The country club sat on a high rise of hill, tucked back among acres of pine and old fir trees. The building, low and rambling, had been built to blend in with nature and so the cedar siding and shingles made it seem like the place had grown up on that spot.
All of the windows sent out a warm amber light, there were small twinkling lights along the roofline, and the pine trees that lined the driveway had been decorated for Christmas. The white lights and bright star toppers glowed and would’ve made me smile if it weren’t for my major uneasiness about how this “family” dinner would go.
I parked my car, hopped out, and hurried along the low ledge of sidewalk that fronted the building since I was running a little late. Oops! A red-and-black uniformed doorman opened the door and ushered me in with a smile. As I walked in, a rush of warm air hit me along with the lovely sound of “Silver Bells” playing softly from the speakers.
The lobby boasted stunning leather sofas for those waiting for a table and plush chairs sat in cozy groupings close to the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Beside the crackling fire, sat a towering tree decorated with twinkling lights and surrounded by piles of exquisitely wrapped boxes bearing perfectly tied red ribbons.
The hostess, an older red-haired woman named Elizabeth who’d been there forever, greeted me. “Hello, Morgan. Your mother said you’d be joining the family this evening. They’re already seated at their usual table. I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, feeling uneasy already.
As I followed her out of the lobby, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a mirror. I’d taken great pains with my outfit: a long sleeved cashmere dress in an electric blue hue, tall, high-heeled boots, and diamond earrings. I’d blown my hair out after a good shampoo and gloss rinse, and then applied a careful amount of makeup, plus a fringe of eyelash extensions to give my eyes an additional pop. It occurred to me I’d taken so much time with my hair and makeup to show my mom how good I was at those things.
I spotted my mom, my dad, and Connor at a table tucked into a corner that had windows, which overlooked both the surrounding hills and the sparkling shimmer of downtown’s lights and decorations. The dining table was covered with a fine white cloth, the napkins sat in china holders and the place settings were gold-rimmed.
I sucked in a breath as I approached. “Hi, everyone.”
“Morgan!” Dad stood and gave me a big hug. The familiar scent of his cologne and the rustle of his evening clothes—a solid black jacket and pants, a crisp shirt smelling of starch and a festive red-and-blue striped tie—brought back so many memories. “You look so good, sweetheart. I’m happy to see you, even if you did hide out on us for a while.”
Eek! I cringed, giving him a genuine smile. “I’m sorry about that, Dad.”
Mom stood and gave me a stiff hug that said she hadn’t forgotten our argument. Her perfume was the same brand she had worn since I was a child and her hair was up and off her face, held back by elegant clips that had a small row of pearls on them. She wore matching pearl earrings and a single strand of pearls around her neck that contrasted beautifully with her black long-sleeve wool dress. “I love your dress, Morgan. Did we buy that the last time you were home?”
She knew very well I hadn’t been home in eight years.
“No, you gave it to me last Christmas,” I said, even though she knew I’d never wear this dress in Florida. I’d worn it tonight to show her I appreciated her. But she was already driving me nuts. I may as well have worn jeans and my “I do hairdos” top.
Connor gave me a hug and muttered into my ear, “If you have to face the firing squad then you might as well dress up for it so you leave a good looking corpse.”
I sucked back a laugh and took my seat, taking the napkin out of the holder and laying it across my lap while I studied my family carefully.
The server came to our table and I stared at her familiar face. She was beautiful, lean, and tall, with flawless latte skin. Nina Abbott. She’d been in my grade at school, was an avid skier, and—oh, yeah—she’d taken Dallas to prom.
“Good evening . . .” Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened with recognition. “Oh, Morgan! You’re back. It’s great to see you again.”
“Good to see you, too.” I smiled at Nina, who had to have been close to Dallas for him to fly back for her prom. A picture of them dancing close at prom popped in my head. My stomach roiled at the image of him with another girl, even though prom was a long time ago. Nina had always been a nice girl and it wasn’t her fault she and I had liked the same guy. “I think the last time I saw you was when I decided to take up snowboarding and you gave me a few lessons.”
Connor chuckled. “Was that the year you slid down the mountain on your face?”
I shot him a glare. “Thanks for that, bro.”
Nina smiled. “Morgan was doing quite well until that skier bowled her over.”
I gave her a grateful look. I’d fallen more than I’d actually snowboarded, in truth, but it was nice to have an ally. “Thanks. I did sort of go down hard.”
She flashed me a gentle smile. “Everyone does their first time. Do you still snowboard?”
I shook my head. “I’ve been living in Miami the last eight years. But your lessons did help me learn how to surf more easily.”
Connor nudged me with his hand. “That sounds like a hard life, sis. All sea and sun and surfing.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. He grinned back at me. Then Nina took our orders and left.
Dad leaned back in his chair, fingering his chin. “Morgan, your mom told me about the place you rented downtown. Are you serious about this whole hair cutting thing?”
“Of course she isn’t,” Mom said.
I stiffened. Oh, great. It had started.
“She’s serious enough to sink her money into a business,” Connor said, coming to my rescue. “I’d say she’s thought long and hard about opening the C.M. Salon.”
Aww. He’d remembered the initials and hadn’t even made fun of me. I’d give my brother an extra big hug later. “Thanks, bro,” I said, gratefully.
“It seems so out of character for you,” Dad said, looking utterly baffled as if I’d taken on a job as a belly dancer or something.
Nina returned, carefully placing a breadbasket and serving a white wine, before checking to see if we needed anything else before she left again.
I reached for a piping hot roll and buttered it generously.
Mom reached for her wine, giving me a sudden smile. “I meant to tell you that Thomas Brand stopped by our table before you arrived at quarter past seven.” Her tone lowered on the last part, making it clear she’d noticed my tardy arrival. “He’s in town for the holidays and enjoyed an early dinner with his grandparents. He asked after you.”
“That’s nice.” I sank my teeth into the soft bread and creamy fresh butter, chewing slowly as my mom waited for a better reaction. She wasn’t going to get one from me. Did she honestly think I’d trade Dallas for an ex-boyfriend because he happened to be back in town? Tom had dumped me for no reason and I’d been long over him.
Mom turned to gaze out the windows. “Do you remember the first time we brought you here, Morgan? After we’d joined the club?”
My chest went tight. “Yeah, I was nine.”
Dad spoke over the rim of his wineglass. “You were so determined to be proper. You sat so still I was shocked you didn’t freeze up and stay like that forever.”
I took a huge gulp of wine. “I wanted to be such a good daughter.”
“You always were honey. You and Grace were the best . . .” She stopped and looked away, her eyes going to the windows. “She would’ve loved the club so much. She used to beg to borrow my clear lip gloss because she thought it was lipstick. I can’t imagine why she thought she needed lipstick for us to join the club, but it was so sweet . . .”
She fell silent. The muted sounds of the club hung around us: conversations and laughter, the chink of glasses and dishes and silverware, and Christmas carols in the background.
I shifted uneasily in my seat as Nina appeared and served our dinners. My stomach rolled as I looked down at the sea bass I’d ordered. It had looked amazing on the menu and looked amazing on the plate, but I had zero appetite.
“Do those peas have mint in them?” Connor asked.
I nodded. “That’s what the menu said.”
He dug his fork into my peas.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you just order your own?”
He grinned at me around the mouthful of pilfered food. “I wanted the potatoes.”
I rolled my eyes at him and then stuck my fork into his Yukon potatoes, taking a heap of creamy buttery potatoes. “I would’ve ordered my own. But, you know.”
Dad chuckled. “You two. You always loved stealing food off each other’s plates.”
Mom laughed and it sounded genuine, making me smile. I popped the potatoes in my mouth, starting to relax for the first time this evening.
Then Mom lifted her wineglass. “I was thinking about Morgan’s salon issue. Sweetheart, you said the landlady accidentally leased the space to both you and Dallas Parker. But what would happen if she came back and decided to give the lease to him?”
Just like that whatever appetite I’d mustered up had vanished. I set my fork and knife down. “I don’t know,” I said, answering honestly.
Dad pointed a finger in my direction. “She should refund your money. This double-lease situation was hardly your fault.”
I didn’t want my money back. I wanted my salon and I wanted it to be successful.
Mom nodded. “I still think it would be better to cut your losses here and now. Perhaps Dallas would give you back a portion given that he’ll be taking over the space entirely. Then, you could come work at the bank and be with family and not have to worry about your income fluctuating and so on. You’re twenty-six now. It’s time to start thinking of buying your first home and settling down.” She smiled as if the matter had been settled. “I do hope you’ll see Tom while he’s in town,” she said, and the meaning was not lost on me.
“I doubt it.” My gut churned. I managed to flake a bite of fish away from its bones and put it in my mouth, but I could taste nothing.
Connor touched my arm. “Well, I don’t care if you choose to be a beautician, a banker, or a butcher, Morgan. I’m glad you’re home.”
Dad nodded. “I agree. It is nice to have the whole family together again.”
Mom looked down at her plate a moment. “Yes, it’s good to have you home, sweetheart,” she said, her voice soft and sad.
I noticed she hadn’t repeated, “the whole family was back together.” Of course she would never say that. Grace wasn’t here and so our family would never be whole again.
And that was my fault.
“It was time to come home,” I said, as exhaustion set in. I’d known coming home would be hard. That opening my own salon was something I’d have to fight for and that it would be a hard fight. I just hadn’t realized how hard it would actually be.