Page 55 of The Holiday Dilemma

“So, that being said, your original contract is still in effect. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for your first day. The staff wanted to know what your plans are for the new menu. I was hoping that you could take some time today and run it over, perhaps go over everything with them.”

I began pacing back and forth, running my fingers through my hair. There was no way I could make it out there. Besides, at this point, I wasn’t even sure that was what I wanted anymore. I was so focused that I didn’t hear the kitchen door open.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that,” I responded as I paced back and forth.

I heard him clear his throat on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry?”

“I said, I can’t do that. I’m nowhere near LA. You see, I had something come up that I needed to take care of. Something that meant a lot to me.”

I took a moment to compose my thoughts as I listened to Lance as he yelled and voiced his disappointment on the other end of the phone. Then, without as much as a single care as to what I was giving up, I simply thanked him for the opportunity and told him my heart lay in a different direction. Then I hung up and pocketed my phone.

With my hands on the wall in front of me, I placed my forehead against the cold wall. It had been the right thing to do, giving up that job, I thought to myself. I closed my eyes, standing there for a moment, thinking about what my next plan of action was. I could always return toFestive Treasures,I thought. Vicki had told me that she would look after me.

I was about to push off the wall when I felt a familiar touch as arms wrapped around me. I stood there not moving for a moment, then slowly turned around and saw Brooke standing there with tears in her eyes.

“I’m not mad,” she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

“You’re not?” I questioned.

“No.” She softly smiled. “Quite the opposite. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

I shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“What about your new job?” she muttered, wiping the tears that had fallen from her eyes. “I take it that was who you were on the phone with?”

I chuckled. “About that…I, um, don’t exactly have a new job to go to anymore.”

Brooke looked at me, horrified. “Since when? What do you mean?”

“Since a few minutes ago.” I shrugged.

“You quit? You didn’t even try it out.”

I stood there looking at her. I knew what she was thinking, that I hadn’t had the confidence in myself to try it out, which was far from the truth.

I nodded. “I did, but it’s not for the reason you think,” I said, reaching in my jacket pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper that I held between my fingers.

She glanced to my hand. “What is that?”

I smiled and opened it, looking down at her handwriting. “This is your letter.”

“What does my letter have to do with it?” she asked, swallowing hard as her cheeks turned pink.

“A lot, actually. It’s the last line you wrote,go forth, live your dreams, and make yourself a success. I know you have it in you. You just need to believe it yourself,” I said, reading what she had written.

“Yes, and I meant that, every word of it.”

I grew quiet as I folded the letter back up and slid it in my pocket.

“I know you meant it. It also made me realize that the time I’d spent here, they had been the happiest times in my life. I finally knew what it felt like to belong somewhere.”

Brooke stood there, listening. She waited while I tried to come up with the words I wanted to share.

“It was solidified when the tow truck brought me here when my car got a flat. Once again, I was welcomed by everyone, Harry and Bessy allowed me to stay at the inn, Fred, Melinda, Cici, all of your customers, everyone was happy to see me. I’ve never had that type of reception anywhere I’ve gone.” My throat was tight, and I did my best to clear it. “So, over the last week and a half, every night before I went to bed, I pulled out your letter as I struggled to come up with some sort of menu for this restaurant. Yet somehow, no matter how hard I tried, nothing came to me. Then I realized that I was already living my dream. That I was happy, and every morning when I came in here to help Melinda, I felt as light as ever. There was no stress, no anger, no nothing.”

“That’s wonderful, but it’s LA! A high-end restaurant in LA—your dream!”

I shrugged. “Perhaps I had been wrong in thinking that was what I wanted.”

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