Christmas at The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview Christmas Novel) (Lakeview Contemporary Romance Book 7) (4 page)

E
lla had spent
the following week listening to Heidi’s plans for what she proclaimed to be the “The Lakeview social outing of the century!”

Reluctant at first to let go of some of the reins to someone as disconnected from the essence of the community as Heidi (despite being born and bred here and the daughter of one of Ella’s closest friends) she had nevertheless been impressed with just how devoted Heidi seemed to be. Truth be told she was actually a little relieved to have someone deal with the finer details other than food and music.

During the first meeting, Betty Clancy’s youngest rambled on about tableware choices (pin tuck, red silk, extra long runners, etc.) while pouring through sample books from party planning companies. The joy she seemed to take from hosting this party was infectious as Ella grew more and more excited for the big day to arrive.

They ended the meeting agreeing on invitation layouts and the best way to distribute them. Debbie from Amazing Days Design, owner of the local stationery designer business, would be asked to design a specially commissioned invite incorporating Christmas and the café’s thirty-year anniversary celebrations. Heidi would also ask her to create matching fliers for Ella to hang in the café and to distribute around to make sure everyone in the village knew about the party.

It seemed as if no stone would be left unturned when it came to this ‘collaboration’.

T
he second meeting
felt vastly different by comparison. Heidi had been distracted and, dare Ella say, a bit dishevelled for her usually high standards?

Her nail polish was a little chipped, her hair appeared uncoiffed, and she looked as though she hadn’t been sleeping very well.

Did this have something to do with the declined credit card from before? Ella wondered.

Despite herself, she felt a little sorry for Heidi. It had to be hard to keep up appearances all the time. While Ella couldn’t care less about things like jewellery, Mummy clubs, or professional garden maintenance, she did understand that Heidi’s self-created reputation was constantly at stake when she stepped out in public.

Nonetheless, Heidi ploughed through the meeting with few breaks for chit-chat. She made a couple of notes about changes she had made, and occasionally snuck in a remark about the price of items like lighting or the silk napkins. Ella could easily pick up that Heidi seemed to be avoiding a much bigger topic, but Ella wouldn’t be the one to bring it up.

Instead, Ella had spent the meeting mentally planning out the menu. There would be café favourites from down through the years, mince pies as well as cupcakes decorated as Christmas presents, cookies in the shape of toys, traditional Irish Christmas fruitcake and pudding, and a mulled wine recipe that would make her father-in-law proud. Then in the evening, as the party wound down and music began, they would bring out mini burners so that the children and hungry adults could roast marshmallows to dip in chocolate.

While Heidi ended their second meeting with a long face, Ella felt practically euphoric. The thought of all the cooking ahead of her didn’t break her spirit. Instead, it gave her life and purpose that she had not felt in years. She couldn’t help but rush into the kitchen to chat with Colm about her plans.

Before she could make it to the back of the café, one of her staff members handed her the post that had come in earlier that morning. Mainly junk, she quickly sorted through it with fine eye for bills and important notes.

But a letter from the estate agent who handled her lease quickly caught her eye. The letter, official and to the point felt heavy in her hands and a feeling of dread came over her as she read:

Dear Tenant,

We regret to inform you that following a repossession order in favour of Allied Trust Bank in Wicklow, the property located on 34 Main Street, Lakeview will be ending its lease agreement with Ella’s Cafe as of January 1 in the new year. We ask for your cooperation at this time.

A
repossession order
….

Ella’s hands shook and tremored as she dropped the letter to the ground. Her lively, pink face drained of colour, and she forcefully held back panic as she attempted to maintain a sense of calm in front of her staff and customers.

Quickly taking her cane, Ella departed for her small office in the corner of the kitchen. She couldn’t hold her anger in anymore as she forcefully slammed her door not caring if Colm or the other staff heard her. She needed a moment to think and to re-read in private and she did not want to be interrupted.

Ella had been aware of her lease changing hands over the years. Just two years before, she had been forced to make almost double her old rent when Heidi’s husband took over. Now, despite the fact that Ella always paid her rent on time, it seemed like Paul had defaulted on the mortgage and the bank wanted to take the property back. It was an unimaginable, crushing blow.

She didn’t quite understand. When he had taken over the building, she simply received a letter informing her of the change and where she should send her monthly payments. Why couldn’t the bank just take her lease over? Why was she being put out? Unless a repossession order meant the bank was planning to sell….

Her mind raced in terror. Perhaps she could afford to buy the building herself, but the thought of the property price made her abandon that idea as quickly as it had come.

While Ella had managed to scrimp and save over the years, she never had much left over except to pay for her own mortgage and utility bills. A building like this in such a prime location would have to be on the market for way more than she could ever afford.

The party suddenly came back to the forefront of her mind. Momentarily, she had forgotten all about Heidi’s planning books, and her insistence that the café celebrations be at her Lakeview mini-palace. Did she not know what her husband was up to? That he had been taking Ella’s money but hadn’t been keeping up repayments on the property?

She thought again about the declined credit card and wondered if there were serious financial problems behind all these largesse displays. Or worse, Ella wondered now, did Heidi know all along that Ella was going to be thrown out, and wanted to take pity on her by hosting the party? And was this why she seemed so distracted and evasive at the meeting today?

Tears began to flow from her eyes as she began to rummage through her desk drawers.

Grabbing a dusty brown folder from the bottom of a neglected shelf, she quickly pulled out a large stack of pictures. She had avoided looking at these images for so long, but now the pictures of her husband, her father-in-law, and former staff of the café down through the years were an immediate comfort to her. She flipped through the pictures of customers sitting at the same tables still in use today, ordering tea and coffee from the counter.

In one particularly striking picture, Ella saw her husband as a teenager mopping the very room she herself was in now. In the photo, Gregory’s hair spiked and curled in a carefree way like his wide, toothy smile. His white shirt and black work pants were filthy, a trait she would later nag him about, yet he would never allow her to buy him new clothing unless they were completely destroyed.

Seeing her husband in these images calmed her, if only temporarily. “What would you do, Gregory?” she whispered into the void, in hopes that an answer would come as easily to her.

The last photo in the stack was of the café, her beautiful sanctuary, lit up at Christmas time. The walls were full of sparkly tinsel, and holly and ivy decorated the display cases. In the centre of the photo stood the staff; her husband, probably at about twenty years old at the time, stood dead centre wearing a silly Santa’s cap. Behind him, she spotted a much younger version of herself wearing a velvet dress and a joyous smile.

She remembered that day. It was Christmas Eve, and the staff were just about to leave to prepare for the town Christmas party. As they left, Gregory insisted on staying behind just a little while longer with Ella. He dimmed the lights as the last person left and spun on his heels. Then he turned towards Ella and walked towards her with an ease that made her knees shake.

She had been working at the café for a few months and had developed such a crush on the owner’s son. His boisterous laugh, his ease with strangers, and his devotion to his family had made him quite the catch. Despite seeing each other almost every day, they hadn’t spoken very often. When he had asked for her to stay behind, she really couldn’t imagine what it would be for. But now, as he approached her, he did not have to say a word. Instead, he looked at her straight in the eye and swept a piece of chestnut hair from her forehead to behind her ear.

“Ella Ryan, I want to kiss you. Will you let me?” His question was so earnest, so sincere. It was passionate without being forceful. Ella had never been kissed before, but she nodded, speechless. He tipped her chin back and leaned his head to hers. His lips gently brushed her forehead first, and then her cheek, and finally her own mouth. The sensation knocked her breath away. And even now, all these years later, she found herself stunned, touching her lips as if that first kiss had happened to her right here and now.

Her answer to her earlier question became clear. Ella knew what she had to do. While she may not be able to save the Heartbreak Café from closing, she would be able to keep her promise to thank the town for their custom, and to celebrate her husband’s memory.

She would not let all those great memories fade into the darkness with the rest of her business. She would instead throw the best Christmas party she could.

Steadfast and focused, she brushed her tears from her eyes, stored the eviction letter in her desk drawer, before heading out to the kitchen to find Colm and the crew.

Ella wasn’t about to let another moment go to waste when there was so much to be done.

A
phone began
to ring loudly in Ruth’s ears. She stirred but didn’t roll over. She could guess who it was and why they were calling. She looked at the digital clock next to her reading 4:07 in bright red digits sighed, and picked up the receiver. But turns out it wasn’t her agent, it was one of the locals looking for Charlie.

“Hello?”she heard him say brightly as she passed him the receiver. Even at this early hour, he was commanding and alive, unlike Ruth, who could barely peel her eyes open. “I can get there in about fifteen minutes. And don’t panic I’ll organise a courtesy car in the meantime.”

As he hung up, Ruth mustered enough energy to roll over and face Charlie as he quickly threw on some jeans and a flannel shirt.

“Who was that, honey?” She could barely make out the words, but she was curious and genuinely wanted to know what was so important that it would rouse her husband from his bed at this unreasonable hour.

“Luke. His car is giving trouble and he needs to be in Rosslare to get the morning boat.” A more recent addition to the community, Luke worked for months on end on Atlantic oil rigs so he wouldn't want to miss the ferry to his next destination.”

“Say hi to Tara for me if she’s awake,” she mumbled blearily referring to Luke’s girlfriend, who ran a life-coaching clinic from their house.

Giving up her LA lifestyle had necessitated lots of adjustments for Ruth and in the early days, and Tara had been a godsend. They were now no longer client/coach but good friends.

“Will do. I might just drop him down to the ferry port altogether rather than having to mess around with paperwork for a courtesy car, especially as he’ll be gone for months.”

She smiled. “You’re a saint, do you know that? What would this town do without you?” She meant every word. Charlie was beloved by everyone—the local hero always went out of his way to make sure everyone in Lakeview was taken care of. She couldn’t help but be in awe of his dedication.

“I’ll see you later then. I’ll try to drop back in the afternoon, if I can. I’m going to go give Scarlett a kiss, grab an apple, and let you get back to your beauty sleep.” With that, he swooped down, kissed her softly on the forehead, and went across the hall to Scarlett’s room.

Ruth lay in bed as she heard her husband’s quick footsteps move from the bedroom, down the stairs to the kitchen, and out to the garage. When she confirmed that the car had left and the garage was shut, she quickly threw off her covers and headed downstairs to the living room where she had left her handbag and the script.

Mailed to her from her agent a few days before, Ruth had had little time to study it properly with Charlie being in and out of the house and Scarlett demanding more and more of her time. Now with the promise of some alone time, she could finally read and assess.

All she knew about the untitled movie was that her agent had called it “once in a lifetime opportunity.” It was her chance to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including a director who was well-known for working with former TV actors and making them stars. His last two movies had won Academy Awards. In Ruth’s hands now was a script for his next big film, and they were practically giving her the lead role without even an audition.

Ruth dived right in. The movie centred around a young female factory worker who falls in love with the doomed foreman. It was a complete page turner as Ruth hung on every word and every direction written. When the characters fell in love, she did too. And when her potential part died, she burst into tears as if watching the scene come to life.

She was only brought back to reality when Scarlett appeared at the top of the stairs ready to start her day. It was now 7am and Ruth was back to reality.

“Hey there, sunshine! How was your night? Did you sleep well?”

“Mummy, where’s Dad?” Ruth’s heart melted whenever Scarlett called Charlie “dad.”

“He went to work. He’s had to go and save someone, but you will see him later. Right now, let’s get you breakfast and then ready for creche. What do you think?” Ruth hopped upstairs, leaving the script and note from the agent still sitting on the couch to be further read and dissected later.

B
y 8am
, Ruth and Scarlett had made it to creche just in time. While Ruth hated leaving her daughter there in the mornings, she hoped it would be the best place for her to socialise. Her daughter had opportunities to run around, meet children her own age, and to learn from the preschool curriculum. The creche itself cared for almost every child in the town under the age of five, so it was also an opportunity for Ruth to run into the other mothers.

Today, there were some different faces in the entryway.

“Good morning Ruth! How is Scarlett? I heard Charlie was out early this morning on a call.” The owner, Mrs. Lane, approached her politely.

“Yes. He was. It was an early morning for both Scarlett and I, so don’t be surprised if she is a bit cranky.” Ruth watched from the parent’s viewing window as Scarlett settled in to her routine.

“No worries about that. I’m sure nap time will help. Scarlett has a new classmate joining her today. Have you met Heidi? Heidi, this is Ruth Seymour. Her daughter Scarlett will be in class with Amelia.”

“I don’t believe I have had the pleasure,” cooed the soft voice of Heidi. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I have heard all about you. Of course you’re practically a legend around here!”

“Thank you, I suppose. But I’m just another Lakeview mum these days, and happy to be. Your husband owns this building, doesn’t he?”

“Well, um, yes. I mean I um, think so…Honestly he owns so much of this town I can’t keep track,” Heidi’s voice was tense. “Anyway I must invite you to the café Christmas party. You’ll come?”

Ruth was thrown by the subject change (and indeed this woman’s involvement), but quickly caught up. “Yes, Ella asked me to sing actually. I’m really looking forward to it. I have already memorised several songs and am rehearsing tomorrow with Nicky.”

“That’s wonderful! I don’t know if you caught the address, but the party is actually being hosted at our house. So feel free to let me know if you have any questions about the event. It is, after all, going to be the party of the year!” As she said the words
party of the year
, Ruth could hear the strain and the nervousness in her tone. It was if Heidi was trying to convince herself that everything was going to be as great as she had made it sound.

“I’m certainly looking for — ” Ruth stopped short as she noticed Heidi’s attention was no longer focused on her. Instead, the other woman’s eyes continually darted back and forth towards the front door where other mothers were gathering. She looked as though she was on the run and needed a place to hide.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go check on my daughter. I’ll see you at the party, then?” Heidi’s voice was rushed and forced. She didn’t even attempt to smile or lift her gaze at Ruth. Instead, she kept her focus on that door and the steady stream of women and children entering and exiting.

“Yes, see you there.” With that, Ruth watched as Heidi ducked into the classroom and out of eyesight.

As predicted, she was not alone for long.

Within seconds of Heidi’s hasty departure, Ruth was being fussed over by the group of Lakeview mums. Some she knew from school, like Nina and of course her next-door neighbour Gemma, but others were usually a blur to her. All of them knew Ruth though, her husband, and her reputation. There was always incessant chatter about their favourite episodes, handsome co-actors, and award show gossip. Ruth attempted to keep up most of the time, but these ladies seemed to know more about her old life than she did.

These discussions merely highlighted how far away from that life she was now. Growing up, dreaming of becoming a star, it was all she ever wanted—to be recognised, admired, and fawned over.

But now that she was back in Lakeview, it felt less significant. A part of her yearned to still be in Hollywood so that she could be more than just a retired actress.

A
fter tangling
with the creche mothers, Ruth needed a pick me up, and Ella’s coffee and breakfast pastries were the only cure she could think of to get over her Hollywood homesick blues. But Ruth had learnt her lesson last time. Before she entered the café, she quickly surveyed it from her car for any signs of her mother-in-law. If Ita was inside, she’d have to do without. Luckily for her, there was no sign.

In fact, there wasn’t a single soul in the café—a first for that hour of the morning that Ruth could recall. Tables were empty, and counter stools appeared to not have been used since the day before. The staff was at a minimum. If there were tumbleweeds in Lakeview, they would have stopped here.

Ruth seated herself at the counter while she waited for someone to appear. From the back, Ella quietly approached her. Unlike her usual, bubbly self, she seemed aloof and almost pensive. It was a bit disarming given that part of the café’s enduring appeal was Ella’s bright smile and hospitality.

“Hello Ruth. What can I get for you?” Her voice was soft and meek and Ruth could sense that she was tense and listless. Maybe the party arrangements were taking their toll on her, or more likely, perhaps Queen Bee Heidi was taking her toll?

“Just a skinny latte and a Danish, if you have them.” Ruth eyed the surprisingly sparse display counter.

“I’ll check. In the meantime, I’m letting every customer know that December 21st will be our last day.”

“What?” Ruth was hugely taken aback. This news was totally out of left field. Ella’s café was a village institution. There was no way she wasn’t doing enough business to keep the place afloat. “Ella what on earth’s happened? Why are you closing? Is there anything I can do?”

“Ah no, pet. It’s just time for me to...ah... retire. This café has been my life for too long. I’m letting it go now.”

“Isn’t there someone who could take over for you and keep this place alive? Surely Colm would jump at the chance?” Ruth felt herself intruding but she was still in shock from the news itself.

“No, pet. He has his own plans. Anyway, let me go and get you that Danish.”

Ruth sat at the empty counter looking at her hands. Well, this certainly explained the absence of townspeople at the café. If news of Ella’s sad retirement was spreading, they were likely avoiding the place to let the woman go out in peace.

It was strange though to think of the word ‘retirement’ where Ella was concerned. To Ruth’s limited knowledge, her family all lived away. Yes, she had all her stray animals but what would she do if she retired? Why would she sacrifice doing something that she loved so much to just make do with a bunch of cats and dogs?

The word ‘sacrifice’ echoed through Ruth’s mind and instantly reminded her of that script sitting on the couch, and the decision that she herself would soon need to make.

Ruth had never been one to settle for anything but her dreams. So why now when Scarlett was old enough was she still sacrificing her career? Her mind raced with regret and dare she say it, remorse for all the things she herself had given up.

Ella reappeared with the coffee and the Danish.

“You look like you have something on your mind, honey.” She broke the silence between the two as she passed Ruth the white plate and red cup.

“I was just thinking about retirement. It must have been a hard decision, but you’re probably feeling good about it too?”

“Sometimes you have to make the hard decisions. Life is full of them. But once you know what your gut is saying, you have to just go for it. Head first. Even if it hurts or feels helpless, when it is time, it is time.”

Ruth studied Ella’s face. Her eyes had those soft, wave-like wrinkles around her eyes, and her hands were cracked—most likely from washing dishes and serving customers for over thirty years. This woman had devoted her life to her work, the work that she loved. While Ella Harris may have seemed broken, passion still radiated off of her in waves.

“You know what, I think I am going to take these to go,” Ruth told her. “I have some calls to make, and I probably should get at it.” She quickly grabbed her wallet and her coat from the back of her chair. She paid Ella and darted outside onto Main Street, her coffee spilling carelessly as she sped to her parked car.

She knew what she had to do.

Hollywood was once again calling and Ruth needed to decide once and for all whether or not she would answer.