Holiday Kisses

“The last one’s easy.” Jason popped the last bit of muffin into his mouth. “Home.”

* * *

“GOOD MORNING, CALLIOPE!”

Calliope barely heard Paige’s cheerful greeting above the buzzing in her ears. Buzzing that had nothing to do with her bees going about their business in the field or the faintest hint of an early morning tide echoing in the distance. Disturbing dreams had left her restless, tossing and turning throughout the night, while Stella, thankfully, had dropped off peacefully. She’d sidelined her morning routine for the ritual her grandmother had taught her when she had first learned to write.

Which was why at four in the morning, she’d brewed a pot of chamomile tea and written down the dreams, in as much detail as she could remember. Once those were complete, it was as if a weight was lifted. Every doubt, every worry and concern, her thoughts, resolutions and decisions that she’d made about Emmaline. Her dismay and sadness were sidelined. But there was more to do in order for her to move on and take that next step in her life. One final step.

“Good morning, Paige, Charlie. And Abby.” Hmm. It wasn’t often this threesome came to the farm together. Given the innocent expressions plastered on their faces, she knew they were here for a particular reason. As Sundays were Calliope’s one day to herself, to recharge and refocus, she didn’t open the farm to the public. But her friends were welcome anytime, any day, whatever their motives. And if she happened to put them to work, no one would hold it against her. Seeing Abby, Paige and Charlie’s smiling faces shining in the sunlight reinflated her punctured heart.

“Are we, um, disturbing you?” Abby rocked back and forth in her pink ballet slipper flats. The matching pedal pushers and sweater made her look like a bobby-soxer in search of a carhop.

Calliope lifted her face to the still cool morning sky. No doubt the crumpled pieces of paper and smoldering sage bundle were something of a mystery to them.

“Not at all.” She pressed the dried herbs against the edge of the papers and waited for the flame to catch. “Just ridding myself of some difficult memories.” She loved the sound of the crackling flame as it caught, almost as much as she adored inhaling the cleansing smoke tendrils wafting up and around as her fingers warmed. She held on to the notes she’d made as long as she could and when she let go, her fears, worries and negativity turned to ashes in the wind.

Feeling refreshed, she turned in a slow circle, her bare feet sinking into the ankle-deep grass with comfort and waved the sage in a cleansing pattern before setting it to finish burning in a ceramic bowl on one of the outside tables. “If you’re looking for Jason, Abby, I saw him heading up to the sanctuary site with Xander a while ago.”

“Did you?” Abby blinked and then sighed. “He’s probably avoiding me because we have to choose wedding napkins today. Did you know that was even a thing?”

“I did not.” Calliope laughed.

“One of the many reasons Fletcher and I eloped to Tahoe,” Paige told them.

“Is Stella up?” Charlie wrapped Tabitha’s pink leash around her hand and gave a gentle tug as the dog took an interest in Calliope’s cat.

“I believe she is. And if she isn’t, she should be.” Even though Calliope hadn’t the heart to wake her sister. “Why don’t you go see?”

“Great. Thanks.”

“There’s fresh baked bread on the table. And homemade jam.” Calliope turned back to Paige in time to see Abby nudge her with her elbow. Yes. Her friends were definitely up to something. “Would you like some?”

“Thanks, but we already ate at the diner,” Paige told her. “Lots of errands to run before tonight. You know about this last-minute get-together at Holly’s this afternoon?”

“I heard about it.” Calliope had listened to Holly’s voicemail three times before she’d gone to bed last night, needing to hear the unrepressed happiness in the mother-to-be’s voice. “Four o’clock, I believe? Potluck?” Which reminded her, she needed to cook her famous roasted vegetable salad.

“Uh-huh.” Abby narrowed her eyes. “Don’t suppose you know what it’s all about, do you? They’re being awfully secretive. And Holly stopped returning our calls.”