During her break, Piper dug around in the office and located all of the files and paperwork she wanted to share with Braden. Right before closing, he arrived and sat down in their usual booth, the one they had always chosen throughout their childhood. Once she closed up the diner, she joined Braden at the table and without saying a word slid the file toward him. She nervously nibbled at her nails as he read through the papers. After he’d looked through the fi
les and spreadsheets, Braden sat back in the leather booth seat and frowned.
Piper leaned across the table. “So? Don’t leave me hanging. What’s the verdict?”
Braden let out a low whistle. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad, but I can’t tell you more than you already know—the diner has been in trouble for a while now. Your father was putting money into it to try and get traction, but those efforts never paid off for any sustained period of time.” He shook his head. “I don’t know if he had a strategy to improve things, but the struggles continued until his death.”
Her heart sank. Had she really been so foolish as to think Braden would instantly find an answer to her terrible predicament? She fought against the feeling of despair threatening to pull her under. She was trying to stay positive, but it was becoming more difficult with each passing day.
“Maybe I should just throw in the towel,” she said, her lips quivering with emotion. “It isn’t fair to blindside Hank or Mama. If I lose the diner, it’s only right to give them fair warning.”
“Piper, I’m trying to be straight with you, but I also don’t want you to give up hope.”
Piper crossed her hands in front of her in prayer-like fashion. “Do you really think there’s a way out of this?”
“I do. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. If ever there was a time to have faith, it’s during Christmas.” Braden drummed his fingers on the table. “Remember when a chocolate cherry shake would make everything feel better? I miss those days.” His voice sounded wistful.
Leave it to Braden to mention their favorite sweet treat and lighten the mood. Her father had come up with his own special recipe for the drink, and it became a customer favorite. There had even been a name for it on the menu. The chocolate cherry bomb shake. Piper and Braden had made it their go-to drink whenever they’d headed over to the diner for an after-school treat. There had been nothing quite like it on the Snowy Owl menu. She hadn’t continued making them after her father’s death, but now she was wondering if that had been a mistake.
“Do you want me to make us some?” Piper asked, her stomach grumbling at the idea of the delectable treat. She’d been so busy this evening she hadn’t even stopped to eat a bite of dinner.
Braden nodded vigorously. “I’ll never say no to the cherry bomb.”
Piper busied herself in the kitchen making the shakes for the two of them, leaving Braden to look over the information she’d provided. When she brought the treats to the table, Piper relished the look of absolute delight on Braden’s face as he took his first sip. He closed his eyes and let out a sound of utter contentment.
“In a perfect world, you’d be able to make a million dollars off this recipe,” Braden said, taking another lengthy sip. “You could go on one of those food shows and blow everyone away with this concoction.”
“I wish. Then my problems would be solved,” she murmured, knowing such a thing was impossible. But it was nice to dream, wasn’t it? She and Braden had shared so many hopes and wishes over the years. Some had come true while others were pie-in-the-sky fantasies. She wondered if he would still share those precious dreams with her or whether it was just another piece of their relationship that had been altered by time and space. She was hoping that spending more time together would repair all the fractures in their relationship. It was hard to imagine a future without Braden in it.
He quickly finished his drink with a satisfied sigh.
“Good to the last drop, huh?” she asked, chuckling at his empty glass.
“It would be a pity to waste any of it,” he answered, grinning back at her.
This felt nice, Piper thought. Despite the dire circumstances, she was enjoying a bit of the old camaraderie between them. It meant the world to her.
“Hey. I need to run outside for a moment. I forgot something in my car,” Braden said, jumping up from his seat. Before Piper could respond, he was halfway out the door.
A few minutes later there was a banging sound. When she walked over, she could see Braden standing there with a huge Christmas tree tucked under one arm. She wrenched the door open and stepped aside as Braden traipsed in. For a moment he battled to get it past the doorway. With a huge grunt, he pulled it across the threshold. He leaned the tree against the wall as he stopped to catch his breath.
“This is what you forgot? A ginormous pine tree?” she asked, feeling stunned by Braden’s sweet gesture. She had been so preoccupied by her troubles that she hadn’t even thought to do anything to make the diner look festive in anticipation of the holidays.
“It was a surprise,” he said. “I couldn’t run the risk of you saying no.”
“I would never say no to a Christmas tree,” Piper said as she inhaled the fragrant aroma of pine. “It reminds me too much of hearth and home. It’s funny how a smell can transport you all the way back to childhood when all you wanted for Christmas was to find a bike under the tree or the latest Barbie dollhouse.”
Braden made a face. “I remember you forcing me to play with that dollhouse and then getting mad when I wouldn’t play by the rules.”
“That’s because you wanted the dolls to do karate moves when they were supposed to be in a fashion show.” Piper laughed at the sweet trip down memory lane. They truly had been in each other’s pockets all through their childhood. He had always been her soft place to fall. She hoped he always would be.
After a little bit of wrangling, they managed to drag the tree over to a spot by the window. Braden raced back outside and returned with a tree stand. He held it up triumphantly and placed it in a strategic spot by the tree. Piper stood on one side while Braden placed the tree in the stand, then asked Piper to hold it steady while he tightened the screws at the base. When it was secure, they both stepped back to admire the tree in all its glory. It was beautiful and majestic, reaching all the way to the ceiling. There was even a little space at the top for the star. Once it was all decked out, the customers would love it. Now all they had to do was add water to the base to keep it fresh and hydrated.
Piper swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. She couldn’t help but think about her sweet and lovable father. He’d loved Christmas more than anything, and he had sprinkled his irrepressible brand of holiday charm all over Owl Creek. Because of him, the diner had radiated pure love and warmth. Having the tree here brought a huge piece of her father back to her.
“How did you know exactly what this place needed?” she asked, her throat husky with emotion. “It’s simply perfect.”
“I remembered how festive it looked in years past. Not to mention if you walk down Main Street all the other businesses are decked out with all the Christmas trimmings. It’s that time of the year when all is merry and bright. The Snowy Owl needed a little holiday bling.”
