Thanksgiving was like every other holiday at Presley’s house when she was growing up—a catered affair with a merry mix of guests who had nowhere else to be. Even Christmas was an endless stream of parties. After attending several gatherings on Christmas Eve, Renee and Presley stayed up late opening all their presents and then slept in on Christmas Day, only to start the round of open houses that lasted all afternoon and well into the evening. What will she do on the real Thanksgiving this year? Everett will be gone and she has no family. She won’t hold her breath waiting for an invitation from Lucy. She’s grateful to have work at least to focus on.
The smell of roasting turkeys in the kitchen makes her mouth water when she enters the kitchen at the inn early that afternoon. Cecily puts her in charge of setting the community table. After helping Katherine fashion a cornucopia centerpiece, she returns to the basement storage closet where she found the Christmas ornaments and remembers seeing boxes labeled Holiday China. Opening a few, she discovers a gorgeous set of plates with colorful turkeys in the center surrounded by a decorative brown-and-white border.
On her cell phone, she searches the internet for turkey china patterns and identifies this one as Johnson Brothers’ Woodland Wild Turkeys. She loads the three boxes of china onto a luggage cart and rolls it up to the kitchen. After gingerly hand-washing each piece, she sets the table and stands back to admire the effect. Everything looks splendid and is ready for the guests who will be arriving soon.
“Now, that’s a perfect Thanksgiving table if ever I saw one.”
Presley places a hand over her racing heart, startled to find Stella and Jazz standing next to her. “Thank you. I’m pleased with the way it turned out. Katherine deserves the credit for the centerpiece.”
“I’ll be sure to compliment her.” Stella’s wide smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Something is troubling her.
Jazz tugs Presley’s hand. “Guess what, Presley. I’m going to be living with Stella from now on.”
“You are?” Presley looks to Stella for confirmation. “Really?”
Stella nods. “If all goes well in juvenile court tomorrow.” She cuts her eyes at Jazz. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.”
“Is Naomi . . .”
“No longer employed here,” Stella says in a curt tone.
Presley does a mental victory dance around the restaurant. She’s sorry Jazz has to suffer, but the child will be much better off living with Stella. She offers the kid a high five. “I hope that means I’ll be seeing a lot more of you.”
Jazz grins at her in return.
The sound of voices draws their attention as guests begin to file into the restaurant. Brian and Opal. Katherine and Dean. Lucy. Jack and Cecily’s fiancé, Lyle. When Everett and Mary arrive, Presley goes over to greet them. Despite being shy, Everett’s mother is delightful as she peppers Presley with questions about Nashville.
“Mom’s a seamstress,” Everett explains. “She made the dress she’s wearing.”
“It’s stunning,” Presley says of the simple but elegant burnt-orange wrap dress. “I’m impressed.”
Pink dots appear on Mary’s cheeks. “In Atlanta, I had my own alterations business. I’ll be starting over in Nashville.”
Everett rests a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Maybe Presley can pass along your contact information to some of her friends who might need alterations.”
Presley nods. “And my mom’s friends as well. Although, if you’re looking for a change, you might shop around before you jump back into alterations. Nashville has an incredible number of live shows. I’m sorry. I’m overstepping—”
“Not at all.” Everett winks at his mother. “That’s exactly what I’ve been telling Mom.”
When Cecily announces dinner, Stella makes a brief speech, thanking everyone for their dedication these past months, and follows it with a sweet blessing. They load up their plates from a smorgasbord of Thanksgiving dishes concocted with Cecily’s unique flair. Brian heads up the table at one end and Stella the other. Presley is seated in the middle, sandwiched between Everett and Mary, and Lucy is to Brian’s right. Lucy totally has a crush on him, and Brian appears eager to return her flirtation.
Presley hasn’t spoken to Lucy since she confronted her on Wednesday. Yesterday, at the wine tasting, they proved they can work together despite their differences. But it’s not the same as it was. They were only friends a short time, but Presley misses that friendship already.
A festive mood falls over the table while they eat. They talk about the upcoming holidays and the steady rise in business.
“Last I checked, room reservations for the New Year’s weekend are nearing capacity and Christmas isn’t far behind.” Stella’s gaze shifts to Everett. “If you have any interest in working over the holidays, we could really use your help in managing the bars. I will comp you a suite in the carriage house. I would love to have you and Mary as my guests.”
Everett looks questionably at Presley. “Should I?”
Presley doesn’t hesitate. “I’d like that.” Decision made. She wants nothing more than to give him another chance.
Everett looks around Presley at Mary. “What do you think, Mom? Should we come back for Christmas?”
Mary casts a tentative glance at her son. “If I don’t go to Texas to visit my family, I would love to come.”
Everett smiles at Stella. “Count me in. And I’ll be in touch about Mom’s plans.”
“Be sure to bring your guitar. You can entertain our guests in Billy’s Bar. We’ll even advertise, our very own up-and-coming country music star.”
“I’m gonna be a big star, too,” Jazz says, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m dancing one of the leading roles in our Christmas program.”
All eyes shift to the sweet little girl as she tells us about her part as Clara in The Nutcracker. If she’s upset by the recent drama in her life, she doesn’t show it.
The table lingers over coffee and caramel pumpkin cheesecake. When they finally disperse, Presley is walking
