Page 20 of Lakehouse Mistletoe
“I did! I forgot to invite you over for dinner tonight. It’s going to be me and Hannah, my neighbor. We usually get together once every few weeks to catch up, and I would love to introduce you two.”
Helen looked at the clock on the mantle. “That’s very nice of you. What time were you thinking?” She shrugged off her coat and tossed it on the chair. She was tired, and all she wanted to do was sit in a hot bath. But she also knew it was important to start making friends in her new hometown.
“Come over around six thirty. We will eat about seven.”
Helen nodded. “Perfect. And what can I bring?” She headed into the kitchen to see what she had on hand.
“Absolutely nothing. Just yourself. This is a welcome to Hopeton dinner party,” Carolina stated.
Helen grinned. “Fine. I’ll let Rebecca know I’ll be gone for a few hours. I’ll see you at six thirty.”
She opened the cabinets and spotted a tin of sugar cookies she’d made a few nights ago. It was her grandmother’s recipe. Placing them on the counter, she then headed into the bedroom to grab a shower and get ready.
Chapter 15
“This looks wonderful.” Helen smiled as they sat down to dinner. “Thank you so much for the invite.”
“I’m glad you could get a night off from the bed and breakfast. I’m sure you’ve been tied to it since you got here.” Hannah passed the salad.
“Yes. I hadn’t realized that I haven’t had a day off yet. But, to be honest, it doesn’t really feel like a chore to work there. It feels more like I’m making a home.” Helen put some salad in her dish and passed the bowl to Carolina.
“I love the novelty of working at a bed and breakfast. But for me I think it would wear off. Besides, after my divorce I didn’t really want to be around a lot of people, so having people in my house all the time wouldn’t be a good fit for me.” Carolina put some salad in her bowl before setting it back on the table. “I also think it would be hard work.”
Helen added a piece of salmon and asparagus to her plate and then passed the food to Carolina. “I don’t find it hard work. I like to keep busy. I find that there is always something to do. Besides the obvious cleaning and making breakfast, I handle reservations, offer tea and baked goods in the afternoon, track expenses on what I buy, and maintain the outside living areas, like the porch. Now that the front of the house and porch are decorated for Christmas—thanks to Carolina—all I have to do is decorate the Christmas trees.”
Hannah smiled. “It sounds like you are the perfect fit for the bed and breakfast. I never realized how much there was to do to make it run smoothly.”
Carolina nodded. “When I came over with the Christmas delivery, she was already up and ready to go. I was going to decorate myself, but Helen has got quite the eye, and the porch ended up looking lovely.”
Helen felt her cheeks go red. She wasn’t used to compliments. “Thank you. I guess I just like to decorate.”
Carolina took a bite of her food. “How are you liking Hopeton? I think Rebecca said you were from Arkansas. That’s a long way from home.”
Helen could feel all eyes on her. She decided to rip the band-aid off and tell Hannah the truth, some of which Carolina already knew.
She set her fork down. “Yes. I moved here after my divorce.”
Hannah’s eyes filled with empathy. “I’m so sorry. How long were you married?”
Helen took a sip of her wine. “Almost twenty years. But he had gotten us into so much debt between the gambling and the adult websites that I decided I couldn’t forgive him. So, I filed for divorce. And now I’m stuck with paying back a portion of his debt.”
Carolina looked horrified. “That’s not fair.” She glared. “How can a judge order you to do that?”
Hannah shook her head. “Marital assets—or lack thereof—probably. I always think divorce is harder on the woman. You’re right, Carolina, it’s definitely not fair.”
Helen smiled. “I’ve got a plan, though, and have been putting aside a little to pay it off. But, hey, it’s better than staying with someone who lied to you all your marriage.”
Carolina huffed. “Amen to that.”
Hannah gave Helen an encouraging smile. “He’s going to regret losing you, if he doesn’t already.”
Helen chuckled. “At first, he didn’t seem to. He even started dating someone else before the ink was dried on the divorce papers. But the last few days I’ve gotten texts.”
Carolina gaped with astonishment. “Did you respond?”
Helen cringed and shook her head. “Absolutely not. I have nothing to say to him. I’m trying to make a new life for myself, and he’s not included.”
Hannah nodded. “That’s very wise of you, Helen. But you don’t have to pretend to be so strong all the time. It takes some time getting used to being by yourself after being married for so long. I had the hardest time after James passed. I had to get used to waking up alone and doing things alone. It was a blessing when Carolina moved into the neighborhood.”
