The Christmas Miracle
Chapter 2
It's a quick 2-day business trip to wrap up an acquisition for his eccentric boss. He's never bought a mountain, but then he encounters Kate Beckett. The names of Castle characters referenced in this story are the property of Andrew Marlowe and ABC, even though the characters play entirely different roles. Entry for Castle Ficathon Winter 2022.
**Note**. This story was inspired by the movie Christmas at Holly Lodge (2017).
"Yes, Sir. I can make the deal before Christmas. I'll take the last flight out this evening and give you a preliminary report later in the week.
Rick hangs up from the unexpected call from his boss to see his assistant, giving him a bewildered look and asking, "Okay, just how do you propose to add in another trip when you are supposed to be in Malaysia on the 23rd?"
"Not a problem," answers Rick. "I don't meet with those execs until early morning on the 27th, so I'll make this trip and then fly to Malaysia on the 25th."
Carmen gave her boss a surprised look, saying, "But that's Sunday, and it's Christmas!"
Rick gave Carmen one of his charming smiles and responded, "That works out great. It's always easier to fly on Christmas."
Before the two co-workers could continue their conversation, Sir Emerson Covington charged into Rick's office, saying, "I just wanted to be sure you were going to be able to fly out tonight. This property is a significant deal, and I want it closed before Christmas."
Sir Emerson Covington sat in front of Rick's desk as Carmen stepped to the side. Rick walked around to the front of his desk, leaning on the edge with his arms crossed over his chest, inquiring, "Sir, Covington, just how did you learn about this property?"
Sir Covington bounced up from his chair, waving his arms and smiling as he answered,
"I saw an ad in a travel magazine. On my trip back from Seattle, I told my pilot to take a side trip, and we flew over the area so I could see it firsthand. It was just getting dark, and the Lodge lit up the top of the mountain like a huge diamond. It would be perfect for one of our new resorts, and I want it."
"You want it?" Rick asked as respectfully as possible. "What are you thinking of doing with it? We already have two new resorts in Breckenridge and Vail. Do you think it's wise to invest in another property in that area?"
"Oh, I know. But with this one, I want to buy the entire mountain!"
Rick tried to control his reaction, knowing his boss well enough that he sometimes became too exuberant, so before clarifying his boss's order, he asked, "You want to buy the entire mountain?"
"Yes, my good man. I want to buy the entire mountain, and I want you to close the deal before Christmas. I had some people check into the property, and they indicated the current owner is having major financial issues. I want that property before someone else swoops in and takes it from under our noses. So, when are you departing?" asked Sir Covington as he headed out the door.
Calling out to the man's back, Rick answered, "I'll be on a flight to Denver tonight."
Rick and Carmen stood watching their boss as he quickly exited Rick's office before Rick commented, "You gotta love that man."
The two chuckled as Carmen handed Rick a thumb drive adding, "He is right. I contacted the bank president, Mr. Landry, direct, and the owner is in major trouble, and Mr. Landry seems very anxious to find a solution to the issue."
Rick accepted the drive, concerned that the bank president was so open about the owner's financial situation. Local banks are usually more protective of their clients. Rick took the thumb drive along with the Lodge's financial documents and confirmed that Carmen would schedule him on the flight later that night.
Rick had arrived at the Denver International Airport late in the evening and checked into his hotel, hoping to get a good night's rest before his early morning drive up the mountains.
Rick pulled up in front of the Ganasby Butte General Store and double-checked his cellphone GPS, concerned that the tracking system seemed to have stopped.
After entering the rather eclectic store, Rick located a very tall man standing behind the counter wearing a name tag with the name Aaron embossed in bright red letters.
"Rick addressed the man, "Aaron?"
The large man gave Rick a welcoming smile, pointed at his name tag, and said, "Yep, I'm Aaron. I own this place. What can I do for you?"
Rick held up his phone, saying, "I'm trying to get to the Beckett Mountain Lodge, but my GPS gave out at exit 12, and I'm not sure where to go from here."
Laughing, Aaron answered, "Oh, you're lucky, fella. Most people's phones give out after the 5th exit. So you want to get to the Beckett's Lodge. You're not gonna find better people than Kate and her crew."
"That's good to know," smiled Rick as he replied to the cheerful owner. "Can you tell me how to get to the Lodge?"
"For sure, Pal. You go out that door and keep on Moose Road. Go to First Street, and you'll turn right. You follow that to Butte Avenue. Turn left, and that will take you past Peanut Lake. Go to Wildbird Lane, and turn right. Follow that road up the mountain, and you'll see the Lodge on your left right before the last horseshoe curve. I feel like I should write all this down for you?" the proprietor asked.
Rick's head is spinning, but at this point, he just wants to get back on the road. He thanks Aaron for his help and returns to his rented four-wheel drive SUV. Once inside, he pulls up another map of the area and thinks he can follow Aaron's somewhat erratic directions.
Thirty-five minutes later, Rick pulls up in front of one of the most beautiful structures he has ever seen. He can see the numerous Christmas decorations that frame every exterior edge, imagining how incredible it will look at nightfall.
Rick gathers his luggage from the rear tailgate and enters through the large dual doors that will take him inside the Lodge.
Rick immediately feels the warmth from a massive stone fireplace on his right. He walks further into the large lobby area, following the sounds of several different voices.
Soon, a man appears at his side, saying, "Is this your first time at the Lodge?"
"Yes. I just drove in from Denver," responded Rick.
From across the room, Rick sees a large group of people gathered, talking and laughing as they enjoy the warmth of the fire.
After a year of separation, the intimate group of close friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves as they caught up on their past year's experiences. An unexpected guest entered the Lodge as Kate and Jenny shared some of their ideas for this year's Christmas activities with their extended Christmas family.
Kate had heard the main door open and looked into the curious eyes of one of the most ruggedly handsome men she had ever seen. The two quickly made eye contact as Kevin, standing beside their newest arrival, nodded his head, prompting Kate to greet their guest.
Kate excused herself from the group and went to the reception desk, continuing to be somewhat taken by this new guest.
Rick immediately asked if he was interrupting a Christmas party.
Kate quickly responded, "Oh, no. They are special friends who come to the Lodge every Christmas and are just catching up and reminiscing. And it's always like that when they get together. They really like each other." Kate knew she was rambling but couldn't seem to stop herself.
Rick smiled at the beautiful woman, also somewhat tongue-tied as he said. "I should have a reservation. I'm only staying two nights, and I will be careful not to disturb your friends."
"Oh, you're not disturbing anyone. We're happy to have you. Let me get you signed in. Are you sure you only want to stay two nights? We have a lot going on around here over the holidays. I'm sure we would have some interesting things to do, like skiing, " shared a somewhat overwhelmed Kate.
"No, that's okay. I'll just stay the two nights. This is more of a work trip than a vacation," smiled Rick as he patted the computer bag that hung from his shoulder. "As long as you have Wi-Fi, I'll be set."
"Yes, we have Wi-Fi, but you should consider staying a little longer. We've got some great powder on the mountain, and everyone is saying the skiing has been great today, and we're going to go out soon and chop down our Christmas tree," Kate shared rather convincingly.
Rick smiled and said, "Okay, you got me on the skiing. I'm not sure about the tree chopping, but I'll stay an extra night if you have an opening."
"Wonderful. Let me get you signed in, and I'll show you to your room," Kate said with a big smile.
After recording Rick's needed information, Kate led the way up the staircase to Rick's room. She opened the door allowing him to enter, and then she shared, "Besides skiing, we'll also be decorating our tree later tonight. We have several contests for the kids and adults, and we'll have a welcome dinner tonight and some special times with the guests, and…."
Rick smiled but cut Kate off by shutting the door midway through her last statement.
Kate was stunned by the reaction of her newest guest; at the same time, she was embarrassed by her ramblings. What had gotten into her? She felt her cheeks turning pink just thinking about how she had reacted to the new guest as she almost ran down the stairs.
Rick stood on the other side of the now-closed door, gripping his head and saying, "Did I slam the door in her face? Oh, geez. How will I explain that one?"
Once Kate made it to the lobby area, she grabbed her puffy vest and told Jenny she was going outside to clear off the walk before their other guests began to arrive. Jenny wasn't sure what Kate was up to as she knew Jeff had cleared the walk earlier, but Jenny just said okay and watched Kate rush out the front door.
Upstairs, Rick unpacked the few clothes he had brought, thankful that at the last minute, he threw in heavier winter clothes for the trip. Rick then removed his computer from its case, slipped in the thumb drive Carmen had provided him and placed other documents regarding the financial status of the Beckett Mountain Lodge on his bed. He also opened a word document and began sketching out the boilerplate points he wanted to include in the report he would need to submit to Sir Covington later in the week.
After twenty minutes, knowing his mind wasn't on his work, Rick pulled out his winter clothes, deciding to take Kate up on her offer and check out the skiing.
Once in the lobby area, Rick looked around, trying to locate Kate. After checking with the young girl at the registration desk, he learned that Kate had gone outside.
Rick zipped up his jacket and went on a quest to find the beautiful woman who had caused him to temporarily lose his senses when he first arrived at the Lodge.
After exiting the Lodge, Rick saw Kate shoveling snow off the far end of the sidewalk that ran parallel to the Lodge.
Walking up to her, he said, "Are those the clothes you plan to wear skiing?"
Kate's head snapped up, not expecting to see her new guest so soon, and responded, "Oh, I can't go skiing. I have too much work to do."
"Oh, no. That's not the way this is going to work. You talked me into staying an extra night by telling me how great the skiing was, so you have to show me this mountain and prove the skiing is as good as you claim."
As Rick finished his statement, two guests walked past the couple, carrying their skis, telling Kate that the mountain was incredible. It was some of the best skiing they had done in years.
Rick looked at Kate and responded, "See!"
Kate tried another tactic: "I can't go because I need to go with Kevin to cut down the Christmas tree so we can get it decorated tonight."
"Kevin can't go by himself or get someone else to help?" asked Rick with a slightly snarky tone.
Kate was about ready to respond to Rick's snide comment when Kevin exited the Lodge, asking, "Are you ready to go, Kate?"
"Sure thing Kev, and I think our new guest wants to join us," Kate said as she gave Rick a sly smile.
Not to be embarrassed in front of one of her staff. Rick answered, "Sure, I haven't chopped anything down in a long time."
Kate was surprised that Rick took her baiting so quickly, but she nodded, indicating that Rick needed to follow her and Kevin to the Lodge's pickup truck.
Once they were about halfway up the mountain, Kevin pulled off the side of the road, grabbed his axe and a canvas bag, and led the way into a stand of trees. After walking about 50 yards, they stopped, and Kevin said, "Well, Kate, which one do you want this year?"
Rick noticed that Kate had slipped into a very tranquil mood as she began walking through the trees, gently touching the branches of each tree she passed as if they were old friends. She weaved in and out of several trees before looking up and saying, "I think this is the one, Kev. It's a bit taller than last year's, and I know we'll need the extra space for the new ornaments."
Kevin looked at the tree Kate had selected and laughed as he looked to his left, talking to Rick. "We can't cut down any of those trees in that group."
Kate glared at Kevin but went on to explain his statement. "That's right; my Dad planted those trees when I was a kid."
Kevin chuckled and added, "And Kate decided she had to name each one, and now, we can never cut any of them for our Lodge Christmas tree."
Kate again gave Kevin a stern look but then softened, saying, "He's right. Those trees are very special."
After sharing a few quiet moments, Kevin sat his canvas bag down and was going to sit the axe beside it when Rick came over and grabbed the axe, saying, "I got this!"
Before either Kate or Kevin could react, Rick took a big swing at the tree. Kate and Kevin both yelled at him to stop. But Rick was already set and took another swing as Kate yelled again, "Stop, that's not how to cut down a tree!"
Rick stopped and gave Kate a strange look as Kevin unzipped his canvas bag and pulled out a bright orange chainsaw, adding, "We use the axe to cut off the lower branches."
"Oh, sure. That makes sense," Rick said as he stepped away, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge about tree chopping.
Kate felt terrible for their out-of-town guest and patted his shoulder, saying, "It's okay. A lot of out-of-towners make the same assumption."
Kate and Rick watched as Kevin expertly cut down the tree and trimmed the lower branches. Then Kate and Rick helped him drag the tree back to the truck. Once they were back at the Lodge, two other workers showed up and helped unload the tree, with Kevin saying, "Don't worry, Kate. We'll set up the tree so the guests can begin decorating it after dinner."
"Thanks, guys. I'll see you all later," Kate said as she watched the men maneuver the massive tree into the Lodge.
Still feeling bad that their unexpected guest had been embarrassed by the tree-chopping event, Kate asked. "Hey, do you still want to do some skiing? We have plenty of time to get in at least one run before dinner."
Rick was surprised by Kate's question and wasted no time agreeing to her suggestion.
Kate smiled, saying she would be right back, and went inside to change clothes and join Rick on the slopes.
Kate and Rick hopped on the chairlift, which took them to the top of the mountain, where Kate showed her newest guest one of the Lodge's most scenic ski runs. The two stood side by side, taking in the scene's grandeur before Rick turned to Kate, asking, "Are we going to race?"
Kate laughed and said, "No."
Rick gave Kate a smirk, set his poles, and took off down the sloop.
Kate laughed and watched the crazy guy for a few minutes before chasing after him.
It seemed like no time before they were at the bottom of the enormous hill, where Kate was resting against a bench as Rick came sliding sideways to a stop, saying, "Well, at least I made it down the hill without falling. I should get points for that, at least. And by the way, you are quite good."
Kate chuckled and asked, "What do you expect from someone who owns a mountain? Why would you even assume I couldn't ski?"
"You own the mountain?" asked Rick.
Kate ignored the question and responded, "I have to get back to work," as she led the way back to the Lodge."
Once inside, Rick and Kate went to their rooms and changed clothes, with Kate returning to the kitchen to help Jenny with dinner and Rick joining Lanie and Javier by the fireplace.
Rick talked with the two guests, asking if they came to the Lodge often.
Since the Lodge's current guests mainly consisted of their extended Christmas family, Jenny and Kate decided to serve a light buffet-style dinner in the Great Room, allowing their friends a more intimate setting to continue catching up.
Following dinner, Rick rejoined his new friends Lanie and Javier.
Lanie leaned back in one of the oversized stuffed chairs in the Great Room and continued answering Rick's question, sharing how she had been coming to the Beckett Lodge since Kate was about four years old.
Javier shared that Lanie's husband passed away recently, and this was her first trip without him.
Rick expressed his condolences, somewhat surprised that the two shared such personal information so freely.
Lanie responded, "Thank you. Yes, Trevor and I loved coming here. Jim and Johanna were amazing. They made all of us feel like family. You know Jim built this place with his own two hands. Every aspect of this place came from Jim and his beloved Johanna's planning."
Rick had a questioning look, so Javier added, "Jim and Johanna were Kate's parents."
Lanie retook charge of the conversation, telling Rick that Kate's parents were killed in a car accident five years ago when Kate was in her senior year of college, and Kate now owned and ran the Lodge.
Rick again was taken aback and said, "You mean Kate owns and runs this place by herself?"
"Yes! She does. It's hard work, and she works very hard. Kate picked up where her parents left off, and she and her staff have grown this place into one of the premier destinations in the area. And, she's single," added a very sly Lanie.
"Lanie, you know how Kate feels about that sort of talk," cautioned Javier.
Lanie just smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and continued sharing details about her many years of visits to the Beckett Mountain Lodge.
Rick sat quietly, taking in all the comments Lanie and Javier made along with others who joined in their conversation. He quickly learned that this wasn't just a Lodge; it was a home. And he began feeling incredibly guilty about the reason for his unexpected visit.