Winter Falls (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 2

two

Amos was glad to get inside the general store. Wind had ripened and snow would start drifting soon if it kept up. Making sure the door was firmly shut behind him, he stamped his feet, leaving a snowy outline of his boots on the carpet. It wasn't like the old and scarred wooden floor hadn't seen its share of harsh weather or wear and tear over the last century or two.

He walked between the aisles of snacks, soda, staples, and a myriad of other products to the courier pickup at the back, his boots thumping on the old wide board oak floor. Coffee was brewing and bread was baking. Nothing like a fresh cup and homemade bread to make noses perk up. A little café at the back called Granny Taught Us How boasted the best coffee and bakery in town. At least in his opinion.

The package he was about to pick up had the potential to change his life and have an impact on Evergreen Lake. His stomach knotted. If he went through with it, there could be a significant influx of money to the community. The downside would be the changes, and they were out of his control.

"Winter, what brings you into town on this miserable day?" Sheila gave him a smile which deepened crow’s feet around her eyes. She looked the epitome of a sweet old lady, but was far from it. She'd seen hard times, betrayal, and a whole lot of judgment, so she was crusty. However, she was very, very sharp. Her eagle eye didn't miss a thing and her brain was a trap. Every little bit of information whether useful or not, she could recall in a split second.

"Just picking up a parcel. I received a text it had arrived." Amos met her eyes, and didn't look away. Their stare down lasted a few beats and she looked away first, turning to the large wooden drawers behind her. He did his best not to let a smile tug at his mouth. They'd had this sort of standoff since he was a kid, only now she broke eye contact first. He pulled his wallet from his coat pocket. Sheila was a stickler for ID. Even though she'd known him since he was born, she insisted on ID.

Sheila tugged open one of the large drawers with an 'oof'. It'd probably held some sort of foodstuff years ago.

"Might need a touch of oil on that drawer," he said quietly.

"Might." She rifled through the packages until she picked one up. "Yes, it looks like your text was correct."

She turned and placed the package on the worn wooden counter, her hand resting on top of it. When she met Amos's gaze, she smiled. He nodded.

"I know, here it is." He flipped his wallet open and wasn't surprised when she leaned over to scrutinize it. "I haven't moved or changed my name since the last time you looked."

She harrumphed and tapped on the computer screen with two fingers, then touched the electronic signature pad with a perfectly manicured nail, which was bright orange. "Please sign here."

He scrawled his name on the pad with the attached stylus and picked up the package.

"Thank you." Amos turned away before she could catch him in conversation. On his way back to the front cash register, he grabbed a couple bags of chips and debated a coffee, pastry, and taking home a loaf of bread.

Hanson's had been a staple as a kid with many fond memories spending time picking out penny candies with his brother, stuffing them in the little brown paper bag before running to the pond to skate in the winter or swim in the summer. It hadn't changed much over the years, updated with new technology and products, but it still held the ambience of the town's older days back to the mining years. It even held the scent of the past. But Amos had always wanted to see beyond their valley, the farm, and explore the world.

His wanderlust didn't dampen his connection to the past and history of the town. Deep down he was proud of his family legacy in Evergreen from when it was only a dirt street with a few necessary buildings like a saloon and hotel, Hanson's, sheriff, and livery. Growing to what it was today. Which only made his decision even more difficult.

Standing in line, he looked out the front window through a Christmas mashup of decorations and lights with fake snow sprayed in the corner of the panes. He liked the momentary holiday feel but it ran away before he had a chance to embrace it. That little emotion hadn't touched him for a long, long time and he savored it for a memory.

He wasn't surprised to see all the people walking along the snow-covered sidewalks. Evergreen Lake lived for Christmas, and this year even more. The month-long festival was in full swing and the unveiling of the Christmas Train was this weekend. It was a refurbished historic steam engine and two passenger cars. It had taken a lot of fund-raising, and Winter Tree Farm's donation had been anonymous. Only two people knew and that's how he wanted to keep it, even though they insisted that the significant amount needed applauding. That wasn’t his style. So, they agreed on silence.

Through the window across the street he saw her staring back at him. His chest tightened. All they did was argue and it was tiresome. She'd been a pain as a kid and certainly hadn't grown out of it as an adult. She was determined, as much as he was, and they’d finally found middle ground. She promised he didn't have to do anything except plow out the laneway from the tracks to the tree farm and where the bonfire would be. The rest of the festivities on site would be taken care of by the committee--hot chocolate, bonfire, and whatever else they decided was needed.

Asher, his brother, was going to run the sleigh rides. He lived for that kind of thing. He was the social one, where Amos was the loner. Alana was a different kettle of fish. He didn't know if she was coming home for Christmas or not.

But, Holly Raymond, Amos gritted his teeth, she had blown into town a couple of years ago just like the storm that was bearing down on Evergreen right now. She was ornery as a mule. and they'd knocked heads right from the start. She was bossy, organized, determined, loved by others, and always happy. He remembered her well as a kid, always getting her little gang, including Alana into some kind of trouble.

The last sets of minutes from the town's Chamber of Commerce meetings outlined the results of her hard work. Everything was on the uptick, so town council was happy, and that's what had put his property on the radar of the developer. If only she knew all of her hard work could result in changes she hadn't anticipated.

Through the window, they continued to stare at each other while he waited for his turn at the cashier. He couldn't pull his gaze away, as if they were magnetized.

One word described her--firecracker, and he didn't need any explosives in his life right now. She vanished from the window; he paid and went outside. But she was on his mind and he couldn't shake her out. Damn.

He tossed the bag on the passenger seat of the truck, pulled out, and did a U-turn. Driving slowly past her office window, Amos saw her leaning over her desk looking out the window. She was watching for him. There was some kind of radar that alerted him whenever she was in the vicinity. He didn't understand it and was amazingly frustrated by it. But did he ever get pleasure winding her up.

So, as he rolled past the window, Amos nodded and smiled. She appeared surprised and then grinned back. He wasn't expecting her reaction, nor the skip of his heartbeat. What the hell? Normally, she did nothing more than curl her lip, or dismiss him by looking away. This was different. What had changed?

The image of her face burned into his brain.

He gave his attention back to the road. The last thing he needed was to rear end a car while they were backing out, and twisted his hands on the steering wheel trying to make sense of the feeling hanging in his chest and snaking lower.

Goddamn! She was a pain in the ass, always had been, but between the smile she gave him and when he turned the corner, his chest tightened and it felt like she'd punched him in the gut.

What the fuck had happened? Amos now saw her in brand new light and he knew he was fucked.