“They tried to be positive, but it’s hard knowing one of their close friends is a criminal.I’m grateful they came here the other week.At least we were able to spend time together before every television station on the East Coast descends on Sapphire Bay.”
“You could be a celebrity.”
Theo lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.“I’d sooner be Theo Montgomery, radio host extraordinaire and boyfriend to the cutest woman in Montana.”
A genuine smile lit Barbara’s eyes.“You aim high.”
“Are there other options?”
She shook her head.“The most important thing you can be is authentic.Anything else is asking for trouble.”
Theo rested his forehead against Barbara’s.“I should have met you a year ago.Your wisdom would have helped me sleep a little better.”
“You have me in your life now,” Barbara whispered.“Whatever happens, I’ll be right beside you, making sure you’re okay.”
“That sounds like heaven.”
Barbara placed a gentle kiss on his lips.“You’d do the same for me.”
Theo sighed.He just hoped Steve’s supporters didn’t focus on Barbara or her sisters.They had enough things happening at the inn without adding his issues to their lives.
CHAPTER 15
“What about a paper mâché turkey?”Barbara looked at her sisters.“Mom said they’re adorable.”She held up a photo of a turkey made from colored corn husks, paper, and feathers.
Katie scrunched up her nose.“Don’t you think it’s a little large for the dining room table?I know it’s nearly Thanksgiving, but we don’t want to scare off our guests.”
“We could always go for an understated transformation.”Diana turned her laptop around and showed everyone a picture of a table decorated with tiny pumpkins and orange placemats.“We could add one of Grandma’s Thanksgiving Day wreaths to the wall.The deep red, orange, and yellow tones will look just as good as the one in this photo.We could even buy a set of miniature turkeys to display on the mantelpiece.”
Katie looked up from the interior decorating magazine she was reading.“I can’t believe we’re celebrating our first Thanksgiving in Grandma and Granddad’s house.Do you remember what happened last year?”
A lump formed in Barbara’s throat.“Grandma decided to bake the biggest turkey Mom could order.We should have warned her about the size of her oven.”
Penny left the catalog she’d been reading on the table.“Dad nearly had a hernia when Grandma asked him to cut the turkey in half.”She smiled through her tears.“It was the strangest Thanksgiving Day turkey I’ve ever seen, but it was delicious.”
“Grandma could make anything taste amazing, even a dissected turkey.”
Katie returned to the picture of the paper mâché turkey.“We should buy one of these.Grandma would have loved it.”
Barbara opened the spreadsheet she’d created for their Thanksgiving Day purchases.“I’ll add it to the list of decorations, but it probably isn’t right for the dining room.What about this?”The photo she’d seen in a magazine showed a casual but inviting table setting.
Three golden vases full of Timothy grass, wheat, and foxtail formed a pretty centerpiece.On either side of the vases, carved wooden breadboards held ceramic sculptures of turkeys, and simple cotton napkins completed the look.
Katie studied the photo.“It’s gorgeous, but what about a little color?”
Penny looked over her shoulder.“I like the muted golds and browns.”
“What if we use Grandma’s wreaths?They’ll add the color Katie wants, but keep the inn from looking like a discount bargain store.”
Katie’s eyebrows rose.“There’s nothing wrong with discount stores.I’ve found some amazing things in the ones in Los Angeles.”
Before her sisters started arguing about the merits of one store over another, Barbara tapped her pen against her cup.“Does everyone want to include the wreaths and ceramic turkeys in our decorations?”
After everyone agreed, Barbara breathed a sigh of relief.They should have organized this months ago but, with everything else that was happening, they hadn’t done anything.“Mom already has the large paper mâché turkeys available in the general store.The grasses we can find around town and the wreaths are in the garage.I’m sure Grandma stored other decorations in the garage, too.”
“She used to have some ceramic turkeys.Before you order anything, I’ll look for them.And if you let me choose the decorations for the front door, I’ll even set everything up.”
Barbara sent Katie a relieved smile.“You don’t know how good that sounds.I’ve started a lot of Christmas marketing campaigns for my clients and I don’t have much spare time.”
