“Their favorite author,” Caylee added.
“This is all about you,” Maryanne chimed in. “At the end of the day, you’re what everyone cares about.”
Comet barked and wagged his tail.
“No pressure,” Riley said with a laugh. “You know, this is pretty unique. Usually an author will do a reading and a book signing, or maybe speak at an event, but to be here like this and interact with the people who read my books, hosting several days of activities where we’re all going to be together is really different.”
“I think that’s what people are so excited about,” Luke said. “To have this kind of access to you and the chance to help give you some ideas for your next book. I know that’s already getting a lot of buzz on social media.”
Riley gave him a surprised look. “You’ve been following?”
“Of course,” Luke said. “I’m all in for hashtag Christmas Camp.”
“Me too,” Maryanne chimed in. “So, Riley, how does it all feel knowing this is all happening tomorrow?”
Riley took a deep breath. “It’s exciting, but also, honestly, I’m a little nervous. I don’t know what people are expecting from me. I don’t want to let anyone down . . .”
“You won’t,” Luke said. “All you need to do is be yourself. They just want to share their favorite Christmas traditions and make some new traditions with you.”
“About that,” Caylee said. “If you could just look at the list and highlight any of the traditions that you do with your family, then we can share those as your own traditions. I’m sure the Christmas Campers will love that.”
That familiar feeling of dread that happened anytime someone asked her about her Christmas traditions washed over Riley. There wasn’t one thing on the list that she ever remembered doing, but she knew she couldn’t tell anyone that.
“Can I let you know in the morning?” she offered instead.
“Of course,” Caylee said.
“And then just be ready to have some fun stories to tell, some Christmas memories that you have, Riley. People always love hearing that personal stuff. I know I’m looking forward to it,” Maryanne said.
Don’t panic, Riley told herself. You’re a best-selling author, you can just make something up.
“No problem,” Riley said, hoping that if she said it, it would help her believe it. She realized one of the things that was making her so nervous about hosting this Christmas Camp was being caught off guard with a ton of questions she couldn’t answer about her own Christmas traditions. Over the years, she’d been able to dodge the occasional Christmas question, but with being branded as Miss Christmas and with the new novel, she knew she needed to be ready, and that meant coming up with a Christmas story she could tell people. Something simple. Something believable. Something that would help her relate and fit in with the kind of Christmas lovers who would be reading her book. She needed to get to work.
She abruptly stood up. “I’m going to head up to my room and finish up some work I need to do before tomorrow.”
Luke stood up, too. “Is there anything we can do for you or help you with?”
Riley smiled at them. “No, you guys have been great. This is just some . . . author stuff I need to do.” That was going to be her new go-to phrase. Anytime she couldn’t explain what she was really doing, like researching the heck out of Christmas hoping Google could save her, she would just call it “author stuff.”
“See you in the morning,” Caylee said. “Our first day of Christmas Camp—I can’t wait!”
“Me too,” Riley said, trying to match Caylee’s enthusiasm. “Good night everyone. See you in the morning.”
When Riley got to her room, she immediately turned on her computer and went to work googling the activities on the Christmas Camp list. The time flew by and before she knew it, it was already midnight.
Comet had joined her on the bed. His head was resting on one of the Santa pillows, and he was watching her.
As she petted him, she was thankful for his company. “Okay, Comet. I think I have a great start here, don’t you?”
Comet lifted his head.
Riley smiled back at him and turned her laptop around to show him the spreadsheet she was creating. She was making two lists of Christmas traditions. One list was filled with all the different Christmas traditions she’d been able to find in the last few hours. This list was huge with more than fifty traditions listed.
The other list, however, only had two entries so far. This was the list she was creating to make part of her fictional Christmas past. That way, when anyone asked her what her favorite Christmas traditions were, she wouldn’t have to panic. She would be ready with some practiced answers. Doing research, making lists, and being organized always made her feel calmer and in control.
Her plan was not to actually claim the traditions as her own, but to talk about them and share what she liked about them and then get the Christmas Campers to say what they liked, shifting the attention off her as fast as she could.
The more she researched and prepared, the more confident she felt.
When Comet lifted his head and looked at her, she smiled. “I know, Comet. I need to get to work.” She turned the computer back toward her and studied the two things she’d added so far to her own personal Christmas traditions list.
She’d tried to pick things that were easy, things that everyone did. First on her list was making Christmas cookies. While she didn’t remember ever baking Christmas cookies specifically, she had made other cookies with her mom so she could use some of those memories.
Next, she added making a snowman, inspired by Luke’s picture on the Christmas Camp memory board. She figured making a snowman would be easy enough to talk about.
“What else?” she asked Comet. Then it hit her, just like Caylee’s snowball. She could add a snowball fight
