Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
“ A s you can see, we take the holidays very seriously around here,” Gabe said as he swung Natalie’s suitcase out of the backseat and set it at her feet. “The townspeople always joke that our blood runs red and green.”
Natalie gave him a faint smile as she hitched up the handle on her suitcase and looked around. If she could look past the Christmas explosion, the town square was quite pretty. Beautiful, even, with traditional stone buildings, cobblestone sidewalks, and streets lined with towering trees whose bare branches were dusted with glittering snow. The entire town was ringed by evergreen trees that climbed up the surrounding mountainsides toward the peaks, and the sun shimmering down from the aquamarine sky cast everything in an ethereal glow.
“Why?” Natalie asked, smiling at an elderly couple who greeted her as they walked by, hand-in-hand. “Why the obsession… er, focus , on Christmas?” She glanced around for Gabe, then, noticing he had grabbed her suitcase and was wheeling it up the sidewalk toward the gray stone house, she hurried to catch up. The house was stunning, like something out of a fairytale, with white trim and gables, and a trellis draped with ivy and gently twinkling lights. A sign outside proclaimed, in curling, elegant script, The Mistletoe House .
“The town was founded in the late 1800s by a family called Holiday, and I guess they decided to lean into the name,” Gabe said. He approached the front door, but instead of knocking, he pushed it open, then stood aside to let Natalie enter. “Go on, Faith won’t bite,” he said with a good-natured chuckle as Natalie hesitated on the threshold.
Before she could make heads or tails of his last words, he continued, “Anyway, because Chestnut Cove is in a relatively isolated spot, the town initially struggled, so the Holidays put their heads together to come up with a way to boost the economy. They decided one year to transform the town into a Christmas wonderland and invite tourists to visit… and it was such an incredible success that they decided to do it the next year, and the year after that, and then a fourth year.”
As he was speaking, he joined Natalie in the home’s grand foyer, both of them stamping snow from their boots onto the welcome mat. An ornate front desk stood a few feet away from them across from an enormous Christmas tree decorated with red and gold bows and dozens of strings of lights. Several sets of keys hung on hooks behind the desk, and it occurred to Natalie for the first time that The Mistletoe House wasn’t a house at all—it was an inn.
Gabe removed his hat, revealing a full head of thick, dark hair, his brown eyes sparkling appealingly. “And now here we are, more than a hundred years later, and Chestnut Cove has become the destination for Christmas-loving folks. We have “Countdown to Christmas” celebrations all year long, we throw a big festival for Christmas in July, and then, of course, we go all out during the month of December.” He rang the bell at the desk, then returned his attention to her with a grin. “So you definitely picked the best time of year to get stranded on our mountain.”
“I sure did,” Natalie said with a weak smile, turning on her heel in a slow circle to take in her surroundings. The Mistletoe House was the embodiment of Victorian-era style and class, with intricately woven throw rugs, beautiful dark wood embellishments, and rich velvet fabric covering the sofas and armchairs. There were high ceilings, tall windows that let in plenty of light, and a stunning gray brick fireplace beneath a stained-glass mirror. A circular staircase led to the second and third floors, the wall beside it lined with black-and-white photographs. A crystal chandelier hung from the third-floor ceiling, casting glittering shards of light on the floor below.
“This place is incredible,” Natalie said, her voice filled with awe. She slid her arms out of her peacoat and hung it on the old-fashioned coatrack beside the front door. “Do you think there’s a room available for a couple of nights?” While she wasn’t thrilled to be stuck in Christmas town, she had to admit that, Christmas decorations aside, The Mistletoe House would be a charming and comfortable place to stay while her car was being repaired.
“I’m sure Faith can rustle up something for you, especially when she hears what kind of day you had,” Gabe said with a soft smile. “Faith is a Holiday, by the way. Great-great-granddaughter of the town’s founders, I believe. Ah, here she is now,” he added as the sound of footsteps descending the stairs had them both glancing up.
The woman approaching them had beautiful white hair tucked back in a bun, a broad, welcoming smile, and funky square-shaped glasses with purple frames. Her earrings were shaped like Christmas presents, and she wore a glittery red and green sweater with an enormous Santa face plastered across the front. Attire aside, Natalie immediately liked her.
“Gabriel!” Faith Holiday spread her arms wide and immediately pulled Gabe into what looked like a bone-crushing hug. “I haven’t seen you in ages, sweetheart. Where have you been hiding?” She pulled back, then looked him over with a critical eye. “Still not eating enough, I see. You need a little meat on those bones.” She pinched his arm—his very muscular arm, Natalie realized now that he’d removed his own coat. “Tell Holly you need another dozen of her sugar cookies, and this time, don’t let Sophie eat them all.”
Then the woman turned her attention to Natalie, who was still hovering beside Gabe, feeling slightly awkward. “Well hi there, honey. What brings you to The Mistletoe House? ”
“This is Natalie Belmont,” Gabe offered, watching in amusement as Natalie offered her hand… only to be pulled into one of Faith’s pulverizing hugs instead. “I found her stranded on the side of the road, trying to walk all the way down the mountain wearing those.” He nodded toward Natalie’s tennis shoes, and Faith clucked sympathetically.
“GPS?” she asked Gabe.
“GPS,” he confirmed. “Her car broke down, and I warned her Vernon wouldn’t be able to tow it back to town until tomorrow.”
“I hope you didn’t have anywhere important to be tonight,” Faith said, patting Natalie’s shoulder. “But in the meantime, let’s get you set up in one of the rooms. You’re in luck—the snowstorm caused a cancelation, or there would have been no room at the inn.”
“No room at the inn,” Natalie murmured with a slight shake of her head as she followed Faith to the front desk. Exactly what kind of twilight zone had she entered?
“Here we are, room 3A,” Faith said, jangling the room keys merrily. “Follow me, honey, and we’ll get you all settled in.”
“No elevator?” Natalie asked when she realized Faith was heading for the staircase—the very winding, very steep staircase. She glanced down at her suitcase uncertainly. She’d been in such a rush to leave that she hadn’t exactly packed light, throwing half of what she owned inside before storming out of Devin’s house.
“Here. Let me.” Gabe had been slipping on his coat, preparing to leave, but he stopped what he was doing to hoist Natalie’s suitcase into his arms while she followed behind him, stammering her thanks.
“Chestnut Cove hospitality,” Faith said as she walked beside Natalie, surprisingly spry for a woman of her age. For her part, Natalie was huffing and puffing by the time they reached the second-floor landing, and was concentrating on successfully reaching the third level without keeling over. Despite that, she couldn’t help admiring the ease with which Gabe was climbing the stairs ahead of her, suitcase propped on one shoulder as if it were feather-light.
Faith, noticing this, directed a mischievous wink Natalie’s way. “If I were thirty years younger…”
“If I were thirty years older,” Gabe replied, grinning as he reached the third floor. He set the suitcase at Natalie’s feet—she was busy making a horking sound as she tried to catch her breath—and then slid an arm around Faith’s shoulders. “I’d be the luckiest guy in town.”
“Oh, you.” Faith graced him with a flirtatious slap on the arm. “You flatter me, but you know what? There aren’t too many men fawning over me anymore, so I’ll take it.” She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Now go, hero of the mountain, patron saint of stranded travelers. You have many important things to do. I’ll take good care of your new friend here.”
Natalie, who had been watching their exchange with amusement, turned to Gabe with a warm smile. “Thank you again… so much. You literally saved my life.”
“It was my pleasure.” Gabe clasped her hand in his, just briefly, just for the space of several heartbeats, but at his touch, Natalie felt something shift in the pit of her stomach. There and gone before she could fully process it, but she quickly removed her hand from his all the same. It had been a long day, she decided. A long, long day, and even though it was still mid-afternoon, she was nearly delirious with exhaustion.
“Tell Holly I said hi.” Faith waved as Gabe descended the stairs, then she removed the keys to Natalie’s room from her pocket and inserted them into the lock. She opened the door just as the inn’s front door closed behind Gabe with a distant thud , and moments later, they were standing inside, Faith’s face lit up with pride as she gestured around the room.
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” the older woman said proudly as she flipped on the light. And while Natalie had to admit that the room was charming and comfortable—or else it would be without the many Santa Claus figurines staring back at her, not to mention the tabletop Christmas tree, three wreaths, wooden nativity scene, and illuminated angel—she couldn’t stop her heart from sinking into her feet. Faith, watching her closely, frowned. “Is something wrong, dear?”
“No,” Natalie said quickly. “No, it’s lovely. I’m just… I’ve had a long day, that’s all.”
“Say no more.” Faith bustled over to the gas fireplace, flipped a switch, and a moment later, red and orange flames were filling the room with gorgeous warmth. Then, after plumping the pillow and folding back the comforter (decorated with dancing elves, Natalie noticed with a wince), she gestured to the bed. “Your nap awaits. If you need anything, just pick up the room phone and dial 1. Otherwise, I’ll see you when you come downstairs. ”
“Thank you,” Natalie said gratefully, watching as the other woman departed. Only after she heard footsteps descending the stairs did she pad across the room and quietly close the door. Then she turned, observing the room with a sigh. After squinting at one of the Santa Claus figurines, this one jolly and plump and holding a miniature scroll containing a “naughty” and “nice” list, she shook her head and turned it so that it was facing the wall. Then she did the same with the others, and the angel, too.
“It's only for one night,” she reminded herself out loud as she kicked off her shoes and sank onto the plush bed. She could pretend to like Chestnut Cove—and even Christmas—for a single night.