I’m sorry – this weekend was NOT my best, but I’m working on catching up, now that I’ve beaten my migraine back and I can eat again.

This is the 16th – I’m hoping to be caught up by Thursday!

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“Do you two have any idea what you might have done?”

Drew and Pavel looked at each other, then back at the Snow Queen, who was glaring at them. With her hands on her hips, her silver-blue eyes flashing fire at them, she was quite intimidating.

“What were you thinking?” she continued. “You promised you wouldn’t get in contact with Molly!” She rounded on Drew. “You promised!”

“I made a promise to her first,” Drew said. “And besides, there was no harm done.”

“That you know of!” Jade snapped. “You’re just lucky that Old Man Winter was busy with the dragon.”

“The dragon promised he would be,” Pavel said, not flinching when she whirled on him. “I promise, Your Majesty, this has had only positive consequences.”

“Positive consequences?” Jade spit the words at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You know as well as I do that Drew isn’t the one you’re hoping will convince Old Man Winter,” Pavel said, ignoring Drew’s look of surprise. “Molly is. And Molly was losing her will to do that, thanks to Drew not being there. That one half hour has revitalized her. And her determination to save the Cove and get him back.”

“I hope so.” Jade glared at both of them again. “Don’t do it again.”

They watched her stomp out of the room. Then Drew turned to Pavel.

“What did you mean, I’m not the one who has to convince Old Man Winter?” he asked.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet,” Pavel said. “Come on, Drew! Why wouldn’t she stop Molly from contacting Old Man Winter in the first place, if she wanted you to convince him? She could have, you know. She could have kept Schrodinger looking for him for the entire month.”

“But then why keep me here?” Drew countered. “Why not just let me go home?”

“Because it gives Molly just that much more incentive,” Pavel said, shrugging. “She’s not only fighting to keep him from destroying the Gate, she’s trying to get you back. Besides, I’m sure it appeals to her girlish side too. Girls get mushy over love stories.”

“I’m not sure the Snow Queen has a girlish side, but you’re right about Molly.” Drew sighed. “Dammit. I just wish I could help her.”

“You are,” Pavel said. “You’re staying here.”

“That seems so…trivial.”

“Not to Molly.”

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“So Drew was out there?” Sue exclaimed. “How romantic!”

“How dangerous,” Noemi corrected her. “If Old Man Winter had found out…”

“He didn’t,” Molly said, not looking up from the tray she was filling with cookies. “And that’s all that matters.” She finished filling the tray. “Now, if you guys would put these out on the tables upstairs, I’ll bring up the box of mugs for the hot cider and the hot cocoa.”

Sue, Noemi and Lai all grabbed trays and headed out, while Molly went into the pantry for a box of cups. She made sure it was just mugs, no saucers; there were plates upstairs already for the goodies. Then she brought it back out into the main kitchen and nearly ran into Old Man Winter.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Molly cried, as he stumbled backwards. She put the box on the island and rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Old Man Winter said, getting his feet back underneath him. “I should be the one apologizing, not you.”

“I almost ran you over,” Molly said, but kept her hands at her side. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” Then his words registered. “Why should you apologize?”

“Because I treated you very rudely the other day,” Old Man Winter said. He wasn’t in the dark suit he’d worn before, but in something that looked rather Russian in flavor. Not the furs he’d been wearing when he first came to the Cove, but something similar, just more polished. And his beard had been trimmed, she noted. “And I shouldn’t have. It was pointed out to me that the only reason you asked was because your young man had promised to take you to that wedding. And I made him break that promise.”

Molly refrained from telling him that Drew had indeed shown up, but simply smiled up at him. “I accept your apology. Would you like some tea?”

“I would love some.” Old Man Winter looked faintly hopeful. “And some cookies?”

Molly laughed. “Certainly. Let me just bring these upstairs and I’ll be happy to get you both tea and cookies.”

“What is going on upstairs?” Old Man Winter asked, and Molly noticed the grumpiness of his voice was less than normal. What has happened to him?

“CrossWinds Books hosts a Carol Sing every year,” Molly said, picking up the box again. “Father Christopher brings the choir over, and we provide drinks and food for everyone.”

“May I come up and listen?” Old Man Winter said.

“Of course!” Molly led him out of the kitchen and upstairs to the large second floor, where the choir was setting up.

This year, as last year, the crown jewel of the choir was Sharsha. The lovely Mareesh girl had grown more confident in the year she’d spent studying in the Cove; instead of hiding next to Father Christopher, she was chatting with Lai and Noemi as they set up the trays of cookies on the food table.

“Here are the mugs!” Molly said, setting the box down next to the three large drink coolers. She made sure all three were labeled correctly (hot cider, hot water and cold water), and that the tea and hot chocolate boxes were full. Then she turned to Sharsha. “It’s so good to see you again!”

“And you,” Sharsha replied, but her huge eyes with their peculiar star-shaped irises were focused on a point over Molly’s right shoulder, where Old Man Winter was looking at the spread of baked goods with something suspiciously akin to glee. Molly couldn’t be sure, because her back was to him, but she bet he had a smile on his face.

It would explain the odd expression Sharsha had.

“Is that who I think it is?” the Mareesh asked her quietly.

“Old Man Winter,” Molly confirmed. “In the flesh.”

“Is he coming to choose his sacrifice?”

Not if I can help it, Molly thought, but only said out loud, “No, he’s come for some tea. He does that from time to time.”

“Indeed,” Old Man Winter rumbled, and Sharsha’s eyes widened as he looked over at them. “And cookies. I must admit, I might be addicted to Molly’s cookies.”

“You wouldn’t be the first,” Lai said, winking at Molly. “I hear the United Nations is considering labeling them deadly weapons.”

Molly stuck her tongue out at Lai. “You only say that because you want more to yourself.”

“Darn right.” Lai grinned, unrepentant. “Did it work?”

“No,” Molly said, and Lai’s grin turned into a pout. “That won’t work either.” She turned to Old Man Winter, who had a mug in his hand and was leafing through the tea box. “Would you like a suggestion?”

His face was thoughtful. “I’m looking for a good robust black.”

She picked out one of the Assam packets. “This one will fit that bill. Or did you want a flavored tea?”

“No, just straight black.” He took the Assam and added it to his hot water, then selected three of her orange-thyme sugar cookies. “Thank you.”

The words were sounding less forced. Molly wondered what had happened since Thursday, but she wasn’t going to question him. “You might want to find a seat,” she suggested instead. “They’re going to start soon.”

“You won’t be sitting?” he asked.

“No, I need to make sure everything stays full.” Molly moved to the back side of the tables as the choir gathered near the fireplace.

She loved when the choir came to sing at CrossWinds Books. Besides the star-eyed Mareesh, Father Christopher’s choir this year included singers from several of the realms that the Gate connected Carter’s Cove too, including a couple of wood elves, an older centaur and one dwarf with a resonant baritone that Molly remembered from a few years ago.

Father Christopher stood to one side of his choir and cleared his throat, getting their attention. He raised his right arm, and the music began.

For the next hour, Molly listened as she kept the coolers full and the trays covered with sweet treats. She watched Old Man Winter as well; he lounged in the arm chair he’d claimed, sipping his tea and chewing on cookies, apparently enjoying himself. It was…odd.

After the music ended, Father Christopher came over to the table and accepted a cup of tea from Molly. “That’s him, huh?” he asked quietly, after she complimented him on the concert.

“Yes,” Molly said, in an equally low voice.

“I hope he enjoyed the concert,” Father Christopher said.

“I think he did,” Molly said, handing him a plate of cookies. “He seemed to.”

“Good. Oh, I almost forgot!” Dipping into his pocket, Father Christopher handed her a lovely dark blue ornament, with sparkling silver beads punctuating the blue netting. “Hopefully, he’ll soon be home to give these to you.”

“I hope so.” Molly cradled the ornament in her hand. “I hope so.”