CHAPTER NINETEEN
Luke made coffee in his mother’s kitchen and waited for it to brew. The short wait gave him the opportunity to steel himself. Every time he visited his mother, he had to put on his protective armor. She grew thinner and more frail looking by the day, but she never complained. She always had a smile for him. Perhaps the smile was her armor.
When the coffee finished brewing, he poured himself a cup, added a little milk and brought it to the living room where his mother was seated in her wheelchair chatting quietly with her nurse Paula.
Paula rose as he came into the room. “I’ll leave the two of you to visit. I’ll be changing the sheets on your bed if you need me.” With that, she disappeared down the hallway leading to his mother’s bedroom.
“How are preparations for your Christmas open house going?” his mother asked.
“Good, I think. Maggie and Celeste have been baking up a storm. Ethan’s clearing a spot on the lake for skating, and we’ve arranged for Jim Fisher to give hayrides with his heavy horse team. As long as we don’t get forty below weather, we should be fine.”
“Sounds lovely. I remember how Miranda’s father used to clear snow from the lake so we could skate. We had so much fun.”
“We’re hoping people have fun skating during the open house.” He cleared his throat. “Mom, do you remember a pair of antique earrings Miranda owned? I think they were gold, with diamonds. Maggie inherited them.”
A brief smile flitted across Abby’s face. “Yes, I remember them. Miranda received them as a gift when Maggie was born. That’s why she inherited them.”
“Would you happen to have a picture of them?”
His mother thought for a moment. “I think I do. Why do you need a picture of the earrings?”
He hesitated, but there was no way he could keep this from her if he wanted to find the earrings. “Maggie pawned them.” He gave a brief account of how she’d had to sell them at a pawn shop.
Abby shook her head. “The poor, stubborn girl. Why didn’t she come to me? Reese and I would have helped her.”
“She’s too proud, Mom. She didn’t want anyone to know she was in trouble, and she still doesn’t want anyone to know. She wouldn’t be happy if she found out I told you.”
“Then I won’t say a word. What do you plan to do?”
“I’m hoping to get them back for her. I’ll check pawn shops in Minneapolis and see if I can find them.”
“And if you can’t?”
Luke shrugged. “Then I guess they’re lost forever. Don’t tell Maggie I’m looking for them. It’s a longshot at best, and I don’t want to raise her hopes.”
“All right.” She pointed to a bookcase across the room. “There are some old photo albums on the bottom shelf of that bookcase. Can you bring them to me?”
He hauled six albums over to her and together they leafed through the pages until she found the picture she wanted. “That’s the one. I was pretty sure Miranda was wearing the earrings in this picture.”
She pointed to a studio picture of Miranda with a baby on her lap. “I think Maggie is about a year old in this picture. Isn’t she a beautiful baby?”
Maggie was as beautiful then as she was now. Luke’s throat constricted and all he could manage was a single syllable. “Yeah.”
Abby turned the page of the album. There was another studio picture, this one with Miranda and all three of her daughters. Luke flipped to the first picture and then back again to the second. He pointed to the photo of Miranda and the three girls. “She’s not wearing the earrings in this picture. Her dress is the same, and so is Maggie’s, so obviously the photos were taken on the same day. Why would she take off the earrings?”
His mother shrugged one small shoulder “I couldn’t say.”
Luke looked at her sharply. Interesting choice of words. I couldn’t say.
“I don’t think the girls have ever seen these pictures. She died not long after they were taken,” she said, running her finger over Miranda’s face.
“Can I borrow them, Mom? I’ll make copies for Maggie and her sisters.”
“Of course. But please bring them back and put them in the photo album when you’re finished. I wouldn’t want to lose these pictures. They’re important to me.”
“I’ll make sure to put them back.”
Luke removed the photos and set the two side by side. Why was Miranda wearing the earrings in only the picture with Maggie? And if his mother knew the reason, why wouldn’t she tell him?
Another mystery in Miranda Lindquist’s mysterious life.
Luke met with Ethan and Harper the next afternoon to go over details of the new reservation system. The company installing the system was also providing the point of sale software for the bar and the restaurant.
“The hotel I work for in Napa uses the same system and we’ve been very happy with it. It’s easy for staff to use and whenever we’ve had problems, the company’s been great about helping us work them out.”
“That’s a good enough endorsement for me. How soon do you think we’ll have all our servers in place?” Ethan asked.
Luke checked the calendar on his phone. “Harper and I are doing second interviews for the front desk staff on Monday, and I should have all our servers hired by the middle of next week. Then, I’ll hold training sessions on using the new systems to get people up to speed.”
“Sounds good. It feels like things are really coming together.”
“Yeah.” Luke cleared his throat. “There’s another matter I need to discuss with both of you.”
“That sounds ominous. What is it?” Harper asked.
“It’s nothing bad.” How did he say this without revealing Maggie’s financial predicament? “I think it’s time for the family to be on the payroll.”
“Why?” Ethan asked, obviously confused. “I certainly don’t need to take money from the lodge, not that we’re making money right now anyway.”
“It could be a financial hardship to wait for the lodge to make money. I think it would be good practice for the family to begin to draw a salary now. No one should be left in a tough cash flow position.”
Harper regarded him solemnly. “You’re talking about Maggie, aren’t you?”
So much for his promise. “I didn’t say that.”
“I should have realized she was having financial troubles. I shouldn’t have expected her to go without a paycheck for so long. I was stupid and inconsiderate.” Harper moved past him to get to the door. “I’ll go talk to her.”
Luke grasped her arm. “Don’t do that, Harper. She didn’t want you to know.”
Anguish filled her eyes. “She’s so stubborn, and so damn proud.”
“Yeah. She is.” He squeezed her arm before letting go. “Which is why I’m going to add all three of you to the payroll system, and you’re not going to say anything about this conversation to Maggie.”
Reluctantly, Harper nodded. “All right.”
“Can I ask one more favor?”
“You mean there’s more?”
“Nothing bad. I was wondering if I could borrow your parents’ wedding picture, the one you found with your grandmother’s things. I’d like to make a copy for Maggie.”
“That’s a lovely idea, Luke. I’m sure she’ll treasure it.”
Harper left to get the picture. Luke decided he’d make a copy for Scarlet, as well, and have all three put in nice frames under glass that would keep the colors from fading.
Even if he couldn’t find the earrings, he owed Maggie at least that much.
Maggie had to restrain herself from doing a little happy dance as Luke handed her a pay stub on December fifteenth.
“The money’s been directly deposited into your account as of this morning.”
“Thanks, Luke.” The thought of having a few dollars in her bank account made her giddy with relief. “Are you still interested in going Christmas shopping?”
“Absolutely. Let me finish a couple of things and we can go right after lunch.”
True to his word, Luke was waiting for her at the front door of the lodge at one o’clock. They drove to downtown Brainerd and parked near an area with some small, quirky shops. Maggie unbuckled her seat belt. “I’d like to get something for Ethan, but what do you buy for the man who literally has everything?”
“Give him something from your heart. I’m sure he’ll love it because it came from you.”
With that thought in mind, they entered an antique store. In a matter of moments, Maggie found some pretty glass paperweights for Harper’s office, a lovely cut glass perfume bottle for Celeste, and a silver hand mirror and a couple of silver combs for Scarlet. She paused over an antique desk set with a letter opener, an inkwell and small clock, which was ticking and had the correct time. The set was made of polished brass and had lovely engraving that was decorative while maintaining a masculine vibe. She picked up the ink well and examined it from every angle. The piece was solid and substantial, like Ethan.
She checked for a price sticker on the bottom and smiled in relief. The piece was within her budget.
“That’s a nice piece,” Luke said over her shoulder. “Are you thinking of getting this for Ethan?”
“Yeah. Someday, once he has his own office, he can use it there. I want him to know how much he’s changed my life, and how grateful I am.”
“He knows.”
She paid for her purchases and then went next door to a yarn and fabric arts store while Luke went shopping on his own. Maggie bought Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for Hope and a family of teddy bears for Tessa. She found gorgeous hand knit sweaters for both Reese and Luke, a tea cozy and pot holders for Phyllis, and a lovely afghan for Abby. She stroked the soft wool of the afghan and wondered how long Abby would be able to use it. She didn’t have much longer…
She couldn’t dwell on it or she’d cry in front of all the Christmas shoppers. Blowing out a breath, she shook off her sadness. For now, Abby was with them, and Maggie would do everything in her power to make this the best damn Christmas any of them had ever had.
No matter how hard it might be to hide her sorrow.
At a frame shop down the street, she found a couple of interesting wooden frames that she hoped Cam could use for his artwork.
As she was paying for Cam’s gift, a wonderful art deco frame on a shelf behind the counter caught her eye. She pointed to it. “Could I see that one, please?”
“Of course.”
The salesclerk pulled the frame off the shelf and handed it to her. Maggie loved the silver and black geometric design that somehow reminded her of Luke. Strong, steady, forthright, honest. She knew exactly the picture she wanted to put in the frame. “I’ll take this one, too,” she said.
The salesclerk carefully wrapped it in tissue and placed it in the bag with the other two frames. After getting Cam a couple of blank canvasses to go along with the frames at an art supply store, she was done. Fortunate, because according to her calculations she’d spent most of her paycheck.
Before leaving the art supply shop, she pulled her cell phone from her purse and called Luke.
“Hey. All shopped out already?” She heard the amusement in his voice.
“Completely. I’ve got gifts for everyone. How about you?”
“I’m paying for the last ones now. Would you like a coffee before we head home?”
“I’d love one. But do you think we can stow all my stuff in your truck first? I can barely carry it all.”
He chuckled. “Sure. I’ll meet you at my truck in a couple of minutes.”
They put all their shopping bags in the back seat of the truck and locked it up before heading to a coffee shop. Before finding a table, they put in their order at the front counter.
“What will you have?” he asked her.
She smiled, happiness filling her heart. It had been a wonderful day. She’d been able to find nice gifts for her family and friends, and she’d paid for them with money she earned. It felt good.
“I want to celebrate. I’ll have a hot chocolate and one of those,” she said, pointing to a chocolate covered donut in the glass display case.
Luke’s lips turned up in a grin. “You celebrate with donuts?”
She smiled back. “You celebrate your way, and I’ll celebrate mine.”
He ordered coffee and then led the way to a table near the front window. After sitting down, Maggie touched her mug to his. “Here’s to a good day of shopping. I hope everyone likes the gifts I got them.”
“They will, because they came from you. Everyone loves you.”
She found herself drowning in his beautiful gray-green eyes. When he said everyone loved her, was he including himself? Despite her fears, she hoped he was.
But if he was, why wouldn’t he tell her?