Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
AVERY
“I’ve never seen you this glum on Christmas before,” Meg says, taking a seat beside me on our parents’ couch.
It’s Christmas morning and we’ve opened all our presents and eaten our traditional breakfast of pancakes and waffles. Now the adults are relaxing by the fire with our coffees while Meg’s kids are playing with their new toys.
“Is this still to do with the Gingerbread Grove business?” Mom asks, sitting in her chair as she places a plate of cookies on the coffee table in front of her.
“I still don’t get why someone would go to such lengths to make sure you don’t win a game,” Meg’s husband, James, says, taking a sip of his coffee.
“They take the Yuletide Games very seriously,” I add.
“A little too seriously,” Dad comments. “But you also had no right entering to begin with. Who pretends to date someone, anyway?”
“Regardless, it’s such a shame that it all had to end like that,” Mom says. “But he’s right, honey. You shouldn’t have lied about that.”
“Mom, Dad, I told you. I did it to help him out. You should have seen how sad he was about going back to his hometown.”
“It shouldn’t have mattered anyway. You weren’t fake dating by the end of it.” Meg sends me a wink from behind her coffee mug, knowing the trouble she just started for me.
“What?” Dad exclaims the same time Mom clasps her hands and says, “Really?”
“Thanks, Meg,” I mutter.
“Welcome, Sis,” she chuckles.
“So, when do we get to meet him?” Mom asks.
“Does he know anything about these games shenanigans?” Dad adds.
“Look what you did, Meg,” James sighs.
“Isn’t it glorious?” she replies.
“Oh, look. A phone call.” I place my mug on the coffee table and stand. “I’m going to take this outside.”
“I don’t hear a phone ringing.” Meg smirks at me.
“It’s on silent. I’ll be right back.”
I don’t wait for any more questions. I make my way to the door, only stopping to grab my jacket and put on my boots.
I shiver as I take a seat on the porch swing, thinking about how different my life turned out to be compared to what I dreamed of when I was a kid swinging on this very seat.
Back then, I assumed by thirty I would be married with kids, starting our own Christmas traditions. Instead, I’m now-dating my fake boyfriend after being ejected from Christmas-style Survivor.
At least I have my dream job.
Digging for my phone in my jacket pocket, I look, confused as I also pull out a business card for ‘The Sugar House Candy Shoppe’ in Woodland Springs is stuck on to my phone.
Not Gingerbread Grove. Woodland Springs.
“What is this?” I ask no one. Not only do I not remember putting this in my pocket, but I couldn’t even place where the store would be in town. I know I haven’t been there during the times that I visited.
I take a picture and send it to Matthew.
Did you give me this? Is this where you got the candy for the competition?
I don’t have to wait long for him to respond, and I wonder if he’s avoiding his family, just like I am.
Matthew
No, I got them at the grocery store. I don’t even know where that is.
How curious.
Pulling up my search engine, I type in the name, and it takes me to an outdated website for an old-fashioned candy shop in an old house just outside of town.
I forward the link to Matthew.
I think I remember this from when I was a kid. I haven’t heard or seen anything about it since I’ve been back.
Think you can get away for a bit and meet me there?
Are you asking me to sneak out of my parents’ house on Christmas Day?
You’re such a bad influence.
*gif of Joey’s shocked face*
Don’t act like you don’t want to know what’s going on, too.
I’ll have you home in time for turkey dinner.
What a gentleman.
“I take it back. I don’t think I want to spend my Christmas Day here.”
Looking up at the dark house in front of me, it looks more like something out of a scary fairy tale than a house that belongs in a cute town like Gingerbread Grove.
“I doubt the witch that ran the store still lives here.”
“What?” I gasp, looking up at Matthew.
“I’m kidding,” he chuckles.
I playfully swat at his arm. “Now is not the time to break out that sense of humour of yours.”
“I think it’s the perfect time,” he adds with a smirk.
With a huff, I look back up at the house in front of us. “What was it you found out about this again?”
“My mom said that the owners retired when the town started to change over. They saw it as a good opportunity to bow out and move away. She said she’d forgotten all about it until I asked her.”
“What happened to it then?”
“She said she thinks the city bought it. Something about it being a heritage site.”
“Hmm.” The house is two levels and looks to be from the early nineteenth century.
There are large windows on both floors and a covered porch that spans the whole width of the building.
What makes it look really eerie are all the trees that seem to snarl around it, the only thing about the property that seems to be unkept.
“I called Trevor on my way here,” Matthew says.
I snap my attention to him. “Really? Are you sure we can trust him?”
“Can we afford not to try? He hasn’t done anything to make me think that he’s been involved in what’s happened. Plus, we need to start somewhere.”
“I thought you were against us looking into all of this.”
“What can I say? It’s either this or my mom pestering me for more information about what happened.” He shrugs. “I took the option that got me out of the house.”
“Is that the only thing?” I joke, thinking that maybe he’d admit to some of his curiosity, too.
“I wanted to see you.”
His answer takes my breath away. I wasn’t expecting it, but his honest response makes me realize that finding out what happened during the games isn’t the big picture. He is. And I’ll take any chance I can get to spend time with him while we’re both in the same part of the province.
But I really want to know what’s going on with the games, too.
“Since we’re here, what do you say about going in and taking a look?” I ask, taking a hold of his hand.
“Avery Geller, are you suggesting we break and enter? What’s with you trying to get me sent to jail these last two days?”
I laugh. “I mean, we won’t have to break and enter. If the door or window just so happens to be left open, we could just be doing our neighbourly duty in closing it up for whoever owns this place…”
“I never knew you were this much of a rebel. Who knew elves were so mischievous?”
“I prefer adventurous.”
Leading him up the stairs, I try not to act like my stomach drops when the old wood creaks, or how the corners look like they have eyes watching us.
For a house that’s been abandoned, the walk from the street to the house is nicely shovelled except for a small dusting of snow. The windows don’t look frosted over, and the stairs are cleaned.
“Are you sure no one lives here?” I ask, reaching the door and trying to peer into the window.
“Not according to what my mom says, and she makes it her business to know what’s going on around town.” He reaches for the door, grasping the doorknob with his hand. “Here goes nothing.”
With a turn of his wrist, the door opens.
“I can’t say I was expecting it to be that easy.” I stare in wonder at the open door.
“Christmas miracle?” He asks with a smile.
I roll my eyes. “Or small town.”
The inside is only lit by the early afternoon sunlight streaming through the oversized windows. Large glass counters line three of the walls with shelves that go from floor to ceiling behind them. Although they’re all empty, I can imagine them filled with all sorts of candies and treats.
“I’ll start on the right if you want to do the left,” Matthew says, stalking over to the wall closest to him.
“And what are we looking for, exactly?” I ask as I drift over to my side, letting my eyes roam over the glass cases that hold so much history.
“Anything that will give us a clue as to how that card ended up in your jacket pocket.”
We work in silence as we look through the shelves and cases. It doesn’t take long, as there isn’t anything more than cobwebs and the odd piece of paper that had been left behind.
“How do you think you open this thing?” I ask when we get to the antique register.
He takes a look around the large metal machine, finding the crank and turning it until the drawer pops open. We both jump with a start as a bell rings and echoes through the room.
“You’re not going to be sneaking around and fooling anyone by doing things like that,” a voice sounds at the door, making us both jump again.
“Trevor, that’s not funny.” I clutch at my chest, making sure my heart isn’t about to jump right out of it.
Trevor stands in the doorway with Eric behind him, the bitter cold wind bursting past them.
“Did you find anything?” Eric asks, closing the door and shutting out the Christmas storm picking up outside.
I eye Eric wearily, even though I hate that it’s my gut reaction. He’s been nothing but kind and helpful to us, and I’m letting a post by InsiderCookie change my opinion of him.
“I ran into Eric on my way out of City Hall. I hope you don’t mind,” Trevor says.
“I hope you don’t mind I tagged along,” Eric says, taking off his gloves and stuffing them in his jacket pockets. “I’m curious and I wanted to help if I can.”
Matthew nods. “We haven’t found anything yet.” Matthew reaches into the register. “Except this.”
I gasp has he pulls out a card that looks exactly like the one I found in my pocket this morning.
“At least we know where the person got it from,” Trevor adds.
“Did you find anything at City Hall?” I ask, moving closer to Matthew.
His warmth is a comfort as I begin to feel very closed in.
There are counters and people between us and the door.
I don’t know why that makes me feel uneasy, but it does.
If Matthew trusts these people, it should be good enough for me.
“I did. Once the owners of the candy store put it up for sale, it was bought by a holding company.”
“Do you know who owns it?” Matthew asks.
“No, I couldn’t find anything other than a numbered company.”
“That’s odd.” I move to look out the window, but my foot gets caught on something. I lose my balance, falling right into Matthew’s arms.
“I heard you two weren’t fake dating anymore, but you didn’t need to prove it to us,” Eric jokes.
“Ha. Ha. I tripped on something.” I bend down, pulling out the string of a bag. “How did this get here?”
Matthew bends down next to me, peering in. “Is this it?”
“What?” Trevor asks.
“What’s what?” Eric questions, leaning over the counter, looking down at where we are knelt.
I pull out all of my missing items from The Frosty Showdown. “How did these get here?” I ask.
“I put them there.”