She surveyed the gathered group placidly and yawned again.
“Are you having any more kids?” someone asked.
“We’re not sure yet. With my show and Addison running the bed-and-breakfast, we’re pretty busy.”
“Do you still cook for everyone?”
“I’m the designated neighborhood cook, with everyone else taking turns as prep cook, but these days people do their own breakfasts except for Sunday. I do lunch and dinner on weekdays. Aside from Sunday brunch, people are on their own on weekends. We like the variety. I’m also involved with the local food bank program, making sure everyone in Chance Creek has the food they need.”
“And you do the weddings.”
“I help with weddings, although we also offer packages with a catering company in town,” Kai corrected. “So I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, so to speak. Now who’s ready to try some bison sausage?”
As his audience gathered around, pride filled Kai at how far he’d come. There were so many possibilities for what he could do next, he knew he’d never be bored, and someday Felicity would be old enough to stand at this counter and learn the basics of cooking beside him. Would she join him someday, or would she fall in love with the bed-and-breakfast? Or would she go in some other direction he couldn’t even guess at right now?
It wouldn’t matter. She could choose anything, and he’d encourage her. Fatherhood had swept away all his fears about not being enough as a parent; his instincts had been right on the mark so far.
He remembered a conversation he’d had with his sister the other day.
“Now that I have my own kids,” she’d said, “I can’t fathom what Mom was thinking when she abandoned us. She must have been so far gone in her addictions. These days I’m sadder for her than for us.”
“I know what you mean.” He’d been holding Felicity and had settled her carefully in his arms. Nothing could persuade him to take a chance on her health and safety, but he knew enough of the world these days not to get too bogged down in judgments. “I wish it could have been different.”
“Me, too, but I’m glad about where we ended up.”
Kai had agreed with her. “You’re happy?” he’d checked just to be sure.
“Very. You?”
“Over the moon.”
Kai focused on the chatter of his visitors and noticed Felicity was fully awake now, reaching out to touch the hair of a woman who was bending over to select another tidbit of sausage.
He redirected the baby’s hand. “Want to try?” He pulled off a tiny chunk of sausage and put it carefully in her grip. She transferred it to her mouth, chewed with her few teeth and swallowed.
“Yummy?” he prompted.
“Mmm!” she replied heartily and reached for more.
“She’s going to fit right in here, isn’t she?” a man said.
“That she is.”
Addison hurried up the hillside, the skirts of her Regency gown swishing around her ankles, and entered the manor through the back door that led to the kitchen. All the women were dressed up today.
“I’m back,” she told Avery, who was replenishing drinks and snacks on a tray.
“I’ll just put this in the ballroom,” Avery told her. “Don’t worry, there have been plenty of us to head up the tours while you were gone. All the newcomers love the chance to show people around.”
Avery was right; there were always women from the newer Base Camp settlements angling to get a turn at working in the manor. They were running Alice Reed ragged keeping up with requests for Regency attire, too. Addison knew Alice had begun to outsource much of the work to Caitlyn Warren at the bridal shop, who appreciated the extra income.
Today they were taking shifts, three or four at a time, to walk visitors through the manor and answer questions about vacation packages and other events held here.
“We’ve given out so many brochures,” Avery said when she came back with another empty tray, “and so many snacks,” she added with a laugh. “The hardest part is keeping people moving. By the time they make it up here they’ve seen the rest of Base Camp and they’re tired out. They keep sitting on the furniture and lagging behind.”
Addison chuckled.
“Heard from Felicity senior recently?” Avery smiled impishly at the nickname she’d given Addison’s sister once baby Felicity made her way into the world.
“She’s coming here for Christmas. I can’t wait to see her. She and Evan are so happy in Rome.”
“She’s still modeling?”
“A little, but she’s started her own modeling company on the side, and I think she’s getting ready to transition to being behind the scenes.”
“Smart. What about your mom? How is she handling Felicity staying away for so long?”
“Better than I thought.” Addison worked to fill the tray Avery had brought back with her. “She’s been volunteering with a group that helps low-income women with finding jobs. She works with them on their interview skills. She’s a natural.”
Avery laughed. “From everything you’ve told me, I can imagine.”
“I can imagine, too.” Addison copied her mother’s tone. “Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Chin up! You are proud. You are strong. You are going to win!”
“I wonder if it works?”
“Mom claims it does. She’s very proud of ‘her new hires,’ as she calls them.”
“Good for her for finding an outlet for her energy. Speaking of which, I’d better get to the studio.”
“Go ahead, I’ll hold down the fort here.”
When Avery was gone, Addison carried the tray to the ballroom but nearly dropped it when she saw how many people were clustered around the food. No wonder they kept having to restock so often. With all the offerings down in the main cluster of buildings at Base Camp, she’d wondered if serving snacks
