Czytaj książkę: «The Holiday Secret»

Chapter One

A line from one of his daughter’s favorite picture books popped into Carter Bristow’s head when he rounded the corner and spotted a car parked on the side of the road.

There’s something here that looks out of place.

Hmm. Tough call. Especially when Carter had to choose between a red Lexus that stood out like a cluster of winterberry against the snow-covered landscape and the woman standing next to it, pointing her cell phone at the sky.

Even with her back to him, Carter doubted she was a local. Her paper-thin leather coat and spiked-heel boots looked about as suitable for a Michigan winter as the vehicle she drove.

He pulled onto the shoulder and parked a few yards behind her. The only traffic this late in the day tended to be the four-footed kind, but Carter followed protocol and flipped on the light bar before exiting the squad car.

“Ma’am? Is everything all right?”

The woman whirled around to face him, and Carter’s heart bumped against his Kevlar vest.

Definitely not a local. If they’d met before, he would have remembered. Her sleek, chin-length cap of espresso-brown hair had been strategically cut to emphasize sculpted cheekbones and a pair of eyes that Carter would have been hard-pressed to describe in a report. Not quite blue, not quite green, but a stunning combination of the two that instantly resurrected memories of the sea surrounding the Greek islands Carter had visited once while on leave.

And the flash of surprise in those eyes told Carter she hadn’t realized she was no longer alone.

“I... Yes.” Wind-kissed cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. “Everything is fine, Deputy.”

That ruled out engine trouble. But a young woman on a deserted stretch of road at dusk, with the snow beginning to fall as rapidly as the temperature? Not exactly Carter’s definition of fine.

“Having problems with your GPS?” He turned his attention to the cell phone clutched in the woman’s hand. It wouldn’t be the first time Carter had stumbled upon a traveler trying to find their way out of the maze of backroads that wound through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“No. I was...taking a picture.”

“A picture.”

“Of him.” She pointed to an enormous bird perched on one of the upper branches of a towering red pine.

The sight of a bald eagle surveying its kingdom was so commonplace here that Carter wouldn’t have given it a second glance, let alone stop to take a photograph. It wasn’t the explanation that caught him off guard, though. It was the smile that accompanied it.

Two tours in the Navy had taught Carter to look for potential danger in the most innocent of places. His brief but disastrous marriage had made him equally wary of the ones hiding behind a woman’s smile.

Even a smile warm enough, bright enough, to steal some of the chill from the air.

As if aware it had drawn an audience, the eagle took flight and performed an elegant figure-eight above their heads before it glided away.

The woman raised her cell phone again. Snapped another photo before it disappeared into the forest. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

Beautiful.

Carter tore his gaze away, not from the eagle, but from a single gossamer snowflake that had gotten tangled in her sable lashes and cast a pointed glance at the darkening sky.

“He also knows when it’s time to go home.”

The smile instantly faded, but Carter refused to feel guilty for his abrupt tone—or the suggestion that she follow the eagle’s example and do the same.

The individual snowflakes that appeared as harmless as thistledown were bonding together as they reached the ground, creating a thin but potentially hazardous film on the road.

Carter was nearing the end of his shift, but now he was duty-bound to make sure the woman ended up safely back on the main highway instead of in the ditch. Factor in the time he would spend entering reports and tying up the loose ends that inevitably happened at shift change and the chances of making it home before Bea’s bedtime were fading as quickly as the daylight.

This impulsive photo op had put them both at risk. And all because she’d wanted to...to what? Draw a flurry of attention from her followers on social media?

Old memories rushed in, leaving a bitter taste in Carter’s mouth.

His ex-wife had been the same way. Jennifer had done what she’d wanted, when she’d wanted, indifferent to the effects her decisions had on anyone else.

And if Carter was ever tempted to forget what those decisions had cost their family, all he had to do was picture the little girl patiently waiting at home for her daddy to read her a bedtime story.

The one who—thanks to the woman with the aquamarine eyes and designer sports car—would no doubt be sound asleep by the time Carter got home.

Ellery Marshall released a sigh of relief when the deputy turned left at the intersection instead of right.

For reasons Ellery couldn’t quite fathom, the squad car fixed in her rearview mirror for the last twenty minutes had generated more anxiety than driving on the slick, snow-covered road.

She’d been afraid he would escort her all the way to her destination.

Ellery glanced at her GPS and sent up a silent prayer for strength as she continued on her journey.

A quick online search of places to stay in the Castle Falls area when Ellery had stopped for gas had yielded only one result. Fortunately for her, the Evergreen Inn welcomed guests year-round and everyone who’d stayed there raved about the food and warm hospitality. What no one had mentioned in their review, however, was the location.

The inn was so far off the beaten path that when Ellery finally caught a glimpse of a lamppost glowing through the heavy veil of snow, she felt like she’d emerged from the wardrobe and ended up in Narnia. The bed-and-breakfast at the end of the long driveway turned out to be just as delightful. Not the rustic lodge Ellery had been expecting to find, but a charming, two-story farmhouse built out of fieldstone. With a candle burning in each of the frost-etched windows and an oversize wreath on the door, the Evergreen could have graced the front of a Christmas card.

Ellery parked the car and tried her best to dodge the snow drifts the wind had deposited on the cobblestone path.

Should she knock? Call the number on the website?

The door swung open as Ellery was pondering the complications of showing up well after dark, suitcase in hand but without a reservation.

“Come in!” A slender woman in her midfifties, wearing a white chef’s apron over jeans and a T-shirt, motioned for Ellery to come inside. “I saw the headlights when I was in the kitchen. Welcome to the Evergreen.”

Ellery balked. “My boots—”

“Don’t worry.” The woman brushed aside Ellery’s protest with a smile. “These floors have held up to Michigan winters for almost a hundred years. They can handle a little snow,” she assured her. “I’m just glad you got here before the storm.”

Ellery blinked.

Before the storm?

“I’m sorry for showing up this late in the evening,” she murmured.

Her apology was brushed aside, too. “When you own an inn, you get used to people stopping by at all hours of the day and night.” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Karen Bristow, by the way.”

Ellery recognized the name from the website.

“Ellery Marshall.” Ellery set her suitcase down as the innkeeper stepped behind a crescent-shaped cherry desk in the center of the lobby. “Do you have a room available?”

“I certainly do” came the cheerful response. “How many nights will you be staying with us, Miss Marshall?”

Ellery realized it was a reasonable question when one was checking into a bed-and-breakfast. If only she knew the answer.

“I... I’m not sure yet.”

Karen Bristow didn’t appear surprised by Ellery’s vague response. “Not a problem. Even with the Countdown to Christmas starting this weekend, there are plenty of rooms available if you prefer to go day to day.”

“Countdown to Christmas?” Ellery repeated.

“All the businesses in Castle Falls plan a special event on the days leading up to Christmas Eve. The official kickoff starts with a parade and the snow carnival this weekend. It’s the last community-wide celebration before the town goes into hibernation.” Laughter kindled in Karen Bristow’s hazel-blue eyes. “Our best-kept secret isn’t a secret anymore. Every year it draws more of a crowd.”

Ellery couldn’t tell the innkeeper that she was keeping a secret of her own. “I’m actually looking for...some peace and quiet.”

“Well, we have plenty of that, too,” the innkeeper promised.

The knot in Ellery’s stomach loosened a bit.

“Day to day sounds good.” She reached for her purse. “I’ll give you my credit card to hold the room.”

“Don’t worry about that now.” Karen patted Ellery’s hand as she fumbled with the clasp. “It’s getting late and I’m sure you’re tired and anxious to get settled. In the morning, I’ll take you on a tour of the inn and we’ll cover all the details then. How does that sound?”

Unbelievable. And...wonderful.

Because Ellery had passed “tired” a long time ago and was skidding straight toward exhaustion. Growing up, she’d stayed at some of the most exclusive hotels in the country but couldn’t imagine any of them delaying the check-in process for a guest.

Ellery’s grip on her purse tightened. “Thank you, Mrs. Bristow.”

“Karen,” the innkeeper corrected. “We have a saying here at the Evergreen. Enter as friends, leave as family.”

The tears that Ellery had successfully held at bay since she’d left Grand Rapids that morning banked behind her eyes. She turned and reached for her suitcase before they spilled over, only to discover someone else had already claimed possession.

“I’ll carry it for you!”

The tiny bellhop standing next to Ellery’s Louis Vuitton suitcase had golden-blond pigtails, Dresden-blue eyes and wore footie pajamas.

“My granddaughter, Isabella.” The affection in Karen’s tone belied the stern look she cast in the child’s direction. “Who, I might add, is supposed to be asleep by now.”

“I tried, Gramma, but my eyes wouldn’t stay shut,” the little girl said earnestly. “I was waiting for Daddy to get home.”

For the first time, the innkeeper’s smile slipped a notch. “I’m sure you’ll see him bright and early tomorrow morning, sweetheart. Now, can you say hello to Miss Ellery? She just checked in.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss El’ry.”

The polite greeting was accompanied by a gap-toothed grin that instantly melted Ellery’s heart. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Isabella.”

“That’s my real name,” she was informed. “But I like Bea better ’cause that’s what my daddy calls me.”

Tiny, active and adorable. Ellery decided the nickname was a perfect fit.

“I almost forgot to give you this.” Karen presented Ellery with an old-fashioned metal key, an accent Ellery found as delightful as the rest of the inn’s decor. “You’re upstairs in Wood Violet. Third door on the right—”

“Can I show Miss El’ry where it is, Gramma?” Bea interrupted, her pigtails practically vibrating with excitement. “Pleeease?”

Ellery sensed Karen’s hesitation and returned the kindness the woman had extended to her. “I don’t mind, but you’ll have to let me carry the suitcase.” She winked at Bea. “I might have brought too many shoes,” she confessed in a whisper.

“Okay!”

Before Ellery could blink, the little girl had taken hold of her free hand and was towing her toward a staircase leading to the second floor. Like the rest of the lobby, the banister was dressed in twinkling lights and festive greens. A wide landing at the top, furnished with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and comfy chairs, branched off into two corridors.

Her pint-size guide pointed to the one on the left. “My room is on that side.”

The comment piqued Ellery’s curiosity. Karen Bristow had been the only name listed as proprietor on the inn’s website. “Do your parents work here, too?”

“Just me and Daddy...when he’s not at his other job.” Bea skipped past several doors until they reached the one marked with a hand-painted violet. “You’ll like this one because the rug is nice and squishy,” she chattered on. “And there’s a picture of a pony on the wall. I love ponies. Do you have one?”

“No.” Ellery hid a smile as she set the suitcase down. “But I like them, too.”

“I put one on my Christmas list,” Bea whispered. “But Daddy said that Santa only has room in his sleigh for toys—”

“Bea?” Karen appeared at the top of the stairs. “Time for bed now.”

Once again, Ellery found herself on the receiving end of the child’s gamine grin. “I’ll see you in the morning, Miss El’ry. Gramma is making pancakes for breakfast!”

Bea skipped back down the hall, and Ellery watched Karen Bristow sweep the little girl into her arms. Heard giggles as the pair spun a graceful pirouette before disappearing through the arched doorway at the opposite end of the hall.

A familiar silence descended, pressed down on the tender places in Ellery’s heart. Almost a year had gone by since her parents had passed away but it was still difficult, being alone at the end the day.

Ellery fit the key in the lock, opened the door and immediately discovered the inn’s homey decor wasn’t confined to the lobby downstairs.

The down comforter on the antique poster bed looked as inviting as a cloud. Thoughtful little touches—sprigs of fresh balsam tucked in a vase and a quilt folded on the chair by the corner fireplace—offered a warm welcome. Encouraged Ellery to stay awhile.

Unlike a certain county deputy.

The memory of their brief encounter made Ellery wince.

It was a little humbling to admit she’d been oblivious to the squad car—and the handsome, albeit stern-faced, deputy who’d stopped to check on her and then escorted her back to the highway.

Oh, he’d been polite. Professional. But what Ellery hadn’t missed was the gleam of disapproval in the man’s slate-gray eyes when she’d pointed out the bald eagle in the tree.

The bird was beautiful, but Ellery couldn’t tell him that a photograph wasn’t the only reason she’d stopped on the side of the road. The deputy looked like a “just the facts” type of guy. He wouldn’t understand that as the number of miles to Ellery’s destination had begun to diminish, the doubts had only intensified. Swirling around her, clouding her vision, like the snow that had started to fall.

The eagle had offered more than a welcome distraction. Getting out of the car for a few minutes had given her a chance to clear her head. Pray.

Because contrary to what she’d told Karen Bristow, Ellery wasn’t looking for peace and quiet.

She was looking for the three brothers she hadn’t known existed until yesterday.