Chapter 7 The Snowball Fight
Unsurprisingly, the door didn’t even groan in protest as Eliza walked through the threshold. She felt like she was a spy in some movie, sneaking past all the loaded tripwires.
The bright light reflecting off the snow caused her to squint.
In the raised garden beds were swirling peppermints and brightly colored candy that resembled flowers blanketed in snow.
She noticed how untouched this section of the cottage was, and for a moment she paused. It was quiet, too quiet.
She didn’t even hear the grating of the shovels against pavement as the siblings and Lachlan worked.
Behind her, Puffcake let out a loud bark, startling her. She turned to see what the matter was before—
Splat.
A perfectly round, perfectly cold snowball hit her cheek, bursting into tiny flakes. She looked down at her clothes, stunned, seeing that they were completely soaked.
Gretel’s laugh flitted through the air. Eliza decided she couldn’t be mad. If it were Lachlan, it would’ve been a completely different story.
“I told her not to do it,” said a man standing next to her. Hansel casually propped a hand against his shovel, an apologetic smile on his face.
He wore a black and white checkered sweater and a red vest, seeming unbothered by the freezing temperature. Navy blue hair peeked out from his beanie, his features a faint echo of Gretel’s, only sharper and more pronounced. But their eyes were the same shade of deep purple.
Beside him, Gretel didn’t look the least bit sorry. She laughed as she packed another bundle of snow, and this time, Eliza ducked. But it wasn’t aimed at her.
Puffcake let out a yelp. A mound of snow lay on the ground, smoke sizzling from within. He burst out of it and came up swinging and hissing.
He flew over to hide behind Eliza’s shoulder, looking wounded.
“Don’t do that,” Lachlan warned Gretel. “He might get all soggy.”
Puffcake let out a huff like he agreed.
Lachlan came over to dust a speck of snow off of Puffcake’s snout. Eliza’s eyes caught his, and she was reminded of the way he stood in front of her, pulling her chin upwards to meet his gaze.
Eliza turned to the cinnamon flamethrower and faked another smile. At this point, it felt effortless. “Puffcake, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Puffcake didn’t have eyebrows, but if he had, Eliza knew he’d have them raised, egging her on to avenge their attacks.
Gretel ducked behind the garden bed for cover. She lifted her head, a lavender bun poking up from the top, and Eliza threw with all the force she could muster.
Snow pelted Gretel’s ivory skin. She wiped her face clean, cheeks rosy, and whooped a laugh.
“We really should get back to work,” Eliza said, breathlessly. Though she couldn’t deny that her time had been fun, she was eager to get back to baking. In solitude, hopefully sometime soon, after she helped shovel the rest of the snow.
Then she looked to the front of the house to find a heap of snow piled high on either side of the driveway. Even their cars had been defrosted. Done already? How long had she been inside?
“You know what these piles would be good for?” Gretel’s smile grew slowly across her face. “Snowball fight forts! C’mon, boys against girls. Puffcake can be the referee.”
Eliza bit her lip. How could she break the news kindly to her? “Thanks, but I—“
“We need to get going,” Lachlan interrupted. He briefly looked at Eliza before adjusting his hat and starting off through the snow to his Land Rover. “We need to get in touch with the rental company. See what’s the matter.”
Eliza followed, half-heartedly bracing herself to say her goodbyes. But the moment Lachlan unlocked his car, the wind picked up.
At first, it was just a little breeze. Then it grew into a loud, howling scream. The wind spun harder and harder. Hansel lost his beanie, and Puffcake flapped his wings vigorously against the wind, trying not to get sucked up into it.
Sugar-dusted wind whipped past their faces, and Eliza’s hair stuck to her lap balm. The heaps of snow piled high on the driveway were caught up in the tornado of snow and wind. Then—
Whomp!
The wind ceased. The snow piles collapsed just at the end of the driveway, sparkling like a solid wall of ice.
A second later, the candy cane street lamp flickered like it’d been possessed.
Once, twice. A third time.
Lachlan and Eliza stared. He seemed to be at a loss for words. “Um. Was that—”
“Normal?” Gretel smiled, looking thrilled. “Oh, the house likes you two.”
“What do you mean by ‘like’?” Eliza asked.
“Like—like, like,” Gretel’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Means it’s not going to let either of you leave until it’s ready.”
“Happens sometimes,” Hansel added. “Usually, when two people are being stubborn.”
Puffcake fluttered up to the sheet of ice and barked at it like a guard dog.
Lachlan let out a frustrated sigh, the vapors visible in the chilly winter air. “Did you ever hear back from the host, Eliza?”
Her face fell. She’d honestly forgotten to check. Between enchanted ovens and limitless pantries, a house not-so-subtly match-making the two of them, and phone calls from home, it’d slipped her mind entirely.
Picking up her phone, she opened the booking app. The real one—not MagicalStays, the app she’d initially used to reserve the booking. She typed up a quick message, like a signal flare for help.
Good afternoon! I booked the cottage 2424 Drury Lane through MagicalStays, and it looks like the property has been double-booked. I want to check in to see if there’s any way one of us could be relocated, especially with the holiday coming up. Thanks so much! -Eliza
“Well, in the meantime, we might as well have some fun,” Gretel said, packing a snowball with the practice of an expert.
“Can we shoot at the referee?” Lachlan asked, eyeballing Puffcake.
Puffcake blew a warning cloud of smoke, taking a seat on top of a rock shaped like a marshmallow. The message was clear: referee immunity.
Without warning, Hansel yelled, “One, two, three, go!” He rained down snowballs on Eliza and Gretel. The girls yelped before sprinting around the side of the house as the powdery explosions showered down on them.
They skidded around the corner and hit the snow on their knees. Gretel moved at lightning speed, already creating more ammunition.
Eliza peeked around the corner. “They’re gaining on us!”
When she turned back around, she blinked. A mound of perfectly round snowballs now sat a few paces beside them. Gretel followed her gaze and laughed.
“Did the house just arm us?” Eliza asked.
“Guess it did.”
They both pounced around the house, rapid-firing them off like Buddy the Elf in Central Park. Lachlan ducked for cover, clearly outmatched. The house’s gutter tilted, dumping an entire stash on his head. The girls laughed, high-fiving each other in triumph.
The house creaked its laughter, too, and the gutter righted itself.
Puffcake raised a candy cane, waving it in the air like a flag. “Round two.”
A notification from SugarPlum Suites popped up, and Eliza immediately slid her phone unlocked to read the message.
Hi there! Unfortunately, since you both booked through third-party sites it seems we accidentally booked you for the same stay.
We’re terribly sorry for the inconvenience.
Due to the holiday week, there is no additional housing at this time.
However, we can offer both of you complimentary stays for your next visit to SugarPlum Suites. Happy Holidays!
“So, I guess that means we’re stuck here for Christmas.” Eliza let out a puff of air, her shoulders sagging. She passed her phone around for the others to read.
Eliza crossed her arms, her throat tightening. She didn’t want a complimentary stay for next year—she wanted the stay she paid for this year. Now that her entire stay had been ruined, she didn’t feel like doing anything other than trudging back into the kitchen and getting back to work.
Gretel’s eyes skimmed over the words, but she didn’t seem too surprised by the response. “Guess so. But Hansel and I could’ve told you that.”
“Totally normal Airbnb behavior,” Eliza groaned, dropping her hands to her sides.
Gretel laughed. “You both are, like, honorary locals now. Which means you’ll have to attend the Reindeer Games. On Christmas Eve Eve.”
Eliza surveyed Gretel. “Even if I wanted to go, how would I?” Wasn’t the house trapping her inside at all costs? She didn’t feel like getting excited about anything for fear that someone might pull the rug out from underneath her feet once again.
The siblings exchanged looks as Gretel beamed. “Because I already entered you into the baking contest.”
“What?” Eliza gaped. “Why would you do that?”
“Because you’re the best baker the town’s never heard of,” Gretel said, pointing a finger at her chest. “And we’re gonna get you that first-place prize.”
“Which is?”
“Five thousand quid.”
Eliza’s heart nearly stopped. Puffcake accidentally coughed fire out of his mouth.
For a friendly neighborhood competition?
That wouldn’t be enough to start her own business, but it’d certainly give her a head start.
She was breathless. “Then I ... I need to practice!”
“So that means you’ll do it?” Gretel asked enthusiastically.
“Of course!” Eliza said, already dusting off the snow from her coat as she headed inside. “Thank you both for helping us clear the driveway. Even if it was for nothing.”
“It wasn’t for nothing,” Hansel shook his head. “We were happy to help.”
Gretel smiled and gave a small shrug. “And anyway, everything happens for a reason.”