly see, but I’ve had a lot of the emails recently…”

  “The emails? Go on.” I bit down on a smile.

  “Yeah, so the emails are all basically asking the same thing. Where can they see pictures of what I make, what’s my handle on Instagram,” her face went blank, “I replied I don’t have a handle on it, I don’t have a handle on technology at all.”

  Laughter sputtered out of me. “Oh Aunt Bessie! They mean what’s your name on Instagram, so they can follow you! Not whether you have a handle on using it! Handle means name – for example, it could be something like: @PuftArtisanDonuts.”

  “OK, OK, I understand, but what exactly is Instagram?” Her eyebrows pulled together as she poured out enormous candy cane milkshakes, decorating both with white and red sprinkled donuts and a spiral of whipped cream.

  I laughed in spite of her bewildered expression and took my milkshake before I pulled out my phone to teach her the intricacies of Instagram. “So, social media looks scary, but really it could take Puft to the next level. Introducing it to more customers, from, well, pretty much anywhere in the world.”

  “So,” her nose wrinkled. “You’re telling me I’ll post pictures of my artisan donuts and strangers are going to like them? With a click of the button? And this will sell more donuts?”

  I nodded and took a gulp of my milkshake, relishing in the minty freshness. Puft definitely deserved more fans, even if demand in Evergreen was pretty high. I just knew New Yorkers would love to ‘discover’ those artisan creations.

  Still confused she asked, “But how will they find me?”

  “Hashtags.” And I tried to hold back the laughter as I caught Kai’s gaze. Explaining social media seemed completely mad – hashtags, handles, likes?! “Okay, so let’s not worry about all the terms or anything, let’s just get you an account set up. It’s easier to show you that way.”

  With a big smile, and a lot of dramatic sighing and exclaiming over remembering passwords and how her nails were too long to click-clack at a phone, we set up an Instagram account and I promised to help her with Facebook and Twitter once she got a handle (!) on using Instagram first.

  “So these strangers will like my posts and send orders through my website? Seems pretty crazy to me…”

  “It’s the way of the world, Aunt Bessie,” I said, smiling. “Amory will design you a stunning webpage that will suit Puft and she can link your social media accounts to that. Then when you get an order you simply ship it. Easy peasy. We better sort out some nice packaging for shipping too, because I bet it won’t take long for the word to spread.”

  “You’re a sweet girl, Clio, believing in me like that. This all came about after Cedarwood was written up in the newspaper, you know. It’s more to do with you than me.”

  I kissed the top of her head. “It came about because you’re exceptional at what you do. It has nothing to do with me.”

  Looking up at the clock Aunt Bessie suddenly exclaimed, “Look at the time! We best get a wiggle on now or this Christmas lunch is going to be a real turkey!” she cackled at her bad joke and I followed her back to the kitchen.

  I sat at the counter and watched Aunt Bessie work as she pulled out vegetables and instructed me to stay well away from any pot or pan. But she called Kai over to be her helper and I watched as he confidently chopped and prepared the carrots. I was almost jealous – seeing as Aunt Bessie had been able to teach Mom how to bake, I wondered if she could teach me how to boil water without burning the pot…

  “Where’s Mom?” I asked

  Aunt Bessie stopped stirring and checked her watch. “Should be on her way.” She paused, turning towards me and catching my eye. “Clio, you know it’s a big thing for her, coming here today when there’s going to be people she doesn’t know.” She motioned to Kai, who seemed to be in his own world meticulously julienning carrots to the same length.

  I nodded, my mom could hide out in the kitchen at Puft, stick her head into the bakery and say hi to a friendly face, but real socializing – sitting down, eating, drinking and making conversation for hours on end – was another thing entirely. I couldn’t remember ever seeing my mom handle a social situation well – I guess she just used the avoidance tactic, or made excuses and we left it at that.

  “I know Aunt Bessie, they’re all really sweet people. No one is going to make her uncomfortable.” She nodded and turned back to her stirring.

  It was nice to be spending Christmas with family this year. Of course last year – spending it with Amory in a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn – had been amazing in its own right, but I sensed things were changing for all of us. Family should’ve come first, and I vowed it would from now on.

  Chapter Three

  A car crunched on the icy driveway, interrupting our rendition of Last Christmas with Kai pretending to be awed by our singing but probably wanting to cover his poor ears from the abuse he was suffering. None of us could sing, not a note, but still, we enjoyed caroling, so what did it matter if it sounded like nails on a chalkboard? I leaped up to see who had arrived. Mom. She made it.

  After Mom’s aborted visit to Cedarwood a few months ago, she hadn’t returned. But our relationship had taken a better turn recently, or it had until I’d discovered the photographs… I knew today would be difficult for her, but I remembered the advice I’d given to Kai. I needed to start dealing with things head-on too. So I went outside to greet her. As I got closer she started, and then gave me a tight-lipped smile.

  I opened the driver’s door. “Hi Mom! Merry Christmas,” I said brightly.

  Her eyes widened at my exuberance. “I was… just organizing my thoughts,” she said as she pulled her handbag into her lap.

  “OK, well, great! Let’s go in and get out of this cold.” She didn’t move, so I said as soothingly as possible, “There’s only Kai and Aunt Bessie here so far.”

  She flashed me a small smile and undid her seatbelt.

  I reached out and took her hand and led her inside, chatting away about this and that to put her at ease. I sensed she was trying hard to appear relaxed, but although her smile was stiff it was still a smile, and she wasn’t so folded in on herself. She’d made an effort to dress up, and wore a slick of lip gloss and some blusher. I debated whether to mention how pretty she looked, or if noting it would make her feel self-conscious. In the end, I just gave her hand a squeeze, and hoped she could read it in my face how happy I was she was here.

  “Merry Christmas!” Aunt Bessie said, kissing Mom’s cheek, and giving her the once-over. “Don’t you look nice, Annabelle! That color suits you.” She motioned to Mom’s teal colored shirt.

  Mom tucked a tendril of hair back and smiled her thanks.

  “Help me get these vegetables chopped, would you? I didn’t dare ask Clio in case she lopped a finger off or some other disaster, she’s quite hopeless in the culinary arts.”

  “Hey!” I protested halfheartedly, knowing Aunt Bessie knew how to put Mom at ease without it being obvious. Mom took an apron from the hook and put it over her head, her demeanor changing now she had a job to do.

  “Mom, this is Kai, Kai my mom, Annabelle.”

  Kai gave her a wide smile, and shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs Winters.”

  With a tentative smile, she said, “Likewise, Kai. I’ve heard a lot about you, and it’s all
good.”

  He laughed. “That’s a relief.” Mom’s charming side surprised me, it bode well for the day. Maybe she’d always wanted to be around people but just didn’t know how to after hiding away for so long.

  Mom and Aunt Bessie pottered around the kitchen, continuing to prep for lunch. They refused our offers of further help, and ushered us into the living room. “Go watch a Christmas movie, relax, unwind, you’re my guests,” admonished Aunt Bessie as she handed us two fruit mince donuts – to keep us going!

  In Aunt Bessie’s living room we went through her alphabetized Christmas movie selection and decided on Love Actually and I pressed play, before sitting next to Kai on the lumpy red sofa. We sort of fell into each other as the cushion sagged beneath us, and we brushed hands as we tried to scramble back into a sitting position. I sent a thank you to the universe that Aunt Bessie hoarded her old things and refused to upgrade.

  When Hugh Grant’s character danced around, an impromptu concert for one, we laughed when he was busted by a steely-faced aide. It had to be a sign – a man who liked a rom-com had to be of the finest order, right? Emma Thompsons’s Joni Mitchell scene played, and I felt her sadness as sure as if it was my own. Surreptitiously I wiped a stray tear, but Kai caught me.

  “He’s a bit of a bastard for doing that.”

  I bit down on my lip, and let out a half-sob, half-laugh. “I love her, and even though it’s fictional I still can’t quite help thinking it’s real and he’s such a fool for hurting her. And for what? A passing flirtation with scarlet lips. It’s just the worst!”

  “I totally agree.” He leaned over and I caught my breath as he wiped a lone tear from my cheek. “It’s like he can’t see what’s right in front of him, and he is utterly stupid for that.” He gazed at me so fervently, I thought for a second he meant me.

  The air in the room hummed around us as my mind raced. Was there hidden meaning, or was I just hoping so? I’d never wanted to kiss anyone as much as I did at that moment. Forget heartbreak, forget about the future, all I cared about was this minute right here, so I closed my eyes and kissed him, all at once dizzy with the touch of his lips against mine. He brushed his fingertips against my cheek, and kissed me back softly. And I thought if I never felt like this again, life would be so dull.

  With my heart racing, I pulled away slightly, hoping he wouldn’t see the quake in my hands. If I ever got naked with him, I was sure I’d pass out with the wooziness of it all. Wouldn’t that be the most embarrassing thing? Stop picturing him naked, Clio! It wasn’t like I was a prude, or hadn’t had relationships before, but with Kai even the simplest of touches felt charged, like Cupid was making sure I knew this guy was the one. With him leaving soon, I threw caution to the wind, one week with Kai was better than none, and maybe the memory of his kisses would last a lifetime…

  “Clio…” he said softly and pulled me in for another kiss.

  The crunch of tires had us leaping apart. Cruz and Amory had arrived, and that put paid to any more private time.

  “I ah, I really love that movie, thanks for watching it with me.” Lame, can anyone say lame!

  He laughed as I scrambled out of the sofa. “Any time, Clio.”

  For someone who spent their whole life around love I was completely useless at it myself. Kai probably thought I was unhinged, or something.

  I raced over to open the door for Cruz and Amory who were stomping snow from their boots.

  “Come in,” I said, a little breathless still but trying to disguise it with festive cheer. Amory narrowed her eyes as if she knew something was up. I let out a slightly manic laugh and smoothed my hair down.

  Suddenly Cruz clicked his fingers and tutted. “Dang it, I left the wine at the lodge. I’ll be right back,” he said as he turned to go straight back out into the snow.

  “We’ve have a ton of wine, don’t worry,” I called, but he was already at the car holding the keys up.

  “I won’t be long, promise.”

  “Drive safe on those roads,” Amory called, but he’d already closed the door and was starting to reverse out of the drive.

  Amory turned her laser beam on me and smiled. “Why are you so flushed?”

  I pulled her inside and out of the cold. “Oh, you know, sitting by the fire and all that!” She didn’t believe me, I could tell by the textbook squint of hers.

  To distract her, I steered her towards the kitchen and asked, “Why does Cruz want more wine? We seriously have loads here.” It was a good thirty minute round trip back to the lodge, and seemed like a lot of effort, especially when the roads were on the hazardous side.

  She shrugged and unwound her scarf. “It’s probably some fancy wine that pairs with a certain type of dish. Don’t know why he keeps bothering with all that, I’ll just guzzle it anyway.”

  I laughed, knowing it was true. Amory gave not one jot about the quality – even after taking wine appreciation courses as part of our job. Whether she was hosting glamorous parties with fridges full of expensive champagne, or intimate gatherings with full-bodied reds that had been cellared for decades, she’d drink them down just the same as a bottle from the bargain bin and exclaim ‘not bad’.

  Amory swept into the kitchen, greeting Mom as if she’d known her forever, giving her a tight squeeze, which had Mom’s eyes widening, and said a cheery hello to Aunt Bessie, who squished her in return.

  “That is a work of art, Aunt Bessie,” Amory exclaimed over the donut tower Christmas tree. “Seriously, you have to start sharing these with the city crowd, they would love it!”

  I laughed as Aunt Bessie donned her specs and snapped pictures of the edible diamond decorations, all the while filling Amory in about her newfound love for Instagram. “And you see, my friend…” she made the @sign with her fingertip “… @Donuts4Life asked me for a close-up of the edible decorations on the tree, she’s thinking of placing an order for her daughter’s birthday. A candy floss donut tower. Pink frosted donuts, pink candy floss, and pink edible diamonds, wouldn’t that be every ten-year-old’s dream?”

  I sat there with my jaw hanging open. She’d embraced Instagram that quickly? I’d only just taught her what a hashtag was and here she was with followers and everything already! Calling them her friends? She seriously could charm anyone that woman, and I loved her so.

  “This all happened in the two hours you’ve been on Instagram?” I asked.

  Aunt Bessie looked at me like I was dense. “Yes, Clio. @Donuts4Life lives in Oakville, so she’s going to visit after Christmas. I used the hashtags like you told me to, and she clicked on #Evergreen and found me. And so did thirty others, but so far we haven’t spoken. I will though, I’ll introduce myself to them tomorrow, tell them a little bit about my artisan donuts and how much I love baking.”

  “That sounds… great, Aunt Bessie,” I tried to keep my laughter in check. “It is called social media, so introducing yourself is part of it, I guess.” They wouldn’t know what hit them, Aunt Bessie could win anyone over with her affable personality and I bet they’d order donuts just because she wooed them with her zest for life.

  We were still laughing about my techno-phobic aunt embracing Instagram when Amory clapped her hands and said, “Now, what’s the protocol here, is it too early for wine?”

  “It’s actually a little late,” Aunt Bessie winked, reaching for some glasses. “We’ve got mulled wine steeping away on the stove, or take your pick. Just make yourselves right at home, we’re all friends here.”

  Amory poured everyone a glass of mulled wine, the scent of cloves, cinnamon and orange rind spiced the air, and I made a mental note to get the recipe. Surely I could throw a few ingredients into a vat of wine without ruining it?

  Just when everyone had settled down again, a car pulled into the driveway and we all turned to look. Cruz couldn’t have got to the lodge and back in that amount of time… Amory’s eyes narrowed, and I sensed a ploy afoot too. Cruz had always been good at big romantic ges
tures… A Christmas gift, perhaps? He’d been so keen to get back into the kitchen at Cedarwood, I don’t think he’d even ventured into town since he arrived, he wouldn’t have had time to buy a gift, unless he’d organized it by phone…

  We peeked out the window, Amory watching him intently as he opened the back door of the car and shuffled backwards with something in his arms.

  Realizing it was something important, and definitely not wine by the looks of it, I ushered Amory away. “Let him surprise you,” I said.

  While I was pushing Amory back into the dining room Kai opened the door for Cruz.

  “All right, all right,” Amory said when I shoved her a little harder. “There’s no need to manhandle me.”

  “Oh please,” I said, smiling. Mom and Aunt Bessie stopped what they were doing and waited for Cruz’s big entrance too. What was taking him so long? I was dying to see what Amory’s gift was.

  “Close your eyes,” Cruz called out from the doorway as we all hovered in the living room expectantly.

  Amory duly closed her eyes.

  He tiptoed in, and we collectively put a hand to our mouths to stop awws spilling out. In his hands Cruz held a little fluffball of a pup, with black and tan fur and the most beautiful big blue eyes.

  Putting a finger to his lips Cruz sneaked in and placed the puppy onto Amory’s lap. She gasped, and opened her eyes. “Merry Christmas, Amory.”

  We froze, not sure if this was meant to be a private moment or not, so we just stopped moving and pretended to be invisible. Dropping to his knees (both knees thank god, no chance of a proposal fiasco again) in front of Amory he said, “This little rescue pup needed a home for Christmas, a home for forever, where he’s safe, and loved, and well fed. I told the shelter that we’d show him what real love was and he’d have a happy life with us.”