{"id":562,"date":"2020-09-17T12:32:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T12:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/?p=562"},"modified":"2021-12-01T15:31:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T15:31:22","slug":"christmas-at-the-easy-breezy-by-nora-leduc-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/?p=562","title":{"rendered":"CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY by Nora LeDuc\u2013\u2013PREVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND AT WALMART.COM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHold on!\u201d Darcy Malone clenched the steering wheel and slammed on the brake, but nothing stopped her skid into the four-foot snowbank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right bumper of her Volkswagen thudded against the frosty mound. A  jolt rippled through her. She sat frozen. The rustle of falling flakes grew in her ears. Slowly, the fear cleared from her brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She released a breath of relief, and the cramp in her neck eased. Darcy glanced at her daughter in her rear child seat. \u201cEve. Are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was fun,\u201d Eve exclaimed in her squeaky voice. Her pink jacket was halfway off her shoulders, and cracker crumbs spotted her purple shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only a five-year-old would declare an auto accident fun, Darcy thought. \u201cLuckily, I was driving slower than a turtle.\u201d They were safe. That was what counted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if Darcy\u2019s GPS was correct, they\u2019d landed in Tuckaway Valley in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The town where her mother grew up. Soon, she\u2019d meet her mom\u2019s side of the family. Someday, this might be her home for the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019d spent nearly three decades wishing she had a house full of relatives for those big and little celebrations. Her dream was about to come true.  She had ten days to impress them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her doubts and the likely fender bender, a small thrill rose in Darcy\u2019s chest. She already imagined upcoming gatherings. Eve running around, giggling by the fireside. Everybody asking Darcy for her eggnog recipe. The one drink she vowed she would someday attempt to make from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I get out?\u201d Eve asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me look.\u201d Darcy shifted into park and cut the engine. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched over to the passenger-side window. At least, they were parked under a streetlight. With her bare hand, she wiped the condensation off the cool, damp glass. She squinted and tried to make out the details of a building in between the falling flakes. About six feet away, the red letters of a neon sign shone through the sheet of white. DINER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pitter-patter of wet flakes smacked against the windshield. In the overheated car, the odor of Cheerios permeated the interior. Darcy\u2019s stomach growled. Besides snacks and potty breaks, they\u2019d done little other than travel. \u201cI spy food ahead. Supper is calling us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYay.\u201d Eve clapped her hands. Her mittens, snapped to her jacket cuffs, flapped in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy rolled her shoulders, stiff from today\u2019s ten-plus-hour drive and the stress of playing \u201cguess if we\u2019re on the road or not.\u201d Not the best start to her two-week vacation. The Nor\u2019easter had surprised meteorologists and Darcy by arriving a day earlier than predicted. It was a relief to be safe. She couldn\u2019t wait to stand on the ground where her parents had met. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She wished she had more memories of them. She was five when her mother and father passed away in a car accident. Her dad\u2019s distant Uncle Frank had taken her to live with him. A confirmed bachelor, he was the last member of the Malone line. He had raised her with the help of nannies and a series of girlfriends. Most of them had drifted out of Darcy\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle Frank had told her little about her parents except that they had run off to marry when Darcy\u2019s grandmother disapproved of her daughter\u2019s future spouse. Mother and daughter never reconciled. Darcy often wondered why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMommy, I want a grilled cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the sound of Eve\u2019s clear, steady voice, Darcy swallowed and the tension flowed out of her. She shifted around to face her. \u201cThe snow gods are watching over us. We can walk over to that restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEat!\u201d Eve\u2019s hand flew up in her eagerness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Darcy uttered that magic word \u201cwait,\u201d her daughter was out of her seat. The kid was too expert at escaping those child restraints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like snow.\u201d Eve\u2019s wide blue eyes glimmered with happiness. She pressed her forehead to the window to stare outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you approve of the frosty stuff cause there\u2019s lots of it. Those boots will get a workout today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cC\u2019mon. Let\u2019s go.\u201d Eve scooped up her well-worn toy, Bunny, from her booster chair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy climbed out. Luckily a plow must have passed not too long ago. The cold flakes chilled her feet in her knee high black boots. The wind whipped her skirt around her legs. Tingles of excitement raced through her until she stepped away and glanced at the spot on her car that had landed in the bank. She couldn\u2019t be certain of the damage until she pulled out and got a good look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy flipped the back of the seat down and leaned in to help her daughter, who held her green stuffed animal. Giggling, Eve pushed off and leapt into her mother\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, they rounded the front of the classic red VW. Darcy couldn\u2019t complain about the auto. She\u2019d bought it off Craigslist the day before they left New York. The small engine had chugged through the blizzard like a bulldozer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre we there?\u201d Eve tilted her head back for a glimpse, causing her hood to slip off and the icy sleet to hit her cheeks. She squinted and turned her cheek into her mom\u2019s jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve only gone six feet. Besides, nothing stops the Malone girls. Does it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eve recited the last line of their motto. \u201cYou and me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the entrance, Darcy placed Eve down. A lit sign in the window grabbed her attention. \u201cWe\u2019re at the Easy Breezy Diner.\u201d She pointed. \u201cNice wreath on the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPretty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A poster advertising Midnight Merriment was taped underneath the decoration. She read the flyer out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome to a Family-Friendly Celebration on December 23, Downtown Main Street, 5pm to Midnight. Enjoy Sleigh Rides, Music, and Food. New Discounts on Store Items Every Hour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo they have toys?\u201d Eve asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Sounds like a mini fair. That\u2019s ten days from now. We might be gone by then, but we\u2019ll find out about this Merriment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bell jingled as they entered. She and Eve stopped on the large welcome mat. Darcy scanned the dining room and assessed the business as her Uncle Frank had taught her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, thanks to Uncle Frank, she had money to pay her bills. Two months ago, he\u2019d surprised Darcy by marrying and becoming the devoted stepfather and grandfather to his wife\u2019s children and their offspring. Now he spent all his free time with his new family or studying his stock profits and bank accounts. That\u2019s when Darcy became certain she\u2019d go after her dream and find her mother\u2019s family. Who would have thought that a week after she started her online search cousin Eddie would pop up on her screen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eve moved restlessly next to her. Darcy pushed away the thoughts of her uncle to examine the diner. Quaint and charming were her first thoughts. It was just like the restaurant she imagined eating at with her mom\u2019s relatives. No customers, but there was a blizzard of course. The eatery contained a long counter with six wooden stools and enough red and white Formica tables to serve thirty to forty people an hour. At least ten to fifteen dollars a plate\u2013\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello. You out walking in the snow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the counter, stood a rangy man wiping his hands on a beige hand towel. He greeted them in a welcoming voice that made her want to kick off her boots and settle in one of those red-cushioned metal chairs with him next to her. His straight dark hair tumbled over his forehead\u2014a little overgrown by Manhattan standards. But she wasn\u2019t in the city. If she needed another reminder, she had only to consider his clothes. He was dressed in jeans and a denim shirt. Was he a waiter or the cook who had stepped out from the behind the stove for a break? Whoever he was, his friendly manner drew her into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you?\u201d His coffee-brown eyes filled with curiosity as he focused on her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOut for a stroll?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was good-looking, no denying it. All right, clear your mind. You\u2019d think you never saw a man before. \u201cIf you call wading knee-deep through snow a walk, yes, we are. I caught your glowing sign through the storm.\u201d She whirled to the window and back, suddenly feeling foolish for pointing out the obvious. She ran her fingers through her hair while she sought a topic that would show she possessed a brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, we\u2019re a breakfast and lunch place, really. Last meal served by two in the afternoon. During the storms, I keep the coffee on for the plow guys. Figured if any brave souls were out, they could stop in, too. And here you are. Sit down. I\u2019ll bring the menus.\u201d He grabbed a couple off the countertop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne is fine.\u201d She stomped her feet on the welcome mat to shake off the clinging snow and to give herself a second to gather her composure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eve copied her. They crossed the black and white patterned floor to the nearest table and took off their coats. Darcy hung them on the back of the chairs and drew out a seat for Eve. Her daughter climbed up, pulled off her boots, and sat with her legs tucked underneath her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their greeter returned and handed the printed list of offerings to Darcy. Over his casual clothes, he wore an apron. \u201cI\u2019m Leo, and I\u2019ll take your order on this wintry December day.\u201d He fished out a folded navy baseball cap from his overall pocket and plunked it on his head. Next, he dug out a pad of paper and removed a short pencil from behind his ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHi. I\u2019m Darcy Malone.\u201d She gestured to the love of her life. \u201cThis is Eve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d like a grilled cheese sandwich,\u201d Eve told him. \u201cPlease. With white cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, she\u2019s got a thing about color.\u201d Darcy cruised the food offerings and tried to define the scent of the man hovering by her shoulder. What was it? A cooking spice? The fragrance was so heavenly it made her want to bake, or at least turn on the rarely used oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot a problem. Would you care for something to drink with your meal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMilk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChocolate?\u201d He raised a brow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI guess I should have called that one.\u201d He turned to Darcy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have the same as she ordered except add a few fries to my plate.\u201d She made a sweeping wave with her hand in the air. She inhaled a deep breath and caught the aroma of her favorite beverage. \u201cIs the coffee ready?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe beans arrived at the grocery store this morning. Risked my life to beat off the crowds panicking in the aisles before the blizzard hit. Ground them minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople act the same way in New York when that five-letter word is spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStorm?\u201d he guessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She leaned forward and whispered, \u201cFresh.\u201d When he wrinkled his forehead, she added, \u201cThe beans were fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t seem a fan of her humor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re from the city?\u201d He stuck his pencil behind his ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cApartment in Brooklyn, but I spend most of my time at work in the Big Apple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took her menu. \u201cLet me guess. This young lady loves to play in the snow, and you didn\u2019t catch the alert that the snowstorm would move in early.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou about nailed it.\u201d True, she\u2019d expected a few flakes at the most today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m five,\u201d Eve declared, picking out the pink and blue sugar packets from a wire holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell\u2026congratulations. I\u2019ll get your order started in the kitchen. Don\u2019t worry,\u201d he tossed over his shoulder. \u201cI make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot too nasty,\u201d Darcy joked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he\u2019d disappeared behind a door near the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMommy, how many?\u201d Eve pointed to the small sweetener packages she\u2019d arranged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d She shot her fist upward, copying her mother\u2019s exaggerated gesture when Eve got an answer correct. She began rearranging the paper packets into piles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A series of white tiles above the wainscoting on the far rear wall snagged Darcy\u2019s attention. They were about six inches square with various scenes drawn in black. Some featured a building: town hall, corner store, or a church. One showed children holding hands in front of a school. Another depicted a row of houses with smoke spiraling up from chimneys into the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019d never seen that kind of decoration before. Different. A sign hanging over them read, \u201cWinter in Tuckaway Valley drawn by the elementary students.\u201d She\u2019d remember that idea for her next restaurant renovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy dug her phone out of her purse and scrolled through, looking for a text from cousin Eddie. She found nothing from him. Maybe the service in this mountainous area was poor. Unfortunately, she found one from her ex-husband, Josh. Most likely, he wanted to remind her for the hundredth time that Eve was spending Christmas afternoon and night with him and his new wife, Zareena. She shut off her cell. She prayed the pain leftover from the divorce would disappear someday soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roar of an engine interrupted her musings. In the window, an unusual plow appeared on the street. Yellow lights lit the cab section. A boulder sat on the cargo rear-end as though weighing the vehicle to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see a truck.\u201d Eve stared out the pane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy waited for the operator to swerve away from her Volkswagen or to lift its blade. It continued on a straight path, pushing the growing accumulation toward her car. She leaped from her seat. They\u2019d never get out until spring. \u201cOh, no. No!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy yanked the door open and ran outside to the corner snowbank. \u201cStop.\u201d She flapped her hands in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blast of the horn came from the truck. The driver waved as he pushed an enormous mound against her small vehicle and continued onward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stunned, she stood staring at her walled-in car. The drifts had risen faster than a New York cabbie\u2019s taximeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not wearing your coat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She turned to her stern-faced daughter in the open doorway. Her voice mimicked Darcy\u2019s. She even pointed her finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly Darcy felt the frigid air penetrating her black sweater. \u201cYeah, I should have put on my jacket.\u201d Rubbing her sleeves, she tramped over to her daughter. \u201cCome on, sunshine. Let\u2019s go wait for our food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goosebumps rose on her skin. She hugged her arms over her chest and walked inside with Eve. Stomping her boots again, she was thankful for the indoor warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything okay?\u201d Their server-chef, Leo, stood a few feet from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing that a sturdy shovel can\u2019t cure. Do you have one I can borrow? My car was plowed in a few seconds ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, sorry. I thought you were on foot from the hotel or I would have warned you.\u201d He narrowed his eyes as though she\u2019d shaped-shifted into a strange creature. \u201cYou drove in this blizzard? Through Hairpin Turn, up on the ridge?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026guess.\u201d Was that unusual? They were in the North Country. \u201cThe roads weren\u2019t bad if you went about two miles per hour. There was only us and the town crews, which reminded me how everyone else was staying home. Yeah, easy.\u201d She rolled her eyes. \u201cBut we made it. From your expression, I\u2019m glad I couldn\u2019t see how high up we\u2019d climbed. I\u2019m not great with heights. I force myself to drive over bridges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen, you should be ecstatic you missed Hairpin\u2019s view. The elevation and the sharp curve are tough on the best of days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEw.\u201d Going back could be rough. She\u2019d worry about it later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was studying Darcy from her knee-highs to the top of her hair. Was something wrong? No, her shoes weren\u2019t practical like his work boots, but she didn\u2019t live in New Hampshire. If he worked in Manhattan, his type of footgear meant he was a construction worker, a drug dealer, or a cool rock star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was still taking her in. Her cheeks heated. Were they turning red? \u201cYou mentioned you should have told me something,\u201d she reminded him to divert his attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He met her gaze. \u201cNo parking on the streets during a snow emergency. Though we haven\u2019t had a December Nor\u2019easter like this in ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m so happy I\u2019m here for this one.\u201d Just her luck. \u201cHow far is the Grand Mountain Hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbout a mile. You easily can walk it except in this weather. On foot, it might feel twice that distance. You can leave your car here. Nobody will bother to dig it out to tow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She frowned. \u201cThanks for the words of reassurance. I\u2019m meeting relatives, and they recommended I stay in town.\u201d She allowed the fear she\u2019d pushed to the back of her mind to surface. Had her cousin worried she\u2019d overstay her welcome if she checked into the hotel he ran? Okay, she was overthinking things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny other good news?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can get you a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A loud beeping blasted their ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh-oh.\u201d Eve said from her chair, re-piling her sugars. \u201cMommy, are you trying to cook? I smell something burning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darcy turned toward the kitchen where smoke seeped through the crack underneath the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour meals!\u201d Leo whirled around and ran.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND AT WALMART.COM. Chapter 1 \u201cHold on!\u201d Darcy Malone clenched the steering wheel and slammed on the brake, but nothing stopped her skid into the four-foot snowbank. The right bumper of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,14,12],"class_list":["post-562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-holiday-romance","tag-second-chance-at-love","tag-sweet-small-town"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=562"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":576,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562\/revisions\/576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.noraleduc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}