“I can’t wait to explore the town.” Anna pushed her feet back into her boots. “It looked so pretty driving through.”
Erica looked guilty. “Better than Boston.”
“Boston will be great, too. I love Boston. I’m excited about Boston. We will have had the best of both worlds.”
Claudia wondered if Anna was laying it on a bit thick; they all knew Anna only loved Boston for very short trips, but Erica seemed grateful.
“I know what a big sacrifice this is.” Her voice was thickened. “I saw your faces when I pulled up outside the inn. You both fell in love with the place. And I’m making you leave.”
“You’re not making us,” Anna said. “We’re the ones suggesting it.”
“Right.” Erica gave a wan smile and reached for her purse and her car keys. “Let’s go. And hope we don’t bump into Hattie on the way out.”
Claudia hoped for that, too. The last encounter had been awkward, to say the least.
They slunk out like criminals, all relieved that there was no sign of Hattie as they walked out of the inn.
Claudia glanced back at the inn and felt an inexplicable sense of loss. The place was tugging at her, in a way that nowhere ever had before.
But friendship sometimes required sacrifice, and this was a sacrifice she was prepared to make for Erica. What would she have done in Erica’s position? It was impossible to say. Her family was boringly normal. She called her parents weekly, and they met up for all the key holidays if they were in the country. After Claudia had left home, her parents, taking advantage of their empty-nest status, had expressed their intention of traveling, and since then they’d done exactly that. They took two major trips a year, and much of their remaining time was spent in the planning.
It was snowing again, so instead of walking they trudged through the deepening snow to Erica’s car and took the road back into town.
She managed to park on the street, right outside a gift store with festive windows and pretty lights. Next to it was a café, its windows misted from warmth and conversation, and farther down the street was the bookstore. Wreaths hung on doorways and greenery was wrapped around lampposts, until the whole place was a blur of festive green and red against a background of softly falling snow.
The place was bustling. Some of them locals, Claudia thought, but a large chunk of them tourists who posed for selfies in front of windows decorated with snowflakes and fairy lights.
“This place is ridiculously quaint.” Anna pulled out her phone and took a few photos. “Let’s have one of the three of us as a reminder of this visit.”
Was that a good idea? Was Erica going to want to remember this when they left, or did she want to put the whole thing behind her?
Erica backed away. “You know I hate photographs.”
“Just one. As a memento for me.” Anna slipped her arm through Erica’s and pulled her close as she raised her arm to take the photograph. “I promise not to post it anywhere. Or add a filter that makes you look like a rabbit. Smile.”
Erica bared her teeth. “How did I come to have such sentimental friends?”
“Because you have good taste. Also, we’re not easy to shake off because we like you.” Anna slipped the phone back into her pocket but kept her arm through Erica’s. “Now the question is am I going to visit that little store with the lights and garlands selling gingerbread, or am I going to head straight to the bookstore? Choices, choices.”
“In normal circumstances I could be tempted by gingerbread,” Claudia said, “but before we left I happened to glance at the menu for this evening—professional interest, you understand—and now I’m saving myself.” She’d thought the menu was a little fussy, but she knew Chef Tucker by reputation and was interested to taste his food.
“How about mulled cider?” Anna gasped and pointed farther down the street. “There’s a sleigh ride! Shall we take a sleigh ride?”
“Are you six years old? We’re not taking a sleigh ride. Look at the queue of kids. It would be mean to take up a turn.”
They walked along the street and Anna stopped in front of the window of a boutique.
“That sweater is gorgeous. Slightly sparkly and such a pretty shade of blue.”
“You do not need another sweater.” Claudia tugged at her arm. “You already have too many sweaters.”
“It isn’t possible to have too many sweaters.”
“We agreed to visit the bookstore.”
“Fine.” Anna allowed them to move her on. “But if someone buys that sweater in the meantime I might have to kill you.”
Erica guided them both toward the bookstore and pushed open the door.
A bell rang, and they stepped into warmth and the scent of cinnamon and cloves.
Claudia unwrapped her scarf from her neck, thinking that there was nothing better than the scents of winter. If she ever owned her own restaurant—a girl could dream, couldn’t she?—she’d pay attention to atmosphere. The place she’d worked in California had been sleek and modern with acres of glass. Claudia had sometimes felt as if she was working in a dental office. As far as she was concerned a meal in a restaurant wasn’t just about the food; it was about the whole experience and that included the people and the atmosphere.
“Welcome.” The woman standing behind the counter gave them a friendly smile. She was wearing a reindeer sweater and a pair of glittering earrings shaped like Christmas trees. “You’ve picked the right place to warm up. We have a wide range of books and we serve the best hot chocolate in town. Whipped cream and cinnamon, no extra charge.”
“I’m in.” Claudia stuffed her scarf into her bag. “This place is cute.”
“Thank you. It’s my grandmother’s store, but she had a fall recently so she’s not here as much as she’d like.” The woman placed a fresh stack of bookmarks on the countertop. “This place was her dream and she loves it as much now as she did when she set it up all those years ago.”
“I can see why.” Anna unbuttoned her coat and glanced around her. “I need to buy gifts for the twins and Pete. Looks as if I might get lucky here.”
“I hope so, but if not, I’m sure you’ll find something in one of the other stores. You’ve picked the perfect week to visit. It’s our Christmas Fair. From tomorrow there will be stalls along Main Street, and there’s a competition for who has the most festive store window. Take a look at Gaynor’s Gifts just along the street to your right. She has a good eye. Her jewelry is always a hit with teenagers. And now I’ll leave you to browse. Each room is themed. There’s crime, romance, biography, history, poetry, literature—I’ll let you explore. I’m Judie. If you need help, shout.”
Anna thanked her and immediately headed to the romance section.
Claudia stayed close to Erica, who was staring at the bookshelf closest to the door.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m not sure.” Erica lowered her voice. “I can’t stop thinking about her. She lives here. This is her life. Does she come into this bookstore, do you think? Does she wear jewelry from Gaynor’s Gifts?”