Mistletoe Magic (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 21

twenty-one

HOLLY

“Mom, what are you doing?”

I cracked my eyes open to find Noelle standing there confused. I tried to stretch my legs only to have the band around my stomach tighten. Only it wasn’t a band. It was an arm. A man’s arm. My daughter had just found me asleep with a man. Panic hit.

I reached down and peeled Chris’s arm off before throwing back the blanket and sliding off the couch.

“We fell asleep watching the movie,” I whispered, ushering Noelle back into the bedroom.

“Chris snores loud,” Noelle commented, and I smiled. Maybe she wasn’t as traumatized by what she found as I thought. Maybe only I was.

“Yeah, he does, sweetie,” I agreed, even though I had no idea. I’d spent the night asleep in his arms, and his snoring hadn’t bothered me, but right now I’d agree that the sky was pink if it kept Noelle from asking any more questions I didn’t have answers to.

“Are we going to see Poppy today?” Noelle asked, shocking me .

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to see if the roads are clear yet. Why? Don’t you want to go see him?”

“I want to stay here and go to the festival. Chris said he’d fix the sleigh so Santa might be there.”

“I did say that, didn’t I,” Chris interjected from the doorway. He stretched up, holding onto the top of the door, arching his back. His sweater lifted, showing off a glimpse of those incredible abs making me a little giddy.

I sat down on the side of the bed. “Why don’t we get dressed, have some breakfast, and then we can see what the day’s going to bring?” I suggested, needing a moment to get myself together.

“Okay,” Noelle agreed quickly.

We managed to get through the morning without any issues. Noelle either had forgotten about finding me in Chris’s arms or she didn’t care. I hadn’t forgotten. Falling asleep with him had been irresponsible, especially with Noelle in the next room, but I had to admit, it just felt so good. I was so warm. So protected. So cherished, loved even, and it had been a long time since I’d had that.

My phone beeped and it was a message from my father. He’d resorted to texting me now, since I hadn’t answered his call yesterday.

Dad

When are you getting here? I paid a lot of money for your room and it’s going to waste

I blinked back tears as I read it. He was more worried about paying for an unused room than the fact that his daughter, his only child and granddaughter had been caught in a storm and had a minor car accident.

“You okay?” Chris asked, coming up beside me.

“Yeah. Just Dad being Dad,” I downplayed.

These days, nothing I did was good enough for him, and even though it hurt, at the end of the day, he was still my dad and the only family I had left.

“He misses you,” Chris stated.

“Something like that.”

“Look,” Chris started, rubbing the back of his neck and putting distance between us. “I’ve made a few calls, and it looks like they’re working on clearing the road. It might be a few hours, but you should be able to make it to the resort before dark. I mean, that is if you still want to.”

I tried not to read too much into Chris’s words and simply nodded. “Let’s see if they get the roads cleared before we get too ahead of ourselves.”

“Sounds good.”

“Besides, unless there’s been a Christmas miracle and Santa’s elves stopped by and fixed my car, we’re not going anywhere in a hurry.” I sighed heavily.

It felt like the walls were closing in, or at least reality was. For days we’d existed in this perfect little Evergreen Lake bubble that nothing could burst, but now, reality was clawing at the door, trying to fight its way in. It was a reality that I wasn’t ready to face. Reality meant saying goodbye and I really didn’t want to do that.

The morning crept by slowly. It felt like a dark cloud hung over my head. While Noelle and Chris played in the snow before helping get the sleigh back to the festival, I did some laundry and tidied up. We’d been here only a few days, but Noelle had managed to leave a trail of destruction from one end of the apartment to the other .

I was just finishing zipping up her case when Chris appeared at the doorway.

“You’re leaving?” he asked harshly.

“I was just …” I guess that’s what it looked like.

“I just heard. The roads are clear.” Chris’s unemotional words sliced through me.

“My car …”

“Will still be a few days. I’m still waiting on parts, but you can take my truck. Bring it back when you come through to collect your car.” He turned and walked away. It was like the last twenty-four hours meant nothing to him while they meant everything to me.

“Chris …” I called out to his retreating form.

“Yeah?” He spun around and looked at me as unshed tears blurred my vision.

I wanted him to ask me to stay. I wanted him to offer to come with us. I wanted him to want me. Instead, I said thank you and focused on my own suitcase.

Barely twenty minutes later, we were all packed up. There was no sign we’d ever been in Chris’s apartment, and his truck was idling on the street.

I felt sick. This felt like the end and I didn’t want it to be. In fact, that was the last thing I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be the beginning. Our beginning. The beginning of something new, something fierce, something all-consuming. But my hopes were fading as Chris hugged Noelle and made her promise to be good.

He strode around to the driver’s side and held the door open for me. As I approached, I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. It had only been a few days. I couldn’t have fallen in love with him in just a few short days. Surely not. No, it was just a crush and one I’d get over.

“The roads will be slippery. Take it slow and you’ll be fine. You have my number so call if you need anything.” Chris’s words sounded hollow and automatic. There was no feeling there. Nothing but cold indifference.

“I’ll bring your truck back as soon as I can.”

“It’s fine. It’ll be a couple of days before your car is back on the road, but I’ll let you know. Once I get what I need, it’ll only take a few hours.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, you better get going. You want to be there before dark.”

I climbed up into the cab and adjusted the seat. Once everything was set, I reached for the door. Chris was still standing there. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he never did. I was praying he’d say something. Anything. Instead, he stepped back, closed the door, and waved us goodbye.

What else could I do? I buried my feelings, shoved the truck in drive, and eased out onto the road. We drove through the streets of Evergreen Lake, the town coming back to life after the storm before heading up the mountain.

I’d been driving for ten minutes when I realized Noelle hadn’t said anything. I’d been so caught up in my head, I hadn’t noticed her silence.

“You doing okay, kiddo?” I asked, trying to sound cheerful and risking a quick glance in the rearview mirror.

“I wish Chris could come,” she replied.

I white-knuckled the steering wheel and focused on the road. “So do I, Noelle. So do I.”

Halfway up the mountain we slowed to a crawl. Although the road was clear, fallen rocks that had blocked it earlier could be seen. On both sides, trees were down, debris was scattered, and snow was banked up. Thankfully, it was an uneventful drive and we made it in one piece .

We came around the corner. “Wow,” I exclaimed, unsure what I’d been expecting.

“It’s so pretty, Mom,” Noelle echoed.

She wasn’t wrong. It looked like something straight out of a fairytale. All lit up against the backdrop of dramatic mountains and snow, the oversized log cabin looked warm and welcoming. Slowly, I edged the truck toward the valet station and climbed out. Ignoring the look I got as they unpacked our bags, with Noelle’s hand wrapped in mine, we headed inside to check-in.

After we’d made it to our room, unpacked, I’d had a shower, and ran out of excuses to stall, I called Dad and let him know we’d arrived. As expected, he was already down in the lounge and expected us to join him for dinner. Meanwhile, Nikkie was muttering about how rude I was for not letting her know we’d be arriving today and the inconvenience she now faced to change the dinner reservation.

I let Noelle hang out in her comfy clothes and play on her iPad while I fussed with my hair and makeup. This wasn’t me though. I was the girl who walked through the snow and camped on an air mattress in front of the fire. I didn’t need the oversized king bed and a view across the valley. Sure, it was nice, but it was also excessive.

I tried my best to steam our dresses and get the creases out, but after being packed up for more than a week the creases weren’t going anywhere. At least Nikkie could pick on that and hopefully leave everything else alone.

“How do I look?” I asked Noelle, twirling in a circle.

“You look pretty, Mom,” she replied, warming me from the inside.

“And you look like a princess,” I told her as she fluffed her dress.

Taking her hand, I led her through the hotel, nodding to the guests as we passed on our way to the dining room. After giving the ma?tre d’ our names, he showed us to the table where Dad was already nursing a scotch, and Nikkie’s claw-like nails were wrapped around the stem of a crystal champagne glass.

“Hi, Dad,” I greeted as we stopped beside the table.

Dad rose from his seat and kissed both of my cheeks before hugging Noelle tightly. It didn’t matter where we were or what we did, at the end of the day, Dad adored Noelle, and that’s what was important.

“I’m glad you made it,” he commented, pulling out Noelle’s chair and helping her into it.

“Me too,” I lied before turning to address Nikkie. “What a beautiful dress, Nikkie,” I complimented.

“Thank you. It’s a Versace,” she declared proudly as she picked up her drink and took a sip, leaving a smudge of lipstick on the glass.

Dinner went exactly as expected. I was a disappointment for being late despite it not being at all my fault. I’d tried to explain that I didn’t cause the blizzard or close the roads, but my excuses fell on deaf ears. Instead, I was chastised for my inadequate time management. Under the intense scrutiny, I barely tasted the overpriced food and by the time we made it back to the room, all I could think about was a PB&J.

That night, I laid in bed, the first real bed I’d slept in in days and I was uncomfortable. I tossed and turned and couldn’t drift off. My mind raced a million miles an hour, replaying the moments that had me grinning like a carnival clown into the darkness. Each moment was filled with love, laughter, and the simple life I craved. But I knew I had to let it go. I had to say goodbye. In a few days, I’d return Chris’s truck, collect my car, and Noelle and I would be on our way back to the life we left behind.