Chapter 14
Light snow was falling outside The Appleton Inn. Cathy Elder looked at her two daughters and young son. Her daughters Chyanna and Kayrn were 18 and 15 respectively. Wayne her son was 10. The divorce from her husband Frank had been a painful one for all concern but especially her children. The Christmas trip was chance to heal and rebuild her bridges.
Chyanna looked out the window with spellbound smile. They had snow in Seattle but not like what she was seeing now. She looked around at the large parlor and hugged her mom, “This place is beautiful. I wish I could never leave.”
“The virtual tour from the website doesn’t do it justice.” Kayrn agreed.
“You and the staff seem to get along pretty good for someone that didn’t want to come.” Cathy teased.
“Well they are all very nice and make me feel at home. Mom, this was a good idea.”
Heidi Landers approached them, “This is home for a lot of us. So are you girls ready to meet the coaches of all coaches?”
“Our aunt?” Chyanna asked.
“She has influenced a lot of us over the years. She has a lot of good works on her ledger.” Heidi replied.
Kayrn nodded, “I read the website for your team and it looks tough.”
“It is good for it to be tough. How else are we going to overcome anything in life is we always take the easy way. It is the road less traveled that hones us to a fine edge.” Cathy replied.
“You sound just like the coach.” Heidi laughed.
“So who’s farm is she staying at?” Chyanna asked.
“Laura West’s place. You will like it and that whole family are great hosts.” Gina said approaching them.
“Davie and Jack have your bags in the sleigh. I’m all bundled up and ready to go.” She continued.
“The real estate around here is pretty reasonable. I’ve have a couple of farms marked down or I should say that Chy and Kayrn have.” Cathy laughed.
“Well a fresh start is what we all need mom.” Kayrn nodded.
“Laura and Hank have a few places too. Morgan’s Hallow is very beautiful too and Grey Mountain is a very mystical place.” Gina replied.
“So why are you going with us?” Chyanna asked.
“Peggy Vane makes a cider glazed turkey to die for. Once you taste it you will agree.”
“Mom I just want to have a great time out in that snow!” Wayne said excitedly.
Cathy looked at Jack and David, “He didn’t get in the way did he?”
“No, Wayne learned to hitch a sleigh like a pro. He’s a good kid.” Jack laughed.
Gina smiled, “Well I see that he isn’t upset by this move.”
Cathy laughed, “As long as he can have fun and a place to eat he is happy. He’s also what they called a geek.”
“Mom!” Wayne bellowed.
“Hey, I’m a geek too.” Heidi laughed.
“Don’t worry there are plenty of girls around here that don’t mind geeks.” Gina laughed.
“Really?” Wayne asked.
“Really, Most of girls around these parts are not into the gossip girl thing.” Heidi explained.
“Well we need to be leaving.” Gina said.
Even Eagle Lake seemed to be full of enchantment. The thin layer of ice glistened like a mirror in the morning. It was too deep to be frozen enough for ice-skating but it was beautiful. Gina handed their guests a homemade quilt, “Bundle up good it gets pretty cold.” She said.
David laughed, “Hank would call this Indian summer. Gin, next summer we need to take out the boathouse and build an ice skating ring.”
“I’ll mention it to Jessie and see what she thinks.” Gina nodded.
“Well Magic and Mystic are ready to go. It is a good thing that we found some good draft horses last summer. Those Morgans are perfect for this time of the year.”
“Hank and Jack did a great job on all the carriages, wagons and sleighs.” Gina replied
The sleigh started slowly at first but then picked up speed has the horses reached a brisk trot. Even the cold couldn’t dampen Cathy and her family’s enthusiasm. The sleigh bells echoed through the tree line roads. David turned in to an old wagon road that led to right to Laura’s farm.
The road was smoother than the snow covered paved road they had just left. The trees and the broad fields made it seemed that they had stepped back in time. They came to a fork and turned left. Kayrn looked at David, “What’s in that direction?” She asked.
“That’s the back way to what we around here call The Fairy’s Meadow. It is all blocked by Mountain Laurel thickets now. But once you could drive a sleigh or wagon right into it that way.” David replied.
“Why is it called the Fairy’s meadow?” Wayne asked.
“Well once you see it you will understand. It is the perfect home for fairies. I’m sure Laura has already made plans to take you there. To me it is one of the most peaceful places on earth.” Gina answered.
“Who Believes in Fairies?” Chyanna laughed.
“Well I have the feeling that once you’ve meet Laura, Tiffany and Julie you will end up believing in them.” David laughed.
Gina nodded, “It is contagious. When I was pregnant with Jill, I went to the Fairy’s Meadow to mediate and I felt gentle warmth all around me. It was like a gentle hand was comforting me.”
“Well seeing the country side, I can believe that there is some spell over it.” Chyanna replied.
Kayrn smiled, “I feel like I’ve step into a Christmas card. It is so beautiful. Living in a city can’t compare to this.”
“How has the inn being doing?” Cathy asked.
“We’ve never been in the red since it opened. We took several years to redesign the inn to what it is now. All us made good livings so we didn’t need to take on any debt. Now we all are working at the inn.” David explained.
“We had a close family too until my short sightedness separated me and Lisa.” Cathy replied.
“Well now you can put that behind you.” Gina told her.
Cathy started weeping, “I hope so, her soulmate died and in my stubbornness I didn’t go and comfort her. How could I have been so blinded?”
“Look Lisa, has a heart big enough to forgive.” David said, “It not easy to do, I can remember when Marsha Cartwright converted to the church. That was her biggest problem. It is not easy for me either but I have learned that the rewards far out way the pain.”
“Remember when St. Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone that has hurt them when the custom was to forgive them 7 times. Jesus replied, “Not 7 times Peter but 70 times 7. In others words there is no limit.” Gina explained.
“Lisa has probably changed lot since the two of you have had time to really talk. I bet she is looking forward to seeing all of you.” David nodded.
Wayne looked wide-eyed at the scenery. He had never been out into the real country in the suburbs. The sounds of snowbirds and the wind whistling in the trees were all new to him. He looked at David, “I bet the bells can be heard for miles!”
“Wayne, I bet you’re right. We’re almost there. Just a few more bends and we will entering the farm yard.” David chuckled, “I can't wait to see how good of a job Hank and Laura did on the place. The last time I saw it looked like it was ready to fall apart.”
“Mr. Sabor, did you spend a lot time there?” Kayrn asked.
“Oh god yes, we were all about the same age. We would give the evil eye to anyone that they dated. Of course it wasn’t so funny when Jack, Quince, Pete and Greg gave it to me when I started dating Gin.” He laughed.
“Oh how well I remember the girls stares, I even got it from my own sisters.” Gina giggled.
“Everyone will soon know you and you will know them or of them from someone else.” David explained.
“Is there lots of gossiping?” Chyanna asked.
“Not in the way you’re thinking. See we talk about what is going on in a general sense.” Gina explained.
“Chy, I grew up on a farm and we never got into to the rumors, just how they were doing and what they were doing.” Cathy laughed.
“So tell us about Laura West.” Kayrn said.
“You can find out about now.” Gina laughed, “We’re here.”
The sleigh pulled into the farmyard. Laura and Lisa were waiting for them. Lisa’s eyes brightened when she saw her sister and her family. A frown replaced her smile when she didn’t see her brother in law. “We heard the sleigh bells.” Lisa said. “Where is Frank?”
“We divorced three years ago. He found a younger woman and decided me and the kids were too high maintenance for him.” Cathy said.
Chyanna nodded grimly. “He pays our child support but that is it. He never visits and doesn’t even send a card on our birthdays. It wasn’t as if he was there much before the divorce.”
Laura looked at them, “Well, let’s not think about those things. This is a time of joy and peace.”
Kayrn looked at Laura then her eyes widen, “Oh My Gosh, you’re that Laura West! Mom, she is the one that wrote Kris Kringle!”
“Oh my, I’ve read that to them every Christmas eve since they were little.” Cathy said.
Laura laughed, “The price of fame is very high. Well here I’m just Laurie.”
“Let’s get inside and get caught up.” Lisa said, “Cathy, I’ve missed you so much.”
“The same here Lizzie. You’re farm is very pretty Laurie.” Cathy sobbed.
“You haven’t called me that since we were little.” Lisa replied.
“I need to help with the horses.” Wayne said.
“The lad is a natural.” David said.
Hank and Greg came out of the backdoor, “Did I hear that you already have help.” Greg laughed.
“Ya, He brought a stable boy.” Hank chuckled, “I will get the bags.”
“They need to rest a couple of hours.” David replied.
The new arrivals were impressed by the farm house. However, Chyanna and Kayrn were having a hard time fitting in with their new peers. Wayne on the other hand was fitting right in with Tommy and Adam.
Laura watched as the girls tried to get Chyanna and Kayrn to feel more comfortable. Gabby was getting frustrated but was trying hard not show it. She had never really fit in with the West Coast gossip girl attitude. Kayrn and Chyanna were also getting frustrated.
Debbie eyes brighten with an idea, “Would you like to read some of my poetry?” She asked.
“Oh you write poetry too!” Kayrn asked excitedly.
“Sure I have my own Yahoo group. Let me go and get my lappy.” Debbie replied.
“Kayrn is very good.” Chyanna said proudly, “Gabby, did you make that dress?”
“Yeah, I make most of my own clothes. Do you sew?”
“No but I would love to learn how and to quilt too.” Chyanna replied.
Cathy looked at her daughter, “Why haven’t you mention that before? I would have been glad to teach you.”
“Well I never have seen you sewing.” Chyanna laughed.
“I’ve had to work to make ends meet. Living in Seattle is very expensive. I should have taken more time with you guys.”
Chyanna looked at her mother, “You have never missed anything we were a part of mom. I look at my new friends and want to be like them. They already know what they want and aren’t afraid to get it. I can’t even decide what I should be majoring in college next year. I have never sat down and thought about it. I wasted so much time being miss popularity.”
Lisa looked at her, “Girls like you are the reason I created my program. Chyanna, it what is inside of that matters and not what the world sees. How were you grades in high school?”
“I was on the honor roll and in the beta club. Hard to do when you’re captain of the cheerleading squad.” Chyanna replied.
“Tell me about it!” Jill replied, “We had to put up a lot of jealousy, something that Amy is learning about now.”
Amy nodded, “I get looks from the gossip girls because of my looks and brains. The program has made me strong enough to handle it. I have a lot of support too.”
Kayrn smiled, “At my old school the cliques were like solid walls. You couldn’t be caught talking to someone in another clique. That made me kinda of outcast among my clique but I had grown up with most of my classmates and didn’t see any real need to change.”
Amy looked at her, “Well you were the smart one then. cliques are just dumb.”
“They really are but these days they are just awfully vicious too.” Kayrn replied.
Chyanna nodded, “Cyberbulling is a big problem. I just hope if I become a teacher I can spot it.”
Cathy nodded, “It isn’t an easy job. My policy is to keep a close check on my student’s online activities when they are in the computer lab.”
“You teach computers?” Lisa asked.
“Yes like you I became a teacher. You can blame Mrs. Sandra Billings for that.”
“She was my inspiration too.” Lisa replied.
Laura listen has she worked on her crocheting. She could see that Cathy and Lisa were a lot of like. She started humming an old hymn. Jessie walked over to the piano and started playing it.
Tiffany looked at the new arrivals and smiled. Seeing Lisa’s joy at seeing her sister and the fact that she was with family lifted her spirits. There was a knock at the back door and Tiffany went to answer it.
Cassandra Lord was visiting Maine and was hopelessly lost. Her car had stalled and had become entangle in a snow bank.
Tiffany opened the door, “Can I help you?” she asked.
“Hi I’m Cassie Lord and my car got into a snow bank. I need to call a tow truck.”
Tiffany laughed, “Sorry but you won’t need a tow truck. No one will come out this far until the snow is plowed off the main road. I’ll get some of our men to help get it up here. You’re welcome to stay here until the roads are cleared.”
“Well, I’m not used to this much snow in NC. I won Houseguest last summer was coming to visit Clay Morgan who was also on it.” Cassie said.
“I’ve never seen it, sorry you broke down and Clay is a good man. Come on in and you can tell him what happened.”
“Shut up, you know Clay?” Cassie asked in surprise.
“I sure do, I use to baby sit him along with Laura and Julie my cousins.”
“Clay can be moody but I can always cheer him up. He would have given up if I hadn’t gone to see when he was all alone. The other houseguests were trying to get him out of the house. We hit it right off. They thought I was stupid now I may not be book smart but I’m people smart.”
“Come on inside we are in the main parlor.” Mary said from the doorway, “Supper will be in an hour.”
“Thank you mam, I’m just glad I found this place.” Cassie said.
“Believe me it was no accident.” Tiffany replied.
Tiffany introduced Cassie but only Barbara, Debbie, Chyanna and Kayrn knew who she was. It was obvious that Cassie was a county girl that didn’t know any strangers. She only had good things to say about her fellow guests on the show except one that was Kitty Foxe.
“You mean you knew that Kitty was lying to the whole time and Clay wouldn’t listen?” Barbara asked.
“Clay can be like a mule when he gets a notion stuck in his head.” Peggy replied.
“He sure can!” Cassie laughed, “He is a good man at heart.”
“Well he is that.” David nodded, “I wish we had known he was on there. I need to help with that car.”
“This is a real pretty parlor. It looks like a Christmas card.” Cassie said, “Thanks again for all your help.”
“Hey no problem.” Laura replied, “You’re a neighbor.”
“I can see why Clay likes it here. I think I will too.” Cassie said.
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