7. Chapter 7
Chapter seven
Bella
I flung open the patio doors, bursting outside like a kid on Christmas morning. As I took in the winter wonderland before me, my breath fogged in the crisp air. A blanket of pristine snow covered everything, glistening in the sunlight. The storm had finally passed.
Devon wandered out, his hair adorably mussed from sleep. I bit back a smile. Even grumpy morning Devon was unfairly attractive.
“Looks like the weather’s clearing up,” he mumbled, squinting at the brightness.
“Does that mean you’re heading out?” Please say no, please say no...
He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. “Actually, I thought I could stick around a few more days. Help with the decorating and all that.”
Yes! Inner Bella did a victory dance. Outer Bella kept her cool. “Really? I mean, that would be great. There’s still so much to do.”
“Yeah, well, can’t leave you hanging, can I? I wouldn’t want to let Madison beat you out of the feature.” He shrugged, but I caught the hint of a smile.
I felt an itch to get away from the guesthouse for a while. “We should check out the Serenity Falls Christmas Festival today. It would be perfect for the blog.”
Devon’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know, Bella. The paparazzi have already been trying to locate the guesthouse. I’m sure they’re in town with the storm letting up. I don’t want to drag you into my mess.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun! And we’ve been cooped up in here for days.” I gave him my best puppy dog eyes. “Please? I promise to protect you from any rabid fans or overzealous reporters.”
He sighed, but I could see the resolve crumbling. “Fine. But I’m not posing for any cheesy photos.”
“No promises,” I teased, already planning the perfect festive shots. Sorry, Devon. Your grumpy face is comedy gold.
Maple’s tail thumped against the ground, and suddenly she got the zoomies. She knew an adventure was brewing. I laughed as she sent snow flying everywhere. “All right, girl. We’re going, we’re going! No need to redecorate the yard.”
Devon shook his head and blew his breath out. “I guess that settles it. Let’s head inside and get ready before Maple buries us in the snow.”
An hour later, we were strolling down Main Street, the festive cheer of Serenity Falls on full display. Twinkling lights adorned every storefront, and the scent of pumpkin spice wafted through the air. I held my phone high and panned across the scene.
“Welcome to the heart of Serenity Falls’ holiday cheer!” I chirped, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach as Devon stepped closer, shielding me from the crowd. “We’ve got decorated booths, families laughing, and enough festive spirit to warm even the Grinchiest of hearts.” I turned the phone towards Devon, who rolled his eyes.
Maple trotted beside me, her tail wagging in time with the Christmas carols floating through the air. I zoomed in on a group of children decorating gingerbread houses, their faces scrunched in concentration.
“It’s perfect, don’t you think?” I turned to Devon, hoping for a glimpse of holiday spirit.
He grunted, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “If you like crowds and forced cheer, sure.”
“Oh, come on, Mr. Scrooge. Where’s your Christmas spirit?” I nudged him playfully, nearly dropping my phone in the process. Smooth move, Bella. Real graceful.
Devon’s hand shot out, steadying me. “Careful, Bells. Don’t need you faceplanting on camera. Though I’m sure your viewers would love the blooper reel.”
The old nickname took me by surprise. Before I could dwell on it, a riot of color caught my eye. “Ooh, look! The Ugly Sweater Picture Booth!”
Devon’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no. No way. Absolutely not.”
But I was already dragging him towards the booth, Maple bouncing excitedly at our heels. “Come on, you used to love the ugly sweaters! Think of the blog views!”
“Bella, I swear—“ Devon’s protests were cut short as I thrust a monstrosity of a sweater into his hands.
“Put it on,” I grinned, holding up my phone. “Your adoring public awaits. Show them the softer, fuzzier side of Devon Montgomery.”
With a groan that could rival Santa’s “Ho ho ho,” Devon pulled the sweater over his head. It was a masterpiece of tackiness—blinking lights, candy cane stripes, and what appeared to be a 3D reindeer nose protruding from the center.
“I look ridiculous,” he muttered, arms crossed defensively.
I bit my lip, trying to hold back my laughter. “You look festive. Very... merry and bright. Like a Christmas tree came to life and decided to become a professional skier.”
Maple chose that moment to investigate, sniffing at the dangling ornaments on Devon’s sweater. She let out a sharp bark as if voicing her approval of his new look.
“See? Even Maple agrees,” I teased, zooming in on Devon’s disgruntled expression. “This is definitely going on the blog.”
As I filmed Devon in his festive monstrosity, my mind drifted back to high school, when we used to help with the Christmas festival. Back when I thought we would marry and grow old together in Serenity Falls, maybe even take over the bed and breakfast when his parents retired.
Kind of ironic that I was the one getting to bring it back to life. Maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. Maybe…
A flash of platinum blonde caught my eye, and all good thoughts vanished from my mind. Madison. Of course, she’d be here, making a grand entrance in what looked like a designer winter outfit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.
I lowered my phone, my jaw clenching as she sashayed over. She gave me a smile as fake as the fur trim on her coat.
“Bella,” Madison said, her voice so condescending I had to resist the urge to hurl a snowball at her perfectly made-up face. “I happened to see your blog post,” she said, emphasizing the word ‘happened.’ “It was... quaint.”
My blood boiled, but I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she had gotten under my skin. I plastered on a sweet smile. “Thanks, Madison. Always a pleasure. I love the coat. Very... Cruella de Vil chic.”
Once upon a time, her passive-aggressive jabs would have sent me spiraling into self-doubt. Now? I refused to let her pull me into a “who’s better than who” match.
I turned my back on her. “You know what, Devon? I think we need more festive content. How about we hit up the Pickle Tree Decorating Contest?”
Without waiting for an answer, I grabbed his sleeve and tugged him away from Madison’s icy presence. As we walked, I whispered to myself, “She won’t take my magazine feature.”
“What was that?” Devon asked, eyebrow raised.
I shook my head, refocusing. “Nothing.”
I pulled him towards a sea of green. Pickle-shaped ornaments glinted in the winter sun, and the scent of pine filled the air.
“This will be fun,” I insisted, hitting record on my phone. “Welcome back, snowbound survivors! We’re about to tackle the time-honored tradition of pickle tree decorating!”
Devon’s expression was a mix of amusement and irritation. “How did I get roped into this? Is this punishment for all those times I beat you at Scrabble?”
I handed him a sparkly pickle-shaped ornament. “Less complaining, more decorating.”
“You know,” he said, eyeing the pickle suspiciously, “I always thought this tradition was weird when we were kids. Still do. Who looks at a Christmas tree and thinks, ‘You know what this needs? Pickles.’”
I laughed, hanging a glittery green pickle on a nearby branch. “It’s quirky! That’s what makes Serenity Falls special. We march to the beat of our own fermented cucumber.”
I panned my phone around, capturing the festive scene. “And just think of how jealous your ski buddies will be when they see you decorating a pickle tree. You’ll be the talk of the slopes.”
Devon groaned, but I could see the edge of his lip turn up slightly. “Oh yeah, they’ll—“
A booming voice interrupted his comment. “Bella! Devon! Welcome to the heart of Serenity Falls Christmas!”
I whirled around, nearly dropping my phone as Mayor Todd barreled toward us, his red Santa hat bobbing merrily. Quickly, I raised my camera to capture the approaching whirlwind of holiday cheer.
“Mayor Todd! You’re looking festive as ever,” I said, grinning despite myself. The man’s enthusiasm was infectious, even if it bordered on manic at times.
The mayor beamed his Christmas tree pin twinkling. “How’s the guesthouse coming along? I heard it’s going to be the talk of the town! I was disappointed about the lodge, and having to use Madison, which I’ll deny saying if you tell anyone,” he winked. “But hearing about the old bed and breakfast being revived? What a turn of events.”
I nodded enthusiastically, angling the camera to catch both the mayor and Devon. “It’s a work in progress, but we’re making headway. Right, Devon?”
Devon shuffled his feet, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. He mumbled something that might have been an agreement or a request for the earth to swallow him whole.
“Marvelous, marvelous!” Mayor Todd clapped his hands together. “You simply must try our famous hot chocolate. I think we revamped the recipe since you were here last. And it’s great having the two of you back in town!”
“That sounds amazing.” I couldn’t help but notice Devon’s pained expression—time for a tactical retreat. “We’ll be sure to try some next time. We need to get back to the guesthouse. Lots of decorating to do!”
As we bid farewell to the mayor and made our way back through the festival crowds, I couldn’t help but sneak glances at Devon. His jaw was clenched, shoulders tense. Maybe I had pushed too hard after all.
“Hey, sorry if I got a little too excited. My personality can be a bit much at times.”
Devon sighed and shook his head. “You and your blog. You’d have me jump in a frozen lake if you thought it would get you views.”
I grinned, nudging him playfully. “Now there’s an idea. Would you do it?”
“No.” But something tugged the corners of his mouth upward, and he seemed to relax.
When we got to the guesthouse, I spotted the old wishing tree in the yard. “I found something interesting in the journal,” I said, turning to Devon. “Guests used to hang ornaments here and make wishes. Like a Christmas version of a wishing well.”
I reached into my purse, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the vintage ornament I’d tucked away earlier.
“I thought we could add one from the box of ornaments I found in the attic,” I said softly, holding it up for Devon to see.
Devon’s brow furrowed slightly. “You sure? It looks pretty old.”
I nodded, stepping closer to the tree. “That’s the point. It’s part of the guesthouse’s history. Plus, I figure we could use all the good wishes we can get.”
As I reached up to hang the ornament, I felt Devon staring at me. My fingers trembled slightly as I looped the ribbon over a branch. Don’t mess this up, Bella. It’s just an ornament, not brain surgery.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Clarity about my feelings for Devon was what I wished for. I turned, finding myself mere inches from Devon. His eyes searched mine. I closed my eyes, and for a second, I thought he might—
A wild bark shattered the moment. My eyes snapped open just in time to see Maple tear across the yard in hot pursuit of a very startled rabbit.
“Maple, no!” I called out, but it was too late. I burst out laughing. So much for a romantic moment, I thought watching Maple zigzag through the snow.
I fumbled for my phone and hit record. “This is Maple, causing chaos as usual.”
I panned the camera to Devon, expecting his usual scowl. Instead, I caught a rare sight—his eyes crinkled with amusement, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips.
“Come on,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s get back inside before she chases that poor rabbit across town.”
As we headed back to the guesthouse, Maple trotting triumphantly beside us (minus any rabbit trophies), I felt lighter somehow.
I changed into something comfy and settled into the cozy armchair by the fireplace, my trusty phone propped up on a stack of vintage design magazines. The warm glow of the Christmas lights we’d strung up earlier cast a soft, festive ambiance around the room.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself. “And we’re live in three, two, one...”
I beamed at the camera, my smile genuine despite feeling tired from the day. “Hey, snowbound buddies! Bella here, wrapping up an absolutely magical day at the Serenity Falls Christmas Festival!”
From the corner of my eye, I caught Devon leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me. Focus, Bella. You’re live.
“We decorated pickle trees, survived an ugly sweater contest, and even made a wish or two,” I continued, winking at the camera. “Stay tuned for more ‘Snowbound Survival Guide’ fun tomorrow! This is Bella Sterling, signing off from Winter Wonderland Central!”
I ended the recording with a flourish, then flopped back in the chair with a contented sigh. “And that’s a wrap, folks.”
Devon chuckled softly. “You’re a natural, you know that?”
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “I’m just winging it and hoping for the best. Fake it ’til you make it, right?”
He crossed the room, perching on the arm of my chair. The proximity sent a little thrill through me. “Sometimes winging it leads to the best discoveries,” he said, his voice low.
I looked up at him, my breath catching. There was something in his eyes, a warmth I hadn’t seen since he arrived at the guesthouse. “Yeah,” I managed, “I’m starting to see that.”