Christmas Day at Prescott Inn
EMILIE READ THE title of the dinner menu that the waitress had passed her. She was a temp waitress, hired for the day, and Nell had whispered to Emilie in greeting earlier that this was the last day the inn would remain open “as it was,” at least for the foreseeable future.
Emilie felt choked up. It was a sad day for Nathan and also for Nell, the staff and the shelter families. Prescott Inn would be no more.
From her position at a dining table with Donnie, his wife and two well-behaved preteens, Emilie had the perfect view across the dining room. A large group of twelve had just vacated, and Nathan—Nathan!—was bent over, clearing the dirty dishes from the table into a plastic dishwasher’s bucket.
Donnie caught her gazing at Nathan. “Who is he?”
“Nathan Prescott,” she murmured.
“Did you know, he wrote you the most glowing review I’ve ever had a client give an employee?”
“Did he?” Emilie asked, surprised.
“He convinced me.”
“Convinced you of what?”
Donnie patted her shoulder. “Today is Christmas. It’s not the time or place to talk about job offers for top-shelf choreographers.” But he gave her a wink as he picked up his fork and knife and tucked into his turkey dinner.
Emilie could only stare at him. He was offering her a choreographer’s job? Two weeks ago, she would have done anything to have heard those words. And Nathan had helped make it happen.
Emilie dabbed her lips with her napkin and nodded to Donnie as she stood. “Excuse me,” she said, reaching for her small purse and tucking it beneath her arm.
She’d waited too long to go to Nathan. But now it was time.
“Shall we order you anything else?” Donnie’s wife asked her.
“No, thank you.”
“How about coffee?”
“No, I’ll just finish my water when I return.” She smiled gratefully at them—how could she not? They’d just given her a generous offer. Her dream had come true, actually.
But her mind was on Nathan. She made her way over to the table where he worked.
She placed her purse down and began to help him, picking up a dirty water glass and placing it in the bucket.
He saw her and blinked. Emilie caught a wave of hope that passed over his handsome features.
“Merry Christmas, Emilie,” he said warmly.
“Merry Christmas, Nathan.” Her voice caught, and she touched her fingers to her lips. “I’m sorry.” She waved her hand. “It’s just emotional to me that your family inn is closing.”
He smiled sadly, but resumed clearing the water glasses. “I had a last-ditch plan, and we did our best, but it didn’t quite work out the way I’d hoped. Still, all might not be lost.”
“What about the kids?” she asked.
“They had a nice Christmas. Go upstairs after dinner and look at all the stockings hanging by the fireplace.”
“Jason’s, too?”
“Jason’s, too.” Nathan smiled. “The boy is in heaven. It was worth it.”
He pointed to a table in the corner. Jason sat with his mom, and the boy had a smile that went from ear to ear as he played with a Lego set. Prescott sat at Jason’s feet and was lapping at a bowl of milk.
Emilie’s voice caught in a sob.
“Hey!” Nathan reached over and touched her hand. “Buck up! We haven’t given up hope that the new owners will work with the homeless shelter to give the families a place.”
“You...completely surprise me, Nathan.”
“Because I’ve decided to embrace optimism?” He smiled at her. “I find I rather like it.”
She swallowed. “I’m sorry I’ve been holed up in my hotel room for the past two weeks.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I needed the time to think about what was important to me.”
Nathan’s hand stilled. “And what did you decide, Emilie?”
She wiped her eyes with a tissue. “May we go upstairs, please? I’d like to see the Christmas stockings by the fireplace.”
He grinned at her. “Of course.”
He took her hand and they went together upstairs.
There, in the lobby of what would always be Prescott Inn to her, by the great stone fireplace beside the trimmed Christmas tree sparkling with lights, were a row of Christmas stockings tacked up along the mantel.
Emilie saw Jason’s stocking, plus five other stockings with different children’s names. She also saw a battered old stocking that read “Nathan,” and a newer one for Nell. And at the end was a stocking that read “Emilie.”
“You put one up for me!” she said.
“Of course we did. You’re part of our family.”
Crying, she took it down and saw that inside were candy canes and a chocolate Santa, along with some colorfully wrapped packages that were a total surprise.
She went to Nathan and let him enclose her in his arms. “I love you, Nathan,” she said, snuggling against his broad chest and inhaling the scent of his soap.
“Wait a minute.” He gazed into her eyes. “Did you just say you love me?”
“I certainly did.” She reached up and touched his slightly scratchy cheek. “These past weeks, I’ve thought a lot about myself and where my home is and what I want in my life. It’s not my job to make everyone happy. I’ve realized that. I need to make myself happy first before I can begin to help anyone else. And being with you, Nathan, makes me happy.”
“It does?”
She nodded. “I’m turning down the job that Donnie’s offering. Or will offer. He technically hasn’t even discussed it with me.”
“But...I don’t have anything for you. I don’t even own an outdoor rink anymore.”
“That’s not what’s important to me. We’ll make a place together. That’s what’s important.”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her.
Clapping and cheers rang out around them, and she realized they had an audience.
“Nathan!” A man interrupted them. “There you are.”
“Emilie,” Nathan said, “let me introduce you to B.G. Richards, a member of the former ownership team at Prescott Inn.”
“I’m pleased to meet you,” Emilie said.
“Hello, Emilie. I’ve heard a lot about you. Merry Christmas!” Then B.G. turned to Nathan, excited. “The new owners want to hire you as general manager! Joel is in the private dining room with us, and he’s ready to talk. He’s asked for you to be there for the discussions.”
“Wow,” Nathan murmured. “Joel Desroches is CEO for the international chain that’s buying Prescott Inn. They own convention centers and business retreats around the world.”
“So...he would sell business meetings for his clients at Prescott Inn?” Emilie asked.
“Yep,” Nathan said. “We’re close to golf courses in summer and skiing in winter.”
“And the popular ice shows,” B.G. interjected. “That’s what really attracted him to the property in the first place—the venue is unique. He wants to upgrade it and make it even more luxurious and intimate. His family has been with him at your last two shows.” He guffawed. To Emilie he explained, “We were ragging on Nathan for insisting on busing tables today. Turns out that’s what most impressed Joel Desroches about Nathan—that he’s the kind of manager who’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
B.G. looked at Emilie. “Joel might also need a skating director.”
“Yes, I believe he will,” Nathan realized.
“Hmm,” Emilie teased. “I’ll have to think about it.”
Then she turned to Nathan and wrapped her arms around his neck, rising on tiptoe to kiss him.
“I still have your engagement ring in my safe upstairs, if you want it,” Nathan whispered into her ear.
“You kept it?”
“Of course.”
Emilie chuckled low in her throat. But he saw the tears of happiness in her eyes. “You’re going to have to give me a better proposal than that, Nathan Prescott.”
“Shall I go on my knees here, in the lobby?”
“That would be a nice start.”
Nathan obliged. It was Christmas after all, and Emilie deserved a perfect one.
Keep reading for an excerpt from Family by Design by Callie Endicott.
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