Page 9 of Healing Hearts at the Christmas Inn
There was a beat of silence. Then Charlie's voice came through, bright and decisive. "I'm coming with you."
"Charlie, what about your work?" Holly said, secretly wanting her sister to come with her, as it would be great to have more family around her. It was her first Christmas without… She clenched her jaw, pushing Simon from her mind.
"Don't argue. You're my sister, and Trinity's my niece. I have vacation days I need to use before the end of the year. Besides,when was the last time we had a proper girls' trip? I'm in. When do we leave?"
Holly felt something warm unfurl in her chest. Something that felt dangerously close to hope. "I haven't even called them yet." She sighed. “I just hope they have place as it’s so close to vacation time.”
"So call them. Right now and then call me back right away,” Charlie told her.
Holly shook her head, but she was smiling. "You're impossible."
"I'm persistent. There's a difference. Now call." Before Holly could say more, Charlie said goodbye and hung up.
Holly pulled up the number listed on the brochure and dialed before she could second-guess herself. The line rang twice before a warm, slightly breathless voice answered.
"Christmas Inn, this is Jane speaking. How may I help you?" The female voice was soft, controlled, but friendly.
"Hi," Holly said, suddenly feeling nervous as she really wanted to vacation at the Christmas Inn. "I'm calling about availability. For Christmas. I know it's last minute, but we would need a family room or two bedrooms. There are two adults and a twelve-year-old."
"Let me check for you." There was the sound of rustling paper, a few clicks of a keyboard. "How many guests?"
"Three. Myself, my sister, and my granddaughter,” Holly rattled off.
"And how long were you hoping to stay?" Jane asked.
Holly hesitated. "Three weeks?"
She half-expected the woman to laugh, to tell her the inn was fully booked and had been for months. But instead, Jane's voice brightened.
"You're in luck. We still have our four-bedroom penthouse suite available," Jane told her.
"Really?" Holly couldn't hide her surprise.
"We're undergoing some renovations," Jane explained. "It’s kept a few guests away this year. I can offer you a discount if you don't mind a little construction noise during the day."
"That's perfect." Holly's heart was racing now. "I'll take it."
"Wonderful. Let me get your information." Jane typed away on her keyboard
Holly gave her name, her credit card details, and confirmed the dates. By the time she hung up, her hands were trembling.
She stared at the brochure, barely able to believe what she'd just done.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway, and Trinity burst into the room, a chocolate milk mustache decorating her upper lip. "Gran! I forgot to tell you, Shelly invited me to her birthday party next weekend. Can I go?"
Holly looked at her granddaughter. This bright, beautiful girl who'd been trying so hard to hold it together and she smiled. "Actually, sweetheart, I have something to tell you."
Trinity's eyes widened. "What?"
"How would you feel about going on a trip? Just you, me, and Aunt Charlie. For Christmas." Holly saw her little brows shoot up.
Trinity blinked. "A trip? Where?"
"To St. Augustine. There's an inn on Anastasia Island, right on the beach." Holly opened the brochure wider, showing her granddaughter the photos inside. "Look at this. They're part of something called the Nights of Lights festival. The entire city is adorned with millions of tiny white lights for the holidays. They've been doing it for over thirty years."
Trinity leaned closer, studying the pictures. "It looks like a fairytale."
"It does, doesn't it?" Holly traced her finger along one of the photos showing the historic district draped in lights. "The inn has been there since the 1800s, and it's right on the ocean. The Christmas family has owned it for generations.”
