“All right, kiddo, get outta here, and get to work.” Louise sounded harsh, but she was as sweet as sugar. When Ruby’s husband, George, had passed away, Louise, who’d never married, moved in with her sister, and together they’d kept the diner running like clockwork. The food was excellent, and the prices were just right. Giving away free breakfasts to the local businesses was a great idea.

She hurried back to the store so she could eat before the doors opened. Back in her office, she scooped half of the giant amount of food onto a paper plate and zapped it in the microwave, as it had cooled off during her quick walk back to the store.

Sitting at her desk for the next fifteen minutes, she allowed herself to enjoy the meal. She rarely treated herself to such an unhealthy breakfast, but today she felt she deserved it. She was tiny, barely reaching five feet, and weighed exactly one hundred pounds, but she’d always been somewhat of a health nut and prided herself on preparing healthy and tasty meals for herself.

In college, she’d been very popular during football season as her tasty tailgate treats always drew in a large crowd. She’d enjoyed making her friends and acquaintances happy. So when she’d returned to Fallen Springs, she’d taken over in the kitchen when her mother was too tired. Her mother was a tough cookie when it came to her kitchen, but whenever Lauren could force her to sit down and take a break, she did, and Lauren too enjoyed puttering around in the kitchen. She’d researched her dad’s illness, found that there were many anti-inflammatory foods that might be of some help, and tried to prepare meals with that in mind when she was doing the cooking. She knew that both her mom and dad were beyond grateful for her and what they always called her “great sacrifice,” but Lauren didn’t think she’d sacrificed that much. Yes, she’d had to sell her condo, but considering the profit, that was no hardship at all. And when the time was right, if she chose to do so, she could always buy another one. It didn’t have to be on the beach in Florida. North Carolina had beautiful beaches if she wanted beachside. For now, she was content to live in the home that had been in her family for three generations. It was a giant of a place, with mature trees scattered on the property and the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Who in their right mind would complain about such surroundings?

The leaves had reached their peak, and they were a sight to behold. One of the most colorful mountain ranges, extending into eight states, the Blue Ridge boasted the longest-running fall leaf season in the world. The reason, Lauren knew, was the many varied elevations. The jewels of color began at the highest elevation in early October, working their way down to the lower elevations in the early part of November. She’d enjoyed every minute of the view she’d grown up with; it never got old. Today, she could have used some cheering up, something to kick up her Christmas spirit, but with sales sinking to record lows, she doubted there would be much to get all cheery-eyed over, unless today’s and tomorrow’s sales broke all prior records.