CHAPTER1
Katie sat at the kitchen table in The Lakeside Inn, anxiously waiting for her sisters to join her. Each Monday evening, they met to discuss what was happening at their Bed and Breakfast over the following week.
Apart from welcoming new guests, the next few weeks would be super-busy. With her sister Penny’s Thanksgiving Day wedding behind them, they had another sister’s wedding to look forward to.
Diana was marrying Ethan on Christmas Eve in a fairy forest in the center of Sapphire Bay. With thousands of lights strung through trees and flowers, and chocolate fountains and crystal chandeliers, it was the most romantic venue Katie could imagine.
“Sorry I’m late. How long have you been waiting?” Barbara’s laptop banged against the table as she sat opposite Katie.
“Only for a few minutes. Where’s Penny and Diana?”
“They’ll be here soon. Penny texted me a few minutes ago to say they were about to leave Sweet Treats.”
“They’ve probably sampled every cake flavor in the store.”
“Probably.” Barbara smiled as Charlie, their lovable Golden Labrador, walked into the kitchen and flopped at her feet. “At least they didn’t take Charlie. His nose wouldn’t have stopped twitching at all the delicious scents.”
Katie glanced at her cell phone.
“Is everything okay?”
“My agent’s emailing a publishing contract to me.”
“That’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Katie sighed. Her family had been incredibly supportive of her efforts to become a published children’s author, but there were only so many rejections anyone could handle. “I didn’t want everyone to get excited in case it amounts to nothing.”
“It’s never nothing. Even though no one has offered you a publishing contract until now, you’ve been given some valuable advice.”
She didn’t say anything. Being told repeatedly that she was a talented author didn’t make up for not having any published books. If the editors really thought she was amazing, they would have snapped up her manuscripts by now.
Charlie’s ears pricked up and he rushed toward the front door.
“Penny and Diana must be home,” Katie said as she followed him into the hallway.
Opening the front door, she stood on the veranda with her jacket wrapped firmly around her. As she watched her sisters walk toward the inn, she couldn’t help but remember what had brought them back to Sapphire Bay. Seven months ago, their beloved Grandma had died. In her will, she’d left her home to her four granddaughters with one condition. They had to live here for a year. Otherwise, the home would be given to the church for emergency housing.
Out of all her sisters, she and Barbara were the least excited about living in Montana. It wasn’t that they didn’t love the small town, because they did. They were born and raised here, enjoying an idyllic childhood on the shore of Flathead Lake. But college and their careers had taken them to other parts of the States. Barbara had made her home in San Diego and she had moved to Los Angeles. After their grandma died it had taken a lot of coercion but, eventually, they’d both agreed to stay.
With no income and limited employment opportunities, she and her sisters had remodeled their grandparents’ home and opened a Bed and Breakfast. The additional income was a welcome relief and meeting their guests was better than anyone imagined.
But all good things had to end. Even though she was enjoying her time with her family, in five months she would move back to Los Angeles. If she was ever going to be a published author, she needed to be close to her agent, and close to where the publishing houses had offices.
Katie smiled as Charlie raced across the yard. “How were the wedding cake samples?” she asked her sisters.
Diana lifted a large bag in the air. “You can taste them for yourself. Megan gave us some to bring home.”
Charlie was already wagging his tail, following the movement of the bag as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
“It’s okay, boy,” Diana said softly. “We stopped at Mom and Dad’s store and bought you some treats.”
Penny took a brown paper bag out of her pocket. Without missing a beat, Charlie switched his allegiance and looked pleadingly at her.
“How can I resist those big, brown doggy eyes?” Reaching into the bag, she handed him a chewie treat.
“I wish you were that well-behaved on our walks,” Katie said as he climbed the stairs with his treasure.
As if knowing exactly what she’d said, Charlie looked at her with his eyes full of mischief. The only way he’d stop running into the lake was if she filled her pockets with yummy treats.
