Excerpt of Mistletoe Cottage by Debbie Mason

“Oh yes, Sophie my girl, I know your secret, “Colleen murmured as she slowly made her way from the dining room to the elevator beside the atrium.

She knew everyone’s secrets. There wasn’t a person in Harmony Harbor who didn’t have one. Along with the history of the town, she’d recorded them all in a leather-bond book. She’d called it The Secret Keeper of Harmony Harbor.  Now, if she could only find the damn thing. Her memory wasn’t what it used to be.

A dull ache under her ribs forced her to stop a moment to catch her breath. She leaned heavily on her cane. The pain was coming more frequently these days. The excitement probably didn’t help. Or maybe it was guilt that she’d meddled in her great-grandson and Sophie’s affairs. Colleen’s meddling had gotten her into trouble in the past. Truth be told, it had nearly cost her the love of her son and husband. She thought back to that morning fifty years earlier. Had it really been that long? Bejaysus, she was old.

She rubbed her chest. She’d stopped meddling from that morning on . . . mostly. No doubt there would be hell to pay before this sorted itself out. But she’d known the moment she saw Sophie and Mia what she had to do. It was . . . kismet. Sophie had arrived in Harmony Harbor just when Colleen needed her most. She’d kept tabs on Sophie when she was in California and knew exactly what the girl was made of. Smart, resourceful, and hardworking, Sophie had what it would take to turn Greystone’s fortunes around.

The door to the elevator slid open, and Simon, the black cat, slunk inside ahead of Colleen. She didn’t have the energy to shoo him away and followed. She leaned against the brass rail for support. The pain expanded in her chest, and she couldn’t breathe. She dropped her cane, frantically tugging at the top buttons on her blouse. They popped off, pinging against the walls of the elevator. She tried to call for help as she slid to the floor, but only a moan escaped from her mouth.

Slumped against the wall, unable to lift her head from her shoulder, she watched the cat pad to her side. The animal’s blue eyes suddenly seemed familiar and arresting. He rubbed his head against her cheek, the rumble of his purr and the softness of his fur calming the panic that had all but overwhelmed her moments before. Then, with one last look at her, Simon leaped from the elevator just before the door slid shut.

So this is it, Colleen thought as her field of vision narrowed to pinpricks of light. Instead of pain, she was filled with a warm lethargy and acceptance. She was dying. She wasn’t afraid. At a hundred and four, she’d been living on borrowed time. She was at peace. Soon she’d be reunited with her husband and children and all those who’d gone before her. In some ways, living for so long had seemed more penance than gift.

She made out the pounding of feet coming toward the elevator. Cool air and bright light suddenly filled the space, and she found herself cradled in strong arms before being gently lowered onto the floor. “You’re going to be all right, GG. I’ve got you. Stay with me.”

Aw, Liam my boy, I would save you from this if I could. You’ll count me among those you couldn’t save, won’t you, child?

Her great-grandson needed the love of a good woman to mend his broken heart. But after the loss of his mother and sister, he was afraid to love again. Afraid to let anyone in. His brothers were the same.

“The paramedics are on the way, Liam. Tell me what you need me to do.”

Colleen recognized that voice. Soft but with an underlying strength, compassionate and kind. It was Sophie. Now there was a woman. . . Once again Colleen was overcome with panic. She’d forgotten something. Something important. What had she forgotten? Meddling, it had to do with meddling. She was sure of it and just as sure that somehow she’d made a hash of things.

But her worries disappeared when a warm, shimmering light beckoned from outside the elevator. She floated through the doors to the atrium. The golden light glistened through the wall of windows facing Kismet Cove, the white-capped waves crashing against the rocks, the harbor in the distance, the deep blue ocean beyond.

Colleen smiled. It was time to go home. Filled with joy and anticipation, she moved toward the welcoming light. She turned for one last fond look at those she’d leave behind. The paramedics had arrived. They were preparing to load her body onto the gurney, but Liam refused to give up and waved them off.

“It’s time for me to go,” Colleen whispered with a hint of regret. Worried how they’d fare without her, she asked the good Lord to bless her family by reciting an old Irish prayer. The words comforted her, and she floated toward the light.

But at an insistent meow, she looked back to see Mia clutching Simon to her chest. The little girl looked up at Colleen, and her heart that had stopped beating gave a panicked thump. And not because she realized that the child could see her. Oh no, it was like someone was hammering on her brain, telling her to remember, telling her that she had indeed made a terrible mistake. Her meddling was going to hurt the ones she loved and put Greystone Manor at risk. She couldn’t leave until she’d discovered what she’d done wrong and made it right.