"That's wonderful news."
Jennifer sounded genuinely ecstatic.
"Daniel has been dying to visit The James Village to see Pandora for the holidays."
"But you know how it is. His health has improved, but he still can't handle a stressful trip."
"He threw an absolute fit when we told him he couldn't go."
"When is she coming? I'll drive down and pick her up myself!"
Jennifer felt like Claire's call was a total lifesaver.
Otherwise, what would she do if her stubborn father secretly sneaked off to the village?
With this awful weather, it was freezing in the mountains.
There was no way Daniel could survive that kind of cold.
Back in their youth, Pandora's generation had been practically invincible against the elements.
But they were all older now. A single blast of that icy mountain wind could put them in the hospital.
"We'll drive ourselves."
Claire quickly declined. Making someone drive three or four hours just to pick them up during the holidays was completely unreasonable.
"Jennifer, if you're too busy, you don't have to wait for us at Hearth & Kettle. We can always take her out to eat somewhere else."
She didn't want to force them into cooking if they were swamped.
They were bound to be busy during the holiday rush.
But Jennifer immediately shut that down. "Not at all, we aren't too busy! We're only taking reservations for our regulars right now. We cap it at three groups a day."
Those spots were strictly reserved for their highest-spending VIP clients.
Fair enough.
Since Jennifer was so insistent on hosting them, they didn't have the heart to refuse.
By the time they reached the city, it was already two in the afternoon.
They had been delayed because Pandora insisted that Pearce pack some fresh local produce as a gift.
She wanted to give it to The White Family.
After all, Daniel used to be one of her most loyal subordinates, and she was never one to mistreat her own people.
Once everything was packed, Claire hit the road.
When they were about half an hour away, she sent Jennifer a quick text to let her know they would arrive around two.
Mary and the James siblings came along as well.
Pandora had practically demanded their presence.
Mary originally hadn't planned on joining them. She felt they had
intruded enough over the past
days and thought was time to head home.
But her two grandchildren were desperate for another fantastic meal, so she reluctantly caved.
The group consisted of Pandora, Claire, Dane, Dewitt, along with Mary and the two siblings.
It wasn't a massive crowd. When they arrived, Jennifer already had the first course set out on the table.
The spread prepared for Pandora was nothing short of a royal feast.
"Pandora, you made it!" It was Chrystal, the eldest daughter.
"Chrystal," Pandora acknowledged with a polite nod.
Chrystal was incredibly respectful.
She didn't dare act otherwise, knowing full well her own father had once answered to this woman.
Daniel often regaled his daughters with epic tales of Pandora's ruthless prime.
Because of that, Chrystal always felt a lingering sense of awe whenever she was in the older woman's presence.
"Pandora, my dad is waiting for you in the private dining room."
"He wanted to come out and greet you himself, but the wind is biting today, and we were worried about his health."
She hoped the matriarch wouldn't take offense.
Pandora completely understood and chuckled. "Still being stubborn arte. Sing to rests he want me to go set him straight?"
.net>
Chrystal blinked in surprise, but her
son, Ramsey, was quick on the
uptake. Pandora, if you could ta
talk
some sense into him, that would be
amazing."
"He never listens to us, but he'll definitely listen to you."
Looking at Ramsey, Pandora remembered that this kid was Daniel's grandson.
"Ramsey, happy holidays," she said, casually pressing a crisp envelope of cash into his hand.