CHAPTER FIVE
The next day, Luke buried himself in work, not wanting to think about his parents for a while. But despite everything he needed to do, he couldn’t concentrate. He’d discovered Jerry wasn’t a villain; he was simply a man who’d made mistakes. Making mistakes was something he could relate to. Lord knew, he’d made plenty. The biggest had changed his life.
Good grief. He had an almost four-year-old half-sister and another sibling on the way. As an only child, the idea blew him away. Especially since his half-siblings were young enough to be his own children.
A picture of Maggie with a baby in her arms popped into his mind. My baby.
Luke pushed the idea away, staggered by its intensity and the direction his mind had taken. He hadn’t let himself dwell on thoughts like this for a long time and he couldn’t start now.
If he’d stayed in Minnewasta, they might have had children by now. At one time he’d thought he’d spend his life with her, have children with her. But he’d thrown it all away. The pain of that loss came hard and fast. Followed swiftly by guilt.
Enough. He’d done what he had to do.
He forced his attention back to work and sifted through the resumes the lodge had received so far in response to the online ads for help he’d posted. Many applications were from locals, but some, especially those applying for the sous-chef positions, came from applicants living all over the country. He shook his head at one application from South Carolina. Did this person have any idea what a Minnesota winter was like?
He shivered at the thought. The November days were getting colder, and the worst was yet to come. For a moment, he longed for California and his sunny patio overlooking a hillside vineyard. Then he shut down that line of thinking completely. Right now his family needed him here, and so did the lodge.
With a sigh, he printed copies of the applications of those people he intended to interview. The job was massive. Kitchen and wait staff, housekeepers and front desk staff. Luke made a note on his phone to speak to Ethan about hiring some people to help him with all the recreational activities he planned for the lodge. And in the spring, they’d probably need grounds keepers…
Would Mom be alive in the spring?
Luke closed his eyes, steadying himself with a deep breath. He couldn’t dwell on it. He had to focus on the present and the job at hand, or he wouldn’t be any good to anyone, including himself.
“Luke?”
He looked up in surprise at Maggie. She set a tray with a coffee cup and a plate of cookies on the table in the dining room that he’d been using as a desk.
“Sorry. I guess I zoned out for a minute.”
“I thought you might need a break.” The aroma of a well-brewed cup of coffee tempted his senses as she passed him the cup. “Do you still take milk and sugar?”
He was amazed she remembered. “Just milk now. Everybody in California is trying to reduce carbs. If I was a real Californian, I probably wouldn’t consume dairy either.”
“Lucky for you, Minnesotans have no qualms about dairy products. Or at least, none of the Minnesotans at this lodge.”
She passed him a small pitcher of milk and he added some to his coffee. He gestured to the plate of cookies. “If all of these are for me, I’m really going to blow my diet.”
Maggie grinned as she pulled a chair closer to his table and sat. “Sorry about that. Actually, I wanted your opinion. I thought it might be a nice gesture to offer a container of fresh cookies in each guestroom as they check in. Or perhaps only in the cottages. What do you think?”
Luke reached for one of the cookies and took a bite. The taste of ginger and sugar exploded in his mouth as he bit into the chewy goodness. The taste was very familiar. “These taste like my grandmother’s gingerbread cookies.”
“They should. I’m using her recipe.”
“Really? I thought she guarded all her recipes like the gold in Fort Knox. She wouldn’t give it to me.”
Maggie’s lips quirked. “Maybe you didn’t ask her nicely.”
“And you did?”
“I suppose I did. I was visiting your mother a few weeks after my grandmother died, and Phyllis set a plate of these in front of me. I asked her for the recipe but instead, she insisted we make a batch together in the kitchen. I wrote down the recipe from memory the minute I got home.” She gave a rueful smile. “She probably felt sorry for me.”
Knowing his grandmother, she probably had, but he wasn’t going to tell her so. Maggie and her grandmother had clashed over many things, especially her relationship with him, but she’d loved her fiercely. She’d been the only mother she’d ever known. He could imagine how intensely she must have grieved.
Another wave of guilt swept over him. He hadn’t been there for her when she’d needed him most.
“These are as good as hers. Maybe better. Don’t tell her I said that.”
Maggie laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The sound of Maggie’s laughter transported him back ten years. Back then, she laughed easily and often. Her smiles were harder to come by these days.
Or maybe that was only when she was with him.
He cleared his throat. “I think it’s a great idea to leave cookies for the guests. I think we’d probably only offer them to guests planning an extended stay in one of the cottages, though.”
“That makes sense. If someone is only staying overnight, they likely wouldn’t have time to eat all the cookies even if they wanted to.”
“Right.” He shuffled through the papers on his table until he found what he wanted. “Which reminds me, Harper emailed me this copy of your preliminary menu. I want to talk to you about it.”
Her expression turned wary and her posture stiffened. “Do you have a problem with it?”
Her defensiveness took him aback. “No, of course not. I like the idea that the restaurant will aim to serve locally grown organic food as much as possible. I’m concerned about the fish dishes you’re proposing. Are we going to have a steady supply we can count on all year long?”
“I wouldn’t have put it on the menu if I hadn’t considered that. I spoke to the owners of a local fish market. They sell fish brought in fresh everyday by commercial fishers including the walleye, lake trout and whitefish we plan to serve on the menu. All the fish are from Minnesota lakes. They assure me they will have the consistent supply we’ll need.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“And before you ask, I’ve sourced local suppliers for most of our ingredients. The greens are going to come from a greenhouse outside of Brainerd. They can offer supply all year long, too.”
“You’ve done your homework. It looks like you’ve got everything well in hand.”
Her confused expression told him she’d been preparing herself for a reprimand. “Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You’re doing a good job, Maggie.”
She blinked at him, then quickly rose to her feet. “I should go and let you get back to work.”
He caught her hand before she could escape. “I could use your help interviewing the kitchen staff. They’re first on my list to hire.”
“Yes, of course. I want to be in on the hiring.”
He held on to her hand as she tried to move away. “There’s something else. My mother asked to see you. It seems really important to her that you do. Will you come with me tomorrow to visit her?”
He watched for her response. She closed her eyes and it seemed her breathing quickened. Finally, she nodded and lifted her gaze to meet his. “Yes, of course. I’ll come with you.”
Luke nodded, relieved. “Good. I’m leaving for Minneapolis in a few minutes to take back my rental car and find something used I can drive while I’m here, but I should be back by noon tomorrow. We’ll go about one o’clock. She gets too tired later in the afternoon for visitors.”
“I’ll be ready.”
She tugged on her hand, but he held firm. “You are doing a great job, Maggie. Don’t doubt it.”
She gave a brief nod, and he reluctantly released her. She turned and quickly fled the dining room.
He wondered again what had happened to destroy her confidence. Would she be able to handle the stress of a busy kitchen?
Luke hoped so. The restaurant was the centerpiece of the new lodge. If it didn’t pan out, the future of the lodge would be in question. And so would Maggie’s future as a chef.
Later that evening, alone in her cottage, Maggie rummaged through the shelf of her closet, setting aside boxes and bags until she found what she was looking for. The blue cardboard box had been pushed to the back where she wouldn’t be able to see it. She didn’t want to open her closet every day and be reminded of the past, but she hadn’t quite been able to make herself throw the box away either. So it remained on her shelf. In limbo.
Maggie brought down the box, sat on the edge of her bed and opened it. Mr. Jingles the Teddy Bear smiled up at her. Maggie caressed his soft fur, then lifted him from the box and gave him a quick hug before setting him on the bed. There was another box inside the first one. She removed the lid and carefully unwrapped the layers and layers of tissue paper protecting the delicate object inside. Finally, she pushed aside one last layer of tissue paper to reveal the glass unicorn.
She lifted the unicorn from the box and examined it. It had been a while since she’d opened the box, but the little unicorn was as pretty as she remembered. At about five inches in height and four in length, the unicorn was small and delicate. She fingered the tiny horn, marvelling at its fragility. How amazing it had survived unscathed considering the number of times she’d moved.
She didn’t know why she’d kept it all these years.
That was a lie. She knew the answer. Because Luke gave it to me.
He’d told her it had reminded him of her – beautiful and unique. No gift she’d received before or since had meant as much.
She stared at the little unicorn in her hands. She’d almost discarded it when she packed up her apartment in Minneapolis to move to the lodge. At the last minute, she’d rescued it from the pile of stuff she was donating to a woman’s shelter, unable to part with it. Her attachment to the unicorn was ridiculous, considering the thing was only a chunk of glass.
But, try as she might, she couldn’t make herself believe it meant nothing.
Carefully, she wrapped the unicorn in its layers of tissue paper once more, laid it in the first box, then set that box into the blue one. Placing Mr. Jingles back inside and closing the lid, she returned the box to its spot on the shelf at the back of her closet.
Out of sight, out of mind. If only that were true.
Shortly before one o’clock the next day, an unfamiliar blue half-ton truck pulled up in front of the lodge. From what Maggie could tell, the truck, a domestic American model, wasn’t new, but was in reasonably good shape. She stepped out onto the porch as Luke slid out of the driver’s side. He let the truck idle as he came toward her.
“What do you think of my new wheels?” he asked.
“I didn’t figure you for a truck guy. I thought you were more into luxury cars like the rental you were driving. You being a California boy, and all.”
“I love trucks, remember? Besides, a truck seemed like a more practical option here.” One side of his mouth turned up in a grin. “And for the record, the luxury car was the only vehicle I could rent on short notice. I drive an ordinary Ford SUV in California.”
Maggie raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A memory flashed through her mind. Luke driving an ancient, mostly rusty Ford pickup to the lodge that summer. He’d worked odd jobs summers and after school for three years to buy it and keep it running. The old Ford had been his pride and joy.
Every chance they got, they’d sneak off in the Ford and park somewhere secluded. They’d been in that truck the first time Luke had kissed her. He’d pulled her toward him and covered her mouth with his, and she’d sworn she’d heard angels singing. And then, her body had gone up in flames in a very unangel-like way. As the summer went on, they’d grown bolder in their explorations. Harper had given her ‘the lecture’ on sex, but she hadn’t prepared her for the way her body would react to Luke’s kisses, or his touch. Like the way her nipples would harden as he caressed her breasts, and the way her panties would dampen. And when he’d reached inside her panties and inserted a finger inside her—
“Are you ready?”
Maggie stared at Luke in incomprehension. And then the present returned with forceful fury. Heat infused her cold cheeks. They were on their way to see his sick mother. Her thoughts shamed her.
She reminded herself that Luke had left her once and would do so again. The heat and her vivid memory dissipated.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
She followed him to the truck and hopped in the passenger side. As they pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Minnewasta, a light dusting of snow began to fall. The weather had turned cold, signalling the true beginning of winter. Though she knew a lot of people hated winter and would think she was crazy, winter had always been Maggie’s favorite season. She loved the crisp, new snow that blanketed the landscape and hid imperfections with its tranquil beauty.
Luke turned up the heater. “Damn. Even inside the truck it’s cold.”
“You’ll get used to it again,” Maggie said.
“I don’t know about that.”
She tipped her chin toward his puffy blue jacket. “Nice parka. Is it new?”
“Yeah. I haven’t worn a parka since I left Minnesota. Can’t say I missed it.”
She couldn’t help smiling at the disgust in his voice. Luke had never been a winter person. That summer, he’d talked about his dream of moving to California so he’d never have to face another Minnesota winter again. But he’d said he didn’t have the money to make it to California, and he wouldn’t take anything from his mother or grandmother. She’d always wondered where the money had come from for him to travel to the west coast and go to school there. Perhaps, in his eagerness to get away, he’d taken money from his mother after all.
A lump of guilt formed in her throat at the thought of Abby. She should have visited her weeks ago instead of letting old resentments stop her. Now, her time with Abby would be limited. She hoped she wouldn’t cry and upset her. Maggie’s fingers tightened around the plastic container in her lap. The last thing Abby needed was a messy emotional display.
“You okay?”
Maggie blinked and looked at Luke. “Yeah, sure. I’m fine.”
He glanced at her quickly before turning his attention back to the road. “I know you’re nervous about visiting Mom,” he said. “So was I. Reese warned me that she’d lost weight and that she had little energy. I was afraid of what I’d find when I saw her again. But even though she looks a little different physically, she’s still my mom. She’s still Abby.”
Maggie gulped in a breath to steady herself. “Being Abby is pretty awesome.”
He flashed her a quick smile. “Yeah, it is.”
They drove in silence the rest of the way. Luke parked the truck on the street in front of Abby’s house. They got out and walked to the front door. Luke knocked before opening the door and walking inside.
“Hi, Mom. We’re here.”
“Hello, hello!”
Abby sat in an armchair in the living room, a red and black plaid blanket covering her lap. Maggie couldn’t believe how thin and frail she looked, as if the wind blowing into the house with them could knock her over. But the wide smile on her face was the one Maggie remembered.
“Maggie, it’s so good to see you.”
Maggie walked into Abby’s open arms, stooping to hug her. She inhaled Abby’s perfume, Chanel Number Five if she remembered correctly. The scent brought back old memories. Abby’s kindness and the love she’d always received from her rushed back and in that minute, the years fell away as if they hadn’t been apart a single day.
“It’s good to see you, too. I’ve missed you.” Maggie struggled to keep the tears at bay.
“I’ve missed you, too, dear girl.”
Abby held her in a surprisingly strong grip, considering how much frailer she looked since she saw her in June. At last she let her go. “Let me look at you. I wanted to tell you at Harper’s wedding what a beautiful young woman you’ve become, but we never got a chance to talk. And I love your hair that way!”
Maggie lifted a self-conscious hand to the back of her neck and stroked the ends of her hair. “I cut it a few years ago. The long hair was too hot and heavy in the kitchen, and it kept getting in my way.”
“Don’t apologize. It suits you perfectly. You look gorgeous.” Abby gestured to the sofa next to her chair. “Sit down beside me. Luke, would you mind putting on the kettle for tea? You can make yourself some coffee, if you like.”
“Sure, Mom.”
He tossed his parka onto a chair and headed to the kitchen. Maggie handed Abby the plastic container she’d been holding before taking off her jacket. “I made you brownies. You always said they were your favorite.”
“Oh, they are. Thank you. We’ll have some with tea.” Abby set the container on her lap and rested her hands on top. “Tell me all about your adventures as a chef.”
“There’s not much to tell.” The last thing she wanted to do was to talk about her sordid work history, especially with Luke listening in the next room. She sat on the sofa near Abby. “I went to culinary school, I worked in some kitchens in Minneapolis learning the ropes, and now I’ve been given the opportunity to head up my own kitchen at the lodge. I’m very grateful.”
“I know you’ll be a success. People will travel for miles for your food.”
Maggie tightly clasped her hands together in her lap. “I hope so.”
Abby tilted her head, regarding her. “You sound worried.”
“There’s lot at stake. If the restaurant isn’t a success, the lodge will suffer.”
“I’ve known since you were a child that you were a talented cook. You can do this. You just have to believe in yourself.”
Maggie reached over and grasped Abby’s hand. “Yeah. I suppose I should.”
Abby covered her hand with her own. “It’s going to be all right, sweetheart.”
Her heart filled with love. Abby could always make her believe anything was possible. But Maggie wondered if her words held another meaning. Maybe she was trying to tell her that she’d be okay after she died. Her heart stuttered at the thought of Abby no longer in the world.
Maggie searched for something to talk about aside from Abby’s health. Her gaze fell on the necklace at Abby’s throat. “That’s a beautiful necklace. It’s a Fleur-de-lis, isn’t it?”
Abby smiled as she touched the delicate silver chain. “It is. Harper gave it to me. She brought it back from her honeymoon in Paris.”
“Harper had a lot of fun buying gifts.”
“I’m happy she’s found such a generous, loving husband. She seems very happy.”
Thinking of Harper and Ethan together made Maggie smile. “She is. And now Scarlet and Cam are together, too. My sisters both found the loves of their lives. I’m happy for them.”
“Your time will come too, sweetheart.”
Maggie opened her mouth to protest, but closed it as Luke entered the living room carrying a tray. He placed his tray on the coffee table and poured tea from a pot into two cups.
“Are you going to share some of those brownies, or are you hogging them all?” He set up a folding table beside Abby’s chair and placed one of the teacups on it.
Abby winked at Maggie. “Be a good boy and I’ll share with you.”
He went back to the kitchen and returned with three small plates and forks along with some paper napkins and a cup of coffee for himself. Abby handed him the container and he opened the lid and placed one brownie on a plate for each of them. He passed plates to her and Abby before taking one and sitting next to Maggie on the sofa.
Abby carefully sipped the hot tea. “Luke tells me you’re planning a grand opening celebration around Valentine’s Day. I hope you’re going to serve your marvellous brownies.”
“I’m not sure what we’re going to serve. We haven’t talked about it yet.” She turned to Luke. “Did you have any ideas?”
He bit into his brownie and swallowed before answering. “I think a grand opening cake and free hot chocolate sounds good.”
“That would be a nice touch after a cold sleigh ride. We’ll have to make sure there’s a fire burning in the hearth. What about food? Are we going to offer any kind of dinner?”
“What did you have in mind?”
She thought for a moment. “What if we have a special dinner? We can offer some dishes that don’t appear on the regular menu.”
He nodded. “Good idea. We can sell tickets in advance so we know whether there’s enough interest.”
Possibilities danced through her imagination. She turned to face him, folding one leg beneath her. “We could offer an array of winter comfort foods, like chilis and soups and hot desserts, like apple crumble. Instead of plate service or a buffet, how about we go with family style service?”
“What’s family style service?” Abby asked.
“You place bowls of food on the table and let people help themselves, like at a family dinner,” Maggie explained. “I think it makes for a fun and welcoming setting.”
“That’s a great idea,” Luke said. “It’ll be like inviting friends into your home. That’s the vibe we should be going for. Warm and welcoming. Especially in the winter.”
For once, dread didn’t overwhelm her at the prospect of the upcoming Grand Opening. “Yes, exactly.”
“Brunches are always popular with families. We could hold them for special occasions all year long, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.” Luke tapped his finger against his thigh.
“For St. Patrick’s Day we could serve green pea soup and spinach lasagne.” Ideas exploded in her head. She could picture all the dishes she could make for each occasion. An enthusiasm she hadn’t experienced since she’d arrived at the lodge made her giddy with excitement.
“We’ll probably want to come up with at least one special dinner per month in the winter. We could do a weekly trivia night in the bar, or form a darts league. Things will likely be slow, so we’ll want to give people a reason to drive out to the lodge.”
Maggie put her hand on Luke’s forearm. “What if we have an activity to go along with each special dinner? Like a costume contest at Halloween, and an Easter egg hunt for the kids at Easter.”
“Yeah, that’s perfect. We’ll put our heads together with the rest of the group and come up with a list of activities to pair with dinners for an entire year.”
“This is going to be fun, isn’t it?”
Luke grinned at her. “You sound surprised.”
She shrugged and let go of his arm. “Yeah, I am.”
“My goodness,” Abby said, with a laugh. “It all sounds so exciting.”
Without warning, Abby’s laughter turned to coughing, her body shaking with the violence of her coughs. Luke ran to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. Maggie watched helplessly as she tried to drink between coughs.
Finally, the coughing subsided, but Maggie could see it left Abby drained. She leaned against the back of her armchair and wearily closed her eyes. When she reopened them and looked at her, they were filled with resignation. “I’m sorry, Maggie. I so wanted to visit with you this afternoon, but I think I need to rest for a while. Do you think you can come back again sometime soon?”
Maggie glanced at Luke, who stood at his mother’s elbow, his face taut with stress. She could tell he was holding a torrent of emotions inside. “If you want me to, of course I will.”
She sighed. “Good. There’s so much I want to tell you…” Abby’s voice trailed off and she closed her eyes in exhaustion.
What did she want to tell her? She’d been her mother’s best friend. Possibly, she wanted to share stories about her. Maggie had been a baby when her mother Miranda died, so she had no memories of her. All her life, she’d clung to the remembrances her grandparents, sisters and her mother’s friends had of her. But she could see only a reflection in a shattered mirror. There were many hazy pieces, but no complete picture. Miranda had been a puzzle to Maggie all her life.
Together, she and Luke helped Abby to her bedroom. Maggie pulled back the covers and Luke lifted her onto the mattress, lowering her head to the pillow with infinite care. Maggie slipped off Abby’s shoes and tugged the blankets up to her chin.
“We’ll stay until Reese comes home,” Luke said.
“There’s no need.” Abby’s voice was weak and she didn’t open her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t argue with me. We’re staying.”
“Fine. Be stubborn.” Abby gave an exhausted sigh. “Reese shouldn’t be long. He was interviewing home-care nurses. I told him not to waste his money, but he thinks we need one.”
“Look who’s being stubborn now. Of course, you do.”
Her mouth turned up at one corner, but she didn’t say anything further. In a few moments, she was asleep. Luke nodded his head toward the door and they left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.
“Would you like more coffee, Luke?” Restlessness made her itchy with discomfort. She needed something to do, even if it was only filling the coffeemaker.
“No, thanks.” He paced the living room, obviously as restless as she was. “I hope we hear back from the specialist in California soon. We sent her medical files to him and a technician came to the house for a blood sample yesterday. But she’s getting so weak. I’m afraid even if she’s accepted for the new treatment, it might be too late.”
“You’ve done everything you can, Luke.”
He made a scoffing sound and shook his head. Maggie turned her face away, a lump forming in her throat. That was the Luke she remembered. The selfless boy who loved his mother and would do anything for her.
She closed the lid on the brownie container, then gathered the cups and plates and washed them in the sink. As she placed them in the drain board, Luke dried them with a dishtowel. Neither of them said anything as they worked.
If the doctor in California couldn’t do anything for Abby, Luke would be devastated.
She was afraid there was nothing anyone could do.