Winter Falls (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 13

thirteen

My phone rang and woke me up the next morning. I debated not answering it, but I had a duty to be on call for everything Christmas Festival. I reached out and fumbled for the phone on my bedside table. I put it on speaker.

"Hello."

"Girl, are you not up yet?" It was Paulie.

"As a matter fact, no. I was in the middle of a very sweet dream which you rudely interrupted." My voice was sleepy and I kept my eyes closed.

"I guess you haven't seen the paper today?” There was a tone in her voice that made me take notice. Something was up.

"If I just woke up, then it only makes sense that no, I have not seen the paper today." I heard the sass in my tone and I was too tired to care.

Evergreen Lake had its own weekly paper that came out every Sunday. While most of the news was online these days the publisher of the paper had done their best to keep the tradition of the almost 200-year-old Evergreen Lake Post alive. But it was no longer a daily.

"Do you get the paper delivered to your house?" Paulie asked.

"Mm-no. Just at the office." I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up.

"Oh dear, I'll be right over." Before I could tell her no, the phone went dead.

I quickly texted her.

You better bring coffee.

I rolled back on the pillows, arms wide and figured I'd just stay there until she arrived.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew she was in bed with me, lifting my hand and putting the take-away coffee in it.

"Thank you. But why are you in my bed?"

Holding the cup carefully, I shimmied to a sitting position against the pillows and headboard.

"Because you look so cozy. Don't worry I haven't sat anywhere funky--these are clean sleeping pants."

She knew I'm particular when it came to my bed and pillows. I took a sip of the coffee and groaned in delight. "That's so good."

"I brought donuts too, but they're down in the kitchen."

I nodded.

"OK, so all this drama now you're talking about the newspaper. Show me." I really didn't care what was on the front of the paper to be honest, but Paulie thought it was important so I tried to show interest.

She flattened it on her lap and kept her hands palm down on the paper.

"OK, but you need to brace yourself." Her tone was serious, and I shook my head, taking the paper from under her hands.

I snapped it open and blinked a couple of times before I could make sense of what I was seeing.

"What the--

The headline was big and bold and in red-- WINTER FALLS . Beneath that was a photo of me mid-conniption fit, but staring up at Amos, and him with his hands inside my coat at the boob level. I looked at Paulie, my eyes wide and my chin nearly hitting the floor.

"I told ya," she said nodding.

"No, you didn't. You just asked if I'd seen the paper, but you never warned me about anything." I looked at the paper, then back at her, and then whipped the paper across the floor. "I don't believe it. That makes me look like a complete imbecile. And what the heck does the headline mean? Winter Falls? What are they talking about?"

I could have railed for hours, but instead went silent and filled the void by drinking coffee.

"Well, I kind of think they're talking about Winter falling."

I shook my head and groaned, “What are you talking about winter falling?"

"Think about it, winter is his last name. Falls, means he's fallen, he fell, do you get it?" I pushed the covers aside to get the paper and then crawled back in bed.

I glanced at the front page and really focused on the photo this time. I saw the expression on his face, where his hands were, my hands caught in mid-flail, and where I was looking, which was glued to his face. And his gaze on me.

Then I knew what they were talking about. The concern etched on his features as he was dealing with the lizard, his hands pushed not so discreetly in my top, could be read as caring. That he was trying to help me in my moment of need.

"I get it, they think he's fallen for me." My voice was small, and I let out a deep sigh.

"Finally. I was getting worried about you. Normally you’re the first to notice things like that. I gotta admit, it really does look like it. Amos has fallen for Holly."

"Get out of here, he has not. He was just trying to help." Maybe a small part of me was wishfully thinking… Could he fall for me? I mean, I knew I felt a little something for him, but I figured it was a dead-end road.

"But I've never seen him be as invested in helping someone like he did yesterday. Are you gonna read the caption beneath the photo?"

I shook my head. "You do it"

We looked at each other, and I saw the compassion in her eyes. She was such a good friend, and she knew exactly how I was feeling. She reached out and took my hand and held the paper with her other one. "Ready?"

"No, but we may as well get it over with." I kept my eyes on the photo and waited for her to begin.

Yesterday's adoption event at Evergreen Lakes Rescue Shelter was a huge hit. More than half of the animals found their forever homes. There was even a bit of drama involving a lizard. Amos Winter was quick to assist Chamber of Commerce manager, Holly Raymond, when a lizard took up residence inside her coat. One can only ask, has the town's most eligible bachelor, Amos Winter, fallen? This reporter will definitely be watchful.

Don't miss out on the events. The schedule below lists everything that is going on and where it is being held with the big carol sing on Christmas Eve in the Town Square around the Christmas Tree. Generously donated by none other than Winter Farms.

A new event this year is the Christmas Train, Evergreen Lake's take on the Polar Express. It was a labor of love restoring the old steam engine and original cars, thanks to Haddington Restorations. The train will depart the station here in town and travel the tracks in the holiday decorated cars with a stop at Winter Farms. Enjoy a short walk through the Christmas trees where a bonfire with Santa and Mrs. Claus handing out hot chocolate and candy canes. Then back on the train for a return trip to town. There will be two trips per day, one at 9 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m.

We are watching the weather! Snow is predicted, and the models are showing everything from a dusting to a full-fledged winter blizzard. I don't know about you, but what is Christmas without snow?

"Bite your tongue," I said once Paulie had finished.

"Me or the reporter?"

I harrumphed. "Both of you. I'm never going to live this down." I sighed, closed my eyes, and rested my head against the pillows. "There'll be no end of gossip now and everyone will be speculating there's something going on between us."

"Is that so bad?" Paulie asked, and I turned to look at her.

"Oh, I don't know."

"Come on, why not explore the possibility? He's gorgeous, single, established?—"

"And grumpy, ornery...and he knows how to rub me the wrong way," I countered.

"That photo makes it look like he's rubbing you the right way." She snapped her mouth shut at the look I shot her. "Sorry," she murmured, but the smile on her face told me she was anything but.

"He hates me and has since Alana and I got into all that trouble. He thinks it was all me. But it wasn't. She was the wild child and I took the blame for her because I felt sorry for everything that happened to the Winters," I complained, not that it would do any good. But I always covered for Alana, I felt I had to since her parents were killed and it was just her, Asher, and Amos.

"That was so long ago, you've both changed. You grew up. I do think he was born old though." Paulie gazed at the paper's photo and sipped more of her coffee.

"Right! I'm sure he was an old man when he was in the cradle." I crossed my arms thinking about all he had to survive being the oldest of the three. Asher wasn't far behind him in age, but Alana was an 'oops' coming many years later. And she'd been spoiled. Massively spoiled.

Maybe I ought to give Amos a chance. He had been different yesterday. And I couldn’t ignore this new side to him I’d seen.

A little thrill rippled through me at the possibility. I also couldn't ignore that I'd been crushing on him since I'd first met him, even in all his grumpy, frowning glory.

Could he have mellowed with age?

Time would tell.

At the same time, Holly saw the newspaper, so did Amos.

He was sitting at the old and scarred dining room table, the coffee mug ignored beside him and his toast getting cold.

He stared at the image of him and Holly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing or what the caption said.

Winter Falls?

Just what the heck did that mean anyways? He wasn't fooling himself. He knew exactly what they meant. He'd had his share of uncomplicated relationships, one-night stands, he even dated somebody once for a few months, but it never worked out. His lifestyle was too solitary and fitting someone into it just never seem to work. He knew he was difficult and had certain expectations.

Long ago he accepted he would probably go to his grave a single man and had banked on his siblings carrying on the family line. But so far, they'd been too busy with their own lives with no indication it was even a remote possibility. Maybe that's part of why he was considering the offer.

There was nobody to inherit the family farm.

The chair creaked under him when he leaned back and gazed out the window. Snow had started to fall and it was almost time to get the bonfire lit.

He regretted getting involved in this whole festival drama now. He knew something unpleasant would come out of it and here it was, staring him in the face. He wondered what Holly thought.

As far as he was concerned, all they could do was ride it out. Soon another titillating bit of gossip would come along and this would be a distant memory. Evergreen Lake was never without gossip or drama.

Seriously though, who would have thought yesterday's lizard caper would make front page news or bring him so close to Holly. He flexed his fingers, still able to feel the warmth and softness of her skin.

The last time he'd been that close to a woman was so long ago he hardly remembered. And to think it was a lizard that had brought him and Holly together. He gave a wry smile.

He’d only ever been able to see her in one light, the troublesome one always getting Alana in sticky situations he had to get them out of. She'd been a pain in the ass back then, and he’d had an inkling she had a crush on him. Which was all kinds of wrong so he’d kept a cautious distance not wanting to encourage her. She was his sister’s age for crying out now. He was pretty sure she’d definitely grown out of the crush and the pang in his chest made him frown.

They just couldn't seem to find any common ground, and getting along didn’t seem to be in the cards.

One thing was certain, she had turned into a force to be reckoned with and a beauty that almost broke him.

He folded the paper, finished his coffee, and carried both to the kitchen. It was time to get ready for the first sleigh ride of the day and to load the horses. He glanced out the kitchen window and saw the barn door open. Caleb texted earlier he'd arrived and gave the morning feed. He was handling the in-town event with the horses, leaving Amos to be here for the arrival of the train visitors.

Christmas was on Wednesday and the events were tightening up. Today was the first running of the Christmas Train. He'd get a text from the conductor when they pulled out of Evergreen Lake station and once on the private tracks to the farm.

The tracks were laid on the property years ago, around the turn of the century, for easier access to the mine. He'd had the tracks inspected last summer in preparation for this event and they were in good shape, with only a few repairs needed. They had to be because no way would Amos risk anyone riding the rails otherwise.

His phone pinged. The train had left the station. Amos sighed.

Time to get cracking--he had thirty minutes or thereabouts to get the bonfire lit. The volunteers would do the rest. He shrugged into his coat and pulled up the collar, grabbed gloves, tucked a bandana around his neck, and shoved his feet in the high top thermal boots. It was cold and he'd be outside for most of the day.

He planned to be in the background most of the day, making sure the bonfire remained lit, the hot chocolate caldron was full, and there was no shortage of candy canes. The volunteers had done all the decorating around the fire pit and on the trail from the station stop through the Christmas tree forest that once was open for business for fresh cut trees. He still supplied pre-cuts around the country.

The volunteers had done a great job. Reminding him of his younger days when his parents had done similar with lights, garlands of cedar, and logs ringing the bonfire, so people could sit and warm up.

"C'mon, Jack. Let's get stuff done." The dog jetted out the door and Amos followed him.

The snow was coming a little heavier now. His chest tightened, even twenty years later.

Ever since his parents died, Christmas had lost the magic. Christmas had always been full of the sights, sounds, and smells of holiday cheer. Even the barn would be decorated and the animals received a special Christmas Eve meal. His parents held an annual open house in the afternoon on Christmas Eve day which was always well attended with people curious to see inside the original Winter homestead.

But all that stopped when they died in the crash with a snow plow. He'd been nineteen and it had turned his--their--world upside down.

He trudged through the falling snow as memories also fell around him. Orphans in a blink of an eye. That last Christmas he'd pulled down all the decorations his mom had so lovingly put up only weeks before and stored them away. Winter Farm had remained dark and with no festive cheer since.

All the family ornaments were packed away, the heirlooms gathering dust and likely never to be seen again. If the sale of the property went through, then everything would need to be dealt with one way or another.

Amos shoved away the pain in his heart. Yes, he'd become a Scrooge and was not looking forward to the next few days. He hunched his shoulders and leaned into the freshening wind laced with snow. Nope. It was not his favorite time of year at all.

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