I scowl at her. “Why would you joke about Grams being here after telling me Frank quit? That’s not funny Belle, I?—”
She stops me in my tracks and spins me around from where I’m leaning against the desk with my back towards the door. When I look up, I find that my grandmother really is standing in the doorway, smiling back at us.
“Grams!” I exclaim, slapping another artificial smile on my face. I glance at Belle, who looks like she’s eaten a frog, before looking back towards the door. “You’re early.”
“I wanted a few extra minutes with my granddaughter. Is that okay with you?” She takes a few steps closer and I meet her in the center of the room.
“Of course it is. Good morning, how are you?” I ask, leaning in and pulling her into a hug.
“I’m hungry and ready for breakfast. Did you remind Frank of our meeting this morning?”
“I did,” Belle cuts in. “He should have everything ready in a few minutes.”
Grams smiles at her. “Wonderful. Come, Noelle, it’s time we have a little talk.”
When she loops her arm around mine and starts to pull me towards the dining room, I follow along next to her. I quickly glance over my shoulder at Belle who flashes me a thumbs up and anencouraging smile.
We take our seats at her favorite table in the corner of the room. The one where you can see almost the entire lower level of the inn from when you sit with your back to the wall. I help her into her seat before taking mine next to her. Almost as if on cue, one of the servers comes and places two cups of coffee and some water at our table for us to enjoy. I take a sip of mine, trying to steady my nerves.
Here we go, this is what we’ve been waiting for.
“How are things around here going?” Grams asks, pouring two packs of sugar into her cup.
“Good—great, actually. We’re fully booked for the next three months and all of our special events for the holidays are already booking too. It’s going to be another busy holiday season here at Holly House,” I explain with an excited smile.
She nods slowly as she takes a sip from her mug. “I have no doubt that you will make this place shine. You always do.”
I smile at my lap, feeling bashful all of the sudden. When I look up again, I find her eyes are on me.
“You look more and more like your mother every day.” Her comment catches me off guard and I feel myself retract in my seat.
“Thank you,” is all I can think to say.
“She would be so proud of the woman you’ve become,” she continues, smiling softly at me. “Both of your parents would be.”
Her withered hand reaches for mine and the sudden pricking of tears behind my eyes overtakes me. I blink them away quickly, not wanting to get overly emotional. I squeeze her hand tightly in mine and smile.
“I know they would be.”
She takes a breath and pulls her hand from mine. For a moment, her eyes fall to her coffee mug and I can feel the air between us shift. Suddenly, all the hype I had pumped intomyself is gone and it feels like the wind has been taken out of my sails.
“As you know, I have a very big birthday coming up,” she starts, bringing her deep brown eyes back to me. Her white-gray hair doesn’t move as she lifts her head high and proud. “It’s not every day an old lady turns eighty.”
“You aren’t old, Grams,” I try to say but she lifts a hand to stop me.
“And with my eightieth birthday, comes a new wave of things here at the inn.”
Here it comes. She’s going to finally tell me it’s mine to have.
I bite back the smile I feel creeping across my lips.
“But—”
“But?” I can’t help but say.
Her penciled on eyebrows raise in my direction and I sink back in my seat, allowing her to continue.
“This inn has been under my ownership ever since my mother passed it down to me. It would have gone to your mother, but seeing as how she’s no longer with us, it will go to you.”
