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“What can I get started for you to drink?”
“Just coffee please, and a glass of ice water.”
Louise nodded at him and then passed him a menu.
“Take your time and look that over. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Zach gave her another smile as she retreated, then let his eyes wander over the laminated menu she had given him. The menu wasn’t large, just one sheet with only a few offerings printed on it for appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, and then a full list of varying flavors of milkshakes. He laughed to himself as he read their names: things like Rudolph’s Rocky Road, Santa’s Favorite Milkshake, and Mrs. Claus’s Cookie Shake listed on line after line.
As he perused the menu, his mouth began watering. There may not have been a lot of options, but the food looked phenomenal. And if the smell coming from the kitchen was any indication, it would taste just as good.
Louise returned to the table after a couple minutes, setting a mug of coffee and a glass of ice water down in front of him.
“Decided what you want?” she asked, and when he nodded, she raised a small pad of paper and a pen.
Zach just told her he’d take the Frosty’s Burger with the chili cheese fries, and she nodded, her lips tilting upward a little. “Good choice.”
Louise lowered the pen and paper, but she didn’t walk away like he’d expected. Instead, the woman’s eyes crinkled a little at the corners as she took him in from head to toe, and Zach had to fight not to squirm under her perceptive stare.
“Are you staying in town? Or just passing through?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Staying, hopefully.” Zach took a sip of his coffee, and let the rich, heavenly taste roll across his tongue. “Although I’m not sure where yet.”
Louise’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You didn’t think about that ahead of time?”
“No.” Zach shook his head and chuckled. “I kinda just wanted to get here and figure it out as I go. Do you know of any place that has a room for rent?”
“You could always try the Warm and Bright Hotel. It’s about a mile up the road. Has a big red sign out front, you can’t miss it.”
Louise used her pen to point in the direction he had been heading earlier, and Zach gave her a nod of thanks.
“I’ll give that a try, thank you.”
Louise smiled at him, the first full smile he’d seen on her face since he’d arrived, and it made him feel like he’d earned a seal of approval. She tucked her notepad into her apron and then turned to walk away, but she didn’t get far before she spun back around to face him.
Her bright, hazel eyes were alight with something that Zach couldn’t place. Excitement, maybe?
“Or,” she said, the corners of her mouth drawing up into a grin. “If you’re going to be staying for a while, at least past Christmas, there’s a house available to rent. Really nice, fully furnished.”
Zach sat a little straighter, intrigued by the idea of having that much space at his disposal to lay out his canvases and relax instead of being cramped into a hotel room for the duration of his stay.
“That sounds lovely, actually. I don’t know for sure how long I’ll be here, but it should definitely be past Christmas. Who can I call?”
Louise shook her head. “No need to call. Just stop by.”
She took her notepad back out of her apron and scrawled something on a fresh page. When she was finished, she ripped the piece of paper out and handed it to him.
“Just knock on the door and ask for Colette. She’s the owner, and she’ll get you set up.”
Zach studied the piece of paper, reading the address. Based on his limited knowledge of the town, he didn’t think the house in question was very far away. He glanced back up to thank Louise, but she had already wandered back to the counter to put in his order and continue her conversation with the man that still sat there.
Stuffing the piece of paper into his pocket, Zach turned once more to look out the window. Louise seemed a bit eccentric, but very sweet. If she was any indication at all of the types of people who lived here, he had a feeling that he’d have quite the interesting time in Snowy Pine Ridge.
CHAPTERFIVE
Colette turned another page of the photo album and brought her mug of tea to her lips. The fireplace in the corner crackled merrily, and she ran her fingers over the fluffy, furry blanket she had draped across her lap as a cozy, warm feeling filled her chest.
The blanket had been one of Emma’s, one that she and Colette had sat under in the family room on more nights than she could count while Emma had told Colette stories. They’d sat under the blanket while the old woman had taught her to crochet, and while they had watched terrible reality television together and gossiped over the people on the screen. Having it over her now, as she looked at the pictures she’d decided to keep that detailed Emma’s life, Colette felt better than she had in weeks.
