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Chapter 4

Guest by Guest

Tris' POV

I stand back, hiding in a corner. I covered my yawn for the fifth time in under twenty minutes. I swear there isn't enough coffee in the world to keep me awake this morning. Mom just about dragged me out of bed this morning, needing another set of hands for this morning's spread. With the resort fully booked and the prospective buyer's son here… She is desperate, wanting to make sure that everything is perfect for not just him but for every guest, making sure that this last Christmas here is the utmost best that Prior Valley has had.

Mother had all the traditional feast of a breakfast and then some, with all sorts of freshly baked rolls, bagels, toast, pancakes, waffles, three kinds of eggs, bacon, sausage and ham. Mother even had Caleb run out at the last minute yesterday to make sure we had enough fresh fruit on hand. She even added oatmeal and grits at the last second this morning. But I have a feeling that has to do more with what happened in the last four years than anything. Especially when our long-time guest, Uriah scarfed down enough food to feed an army… It was something we had never seen in the past from him. Hana, his mother explained that going to the police academy has really grown his appetite, since then he hasn't been able to stop eating.

We placed all the food in serving pans that are placed over warmers. Guests normally pile in between seven and eight in the morning. Of course, there are a few guests that love to sleep in, but most of them are early risers.

Right on cue, I see both Uriah and his fiancé, Marlene come down the stairs excited, as if it's Christmas morning. Uriah claps his hands and rubs them together excitedly. He reaches the long buffet table first, handing Marlene a plate before taking his own and begins to serve himself enough food that I swear would feed three people, if not more. Marlene just rolls her eyes, grabbing a scoop of eggs and fruit before heading to a table. I continue to watch Uriah stuff his mouth with a roll even before he reaches the table. He places his plate down, rushing off to the beverage station grabbing two mugs of steaming, delicious coffee. I cover a laugh, as I continue to watch Uriah rush back to the table and most importantly back to his food.

I glance at the side door that opens, watching as Christina and Will Sawyer and Christina's mother Stephanie Hopkins come in. Stephanie is stomping her feet as if to get some circulation back into her body again. Will takes his coat off immediately and turns back to his wife, helping her. I smile at the love they still share between them, remembering moments from them that I have seen firsthand myself. It's one of those things that my mother and I both love about this place. It's a hard thing to turn away from. It's the memories that are made and shared here…. Memories that still feel like they were just yesterday even if they were years ago.

It was five years ago, Christmas Eve. I had decided to take a year off from school and just help out and relax before deciding what and where I wanted to go with my life. Caleb and Susan had just gotten engaged, they were home for the Holiday. We were all gathered like any other Christmas Eve, passing out cookies and hot cocoa just settling down to hear my father read Twas the night before Christmas. Once the story came to an end, that's when Will popped the question to Christina, asking her to marry him. In any other circumstances, proposing to your partner in front of a room full of strangers would probably make you feel awkward… but not here. No. We always treat our guests like family. Because over the years, they have become just that. It was June, just 6 months later, Will and Christina tied the knot. Deciding that Prior Valley was just the place to do it too. They booked the whole resort for their special event. We were honored to have them.

Those memories are just a touch of what me and my family have experienced here. So many proposals, announcements, special moments, and even grief have passed through these walls. Even after Stephanie lost her husband, she doesn't hesitate to come back year after year with her daughter, Christina and her son-in-law, Will. After all, she has been bringing Christina out here since I could remember.

There are dozens of photos and videos of Christina, Uriah, Zeke and I all playing together when we were just learning how to crawl. Pictures from year after year, the four of us growing up and beginning together. It's a time that I'm sure even our parents cherished.

Nita Williams walks in next. Out of all our guests, she annoys me the most. Her father is some big hot shot Doctor who studies the breakdown of DNA. Nita, on the other hand, takes advantage of his generous pockets, indulging herself in things like expensive clothing, shoes, and handbags. Her kiss up of a boyfriend, Mathew started coming out with them just last year. I have made it a habit to keep my distance from them. Matthew can be a little handsy when he drinks.

My attention quickly falls on Zeke and his buzzing family that rushes in. Zeke and Uriah are brothers, they are just a year apart. Their mother Hana and her deceased husband Scott had been bringing their family out here since the beginning of time. My mother told me even long before Zeke was born, they were coming out here. Their father Scott and Hana are close longtime friends of my parents. Sadly, they lost Scott six years ago when a traffic stop turned deadly one evening. I think it's one of the many reasons why both Zeke and Uriah both followed in Scott's footsteps and became a cop themselves. To keep what happened to their father from happening to someone else's dad.

Zeke married his wife Shauna, fresh out of high school. Although he did elope the weekend of their graduation… it wasn't all that big of a shock the following year he and his family along with his new bride came up for Christmas break. It felt like for years that he spoke about a girl back home that he truly had feelings for. It was the first time alright… Zeke was always driven by two things… his hormones and his ability to be a special kind of goofiness. Although it was no big secret that Zeke got around, there was never any true feeling behind being with those girls. They weren't even worth a second thought to him, well unless they could give oral that is. That's why I knew that Shauna was special, he couldn't stop talking about her. Even when they were supposedly "just friends." I was truly happy for them when they arrived with the big news that they were married. I was even more excited when we were about to see Shauna's swollen belly with not one but two kids over the years. Even though Scott is no longer with them, he is in spirit.

Over the years, especially since Scott died, Hana has become really close with my mom. Even going as far as giving a helping hand in the kitchen. At first my mother protested, feeling bad to receive her help while she was on vacation. She is a guest no less. But Hana wouldn't hear of it, she loves the kitchen and finds it the best place to be during the Holidays. I was silently grateful for the extra help as the number in each growing family seems to be multiplying through the years. We need all the help we can get.

One after one, guests continue to pile in. All smiling, happy to be here with us. They fill their plates and their stomach with their options. Loving the warm deliciousness of the food. I smile widely when Lynn and Lauren come down, joining in on the fun. Lynn is Shauna's kid sister. Lauren and her just were married this past fall.

Susan's family is the last of the cabins to join us this morning. It was how she and Caleb met. The Blacks don't normally make it out here every year like most of our families do. Although they do try to make it a habit to try for every few years. Susan's father is a car salesman, while his wife is a stay-at-home wife. Her brother, Robert, is in med school. For years, both sets of parents have been trying to push Robert and I back together. Robert was more than willing to give it a try. I, on the other hand, was not willing for several reasons. One being is that we are not back in the stone ages… and I would like the idea of looking for someone I want and love vs having an arranged marriage. Secondly, I may not know exactly what I want in a future partner, but I do know it's not him.

"Holy Crap!" Zeke yells suddenly. The whole room stops, turning their attention towards him. Everyone is quiet, you can hear a pin drop. "Look, what the cat dragged in!" He says, standing from his table and walking towards the stairs. I turn to see it's no other than Tobias Eaton walking down, shocked at the sudden attention. "My man Four!" Zeke says, as he gives Tobias a hug, patting his back.

"Zeke! God, it's been years!" Tobias replies. Wait. Did he just call him Four? Like the number? "How's it going?" I hear. I wonder how they know each other. I watch as Uriah finally lifts his head from his plate and stands just as shocked as his older brother. He rushes over to the two men and joins in on the reunion. What the hell is going on?

Revised by:FDFobsessed