Holly nodded thoughtfully. “Balance… yes. Balance is good,” she murmured, thinking of the importance of balancing the emotions in her Cheer meter.
“Here we are.” Ash parked in front of a picturesque Italian restaurant nestled between two boutique stores on the main road. The front windows had been painted with blue and white snowflakes.
After they got out of the truck and entered the restaurant, the smell of basil and fresh bread hit her instantly. Ash gave his name for the reservation, though the host clearly knew who he was. If the Emerald House were a central vein, Ash would be an artery.
“Everyone knows you here,” Holly said with a smile as they took their seats at a small square table in a candlelit corner. The walls were painted like an Italian hillside vineyard, making the place feel both cozy and upscale, with soft music coming from unseen speakers.
“Yeah, well, that’s just how things go in this town. I was born and raised here. My dad started the Emerald House when I was a little kid, with an old partner of his. It was just the restaurant back then. When I was a teenager, we added the hotel rooms for more of a bed-and-breakfast vibe, then I added the café when I bought the place. All that has caused us to interact with a lot of people in the town over the years. The Emerald House has hosted small weddings, baby showers, birthday parties…” Ash explained all that as he glanced over the menu.
Holly hadn’t touched hers because she was too intent on his words. She studied his face as he looked down at the menu. The usual openness and easiness were there, but a touch of strain was underneath it. He hid it well, but Holly could sense something there that wasn’t pleasant for him.
“You bought the Emerald House?” Holly asked after sifting through all he had said and settling on one thread for a follow-up question.
Ash lifted his eyes to meet hers. “Oh, you mean from my dad? Yeah. Well, kind of. My dad and a business partner built the original restaurant together. His partner still owned a stake in it when my dad decided to retire. Or technically, the partner’s son did. My dad’s business partner passed away about ten years ago.”
“So you had to buy out your dad’s old business partner’s son?” Holly was still studying Ash’s face. His expression was neutral, but his fingers tightened slightly on the menu.
“We were planning to be business partners, but he didn’t really believe in the Emerald House. He thought it was from a bygone era and couldn’t compete with all the chain businesses being developed in nearby towns at the time. I had big plans to expand the café, and I’m still planning to build a multipurpose room in the back for larger conferences and parties. He didn’t agree with any of that and wanted to sell it to corporate developers.” Ash took a deep breath and closed his menu. “I didn’t have much capital, obviously, since I was in my midtwenties and just getting started. So I took out a small-business loan and bought him out with that.”
“I see.” Holly didn’t want to push too far, so she opened her menu for a quick look then stacked it on top of Ash’s.
His words resonated with her. Ash had received a Dream, and that Dream involved the Emerald House. He was one of those rare ones who were willing to chase that Dream with those purposeful, everyday actions. It didn’t surprise her that he and his former business partner had parted ways. His partner’s Dream must have been a different one. Or worse, he might have been one of those who thought he wasn’t deserving of a Dream. Holly frowned.
“You know what you’re having?” Ash asked then took a drink of his water.
“Yep, the hot caprese.” Holly tried to refocus on being present in the Italian restaurant. She couldn’t control what humans did with their Dreams and only ensured that they received them by maintaining sufficient Cheer levels at the North Pole at all times. Beyond that, she had to allow the humans to be humans. That had always been easy before, but with Ash, it was hard to keep her distance.
“That’s a good one,” Ash said with a smile. “Do you want to order some wine? I’m more of a beer person myself, but wine pairs well with Enzo’s food.”
Holly smiled and shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t drink.” She couldn’t tell him that alcohol interfered with her magic, so she left it at that.
Ash nodded as if what she’d said was perfectly normal then signaled to the server that they were ready to order. A man emerged from the kitchen suddenly and told the server that he would take their table. He appeared to be in his sixties and had thick dark hair that was beginning to gray. His skin was golden, and he smiled broadly at Ash and Holly.
“Ash, hello! Welcome, welcome. And who do you have with you this evening?”
Holly picked up on his Italian accent.
“Hi, Enzo. Great seeing you. This is Holly. She’s staying at the Emerald House, and she’s helping us out with the Christmas faire.”
“Holly, what a beautiful name. Welcome.” Enzo hooked his thumbs through the front pockets of his white waist apron.
Without thinking, Holly replied in Italian, “Piacere di conoscerla.”
Enzo’s eyes widened with surprise, and he turned to Ash. “She speaks Italian! Is that why you brought her here?” He seemed pleased and turned back to Holly without waiting for a reply.
They continued a short conversation in Italian, then Enzo took their orders and returned to the kitchen.
“You speak Italian? What are the chances I’d take you here for dinner? I’m impressed, and so was Enzo.” He leaned back grinning.
“He seems like a nice man,” Holly said, swirling her water in her glass so that it made a gentle rippling motion inside the rim.
“He is. I’ve known Enzo since I was a little kid. We sometimes collaborate on catering projects. Now that he knows there’s someone who speaks Italian in town, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of him at the Emerald House. Did you learn it for work? Or is your family Italian?”
“For work. Italy’s a country I visit a lot,” Holly replied, purposely avoiding details. She didn’t know how she would respond if Ash asked if she spoke any other languages.
“You’ll have to tell me how the food here compares to the real thing, then. Enzo’s parents were both born and raised in Italy, so I think it’s pretty authentic, but I don’t have much to compare it to.”
Ash looked around the room, and Holly followed his gaze. A few other couples and small groups were seated in the one-room restaurant, but all were far enough away that they could have a conversation without hearing anyone else.
