Katie leaped off the sofa.“The Lord of the Rings!”
“Yes!”Barbara dropped the slip of paper onto the coffee table, then hugged her sister.“You’re amazing.”
“Only sometimes.”Katie pulled Theo to his feet.“Come on, teammate.It’s time to celebrate.”And with a hug that was every bit as exuberant as the one she gave Barbara, Katie wrapped her arms around him.
A pang of nostalgia made Theo’s chest tighten.When he was younger, his family had often played charades when they went on vacation.His parents’ cabin would be filled with laughter as they’d tried to guess the words or phrases his mom had chosen.Being here tonight made him realize just how much he missed those times.
Wyatt pulled out his wallet.“As the captain of the losing team, it looks as though I’m buying dessert.”
“With an extra one for us,” Barbara reminded him with a grin.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
Penny’s cell phone pinged.“If you’re taking orders, I’ll have a slice of raspberry cheesecake.”She read the text and gave a sigh of relief.“Kathleen can do the catering for our wedding.”
Barbara smiled.“That’s the perfect ending to a wonderful evening.”
Theo could only think of one other thing that would make it better.Sharing a slice of apple pie with the woman he was falling more in love with each day.
BARBARA SNEEZEDas she lifted another box off the storage room shelves at The Lakeside Inn.After their successful day in Bozeman, she’d decided to spend the next day taking the last of the boxes to the garage.But between phone calls to the inn and last-minute requests from their guests, she’d only just started.
Penny appeared in the doorway.“What on earth are you doing?”
“We’ve been talking about converting the storage room into a permanent guest room for weeks.Since Anne went to Polson, it’s sat half-empty, waiting for someone to take the rest of the boxes away.”
“And you decided that today is the best time to finish the job?”
“It’s about the only time I have available for the next week.”She walked toward the door and peeked into the hallway.“I can’t wait for Thanksgiving.At least we won’t have any guests walking into our bedrooms by mistake.”
Penny smiled.“It’s when they use your bathroom that I question why we’re doing this.”
Barbara couldn’t believe anyone would do that.“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“It was a genuine mistake.I’m just profoundly grateful I didn’t have any underwear lying around.”
Knowing the type of underwear Penny wore, so was Barbara.
Penny checked her watch.“I have to leave for a meeting in Polson in forty minutes but, if it helps, I can give you a hand until then?”
“That would be great.Are you seeing someone about the cottages?”
“Not just anyone.I’m meeting with the person in charge of economic growth in the region.By this afternoon, I’ll know whether the county will let me convert them into small businesses.”
“It’s taken a long time for them to decide what you can do.”
“Tell me about it.A snail moves faster than the staff in the county planning office.”
“I hope they say yes.You’ve spent a lot of time making sure the project will be a success.”
“It will be worth it in the end.”
Barbara handed her sister a box.“This needs to go in the garage.I’ll follow you with another box.”
On their way out of the inn, Barbara saw Katie in the living room.The flowers she was arranging in a vase were beautiful.“We’re taking the rest of the boxes out of the old storage room.Is there anything else you want us to move?”
“Not at the moment.Mom will be pleased you’re clearing out the room.As soon as we tell her, she’ll have another relation lined up to use the room over Thanksgiving weekend.”
“Has she told us how many people are staying here for the wedding?”
