Page 13 of The Christmas Lodge
“I have the fixings for a Caesar salad in the fridge,” she said over her shoulder. “Would you mind throwing it together?”
“Not at all.”
The two worked in companionable silence for a time, moving with ease through the kitchen. Colette finished with the lasagna and put it in the oven to heat through, then picked up a loaf of crusty Italian bread and began slicing it to make garlic bread. Derek, the salad finished, began chopping fresh garlic to make the garlic butter.
“How are things in town?” Colette asked, enjoying Derek’s presence. The old house could get quiet at times, and she always enjoyed his company. “I haven’t been out in a few days, especially since it was snowing all day yesterday.”
“You know, I actually had an interesting run-in with a newcomer,” Derek replied, and Colette glanced up at the studied nonchalance in his voice. He met her gaze, but she thought she caught the slightest hint of a flush on his temples.
“...and? Who is this newcomer?”
“Her name is Lacy Preston—she’s Nicholas Spielman’s granddaughter.”
Colette dropped her knife and lifted a finger to her lips instantly, freezing and listening hard. When the steady click of Emma’s knitting needles continued in the kitchen, she relaxed a bit and took a deep breath. Derek looked at her with a question in his eyes.
“Emma was in a relationship with Nicholas, remember?” Colette whispered.
Comprehension dawned in Derek’s eyes. “Oh, that’s right… I had forgotten. They were so old-fashioned about it all—like a courting couple back in the olden days.”
Colette speared him with a look. “Which makes sense.”
“Right, right, of course.” He paused. “How has she been handling his death?”
“She hasn’t really brought it up, which worries me. You remember this morning, when I told you she didn’t quite seem like herself?”
Derek nodded.
“Well, now I’m wondering if she’s been missing him.”
Derek began spreading the garlic butter on the slices of bread. “It makes sense. It’s only natural that she would be mourning him—in fact, I’m actually more worried about the fact that she hasn’t shownmoreof a breakdown since he passed.”
“We all handle grief in our own way. I just hope she knows she can talk to me when she’s ready.”
“Of course she knows that. You’re more than the hired help, Col. You’re like a daughter to her, you know that.”
“I know. I’m just worried about her, that’s all.”
“Me too. Emma’s a strong woman, though, and we shouldn’t forget that.”
“I know,” Colette repeated, her voice thoughtful. “How’s this Lacy woman handling things?”
Derek leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “She hasn’t come right out and said anything, but I get the feeling she wasn’t overly fond of Nicholas. Every time his name comes up she gets this… look on her face. It’s kind of a closed off look, like she’s shutting down inside, or—” He broke off, and Colette was now certain there was something going on with the woman that Derek wasn’t mentioning, what with the way that same flush was spreading across his cheekbones again. “Anyway, I’m sensing there’s a backstory there, but it’s not like I know her well enough to ask her about it. I’ve only talked to her once or twice.”
“Hmm…” Colette pulled the lasagna from the oven and put the garlic bread in, turning on the broiler to quickly toast the tops. “I wonder if it would be good for Emma and Lacy to meet. Maybe they could help comfort one another. Maybe Emma could help Lacy work through whatever history she had with Nicholas.” Derek looked a bit doubtful, but Colette was already nodding to herself. “Lacy might make Emma feel as though a piece of Nicholas is still with her. After all, she’s the granddaughter of the man Emma loved so much.”
Derek put on some oven mitts and pulled the now-toasted garlic bread from the oven. “I’ll give it some thought. Don’t say anything to Emma yet, if you don’t mind.”
Colette hesitated, then nodded slowly. “I’ll wait for you to give me the go-ahead.”
* * *
Friday afternoon, tired of working on her laptop in her hotel room, Lacy made her way over to Sweet Thing Bakery. It was quickly becoming one of her favorite spots in Snowy Pine Ridge, and she had certainly been working her way through the menu of treats at the bakery.
I’ll need to ask around about a gym while I’m here, she thought, even though her trim figure hadn’t changed in the slightest since her arrival.Still, it doesn’t hurt to stay in shape.
She made a mental note to ask Sarah what the options were for a short-term gym in town as she made her way to Sweet Thing.
There was a line of customers waiting at the front counter when Lacy walked in, so she selected a booth and put down her laptop before shrugging out of her coat and getting settled in. On her laptop, she opened up the spreadsheet she’d been working on to keep track of the things she needed to buy for the house and then answered a couple of emails from the home inspectors she’d reached out to the day before. She got so lost in her work that she jumped a little when Sarah greeted her.
