Page 28 of Silver Hills' Christmas Miracle

“The guest list…” Each year, I had to smile politely at strangers with more money than sense—people who flashed the cash and had no problem turning a beautiful tourist town into a gas station stop. “You mean invite everyone from town?”

“Correct. As I understand it, that’s how the ball used to be held, correct?”

I nodded. “Yes. It was a bit of a free for all, with a few VIP tickets just to raise a bit of cash either for the community center or a charity. You know, if we still did things that way, we would have raised money for Melanie’s barn.” Just thinking of how that great place now lay in ruins broke my heart a little.

“Do you think your mom could be persuaded? A return to old roots. You could spin it as a last hurrah before the change if she’s unwilling, but maybe having those people here will have the bigger impact. In my experience, people often get away with things because they avoid being around those actually affected. If they don’t look their victims in the eye, then they can pretend everything is fine.”

“You want me to shove the town in my father’s face?” I asked as the plan quickly formed in my mind. It was kind of brilliant.

“Exactly. It might work, it might not, but it’s worth a try, wouldn't you say?”

“Oh, Rook, that’s brilliant!” I bounced up onto the balls of my feet, sloshing some coffee over the edge of my mug. “And if I get a handful of people on board before I ask my mom, I bet she would say yes. She is kind of weak to peer pressure.”

“Do you have anyone in mind?” Rook asked, and a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth when I grabbed his arm.

“We have to talk to Melanie!”

12

ROOK

“We only have three weeks!” Melanie, Kitty’s best friend in the entire world and owner of The Anchor, threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, sending trickles of alcohol spilling over the edges of the glasses in her hands.

“Three weeks is nothing,” Kitty countered with a grin, following Melanie as she weaved toward the next table. “You’ve done greater things in less time.”

“Maybe so,” Melanie replied. “But back then, I had the barn and could afford double the staff I have now. In case you haven’t noticed, things are a little bare bones around here now.”

“Exactly!” Kitty wasn’t giving up and she continued to follow Melanie from table to table. “That’s why this is perfect. The more people we get involved in this, the better. And having people from town? That’s infinitely better because we want to show my dad that this place is thriving and absolutely against his deal.”

“Can’t we just sign a petition?” Melanie snorted.

From the bar, I kept a close eye on Kitty as she followed Melanie like a little puppy, doing her very best to persuade her that catering for the Yuletide Ball would be in her best interests. The ball was three weeks away, and it was asking a lot, butMelanie was a salt of the earth kind of woman. If anyone could do it, it would be her.

“Please,” Kitty pleaded. “Look, I already spoke to Agnes and she is more than happy to do all the flowers. I’m going to Terry’s after this to see if he can help me with a cake, and as for the decorations and everything—well, the point is, you won’t be alone, but your food is famous, Melanie. People don’t just come here for the drink. Your pies? Your pasta? Even your sandwiches are melt in the middle.”

“Girl, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to butter me up.” Melanie chuckled. Her laugh was rough around the edges from a youth of smoking two packs a day, but it was also charming. She was part of the structure here. The Anchor was nothing without Melanie, and knowing she wasn’t immune to the effects of the struggling town stung just a little deeper.

In my time here, I’d learned that her bar was a safe haven for everyone, whether you were a drunk needing your latest fix, a stressed out worker on lunch, or a teen just needing a place to go. She had a place for everyone.

“Is it working?” Kitty asked with a wide smile when they made it back to the bar.

Melanie had swapped fresh drinks for empty glasses on her walk around the bar, and she quickly deposited them all in the sink, then braced both hands against the aged, chipped mahogany.

“If I say yes, what’s in it for me?”

“Well…” Kitty clasped her hands together and shot me a nervous look. “You get to feed the town you love so much. You’ll get paid a pretty hefty amount. You’ll get to come to the Yuletide Ball, and you can help me say a gigantic fuck you to my dad with the rest of the town.” Kitty’s face twisted to try and make herself look as innocently appealing as possible.

“Honey, why didn’t you lead with that?” Melanie chuckled. “I thought you were here at the behest of yourlovelymother.”

“Oh, God, no.” Kitty laughed, and she slid onto the stool next to me. “This is all me. And Rook?” She nudged her shoulder into mine, and I had to fight to keep the smile off my face.

“You’re in on this too?” Melanie pointed at the both of us. “I didn’t have you pegged as a ball type of guy.”

“Technically, I’m whatever Kitty wants me to be,” I replied. “And if the Yuletide Ball is where her attention is, then it’s where mine is too.”

“You know, after six months, I would have thought you’d loosen up a bit.” Melanie smirked. “Okay. Fine. I will cater the ball?—”

“Yay!” Kitty screamed and launched herself over the bar to give her best friend an awkward, tight hug over the beer pumps. “Yay, yay!” She peppered kisses all over Melanie’s cheek, and Melanie, after a glance at me, gave in to the affection.

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