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Prologue
“Ican’t believe they left this to us,” Heidi Strauss said in awe, shining her flashlight over the cavernous waiting room ofThe Winter Oasis.
“Well, Aunty Ursula and Aunty Helga weren’t exactly in the right frame of mind their last few years,” Heidi’s sister Frieda responded dryly, going behind the old front desk. “I’m surprised they could even book guests with how dilapidated this place is.”
“Be nice,” Birgit, their oldest sister chastised, going through the old brochures. “They did a lot of amazing things before going downhill, including running this place. It used to bethe placeto stay back in the nineties and early two-thousands.”
“Yeah, but that was almost twenty years ago, B,” Frieda replied combatively, shining her flashlight into Birgit’s face.
Birgit gave her younger sister a solemn look, and though she was forty-three, Frieda murmured an apology like she was seventeen all over again. It had taken all three of them by surprise when their twin great-aunts, Ursula and Helga, had left them the hotel. It wasn’t because they hadn’t been close. In fact, since Leavenworth was so small, they would make the trip from their parents' winery to the hotel often throughout their life, and their bond had been strong. But they had all assumed that the aunties would leave the hotel to someone else or have it go to sale.
But then again, the aunties were, to say the least−unpredictable. In fact, the only thing that was predictable about them was that they did everything together, including passing on at the youthful age of 102. The Strauss twins had been something of a legend in Leavenworth. Identical and beautiful, the two sisters were full of life and great ideas. Some even said it was because of them that Leavenworth was able to become one of the best tourist destinations in the state of Washington.
“I don’t think we should sell it,” Heidi said, joining her two older sisters behind the desk.
“And how would we run it?” Frieda asked with exasperation. “Hmm? All three of us have jobs at Mom and Dad’s winery. We can’t just up and quit to run this place!”
“You heard what Mom and Daddy said,” Heidi replied quickly. “Theywantus to take it! They want us to have something of our own.”
“You know they didn’t mean it,” Frieda shot back, only growing testier. “They need our help and you know it.”
Birgit sighed and closed her green eyes so she could rub the bridge of her nose. She loved her sisters dearly, but after over forty years of being together, she’d hoped Frieda and Heidi would eventually quit their bickering. They hadn’t.
“Heidi is right, Free,” Birgit cut in. “Iced Vines Estate is fully functioning on its own now. Mom and Dad have plenty of staff and with business the way it is, they’re going to be off traveling like they always wanted anyway. They don’t need us anymore, and I agree with them. It’s time we build a business on our own.”
Frieda’s full lips curled downward into a frown, and she said nothing. Birgit knew why her sister was apprehensive, but that was exactly why she wanted to push her. Birgit had a talent for numbers and was responsible for all of the winery's accounts when she was younger, and Heidi was a natural-born social butterfly. She could approach guests as if they were old friends, and with her sommelier skills, she was able to convince almost every customer she interacted to buy anywhere from one bottle to a few cases of their parents’ famed ice wine. But Frieda? Her talents had yet to be discovered. She was awkward around people, and when it came to numbers, she broke out in a stress rash every time tax season came around−even though Birgit took care of it for her. She didn’t have much of a green thumb either, and when it came to management, she was a horror to deal with. A sense of peace was finally reached when the winery expanded their bar to other mixed drinks, however, and she became the lead bartender.
“Look,” Birgit said gently, wrapping her arm around Frieda’s shoulders, “I know it seems overwhelming right now, but we can do this! The place just needs a makeover, is all. When we have it up and running, it’s going to be so amazing you will wonder how you ever doubted it.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Frieda grumbled, shooting a look at Birgit and Heidi. “New hotels fail all of the time. This place has been a dump for too long, and too many other local hotels are bidding to the best. We’ll get lost in the fray, go bankrupt, and have to go back to Mom and Dad’s anyways.”
“Or,”Heidi said emphatically, going to her sister’s other side, “we could turn it around, help the place regain its glory, and make it better than ever.”
“I believe in the second option,” Birgit agreed with a smile. “Come on now, Free. When have we ever failed at something when the three of us have put our heads together? Hmm?”
Frieda sighed, rolled her eyes, and then smiled.
“I guess never,” she admitted, shouldering both of her sisters playfully.
As the three of them giggled, a hollow, loud knocking sound came from the glass double doors of the hotel’s entrance, making them all jump. Shining their flashlights toward the door, Birgit groaned and rolled her eyes.
“Seriously?” she said, annoyed. “Why in the world is Anita Holstead here so late? How did she know we were even going to be here?”
Frieda grimaced and gave her sisters an apologetic smile.
“That might be my fault,” she confessed. “She called me earlier today about buying the place from us. She was really pushy, and I ended up telling her that we would be here tonight to check it out.”
“You didn’t tell her we’d sell it to her, did you?” Birgit asked with exasperation. “That woman is like a dog with a bone. She won’t let it go if you did.”
Frieda pressed her lips tightly together as her shoulders began to rise to her ears with tension.
“Well, I didn’t say yes. Exactly. But I might have told her we would be open to a discussion about it.”
Before Birgit or Heidi could say something, the double doors opened and they all heard Anita say a loud, “Yoo-hoo! Anyone in here? It’s me, Anita!”
“I’m sorry,” Frieda whispered, looking worriedly at Birgit.
“It’ll be fine,” Birgit promised, patting Frieda’s shoulder. “Just let me do the talking, okay?”
