She looked at me, thoughtful. “Thank you.”
I picked up the notepad again and slid it closer to her. “All right. If you’re organizing a Winter Carnival, we’re going to need to triage.”
Kitty leaned in, focus sharpening. “What do we start with?”
As we bent over the list together, her worry eased into determination. I could see it in the way she wrote, the way she asked questions instead of apologizing for not knowing answers.
And somewhere between vendor lists and microphone counts, I realized that volunteering hadn’t trapped me.
It hadgiven me an opportunity to get to know Kitty even better.
Chapter Eleven: Unleashing The Bennet Sisters
Kitty
The kitchen at the SnowDrop Inn had never been quiet, but that morning it had taken on a particular kind of hum. The kind that came from too many people doing too many things at once, all of them convinced they were helping.
I stood at the center of it with a mug of coffee I had not yet remembered to drink and a legal pad already half full of lists. The table was covered in papers, sticky notes, and one unfortunate plate of toast that no one seemed willing to claim.
Lucy sat at the far end, flipping through a stack of printed emails with the expression she usually reserved for poorly thought-out renovation plans. Jane had positioned herself near the counter, calmly sorting index cards into neat piles. Lydia hovered beside me, leaning over my shoulder and trying to read what I was reading. Meri occupied the only chair that had not been pulled close to the table, her book open in her lap, though she glanced up often enough that I knew she was listening.
Caleb stood near the sink, jacket draped over the back of a chair, sleeves rolled up, reading a vendor list with focused concentration. He had been there for almost half an hour already, and I was still not entirely sure how that had happened.
“All right,” I said, tapping my pen against the pad. “Let’s start with what we know. The Winter Carnival now includes the talent show, the skate night, the cocoa crawl, the cookie exchange, vendors, and snow sculpting.”
Lucy looked up. “When you say it like that, it sounds like a huge undertaking.”
“It feels like one,” I said.
Jane smiled gently. “We’ll break it down.”
“That’s what we’re doing,” I said, grateful. “Breaking it down into sections where it seems manageable.”
Lydia clapped her hands together. “This is exciting. It’s like you accidentally became the mayor.”
“I did not,” I said quickly. “Please don’t say that out loud. I am already doing enough.”
Meri turned a page. “Too late, I heard it and I secondthe nomination.”
Caleb cleared his throat softly to get our attention. Even though he had a sister, I had the feeling he was intimidated by the five of us all together.
“I made a rough equipment list,” he said, stepping closer and handing the paper to me. “This is everything we will need forsound across all the events. I can cover most of it from the shop, but I may need to borrow a few things for the larger spaces. I already know who I can get the equipment from, none of this will cost the town anything.”
I glanced at the list and felt my chest loosen a little. It was a huge part of the project just taken care of.
“This is amazing,” I said. “Thank you.”
He shrugged lightly. “It’s manageable when it’s written down.”
Lucy leaned over to look. “You’re a good influence.”
He smiled faintly. “Don’t tell anyone.”
Jane slid a stack of cards toward me. “These are the acts for the talent show. I sorted them by type and estimated time. I also have a tentative reject pile with contact names and numbers so we can call them up and let them know they just won’t suit a family friendly event.”
I stared at her. “You did that already.”
Jane nodded. “It seemed helpful.”
