CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE VERY NEXT MORNING,Bailey got an SOS text from Landon as she was walking Foxy Brown as part of her daily routine.
Have pity on us! Things have blown up
with Hattie. She’s waging war with all
of us and threatening to go to Vegas solo.
Can you come over?
Yikes.She wondered what had happened. Landon had seemed to believe that they had a little bit of time on their hands to have a family meeting with Hattie. Clearly something had shifted overnight. Although she knew Hattie was a tough customer, she’d never seen her the way Landon wasdescribing her friend. Maybe everything had crashed down around her regarding her illness and Hattie was lashing out.
I’ll be over as soon as I shower
and get dressed. See you soon.
Within twenty-five minutes, Bailey was parking outside of Hattie’s home. She noticed several other cars in the driveway. She imagined Hattie’s whole family was inside, trying to placate her. As soon as she reached the top step, the door swung open. Landon was standing there with a fatigued expression, dressed in an oatmeal-colored Irish sweater and sweats. He looked handsome and even more rugged than usual. She just wanted to stop and stare for a moment in silent appreciation.
“Thank God you’re here! We need reinforcements,” he said, panting as if he’d just run a marathon. “Come on in from the cold.” He waved her inside, where it was toasty and warm.
Stepping into the house, she immediately smelled the intoxicating aroma of chocolate chip cookies. Bailey would know that smell anywhere. They happened to be her favorite, something she indulged in a few times a week.
“Let me take your coat,” Landon said, standing behind her and helping her pull it off.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Your message sounded frantic.” She studied Landon’s expression. His face was creased with strain as he hung her coat up in the closet.
He turned back to face her. “That pretty much describes the situation,” Landon told her, wincing. “Hattie is on a rampage. That’s the crux of it.”
“Jacques only called everyone over here after he and Hattie got into it. I could hear the racket all morning. She demanded to know the plans for going to Vegas, and he admitted that he didn’t think it was a good idea.” Landon rolled his eyes. “Then all hell broke loose. I tried to calm her down. My dad came over and tried to talk to her. Then Xavier and Caleb, along with Sophia and True. She just spiraled and started accusing everyone of trying to derail her bucket list.”
Bailey’s heart was breaking a little for Hattie. Although it probably appeared as if she was being difficult, Bailey thought she was really rebelling against the idea of not being able to leave her life on her own terms.
“I think it’s important that everyone understands that this isn’t really about Vegas. It’s about her having control over her life and feeling it slipping away from her.”
“I think you’re right,” Landon said. “You’re really good at reading people, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know about that, but I relate to her on some level. And I’ve known Hattie for a very long time. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone who’s fiercer and more independent than she is. This may very well be the first time in her life that she’s ever been frightened of anything, even if she doesn’t admit it.”
“Now I feel bad,” he said, looking down. “She’s such a force of nature that I believed her when she said she’d accepted that time was running out.” He scoffed. “How could anyone ever truly accept that?”
She reached out and touched his arm. “Don’t feel that way. Your love for your grandmother is so epic and wonderful. You’re just trying to take care of her. On some level,I’m sure she understands that.” She leaned in and gave him a hug. Bailey could tell that he needed one right now. Human comfort and contact were soothing.
Who was she kidding? She needed it too. Being in Landon’s arms and feeling his rock-solid chest against her was a safe haven. More and more she found herself leaning on him, not just for companionship, but for comfort from the storms of life. He was making everything better, especially this difficult time of year. Because of him she wanted to get past her dislike of Christmas, because she knew now that it really didn’t have anything to do with the holiday. It was about loss and her family and missing her dad.
“Landon,” she said, a little bit breathless. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. “I came up with an idea, something that I think will pacify and maybe even delight Hattie.”
“What did you come up with? Because we’re on the ropes here, and it’s not looking good.”
“Okay, it’s a partial plan. I don’t have any idea as to how to make her want to stay in Moose Falls as opposed to going to Vegas, but what if we bring Vegas to her?” She saw a look of confusion on Landon’s face.
“Hear me out. We get a venue and decorate it Vegas style, get some slot machines and some blackjack tables. We can really do it up, maybe even at the tavern if it’s okay with True. We could do something special and give her that feeling of being a high roller right here in Moose Falls.
“And maybe we could charge everyone admission to get in, and the proceeds could go to a medical center to help others with kidney disease or any other chronic condition. Maybe that’s the angle. How she’s always been a philanthropist atheart, so knowing that we will be making a donation toward a great cause might help her with any disappointment she feels about Vegas.”
As Bailey talked, she saw it all coming together in her head. She could really see Northern Exposure transformed into a Vegas casino for one night only. It would take them a lot of work to get it done, but she believed that they could do it and surprise Hattie.
Landon let out a surprised sound. “You’re a genius, Bailey. Seriously. This is a fantastic idea. It may not exactly be the Vegas she had in mind, but she’s going to love it all the same.”
