Chapter Twenty-Three
The windshield wipers pushed aside the fallen flakes as Nick continued down the road. Holly sat in the passenger seat, tapping her fingers in her lap, trying to figure out what he had planned. They’d been on the road for a good hour, leaving Silverwood far behind them.
“Where are we going?” Holly scanned their surroundings.
Nick gave her a sideways grin. “I already told you. It’s a surprise.”
“Nick, I have a confession to make.” Holly settled a hand on his arm. “I hate surprises.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s my mission to change your mind.”
“Wait.” Holly narrowed her eyes. “Has this all been a ruse? A year-long, elaborate scheme to gain my trust so that you could kidnap me?”
“Oh no,” Nick deadpanned. “You’ve cracked my devious plan to trap you in Silverwood forever.”
“Well, the joke’s on you because I happen to love it here.”
Holly watched the snow fall, counting in her head to keep from begging Nick to tell her what he was up to. Just as she was about to nag him again, a sign on the road ahead caught her eye.
“The Christmas tree maze?” Holly inched forward. “Is that where we’re going?”
There was a twinkle in Nick’s eyes.
A bubbling excitement rose in Holly’s stomach. She remembered seeing an ad about a wintery maze made of decorated Christmas trees, but with all the wedding planning, she hadn’t given it much thought. However, after the confrontation with Grayson the night before, Holly figured she could use a fun, worry-free evening.
They pulled into the parking lot of the maze event as the sun kissed the peaks of the mountains in the distance. Nick let Cupid out of the back of the SUV before going to Holly’s side. He held her hand as they walked to the ticket booth. Children ran past them, laughing and shouting in glee, eager to partake in the game.
The stars above mirrored the twinkling lights of the Christmas trees in the large plot of land before them. The maze owners had to be counting themselves lucky that the recent storm hadn’t reached their area. The air was crisp, but the wind gentle, allowing the flurries to fall softly to the ground.
Holly’s boots crunched in the snow as they approached the booth.
“Two, please,” Nick said to the woman behind the counter.
“The maze is free.” The older woman, whose name tag read Heather, had a thick southern accent. “We do take donations, of course, which we forward to a few charities.”
“That sounds perfect.” Nick handed her some cash. “There you go.”
“Thank you so much.” Heather exchanged Nick’s money for two small green tickets. “Have you ever done the maze before?”
“I’ve done a corn maze,” Nick replied. “Holly?”
“No. This will be my first time.”
“Well, okay.” Heather leaned on her elbows. “It works just like a corn maze or a haybale maze. You’ll be starting at the entrance right behind me, and you’ll make your way through, searching for the exit. We’ve got attendants with lit-up reindeer antlers and reflective vests inside, so if you get lost, don’t worry. We encourage you to enjoy yourself, but please refrain from removing or damaging any tree ornaments. Remember, Santa is watching.” Heather playfully tapped a finger on the side of her nose.
Nick nodded. “Understood.”
Heather smiled at them. “Can I just say something? You make a very handsome couple.”
“Thank you, Heather. That’s awfully nice of you to say.” Nick put an arm around Holly. “We’re, uh, getting married in a couple days. On New Year’s Eve day, to be exact.”
“Aw, married. How wonderful. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Holly and Nick said together.
Heather straightened. “You must be excited.”
“Yeah.” Holly interlaced her fingers. “A little nervous. Not about being married, but about the actual day.”
“Aw, honey, let me tell you.” Heather chuckled and shook her head. “My wedding took place during a hurricane. My Don and I lived down south, and despite planning out our wedding to the most minor detail, we just couldn’t account for a storm hitting us. It was the worst uninvited guest anyone could ask for.”
“Oh no.” Holly’s heart broke for the woman.
“Talk about inconvenient,” Nick said.
Heather chuckled again. “It was. Our venue was flooded, and the hurricane stranded half the guests.”
Holly shook her head. “I think I would have lost my mind.”
“Honey, I nearly did. But in the end, all of that didn’t matter. Don and I got hitched at the local fire station, and we laugh about our little adventure now. It makes for a fun story, at the very least. And we’ve been married for nearly forty years now.”
“That’s great, Heather,” Nick said. “Congratulations.”
“Appreciate it. And good luck to you both.”
“Thanks. So, is the maze tricky?” Holly asked.
Heather leaned forward once more. “Like most things in life, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble if it were easy.”
“Well, we might have an advantage.” Nick gestured at Cupid, who was sitting on his haunches, waiting. “We’ve got a pretty intuitive snow dog to help us out.”
“That is, unless a squirrel crosses his path,” Holly added.
Heather snorted. “Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Gorgeous dog, though. Husky?”
“Malamute,” Nick responded.
“He’s a beaut. In any case, you’ll want to get to the end of the maze, for sure.” Heather looked left and right as if she was about to let them in on a secret and didn’t want anyone else to hear. “When you get to the exit, there’s a special wish box. You write down your New Year’s wish on a card available there, drop it in the box, and your wish just might come true in the coming year.”
“How fun.” Holly stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “We’ll definitely make some New Year’s wishes.”
Nick glanced at Holly. “Not sure what I should write down. My wish already came true.”
Holly’s cheeks grew warmer. She turned from him to Heather. “Thanks again.”
“Enjoy the maze,” Heather replied with a wave.
With a nod, Nick hung his arm over Holly’s shoulders. They made their way past the booth and through the entrance, marked with a big, red arrow.
The sky darkened as Nick and Holly entered the maze. What seemed like a hundred Christmas trees encircled them, twinkling lights glowing everywhere. The snow came down in gentle waves, flakes landing on her nose and cheeks as Nick and Holly walked languidly through a literal winter wonderland.
Nick tucked the ticket stubs into his pocket before taking Holly’s hand.
Cupid trotted in front of them, sniffing the snow and the lower branches of the trees. It was quiet, with no music playing. The only sound that interrupted the silence was the bubble of children’s laughter. A peaceful calm surrounded Holly, easing her tension.
“This is beautiful.” Holly squeezed Nick’s hand. “One might say, ‘a- maze -ing.’”
Nick sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yikes. It’s a good thing you’re cute.”
Holly playfully elbowed him. “But honestly, it’s mesmerizing. I almost don’t want to find my way out.”
“We could make it work,” Nick joked. “I’m pretty handy with tools. I could build us a little hut. The place has lighting, so that wouldn’t be an issue, and we have each other to keep warm.”
“There is a ton of foot traffic, though. So, not a lot of privacy.” Holly scrunched her nose.
They reached an intersection where they had to choose whether to go left or right.
“Which way?” Holly asked.
Cupid sniffed the air in front of them and then scurried to the right.
Nick smiled. “I say we trust the snow scout.”
Nick and Holly continued on their way, allowing Cupid to lead them through the trees. Holly leaned her head back to take in the panoramic view of the stars. She felt like she was in another world, one with no worries. Snowflakes landed on her face, but she welcomed them.
Nick’s arm came around her waist, and she realized they were making yet another turn.
“So, listen,” Nick began.
Holly stopped abruptly. “Oh, no.”
A crease formed between Nick’s brows. “What?”
“You’re getting cold feet, aren’t you?”
Nick let out a small laugh. “What? No.”
“You are.” Holly shivered. “You’ve got cold feet, you can’t stand my corny jokes, so you’re breaking up with me and abandoning me in this labyrinth, and you’re about to run off through the trees in hopes I can’t find my way out.”
Nick pulled her into his arms. “You’ve got quite the imagination, you know that?”
Holly chewed her lip and averted her gaze. “Or maybe I’ve been struck down one too many times and can’t get out of the habit of waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Nick lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. “There will be no shoe dropping on my watch.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. His expression told her he had something on his mind.
“What, then?” she asked. “What is it?”
“Were you not listening when I said you can talk to me when something burdens you?”
She tensed. “I was.”
“So why didn’t you tell me Grayson showed up in Silverwood and threatened you?”
She felt as if she couldn’t catch her breath. “I … I don’t know. I think I just wanted to block out the whole incident from my mind.”
“I’d like to think we have a healthy relationship.”
“We do,” she proclaimed earnestly.
“Then we always have to be honest with each other. That includes letting one another know the important things. No omissions of truth.”
She dropped her gaze. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Holly, Grayson sounds delusional and dangerous. It kills me that I wasn’t there to give him a stern talking-to, and it kills me even more that he tormented you. I’ve got to tell you, I’m a peaceful man, but when Rachel told me how he showed up terrorizing you? That might have been the first time I’ve wanted to kick someone’s teeth in.”
Holly grasped Nick’s coat. “I just … I can’t fathom that he’s in Silverwood. I want to believe that his bark is worse than his bite, but at the same time, I’m terrified he’s going to do something stupid to ruin the wedding.”
Nick sighed and held her tightly. “The police have been alerted. Everyone is on the lookout. I’ll do everything in my power to stop him from ruining anything. I’ve sort of got connections, you know?”
Despite her anxiety, Holly smiled.
“And in the end, he loses anyway.” Nick leaned back to look at her. “Because I’m the one marrying you, not him. And there’s no way he’s going to change that.”
“You seem so calm,” Holly said. “Am I crazy for freaking out?”
“No. You’re just cautious. But don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine. Look at Heather and her hurricane wedding. Even if all our plans fall apart, we’ve already come out ahead as long as we have each other. There’s a reason why they’re called ‘silver linings.’ Hidden by those clouds, there’s still a sun shining behind it all.”
She winced. “That might be a little cheesy, even for me.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Well, sometimes I’m a little cheesy.”
She lifted a brow, her arms tightening around him. “So, no cold feet?”
“The exact opposite. I’ve got hot feet.”
Holly laughed. “What?”
“I can’t wait to marry you.”
Giggling, Holly stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on Nick’s lips. “So you do like my corny jokes?”
“Well, let’s not get carried away.”