Christmas at the Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant #2)(36)

Jill and Billy were upstairs, showering and getting changed. The kids had been dropped off about an hour ago, but the house felt eerily quiet. She smiled to herself, suspecting where they might be. She walked into the living room and stood quietly, listening. And then she heard a soft whisper but couldn’t make out the words.

“Brooke, Blake are you guys behind the tree? Come on out and hang your stockings, we’ll be eating dinner soon.” There was a shuffle and then laughter as the kids wiggled out from behind the Christmas tree.

“Here you go.” Mandy handed each of them a stocking with their names embroidered at the top. They carefully hung them on heavy reindeer that were weighted to stay on the fireplace mantel and had hooks for the stockings. She’d picked up extra stockings earlier in the week for Jill and Billy and had the kids hang those as well. She added her own stocking and they stood back and surveyed the mantel. It looked good and very festive. Jill had contributed earlier in the week by adding tiny lights along the top of the mantel and a fragrant pine garland decorated with cranberries.

“Look, the ferry is coming in,” Blake said.

They all looked out the big bay window in the living room that overlooked the ocean, and in the distance they could see the Steamship Authority High-Speed Ferry entering the harbor. Mandy knew that meant it was nearly six. Every day at the same time, they’d see the ferries come and go fifteen minutes later. She never tired of the view.

“Something smells good.”

Mandy turned at the sound of Billy’s deep voice.

“It’s our mac and cheese. Paul made it for us. But you can have some too, if you want,” Blake said.

Billy laughed. “Well, that’s nice of you. Thanks, Buddy.”

“You might want to hold off, Billy,” Jill said. “You might prefer the rest of Mandy’s menu. Lobster and steak.”

Mandy smiled. “There’s plenty of everything. Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll put the appetizers out.”

Mandy put the filets in to roast, along with some red new potatoes and a tray of pigs in blankets, while Jill set out a platter of shrimp cocktail. Billy opened a bottle of Lion Tamer cabernet that he and Jill had brought with them for the occasion and poured a glass for each of them.

Mandy set out a dish of her favorite holiday dip, a white bean hummus with garlic, lemon and lots of parsley for color. She had chopped fresh vegetables and toasted pita bread for dipping.

The wine was rich and delicious and they relaxed around the kitchen island. As soon as they were done, Mandy set out the tray of pigs in a blanket, the tiny cocktail franks wrapped in crescent dough that the kids had put together earlier. It was a holiday tradition that they loved to help with and if it were up to them, they would have gobbled the whole tray down, but Mandy made them stop after a few so they wouldn’t ruin their appetites for dinner.

When everything was ready, they ate in the dining room. It was all delicious and they went back for second helpings of everything, including wine.

“I’m so glad that we decided to come for the whole month,” Jill said as she reached for another small scoop of lobster.

“Yeah, Jill and I were just saying that upstairs while we were getting ready. It’s been a nice break from the office and great to see you all. Especially these two monkeys.” Billy grinned at Brooke and Blake, who adored having their new uncle around.

“I’m so glad you guys were able to come. It’s been nice having a house full of people, of family.” Mandy was grateful and was going to be sad to see them go. The house would miss their energy.

“What’s Matt doing—is he coming by later?” Jill asked.

“Not tonight. He’s with his kids. They are home from college. He’s going to stop over tomorrow night, though.”

Later, once dinner was all cleared up, the kids watched their favorite holiday movie, ‘Home Alone.’ The rest of them enjoyed watching it too. When it finished, they headed to church for the nine o’clock Christmas Eve service. Mandy knew that flurries were in the forecast, and the kids were thrilled when it started to snow on their way to church. It put her in a good mood, too, and she felt a swell of happiness to be surrounded by her favorite people on this special night. She missed Emma and Paul and most of all Matt, but she knew she’d be seeing them all soon.





Chapter 17





“Do you mind working Christmas Eve? I feel a little guilty that we might be keeping you from something,” Carol, one of Gina’s favorite customers asked. Carol and her husband George were eating dinner at the bar.

Gina smiled. “You’re not keeping me from anything. I actually really like working Christmas Eve. It’s not a late night. We close at eight, so I’ll still be able to make it to the Christmas Eve service, and I hear we might get a little snow, which makes me very happy.”

“Oh good. I heard that about the snow too. I think it’s just supposed to be a dusting, which is perfect. Just enough for a white Christmas but not so much that it slows anything down.”

“And hopefully no shoveling needed,” George added.

Gina was steadily busy until they closed. She was feeling tired and happy as her customers, especially her regulars, had been very generous with their tips. The restaurant had emptied out as their last reservations were at seven. Most of their employees quickly left to get home to their families, but Emma, Paul and Jared gathered in the bar for an after-work drink, and they all wanted to try a glass of Gina’s Holiday Cocktail which was a mix of spices, fruit, champagne and a splash of the orange liqueur, Grand Marnier. Gina poured one for herself, too, and sat next to Jared. She had just about enough time to enjoy one drink before walking a few streets over for the Christmas Eve church service.