Stuck in Christmas (Holiday Magic #1)

Chapter 5

Five

“Son of a biscuit,” I swore, rolling over into the cold, crunching snow. Some partially-melted slush snuck in through the waistband of my pants and the top of my shoes. For a moment, I considered just laying there until the end of the world, but something I hadn’t noticed before occurred to me just then.

Every time I ended up in the snowbank, I was in the same condition I was when I fell in the snowbank in the first place.

I had to pee. And I was hungry.

Joe’s face appeared above me. “Miss? Miss? Are you alright?”

I blinked at him, wondering if I was in one of those movies where you think you’re the detective sent to discover what happened at an insane asylum, but it turns out you’re one of the patients.

“I can’t tell anymore,” I murmured, my breath puffing in the chilly air.

“Maybe it would help if you got out of that snow?” he suggested gently as if coaxing a skittish animal .

“Would it? Would it really?” The sarcasm dripped from my voice

“Miss—”

“Renee.” I waved.

“Miss Renee,” he said, the corners of his mouth twitching. “I sure would feel better if you let me help you out of that snow.”

I sighed, then held out my hand. “Fine.”

He pulled me out of the snowbank, and we shuffled into Bonnie’s. Those infernal jingle bells seemed to get louder every freaking time. I briefly wondered if I’d hear those bells until I died, which could be tomorrow at the rate I was going.

“Who might this be?” Bonnie asked Joe.

“Bonnie. What are you doing out of bed?” Joe raced to his wife’s side.

“She had to watch over Eli as he made her famous peach pie,” I answered as my stomach rumbled. It reminded me that even though I had eaten moments ago in a previous time loop, apparently, only my mind came through with everything intact. My stomach had to start over like everything else.

I turned and pushed through the kitchen door, entering the cozy space. The scent of freshly baked goods enveloped me, the mouth-watering peach and butter from the pie and something much more - masculine.

“Hello there,” Eli said. He seemed surprised to see me like he always does. Those blue eyes sparkled slightly as he took in my disheveled appearance. I rolled my eyes. Let’s see how great he looked after falling into four consecutive snowbanks.

“Hey, Eli.” I grabbed the entire peach pie off the counter, grabbed a fork, and headed back into the dining room, where I plopped down onto a chair and began digging into the pie, which was even more delicious than I remembered.

“Hey.” Eli rushed from the kitchen behind me and stopped at the table's edge. “Not sure I’ve ever seen a grown woman eat an entire pie by herself outside of a competitive eating situation.”

“Stick around. This could be a first for both of us,” I shot back as I shoved a giant forkful of pie into my mouth. Maybe this was the upside of being stuck in a loop. I could eat whatever the heck I wanted and wouldn’t have to worry about gaining weight or cholesterol.

Of course, if I’m stuck in a time loop, I’m stuck, which is a bigger problem. But that’s a problem for later. Or today.

Ugh. My head hurt.

Bonnie eased into a seat at the table next to me. “You look troubled, dear. What is it?”

“I think she hit her head when she fell in the snowbank outside.” Joe’s voice was steady, yet I could see the concern lingering in his gaze.

“Eli! I told you to—” Bonnie began, her tone sharp.

“He planned to get around to it but was working on your pies. This is neither the first nor the second time you’ve told me this story,” I interjected, my voice growing more animated as memories rushed back. “I keep reliving the same day over and over.”

“Wow.” Bonnie blinked a few times.

“That’s incredible,” Joe added, a spark of intrigue lighting his eyes .

“Like Déjà vu?” Eli chimed in. His brow lifted in genuine curiosity.

“Déjà vu from hell, maybe,” I exclaimed with a tinge of exasperation.

“Eli—go make some hot chocolate. I think we’re going to need it,” Bonnie instructed firmly. Eli hurried off. His footsteps light against the tile floor.

“Now, Miss—” Bonnie turned back to me, her expression softening.

“Renee,” I mumbled.

“Miss Renee. Start from the beginning,” Bonnie prompted.

I inhaled deeply, preparing to unravel my bizarre tale. “I was headed to Magnolia Meadows Spa, but when I put the address into the maps app on my phone, it directed me here, miles away from where I’m supposed to be. I think. Every time I tried to leave town, I kept getting turned around and driving right back here—” My voice wavered as the weight of my reality sank in. “And when I am here, no matter what I do, I end up falling face-first into that snowbank out front, and we start this conversation all over again.”

“Those phones,” Joe chuckled softly.

“Smartphones are just making us dumber,” I lamented, my frustration bubbling.

“You sound just like him.” Bonnie’s eyes sparkled.

“He’s said it to me often enough,” I retorted, a shy smile curling my lips.

Bonnie’s laughter filled the room, a bright note amid the winter cold. “Now do me.”

With a playful roll of my eyes, I replied, “That pin—let me guess—four calling birds. Joe gave it to you on your fourth Christmas as a married couple?”

“That’s amazing. We’ve had this conversation before?” Bonnie asked, her shock a blend of delight and disbelief.

“Well, not that part. Every day is a different pin. But you always say: ‘Probably ain’t worth a quarter, but it has sentimental value.’”

“Uncanny,” Joe declared, his eyebrows raised in astonishment.

“I don’t know what to do,” my voice dropped to a whisper. The sense of being trapped in this surreal cycle weighed heavily on my heart. “If this was a dream or a nightmare, you think I would’ve woken up by now.”

“Is it that bad to be stuck in Christmas, Mississippi?” Bonnie asked, her brow furrowed.

I sighed. Wasn’t that the same thing Eli wanted to know? Was being stuck here a bad thing? “No, but I have a life to return to.”

Alarm crossed Bonnie’s face. “Oh, my goodness. I bet Mr. Renee is wondering where you are.”

“There is no Mister in my life.” I shook my head. “Didn’t take.”

Joe furrowed his brow. “I find that hard to believe.”

“What about your other family?” Bonnie asked. " Wouldn’t they want to know where you are for the holidays?”

I gently placed the fork on the edge of the pie plate and folded my hands in my lap. I hated this part. I hated telling people what happened to my family because I couldn’t bear the pity in their eyes. It was always pity. How would I ever get through this if people kept giving me pity looks?

“My mom died a few Christmases ago, but that’s why I was headed to the spa—to get out of New Orleans and away from all the holiday celebrations that people were having with their families. And then I wound up here, stuck in Christmas.”

“What if this isn’t a bad thing?” Joe suggested gently.

“What isn’t bad?” I shot back, my frustration clashing with curiosity.

“Getting stuck. Why not have some fun with it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Fun? Don’t you see me eating an entire pie without worrying about the caloric consequences?”

“Yes. Fun. But even more fun than the pie. It doesn’t sound like you were having that before,” Joe answered.

“I agree. All work and no play makes Renee a dull… something that rhymes with play and doesn’t matter now. Maybe this is a chance to have fun—and keep having fun until you get it right.” Bonnie’s enthusiasm was infectious.

I found myself smiling at her despite myself. “How do you get fun right?”

“You’ll know it when you get there.” Joe rubbed his hands together.

“In the meantime, you need to get some rest. Let’s get you settled upstairs and get you some rest. You’re going to need it,” Bonnie instructed, taking charge of the moment with effortless grace.

“How do you know I’ll need my rest?”

“Call it a hunch.” Bonnie winked.

At this point, I was willing to try anything, so I followed Bonnie upstairs and considered the situation. If I was stuck in Christmas, Mississippi, maybe it was time to have a little fun with it.

Just as soon as I got a good night’s sleep.