<< Go Back

Amy's Christmas Wish

By Seralynn Lewis

Order Now!

With twenty minutes to spare and no damaged baked goods, Amy Dillon’s face broke into a huge grin.
Excitement thrummed through her body as she slammed her new customized van’s sliding side door and balanced the three oversized boxes of breakfast pastries in her arms. The November wind whipped the tendrils that escaped her ever-present ponytail into her face on this cold Friday morning. She’d return for the pies and cakes after she dropped her load inside.
Her new bakery logo and her family’s B&B painted on the side of the vehicle made her giddy.
She had been baking pastries, pies, tarts, and cakes not only for the Countryside Diner, but for other cafes and restaurants in Worthy, Ohio, for several years. She’d built a sizable clientele even though she handled the management of her family’s B&B when she wasn’t baking.
The diner’s back door flew open, and the short-order cook smiled and took the top two boxes. The clanging of dishes and cutlery from the good-sized dining room beyond the kitchen told her the breakfast crowd had not yet waned.
Her head cocked in the door's direction. “I have four more boxes in the van.”
The cook looked past her, and his eyes grew wide. “That van is awesome.”
She beamed and placed the other box on the small table in the corner. “Isn’t it a beaut? The dealership customized it, so I don’t have to worry about baked goods sliding around in traffic.”
“Good thing you’re here. It’s Friday, and we already sold out of the scones and the cheese danishes. The customers clean us out almost every single day.” He shook his head and stepped to the grill, where the aroma of sizzling bacon assailed her senses.
“That’s good news.” She motioned to his domain and took a deep sniff. “It smells scrumptious in here.” She could almost taste the salty goodness of the diner’s famous BLT sandwich.
He gave her a nod in acknowledgment of one chef to another. “Did you see where that apartment complex across town burned to the ground?”
“I saw heard it on the news this morning. So sad. And right before the holidays.” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine losing my home at Christmas time.”
The diner’s owner, Georgia Henry, strode through the swinging doors and bustled to her. “It was sad. It’s all they’re talking about this morning. Thankfully, everyone got out and no one was hurt.” She tipped her head toward the dining room. “I’m so glad you’re early because a few of our regulars were bummed we were out of their favorites.” She grabbed two of the boxes and held them in the air. “Let me take these out to the hungry hordes and I’ll be right back. Don’t leave. I need to talk to you.”
Georgia was out the door before Amy could ask if the order was OK. With a tiny grimace, she went back to the van and got the three pie boxes and the decadent chocolate mousse cake. By the time she returned, Georgia stood in the doorway and retrieved the other boxes and handed them off to the servers.
Amy’s forehead creased. “Is there anything wrong with the order?”
“Why would you think that?” Georgia placed one hand on her hip and the other fluttered to the dining room as Amy closed the door behind her. “If anything, with the holidays coming, I need to increase the quantity and frequency. Let’s talk in my office.”
She gave her a winning smile. “You know how much I love the Christmas season. Lead on.”
Her friend grabbed two cups and a carafe of coffee and led the way through a short, semi-lit corridor to the diner’s office. She always marveled at the spacious room compared to the narrow hallway. It had been revamped since Georgia’s husband died a few years back.
Amy could understand the need to redecorate. When Gram died five years ago, she’d done the same thing. Her childhood home, the second-floor carriage apartment behind her family’s B&B, had never been remodeled since she and her brothers came to live with their grandparents all those years ago.
Georgia filled the cups, sat next to her instead of behind the desk, and sipped her coffee. “I haven’t taken a break in hours. I think every person in town wanted to eat out today even though it’s cold and damp outside.”
“With your great comfort food, it doesn’t surprise me. Christmas will be upon us before we know it and even more people will be out and about.” She pulled out her phone and opened Notes. “Talk to me about what you had in mind for the changes in your order.”
“I dislike running out and disappointing my customers. Especially the regulars. And since you bake for other places, I’d rather they bought their baked goods from me.”
She bristled and frowned. “I’d love to distribute just to the diner, but I don’t have a choice, Georgia. The B&B is a money pit. You know that.”
“I don’t expect you to bake just for the diner. I know it’s business and I know the situation. Your grandmother supplied us with her baked goods for years.” Her friend’s eyebrows pulled together at the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, though. I’m not increasing my order because I feel sorry for you. We want your baked goods on hand for everyone to enjoy.”
At her words, Amy’s heart dropped. There was something she wasn’t saying. Something important.
“Why would I get the wrong idea?”
“You know I’m not one to gossip.”
“Of course not. Aside from my grandmother, you’re the most loving woman I’ve ever met. You and Vic were my rocks when Gram died. You both prayed for me when I fell apart. And your husband gave me great counsel on the B&B and my baking business as well.”
“I don’t know if it’s anything, but I wanted to give you a head’s up.” Her friend got up and went around the desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a piece of paper. “But before we get into that, here’s what I need from now on.”
Suddenly, the anticipation for a bigger order from her friend left her cold. She took the paper and glanced at it while Georgia pulled her chair closer, sat, and leaned in.
Amy couldn’t take another blow. She’d had too many in her life. Her brother, Charlie, and Gram’s final resting place in Worthy cemetery caused her heart to ache and something awful to twist in her stomach. What possible news could Georgia have?
Her friend folded her arms across her dark blue apron. “Don’t give me that look. It could be nothing.”
“So, what is it?”
“Before I tell you, I want you to know I’ve prayed long and hard whether I should say anything. I watched you blossom from a gangly teenager to a confident and successful young woman. You’re like a daughter, and I can’t let you find out from someone else.”
Tension filled the air. The once serene blues, grays, and soft yellows of the office decor now caused her distress. Even the comforting smell of Georgia’s coffee couldn’t dispel her angst. She swallowed the lump in her throat and words stalled in her mouth.
“About ten days ago, a guy came in. He was fairly handsome––”
“You’re not trying to set me up, are you?” She narrowed her eyes. “Because I’m not in the least bit interested.”
“Let me finish.” Georgia huffed and looked away. “Anyway, he seemed like a city guy. Had a polished look about him and a cultured way of talking. You know what I mean?”
She nodded because she recognized the kind of person Georgia described. Many of her guests looked and talked just like that.
“He sat at the out-of-the-way back booth and held the phone to his ear. I was on my way to the dining room from the back hallway, and he faced the other way and didn’t see me. Anyway, I overheard him say how enthralled he was with our small town and wanted whoever was on the other end of the line to find land to build a new boutique hotel.”
Amy’s hands shook and her breathing came out in snatches. She had just made some headway with the B&B and her baking––and now this. Her early Christmas present to herself should have waited. The new delivery van might have to be sold.
Georgia stood and wrapped her arms around Amy’s shoulders from behind. “Listen to me. It could be nothing.”
The smell of her friend’s hand lotion comforted her. “This sleepy small town has grown in the past few years, and I should have seen this coming.”
“Yes, it has, and we both have benefitted from it.”
She turned toward her good friend. “Not as much as I’d have liked.”
Georgia sighed. “If it is true, a new hotel will take time to build and a B&B is more distinct, anyway. More homey and intimate. Some people prefer that. A new hotel might even push more business your way.”
“I can’t see it happening. I own an old family residence, and until last year guests were given skeleton keys. That monster takes a pretty penny to maintain. Every year there’s a new wrinkle that crops up and needs attention.”
“Surely Bryan would help you.”
“No.” Her voice took on a strident tone, and she cringed. Then she blew out a breath. “Gram left the B&B to me, not to my brother and me. It’s my responsibility.”
Her younger brother already had given her so much financially and she wouldn’t burden him with anything else, nor would she tell Georgia how much help her brother had already been.
“OK. Maybe the guy won’t find the land. If he does, you have some time to plan.”
“With the holidays around the corner, I’ll be hard pressed to think about a new hotel coming to town. In June, I hired a gal who goes to our church to help with the B&B, so I’d have more time to bake. You know Samantha Jacobs?
A smile lit her friend’s face. “Sure do.”
“Unfortunately, Sam started back to school so her hours are limited now so I won’t be able to research what I can do.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s taking business classes at OSU and might even give you some fresh ideas for the old place.”
She couldn’t possibly let her only employee go weeks before Christmas.
“Maybe.”
A sharp rap on the door shattered the few seconds of silence, then it opened.
“Sorry. The lunch crowd came in and we’re getting busy out there, Georgia,” a server said.
Her friend took a deep breath. “I need to get back to the dining room, but I’ll stop by your place Sunday afternoon, and we’ll pray about it.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll see myself out and take a closer look at your order.”
She left the diner’s warmth with her chin tucked to her chest. Tears threatened, but she stiffened her back and got in the van. A boutique hotel would not break her, and her family’s legacy would live on.
Now if she could only believe she could do it.
***
Zeke Parker should have reconsidered moving back to his hometown of Worthy after he left the military. A vacation to South Carolina’s Edisto Beach State Park for a week of solitude to fish and hike seemed like a good idea. Now, not so much.
He chose November to avoid the late summer and early fall crowds. He needed a break from the strain to hear and read lips to decipher small talk.
The water rippled as he cast his line into the water. The chilly day, coupled with the rains, allowed him to have fish every night. He could almost taste the freshness of today’s catch, but the wind had picked up and the bite in the air caused a shiver to race down his spine.
He grimaced. He’d become such a drag… and a scrooge. Even his old boss, Eric, recognized he wasn’t happy and forced him to consider another job and introduced him to Rob, so now he’d be pounding nails outdoors rather than installing security devices indoors. He recognized he couldn’t do construction forever, either.
As much as his conscience pricked him about leaving, it had been the right decision. Winters Security had been a haven, but he had doubts about the new job. Neither Eric nor Rob had such reservations.
Where had the week gone? Thursday had come too soon, and it was his last day before he returned to Worthy in the morning. What he couldn’t face was his empty apartment and the loss. First his best friend, Charlie Dillon, then his mom, and then the Dillon kids’ Gram, who had treated him as if he were one of her own grandchildren.
He longed to have the close relationship he’d had years ago with the remaining Dillon kids, but he’d killed it.
A burst of red and blue to his left caught his attention rather than their screams of joy. Three boys and a girl in puffy jackets ran past him to the beach next to his fishing spot on the pier. They reminded him of his youthful days with the Dillons when they were kids. Their father ambled along behind them.
His thoughts turned to his childhood friends. He’d never explained what went down all those years ago and he hadn’t seen any way to get their relationship back to the way it had been.
“Catch anything?” The father pointed to his bucket.
He hadn’t heard the guy but gave a tiny smile and lifted the two good-sized fish to show off his catch. The last thing he wanted was a conversation with a stranger or more reminders of his lost relationship with the Dillon family. Thankfully, the children caught the man’s attention, and he moved toward them.
The kids frolicked in the sand while Zeke reeled in his line and grabbed the fish bucket. Watching those youngsters play only made him more maudlin than he already was. Maybe he should just drive home to Worthy today.
No. He had fish to cook, and he wanted a good night’s sleep for the ten-hour drive to Ohio in the morning. If nothing else, the trip had refreshed his body despite his mind veering in every direction possible including the dread of the upcoming Christmas season when loneliness would overcome him.
The crisp air, coastal winds, and good food tired him, and he slept soundly for the first time since he’d gotten there. He awoke at seven-thirty, much later than his usual four-thirty.
He needed to get on the road, so he packed his truck and made a last sweep of the small place.
The cabin keys clinked into the drop box, and he sat in his truck for a few minutes while he waited for his cell phone to boot. He’d turned it off and shoved it into the glove box when he arrived. He wanted a distraction-free trip with no telephones, internet, or television.
Nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. He hadn’t considered his mind would focus on his problems. It was a mistake, and he should have chosen somewhere else to go.
Man, he needed coffee. He let out a huge yawn and rolled his shoulders and hoped there was a place without too long of a wait along the way.
His phone blew up. What the heck? A dozen voicemails scrolled by. Some from Bryan, Charlie’s little brother, a few from Eric, and a whole slew from his landlord.
He became more and more agitated as he heard message after message. He had to get back to his place in Worthy.
Fire had claimed his dumpy apartment building late last night. And he wasn’t sure if there was anything left. On top of all his other issues, now he was homeless. He should have left yesterday, but cringed when he recognized he might have been sleeping when the fire broke out. With his hearing loss, he might not have made it out of there alive.
A gallon of coffee, two fast-food meals, and several phone calls later, he rolled into the parking lot of the burned-out shell of his apartment building. All forty units had been evacuated and damaged badly. The place was a total loss.
His landlord had been frantic to reach him. Well, here he was. Safe and sound. Safe maybe, but sound? Forget it.
The acrid smell of burnt plastic and old timber filled his nostrils. Not even the brisk early evening air relieved the bitterness that filled his soul. God, why have you abandoned me?
His landlord jumped out of his vehicle and quick stepped over to Zeke’s truck. “I’m so glad you’re OK. When I couldn’t reach you last night, I panicked.”
He frowned at his landlord, who wasn’t a long-lost friend, and Zeke hadn’t wanted to explain why he’d been incommunicado. “What happened? Was anyone hurt?”
The man shivered. “No one was injured, thank God. One tenant tried to use water to put out a grease fire. Wrong move.”
“Can I go in and see if there’s anything left of my stuff?”
“No one is allowed in yet. The fire chief thinks nothing is salvageable between the heat of the blaze and the water. He warned there are still smoldering pockets and they could reignite.”
His landlord looked worried that Zeke would disregard the warning and, to be honest, he’d considered it.
“It’s unsafe.” The man took a stance in front of him.
His most treasured possessions were in the fireproof box under the truck’s seat, so those were safe, and his laptop was in his backpack behind the seat. At least some of his most important possessions survived the fire. The rest could be replaced.
“This is just great. Almost everything I owned was in that apartment.” He gave a frustrated huff and motioned to his unit.
“I’m very sorry. My insurance company insisted I hire guards to minimize looting. Hope you had renter’s insurance.”
The owner didn’t look like he was sorry at all. Zeke and his neighbors had sent a half-dozen letters about the apartment complex’s issues that needed to be addressed, but the landlord had ignored their pleas.
“Already called them and got voicemail. I have to call back on Monday.”
A crummy start to the weekend and he’d have to find a hotel until he could find another likewise dumpy apartment. And he’d have to buy new stuff. He could always scour online secondhand swap sites and flea markets when the time came.
Almost all the furniture and household goods had belonged to his mother. When the Army discharged him, he tried to recreate his childhood home. But it hadn’t worked. Nothing was the same, and except what was in his safe deposit box, he hadn’t been attached to any of it.
While he had some money in savings, most of his military salary had been invested. It was late fall and there wasn’t much work, so he had to conserve what funds he had. He hadn’t expected he’d have to buy new furniture, and spending time in a drab hotel room––after losing almost everything––held little appeal.
His landlord looked like he wanted to be anywhere but squaring off with one of his tenants. “I wanted to make sure you were OK.”
“I’m fine.” His phone vibrated in his pocket. “I have to take this. Thanks for meeting me.”
The odious landlord eyed him warily. “I’ll be in touch when it’s safe to go inside.”
Zeke nodded and moved away to avoid further conversation with the man.
“Bryan. Thanks for returning my call,” he said, as he got in his truck and started the engine.
“Where are you?”
He drew a hand through his long hair and rubbed his jaw. He needed a haircut and a shave. “I’m at my non-existent apartment.”
“Anything salvageable?”
“Couldn’t get in. Too dangerous. Doesn’t matter, anyway. Most of it was my mother’s.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Bryan had his best friend’s voice. It was comforting and painful at the same time. Zeke had never told Bryan he sounded like his older brother, Charlie, and Zeke probably never would.
“Listen, it’s not much, but I have a sofa in the living room you’re welcome to until you figure out your situation.”
As much as he hadn’t wanted to be an imposition, the invitation was a balm to his weary soul, and he’d take it.
“You sure it’ll be OK? With Amy and all?”
“Amy is… Amy, you know? She’ll come around. Come on over. I just ordered a super-sized pizza with the works.”
As much as it would pain him to see his old friend and his sister, he needed the comfort of a place he knew. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
He pulled into the B&B’s full parking lot. Cars were parked in their designated spots. Amy liked order, and he’d always admired that about her. But her car was nowhere in sight.
Bryan opened the door and helped him unload. “Listen… There’s not enough parking right now, so if you could park your truck down the street at Gus’s station and walk back through the woods, I’d appreciate it. And I’m sorry.”
“Are you sure about this? I mean, doesn’t the B&B and the carriage house belong to your sister?”
“Yeah, but you’re visiting me, not her.”
He was desperate to not check into a hotel, but he had to be sure it was OK to stay. The thought of Amy’s mouthwatering pastries was too much for him to refuse. His stomach let out a ferocious growl.
Bryan laughed and punched him in the arm. “I should have ordered two pizzas. Don’t worry about my sister, it’ll be fine. God is in control.”
He ignored the latter part of Bryan’s comment.
Zeke had left his faith behind when Charlie died. “That pie should be enough for both of us.”
They quickly unloaded his stuff, and he drove to the gas station. The owner had taught him and his best friend, Charlie, how to keep their vehicles running in tip-top shape. His older model truck would be safe in this neighborhood.
He winced at hiding from his best friend’s little sister, but he needed a sense of home again. That’s what he’d been missing.
Time to face the music… And Amy.

Order Now!

<< Go Back