UPROOTING THE FAMILY TREE
Celeste trod the path between her cottage and the hotel, grateful to see only small patches of snow here and there. Winter had brought record precipitation. A local weather source had reported twenty-four inches so far. Thank goodness, Spring is almost here. Although she prided herself on being fit for her age, she had felt the cold in her bones, as the old timers would say.
Brushing the snow from Howard’s memorial stone with her gloved hand, she noticed how, without the spring and summer flowers blooming, the native granite seemed even colder and grayer than usual. She glanced toward the mountain. The frigid winter air had peeled back the misty shroud of the warmer months, and now, details often concealed from the human eye stood out sharply.
It had been a cold winter ten years earlier when she and Howard had stood in the same spot, gazing at the mountain’s craggy face. They’d known what they had to do. Howard had grown up in Florida’s panhandle and spent his adult life in eastern North Carolina, but he’d always had a yearning to be in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Their first vacation in the High Country sparked talk of moving there. She’d been skeptical when he’d found the sale listing for a small hotel near the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is it, he’d said. I know it’s where we belong.
Her throat tightened at the memory, but not as much as it once did. Now, five years after his death, her grief had changed from loss to peace. At least, he’s spending eternity where he always longed to be.
“Mom, wait up.”
Turning, she saw Cameron jogging her way. As he drew near, she felt relief again over his decision to help run the hotel. Thanks to his support, she’d recently taken her first vacation in years, visiting Abby and Mark Benson in Myrtle Beach. Cold and snow had followed her there, too, but she’d enjoyed the break.
Ethan Wright’s murder trial had left her mentally exhausted. For the first time in such a case, she’d been called to testify and asked to verify on the witness stand the times she’d seen certain defendants come and go from the hotel. It seemed simple enough until cross-examination began. The attorney had brought up her age, remarking how, being on the downhill side of sixty-five, her memory for details might not be as good as it once was. Despite the prosecutor’s objection, he’d been allowed to subject her to a brief cognitive test right there on the stand. She’d aced his questions, leaving him a little embarrassed. Even so, the whole experience unsettled her for days. She’d jumped at Abby’s invitation to get away.
“Are you going to help with breakfast?” Celeste asked Cam.
He caught up to her, and together they continued walking along the path toward the hotel.
“I got used to it while you were away. I learned a lot from Henrietta.”
“She could teach a master class in food service.”
Cameron chuckled. “Oh, she’s a fount of knowledge on many subjects.”
She wrapped her hand around his bicep. She’d noticed his fitness level increasing since he’d started skiing. His girlfriend was an avid skier. Naturally, he had to give it a try. Men never grow out of wanting to impress women.
“I’ve been dreading the day Henrietta decides to hang up her apron,” Celeste said.
“I have some thoughts on the subject when you’re ready to hear me out,” Cam said.
Shaking her head, Celeste said, “Cam, if you’re talking about reopening the restaurant…”
She held her tongue when she saw a familiar vehicle driving into the service entrance. The SUV’s driver parked next to Henrietta’s gray sedan. Recognizing the new arrival, she and Cam picked up their pace toward the hotel’s kitchen door, eager to greet their visitor.
“Good morning, Kristy,” Celeste called out.
Kristy Stone hopped from the vehicle. If Celeste hadn’t known her age, she would never have believed Kristy had recently turned fifty. Her brown denim outfit and trendy sunglasses contributed to her youthful appearance. She’d befriended Celeste and Howard when they purchased and renovated the hotel, and they had relied on Kristy’s advice in the early days. After all, she owned the Evergreen Bed & Breakfast a few miles away and knew the ins and outs of the hospitality business. She also ran a bakery in addition to Evergreen, supplying pastries for Gran Vista’s complimentary breakfast.
“Good to see you, Celeste. Everyone missed you while you were away.”
“I’ve heard, but I enjoyed every minute of my vacation.”
As Cam carried the pastry boxes from the SUV into the kitchen, Kristy turned back to Celeste. “I have a question. What do you know about Howard’s family history?”
“I’ve never researched it. I’ve encouraged Cameron and Amy to join a genealogy site since it seems a popular thing to do these days.” Curiosity led her to add, “Why do you ask?”
“Aunt Grace, my mother’s half-sister, came up for a visit last week. She brought copies of ten years’ worth of research. You’re not going to believe this. My step-grandfather, Paul Adams, was Howard’s uncle.”
Celeste paused and searched her memory. “Paul Adams? Of course. He was a retired Army officer. I met him a few times. Once, when Howard and I went to a family reunion in Florida, and again when Howard’s parents died. He attended their funerals. I think he passed away twenty years ago.”
“Twenty-three,” Kristy corrected. “You probably met my grandmother, as well.”
“I did meet his wife. She was a beautiful lady.”
“So was my mom,” Kristy said. “I guess the typical cliché would be to say it’s a small world.”
“Agreed. I’m amazed at this news.”
“Of course, Howard and I weren’t blood relations. My biological grandfather was killed at Normandy on D-Day,” Kristy said. “But considering this new development, I’m glad I got the chance to know Howard.”
Celeste smiled. “I’m happy you did, too.”
“Can you and Cam come to lunch at Evergreen today?” Kristy asked. “I’ll show you all of Aunt Grace’s collection. I noticed something really surprising in the Adams family history, but I won’t reveal what it is just yet. I’ll let you discover it for yourself.”
“Okay, I’m looking forward to it. Is twelve-thirty good for you?”
Kristy returned to her vehicle’s driver’s seat. “It’s a date.” As Kristy drove away, Celeste pondered her cryptic parting shot. I wonder what revelations lurk within the Adams family tree.
Warm air greeted her when she opened the kitchen door, along with Henrietta’s outstretched arms.
“Welcome home,” Henrietta said. “I was hoping you’d bring Abby back with you.”
Celeste shook her head. “It will be another month at least before we see Abby.”
She hung her jacket on the hook by the door, then walked to the laundry room to retrieve a fresh apron from the linen closet. By the time she returned, Cam had already flipped on the café lights and was moving plates and utensils into place on the buffet table.
“Word is you had a good helper while I was gone,” Celeste said.
“Yes, Cameron took to it like a pro. He reminds me a lot of his father. He has some good ideas, too.” Henrietta had stopped short of telling Celeste to listen to Cam.
Celeste pulled three serving trays down from the cabinet and unboxed Kristy’s pastries. Cam returned to the kitchen and helped her with the task.
“Before I forget,” Celeste said to him. “Kristy invited us to Evergreen for lunch today. I told her we’d be there at twelve-thirty.”
“Sounds good to me. What’s the occasion?”
“She wants to show us her aunt’s genealogy work," Celeste told him. "As it turns out, Kristy and your dad had a family connection.”
“Wow,” Cam said. “What are the odds of people from different parts of the country meeting up here in the mountains and finding out they’re related?”
They took the trays to the buffet table in the café.
“Mrs. Stone brought her aunt over here one day last week,” Henrietta said from the other side of the pass-through window. “She seemed disappointed when I told her you were away at the beach, but she didn’t say anything to me about Mr. Adams.”
Henrietta set two trays of scrambled eggs on the window’s ledge. Cam transferred them to the warming plates.
“The aunt—Grace was her name—asked me questions about this area,” Henrietta continued. “She wanted to know if there were any old cemeteries or ruins along the creek.”
“Howard and I walked the trail many times, but I never noticed any,” Celeste said. “And I’m sure we wouldn’t have missed evidence of a cemetery or old homestead.”
“I told her that I’ve worked here most of my life, and I couldn’t recall any, but I directed her to the local historical society. Then she and Mrs. Stone went down to the creek. I noticed them stop and take a photo of Mr. Adams’ memorial. I hope it was okay with you.”
“Of course. He and Kristy’s Aunt Grace were first cousins.”
Cam followed Celeste back into the kitchen. “Where was I when they came around, Henrietta?”
“It was the morning you went to the hardware store with Kevin.”
“Hardware store? What was broken?” Celeste asked.
Henrietta’s side eye didn’t escape Celeste’s attention.
“Nothing major, Mom,” Cam said. “Wasn’t Dad’s family from Florida? Why was his cousin searching for artifacts here?”
“Yes, he grew up near Jacksonville,” Celeste said. “Maybe Grace wasn’t hunting an Adams ancestor. It could’ve been another branch of her family.”
Henrietta held out a large platter and said, “Bacon’s ready, and I saw a guest wander into the café.”
“I got it.” Cam grabbed the platter and took it to the buffet.
When he was clear of earshot, Henrietta whispered, “We had a minor plumbing problem in one of the rooms. Cameron and Kevin took care of it.”
“I’m sure they did," Celeste said. “I’m trying to let go and hand over more to him.”
“He’s been with us long enough. He’s ready.”
The air fryer’s timer beeped. Celeste dumped the hash browns in a tray. Glancing at Cam as he greeted more hotel guests who had ventured down for breakfast, she remembered how he tried to dissuade her and Howard from giving up financial security to chase a dream. Now, he’s set to inherit it.
“I never expected Cam to leave his career and move here to help me,” she said.
“Last week, I saw him standing outside, staring at MacRae Peak, with the same wistful look his father always had,” Henrietta responded.
Celeste held back her reply when Cameron reentered the kitchen. He placed his hands on his hips and slowly turned his head from side to side, making eye contact with each of them.
“I have a feeling you were talking about me,” he said.
“It was all good,” Henrietta replied. “We were saying how much you favor your father.”
Cam grinned. “Dark hair and dimples, but beyond those, I don’t see it.”
“Your mannerisms are like his,” Celeste said.
Nodding her head in agreement, Henrietta said, “Yes, and your laugh sounds like his.”
“You two are going to make me self-conscious, now,” he said.
Celeste patted his cheek. “I’m glad you have your father’s laugh. Anyway, you can’t change your genetics.”
“You shouldn’t be self-conscious at all,” Henrietta chimed in. “Your father had a lot of wonderful qualities. The first time I met him, I knew he would do right by this old hotel. Kevin and I were afraid someone would buy the place, tear it down, and put in a mini-golf course. Not your dad. He took one look at the mountain and fell in love.”
Celeste turned away from them and pulled a tissue from the box on the counter. While she dried her teary eyes, Cam cleared his throat.
“Speaking of genes, I’m looking forward to what Kristy Stone has to show us today,” he said.
“Me, too. I’m curious now about Howard’s family tree,” Celeste said. “Who knows, honey? You might be related to George Washington.”
Relieving Henrietta of a hot pan of scrambled eggs, Cam joked, “Sure, and I might be President one day, too.”
* * *
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