Read Online A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) by Jaclyn Weist - Free Book Online Page B

surprised.
    “To a party. With David.” She turned away and measured some sugar to dump into the bowl.
    Mary squealed. “See? I knew you two were dating. What kind of party?”
    “A work party. And don’t squeal. You just scared the whole diner.” She tried to glare, but her smile crept through. Knowing Mary was okay with it made the party that much more exciting.
    “There’s no one here.” Patrick helped dump in the flour while Mary measured out the vanilla. “Can I go to Seth’s house?”
    “Of course. As long as his mom is okay with it.” Lily turned on the mixer and watched the ingredients blend together.
    Patrick pulled his coat back on. “I’ll come back for dinner. Are you coming, Mary?”
    Mary blushed, but nodded and followed him. She’d had a crush on Seth’s brother for years. Lily chuckled as she dumped the batter into the cake pan and wiped the edges of the bowl. She set the pan in the oven and set the timer.
    Next, she started on some cupcakes. Ann came in the kitchen and stopped short before joining in. She grabbed some tins and put the little papers in each muffin spot.
    “You’ve been baking all day. Is there a party tonight I don’t know about?” Ann asked.
    “No, just hoping to entice people into coming.” Lily stopped stirring and turned to Ann. “I don’t know how much longer we can do this.”
    Ann didn’t say anything for a moment. “I know. I’ve been praying something would happen, but so far, there are no miracles popping out of the woodwork.”
    Lily grimaced. She’d hoped to keep up the act for at least a little longer. “We’ve survived for generations, and now I’m the one who let it fail.”
    “That’s not true, and you know it. I’ve seen you go hungry just so you could buy a few more supplies. It’s these people who aren’t coming. Not that I can blame them. Business has been hard on all of us.” Ann set the pan by Lily and moved on to the next one.
    “You’re right. As always. But I just want this icon to stick around.” Lily dumped the batter into the tins and wiped her hands.
    The bell on the door dinged, and Ann left to take the order. She returned a couple of minutes later with a frown. “You’re needed out there.”
    Lily gave her a questioning look and walked out to find two men standing there in long coats and holding an envelope.
    “Miss Johnson?” one of the men asked.
    “Yes?” Lily’s heart was pounding as she moved closer. She had been afraid it would get to this point.
    The man handed her the letter. “We have come to inform that unless you can pay by the end of next week, we’ll have to close down your diner. We know that you asked for the end of the month, but our employers have moved up the date. I’m sorry.”
    Lily took the letter and nodded. “I understand. Thank you.”
    The man tipped his hat, and they left. Lily dropped into a chair, and laid her head on her arms. Sobs racked her body, and she was glad her kids had gone to play when they did. When she was finally able to calm herself, she stood and wiped her eyes, then took the letter into her office. One thing her parents had taught her was never to give up, and she wasn’t going quietly.
    She tapped her pen on the desk as she tried to come up with a few ideas to make this diner irresistible to the people walking by. Most were old friends who had been coming for years, but like Ann had said, business was slow for everyone. Thoughts of asking David for help with advertising were quickly smothered. He probably cost a fortune, and there was no way she would ask for a favor after how she'd treated him.
    The menu had changed a little over the years. Maybe if she brought back some of the classics and added a few new dishes, it could help. At that point, it was her only choice.
    “Ann? Could you come here?” Lily wrote out a list of items. “I want you to grab these things. We’re going to try to earn at least enough to pay off what debts we have. That way, when I sell