Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Coming back to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, wasn’t on my to-do list, but after watching the promotion I’d worked my butt off for go to my boss’s daughter (who has the job experience of a houseplant), I figured a break from New York’s rat race wouldn’t kill me. Well, hopefully it wouldn’t.
My mother, of course, was thrilled. Not only could I escape the evils of corporate nepotism in a city far, far away, but I could also stay with her for a bit, helping out as she recovered from her ankle surgery. Not that she needed much help; she’d been hobbling around with those crutches like a pro since the day I arrived.
“Mom, you know you’re supposed to be resting, right?” I stepped into the living room, only to find her balanced precariously on her good leg, attempting to hang a wreath over the fireplace. Because of course she was.
She glanced over her shoulder, giving me that gleeful, “I’m not breaking any rules” twinkle in her eyes. “Oh, Holly, please. If I rest any more, I’ll actually turn into a couch cushion. Besides, I’m not completely useless…just, you know, a little slower.”
“Slower is exactly the point, Mom,” I said, crossing the room and gently taking the wreath from her. “Let me do it before you fall and we both end up in traction. You’re not supposed to be doinganythingvertical.”
“I wasn’t climbing,” she protested, but she let me hang the wreath in her place. “You know, sweetheart, you didn’t have to come all the way out here just to babysit me.”
“I know,” I said, adjusting the wreath until it looked just right. “But I wanted to help. Besides, I could use the break. Working in New York was...a lot.”
She frowned, leaning on her crutches. “Still upset about that promotion?”
“Not upset,” I said, though the twinge in my chest begged to differ. “Just...frustrated. It’s hard to keep putting in all that work when it feels like it doesn’t matter. I mean, I’ve spent the last week trying to decide if I want to keep working at a place where nepotism rules, or if I should have the guts to break out on my own.”
Her expression softened, and she reached out, patting my arm. “You’d be amazing on your own, Holly. You know that, right?”
I gave her a small smile. The thought of starting my own business was both thrilling and terrifying. “Maybe. But it’s a big leap. And right now, I think I just need some time to clear my head and figure out what I really want.”
“Well, their temporary loss is my gain,” she said, her expression brightening. “But I don’t want you spending all your time here babysitting me. You need to get out, enjoy yourself. Remember how much you love Christmastime in Blowing Rock?”
I sighed. “You’re really going to play the‘small town charm’card, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.” She grinned. “And it just so happens the Maplewood Inn could use some festive magic. You’re an interior designer, aren’t you? I’m sure you could spare a few hours of your big-city expertise to help them out. Besides, I hear the owner, Ethan, has been in a bit of a funk. Not exactly brimming with Christmas spirit these days. He’s single, by the way, and very handsome.”
“Are you trying to set me up?” I shot her a playful look.
She grinned wider, eyes twinkling. “Of course not! Just trying to save you from your own stir-craziness. Besides, who knows? Maybe a little holiday cheer will helpbothof you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, I’ll go check it out. But if I end up redecorating an entire inn, you’re on gingerbread duty.”
Her grin stretched ear to ear.“Deal. You know I make the best gingerbread in town.”
“That you do.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek before grabbing my jacket. “Alright, I’m off. Please try not to break any more bones while I’m gone.”
“No promises,” she said with a wicked laugh.
As I stepped outside into the brisk December air, I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the scent of pine and chimney smoke. There was something about Blowing Rock that always felt right, no matter how much my life was falling apart in the city. Maybe it was the quiet streets, or the way Christmas lights twinkled from every window, or maybe it was just the feeling of coming home.
Either way, I wasn’t going to let my time here go to waste.