LOGINShare
Chapter Ten
Last Updated:
2021-02-22 09:15:38Helen took the opportunity to go back over everything she’d told her granddaughter so far. Stella was right—she’d done quite a bit of elaborating--and it might be difficult to remember all of the details. She realized Memory hadn’t asked her where she was visiting from, so she decided to tell her St. Charles, Illinois, if she asked since it also had a reputation as a town where the people loved Christmas, and she’d mentioned owning a Christmas shop. Helen thought she had everything sorted out so that by the time the customers left, she was ready to launch phase two of her plan—if she could call introducing herself and blundering through a conversation phase one. So far, she hadn’t done anything to help Memory have a meet-cute with Dakota. In fact, Helen hadn’t even met Dakota yet. She’d have to be patient.
“You know, dear, I’ve noticed you don’t have much of a staff,” Helen sai
Related chapters
Christmas Memory Chapter Eleven
“Aunt Memory! You’re here!” Lorelei shouted as Memory came through the door of her dad’s house, the same one she’d grown up in. The four-year-old rocketed up into her arms, and Memory just got them open in time to snatch her up.“My goodness, Lor! You just saw me yesterday!” She giggled and patted her niece on the back before the girl shifted so she could see her pretty face.“I know, but we’re making gingerbread houses with Grandpa! And you can help!” Lorelei wiggled, and Memory set her down, her fingers quickly caught up in the little girl’s sticky hand as she pulled her to the kitchen.The three-bedroom ranch wasn’t nearly as big as her grandma’s house, but Memory still felt at home here. Her dad had kept the place fixed up nicely, despite his decorating challenges, and when she walked into the kitchen to see him covered with flour, Anson
Last Updated : 2021-02-22Christmas Memory Chapter 12
Lorelei had forgotten her gingerbread house. Memory should be a good aunt and run it over, but then she’d have to see her sister again, and she just wasn’t feeling it at the moment.Memory grabbed a wash cloth out of the drawer by the sink and turned the faucet on as her dad did his best to brush the loose flour into the trash can. Over his years as a single dad to two girls, he’d seen his fair share of messes, but she imagined he’d need a shower after this one.“How was your day, honey? You looked happier than usual when you came in—until we ruined it for you.” Bryce turned and gave her a stilted smile, the flour in his hair making him look older than his fifty-two years.“It was a good day,” Memory said, ignoring the last part of his comment because she wasn’t sure what to say. She’d planned to come in and tell him all about Ellie and how interesting s
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory Chapter 13
The ambience at the Candy Cane Lane Inn was different than Dak had been expecting when he booked his reservations months ago. From the pictures online, he’d been imagining an overly cliché family run B and B where everyone was corny and sappy, flinging Christmas in his face like it was a handful of that fake silver tinsel he used to hang on the tree as a kid—the Muzak version of a holiday classic. What he’d gotten was actually a quaint, cozy inn where the innkeepers were kind and offered plenty of activities to those who wanted to participate but didn’t hound their guests to make an appearance at every single event. Even the décor in his room was understated. While the bed linens were Christmas themed—plaids in red and white with a handmade quilt in a poinsettia pattern, the rest of the room wasn’t packed with kitsch. A small Christmas tree with tasteful, red and gold bulbs sat on the dresser, the white lights creating a s
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory Chapter 14
“Do you know them?” Dak asked, breaking off a piece of the sugar cookie he’d chosen, which happened to be in the shape of a candy cane, and popping it into his mouth.Ellie finished chewing before she said, “I met them today. At the shop. They’re very sweet. Those kids are a handful, though.”“The shop?” he repeated, not sure what she was referring to. He took a tentative sip of his cocoa and found it was the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too cold.“Oh, yes. There’s this fabulous shop downtown. They have the best Christmas decorations there, and so many treasures you won’t find anywhere else. I’d heard of it before I came to town. I used to run a similar shop, you see. Anyway, I went in today and had a look around and enjoyed myself so much, I asked the owner if she’d mind if I stick around a while, to help out. I was tickled whe
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory Chapter 15
Chicken and dumplings had sounded like a good homestyle meal, the kind that warms a person from the inside out when it’s cold outside and they need a little pick me up, but even though the diner’s fare was just as tasty as any other place Memory ever dined, she just felt off. She found herself pushing the dumplings around her plate, only eating a bite or two. The sensation that she was starving earlier had been replaced by the worry she’d gotten to know so well over the last year.“You know, your grandma tried to make chicken and dumplings one time,” her dad said, chuckling as he scooped another bite of meatloaf.Despite her disposition, Memory chuckled. “How did that turn out? Too much sugar?”Bryce snickered. “No, no she reserved sweetening the poultry for turkey. But she put way too much water into the dumpling mixture.” He laughed, slapping his hand on his thigh
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory 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
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory Chapter 17
The downtown area was similar to a lot of the towns Dak had visited recently, looking for the perfect place to start his new endeavor, but there was something slightly different about Christmas Falls, something special he couldn’t quite put his finger on. The Christmas decorations hanging from the lamp posts and strung around the trees were the same white lights, red bows, garland, and cartoony characters as everywhere else, seasonal flowers blooming from the flower beds while banners announced where he was and that he was welcome there, but an excitement seemed to hang in the air that he could only describe as a certain kind of Christmas magic he couldn’t ever remember encountering before.Growing up in Carmel, he’d visited Christmas Falls a few times as a child, but never for longer than a few hours, and even then he didn’t feel as if he’d gotten a true sense of what it was like to celebrate Christmas in this town. Now, as
Last Updated : 2021-03-11Christmas Memory Chapter 18
“Boy, is it chilly out!” she exclaimed, stomping her feet on the mat inside of the door. A small amount of snow pooled next to her black boots. She held a cup of coffee in one hand, and her other held the top of her coat closed, her large purse looped over her arm. “Brrr!”Dak turned to smile at her, waiting for her to look up before he said anything. She did—and a large grin spread across her face. “Hi, Ellie.”“Dak! Well, I’ll be done snickered! How are you?” she rushed over and enveloped him in a tight hug, as if he was her long lost son she hadn’t seen in ages instead of a stranger she’d met at an inn the day before. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. How long have you been here?”“Just a few minutes,” he assured her as she let him go. “Memory and I were just chatting.”
Last Updated : 2021-03-11
Latest chapter
Christmas Memory Epilogue
Helen perched on the windowsill right outside of the ballroom, Ann on one side and Joe on the other. Coming to earth to visit her family disguised as a bird had taken a little bit of getting used to, but she was glad Michael had agreed to let her drop in from time to time since she’d done such a good job of fixing the meet-cute gone wrong. Of course, he didn’t know Helen had actually been on her way back to heaven when Memory and Dak worked out the final conflict themselves, but none of that would’ve happened if Helen hadn’t taken on the assignment to begin with. As long as nothing else went awry, Helen’s great-great-great-granddaughter would discover a way to virtually eliminate cancer. Of course, that wasn’t Helen’s primary focus for now. She chirped happily as she peered in the window, glad to see the house in even better shape now than it had been when she and Joe had bought it right after they got married.I
Christmas Memory Chapter 72
Opening the book to the page where the feathers were placed, she squinted to see if there was anything particularly important about that entry. Reading by the light of the Christmas decorations behind her, she felt as if she could hear her grandma’s voice echoing in her ear with each word.I do worry about Memory. We are so close. When I pass away, which hopefully won’t be for many years, I am afraid she will be lonely without me. She is an old soul for someone so young, and she has given up so many opportunities in her life because she is so attached to me and this town. I do hope, one day, she will meet someone who is as generous and caring as she is, who gives so freely of themselves, and who appreciates history and tradition the way my sweet Memory does. I fear she may never give anyone a fair chance to prove himself to her, though. If I am still alive when he comes along, I’ll have to do my best to conv
Christmas Memory Chapter 71
She didn’t—the number was disconnected. Memory held her phone away from her face and stared at it, listening to the obnoxious tone on the other end and the message telling her she’d dialed incorrectly on repeat. Pressing the button to disconnect the call, she rested the phone against her chin. Part of her thought perhaps Ellie had been a figment of her imagination—but other people had seen her, spoken to her, interacted with her. None of it made any sense....Memory put her phone down and grabbed her purse, remembering what Ellie had said right before she left. The journal. She’d mentioned she should read it. Maybe Ellie wrote her a message in the journal to explain what was going on. She opened her bag and dug through it, feeling around in all of the mess, but the journal wasn’t jumping out. “What in the world?”She turned on the overhead light and opened her bag wide, pulling out the lar
Christmas Memory Chapter 70
No longer thinking linearly, Memory took off for the back of the store, grabbing her coat and shoving her arms into it, dragging the insurance policy through the sleeve with her fist. She snatched up her purse and dug for her keys, running to the back door and flying through it, barely getting it shut before she jammed the key in to lock it.Her car sputtered when she turned it over. “Not now! Come on Bertha, let’s go.” The second time, it cranked, so she said another quick thank you to heaven before throwing on her seatbelt and backing down the alley a ways before she flung the shifter into drive and took off headed for the Candy Cane Lane Inn.The sun was beginning to set, and Christmas lights glowed from every yard and rooftop, but she didn’t pay any attention as she concentrated on getting to her destination as quickly as possible without breaking too many driving laws. She found a parking spot on the street
Christmas Memory Chapter 69
Eventually, Memory managed to get control of herself again, though her throat continued to spasm as she choked stuttered breaths through her constricted airway. She felt around for her phone and found it between two boxes, figuring she must’ve dropped it when Dak had hung up. She didn’t even want to hear his voice at the moment, but she was curious about that second message he said he’d left. Her hands were shaking as she dialed into her voicemail.“Hey, Mem. Are you okay? I’m at the store, but the door’s locked. It’s not 3:00 yet. I hope you’re not upset about Ellie. I know how much you’re going to miss her. Me, too. Listen, I wanted to tell you in person, but since I don’t know where you are, and you might need some good news about now, you should know, I found something you’ve been looking for at your grandma’s house. I think you’re going to want this piece of paper I have i
Christmas Memory Chapter 68
As soon as he was gone, the tears sprang free. Memory swiped at them with both hands before she slammed her fists into the counter. It all suddenly made sense—Dak had to have known about the house all along! He was never interested in her. He just wanted the house with the perfect ballroom. Beardly was probably an associate of his.It wasn’t 3:00 yet, but Memory was done. She flew across the room to the door and locked it, flipping the sign as she went, and then switched off the lights, shooting to the back of the building where she could be alone. She went into the stock room and dropped to the floor, her arms tossed over a box, her head buried on top of them. Her shoulders shook as wave after wave of tears rippled through her.After a few minutes of thinking through the situation, she realized she wasn’t just sad—she was angry. How dare he come in here, to her town, and try to take advantage of her? To pretend
Christmas Memory Chapter 67
Thankful for a moment to herself, Memory went behind the counter and pulled out a tissue, wiping at her eyes. She waved her hands in front of her face, willing the tears to stay away. After a couple of minutes, she thought she had control over herself, repeating that she hadn’t just lost her grandmother again—Ellie was just a friend.Remembering that her phone had been ringing, she pulled it out and saw she had a missed call from Dak. “Dang it,” she mumbled, wishing she’d had a chance to talk to him. She missed him already, even though she’d seen him earlier when he stopped by to pick up her key. Hopefully, he had good news about the roof. She clicked into her voicemail and listened to his message. Though she had no idea what he was talking about, he sure sounded excited, which made her laugh.She raised her thumb to click the button to call him back when the bell chimed. Trying to hide her disappoint
Christmas Memory Chapter 66
The ticking of the clock registered in Memory’s head even over the Christmas music as it drew closer to 2:00. That’s when Ellie would be leaving, and even though she’d made Memory promise not to try to talk her into staying again, she wasn’t sure she could keep that promise.They’d been busy most of the morning into the afternoon, which hadn’t given them much time to talk. Memory was dreading the moment her new friend had to say goodbye. Despite Ellie’s inability to commit to ever coming back or willingness to tell her exactly where she was going, Memory was hopeful they’d meet again soon.The last customer from the latest rush walked out the door, bags in hand, and Memory turned her attention to the clock. She didn’t like what she saw.“I’m sorry, dear.” Ellie came around the counter, already untying her apron. “But I have to go.”
Christmas Memory Chapter 65
Dak pulled his SUV into the drive of Memory’s Victorian home, glad to see Ralph’s work truck parked to the side, a ladder propped over the west wing. He imagined the roofer was already assessing the situation. Dak checked the time. It was already almost 1:30. He’d told Ralph his meetings might run long, but he had no idea he’d be almost an hour late. Frustrated, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and dropped them in his pocket, heading up the snow covered drive.At least he’d gotten the offer on the factory put together and sent off. His agent said she thought they wouldn’t hear anything until after the first of the year, but that was understandable. It was a solid offer, and he was confident even Corbin Beardly couldn’t compete with. When he’d run into him the night before at the diner, Corbin had mentioned having something up his sleeve, said he was onto something pretty special, something Dak would b
