Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Margo ran down her list as she set her supplies down on the counter at the general store, trying to make sure that she hadn't missed anything they needed for the fundraiser. Leon was ringing things up just as Bethany came out from the back room, holding the cutest Pomeranian that Margo had ever seen. It was fluffy and golden, with a puffy tail and tiny ears, and it immediately yipped at Margo the moment it set eyes on her.

"Hey there," Margo crooned at the dog, as Bethany approached. She'd always loved the idea of having a dog, but that was impossible when she traveled as much as she had for work. She'd made do by occasionally volunteering at the animal shelter to walk dogs when she was home, but those days were few and far between. "Is he yours?" she asked Bethany, and Bethany laughed, shaking her head.

"No, his owner is just late picking him up from his grooming appointment, so I get to snuggle him a little longer. Don't I?" she cooed, cuddling the dog to her chest. "Did Leon tell you that we're entering our tree in the decorating contest?" she added, glancing back up at Margo.

"No, he didn't." Margo grabbed a sleeve of maple candies and added it to the pile of supplies. Not strictly on the list, but after a morning of shopping, she wanted a treat. Also, she was getting thoroughly sick of being stuck on crutches, and that only added to her desire to get something to treat herself. "What's the theme? Or do you have any plan for it?"

Bethany grinned. "I'm not telling," she said, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and Margo shook her head.

"Not even a hint?"

"Not even a hint," Bethany said. "But it's going to be fantastic, I can promise you that."

"Everyone has been so excited about it," Margo said, as Leon started to bag up the supplies and she reached in her pocket for the inn's credit card. "I'm so glad to see that everyone has really wanted to help. I didn't expect that the idea would work, at first."

"Of course it worked!" Bethany exclaimed. "Everyone loves the inn, and they love your parents. We're all a family, a community. We wouldn't miss the chance to help, and this is a fun way of doing just that. What you and your sisters came up with is brilliant!"

The bell over the door chimed, just then, interrupting them, and Margo twisted around to see Rhett walking in.

"Hey there, Leon," he called out. "You got that case of Gatorade I ordered?"

"Sure thing. You mind coming around and grabbing it? It's a little heavy."

"A case of Gatorade?" Margo laughed, looking at her brother-in-law. "Did Caroline ask you to get that for the tree-decorating contest?"

Rhett chuckled. "No, it's for the firefighters. The annual holiday fireworks show is tonight."

"Oh," Margo said softly. "No one mentioned that. Where is it? That sounds like fun." It was a relatively clear day so far, and as long as it stayed that way over the evening she could picture it being beautiful. All those explosions of color this far out from the city, against the dark sky and over the snow. She'd never seen fireworks in a snowy place before, and she was suddenly very eager to experience it.

"It's up the hill just past the ski slopes." Rhett glanced at her crutches and winced. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm not traumatized just by the mention of the word ‘ski'," Margo said with a laugh. "That's a bit of a hike for some fireworks."

"Well, it's a part of the tradition, or so I was told the first year I was here. The hike in the snow is all a part of the fun. Everyone brings hot cocoa thermoses and hikes up there together. It's a whole thing."

"That sounds really fun, actually. I assume Caroline is going. I should ask Mom if she's up for it. I really want to go."

Bethany hesitated, wrinkling her nose a bit. "Not to burst your bubble, but you're on crutches, honey. I go to that fireworks show every year, and it's definitely not something you can manage. Those crutches won't make it in the snow."

"There's got to be a way. I really want to go." Margo bit her lip, stubbornly trying to think of some way around her current situation.

This fireworks show was the first thing that had really caught her interest since she'd been home, and she didn't want to miss out on it. It seemed like an adventure, hiking up the snowy hills at night to see the fireworks, and more than anything, she disliked feeling like she was being held back when there was an adventure to be had.

"I'm sure I can figure something out," she insisted firmly.

"You don't want to get hurt again. Doctor Thorpe would say—" Bethany started, just as the bell over the door chimed again.

"What would I say?" Spencer asked as he walked in, and Margo spoke without thinking, so frustrated about the situation that she couldn't think it through.

"Spencer could take me!" she exclaimed, and there was a sudden, bemused expression on Bethany's face.

"Where am I taking you?" Spencer laughed, glancing over at Bethany. "There's a whole conversation I've missed out on, apparently."

"Margo found out about the firefighters' fireworks event," Bethany explained. "She really wants to go, but it's just not conducive to being on crutches. She's as stubborn as her sisters though," she added fondly, completely ignoring the frown on Margo's face at being talked over like she wasn't there.

Margo half expected Spencer to be annoyed that she'd volunteered him to help her get to the fireworks show without even asking. But instead, he just chuckled, glancing over at her.

"Of course I'll take you," he said easily. "What kind of doctor would I be if I let you go hobbling up the slopes again without supervision?" He grinned, then snagged the bag that Leon had just finished packing the supplies into. "Here. I'll take this out to the car for you."

Margo sighed as she followed him out, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry," she said, as soon as they were out of the store and at the car. "I shouldn't have said that, and just assumed you'd take me. You probably have something else going on, or other plans, or work. I mean, I don't even know if you have someone else you want to go with. After all, I made it very clear that I wasn't staying here all that long, and?—"

She stopped talking abruptly, realizing that her nervousness had made her start babbling. Spencer reached up, gently touching the tip of his index finger to her lips, a smile still on his face.

"I'm more than happy to take you," he said sincerely. "But we'll have to figure out some way to manage that. Bethany's right, that hike won't be easy with a broken leg. We'll have to be creative. But," he added as her face started to fall, "don't you worry. We'll find a way."

His smile spread, and Margo felt butterflies start to take off in her stomach.