had been in the throes of landscaping the overgrown and forgotten tennis courts, but as winter blew in, she had shelved it for another time. There were also plans for volleyball by the lake – we were going to freight in some soft white beach sand, but again, winter had halted any of those ideas. Due to the arctic weather, and snowfall, Isla had taken on a more fluid role, and had agreed to be the recreation manager for our brides and any guests who might book in over winter.
“Let’s make coffee and chat,” I agreed as I turned on the dazzling twinkling lights and smiled at our barely dressed tree. There would be time for adding baubles and trinkets, but for now it sparkled with light and tinsel.
We ambled to the kitchen, calling out for Micah to join us. It was such a comforting space with its big old potbelly stove sitting in the corner like a long-lost uncle. I set about making drinks while the trio sat at the table, chatting about the expo and the odd jobs that still needed to be done. We’d been more organized this time, as I’d wanted to avoid any of the big setbacks we’d experienced with the anniversary party we’d planned last month. It was such a relief to be only a week away with most of the bigger jobs accomplished. Everything we needed – from Christmas decorations, to tubs of flour and sugar, right down to the Jingle Bells doormat – had been ordered ahead of schedule and delivered already.
I joined them and once again we tucked into Georges’s festive treats. He was testing them out for the expo and I knew snowman cake pops would be a huge drawcard. Not only did they look utterly festive, they tasted delicious too. Any future Christmas wedding would be remiss not to include them!
“Right,” said Isla as she took a notebook from her pocket. “So, what activities are we focusing on for the expo, and any guests who book in, bearing in mind it’s freezing out?”
“Sledding,” Amory piped up, cradling her coffee for warmth. “People love bundling up and heading outside and Walter from the hardware store gave the sleds we found in the storeroom the kiss of life.”
Micah nodded. “They’re painted rocket-red and will fly down the slope! I would have killed for one of those when I was a kid – hey, I’d love to go on one now!”
I grinned, but remembered that these great ideas all came with added admin. “Good idea, but I’d better check we’re insured for that activity before we advertise it.” I gulped. The paperwork never seemed to end and now I had to add liability insurance on top of the other costs. Safety was our first priority, but I still wanted our guests to have fun.
Isla read off her list. “What about a snowman competition…”
“I think snow-people is the correct term,” Amory admonished with a sardonic smile.
Isla grinned and said in a faux-serious tone, “Snow-object building, in no particular shape, size, color or sexual orientation. And we will award the loser first place, just to be fair.”
We all laughed and I was struck by how happy I was, here in the snug little kitchen, the snow falling outside, surrounded by friends – both old and new. I nodded for Isla to continue through her list of ideas. It was great she’d taken to the role of recreation manager of Cedarwood Lodge. She was full of initiative and we were lucky to have her.
“In the evenings we can light the campfire, toast marshmallows and sing songs.” Isla held up a hand. “Before you call me lame, Clio expressly asked for old-school fun and frivolity and nothing screams that more than singing ‘Kumbaya’ and having melted, charred marshmallow scald the inside of your mouth. Right?”
There were murmurs of agreement.
“The ice skates we found in the basement were no good, but, again, Walter came to the party and found a supplier with some excess stock quite cheaply priced. We have to pick those up, and then we can offer skating on the lake. Plus we’ve got the indoor activities we’d planned: life drawing, charades, tango lessons… anything else?”
“The bridal fashion show, that’s going to be spectacular, with bridal gowns, but also bridesmaids’ dresses, and mother-of-the-bride ensembles. Aunt Bessie has so many donut wedding cake ideas, I really think they’ll garner a lot of interest. There’s also the florist demonstrating different bouquet ideas, and centerpieces for the table. He mentioned some of the blooms were exotic, and quite dazzling in their color palettes.”
“I can’t wait to see them.” Amory shot a finger up. “Oh, Georges is doing cooking classes. But why don’t we suggest a Christmas-themed class? Besides, I think we’ve eaten most of the Christmas cookies and can vouch for how good they are. What do you think, Clio?”
“Yes! Georges won’t object to being surrounded by a bunch of giggling girls. We’ve got the library, the dance studio, the art room, and billiards in the games room – I think we’re covered. All we really need to do is wow them with what could be if they hire the lodge for their weddings. Show them that their guests would have a fantastic time – that they’d rave about attending the wedding of the year. Really paint our brides a picture of the uniqueness of the lodge and surroundings and what we can offer; anything is possible, remember. The key word is… yes. If they ask you something outrageous, yes, sure, we can do it! We can do anything for a price.” I gazed one by one into their fervent eyes and smiled. “Let’s hope we get some wedding bookings.” If we didn’t, it was a lot of money to outlay, but I knew the old adage was true: you had to spend money to make it.
Isla beamed and scribbled some more notes onto her pad.
The potbelly belched and we huddled closer. Once again it occurred to me by how lucky I was to be surrounded by people who wanted Cedarwood to succeed as much as I did. As we chomped through Georges’s Christmas cake pops, we made final plans for the expo and allocated jobs. I just hoped this bridal expo would go off without a hitch!
“Wake up! Wake up!” I dashed into Amory’s suite and shook her awake.
“Oh my God, you witch,” she groaned and pulled a pillow across her face. Amory was a fan of late nights and long sleep-ins, and generally needed two extra-shot lattes before she could converse with any sort of sense, but I’d grown to love the early mornings at Cedarwood, and was forcibly making her wake up and see what she was missing out on.
Seeing the sunrise so spectacularly above the mountain range, brightening the murky winter dawns, was something else – a glorious way to start the day and, much as she complained, Amory was slowly coming round to the routine too. I blamed Kai for my sudden need to be at one with nature… It was all his fault, showing me the beauty of a new dawn. God, I missed his Zen face, his presence around the lodge.
Today my aunt was joining us for breakfast to discuss her part in the expo and was waiting downstairs. Everyone in the baking business seemed to thrive on being up before the sun and my aunt was no different, arriving on our doorstep laden with boxes filled with tasty donut treats. The only problem was that Aunt Bessie wouldn’t let me open them until Amory had joined us. Damn it.
As I glanced around Amory’s room, it looked like she’d been burgled, the room ransacked. Clothes were draped over every surface, makeup was scattered over the desk and the top of the chest of drawers, and strewn high heels were death traps waiting for her to trip over.
“This room is a disgrace!” I picked up clothes, making a pile on the end of the bed. She had no respect for her things, mostly designer labels, and they were
