mom chuckled. “The light in the atrium burned out yesterday and I couldn’t find the ladder. Do you know where it is?”
As a matter of fact, Carter did. But it was safer to dodge the question than admit he’d hidden it after he’d spotted Karen teetering on the top rung, feather duster in hand, attacking a cobweb on the ceiling.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Your to-do list is already a mile long,” Karen said. “And this is supposed to be your day off.”
“Cutting firewood is relaxing.”
His mom smiled and shook her head. They’d had variations of this conversation in the past but Carter couldn’t convince her that spending time outdoors, no matter what he was doing, didn’t fall under the category of work.
“You skipped breakfast.” Karen lifted the coffee carafe and tested its weight. “We have a new guest and I was hoping you’d have a chance to meet her before you disappeared into the woods.”
“Bea already introduced us,” Carter said curtly. And Ellery Marshall was the reason why he planned to stay as far away from the house as possible. “She decided to stop by Ellery’s room and give her one of the snowflakes she’d made at the library.”
Karen didn’t appear nearly as shocked by his daughter’s unsanctioned visit to the guest wing as Carter had been.
“You know Bea. No matter what craft project Maddie assigns to the children, she always makes extras to give away.”
“To a woman she’d never laid eyes on before last night?”
“Ellery Marshall is close to Maddie’s age and you know how much Bea likes her. Maybe that’s why they bonded so quickly.”
True. The local librarian and Ellery Marshall were both in their midtwenties, but as far as Carter could tell, that was the only thing the two women had in common. Maddie Montgomery had grown up in the area and her recent engagement to Aiden Kane, a man as fiercely devoted to the family business as he was to his shy fiancée, proved that Maddie was content with life in a small town.
Ellery reminded Carter of a rare butterfly that had briefly lit in Castle Falls. Looking for, in her own words, a change of scenery. And when she grew tired of the view from her upstairs window, she’d go back to where she belonged.
Like Jennifer had.
Which meant the last thing Carter wanted was for Bea to “bond” with his mother’s newest guest.
“How long is she planning to stay?”
“I’m not sure,” Karen admitted. “Ellery decided to go day to day.”
She wouldn’t even commit to an entire weekend.
The thought pushed Carter toward the door. “I’ll plow the driveway before I cut wood, so if there’s anything you need, let me...”
Know.
The last word got caught in Carter’s throat when he spotted Ellery standing beside the desk in the lobby. It was a little unsettling to admit that a pair of ocean-blue eyes could be so...unsettling.
“You mentioned a tour...” Ellery’s gaze slid back to Karen, who glided past Carter with a warm smile. “Is this a good time?”
“I have to call about a delivery, but it won’t take long.” Karen’s smile expanded to include Carter and before she said a word, he knew his mom was about to take him up on his “if there’s anything you need” offer. “I’m sure Carter won’t mind taking my place. It will give you two a chance to become better acquainted.”
Um. Carter did mind. A lot, actually. And he knew everything he needed to know about Ellery Marshall. But he couldn’t admit that without jeopardizing the inn’s five-star hospitality rating.
“Sure.” He pushed the word out. “Not a problem.”
“Wonderful! I’ll catch up in a few minutes.” Karen slipped the cell from the pocket of her apron and retreated to the kitchen to make the call.
Leaving Carter alone with Ellery for the second time that morning, the wary expression on Ellery’s face a clue she wasn’t looking forward to spending time with him, either.
Fine with him.
“The common areas all have names.” Carter pointed at the French doors off the lobby. “That’s the gathering room. Mom keeps it stocked with games and puzzles, so people like to hang out there in the evening.
“You’re already familiar with the dining room, so we’ll start down here.” Carter strode through the lobby, bypassing both the kitchen and the parlor he’d converted into the family’s private living room and opened a door at the end of the hall.
“The atrium.” Carter turned and almost bumped into Ellery, who’d positioned herself in the doorway for a better look.
“I love the windows.” She took a step forward and the fragrance of something exotic and floral—jasmine, maybe—teased his senses.
“You may want to come back later.” Carter tried unsuccessfully to block both the scent and Ellery’s attempt to enter the room. “I haven’t started a fire yet and the room gets pretty cold.”
Cold.
Ellery decided the description fit her tour guide, too.
Karen probably hadn’t noticed the wintry look in Carter’s eyes when she’d drafted him to take her place, but Ellery certainly had.
Was the man this abrupt with all the guests? Or just her?
She tried to peek around Carter, and she could almost feel his impatience as he moved to the side.
In spite of Carter’s reluctance to linger any longer than was necessary, Ellery couldn’t help but step into the room.
A couch upholstered in emerald-green velvet and two matching chairs curved around the hearth like a smile. A light glowed in a rustic crèche on the mantel, illuminating a small band of shepherds gathered around the holy family.
Ellery’s gaze moved to the balsam tree in the corner and a lump instantly formed in her throat.
This would be her first Christmas alone.
Like Karen, Ellery’s mom had decorated every room in the house. Miles of lights, rooms scented with bayberry and cloves and exquisitely wrapped gifts underneath the tree.
The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas had been filled with laughter and a steady stream of guests. Candace Marshall had understood that entertaining was more than simply sharing the same space—it meant sharing your life.
A legacy Ellery had continued after the private plane her parents had rented had gone down on their way to a medical conference.
For the last eight months, Ellery had poured all of her time and energy into starting a foundation that bore the Marshall name. Caring for people gave her a purpose. Something that filled the empty spaces in her heart when she returned to an empty house at the end of the day.
Still... Christmas.
Ellery couldn’t imagine celebrating the Savior’s birth without her parents.
She walked across the room, each step giving her a precious moment to collect herself.
Mullioned windows framed the peaceful scene outside. When Ellery had arrived, travel weary and white-knuckled from maneuvering through the snow-covered back roads, all her attention had been focused on the inn itself, not her surroundings.
Now she could see a weathered barn and a cluster of tiny stone outbuildings with arched windows and sloping rooflines dusted with snow.
“It