Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,60
at his usual table over by the front counter. She waved and walked over to an empty table. Carol brought her a cup of coffee and then went to greet newcomers.
Every story Katie heard, every person she met, every special event ever planned in this town, seemed to somehow always lead back to this diner.
Even the time capsule had a connection to this place, and the magic snow globe and…
She laughed out loud. Truth was stranger than fiction. No one would ever believe all of this was true.
As she reached for her nearly empty cup of coffee again, Carol appeared at her side. “Warm-up?”
“Absolutely. Thank you.” She tapped her hand on her blue notebook, which remained closed on the table next to her as she daydreamed about all she’d learned and witnessed here in this town. Her phone rang. Mom again. It was the second time in an hour. She was most definitely checking up on that article.
Katie casually ignored the call and turned her attention back to her coffee. “That’s plenty,” she said. “Thanks.”
“No breakfast this morning? Or maybe a kringle or something sweet?”
“No, thank you. I ate at the inn.” She placed a hand over her tummy. “I’m almost afraid to step on the scale when I get back home. I’ve eaten more the last couple of weeks than I should have.”
Carol set the decanter on the table and took a seat across from her. “Did you get your article done?”
“Technically? Yes. I wrote what I thought would work, but I’m hoping for a few more fresh ideas today to help finish up.”
“If we can help, just let us know. It’d be our pleasure. Joe and I could talk about this place twenty-four seven.”
“It truly is your life’s work, isn’t it?”
Carol’s serene smile was answer enough. “Yeah. Yes, it is. It may seem like just a job, and not a fancy one at that, but we love being a part of these people’s lives. Sure, the food brings them back in, but the relationships we’ve built are special. I wish everyone had the chance to live the life I get to live. Who knew Dad’s recipes would still work like magic all these years later? It’s so simple when you break it down, but it all works together so perfectly. Just enough, in just the right time.”
“And now you have his recipe book, thanks to the time capsule. I had no idea that kringles were even a thing. I just thought it was a recipe named after this restaurant.”
She clutched her heart. “I still can’t believe I’ve got that recipe book. Kringles go way back. A Scandinavian pastry with all sorts of fillings. Dad didn’t invent them, but he sure did perfect them.”
Katie scribbled feverishly in her notebook. “What’s your favorite?”
“Hmm. Not fair. That’s like picking a favorite child. Probably the maple almond, because we use ingredients from the locals. There’s a new flavor in the recipe book we haven’t even tried yet.”
“One more reason for me to come back for a visit.”
Carol seemed to drift off for a moment. “I’d looked and looked for Dad’s recipes over the years. All along, it was there waiting for me. For just the right time. You know, I always wanted to make our kringles taste just like his, but I could never quite get it right.” She turned her attention back as if for that second, she’d forgotten Katie was there. “You won’t believe what I was missing.”
“What was the missing ingredient?”
“Right there in his recipe, in all capital letters, it says to make simple syrup with melted snow instead of water.”
Katie tried to be polite about it, but really? “That can’t be real.”
“It must have been important to him to have included it in the recipe.” Carol smiled. “Okay, we were skeptical too, but we tried it anyway. And I have to say, by changing that one thing, it really did make a difference.”
Katie pushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I’m not sure you’d have come up with that on your own. Who would have ever guessed? I never thought I would learn so much about kringles, but I’m glad I did.”
“And we’re glad you showed up here. We’re all going to really miss you. I hate that you’re leaving already.” Carol’s words came over Katie as sincere. “I just know you and my Allie would have been fast friends.”
She was sad to be leaving already too. “I have a feeling I’ll be back. This place has a