Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,9
woven branches flanked the modest doorway. So far so good.
Eleanor unlocked the door, opened it, and handed Lila the keys.
Minimally decorated, it was at least clean and orderly, unlike the main house. The women wandered through the rooms to find beds with matching quilts in blues and yellows, the edges pulled back to reveal crisp linens.
“I saw that you brought a Christmas tree on your car,” Eleanor said, raising her eyebrows in happiness. “How festive.” Folding her hands as if in prayer, she said, “Once you get it decorated, I’d love to see it.” She took in a deep breath, as if her kids had just come home from college and her house was full—the way she liked it. “Well, I won’t keep you,” she said in her southern drawl as she opened the door. “I’ll let myself out. Just come on over if you need anything.”
Once Eleanor had gone, they began bringing in their luggage and all the Christmas decorations they’d brought.
“Hey, Lila,” Piper said, as she set a box down in the living room. “I’ve got the topping already made for my apple pie cinnamon pita chips.”
“I can’t wait.” Lila stood in the kitchen, warming her hands. “Let’s make them tonight.” Lila loved Piper’s recipe. Her friend rolled pita bread in butter, cinnamon, and sugar and then topped it with her own homemade apple pie filling before toasting it to a warm crisp.
“The topping is in the cooler bag next to you and the pita bread’s in the grocery sack beside it. Want to stay in for a second and warm up? All you have to do is top the bread with the mix and slide them into that toaster oven over there.” She waggled a gloved finger toward the counter behind Lila.
“Of course,” Lila said, excited to get the vacation started. They’d nibble on sweet treats, have a little coffee and cocoa, and decorate like crazy. She adored this time with her favorite people. Christmas was hard for her once she’d lost her dad, but these moments eased the sadness.
“Awesome. We’ll grab the last few things from the car.”
Lila washed her icy hands, grabbed the container of topping, and opened the lid. Piper had minced apple and coated it in a delicious sauce. The cinnamon and nutmeg smelled absolutely incredible. She perused the kitchen, looking for utensils and baking sheets. When she found what she needed, she got out the bread, spooned on the apple pie mixture, and slid it into the small toaster oven on the counter, pressing on the button. But when she tried to adjust the heat, it wouldn’t work.
“I’ll have to stay with it,” she said over the bar, as they all came back in and Edie closed the door. “It only has one working setting, and I don’t want it to burn. “Anyone need a cup of coffee to warm you up, since I’ll be in here?”
Piper, Edie, and Charlotte all stopped what they were doing and raised their hands, making Lila laugh. “Okay, then. Four coffees coming right up!”
“I brought caramel to squirt in them,” Charlotte said with excitement in her voice. “And whipped cream.”
“Perfect.” Lila clicked on the coffee maker. When the light didn’t turn on, she checked the plug, wriggling the cord. “I think the coffee pot is broken,” she said. “But I’ll figure something out.”
She’d have to get crafty. She grabbed a pot and filled it with water, heating it on the stove, planning to do a makeshift French press with the coffee filter basket and the pot of water. While the pita bread toasted and the water for coffee boiled on the stove, she checked the rest of the appliances. She opened the fridge and, to her relief, found it clean and in working order; the main oven and stovetop were all working too. “The smaller appliances aren’t great, but I think we can make it work for the week with what we’ve got,” she said, feeling hopeful. “We just need to add a little of our Christmas cheer in here. Everyone okay with a little extra effort?”
They all agreed.
“It definitely isn’t the lap of luxury,” Lila continued, “but we don’t have many alternatives way out here. And I couldn’t in good conscience let down Eleanor—did you see how happy she was that we were here?”
“We can make the best of it,” Edie conceded.
Charlotte walked over to the corner of the living area, pausing next to a stone fireplace that stretched all the way up to the