“Come in, come in.” Bright-eyed and breathless, Penny held the door open and waved for Kat to step inside the apartment. “I’m so glad you solved it!”
“Maybe. It’s not too early, is it? I confess to being a little anxious to find out if my guess is correct.” She’d forced herself to wait until seven and raced over, skipping Trudy’s scrumptious-smelling breakfast, though the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked banana bread had tempted her resolve as she’d rushed out the front door.
“Not at all. Honestly, I could hardly sleep. I kept going over the riddle all night. I’d almost forgotten how much I enjoyed my dad’s treasure hunts.”
Kat wasn’t sure she’d use the word enjoy to describe her experience thus far, but she did feel exhilarated at the prospect of finding the brooch.
As she stood in front of the grandfather clock, her heart stopped when she noticed two keyholes on the upper and lower compartments encasing the dial and pendulum.
“Don’t look so worried.” Popping onto her tiptoes, Penny reached behind a decorative spire on top and retrieved a small gold key. “Dad used to keep it locked so I wouldn’t play with the mechanism.” After she unlocked both doors, she nodded toward the bottom one. “You check in there. I imagine he would have taped it somewhere along the inside walls.”
Careful not to disrupt the brass weights and pendulum, Kat ran her hand along the inner edge, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. After several minutes of searching, she bit back an excited squeal as her fingers grazed an unusual lump.
“Did you find it?” Penny asked eagerly.
“I’m not sure.” After gently peeling back the tape, Kat withdrew her hand. Her heart sank. “It’s just a dusty piece of paper.”
“Oh.” Penny scrunched her face in disappointment. “I was afraid that might happen.”
“That what might happen?”
“I think it’s another clue. I didn’t want to mention it earlier in case I was wrong, but the treasure hunts usually had more than one.” She offered a sheepish smile.
Mildly irritated by the revelation, Kat unfolded the note and read the clue out loud. “‘From death comes life, often felt but never seen. Getting too close may cause strife, but you can still enjoy the gleam.’” Meeting Penny’s gaze she asked, “Any ideas?”
Penny held out her hand, and Kat passed her the note, waiting anxiously as her sister studied the peculiar phrasing. Finally, she glanced up with an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, but nothing comes to mind.”
Frustrated, Kat placed both hands behind her head and filled her lungs with a deep breath as she stared at the ceiling. Think, Kat, think… what could it mean?
“Maybe something related to cooking or food?” Penny offered. “You know, from death—of an animal or a plant—comes life, as in sustenance?”
“Maybe. But you can see an animal or plant.”
“True.” Penny tapped a finger to her lips.
They stood in silence, each deep in thought, for several minutes until Penny said brightly, “Why don’t we get some breakfast? We might think better on a full stomach and I don’t open the shop for another hour.”
“That’s a good idea.” Kat slipped out her phone, wondering how she would tell Fern her secret mission had been delayed yet again, perhaps for an indeterminate amount of time. “Is there somewhere I can get a strong cup of coffee? I could use a jolt of caffeine.”
“I know just the place.” Penny grinned.
As Kat took a languid sip of the aromatic brew, her worries melted away. The blend—aptly named Christmas Morning—had hints of cinnamon, gingerbread, and caramel. “This tastes incredible,” she murmured, not wasting any time before taking another generous gulp.
“I’m so glad you like it.” Cassie Davis, the café’s owner, beamed. “It’s a new blend. I’m playing around with adding flavored syrups to the coffee after it’s been roasted. Have you met Frank yet?”
Kat shook her head, barely removing her lips from the rim of the mug.
“Oh, I do hope you get a chance to meet him while you’re in town. He taught me how to roast coffee,” she explained. “He’s a purist through and through and claims flavored coffee is worse than decaf. But, as I frequently remind him, he’s not always right. Although, he usually is.” She laughed in a way that highlighted her obvious affection for the man.
“Well, I’m on your side,” Kat told her. “This has just become my new favorite blend. Do you sell by the pound? I’d love to bring some home with me.” Kat knew it would be an instant hit with Hope Hideaway residents and would pair perfectly with Fern’s Milagros.
“Of course! I’ll grab you a pound. On the house.”
Before Kat could politely decline her generosity, Cassie had spun on her heel, heading toward the other side of the room where one-pound coffee bags were neatly arranged on a display shelf.
Kat looked on, completely incredulous. How did anyone make a living in this town if they always gave everything away?
“If you think the coffee is good, wait until you try the cinnamon roll.” Penny tore off a soft, gooey chunk and popped it in her mouth. Her expression bordered on euphoric as she licked the cream cheese icing off of her fingertips.
A quiet yet unsettling realization stole over Kat as she savored her pastry and coffee—she could easily make a home for herself in a town like Poppy Creek. So far, she loved everything about it, especially the cozy café. Between the creative menu offering festive delights like Sugar Plum Fairy Pie and Kris Kringle Cappuccinos, and the chalkboard display listing some sort of countdown of holiday traditions, the place exuded a sense of Christmas magic she’d never experienced before. But she could certainly get used to it.
There was just one not-so-insignificant problem—every time she looked at her sister, it was as if their mother stared back at her. And with each glance, distressing memories overshadowed every ounce of joy; Helena’s lingering presence affected Kat even after her death.
“Here you go.” Disrupting her melancholy thoughts, Cassie set the kraft bag on the table.
“Thank you so much. I’m happy to pay for it.” Kat reached into her coat pocket for her wallet, but Cassie dismissed her offer.
“Don’t be silly. Consider it a souvenir.”
Kat was about to insist on paying for it one last time, but the bell chimed above the entrance, stealing her attention.
As Jack Gardener strolled through the front door, she instantly forgot about everything else.
Jack could’ve sworn he felt her presence even before he spotted Kat at the table by the window. Sunlight glittered through the frosted glass, making her red hair sparkle.
Relax, Jack. Keep your eye on the prize.
The prize being a triple-shot chai latte with an extra dash of cardamom.
“Jack!”
He froze as Cassie called him over to the table.
“Good morning, ladies.” He tried to keep his focus on Cassie as he crossed the room, but his stubborn gaze kept drifting in a different direction.
“Have you come up with an idea for your display yet?” she asked.
“Not even close. But I need to start working on it today. Which is why I’m here. I figured a little caffeine would bolster my pitiful creativity.”
Turning to Kat, Penny explained, “Our mayor has asked each business owner to come up with a storefront display to make the town square extra festive for our Christmas Carnival in a few weeks.”
“We do something similar in Starcross Cove.”
“Really?” Penny asked. “Did you make one for Hope Hideaway?”
“The community center, actually. Our theme was Moonlight and Mistletoe. It was fairly simple—an arbor decorated with mistletoe and twinkle lights, but it looked stunning in the evening. People loved it. Especially the couples.”
“What a great idea!” Cassie cried in excitement. “Jack, why don’t you do something like that for the diner? It sounds simple enough.”
“Especially if you still have the arbor you took down when you expanded the back patio a few years ago,” Penny added.
Jack rubbed his stubbled jaw, mulling over the idea. “I’m not sure I can picture how it’s supposed to look, though. How would I go about attaching the mistletoe?” He definitely liked the sound of something simple, but it may be beyond his artistic capabilities.
“Kat,” Cassie began, her eyes twinkling, “do you think you could spare a few hours to help Jack? I’m afraid he’s a little hopeless when it comes to decor.”
Kat’s eyes widened, and she looked as surprised as he felt. “Right now?”
“If you don’t mind,” Cassie said sweetly. “I’m sure Jack would appreciate having the task off his to-do list.”
Jack opened his mouth, but no words came out. Why did this feel like a setup?
“I have to open the shop in a few minutes, anyway,” Penny added. “Maybe focusing on some other tasks for a while will refresh our brains and stimulate new ideas.”
Jack had no clue what Penny was talking about, but it seemed to mean something to Kat, alleviating some of her reticence.
“Sure,” she answered slowly, offering him a timid smile.
It was the first time they’d made eye contact since he’d approached their table, and his breath caught in his throat.
He tried to reciprocate, but the muscles in his face refused to cooperate and wound up twisting into a goofy, lopsided grin—not his finest moment.
How on earth would he get through the next few hours without making a total fool out of himself?
Or falling even harder for this woman than he already had.