The Mills & Boon Christmas Wishes Collection. Maisey Yates

easy.”

      “I wish she’d respond to me. Talk to me, and not just because she has to.” I struggled to find the words. “I feel like, since coming home, she’s even further away from me. I don’t know how to bridge the gap.”

      Her face fell, and all at once she looked every inch her age, as if the constant worrying about Mom pulled her down. “I shouldn’t have forced her to come to Cedarwood to help out that day,” she said, shame coloring her cheeks pink. “I had no idea it would be that difficult for her after all this time. I honestly thought it would be some sort of closure for her. That she’d see how much you’ve done with this place, that it was different now. But obviously she could only see it as it was back then. And those ghosts, they haunt her.”

      “What’s with this running loop of secrecy about Cedarwood? Honestly, Aunt Bessie, I can’t be much help if I don’t know.” Aunt Bessie was usually as straightforward as they came, but in this, she was a trapdoor, refusing to budge.

      As usual the question was evaded. “She loves you, Clio, you know that, right?”

      I nodded bleakly. Mom loved me as much as a houseplant as far as I could tell. “She does, trust me, that’s why she’s scared.” Aunt Bessie slid her gaze away and dusted crumbs from the table into her palm.

      No matter how old I got, I still pined for that mother-daughter relationship, knowing it’d probably never come to be. Still, I had Aunt Bessie, who was a wonderful, vivacious woman and mother-by-proxy in times like this.

      Aunt Bessie played with the handle of her mug. “If only you knew her the way I do, the way I did. Some people are built differently, and a mistake can push them over the edge. She’s spent this whole time clawing her way back up. There were times I didn’t think she’d get there. So, please be patient. Better we have her like this than not at all.”

      Shivers coursed through me. I knew exactly what Aunt Bessie meant, and that was my biggest fear. That one day the business of living would all get too much for Mom. “Can’t you just tell me, Aunt Bessie? What happened to her at Cedarwood? Maybe I can help.”

      She lifted her palms. “That’s for her to tell you, baby girl. It really is. I’d love nothing more than to explain it to you so you understand, but I promised her, just like you did about keeping the maze secret.”

      Part of me realized that they’d kept the secret for good reason, and unearthing it could send my mom toppling back down the rabbit hole, but I just couldn’t let it go. Who would I tell anyway? Surely they could trust me, of all people? It seemed half the town knew, so why not me? It hurt, not knowing.

      “Was Dad involved?”

      She shook her head. “No, honey, he wasn’t in her life at that point. But in my opinion I think he rescued her from herself, and when he died, well… it started over again.”

      I only had blurry recollections of the man, a big, ruddy-faced guy with an amiable smile who’d died when I was a child. I’d have given anything to remember him better, to have five more minutes with him. But I guess you couldn’t wish a person back just because you needed them. Aunt Bessie moved to hug me tight, as if letting me know I could always come to her. At least we had each other and, between us, could help Mom navigate the next part of her life. The part where I was in it.

      In a cloud of spicy-scented perfume, Amory entered the kitchen, her hair a tangle of wet curls. “Morning, again,” she threw me a faux-dark look. “Aunt Bessie!” she exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek before her gaze darted to the pile of donuts on the table.

      “Perhaps we can trudge up that mountain after all? Do a spot of midnight yoga?” she asked me sweetly.

      Aunt Bessie and I caught each other’s eye and laughed. “Just eat the damn donuts.”

      Amory let out a sigh of longing. “I’m so used to saying no. No sugar. No carbs. No…”

      “No fun stuff.” Aunt Bessie lifted the plate of donuts and held them in front of Amory’s nose. “Don’t let anyone tell you no. These are artisanal donuts and I don’t like to see them go to waste.”

      Amory raised a brow. “Well, in that case, I’ll have two. It’s not like I’m a swimsuit model, is it?”

      The Manhattanite in Amory was fast disappearing. Before she’d have only taken a great big sniff of the donuts, and eaten air instead. Away from that fast-paced lifestyle it seemed almost criminal the amount of restrictions we had placed on ourselves. Life at Cedarwood Lodge was changing us in ways we’d never dreamed of. For the better.

      Once Amory had polished off two donuts, Aunt Bessie said, “So, why don’t you two show me where you’re going to set up for the expo so I can sort out what size table I’ll need and how I wanted to display my donuts.”

      “Allow me,” I said, excited by the prospect of working with my aunt and hoping that her table at the expo would generate lots of interest in Puft… who could resist those delicious sugary treats? It brought out the sticky-icing-faced child in us, brought back a rash of memories of eating still-warm cinnamon-covered donuts, or getting covered in chocolate, as they melted too quickly in little hands. Even now, at thirty-three, I delighted in eating a donut the way I did back then, lips coated with sugar, hands tacky with frosting, colorful crumbs dusting my clothes.

      “We’re going to set the vendors up in the here.” Anticipation sizzled through me as I took in the ballroom. Christmas lights strung around curtain rails flashed intermittently, brightening up the gray morning. “We’ll do our presentations here. What do you think?” Outside, the mountain ranges stood like watchmen, staring straight ahead, their snow-dusted peaks mesmerizing. The brides would be snug and warm inside, sipping gingerbread coffees or champagne and chatting about love and how to make their big day truly special…

      I loved weddings!

      “Perfect, my darling,” she said, and I could see the pride in her eyes as she walked around the room mapping out where the tables would go, seeing it all as if through a crystal ball. “With the fire going it’ll be so cozy, they’ll be in awe of this room. With those chandeliers shining down, the grand old ballroom is a sight to behold. Once I’ve done my demonstration for them I’ll help serve tea and coffee, candy-cane milkshakes and whatnot…?”

      “That would be great, Aunt Bessie.” An extra pair of hands, especially such skilled ones, would be a godsend. Aunt Bessie could charm the zilla from any Bridezilla.

      “No problem. I’ll head back to Puft now and make a start on things. I know you girls have everything under control here and this expo will be a roaring success.”

      I glowed at the thought and hoped she was right, “I’m going to visit Mom this afternoon and check in on her, before things get too hectic here.”

      She gave me a wide smile and enveloped me in a hug, rocking me from side to side like I was a small child. “She’ll love that. And you tell her I’ll come by after work.”

       Chapter Nineteen

      Parking the car, I killed the engine and headed on foot up Mom’s snow-covered driveway, slipping and sliding like I was on roller-skates. My screeches drew Mom’s attention – she wrenched open the front door, frowning at the noise.

      “Clio, golly, can’t you walk without tripping?”

      I grabbed hold of the bannister, and dusted my boots against it, clumps of snow falling to the ground. “It’d help if you salted the walkways at least.”

      “Come in before you hurt yourself,” she tutted, the way moms do.

      Inside was toasty warm, a fire crackling gently in the grate. “How are you, Mom?” Dark shadows played under her eyes, making them seem sunken, like she was ill. Her weight hadn’t improved, she was scarily thin, and it hurt my heart to see it. In the time I’d been home,