Free Christmas at The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview Christmas Novel) (Lakeview Contemporary Romance Book 7) by Melissa Hill Page B

quickly caught on. “I will need to get rid of the furniture, the counter, and much of the decor and kitchen items in anticipation. With that, there will be much more space available for folks to mingle and chat.”
    Heidi nodded in agreement. She couldn’t help but wonder why Ella wasn’t angry at her for the café shutting down. Surely she knew her family was behind the end of the place?
    “So while I am moving the party to the café, I still need you Heidi. I need help coordinating the music, the decorations, and the food. I will also need someone to help spread the word about the changes to the invitations. Can you do this? I mean, do you still want to do this?”
    “Yes, I do. Of course I want to help you. I want to make this party the best this café has seen in years.” She was earnest in her response, because she knew she owed it to Ella to make this party exactly as she had wanted. If that meant putting herself out there to the rest of the town, Heidi would be happy to take whatever flack may come her way from the busybodies and the judgemental gossips. This she would do in service of Ella.
    “Well, Colm has planned the menu, we have already started baking, and now I will just need help deciding on decor. You’re the best at this. What do you think?”
    Heidi was taken aback by Ella and her kindness in still letting her be involved in the party, considering. But she was more than grateful to be of any kind of help. It was the very least she could do.
    “Well, we’re not having much of a Christmas this year, so I can certainly bring our house decorations. I have string lights, ornaments trees of all shapes and sizes, tinsel, Santas—table decorations, you name it, I probably have it.”
    “Great. I think that would be lovely and I will leave it up to your taste to decorate. I should be mostly all moved-out by the twenty-first …” Heidi noticed the slight break in her voice as she said this and her heart ached for the woman, “so you will have all day on the eve before the party to put your touches. Would that work for you?”
    Heidi was speechless. Ella had given her back some of her dignity and pride. She was happy to help for as long as she would let her. “Given the size of the room, I say we limit the music to just a keyboard and a singer. I hear that you asked Ruth to sing?”
    “I think that would be an excellent idea. A band would be too loud and imposing here.” Ella lit up at the thought of a more intimate affair, just as her husband and father-in-law had intended all those years ago.
    The two continued to go through their mental to-do lists. Ella had taken out a notepad to make notes about their decisions as the two plotted and chatted about everything from keeping Ita Mellon away from the mulled wine to how they could best space out the guests’ arrival so it wouldn’t get too crowded.
    “What about the Santa? You said we were going to organise a Santa to drop in at the end of the night.” Ella’s face dropped a bit, but Heidi could not sense why. Was this another sore spot?
    “Well, I had a friend who was going to play Santa, but I am not sure if he is up to it anymore.”
    “Who is it? I can check with him myself if you would like.”
    “No, no don’t worry about that. I will talk to him. If not, there just won’t be a Santa at the party, but that’s okay.” Ella’s voice was tinged with different kind of regret that Heidi couldn’t quite understand. But she resisted prying more. The old Heidi would demand to know why this person would be so flaky about such a huge responsibility. The new Heidi wanted to respect Ella’s personal life as she had respected her own.
    With that, the two women stood, finished with their party planning. They both looked at each other for several seconds until Heidi made the move. She stepped closer to Ella and placed her arms around her in a hug. Warmth radiated off the older woman and onto Heidi. Eventually, Ella reciprocated, holding her