Page 35 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

Just as I’m about to lose my mind, there’s a knock at the door. I barely have time to blink before it swings open, and there stands Dex, holding a tray with two mugs.

“Hot cocoa,” he announces, wiggling his brows. I can tell it’s spiked by the gleam in his eyes. “You’ve been moping all day. You need to snap out of it, babe. You’ve got a hotel to save. And a win to get.”

He sets the tray down with an exaggerated huff, his eyes narrowing as he studies me, clearly not impressed by my current state. I’m wrapped up in layers of confusion and a fair amount of self-pity, but Dex isn’t here for that.

I take a deep breath. “A win? You think I can get a win?”

“Hell yes.” He grins, picking up a mug and handing it to me. “Look, you’re staring at that damn box like it’s gonna fix itself. What you need is something big. Something memorable.” He gestures around the room as if it’s all too obvious. “Something that makes the city remember this hotel exists.”

I stare at him for a moment. Yeah, I know. The hotel needs an event that grabs people’s attention. But what?

Then, it hits me all at once, and I have to bite back a grin. A gala. A big event. Something over the top. But not just any event.

A Christmas event.

I pull Aunt Evie’s journal out from under the mess on my desk, flipping through pages of her barely finished plans for a Christmas Eve Gala.

She’d scribbled down ideas before she passed. Details on the kind of event she wanted to host but never got the chance to make happen. A night to give this place the life it used to have.

I pause, feeling that familiar warmth of determination start to settle into my chest.

This is it. This is how I’m going to save this hotel.

Or at least how I’m going to try.

I can already picture it. Fairy lights twinkling around the lobby pillars, the massive Christmas tree covered in vintage ornaments, the sound of live music filling the air.

Guests are laughing, mingling, their glasses full of champagne as they sway beneath mistletoe that hangs in every doorway. The locals, the out-of-towners, all gathered in a scene straight out of a holiday romance.

It’s perfect. It’s precisely what The Garland Rose needs.

“She never finished this,” I mutter under my breath as I read over Aunt Evie’s notes, an idea forming. “But I can.” I meet Dex’s gaze with a grin. “I’m going to host the Christmas Eve Gala.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “You sure? This’ll be a massive undertaking, Sunny.”

“I know,” I say, feeling more alive than I have in days. “But it’s the only way I can try to keep this hotel afloat. I’ll make it happen. I have to.”

Dex smirks, clearly amused. “Well, there it is. Now we’ve got something to work with.”

I stand up, feeling the strain of it all, of the responsibility, of the pressure, but also of the opportunity. This could be my big break.

My way to turn The Garland Rose around, to honor Aunt Evie’s memory, and maybe even put a little sparkle back into my own life.

I just hope it’s enough.

It’s time to give The Garland Rose the Christmas it deserves. I’m not wasting another minute.

Grabbing my favorite pen, a candy-cane-striped, way-too-cute-for-its-own-good thing I bought last Christmas, I begin scribbling furiously.

I can already see it in my head. The grand event. The moment that’ll pull this hotel out of the doldrums and make it impossible for anyone to ignore.

I write at the top of the page:

The Garland Rose Christmas Gala: A Night of Lights and Legacy

It’s simple. Elegant. Exactly the vibe Aunt Evie would have wanted. My heart races as I continue the list, my hand moving quickly, fueled by both panic and excitement.

Theme: A blend of classic Christmas charm with just the right amount of sophistication. This is something that speaks to both the locals and the guests. We can make this place feel like a hallmark, feel alive.