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She looked a little more closely at the design before she chose a muffin, noting the small motif of mistletoe directly in the center of the plate. Valerie had always loved attention to detail, and so far, it appeared that the Warm and Bright Hotel had it in droves.
She turned her attention back to the platters laid out on the table, and carefully selected a muffin that appeared to have the perfect amount of crispy apple crumble on top and plopped it onto the plate. Just as she began to fill up one of the mugs on the table from the large thermos of hot cider, a voice sounded from behind her.
“Are you enjoying everything so far, dear?”
A squeak of surprise flew past Valerie’s lips and her heart pounded wildly. She whirled toward the voice, finding herself staring at a stylish woman who, Valerie guessed, was likely in her late sixties. The woman had white hair that was elegantly twisted away from her face into a chignon, a bright red cashmere sweater, and black, beautifully tailored trousers. A string of pearls wound its way around her throat, and her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Valerie with a warm, amused smile.
“I’m so sorry,” the older woman said with a low chuckle. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you heard me approach.”
Valerie’s hand had fluttered to her chest, hovering right above her heart, whose rhythm was finally beginning to return to normal.
“I didn’t,” she responded with a shaky laugh.
She looked down at the mug in her hand, thankful that she hadn’t actually put any of the cider in it yet. If she had, she was sure that it would have gone flying as she jumped when the woman startled her.
“My name is Evelyn.” The woman extended an elegant hand toward Valerie. “The owner of the Warm and Bright Hotel.”
Valerie took her hand and gave it a quick shake.
“Valerie,” she said, offering her first name only and hoping that the hotel proprietor didn’t watch too many movies.
“Oh, don’t worry, love,” Evelyn quipped, her blue eyes twinkling. “I know exactly who you are. I recognized your name the moment I saw it in our reservation books.”
Valerie’s stomach did a somersault. She suddenly wondered if coming to Snowy Pine Ridge had been the right call after all. Her face must have betrayed the sudden turn of her feelings, because Evelyn’s silver brows suddenly creased with concern.
“I hope that didn’t come out wrong,” Evelyn began to explain. “Believe me. I love your movies, but I don’t put much stock into fame or celebrity. So, while I’m a fan of your work, I see it as just that. Work. Just like what I do here.”
She gestured wide, encompassing the beautiful building they were standing in. Valerie gave herself a second to study the woman’s face, wondering if maybe she was only laying it on a little thick because having a celebrity stay at her hotel would be good for business, but she didn’t catch any hint of deception from Evelyn. Quite the opposite, actually.
Evelyn seemed to exude a sense of well put together welcome. Every bit of her was perfectly coiffed and curated, but somehow none of it seemed fake. She justwas.And with that in mind, Valerie didn’t find it hard to believe that someone who carried themselves in that manner wouldn’t buy into the glory of fame.
She smiled then, a genuine one, and the little bit of tension that had made its way into Evelyn’s forehead relaxed.
“I know I interrupted you getting some cider,” Evelyn said, stepping forward and grabbing a mug of her own. “Please, continue.”
She waved a hand toward the thermos that Valerie was standing in front of, and Valerie turned, going back to filling her mug.
“You know,” Evelyn said, stepping up to fill her own cup once Valerie was finished. “I find that one of the best ways to unwind after a long day is to sit on the front porch with a mug of hot tea, or…” She raised her now full mug. “Cider. Why don’t you join me?”
Valerie considered for a moment, her mind wandering toward the suitcase on her bed that was still crammed full of her belongings. She knew that she should go upstairs and begin organizing everything so that she wouldn’t have to do it later. She hated living out of suitcases, and she hated clutter. But the offer that Evelyn had given was so tempting, she couldn’t find it within her to say no.
She nodded. “All right.”
Evelyn’s only answer was a smile before she turned and began to make her way toward the front door, leaving Valerie to trot after her while she tried not to spill her cider. As she walked past one of the tables, her gaze caught on a stack of magazines and her heart began to pound. Her steps faltered for a second, but a quick scan told her that her name wasn’t on a single one of them. She let out a quick, relieved breath and followed after Evelyn once more.
When she reached the front door, she found Evelyn pulling a couple of big fleece blankets from a trunk beside it.
“I keep these here in case anyone wants to sit out there while it’s cold,” she explained. “There’s also a small space heater out there for us to place at our feet. It’ll keep us nice and toasty.”
Evelyn held open the door for Valerie, blankets still draped over her arms and then pointed her toward two rocking chairs about halfway down the wraparound porch. The white-haired woman stood and waited for Valerie to set down the muffin and her mug, before gracefully extending one of her arms to her.
Valerie took the blanket that was draped over it, the cold air already nipping at the tip of her nose and draped it around herself. Immediately the warmth of the blanket enveloped her, and she sighed as she sank back into the chair. Evelyn bent over by her feet, turning on the heater that was sitting there, and angling it so that it would reach toward the back of both of their blankets, blowing warm air into their already cozy cocoons. And in just a few seconds, Valerie hardly even noticed the cold.
She reached next to her, picking up her mug of cider and took a sip, the warmth from the amber liquid chasing away the last bit of chill that was hanging around.
“You’re right,” Valerie admitted, raising the mug to her lips to take another quick drink. “This is pretty great.”
“Saying ‘I told you so’ is beneath me,” Evelyn joked, giving her a wink.
