The Holiday Secret. Kathryn Springer
to the cell phone clutched in the woman’s hand. It wouldn’t be the first time Carter had stumbled upon a traveler trying to find their way out of the maze of backroads that wound through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“No. I was...taking a picture.”
“A picture.”
“Of him.” She pointed to an enormous bird perched on one of the upper branches of a towering red pine.
The sight of a bald eagle surveying its kingdom was so commonplace here that Carter wouldn’t have given it a second glance, let alone stop to take a photograph. It wasn’t the explanation that caught him off guard, though. It was the smile that accompanied it.
Two tours in the Navy had taught Carter to look for potential danger in the most innocent of places. His brief but disastrous marriage had made him equally wary of the ones hiding behind a woman’s smile.
Even a smile warm enough, bright enough, to steal some of the chill from the air.
As if aware it had drawn an audience, the eagle took flight and performed an elegant figure-eight above their heads before it glided away.
The woman raised her cell phone again. Snapped another photo before it disappeared into the forest. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”
Beautiful.
Carter tore his gaze away, not from the eagle, but from a single gossamer snowflake that had gotten tangled in her sable lashes and cast a pointed glance at the darkening sky.
“He also knows when it’s time to go home.”
The smile instantly faded, but Carter refused to feel guilty for his abrupt tone—or the suggestion that she follow the eagle’s example and do the same.
The individual snowflakes that appeared as harmless as thistledown were bonding together as they reached the ground, creating a thin but potentially hazardous film on the road.
Carter was nearing the end of his shift, but now he was duty-bound to make sure the woman ended up safely back on the main highway instead of in the ditch. Factor in the time he would spend entering reports and tying up the loose ends that inevitably happened at shift change and the chances of making it home before Bea’s bedtime were fading as quickly as the daylight.
This impulsive photo op had put them both at risk. And all because she’d wanted to...to what? Draw a flurry of attention from her followers on social media?
Old memories rushed in, leaving a bitter taste in Carter’s mouth.
His ex-wife had been the same way. Jennifer had done what she’d wanted, when she’d wanted, indifferent to the effects her decisions had on anyone else.
And if Carter was ever tempted to forget what those decisions had cost their family, all he had to do was picture the little girl patiently waiting at home for her daddy to read her a bedtime story.
The one who—thanks to the woman with the aquamarine eyes and designer sports car—would no doubt be sound asleep by the time Carter got home.
Ellery Marshall released a sigh of relief when the deputy turned left at the intersection instead of right.
For reasons Ellery couldn’t quite fathom, the squad car fixed in her rearview mirror for the last twenty minutes had generated more anxiety than driving on the slick, snow-covered road.
She’d been afraid he would escort her all the way to her destination.
Ellery glanced at her GPS and sent up a silent prayer for strength as she continued on her journey.
A quick online search of places to stay in the Castle Falls area when Ellery had stopped for gas had yielded only one result. Fortunately for her, the Evergreen Inn welcomed guests year-round and everyone who’d stayed there raved about the food and warm hospitality. What no one had mentioned in their review, however, was the location.
The inn was so far off the beaten path that when Ellery finally caught a glimpse of a lamppost glowing through the heavy veil of snow, she felt like she’d emerged from the wardrobe and ended up in Narnia. The bed-and-breakfast at the end of the long driveway turned out to be just as delightful. Not the rustic lodge Ellery had been expecting to find, but a charming, two-story farmhouse built out of fieldstone. With a candle burning in each of the frost-etched windows and an oversize wreath on the door, the Evergreen could have graced the front of a Christmas card.
Ellery parked the car and tried her best to dodge the snow drifts the wind had deposited on the cobblestone path.
Should she knock? Call the number on the website?
The door swung open as Ellery was pondering the complications of showing up well after dark, suitcase in hand but without a reservation.
“Come in!” A slender woman in her midfifties, wearing a white chef’s apron over jeans and a T-shirt, motioned for Ellery to come inside. “I saw the headlights when I was in the kitchen. Welcome to the Evergreen.”
Ellery balked. “My boots—”
“Don’t worry.” The woman brushed aside Ellery’s protest with a smile. “These floors have held up to Michigan winters for almost a hundred years. They can handle a little snow,” she assured her. “I’m just glad you got here before the storm.”
Ellery blinked.
Before the storm?
“I’m sorry for showing up this late in the evening,” she murmured.
Her apology was brushed aside, too. “When you own an inn, you get used to people stopping by at all hours of the day and night.” The woman extended her hand. “I’m Karen Bristow, by the way.”
Ellery recognized the name from the website.
“Ellery Marshall.” Ellery set her suitcase down as the innkeeper stepped behind a crescent-shaped cherry desk in the center of the lobby. “Do you have a room available?”
“I certainly do” came the cheerful response. “How many nights will you be staying with us, Miss Marshall?”
Ellery realized it was a reasonable question when one was checking into a bed-and-breakfast. If only she knew the answer.
“I... I’m not sure yet.”
Karen Bristow didn’t appear surprised by Ellery’s vague response. “Not a problem. Even with the Countdown to Christmas starting this weekend, there are plenty of rooms available if you prefer to go day to day.”
“Countdown to Christmas?” Ellery repeated.
“All the businesses in Castle Falls plan a special event on the days leading up to Christmas Eve. The official kickoff starts with a parade and the snow carnival this weekend. It’s the last community-wide celebration before the town goes into hibernation.” Laughter kindled in Karen Bristow’s hazel-blue eyes. “Our best-kept secret isn’t a secret anymore. Every year it draws more of a crowd.”
Ellery couldn’t tell the innkeeper that she was keeping a secret of her own. “I’m actually looking for...some peace and quiet.”
“Well, we have plenty of that, too,” the innkeeper promised.
The knot in Ellery’s stomach loosened a bit.
“Day to day sounds good.” She reached for her purse. “I’ll give you my credit card to hold the room.”
“Don’t worry about that now.” Karen patted Ellery’s hand as she fumbled with the clasp. “It’s getting late and I’m sure you’re tired and anxious to get settled. In the morning, I’ll take you on a tour of the inn and we’ll cover all the details then. How does that sound?”
Unbelievable. And...wonderful.
Because Ellery had