Abigail tucked her phone back in her pocket. “I haven’t seen Robert this happy since his wife passed several years ago. I mean, since before she passed. They were a cute couple, and it was obvious that they were still in love. I hope Mary Alice and Robert find the same joy.”
“Mia’s Morsels may be catering a wedding soon,” Christina teased and then pointed toward Mia. “Oh, my goodness. You should see your face. You look scared.”
“I’m not sure who I’m scared for, Robert or Grans?” Mia nodded to a table. “Let’s sit for a bit, then as soon as eight hits, let’s get out of here. I’ve got lasagna ready to warm up in the oven, and if you want to stay over, Abigail, I’ve got a few bottles of wine in the house.”
“Sounds like a real party.” Abigail sat down and slipped off her shoes. “My feet are killing me. We used to do the party scene probably twice a month when we ran the grocery store. Now, it’s rare for me to get dressed up unless I’m catering, and then I’m in sensible shoes.”
Mia giggled at the older woman’s gripes. She liked spending time with Trent’s mom. His dad, he still was an unknown, but his mom was fun.
“Since the boys are all gone, we should have a sleepover. I’ll make brownies, and we can watch rom-coms until we fall asleep.” Christina sipped at the wine she’d gotten from the bartender. She kept looking at the door, distracted.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Mia asked.
Christina turned back and shook her head. “No, I’m just a little worried about Professor Meyers. I know Sun Valley isn’t that far, but his place is up in the mountains, and the roads aren’t the best.”
“He had a driver,” Abigail told her.
Mia turned to her. She’d thought she’d been told that by the Goddess, but sometimes the messages weren’t totally clear. “How do you know?”
“Kate insists on it when she’s out of town. Geoff has an issue with alcohol. It’s been a problem for a while.” Abigail saw the shocked look on Christina’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry. He’s your professor, isn’t he? Just because someone has a drinking problem doesn’t mean they’re not a good person. He’s just troubled.”
“How do you know his wife?” Mia figured the answer was obvious, but she asked it anyway.
“She’s a member of the coven. He’s not. Not a magical bone in his body, so to speak, but Kate’s quite adept at magic. It’s probably why she’s so good at her job. She makes magic in the movies for mortals.”
About an hour later, Mia had made her final rounds at the party to say good night to her employees. She met Abigail and Christina at the ballroom door. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
Abigail dangled her keys. “The designated driver is at your service. I’ve already told Thomas that we’re having a girls’ night at your house. He says to expect a delivery from the grocery store when we get there.”
“What is he sending?” Mia asked as they got their coats from the coat check and bundled up. Now that they were heading home, she pulled a beanie over her head, tugging it down over the updo. She pulled on her warm gloves.
“I’m not sure, but you two can stay inside while I get the SUV warmed up.” Abigail pulled on her hat and winter gloves too. “I’d hate to see you fall in those dresses.”
For the first time that night, Mia envied Abigail’s pants. The fabric wouldn’t be the warmest, but it was thicker than the tights she wore under her dress. “We’re not that far, and the lodge keeps the sidewalks clear. We’ll come with you.”
“Definitely,” Christina said, but her tone didn’t sound as certain.
“Okay, then, stay close.” Abigail walked through the sliding doors and into the night. The snow was still falling, but it hadn’t worked its way into a strong storm or blizzard, yet. It looked lovely, wafting down in front of them to land on the still-black asphalt.
Mia just hoped the surface wasn’t hiding black ice. They went around to the back where employees were directed to park, and she watched as Abigail remote-started the vehicle. She’d still have to clear the windows, but the inside might start getting warm as soon as they climbed inside. “I call shotgun.”
“That’s not fair. I would have if my teeth weren’t chattering so much,” Christina said as they moved as a group toward the first row of cars. Abigail’s car was in the second row, so they didn’t have far to go. Christina paused and reached down, picking up something.
Mia paused as she turned to look at Christina’s find. The item was a mitten knitted in a bright Christmas red. A knitted picture of Santa’s face was in the middle of the mitten.
“Look, someone dropped a mitten.” Christina held it out for Abigail to see.
Abigail turned, and a small scream popped out of her mouth. “Don’t pick up that...”
Christina froze, holding the item in front of her. “It’s just a mitten.”
“It’s not just a mitten.” Abigail stepped toward her and groaned. “You’ve already made contact.”
“What do you mean?” Now Mia was worried about Trent’s mom. It was just a mitten. “We should get in the car. I’ll take the mitten to the front desk for lost and found.”
“No. Don’t touch it too.” Abigail dug in her tote and pulled out a plastic bag. “Here, put it in this. The mitten has powers.”
“Oh, it’s magic? Am I going to be a witch, then?” Christina followed Abigail’s direction and looked up at her hopefully. “Is it a Christmas wish mitten?”
Abigail carefully sealed the bag and put it in her tote. Then she carefully stepped toward the car. “We need to get out of here.”
“Okay.” Mia shrugged and shook her head at Christina, indicating they should follow Abigail.
Then Abigail stopped and pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?” Mia asked, trying to look around her. “Is there ice on the road?”
“So much for leaving,” Abigail muttered. Then she spoke into the phone. “I need to report a dead body. Please send out Mark Baldwin to the lodge. We’ll be inside the lobby waiting for him.”