Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

That afternoon, once she’d eaten lunch with Jay and he’d gone back out to play with his friends, Caroline bundled Toby up to go for a walk with him in his stroller. Rhonda had insisted that since Shelby was doing so well, Caroline should work a half-day, and just go home and spend time with Toby after lunch. She’d pointed out that anything left to do, she could double-check to make sure that Shelby had done correctly, and so far, everything had been just fine, with no mishaps.

Which was technically true, Caroline had to admit. Shelby hadn’t made any real mistakes, and she’d picked up on the rhythms of the inn quickly. She was hardworking, always cheerful, and quick to step in when something needed to be done. There really wasn’t anything else that Caroline could ask for out of an employee—other than to not have one, and for her to have the time and possibly an extension of herself to just do it all the way she knew she liked to have it done.

But she had to admit that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been able to just go for a walk during the day. She’d missed it, and even more so now that she could take Toby out walking with her in his stroller. Nora often talked about doing the same with Madison, and Caroline could remember on any number of occasions thinking longingly of how nice that sounded.

Now, she thought, she could do it—and she was just thinking about how she should be at the inn working instead.

She took a deep breath, intentionally clearing her head of the worries about the inn. She got Toby’s beanie and mittens on, tucking him in the blankets in his stroller, and started down the path that would take her around the inn and out to the main street. She thought she would take a walk down to The Mellow Mug, get a coffee, and come back. A peppermint mocha sounded wonderful, and even with the extra time, she still had plenty to catch up on at home. The caffeine would be a good boost.

The weather was beautiful, if cold, the sky bright and sunny as they walked, sparkling off of the snow. She smiled to herself, thinking of the days when she’d first met Rhett, when she’d gone on walks like this and found an abandoned journal tucked by her favorite tree, and started writing to the person it had belonged to. She hadn’t known it was Rhett who had lost the journal until long after she’d already started to like him far more than she’d thought she should, back then.

But as it turned out, she’d liked him exactly the right amount. He’d liked her too. And they’d fallen in love—something she’d given up on, and now she had all of this. Two children, a home of her own, and a husband she adored and who adored her in return.

And now she finally had time to relax and live in the moment. To enjoy everything she’d worked so hard for and been so fortunate to have.

She felt herself doing exactly that as she walked to The Mellow Mug, enjoying the scenery and the crisp air. The shop was nearly empty when she got there, and Melanie greeted her cheerfully.

“An Americano?” she asked, and Caroline shook her head.

“I’ll do a peppermint mocha, I think. And some of that peppermint decaf loose-leaf tea that you sell too?”

She had plans to read a book by the fire before bed that evening, and make her favorite candy cane tea treat. It brought back fond memories of when she’d made a nightly habit of exactly that in her bedroom upstairs at the inn, when she’d treated herself to an electric fireplace for the room.

A fireplace that had ended up being wired poorly, and eventually led to her meeting her handsome fireman.

“Coming right up.” Melanie rang up the order and started the coffee. A few minutes later, Caroline had a sachet of the loose-leaf tea and a to-go mug of coffee, and she was ready to start the walk back home.

She felt thoroughly refreshed by the relaxation and the walk. She honestly thought she might have felt energized even without the jolt of caffeine. As she headed back, she thought she finally had the energy to dig out the lawn ornaments that she usually would have put up by now in front of the inn.

She’d been too busy and overwhelmed to get to it before today, but that afternoon felt like the perfect time. And Rhonda would be pleased; Caroline knew her mother liked to have it all done right after Thanksgiving. The last few years, Caroline had made sure to do the same. Rhonda hadn’t said anything about it, probably, Caroline thought, because she knew how busy Caroline had been, but she’d worried that her mother was disappointed.

But after today, all of that would be fixed.

Energized and ready to tackle that one last task before heading back home for good that evening, she took Toby back to the cottage, where Jay was in the living room doing his homework in front of the fire.

“Can you keep an eye on Toby until your dad gets home?” she asked, unbundling Toby from his small fleece coat and beanie. “I’m going to run back up to the inn and finish some decorating for your grandma. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, but I think your dad will be home before then, even.”

“Sure thing.” Jay smiled, scooting aside as Caroline laid Toby down on his mat, getting out a handful of toys. “Here, we’ll play with cars in between me doing my homework.”

He pushed the brightly colored wooden cars that Toby loved in a circle, mimicking the voices from the animated movie. Toby giggled happily, waving his fists, and Caroline smiled, a flood of happiness filling her chest.

She paused for a moment, rather than rushing out, taking the time to appreciate it. When she’d found out that she was pregnant last Christmas, she’d worried about how Jay would feel. She’d worried he might feel replaced, or that he wasn’t getting the attention he needed. But instead, he’d become the best big brother she could have imagined. He loved Toby, and few things made her as happy as watching them together.

It really was everything she could have hoped for.

“I’ll be back before dinner,” she promised again, grabbing her gloves and heading out. She trooped up the hill to the inn, circling around to the front to check on the lights that were already out, planning to go inside right after and collect the boxes of lawn ornaments to put out.

But as she rounded the corner, she stopped short, shocked.

All of the remaining lawn ornaments and decorations were already out. The garlands were wrapped around the porch, the new holiday cushions on the porch chairs, the lighted deer, the snowman, and the rustic Christmas Mistletoe Inn sign all out in their usual places—although, to her eye, slightly off from how she usually arranged them. But it was all lovely… and all already done.

Rhonda emerged from the front door a moment later with a new sleigh-shaped doormat. She saw Caroline standing in the front yard and beamed, motioning excitedly for Caroline to come up the stairs.

“What do you think?” She gestured to the yard. “We got it all done for you. Shelby did most of it, honestly, since it’s harder for me to be out in the snow with my hip lugging things around these days. But I oversaw it. Isn’t it great?”

Caroline felt as if her mouth might drop open. “I—this has always been my job,” she stammered, trying to fight back the surge of emotion that threatened to make her eyes well up with tears. “I was going to take care of it. I just?—”

Rhonda looped her arm through Caroline’s, tugging her daughter to the edge of the porch to overlook the now thoroughly decorated yard. “I know,” she said calmly. “But Shelby was very efficient getting through all her afternoon tasks today. She was looking for something to do, and you were getting to enjoy your afternoon for once. Instead of leaving something on your plate, Shelby thought she could help out, and I was inclined to agree. And it looks great. Now you don’t need to worry about it.”

Caroline bit her lip, taking in all of it. She couldn’t deny that it did look good, as good as her work usually did. And she had been putting it off, and now she didn’t need to any longer. But she felt her heart sink. This was the first year she hadn’t had any hand in helping to put them out. It didn’t mean anything, but it felt like it did.

Just that moment, Jay came skidding around the front of the inn, dragging his sleigh. “Dad came home early and has Toby!” he called out. “I’m going to get in one more round of sledding with my friends before it gets dark. Dad said it’s okay.” He looked around, taking in his surroundings quickly. “Man, the ornaments look cool!”

Without another word, he darted off, and Caroline pressed her hand to her mouth, unsure of whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

She had so much more time now. She could delegate. There was someone who was apparently capable and trustworthy enough to hand tasks over to, so she could enjoy the benefits of being her own boss that she’d never been able to before.

There were so many possibilities that came with Shelby being a part of the inn. Trips she and Rhett could take with the kids, or alone. They’d never gone on vacations, because she didn’t feel she could leave the inn. More date nights. More time just at home, enjoying it. Time to pick up one of the many hobbies she’d considered over the years and just really never was able to commit to.

She wished she could let go a little easier so that she could just be happy about that. She needed to let Shelby do her job, and be glad that she was there.

But it was more difficult than she could possibly have anticipated.