Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Taking another drink of her tea, Memory let Ellie eat her dinner, reflecting on how fortunate it was she’d showed up just when she was needed most. It really seemed a bit like a Christmas miracle. Her father asked where Ellie was from, and she relayed the same story Memory had heard earlier, about how she’d owned a shop in St. Charles, Illinois, though she added a few more details this time, and by the time Ellie was done with her meal, it seemed like they’d known Ellie their whole lives.
Placing a hand on her belly, Ellie said, “I don’t think I could swallow another bite, but boy was that good. I was never one for making dumplings myself. I always ended up adding too much water.”
“That’s funny. Dad was just saying Grandma did the same thing,” Memory said, laughing, but then thinking it was a little strange that both of them had done that.
“It’s a pretty common mistake,” Ellie said quickly. “I am a wonderful cook when it comes to most things, but dumplings were my stumbling point.” Her smile seemed a little different to Memory, as if she were trying to force it.
“I can’t cook toast,” Bryce joked, and Memory giggled, nodding in approval, letting the strange coincidence with the dumplings go. She imagined it would be easy to get the dumpling mixture wrong.
Julie brought two checks, but Ellie snatched them both up before Bryce or Memory could even reach for them. “Now, I insist that you let me buy your dinner for providing such good company to me,” Ellie insisted. “No need to try to argue, when Eleanor Snow insists on something, that’s that.”
“But...” Memory began. It was bad enough she wasn’t paying the woman to work in her store; the least she could do was buy her dinner.
Ellie put a hand up to stop her. “Bup, bup, bup.... I won’t hear of it.”
Memory and her dad exchanged glances. “Well, okay then,” Bryce said with a shrug. “Thank you, Mrs. Snow.”
“Oh, please. Call me Ellie! And you are more than welcome. This is the best conversation I’ve had in a long time—although the chat I had in the lounge over cookies was also lovely.”
Julie came back to collect the payment, and Ellie handed her what Memory assumed had to be far more than both checks combined. “Keep the change, dear. Merry Christmas.”
The waitress glanced down at what she was holding and then looked back at Ellie. “Ma’am, are you sure? The tip is bigger than....”
“Bup, bup, bup!” Ellie said again, holding up her hand to Julie this time. “I insist.”
Julie stared at her for a moment. “Well... thank you! Merry Christmas! I feel like I could give you a hug!”
“Now, that I’ll take,” Ellie replied, standing so the waitress could wrap her arms around her. Memory looked from the pair to her dad, and they both sort of shrugged at each other in pleasant surprise. It seemed Ellie either had deep pockets or was just extremely generous with the money she had—maybe both.
Bryce and Memory slid out of the booth, collecting their coats. “Do you need a ride back to the inn?” her dad asked once Julie had stepped away.
“No, thank you,” Ellie replied, buttoning up her bright red coat. “I have a car.”
The comment seemed a little strange to Memory. She wondered if it wasn’t Ellie’s car but a rental or a driver, but she didn’t ask.
“All right then. It was nice to meet you,” her dad said, and Ellie gave him a hug, too.
“It was so lovely to chat with you,” she said, patting him on the cheek fondly. Memory held back a smile, and then Ellie turned to her. “I will see you tomorrow, my dear.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.” Memory welcomed another of Ellie’s magical hugs and didn’t want to let her go. There was just something so comforting and familiar about being in the woman’s arms that seemed to solve all of the problems she’d been dealing with for so long.
Eventually, Ellie had to let her go. “I’m going to stop and talk to a few folks I see that are also staying at the inn before I go,” she said, gesturing across the diner. “You have a good night.”
“You, too,” Memory said, not bothering to turn and see who she was talking about since she likely didn’t know them anyway. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you then!” Ellie said with a wave, and Memory followed her dad to the door.
It was snowing gently as they headed for his truck. Memory stopped for a moment and tipped her head up to the sky, letting the snowflakes kiss her cheeks. When she was little, her grandma used to say they were angel kisses, sprinkled down on her from her mother and the rest of their loved ones in heaven.
Bryce opened the door for her, and Memory continued on her way, a small smile still settled on her face. When her dad climbed in and started the truck he said, “Well, she is a sweet gal.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Memory agreed. “I just took to her, you know?”
“There’s something awfully familiar about her. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
Memory silently agreed, hoping Ellie got back to the inn okay. She seemed perfectly capable of driving in the snow, and the inn was only a few blocks away, but Memory always worried about the older folks in town driving on icy roads. “I think she’s planning on coming to church on Sunday,” she noted.
“That’s good. I’m sure Mable and the others will welcome her.”
“Some of them came into the store today—Mable, Esther, and Georgeann. It was like they were fast friends in no time at all. They invited her.”
“Huh,” Bryce said. “I guess Ellie has a way of making everyone feel as if they’ve always known her.”
“I guess so,” Memory agreed, looking out the window as her dad drove past the Candy Cane Lane Inn. The house was lit up with Christmas lights, wreaths on the doors and faux candles in the windows. “It sure is beautiful. That’s how a B and B should be,” she said, wondering what the new place would be like and guessing it would be nothing like the place Leon ran.
Bryce reached over and put his hand on top of hers on the seat but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Memory knew. She was going to have to do something about her grandmother’s place, sooner rather than later.