Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,25

her phone. “My agent wanted to know where I was. Like I can’t take a week for myself.” She slipped her phone into her bag, turning her attention to the treats coming their way.

“These go amazingly well with espresso,” Carol said, as she grabbed their chocolates with a little square of parchment, dropping far more than four into their bag and bringing them over to the table. “I keep thinking I should get an espresso machine…”

“Maybe you could partner with the local coffee shop,” Edie suggested.

Carol bit back a look of disgust. “Maybe…” she said, in a way that Lila could tell really meant, “Not on your life.”

“I know that the owner isn’t the most personable…” Edie continued.

“Definitely not.” Carol passed them all paper napkins with Gingerbread Mama’s written in curling green and red for the holiday season. “Y’all from out of town?” she asked, clearly moving on to a more pleasant subject.

“Just a few hours’ drive. We’re staying at Fireside Cabins for the week,” Lila replied.

“Eleanor is just the sweetest woman,” she said, shaking her head affectionately. “Has she told y’all the best shops in town yet?”

“Not yet,” Lila replied.

“Well, there’s Wishful Thinkin’, a shop full of collectibles that’s owned by my sister Arlene, so you know I’m gonna mention that one first,” she said with a warm grin. “And if you want some vintage charm, you can get glass-bottle Coke and classic treats like ice cream floats and banana splits at Americana. And one of my favorite places is Imagination Books. They sell everything from rare novels to local indie authors. You never know what you’ll find in there.”

“Well, our day just got a lot more interesting,” Piper said.

Just like Lila had hoped, this little trip into town had melted away the toxic atmosphere created by Theo. This was what she would focus on from now on, she told herself, as she soaked up the festive vibes and made the most of being surrounded by her friends.

With their arms full of shopping bags, the others had gotten cold and returned to the cabin, but Lila had wanted to stay out a little longer, swept away by the selection of volumes in Imagination Books. She’d settled in one of the oversized chairs tucked away in a corner of the shop under strands of white lights, and switched on a little reading lamp next to her, as she sat with the pile of books she’d gathered from the eclectic grouping of shelves that lined the walls. She promised her friends she’d be fine, relishing the time she could spend in that adorable shop. She told them she’d walk home, and only be about thirty minutes behind them, but she’d ended up taking almost an hour, arriving home with a bag of books under her arm.

“Don’t be angry,” Charlotte said with her hands held up, standing beside her suitcases when Lila opened the door to the cabin. “My agent called. One of the stylists on set at the network is sick. They need me to fly out to LA immediately to take over for him.”

“Right now?” Lila asked in disbelief, setting the bag of books down with a thud and shrugging off her coat, already realizing that was a stupid question given the fact Charlotte’s bags were packed.

“Yes, I’m so sorry. They’ve already sent a car to pick me up. It should be here any minute. Just keep my Christmas decorations until I get back. Piper said she’d take them down for me and box them up when y’all leave.” A car horn honked outside and Charlotte opened her arms for a hug, Edie and Piper coming into the entryway to say goodbye. “I’m so sorry, Lila. I really wish I didn’t have to go, but this is huge,” Charlotte said. She gave Lila a squeeze.

“I totally understand,” Lila told her, as regret sank in. What else could she say? She did understand how important this was for Charlotte, but it stung to know her friend wouldn’t be there for the rest of their last trip together. Now she wanted to kick herself for wasting her precious time with Theo.

There was another honk, and Charlotte gathered up her things and opened the door. “Have fun!” she said over her shoulder, before hurrying out and leaving them in silence.

“And then there were three,” Edie said with a sad smile.

“It’s okay,” Piper replied, trying to lift their spirits. “We’ll have a great time for Charlotte, and we’ll show her all the photos when