Page 36 of A Winter Thaw

“I think she wants to—” Theo began, and then Michelle gasped as Puddle jumped up onto the table, nearly knocking over the mugs of cocoa. “Nope.” He grabbed the puppy and set her back down on the floor. “No cocoa, Puddle.”

“Oh, this little girl.” Michelle laughed. “She’s such a little whirlwind of trouble but she’s so darling. She makes me laugh all the time.”

“I was so surprised when you said you were going to adopt a dog,” Theo said, bending over to scratch Puddle behind the ears. “I didn’t think you’d want anything as disruptive as a puppy in your life. But you definitely made the right call—this little one is a great addition to The Birchwood House. I’m sure the guests are all in love with her.”

“They are.” Michelle smiled. “And that was unfair of you to think that I’d never adopt a dog. You think I’m so unadventurous. Obviously, you underestimated me.”

“I did underestimate you,” Theo admitted honestly. “You’re full of surprises, Michelle.”

For a moment, they looked into each other’s eyes. Theo felt as though the whole room turned upside down for a second.

“Uh, I should go,” he said, standing up suddenly and clearing his throat. “I have to go to the post office and then to work at the auto shop.”

“Oh. Yeah, for sure.” Michelle looked a little disappointed, but she smiled at him. “I have a lot to do myself. I still have to stock the empty rooms with gift baskets for the guests who will be arriving later, and I’m sure that email inbox has filled up again already.”

“Well, don’t work too hard,” he told her, and if he’d said it to anyone else, it would have been a joke. “Take it easy, okay? This place doesn’t need to be perfect, just great. And it’s already that.”

Michelle’s smile went from forced to radiant. “Thanks, Theo.”

“For sure.” He lingered for a moment, wishing he had an excuse to stay longer. “Well, see you around.”

“See you around.”

Theo felt her eyes on him as he put on his coat and slipped out the kitchen door. He made his way down the steps of the porch, whistling a little as he went.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Audrey opened her eyes to find gray sunlight flickering across her hotel bed. She scrunched up her face in a yawn and rolled over to look at the time on the bedside clock. It was a little after seven in the morning. She could hear the shower running in the bathroom, and one look at Elaine’s perfectly made bed told her that her mother was already awake and getting ready.

Audrey sat up and reached for her phone. She had a good morning text from Evan, which made her smile. Before she replied to it, she checked her email for an update from the airline. Her heart sank when she saw that their flight was still delayed.

Groaning, she lay back down on her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. She had become very fond of Boston, and part of her wasn’t opposed to the idea of sticking around there a while longer. But she was aching to get back to The Birchwood House, and to Evan and Michelle.

She sighed and slipped out of bed. She got dressed in a pair of jeans, a cranberry red sweater, and her leather jacket. She put her hair up in a low messy bun and added a pair of diamond stud earrings to her look. As a finishing touch, she put on her red heels.

A few minutes later, Elaine emerged from the bathroom, wearing her white three-piece suit again.

“You look elegant, Mom.” Audrey smiled at her.

“Oh, I saw the email.” Elaine sighed. “I’m guessing you did too, since you put on those red heels of yours. I know you wouldn’t wear those on a flight.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Audrey chuckled. “I’m a firm believer in wearing comfy shoes while traveling.”

“And I’m a firm believer in putting on a nice outfit to help boost your mood,” Elaine said. “Hence me wearing this suit.”

“That was kind of my thought with these shoes. Let’s go get some breakfast,” Audrey said. “But I don’t think we’ll be doing any sightseeing, at least for a while. It’s snowing hard out there—I bet most places are closed.”

Elaine and Audrey made their way down to the dining room and ate a delicious breakfast of quiche and hash browns next to a large window that offered a lovely view of the falling snow. Audrey enjoyed the meal and the beautiful sight of the snowy streets of Boston, but she felt a little restless.

Once she and Elaine had finished their meal, they strolled around the hotel together for a while. It was a beautiful old building, and Audrey felt a little like a teenager going exploring. There was a gift shop in the hotel, and she picked out a few small gifts for Michelle, such as a fun touristy magnet and a book about the history of Boston.

After a while, they went back up to their room, and Audrey changed out of her heels and into a warm pair of socks. Stuffing her feet into her comfortable winter boots, she said, “I think I’m going to call Evan.”

“Sounds good.” Elaine smiled at her. “I think I’m going to stay here and write up a detailed marketing plan based on everything we learned this week. This little desk is so picturesque, looking out across the snow.”

“Have fun.” Audrey kissed her mother on the side of the head. “I’ll be back soon. Maybe once the snow lets up we can venture out around the city again.”

Audrey made her way down to the hotel’s beautiful lobby. There was a little café there, and she purchased a cup of peppermint tea and a soft gingerbread cookie before curling up in an armchair in the corner and dialing Evan’s number.