The last week had gone incredibly quickly. In between working at the café, volunteering at The Welcome Center, and finishing the costumes, she hadn’t had a lot of time for anything else. She’d start editing Liam’s book tonight. With a little luck, she’d have most of it finished by Christmas Day.
“Mom, did you know some dinosaurs had feathers?” Oscar said, his big brown eyes wide with fascination.
“Is that so?” Chloe replied with a smile, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Maybe they needed them to stay warm.”
“Or to fly!” Oscar exclaimed, making whooshing sounds as he moved his arms like wings.
Chloe chuckled, ruffling his light brown hair. “Finish your breakfast, sweetheart. We’ve got lots of exciting things to do today.”
The first meeting of the volunteers who were decorating Main Street was being held this morning. Chloe was excited and a little nervous. She hadn’t been part of a community event ofthis scale before, but she was eager to contribute and make the holidays special for everyone.
When someone knocked on the front door, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel and went to answer it. To her surprise, Liam stood on the veranda.
“Good morning,” he said, his deep blue eyes meeting hers. He held up a folder. “I was on my way to the Christmas decoration meeting and thought I’d drop off some information Penny gave me. It’s about the history of your cottage and the others on Anchor Lane. I thought you might find it interesting.”
Chloe smiled and took the folder. “Thanks. I’ve always wished I’d asked her more about them when I moved here. Where’s Trixie?”
“She’s staying with a friend this morning. I thought It’d be easier than bringing her to the café.”
“That was a good idea. Would you like to come in? Oscar and I are nearly ready to go to the meeting.”
“That’d be great.”
When they walked into the kitchen, Oscar looked up from his book and grinned. “Hi, Liam. Where’s Trixie?”
“Hey there, Oscar,” Liam greeted. “She’s having a playdate with a friend’s dog. How are the dinosaurs today?”
“They’re learning to fly,” Oscar said earnestly, showing him the book.
“That sounds exciting.” Liam sat beside him and looked at the pictures. “Maybe they can join Santa’s reindeer this Christmas.”
Oscar’s eyes widened. “On his sleigh?”
“Santa might want them to help deliver the presents.”
Oscar thought about Liam’s suggestion. “They might be too big,” he said seriously. “Some Pterosaurs were bigger than any of the buildings in Sapphire Bay.”
Chloe watched a surprised smile appear on Liam’s face. What he didn’t know was that Oscar had memorized the name of at least fifteen dinosaurs. He knew what they ate, how big they were, and where they’d lived.
As Liam asked more questions about the dinosaurs, Oscar became more excited. It should have made her happy that they got along so well, and it did. But it also made her a little wary. Liam wasn’t staying in Sapphire Bay, and she didn’t want Oscar or herself to get hurt.
“Can I get you some coffee, Liam?” she offered.
“Sure, if it’s no trouble.”
She poured him a cup and took both their cups across to the table. “Tell me about the cottages. All I know is they were vacation homes for the people who worked at the steamboat company.”
Liam opened the folder and took out a handwritten document and some old photographs. “Penny found a lot of interesting information about the history of the cottages. What’s in here are copies of everything she found. I have my own copy, so you can keep these.”
Chloe glanced through the pages, then looked up at Liam. “This is amazing. I didn’t know the cottages were used for soldiers during the first world war.”
“They were a small part of a larger convalescence hospital. There’s an old black-and-white photo showing at least thirty tents around the edge of Flathead Lake. Someone must have thought coming to Montana would help the soldiers’ recovery.”
“I’m not surprised they came here,” Chloe said softly. “Sapphire Bay must have felt like paradise after what they’d been through. Are you including this information in your book?”
Liam nodded. “The soldiers and the medical staff who came before them had an enormous impact on the people who lived around Flathead Lake. After hearing some of their stories fromtheir grandchildren, I had to include them in my book.” He took a sip of his coffee, then checked the time. “When did you want to leave for the café?”
Chloe glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Even though the café was only a few doors away, it always took longer to get out of the cottage than she thought it would. “We’d better leave soon.” She looked across at Oscar. “Sweetheart, can you brush your teeth?”
