Christmas in Tahoe by Martha O'Sullivan

Author:Martha O'Sullivan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Martha O'Sullivan
Published: 2022-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Veronica Reynolds might favor her father in appearance, but she commanded a room like only Ronnie Reynolds could. Standing in baggage claim, Laurel watched her mother’s long, purposeful strides eat up the carpeting of the terminal breezeway. If her brunette hair had a touch of red in it and her olive skin was a shade or two lighter, she could pass for Ronnie in a heartbeat. Her gait, her posture, her tempo was all Ronnie. She wore white jeans and a short gold jacket over a blue top. Unassuming Hermès tote flung over her shoulder and coordinating Birkin hanging from the crook of her arm, she sent Laurel an air kiss and a beaming smile.

And Laurel realized how much she’d missed her mother.

A siren wailed over Laurel’s shoulder, warning passengers that the baggage belt was about to start. A peek at the monitor told her it was for a San Francisco flight. As efficient as the Reno-Tahoe airpot was, it was no match for her mother. Laurel met her at the halfway point between them and stepped silently into her arms. Veronica’s signature Chanel filled the air and her shoulder-length waves skimmed Laurel’s cheek as she hugged her as tight she had the morning after her first sleepover away from home.

“My baby girl!” Veronica eased back and blinked away the tears that had amassed in her ocean blue eyes. “Let me look at you.” She took Laurel’s hands in hers. “As beautiful as ever. And I like to see the sparkle back in your eyes,” she finished with raised eyebrows and an impish grin.

Laurel made a mental note to tell Carli I told you so. “Right back at you. Except for the sparkle,” she added with a laugh. “You always seem to have that.”

“I come by it honestly.” She pushed up her jacket sleeve, displaying a column of multi-colored bracelets. “In fact, I brought a little Ronnie sparkle with me.”

“You’re wearing hers now too?”

“Only on special occasions. And this qualifies.” She slipped an arm through Laurel’s and steered them toward the baggage carousel. “Let’s get my bag and grab some lunch. Do you remember Rosie’s?”

“In Tahoe City? Vaguely. But that’s fine. I’ve been wanting to get over to that side of the lake anyway.”

“If you can spare the time, we can shop around a bit afterward, take the scenic route back to Incline.”

“I can. It’s good for research too.” As soon as the words left her mouth, a smile of remembrance curved her lips.

“What?” Veronica asked with a nonplussed look.

“Nothing.” Laurel shook off the memory and changed the subject. “What bag did you bring?” she asked, turning as the belt started moving again, announcing the LAX cargo.

“My champagne weekender.”

Forty minutes later they were on Highway 89 approaching Tahoe City. “It’s a bluebird Tahoe day,” Veronica remarked, looking out the window. "Not so much as a whisper of a cloud in the sky and the lake so blinding a blue it almost breaks your heart.”

“It’s been like that most days since I’ve been here.

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