Christmas at Last Chance Lodge, page 13
“Probably best.”
They gazed up as Maude, dressed as Mrs. Claus, came in with a plate of cookies. She sat down next to them. “I do love these sleighs going to and from the lodge. What an ingenious idea. Here, have a cookie.”
Bridgette grabbed one of each. “How’s the Festival going?”
“Good. There are more people this year and buses are arriving all the time.” She faced Bridgette. “It was a good thing you did, listening to Bryce. He hasn’t been able to talk to anyone about it all these years. He called me up and told me how much better he feels after having talked to you.”
Bridgette stared back at the fire. “I wish I could say I feel better, but I have a sad feeling nestled in the middle of my chest. Nobody should have had to go through that. It’s shaped how he sees the world.”
“The world is taking another turn for him. The investment company has sold the hotel. He’s trying to stay in town. George will be building a house for him in the spring, but now with the hotel being sold, he doesn’t know where he’ll end up. Is there a job he could do around here?”
“Maintenance manager,” Lillian piped up. “We don’t have a maintenance manager now that Charles is retired.”
“It would be part-time at first, at least until they decided whether or not they are building on to this building,” Bridgette added. “But it would be a job at least. Is he good at that sort of thing, I hope?”
“I’m sure of it. I’ll tell him the happy news.” Maude stood up.
“No worries, I’ll call him,” Bridgette replied.
“Sounds good.” Maude caught the next sleigh ride to town.
Chapter 28
“I was told by Susan that they’ve sold the hotel. They’re supposed to be closing before Christmas, but I don’t know when, other than that,” Bryce said. He leaned back in his chair, phone up to his ear.
Bridgette replied, “Like I said, if you need a job, I can make you the maintenance manager. It would only be part-time at first.”
“Thanks, I might need to take you up on it. Thanks for calling.”
“Sure, how about popcorn and a movie in my apartment tonight? I’m sure you’ll love to get out of the hotel room for a few hours.”
“I would love that. ‘Bye for now.”
Bryce walked into the hotel. A man in a dark suit with short black hair stood talking to Lionel.
“So, there you are,” the man said as he spotted Bryce. “The previous owner told us that you weren’t here that often.”
“Who are you?” Brice asked.
“I’m Albert Henders. I’m a lawyer who represents the new owners. Well, soon to be new owners. I can’t disclose who they are until the ink on the paperwork has dried. I’m not going to be accused of insider trading. Here are my credentials and a letter from your old boss James stating that you are to provide me with a room and free access to your books for the next three days.”
“We’ll see about this.” He dialed up James, but it went straight to voicemail. Bryce pocketed his phone. All he could do was shrug. “Get him a room,” he told Lionel.
A few minutes later, Lionel handed him a card. “Here’s your key, Mr. Henders.”
“Thank you. I’ll just take my bags to my room then I’ll be back.”
When he left, Lionel said, “He’s a real piece of work. Oh, the people in 101 are having trouble with their television. I think it’s too complicated for them. I was on my way to help them when Albert came in.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
When Bryce arrived back at the lobby, he tried to go into his office, but Albert sat using the office computer. Going to the front desk, he leaned against the back wall. “I can’t get any work done with him around, I see.”
“Albert said I have nothing to worry about. This hotel chain normally keeps the rank and file who are already employed. The managers are seldom kept. They usually hire their own people, but they have kept some managers in the past, so it’s a possibility at least.”
“I’m finally back in town and dating a great woman, and this happens. I’ve been offered the maintenance position at the lodge, but I don’t know that much about maintenance. I’m going to have to tell her no. I would start working on my resume, but Albert’s at my desk.”
“It’s only for a few days.”
“Ah, there you are.” Albert came out of the office. “I see you’ve been staying at the hotel. Did the previous owners know about that? Did they approve it? If so, did they deduct the expense out of your pay?”
“I told them, but they said nothing about it other than that.”
Albert scratched his head. “Going forward, it’s going to have to be addressed. It’s going to show up as employed compensation on your W4 form and your pay will be deducted accordingly.” Albert went back into Bryce’s office.
“Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse,” Bryce grumbled.
Bridgette cringed as she dialed the number. She had to make the call, she knew that, but she had never wanted to talk to Calvin ever again.
“Well, well, look who’s calling.” His sarcastic voice came over the line. “Does this mean you’re coming back to me? You left Atlanta in a hurry. Not that I would accept you back, mind you. I have a new girl.”
“I broke up with you years before I left Atlanta.” She shivered to herself. Ex-boyfriends could be so difficult sometimes. She thought about hanging up but pushed on. “I need you to find somebody.”
“If it's for you, I suggest, me.”
“It’s not for me. A friend of mine has lost his brother. Their father came home and murdered their mother then killed himself. My friend’s sixteen-year old brother ran out of the house, never to be seen again.”
“Oh.”
Bridgette waited for a sarcastic reply from Special Agent Calvin Horten, but it didn’t come.
“Give me a name, birthplace, and approximate age and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Calvin. You can be human at times.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
She smiled as she hung up from the call. If anyone on the planet could find Mike, it would be Calvin.
Maude came and sat down in front of the fire. She put her feet up and her plate of cookies down. Bridgette came and joined her.
Stretching, Maude said, “My feet hurt. I’ve been all over this town and back again. If not for the sleighs, I would be holed up in my house with the feet soaking in a bucket of Epsom salt water. Thank goodness tomorrow’s the last day of the Festival and I have the rest of the year to recover.”
“You do a lot to spread the cheer around here. Speaking of which, can I have a cookie?”
“Sure, help yourself. Christmas is only a couple of days away. Do you have any plans for it?”
“Bryce, the twins, and I are going caroling Christmas Eve. I get a chance to hear his singing voice. If it’s terrible, well, that might be a deal-breaker. Then the twins have invited me over for Christmas morning.”
“You, the twins, and Bryce, of course, are invited over to my house for Christmas dinner. I bake a killer turkey.”
“Yes, you do, and that sounds wonderful.”
“He’s a good man, that one.”
Bridgette nodded, “I know. Now that we’ve fixed him.”
Maude burst out laughing.
Albert stepped out of the office. “The good news is your books are in perfect order.”
Bryce smiled. “Thank you.”
“The bad news is, you’re not making any money.”
“I see the writing on the wall.” Bryce shook Albert’s hand. “Do I start packing now?”
“We’ve contacted James, your old boss. Per his contract, the employees stay in place until the changeover. But no worries, as of tomorrow, we’ll be signing your checks, then we’ll see where we go from there. There is no reason to buy a bus ticket yet. However, the new owner does like his people in manager positions. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you in his organization. You have a good shot at it. He likes people who can keep the books up to date. It will probably require relocation, however. Well, my work is done here.”
Bryce went over to the lodge. Maude and Bridgette were still sitting by the fire and talking. He came over put his arm around Bridgette and pulled her close. “How do you feel about long-distance relationships?”
“They suck, and hardly ever work out.”
“There’s only a slim chance I’m staying in town.”
“The diner might be looking for a new manager soon. Bert’s getting old. You can have them stop playing that awful country music on Friday and Saturday nights, so normal folks can eat out on a weekend.” Maude said.
“I like country music,” Bryce replied.
Brigette wrinkled her nose. “That’s not a point in your favor.”
Walking across the room, Lillian put her hands on Bridgette’s shoulders. Then winking at Bryce, “Looks like we’ll have to convert her.”
“Is the date still on for tonight?” Bryce asked.
“Yes, I’ve rented Casablanca for us.”
“Casa who?”
“Casablanca. You’ll love it,” Bridgette smiled.
Lillian rolled her eyes, “Or not.”
“I liked it,” Maude said. “I saw it on the late, late, late show. My baby was having trouble sleeping so I was up with him in the middle of the night.”
“Oh, by the way, her baby’s now forty years old,” Lillian replied.
“How old is this movie if it was on the late show forty years ago?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Bridgette said.
Lillian giggled, “Just don’t expect it to be in color.”
Bryce walked down the street after one of the best evenings of his life. Bridgette and he watched the sappy old movie eating popcorn while snuggling on the couch under a blanket. To his surprise, he actually liked the movie. Then, just for fun, they went out into the lobby and roasted marshmallows over the fire. People walking through the lobby on their way back from the Festival joined them.
Someone burst out in a Christmas carol and everyone joined in. That brought out more guests to see what was happening, and most of them participated also. The laughter and the singing echoed through the lodge.
After a long goodbye kiss, Bryce bundled up and headed home through the freshly falling snow. He stopped when he arrived at the hotel. A truck with a boom on it sat in the parking lot. Two men worked on unbolting the Baden Hotel sign.
“You’re working late,” Bryce said.
One of the men looked down on him. “New signs comin’ in the mornin’ We don’t wanna be workin’ too late on Christmas Eve.”
“Got it.” Bryce walked into the hotel. It felt lonely and empty compared to the lodge. All the beautiful stonework reflected the streetlights from outside. It does feel like a mausoleum. That would be someone else’s problem soon. He headed up to his room. He half expected to see a bill for his hotel stay slid under the door.
I’m going from one of the best days of my life to complete uncertainty. Turning on the television, he watched old movies until he fell asleep.
Chapter 29
Brigette heard the rumble of a big truck as it stopped in front of the lodge. She looked up to see a tall man walking through the door. “Philmore? What are you doing here?”
“Hello.” His big boisterous voice boomed through the lobby. “I love what you’ve done with the place.”
“Uncle Philmore!” Lillian ran out from behind the desk and hugged him.
Bridgette folded her arms. “Uncle Philmore?”
Philmore waved his hand back and forth, “Oh, don’t worry about it. When her parents died in that car crash a couple of years back, I bought a house for her and her brother to live in. She’s been calling me Uncle Philmore ever since. She hasn’t been spying on you. I expressly forbid it. I got all my info from Sheriff Joe.”
“Oh, okay.” Bridgette gave him a sideways glance. “You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”
“Miss Claire wouldn’t sell. I even offered her three times what her little house was worth. She said she liked her house just fine. I told her she could buy another one four times that size, but she wouldn’t budge. Then I heard there was a hotel in town for sale that was already built. So, I bought it. I’m with the guys who are going to install the new sign. You want to come along?”
“I’d love to.”
Two more men and a woman entered the lobby a minute later. Bridgette recognized Calvin right away. The other man had a Christmas bow on his head and a frown on his face.
“Merry Christmas,” Calvin said. “I found him. I did a search and this kid matched the age and name. This Mike Jacobson is the manager of a burger joint. Now I had to ask myself, did Bridgette want a Mike Jacobson, or the Mike Jacobson? I knew how important it was so I flew up to Connecticut to talk to this Mike Jacobson. I asked if he was from New Hampshire and he said he was.” Calvin glared at Mike. “Put that bow back in your hair, I ain’t done yet. You’re going to ruin my moment.”
Mike put the Christmas bow back with a sigh.
“Anyway, where was I?” Calvin continued. “Oh yeah, well I asked the circumstances of his leaving New Hampshire, only he wouldn’t tell me, so I figured I got the right guy. So, I go to the owner, Fred, and say, I’m taking your boy here in for questioning, then I give him a wink. Fred laughs so I leave with Mike. Mike thinks he’s wanted back here, I guess, ‘cause he’s really quiet the whole way here. Darcy, my wife, said it would be really wonderful if I could deliver this Mike before Christmas. She even comes with me. Merry Christmas, Bridgette.”
“You drove him all the way from Atlanta?”
“Nah, I flew into Connecticut. I only drove from there.”
“Wow, you did go above and beyond. What do I owe you?” Bridgette asked.
“I have my new girlfriend with me. Darcy, this is Bridgette, Bridgette, Darcy. It took longer than expected to get here. Do you have a room for us so we can spend Christmas here?”
“I have a better plan. My private jet is at the Berlin airport. I’ll fly you back. You’ll be at home Christmas morning,” Philmore replied.
“Wait, how do I get back home?” Mike asked.
“You can take my rental car back to Connecticut,” Calvin said.
“Do you have a brother named Bryce?” Bridgette asked Mike.
Mike’s eyes lit up. “Is he here? I thought he was dead. When Dad shot Mom, I took off running. I heard another shot. I thought he’d shot Bryce and would be looking to kill me next.”
“Your father shot himself. Bryce is here in town and he wants to see you. Oh, take that silly looking bow off your head.” She hugged Calvin. “Thank you so much for getting these brothers back together for me.”
“Does that mean all is forgiven?”
She nodded her head, “Yes, but in the future, don’t be a heel.”
He laughed. “I’m a lot nicer to my wife, thanks to you. I didn’t want to lose another good thing. Anyway, Merry Christmas.”
“Follow us over to the hotel,” Philmore said to Calvin. “The rest of us, what are we waiting for? Let’s all get into the truck.” Philmore said. “It has a crew cab; there’s room for all of us.”
“Is there room for one more? I want to come too, Uncle,” Lillian said.
“Well, come on then.”
Bryce watched out the window as the boom truck backed up to the post where the sign would sit. He couldn’t read it at first because the sign still had a protective crate around it. As they pulled it up, he scratched his head. “Lovely Lucy Lodge II. I thought that was a terrible name for a hotel. Why would they use it twice?”
“I like the name. It has a ring to it,” Lionel replied.
“You have to like the name. You’re still going to be working here. As for me, I have to beg for a job. Who knows where I’ll end up? Maybe the wilds of Africa.”
As a man stepped out of the truck, Lionel said, “Excuse me.” He ran out the front door. “Uncle Philmore.” They hugged.
The two of them walked back into the hotel together. “Bryce, this is Philmore Claring, a family friend. We call him uncle, although he really isn’t.”
“Hello, it’s good to meet you.” Bryce shook his hand. “Wait, Claring, as in Claring Meadows Hotels?”
“Yes,” Philmore replied.
“You’re the new owner?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Bryce hadn’t been watching as Brigette, Mike, and Lillian entered the foyer. “Mike.” He ran over and hugged his brother. “Mike, is that really you?”
“Yes. It’s so good to see you.”
“What brought you here?”
“The FBI.”
“What?”
“Ask her,” he pointed to Bridgette.
She shrugged. “Ex-boyfriend.” She pointed at Calvin and his wife as they entered.
“It doesn’t matter, you’re here.”
“What happened? I thought Dad shot you. When I finished running, I ended up in Connecticut.”
“I went to New York for a while, but I came back here in case you showed up.”
Philmore cleared his throat. “The sign is done.”
Bryce turned. “What about me? Now that you’ve bought the hotel, where do I go?”
“That will be up to your new manager,” Philmore replied.
“What new manager?” Bryce asked.
“I’m leaving Bridgette in charge of both lodges. She’ll make all the staffing decisions.”
“Oh,” Brigette took a step back, hand to chest. “Well, in that case, I guess you can stay. Until you’ve proven yourself, I mean.”
“Really.”
“Bye,” Philmore said and then rushed to get to the truck as they readied to leave.
“Wait, Uncle Philmore,” Lionel and Lillian said in unison. “We want you to go caroling with us.”
“Hold on,” Bryce said, “you’re his sister? No wonder you guys knew everything that happened here.”
“Yes, they’re twins. You finally figured that out? There’s hope for you yet. Are you going to invite Mike to go caroling with us?”
