Page 18 of Lakehouse Mistletoe
Mr. Huntsforth and Mr. Wimbly both wanted cider, while Mr. Sykes said he would get his own coffee.
Helen plastered on a smile and hurried into the kitchen.
She never liked rude people, and Mr. Sykes was fitting the description to a T.
Chapter 13
Despite being exhausted from Thanksgiving Day preparations, Helen woke up the next morning around five a.m. eager to start her day of decorating for Christmas.
After getting dressed she made her way to the kitchen with a smile on her face.
Christmas was her favorite holiday. Well, it had been. This year would be different. No more holiday parties with the neighbors, or tons of Christmas gifts under a heavily decorated tree, or planning Carl’s Christmas party for his office.
A wave of sadness washed over her. She’d wasted a large portion of her life married to someone she really didn’t even know. She never thought she would get over all the lies he’d told her.
She padded into the kitchen and made herself some coffee. She’d treated herself by picking up some peppermint mocha coffee creamer. She loved the flavor during the winter season.
Pouring herself a cup, she headed to the living room where she turned on the fireplace. She enjoyed the relaxing moment. Tomorrow would be busy. Carolina Johnson would be over in the morning to help with Christmas decorations. As soon as the kitchen was clean and all the guests had retired to their rooms, she headed to her bed and quickly fell asleep.
Helen eased into the oversized chair and took a sip of her coffee. She smiled at the sweet taste. There was something so nostalgic about flavored coffee early in the morning during the Christmas season.
She reached for her phone and turned on Pandora music, choosing a traditional Christmas station. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day played softly in the background.
She made sure the volume was low so the guests wouldn’t be disturbed.
Today they would all be checking out, and she had no guests for the next two days. It would be nice to get a break and maybe explore the town on her own.
Headlights shone through the window, and Helen stood, thinking it was Rebecca.
She went to the front door and waited for the figure—all wrapped in a winter coat and carrying a colorful tin—as she hurried up the steps.
Helen opened the door before the visitor could knock.
“Good morning. You must be Helen. I’m Carolina Johnson. I work at the Green Thumb Nursery.” She held out her hand.
Helen shook her offered hand. “Of course. Nice to meet you, Carolina. Rebecca said you’d be dropping in. Please come inside.”
She moved out of the way for Carolina to enter.
“I didn’t expect you so early. I’ll get my boots on to help you unload.”
Carolina waved her hand in the air. “Oh, there’s no need. Besides, I brought some homemade coffee cake. I thought it would be nice to have with a cup of coffee before we get started. It’s too dark to work outside right now anyway.”
Helen smiled. “Absolutely. Come on into the living room. I’ve got a fire going and was enjoying some coffee myself. Would you like some creamer? I have peppermint mocha.”
Carolina brightened. “That sounds lovely. I’ll have some of that.”
Helen nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She headed into the kitchen and fixed another cup of coffee with the flavored creamer. When she walked into the living room, Carolina was standing in front of the fire warming herself.
“Oh thank you.” Carolina took her coffee and eased onto the couch. She took a sip. “This is good.”
Helen smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”
Carolina set her coffee down on the coffee table and reached for the tin. “Grab some plates and I’ll serve this up.”
Helen went into the dining room and grabbed two small plates out of the antique sideboard. When she returned. Carolina had opened the tin and quickly plated two slices for each of them.
“This looks delicious.” Helen handed her a fork.
