One Year Later
“Stop. Wait. Don’t move.”
At the urgency in her sister’s voice, Cindy Kessler turned, gripping the bowl of cranberry sauce so it didn’t slip out of her hands on the way to the table.
“Did you forget a garnish?” Cindy asked, lifting the bowl. “Because, like everything you make, MJ, this looks and smells divine.”
“I forgot…” MJ sighed and brushed back some auburn hair, her blue eyes bright with…were those tears? “To say something to you.”
Cindy eyed her suspiciously and gave a soft laugh. “You’re about to get Thanksgiving Day mushy, aren’t you? I’m going to get the big ‘I love you more than anything’ speech.”
“Maybe. But give me two minutes…” MJ angled her head toward the bank of windows that looked out at the snow-capped mountains of Park City, Utah. “…before that old pine table our grandfather made is full of family and the conversation is loud. I want one private moment with you.”
Cindy set the cranberry sauce on the brand-new quartz-topped island and took a few steps closer. “What is it, dear Mary Jane McBride?”
MJ chuckled at the name so few people ever used. “I just want to say that Snowberry Lodge isn’t the only thing that transformed this year. You did, too.”
“Oh.” Cindy put her fingers on her lips as the compliment reached right down to her soul. “Thank you. I mean, I hope in a good way.”
“In agreatway, Cin. Think about where we were a year ago on Thanksgiving.”
Cindy blew out a breath that fluttered her blond bangs, her mind slipping back to the dark days. A year ago, they didn’t even know if they’d keep this lodge and the land that had been in the Starling family for generations. The fear of losing it had gripped her, stealing sleep and hope.
But then, everything changed in a way that sometimes Cindy still couldn’t believe.
“That was a lifetime—and a million dollars—ago,” Cindy said, her heart lifting at the thought. “Our whole world is…better, brighter, and bigger.”
After the roof collapsed on New Year’s Eve, they both thought nothing would ever be the same. And it wasn’t, because that very night, the miracle had happened—in the form of a seven-figure gift from an unexpected source.
They immediately—well, after recovering from shock—launched a massive and daunting renovation, which included upgrading, improving, and remodeling this main lodge and all the cabins on the property. They weren’t yet officially open for business, but they would start with a “soft reopening” first in the lodge, then the cabins, after Cindy’s wedding in a few weeks.
“Well, this place has never looked better.” MJ gazed lovingly at her massive country kitchen that now had commercial-gradeappliances and custom-made cabinetry. “All this change—and Jack—has softened and relaxed you. Your skin is glowing, your eyes are bright—everything. You’re beautiful.”
The unexpected compliment pressed on Cindy’s heart. Even for MJ, who was famously upbeat and optimistic, especially around the holidays, this felt like it was coming from somewhere deep.
“Thank you,” she said again. “Jack sure made it easier to get through the days that seemed like one big filthy tarp and men in boots.”
“So. Many. Tarps.” MJ rolled her eyes. “And decisions.”
They laughed, the number of decisions they’d made together having long ago become an inside joke.
“Look around, MJ. We kept the mountain magic of Snowberry. Every upgrade and remodel and addition feels as if it had been built by Owen Starling himself.”
“Our grandfather would be proud of what we’ve done,” MJ agreed. “But I think the change in you is more than our newly renovated lodge.” She squeezed Cindy’s hands. “You seem stronger and more grounded. You are about to start not only a whole new marriage?—”
“With the same old guy,” Cindy joked.
“With awonderfulguy,” MJ corrected. “You are also starting a whole new career. And at sixty…”
Cindy winced at the number, but she held her sister’s bright blue gaze, listening to every word that clearly came from her heart.
“I just want to say that I am so proud of you, Cindy Starling Kessler. And you are going to rock the wedding world.”
Cindy sighed, holding back any quips because the moment was serious. “I’m excited about Snowberry Weddings,” she said. “I know I should be stressing out about doing a job I’ve neverdone before—wedding planning!—but every time I walk into the Starling Room…”
She closed her eyes, picturing the stunning space they’d added, replacing the old mudroom and staff suite and extending into the yard. “I’m excited about the future. And we wouldn’t have that room if not for you.”
“If not for Matt Walker, you mean.” MJ wrinkled her nose. “Sometimes I wonder if that interlude happened or I dreamed it.”
