Christmas at the Restaurant

by Pamela Kelley

Genres: Sagas; Women's Fiction; Holiday books; Holiday Romance

Synopsis

Nantucket's famous Christmas Stroll is always the first week of December, and this year, sisters Mandy and Emma and executive chef Paul want to do something extra special for Mimi's Place, the restaurant they co-own. It will be Emma and Paul's first Christmas together as a couple, and Mandy's first holiday as a newly single and divorced mother of two—although she does have a promising new relationship, even if she wants to take things slow. Their sister Jen and her new husband, Billy, are planning to spend the whole month of December on Nantucket too, juggling working remotely for the executive search firm they own together in Manhattan, relaxing and spending time with family, and helping out at the restaurant. And Gina, their awesome bartender, is spending her first winter on Nantucket, and it's a bit of an adjustment—winters on Nantucket are so much quieter than the city life she was used to. She's even more confused when someone she had a major crush on back in the city moves to Nantucket. Suddenly, her boring winter is starting to look a lot more interesting.

Release date: December 1, 2020

Publisher: Piping Plover Press

Print pages: 274

Sample

Chapter 1

 

Mandy Lawson stared out the kitchen window while she waited for the water to heat for her tea.  It was late, almost ten, and the normally gorgeous view of Nantucket Sound was shrouded in darkness. But, in the distance, she saw a pinprick of light. Probably a boat bobbing on the water, growing brighter as it drew closer to shore. She watched it for a moment, then turned to the cupboard, took out her favorite caramel-flavored herbal tea, popped it in a mug, and added the hot water.

 

The kids were finally in bed. They had stayed up later than usual, excited about the holidays and a party at school the next day. Mandy had made cupcakes earlier for Brooke to bring in. Normally, Mandy always looked forward to this time of year. The magic and wonder of Christmas through the eyes of her children never failed to lift her spirits. This year was a little different though. It felt off, a bit empty. Last year at this time, she was newly separated from her husband and it was all a blur. Now, she was officially divorced and in recent months had started dating someone. She enjoyed his company, but it wasn’t terribly serious yet and the holidays had a way of magnifying everything.

 

It also made her reflective and a bit sad, thinking back to happier days, with Cory and the kids. Cory had moved on. He wasn’t dating anyone seriously as far as she knew, but he was dating, a lot—which he’d apparently also been doing during the final years of their marriage. The kids seemed to be doing fine too. She had to give Cory credit. He was very good with them, and lived close enough that he took them regularly and they were able to fill in for each other as needed. Mandy just missed how things used to be. The big house often felt too big for the three of them without Cory there. But, it was the house the kids had grown up in and she didn’t want to uproot them. She knew stability was important.

 

She took her teabag out of the mug and tossed it in the trash, then headed to the family room to settle into her favorite armchair, put her feet up and read for a while before bed. She wasn’t sleepy yet. It had been a busy day at the restaurant. She co-owned Mimi’s Place with her sisters, Emma and Jill, and Paul, the chef. She smiled thinking of how clever their grandmother had been, leaving it to them in her will with the stipulation that they had to work together for a year before making any major decision to sell.

 

Jill was a silent partner, as she returned to Manhattan after the year was up to continue running the search firm she owned with her partner, Billy, who was now her husband. But it had been exactly what both Emma and Mandy needed. Emma’s marriage had imploded as well, but in a very different way, when her husband of many years left her for another man. Emma and Paul had been childhood sweethearts, and Mandy was glad that they had grown close again, once Emma was ready to let someone in.

 

For Mandy, Mimi’s Place had been a godsend. She’d been wanting to go back to work for years, but Cory had discouraged it. They hadn’t needed the money. He ran a successful hedge fund that generated millions in income each year and he liked being able to brag about his wife not needing to work. But, she had needed it. She needed to feel useful and challenged. And she found that with the restaurant.

 

Emma had some experience during college working as a waitress. And Jill had tended bar. Mandy had the least experience of the three as she’d never worked in a restaurant, but she had set up many local charity events. And that experience turned out to be invaluable as they expanded the business into doing more weddings and other functions.

 

She settled into her comfy baby blue chair that was covered in a soft plush velour. She glanced at her book, which was waiting for her on the side table, but she was feeling a little too tired to read and decided to see what was on the Hallmark Channel instead. The Christmas movies always put her in a good mood. She’d just picked up the remote and clicked on the TV when she heard a soft giggle, followed by a hiccup and then another giggle, slightly louder this time.

 

She smiled as she glanced at the huge, decorated Christmas tree that stood a few feet away from the big screen television. It was in the corner and the sounds of two giggling children came from behind it. They must have stealthily crept back downstairs while she was in the kitchen, and hid in their favorite spot. She stood up and could see two pairs of feet peeking out from where they were lying down with their heads close together, looking up at the tree.

 

Mandy knew it was special back there. She’d once shared with them that she and her sisters used to crawl behind their Christmas tree and stay there for hours, gazing at the twinkling lights, drinking in the Christmas spirit and dreaming about their futures. It was a magical feeling, and she was glad they were experiencing it. But it was still way past their bedtime.

 

“I can see and hear both of you. Come out now and get back to bed. It’s very late.”

 

There was a moment of silence and then shuffling as they wiggled their way out.

 

“Mom, it’s so cool back there. You have no idea!” Blake said excitedly.

 

“Actually, I do, honey. Go on up to bed. You’ll have plenty of time to hang out behind the tree over the next month.”

 

Mandy followed them upstairs and made sure they were both tucked securely in bed before heading back downstairs. She’d just settled back in her chair when her cellphone rang. It was her sister, Jill.

 

“Perfect timing. I just put the kids to bed.”

 

They chatted for a few minutes, catching up on things and then Jill was quiet for a moment. It was a bit unusual for Jill to call so late. They usually talked in the morning.

 

“Is everything okay?” Mandy asked.

 

“Yes! Everything is fine. Billy and I were just talking and—well, I remembered you said we were welcome to stay with you anytime and that you had plenty of room with Cory gone.”

 

“Yes, did you guys want to come for Nantucket Stroll?” They’d talked about it ages ago. The first weekend in December was the famous Nantucket Stroll, when all the stores were decorated for the holidays and restaurants reopened or stayed open until the weekend for a final hurrah before closing for the winter.

 

“Yes. We’d love to come over Thursday afternoon, if that works?”

 

“Of course. We could use your help at the restaurant too. It should be a busy weekend.”

 

“Good. It will be fun to get behind the bar again. Billy said he’s happy to help too.” Mandy thought about that for a moment. Billy Carmanetti was tall, dark-haired and very charming. The ladies would love him.

 

“Maybe we’ll have him help at the front desk, greeting people and making them feel welcome.”

 

Jill laughed. “That’s perfect. If it’s okay with you, we’d like to stay for a few weeks. Through New Year’s Eve, if that’s not too much. If it is, we can head to the White Elephant.”

 

Mandy suddenly felt her mood lift even more. “Jill, I would love that. It would be great to have you guys here all month. Truth be told, I could use the company. It’s been a little hard. This time of year.”

 

“I wondered if it might be. We will totally cheer you up. We’ll do all the things—baking, eating, Christmas shopping and just relaxing and enjoying some good wine. I can’t wait to catch up with you and Emma, and Paul too. It’s going to be a great Christmas.”

 

They talked for almost an hour, until they both started yawning. Mandy hung up and headed upstairs to go to bed, feeling relaxed and for the first time, looking forward to the weeks ahead.

 

* * *

 

Mandy dropped the kids off at school the next morning and as she turned onto Main Street and toward the restaurant, her phone rang. She smiled as she answered the call.  

 

“Hi, Matt.”

 

“Good morning.” His rich, deep voice was one of the first things she’d noticed about him. He stopped smoking years ago, but there was still a slight rasp. “Did you by chance hear me out on the water last night? We were out late fishing and on our way in, we passed by and I flashed my lights and tooted the horn. I didn’t want to call you, as it was late, around ten.”

 

She laughed. “I did see a boat out there, but I didn’t make the connection that it was you. How did you do?”

 

“Not a single bite, but I expected that. Fish are mostly gone. It was a fun time, though. I hadn’t seen Kevin in a while, so it was good to have a few beers and catch up. I’m checking in to see if we’re still on for dinner tonight?”

 

“Yes, definitely. Cory has the kids, and I’m looking forward to it.” Mandy loved her children, but also valued her quiet time with Matt. They were both so busy that she only saw him once or twice a week.

 

“Great, I’ll come by around seven, and we’ll see what we’re in the mood for. Maybe The Gaslight?” It was one of their favorite restaurants.

 

Mandy was still smiling as she ended the call and pulled up to Mimi’s Place. Things were going well with Matt. They’d started dating recently as he’d been coming into the restaurant regularly with friends for dinner or even sometimes by himself after work and usually ate at the bar. They’d chatted often when it was slow, and Matt knew she was going through a divorce. While she’d sensed some interest from him many months ago, she’d also made it clear that she wasn’t ready to date.

 

It wasn’t until after her sister Jill’s wedding in August that Mandy suddenly noticed Matt in a different way. And she finally felt ready.  Unlike her ex-husband, Cory, who never had a stretch where he wasn’t dating.  Even though Mandy had asked for the divorce, it still hurt, for a long time, when she’d see him out and about with someone new. And the women he dated seemed to get younger and younger. The most recent one, Hannah, was only twenty-three years old. Cory was quite proud of that, according to what Mandy heard from some of their mutual friends. They all thought he was an idiot and that Hannah was likely only interested in his money.

 

Mandy supposed there was some truth to that, but Cory was a good-looking guy, too. He was fit and vain, and he still had really good hair. Mandy sighed. She didn’t miss Cory as much as she missed what they once had. At one time, they were a close-knit, happy family and she’d loved chatting with him about his work over dinner. But, those days were gone. 

 

Since she’d started dating Matt, she’d discovered that it was nice to have someone ask how her day was for a change. There was always something to talk about with Mimi’s Place and she enjoyed hearing about Matt’s work too with his boat business. He was easy to talk to and to laugh with. So far, things were going really well. Sometimes she worried that it almost seemed too easy.

 

Both Emma and Jill had suggested that she date other people. They liked Matt but were wary of her getting too serious too fast. She understood their concern, but there hadn’t been anyone else she’d been interested in dating. She assured them that they were taking things slow and were both just really enjoying each other’s company. She wasn’t looking for anything to change.

 

It was early still when she walked into Mimi’s Place, and no one else was there yet, except for Paul. He was in the kitchen taking inventory before placing a bigger-than-usual order.  Their business was way up over prior years, and they expected that this year’s stroll weekend would be even bigger than last year. She and Emma and Paul had been planning for months to make sure the weekend was a success.

 

Paul had really outdone himself with some new menu items, and a special wine dinner was scheduled for the Thursday before the stroll officially kicked off on Friday. The wine dinner had been Emma’s idea and Mandy immediately loved it. Paul was a little hesitant at first but came around when they reminded him he’d have free rein to go bigger and wilder with the menu, if that’s where his ideas took him. His first suggestion was to reach out to the Charles Krug winery, which was one of his and Emma’s favorites to see if they’d like to partner and suggest some wines for his menu.

 

Mandy’s contribution was to put some dinner packages together once Paul decided on a prix fixe menu they’d offer for that weekend. It would be one price for a four-course meal, with a choice of appetizer, salad, entree and dessert and an optional wine add-on. She made flyers, both paper and digital and sent them to all the local hotels and bed and breakfasts.

 

As a result, they had a healthy amount of reservations booked throughout the weekend, and she was confident that they’d have more walk-ins than usual because the foot traffic along Main Street would be heavy with people strolling along, admiring all the creative holiday window displays and eventually working up an appetite.

 

She’d been sad thinking that she wouldn’t be able to join the crowds this year. The Nantucket Stroll was always one of her favorite events, and she and the children had a long-standing tradition of putting on their new winter hats and mittens and heading out on Saturday afternoon to explore the downtown area and soak up the Christmas experience. It was magnified when snow was in the forecast and the first few flakes swirled around them.

 

Their favorite part of the day was when Santa arrived on the Coast Guard Cutter. He walked down the wharf and was then driven to the Jared Coffin House where the kids would wait in line to sit on his lap. They were too big for that now, but they still liked to see Santa arrive, and they loved walking around town, shopping a little and trying the various free samples that were offered by different stores.

 

Mandy was glad that Emma had insisted that she still go this year. She was going to have the kids stay with Cory for the entire weekend and skip the festivities, but Emma and Jill assured her they could do without her for a few hours on Saturday afternoon. So, the kids would still be with Cory, but he had agreed to bring them by in the morning and collect them before she needed to head into the restaurant later that afternoon.

 

Mandy said hello to Paul, then went into her office, settled behind her desk and opened up her computer and checkbook. Every Monday, she went through their bills and paid them. She was just finishing up the last one, for the electric company when she glanced out the window and felt a thrill at the sight of snowflakes dancing and twirling in the air. It was only the second time they’d seen snow that year. The first had been a brief dusting a few days before Thanksgiving. She checked the weather forecast on her phone and saw that no significant snowfall was expected. The weather was predicted to be cold and mostly clear for the rest of the week with possible flurries again over the weekend. In short, perfect Nantucket Stroll weather.

 

She collected the stack of stamped envelopes and told Paul she was running to the Post Office. It was just a short walk away, down by the wharf on Federal St. The snow was still flurrying a little, and it put Mandy in a festive, holiday mood on a Monday which was usually their quietest day. On the way back to the restaurant, she stopped into the Corner Table cafe to grab a coffee and got one for Emma and Paul too.

 

Emma was just walking in when Mandy returned and smiled when she saw her sister and the coffees.

 

“Oh, thank you. I was running late and didn’t have time to stop and get one.” They had very good coffee at the restaurant, but something about getting it from a coffee shop just made it taste better, especially when Mandy splurged on a caramel cappuccino.

 

“Have you seen the forecast? More flurries for the weekend expected.”

 

Emma looked pleased. “No, I hadn’t seen that. Good. I’m excited. Paul is too, and he said Jared is working out great. He’s glad to have his help, especially for this weekend.”

 

Jared  Hawthorne was their newest employee. He’d started several months ago in the sous chef role and was Paul’s right hand. He came highly recommended after spending five years in a similar role with another Nantucket restaurant that was recently sold and was under new management. Mandy hadn’t gotten to know Jared well yet, as he was very quiet, but he seemed pleasant enough. She had noticed that several of their waitresses seemed to have crushes on him.

 

Jared was in his early thirties, and he had the kind of looks that made you pause—dark hair that was slightly too long, deep green eyes with ridiculously long lashes, a square jaw and a slight dimple in his chin. If Mandy was younger, she’d probably have a crush too.

 

Jared seemed oblivious to it all and unlike other kitchen staff they’d had who could be grouchy toward the servers, he was friendly to everyone, which only made the girls more interested. They tried to flirt with him, but he didn’t seem to take notice and kept his focus on his work.

 

“Jill and Billy are flying in Wednesday afternoon and are going to stay through New Year’s Eve. They want to help, starting this weekend. Can we add two more to the wine dinner on Thursday? I figured we could put them at our table?” Mandy and Emma were going to be overseeing the event and were planning to treat themselves by also partaking in the dinner. Mandy knew once everyone was seated, the servers would be able to easily manage as it was a set menu. And she knew the two of them would be jumping up to help as needed.

 

“They are? Oh, good. This will be fun. Yes, of course we can include them. I’ll let Paul know the final count is plus two.”

 

Mandy and Emma both acted as managers, pitching in as needed and doing just about everything. Emma spent most of her time in the dining room and the kitchen, expediting orders and checking to make sure customers were enjoying their meals. Mandy handled more of the operations work, overseeing the front reservations desk and greeting their regulars.

 

Their first customer of the day was Connie Boyle, one of their favorite regulars. She had also been one of their grandmother’s closest friends, and she lived at Dover Falls, the assisted living community where Grams had also lived. Connie was in her early eighties and was energetic and very social. She came in two or three times a week, often with a few of her girlfriends, but sometimes on her own, especially if she came at lunchtime.

 

“Hi, Connie, nice to see you. Would you like to sit at the bar today? Or in the dining room by a window?”

 

Connie thought about it for a moment. “I don’t suppose Gina is working?”

 

“No, she’s off today, and she usually works evenings.” Gina was an assistant manager and oversaw the bar area. Gina was great and filled in for either Mandy or Emma when they were off. She was very experienced in the restaurant industry and had worked at one of the top Italian restaurants in Boston before moving to Nantucket.

 

“Okay, then I’ll take the window seat, please.” Mandy smiled as she grabbed a menu and led Connie to her table, a small cozy one by a pretty bay window that overlooked Main Street. She knew if Gina had been working, then Connie would have chosen the bar. Gina had that effect on people and had many regulars that knew her schedule and came in specifically to sit at the bar and see her. Gina had a way of making people feel like they were friends and they loved chatting with her.

 

“Are you looking forward to the Stroll this weekend? Or will you steer clear of the crowds?” Mandy asked. She knew many of the locals appreciated what the Nantucket Stroll did for the island, but it was also a double-edged sword as the size of the crowds rivaled the busy summer season and many chose to avoid it.

 

But Connie laughed. “Of course. I’m looking forward to it. A few of the girls and I will be part of the caroling team. We do it every year.”

 

Mandy smiled, picturing Connie singing Christmas carols with the others. There was a group every year that walked along the cobblestone streets downtown singing festive carols.

 

“That sounds like fun.”

 

“It’s great fun! We’ll probably stop in for lunch either Saturday or Sunday.”

 

“Wonderful, we look forward to it.” Mandy handed her the menu and let her know that her server, Stacy, would be right over.

 

They were busier than usual for a Monday lunch. People steadily stopped in, and the dining room was soon full, with a waiting list. Mandy guessed that there were already people arriving on the island for the holiday weekend and making a vacation of it.  She noticed that Connie had set her credit card on her bill and knew Stacy was picking up an order in the kitchen, so she went over to run it for her.

 

“How was everything?” Mandy asked as she picked up the bill and card.

 

“Delicious as usual, dear. I almost always get the same thing you know. Best eggplant parmesan on the island.”

 

Mandy smiled. She knew Connie’s love for their eggplant. She’d been surprised when she first started working at the restaurant to discover that most of the regulars ordered the same one or two meals every time they came in.

 

“Thank you. It’s one of my favorites too. I’ll be right back with this for you.”

 

She returned a few minutes later with the credit card and receipt and set it on the table along with a pen for Connie to sign. Connie looked thoughtful as she picked up the pen. Mandy was about to walk off to greet a new party that was waiting to be seated when Connie spoke. “It’s a shame about Stacy’s husband. Terrible time of year to be laid off and they have three small children too. I hope he finds something soon. She’s a nice girl, that Stacy.”

 

Mandy was caught off guard. She hadn’t heard about the layoff. She didn’t know what to say other than to agree with her. “It is a terrible time.” She realized that she didn’t know what kind of work Stacy’s husband did.

 

Connie looked deep in thought for a moment before smiling and asking, “Your husband does something with finance too, doesn’t he? I don’t really know what John does, but maybe it’s something similar?”

 

“I’ll see what I can find out. Thank you.” Mandy felt bad that she hadn’t known about the layoff. She imagined it must be a stressful time for Stacy and her family.

 

Later that afternoon as the shift was winding down and the day servers were getting ready to leave, Mandy walked over to where Stacy was doing her closing sidework, rolling silverware into a dinner napkin and stacking the bundles in a bin so they could be easily grabbed for the evening service.

 

“I was chatting with Connie Boyle and she mentioned that John was laid off. I’m sorry, Stacy, I had no idea.”

 

Stacy looked uncomfortable and looked away. “I haven’t really talked about it much. I did want to see if there might be any extra shifts I could pick up for the next few weeks? I’m happy to fill in if anyone wants a day off.”

 

“Of course.” Mandy thought for a moment, mentally running through the week’s schedule which she’d just updated that morning so it was fresh in her mind. “Would you like to help with the wine dinner? I could use an extra server since the count has gone up. It should be a fun, and easy night.”

 

Stacy nodded and looked grateful. “I’d love that, thank you.”

 

“What kind of work does your husband do?”

 

“He was an analyst with a Boston-based financial services firm. They were just acquired and had a big layoff a few weeks ago. John is one of the newer employees and works remotely so he was caught in the layoff. He’s been sending out resumes but all the jobs he’s finding are in the city.”

 

“I can’t promise anything, but if you want to email me a copy of his resume, I can give it to my ex-husband. His company is headquartered in Boston too, but he works out of the Nantucket office and has a small team here. I don’t know if he needs anyone, but I can at least give him John’s resume.”

 

“Really? That would be wonderful. I’ll send it to you as soon as I get home.”