Home for the Holidays (21 page)

“I can’t be late getting back to the city, either,” Laura said. “I’m throwing a Christmas party for all my clients on Monday. Half my winter budget went into catering and renting a banquet hall, and the deposits are nonrefundable.”

“All I want is to go home and
sleep
through Christmas,” Allan said. “But I promised my wife that we’d drive up to
see my nephew on Christmas Eve. He’s a Marine who has been stationed overseas and he’s only going to be home on leave for a week.”

Ted added his concern, explaining that he and his wife were looking forward to spending their first Christmas together.

Jane felt sorry for the four of them. “I’ll call the tour company as soon as we get back to the house.” Mentally she crossed her fingers. “I’m sure they’ll be able to find a replacement van soon.”

After thanking Rose for a wonderful experience, the group went with Jane to Grace Chapel Inn. Even with the car heater running on high, the piercing cold stole everyone’s breath away, and by the time they pulled up into the driveway to the inn, a light snow had begun falling.

“Please come into the parlor,” Jane told her thoroughly chilled guests as she led them in that direction. “Ted, if you’ll turn up the thermostat over by the curio cabinet there, I’ll go and make hot drinks and snacks for everyone.”

Allan sneezed. “Would you make mine hot tea with lemon, if you have it, Ms. Howard? My throat is starting to feel a bit raw.”

“Of course. Here.” She picked up a woven plaid blanket and handed it to Allan. “Wrap this around you and take the recliner over there by the heater. It’s the warmest and most comfortable spot in the house.”

Edwina volunteered to help Jane and went with her to the kitchen. “I would admire your beautiful home, but I think my eyelashes are frozen together,” she joked.

“So are mine. When they defrost, I’ll probably look around and realize we’re in someone else’s kitchen.” Jane put the kettle on to boil and raided the refrigerator for appropriate offerings. “Whoever she is, she has great taste in vegetables.”

Edwina laughed. “Are your sisters at home?”

“No. Alice and Louise are visiting the children’s ward at the hospital over in Potterston this evening with our pastor. They throw a Christmas party every year for the kids who can’t go home for the holidays.”

“The poor dears. You know something, though, I think Max went with them,” Edwina said and glanced back at the kitchen door before she added in a lower voice, “I saw him leave the hotel this morning and he was carrying a Santa Claus costume.” She giggled.

“No way!” Jane said. “Big Grumpy Max played Santa for the kids?”

The schoolteacher nodded. “I think he might have had some persuasion from that nice pastor of yours.”

Jane shook her head in amused disbelief. “I’m beginning to think our pastor could take over a small country if he really wanted to.”

Edwina rubbed her hands together and then warmed
them briefly over the stove top. “If it’s a warm country, I want to go with him.”

The two women worked companionably together until they had a tray of ham and turkey finger sandwiches and strong, hot tea prepared for the group. Jane set the light repast out on the big dining room table while Edwina went to collect everyone. She came back with Ted and Laura, but not Allan.

“Allan’s allergy tablets kicked in and he fell asleep in the chair by the fireplace,” she explained. “I have the room next to his at our hotel, so I know the poor man was up all last night coughing and sneezing. I thought it best not to disturb him.”

“Good idea. We’ll let him nap until the driver arrives.” Jane excused herself from the group to check the answering machine, but there were no messages.

She turned in time to see Alice, Louise and Max come through the inn door. All three had snow on their coats and hats, and more swirled in behind them on a rush of wind before Alice closed the door.

“Hey, you’re just in time for a late supper,” Jane said as she came around from behind the reception desk. “I’ve got sandwiches and hot tea in the dining room.”

“Bless you, dear, that sounds like just the thing.” Louise shed her coat and hung it on the bentwood rack to dry and
then heard voices from the dining room. “Has someone stopped by to visit? I didn’t see any car but yours.”

“I brought the tour group home with me,” Jane said. “Their van broke down and the driver asked me to look after them while he gets a replacement vehicle.” She related the rest of what the driver had told her as she accompanied her sisters and Max to the dining room. “I think we should work on finding some alternative transportation,” she added in a low voice, meant for Louise’s ears only.

“Let me look into that.” Louise poured herself a cup of tea and took it and a sandwich with her to the front desk.

Once Max had sat down at the table, Jane coaxed Alice out to the kitchen. “So? What happened?”

“Pastor Thompson got Max to play Santa for the kids,” her older sister told her. “Something about a signed baseball pennant of some sort.”

“That man knows way too much about temptation.” Jane nodded toward the dining room. “How did it go with Santa in there?”

“It was an amazing thing to watch, Jane. He’s such a big, loud man, and yet he was so gentle and kind to the children.” Alice rolled her eyes. “Then he swore Louise and me to secrecy about it. He doesn’t want the others to know for some reason.”

“Edwina suspects him, but I don’t believe the others
know.” Jane thought that she understood why. She personally felt that doing things for others was the important thing, not taking credit for doing them. Max probably felt the same way. “Ruins his gruff, old businessman image, though, doesn’t it?”

“Totally wrecked it for me.” Alice took Jane’s hands in hers. “This is partly your fault, you know. It was your suggestion about treating him like a cranky patient that led to this.”

Jane thought about the phone call that she was expecting at any minute and squeezed her sister’s hands. “Here’s hoping it leads to a lot more.”

Louise first contacted the tour company, whose service manager was working on subcontracting a bus to pick up and take the five visitors home. Unfortunately, it wasn’t looking very promising.

“This tour was the last of the season. All of our other minivans have been sent upstate for annual maintenance,” the manager told her. “We’re hoping to obtain a suitable vehicle from one of the regional car rental companies, but you know what it’s like at this time of night and with the holiday coming up. They don’t have anything available.”

“I sympathize with your dilemma, but you are responsible for these people,” Louise said, feeling a little alarmed at how casual the man sounded.

“I’ll see if I can get someone to make a run out there and take them over to their hotel for the night.”

“That will not be necessary. My sisters and I will be happy to drive them back.” She sighed. “You are not going to leave them in that hotel for the holidays, are you?”

“At this point, ma’am, I really can’t say. I’m doing the best I can,” he said. “That’s all anyone can expect.”

Louise, who had hoped for better results, ended the call and sighed in frustration. It was possible that the group could call relatives, but she hated the idea of people driving out to Grace Chapel Inn during the night and under such nasty weather conditions. The roads were sure to be very icy within the next hour.

After thinking for a minute, she remembered a local travel agent with whom she had often done business. Louise thought that she probably would not object to being called at home, so she picked up the phone and dialed the agent’s number. She explained the situation and asked for the other woman’s advice.

“I know that tour company. They’re reputable, but they have a small operation, so don’t expect any miracles from them.”

Louise silently counted to ten. “Is there any alternative that I can offer to these people?”

“Let me see what’s open.” The agent checked her computer, and confirmed that all of the seats on trains and
buses were sold out until December 28. “I can put your group on a waiting list for any seats that become available and check the independent charter services.”

“That would be immensely helpful, Janice, thank you.” She looked up to see Laura Lattimer approaching.

“Don’t thank me yet, Louise,” Janice told her. “It’s a long shot. I think you might want to prepare those folks for the worst-case scenario. They might not be going home for Christmas.”

Louise closed her eyes briefly. The very last thing she wanted was to leave these people in an unfamiliar hotel for the holidays, but surely no one would expect her and her sisters to look after them.

Since Laura was listening, she simply thanked the agent and ended the call. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me that the bus driver is on his way here to pick us up.”

Louise wasn’t going to tell her how bleak the situation looked. “The tour company is still making the arrangements, so my sisters and I will be taking your group back to your hotel.”

Laura must have seen something in her expression, however, for she planted her hands on her hips. “They’re going to dump us here, aren’t they? No, don’t bother to answer. I’m calling my attorney. This time, I’m suing. By the
time I get through, I will
own
that tour company.” She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and stalked off.

Louise took a sip of her tea, which had grown cold. Hope was fading fast, and she did not relish the prospect of telling the group that they faced the possibility of being stranded.

She should not have to be the one to tell them. She should be enjoying her vacation with her sisters.
I knew this would turn out to be a disaster. I knew it, and I went ahead and let myself be drawn into it
.

For a moment she felt like calling her sisters together and giving them both a good talking-to. It was one thing to help people, but quite another to be made responsible for them. She should never have let Jane and Alice get involved with this group.

Her Bible sat on the desk next to the phone, with the bookmark where she had left off reading the night before. At the time, she had been thinking of Eliot and missing him. She picked it up and opened it to Philippians 4:6–7, a verse that had always given her such comfort, and began to read.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I know You understand, Lord. I suspect You have been mankind’s
travel agent from the minute Adam and Eve left the Garden. But why is this happening to us? We deserved our vacation and we gave up part of it to help these people. Was that not enough?
A fresh surge of resentment welled up inside her.
When is it enough, Lord?

She continued to read the chapter through the thirteenth verse, hoping it would dispel some of the anger and resentment she felt.

“I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Louise had gradually been blessed with contentment after a time of loneliness and despair, thanks to her sisters and the Lord. It was that contentment that she wanted to guard and not have disturbed by these five strangers. She had always felt very strongly that holidays were for family.

Resentment still twisted inside her, unwilling to let go. The sensible thing to do would be to take them back to their hotel and let them sort out what to do by themselves. Laura Lattimer would definitely enjoy shouting at the company employees and at her attorney over the phone. But the group was not responsible for what had happened to them and they would probably not have any better luck than she had had in finding transportation.

They would have to make the best of it. Max had no one to go home to, so he would probably not care much. Edwina struck Louise as the type of woman who could whip up a Christmas party with some chips and candy bars from a vending machine; she would look after Allan. The never-satisfied Laura had her cellular phone, pending lawsuit and electronic gadgets to keep her busy. Even Ted could use the time to sort out how he wanted to put together his portfolio.

The hotel would see to their physical needs and they had telephones. They could call and speak to their families. That would have to be enough.

Louise glanced at her calendar. The group was supposed to leave for home the next day, so all they would need to do was extend their reservations. She froze as a thought occurred to her.

If
they could be extended.

All week Louise had been turning down requests for accommodations from people coming to Potterston for two conventions and a regional parade—not to mention the usual travelers arriving to visit their relatives in the area.

Quickly she dialed the hotel in Potterston and asked to be connected to the reservations clerk, who confirmed her worst fears.