Sighing in resignation, he finally nodded his approval. “All right, they can stay.”
With the kittens’ arrival now sanctioned, the three women quickly got down to business, discussing knitting patterns and other topics that Ethan had zero interest in. He saw his cue and said his farewells, heading back to the farmhouse, his mind whirling with ideas of where he could get all of the items Ginger needed for her tree-saving plan.
Chapter16
“Want a banana?” Dorothy mumbled the words around a mouthful of banana as she held one out to Ethan. It was the next morning, and Ethan had woken up with a fresh sense of purpose and hopefulness.
He glanced at the pile of banana peels on the counter. “How many of those have you eaten?”
“This is my third. Ginger said she needed the peels.”
“How many more do you think we need to eat to get enough peels?”
Dorothy pretended to ponder the question. “Hmm, maybe another dozen or two? They’re good for you.”
They shared a laugh before Ethan turned serious, thinking about the rest of the items on the list. “I’m going to get the other ingredients for Ginger today. I’ll hit up my buddy Tommy for the manure since he owns a dairy farm. Maybe he’ll have a syringe as well. But where can I find a pound of coffee grounds?”
Dorothy’s eyes lit up as she had an idea. “Why don’t you try the Pinecone Falls Café? They make a lot of coffee every day. I’m sure they’ll have plenty of grounds to spare.”
“Excellent idea.” Ethan grabbed his coat and another banana. “See you when I get back.”
As he drove through Pinecone Falls, he felt a tinge of joy at the holiday decor. Just a tinge, but it was something he hadn’t felt in years. In fact, the holidays usually made him more depressed than anything. Maybe he was emerging from the shadow of grief that had followed him around for the past years.
The town had a reputation as a Christmas destination, and everyone liked to play that up to make the tourists as happy as they could during the season. Festive wreaths made of evergreen boughs and red velvet bows hung from the lampposts, while twinkling fairy lights draped the storefronts, casting a warm, welcoming glow on the snow-covered sidewalks. The entire scene looked like something straight out of a classic holiday movie, evoking a sense of nostalgia and warmth in everyone who passed through.
Ethan actually had a smile on his face as he glanced toward the town square with its sparkling ice sculptures, fanciful snowmen, and glittering lights… until his gaze landed on the empty spot in the middle, where the mayor was expecting a Woodward balsam fir to be standing very soon.
He’d better get a move on; time was of the essence. He pulled into a spot in front of the Pinecone Falls Café, got out of the truck, and took a deep breath of crisp winter air before heading toward the café. He’d called the owner, Lucy, on his way, and she was getting the coffee grounds together for him.
Luckily, she had more than he needed, and she also hadn’t asked why he needed them, which was good. He didn’t want it getting around town that he was desperately trying to make the trees healthy.
The charming little café was a local favorite known for its delicious pastries and homestyle cooking. The exterior was just as festive as the rest of the town, with its holly-covered windows and icicle lights dripping from the green awning, enticing passersby to come in and warm themselves with a steaming cup of coffee.
He pulled open the door and was greeted with a pleasant aroma of brewed coffee and fresh-baked bread. He heard the sound of cutlery clinking against plates and the low murmur of conversations in the background. Hopefully, no one he knew was here, and he could get his coffee grounds and get out before anyone asked any questions.
He had almost made it to the counter when someone called out his name. “Ethan! Hey!”
He turned around to see Kristen sitting at a table with her friends Julie and Ivy. He groaned inwardly. He couldn’t avoid them now.
“Hey, Kristen,” he said, forcing a smile. “What are you guys up to?”
“Just grabbing some coffee,” Kristen said, gesturing to the cups on the table. “What about you?”
“Same.” Ethan moved toward the counter, hoping that would be enough to get him out of the conversation. But of course, it wasn’t.
“I heard you had a new guest at your cabin?” Ivy wiggled her eyebrows, and Ethan frowned at Kristen. What had her sister been telling them?
“She’s not really my guest. She’s staying at my cabin, but I’ve moved into the farmhouse with Mom and Kristen,” Ethan said.
Ivy took a sip of her coffee and said, “It’s really nice of you guys to put her up, you know.” She took a bite of her chocolate chip muffin, the crumbs falling onto the plate.
Kristen nodded, her mouth full of blueberry muffin. She swallowed before responding, “Well, it’s the least we can do since Ginger broke her leg at our place.”
Julie, who had been busy enjoying her cranberry-orange muffin, looked up with curiosity. “What was she doing there, anyway?”
Kristen and Ethan exchanged a glance, both aware they didn’t want the real reason to be known. Kristen quickly came up with a plausible explanation. “Oh, Ginger’s best friends with Mason, and he wanted to show her around the farm. It was just a freak accident.”
Lucy appeared at Mason’s side, holding a large brown paper bag. She leaned in to speak, and he quickly coughed loudly to cover her words. He didn’t need anyone asking why he was picking up a huge bag of coffee grounds.
