Page 74 of Christmas at Hart's Ridge

What the hell? I looked from Ethan to Eli, then around to the rest of my friends. They stared back at me with the sort of wide-eyed innocence that proclaimed they were super fucking guilty.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Why don’t you open your stocking and find out?” Ethan suggested.

When I hesitated, Bethany poked me in the ribs. “Do it.”

I reached in and pulled out the first envelope. Bright red, with my name spelled out in green glitter. My gaze cut to Nora, and she grinned.

“That’s from me. And Michael. He wanted to come, but—”

I nodded, understanding. Nora’s fiancé had his hands full with his ailing dad. Michael was Suzie’s brother, so he was probably at Suzie’s house right now, with her four kids, her husband, Sam, and their parents.

I lifted the flap and pulled out the card. Inside was written a single word:Sunday. I looked at her quizzically.

“All will be revealed.” Emma waved her arms theatrically. “Keep going.”

The next card was from Max. “Saturday.” I tilted my head, still not understanding.

“Kate and I are tag-teaming that one,” Max said. “We’ll alternate.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, but I didn’t have a clue what I was agreeing to. I pulled out another card, this one from Eli. “Monday.” I looked at him. “That’s your day off.”

“Exactly,” he said.

A pink card that shouted “Congratulations! It’s a Girl!” was from Emma. My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“It was all they had left,” she said. “Not even a New Year’s card, which would have been the next closest holiday. Maybe if Bethany had given us more than twenty-four hours’ notice—”

“Bethany?” I interrupted. This was her doing? I narrowed my eyes at her. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” she protested, her guilty expression telling me the opposite. “It was all them.”

“Whatwas all them? I still don’t know what’s going on.”

“Read the card,” Emma interjected.

I shook my head but did as she said. “Hiker duty.” I looked to her for explanation. “Okay?”

“My dad, not me,” she explained. “I love you, but I’m up to my eyeballs with Holiday House and mayor duties. Dad has been great at helping with the B and B, so he offered to step up in my place. As long as you don’t mind having a felon around.”

“I have no issues with your dad, Emma. You know that.” Mr. Andrews had done time for cooking meth, and while I hated how drugs like meth and fentanyl had ravaged small towns, he had done it to save his wife’s life. That kind of tragedy had never touched me. Who was I to judge? “But what do you mean, he’s stepping up in your place? I don’t get it.”

“My card is next,” Jasmine said.

“There are three cards left,” I said.

“It’s the one with candy canes.”

I pulled it out and opened it up. Unlike the others, there were no words. Instead, there was a caricature of Jasmine, dressed like a dominatrix in thigh-high boots, cracking a whip.

“Um,” I said, glancing hastily at Bethany. She knew I had history with Jasmine, and the last thing I wanted was for her to feel some kind of way about it.

But Bethany didn’t seem annoyed at all as she peered over my arm to get a better look. “Did you draw that yourself?” she asked. When Jasmine nodded, her eyes widened. “Jasmine! I had no idea you were so talented.”

“Thanks.” Jasmine beamed. “I watched a couple YouTube tutorials. I’ve been doodling a little every day for over a year now. It’s been a lot of fun to learn.”

“Let me see.” Emma said. I sighed and held it up for the whole group to admire. “Ohh. You know, you should set up a booth for the Fourth of July celebration. I bet you’d make a killing.”

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