Page 24 of Christmas at Pine Ridge Inn
“Carol sent me to round everyone up,” he said with a grin. “The caroling starts in ten minutes, and apparently we’re all expected to participate.”
“Caroling?” Brady groaned dramatically. “Every year she finds new ways to torture me.”
“Oh, come on.” Kimberly laughed. “It’ll be fun. When’s the last time you went caroling?”
“Exactly twelve months ago, the last time she roped me into it,” Brady grumbled, but his tone was affectionate.
As the group began gathering their things, Lila found herself walking beside Sarah again. The afternoon had given her more questions than answers about Carol, but she felt closer to both Carol and Sarah in ways that surprised her.
“Thank you for today,” she said to Sarah as they followed the others toward the caroling gathering point.
“For what?”
“For being such good company. For understanding why this season is hard. For just ...” Lila struggled to find the right words. “For making me feel less alone.”
Sarah’s expression grew tender. “Oh, honey. You never have to thank me for caring about you. It’s been my pleasure getting to know you.”
The way Sarah said it, with such warmth and sincerity, made Lila’s chest tighten with emotion. She’d come to Pine Ridge looking for one specific person from her past, but she was finding so much more than she’d expected.
As they joined the growing crowd around the gazebo in the town square, Lila caught sight of Carol organizing the sheet music and directing people into groups. The tree that would be lit tonight stood tall and dark in the center of the square, waiting for its moment to shine.
Tonight, Lila decided she would find a way to ask Carol more directly about her past. The festival had given her glimpses and hints, but she needed more concrete answers. She’d come too far to leave Pine Ridge without knowing the truth, and tomorrow was Christmas Eve, her intended departure date.
Sarah touched her arm gently. “Ready to make some questionable music with a bunch of strangers?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Lila laughed, though her mind was already racing ahead to the evening’s tree lighting ceremony.
One way or another, she was hoping tonight would bring her closer to the answers she’d come here to find.
Nine
The caroling group had assembled around the gazebo in the town square, a collection of familiar faces from the inn mixed with Pine Ridge locals bundled in winter coats and scarves. Carol stood at the front with a stack of song sheets, her cheeks pink from the cold and her eyes bright with excitement.
“All right, everyone,” she called out, “we’ll start with ‘Silent Night’ and work our way through the classics. Don’t worry if you’re not a singer. This is about spreading holiday cheer, not winning any competitions.”
Brady appeared beside Lila, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of pine and soap that seemed to cling to him. “Fair warning,” he said, his voice low and teasing, “I have been known to clear entire buildings with my singing.”
“That bad?” Lila asked, surprised by his playful tone.
“Let’s just say there’s a reason I stick to chopping wood and fixing coffee machines.” His eyes crinkled with humor. “Whatabout you? Are you going to show us all up with your perfect pitch?”
“I wouldn’t count on it. I’m more of a shower singer myself.”
“You can hide in the back with me then,” he said, grabbing her arm and leading her farther back in the crowd.
Lila’s stomach fluttered both at his touch and the way he’d thawed toward her after their conversation the evening before. He wasn’t the grump she’d taken him for at first, he was just guarded and protective of the inn and the couple who’d taken him in when he’d nearly lost it all.
By the time Carol got to them, she was down to one song sheet.
“We can share,” he said, taking the paper. “As long as Lila doesn’t tell me it would be faster to sing without the second round of the chorus.” He flashed a smile at Lila.
She punched him playfully in the arm. “I’m not that bad.”
Carol gave him a knowing smile, and Lila wondered if her instincts were right. Brady was flirting with her. It was probably just the lack of available women here around their age. The town’s demographics trended a little older.
Brady had moved even closer now, holding the sheet up in front of them. The warmth radiating from his body made her acutely aware of his presence, and when his shoulder brushed hers as he leaned in to read the lyrics, she felt a chill run down her spine that had nothing to do with the winter air.
“Silent Night” began with Carol’s clear soprano leading the way, and gradually other voices joined in. Brady, despite his warnings, had a pleasant baritone that blended nicely with the group. When Lila tentatively added her own voice to the mix, he glanced down at her, and she felt heat creep up her neck.
