I’m so happy you guys are enjoying this!<\/p>\n
December 4<\/p>\n
The store had closed an hour ago. Margie had departed soon after that, telling Molly not to work too late. \u201cDon\u2019t forget, the carolers are coming tomorrow,\u201d she\u2019d said, pausing on the doorstep. Behind her, Molly could see her Uncle Art in the car, patiently waiting, and she\u2019d waved to him. \u201cDo we have everything we need?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why Schrodinger and I are staying late,\u201d Molly had said, grinning. \u201cThe Terrible Trio is coming over to help me make goodies for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Terrible Trio. Molly\u2019s best friends in the world. And now, considering what was unfolding, she had decided she needed them more than ever.<\/p>\n
Precisely on time, the doorbell rang. Schrodinger, who had been sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen watching Molly roll out cookie dough and cut out shapes, jumped down and ran out to the front, shouting mentally, Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHi, Schrodinger!\u201d Sue was first through the door, brushing snow from her short hair as she breezed in. Behind her were Noemi and Lai, each of the three carrying a large bag. \u201cMolly, where are we setting up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKitchen!\u201d Molly called. \u201cAnd can someone hit the lock? We\u2019re not expecting anyone else tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDone!\u201d Lai said, and then the three of them were piling into the kitchen. Schrodinger, after getting his greetings in, retreated back to his bed by the fire, where he had been sleeping.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, put us to work,\u201d Sue said, once they\u2019d settled onto stools and Molly had set out, not mugs of tea, but glasses of wine. \u201cYou said you needed help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, but not just with the cookies.\u201d Molly had been thinking about how she was going to approach this conversation since the afternoon, when she\u2019d realized she needed help. The reason for that was tucked into the basket on the shelf in the pantry, along with the three others she\u2019d received. \u201cThere\u2019s something weird going on, and I need you guys to help me figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOoh, a mystery?\u201d Noemi\u2019s eyes twinkled. \u201cDoes it have to do with a certain Gate Tech coming home early?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly,\u201d Molly admitted. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, spill!\u201d Lai said, leaning forward eagerly. \u201cTell us all!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot to tell.\u201d Molly went into the pantry and came back out with a tray of goodies she\u2019d made up earlier in the day, and the basket. Nestled inside the wicker was four red envelopes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you get these?\u201d Noemi asked, pulling one out. \u201cAnd mini CDs? Seriously?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeriously,\u201d Molly said. \u201cThey all have Christmas carols on them. And they\u2019re all from the same person, or persons. Started on December first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is when Tom came back,\u201d Sue said, looking at one of the scraps of paper. \u201cThis is gorgeous. Can he do calligraphy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Molly said. \u201cI don\u2019t even know if it\u2019s him. But it\u2019s starting to weird me out a bit, and you guys are the only ones I can trust not to laugh at me. Or pat me on the head and tell me it\u2019s romantic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut them in order,\u201d Lai said. \u201cMaybe we can find a pattern in the songs or something. Are they marked?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I remember which is which.\u201d Molly laid the scraps out next to their CDs and then named them off. \u201cFirst day, We Need a Little Christmas. Second day, Let It Snow. Third day, The Christmas Can-Can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love that song!\u201d Sue said, giggling. \u201cAt least he has good taste, whoever he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly laughed a bit at that. \u201cHe does, doesn\u2019t he? I just wish I knew who he was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you get today?\u201d Noemi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cGod Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,\u201d Molly said, pointing to the last one.<\/p>\n Noemi picked up the scrap of paper and read it out loud. \u201cDear Molly, Sometimes you need friends around you. You seem so lonely all the time, even when you smile. Do something with people tonight. SA.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWow, he does seem to know you,\u201d Lai said. \u201cAlthough that\u2019s not really news here in the Cove \u2013 the perils of living in a small town. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing. We do tend to go out most Saturday nights, and you really don\u2019t go out otherwise, Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m busy,\u201d she replied a little tartly. \u201cDo you think the cookies and goodies here bake themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich is ostensibly why we\u2019re here,\u201d Sue said, reaching into her bag and pulling out the decorating kit she\u2019d brought with her. Lai and Noemi followed suit, as Molly put the CDs back into their envelopes and then put the envelopes in the basket. Returning it to the pantry, she came back out with a tray of sugar cookies, already glowing with a coat of silvery-white glaze. \u201cSo, you want us to be detectives? Find out who\u2019s romancing you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRomancing me?\u201d Molly rolled her eyes. \u201cHardly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on, Molly! SA? Secret Admirer? How is that not romantic?\u201d Noemi said, producing several batches of her homemade frosting from her bag. \u201cSomeone is trying to be sweet on you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe.\u201d Molly grabbed a pastry bag from the drawer behind her and began to fill it with red icing. \u201cBut I think I\u2019d be happier if he just came out and said it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s Tom, I can see why he wouldn\u2019t,\u201d Lai said, filling a bag with green icing. \u201cIt\u2019s not like your breakup was all that quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly winced. \u201cTrue.\u201d<\/p>\n The breakup had been horrific, truth be told. Screaming, crying on her part, and at least one box of something, books maybe, thrown out the window of her apartment. Followed by a three-day withdrawal on her part to her bedroom, holding Schrodinger and crying. Molly shook her head. If it was Tom sending her the messages, she could see why he wouldn\u2019t want to admit it.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s him,\u201d she said, suddenly remembering. \u201cHe saw one yesterday, and was honestly surprised. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s that good an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe.\u201d Noemi shrugged. \u201cBut there are other candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d Molly looked at her. \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Drew doesn\u2019t have a girlfriend,\u201d she said. \u201cNeither does Luke.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re all busy too,\u201d Molly said. \u201cAnd just because they don\u2019t have girlfriends,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd tend to stop in here a lot,\u201d Sue interjected, and Molly frowned at her.<\/p>\n \u201cLots of people stop in here,\u201d Molly said. \u201cIt\u2019s a tea shop and a bookstore, and Carter\u2019s Cove has a lot of readers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh.\u201d Lai, Noemi and Sue all shared a glance before . \u201cAnd it just happens that some of the Cove\u2019s most eligible young Gate Techs all have cravings for tea and books.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly tried to glare at all of them and failed. \u201cAlright, fine,\u201d she said, a smile pulling at her lips. \u201cI doubt it\u2019s Luke \u2013 he barely says three words to me, and he buys books, not tea. But I\u2019ll give you Drew. And Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould be the new school principal \u2013 Matt?\u201d Noemi said.<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d Sue corrected. \u201cYeah, could be him. He\u2019s cute, too.\u201d<\/p>\n And so they talked on, discussing and discarding suspects as they decorated the plates and plates of cookies Molly had baked that afternoon. And later, when they finally left, all three promised to keep their eyes open.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter all, we can\u2019t have you being too creeped out,\u201d Sue said. \u201cNot around Christmas!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out,\u201d Lai said, and Noemi nodded. \u201cAnd when we do\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t finish the sentence, but nodded mock-menacingly. All four burst into laughter.<\/p>\n