Page 1 of The Inn at Evergreen Hollow

CHAPTER ONE

Greenery, flowers, mistletoe, music…

Nora Stoker hummed along to herself as she ran down the checklist on the clipboard in her hand, the soft sound of strings playing “Ave Maria”filtering from the ballroom just beyond the doors.

Christmastime weddings were, in her opinion, both some of the most beautiful and the most difficult to pull off. They needed to be elegant while still evoking that holiday warmth, without any of the tackiness that could come from beingtooon-the-nose with the decorations and music.

But, as always, she thought that it had been executed flawlessly. There was abundant greenery with hints of gold and soft lighting, the occasional red of roses and poinsettias, and the final touch, a single sprig of mistletoe hanging above the doors where the happy couple would exit after saying their vows. A small detail that she was proud to say she had thought of herself.

After all, that was why brides came to Metropolitan Events for their wedding planning. They were known for those small touches that could make even the largest event feel personal.

She checked off the last item on the list, looking around for one of the ushers. She spied one of them, a tall brown-hairedyoung man in his early twenties standing stiffly in the black-and-white uniform of the hotel. Her heels clicking against the tile as she walked quickly in his direction. She was dressed similarly, in slim black trousers and a cream-colored silk shirt with pearl buttons, the sleeves now rolled up and buttoned at her elbows after a morning of running around and checking off every item on her list.

Nora tucked a single wayward bit of light brown hair behind her ear, smiling pleasantly at the usher as she approached.

“Is everything set for the bride to walk down the aisle? We have less than an hour until the ceremony.”

The usher nodded. “Valet is out front, starting to receive guests, and there are ushers ready to escort everyone to their seats. The string quartet is set up just as you asked, and caterers are here and starting to prep for the cocktail hour, just as soon as the ceremony is over. The bride’s photographers have already arrived. Two were down here for guest arrivals, one was with the groom and his party, and another was with the bride and hers. And there were two videographers as well, one to document guest arrivals and another going back and forth between the bride and groom.”

Nora nodded as he spoke, running down her list again to double-check each item. “All right. I’ll be ready as soon as the bride arrives, then. Make sure everyone is on headset, I need to be able to fix anything that might go wrong on a moment’s notice.”

“Nothing will go wrong, ma’am.” There was a confidence in his voice that told Nora that this was likely the first wedding he’d worked.

She, on the other hand, had coordinated more than she could count by now. Somethingalwayswent wrong. It was her job, once the ceremony began, to ensure that those mishaps were so flawlessly corrected that the bride would never know. That therewould never be any evidence of it. It was imperative that itseemas if nothing ever went wrong.

It was a job that she genuinely loved. Since she’d graduated with a degree in hospitality from Boston University, she’d worked for Metropolitan Events, coordinating weddings and parties and proms with an enthusiasm that always made her feel secure that she had made the right choice for her career.

She’d coordinated fancy events for corporations and other businesses too, but her favorite clients were always the individuals. The newly engaged couples, the mothers planning a quinceañera for their daughters, the schools looking to throw a prom or winter dance. It always felt so satisfying to know that she had played a key role in making memories that would last someone a lifetime, no matter how much work it entailed.

And it was always alotof work. She’d been up since before six, getting ready to go to the venue and triple-check everything. But the result would be a perfect day for a new bride, and Nora never doubted for a second how much she loved it all, from start to finish.

As the guests began to file in, Nora took up her position halfway down the aisle and to one side of the room, blending in with the decor as she watched to ensure that no last-minute interceptions were needed.

The guests were filing down the green and gold velvet runner that ran the length of the aisle, being ushered to their appropriate seats—one side for family and friends of the bride, the other for the groom, closest family in the front two rows. Nora could hear the bride’s mother commenting on how tasteful the decorations were, and she felt a flush of pleasure as she glanced toward the ballroom doors, knowing that the bride would be entering in less than five minutes.

Everything had been planned, down to the second. And right on cue, as the last of the guests took their seat, Nora heard the music change.

The bride was stunning. For a moment, Nora couldn’t help but picture herself on her own upcoming wedding day, as she saw the pretty brunette in the long-sleeved and full-skirted Mikado silk gown start to glide down the aisle.

She’d picked out something more appropriate for an early summer wedding, a thin silk and lace dress, but she felt an eager flutter of excitement in her stomach as she watched the bride approach the altar and the smiling groom. It had been difficult in the bustle of the last few months to find much time for planning, but she couldn’t wait for the slower month of January to get back to it.

She could picture her own fiancé standing there, smiling brightly at her as she approached, maybe even welling up with the faintest hint of tears.

A sharp bark broke her out of her momentary reverie, and Nora’s head snapped immediately toward the source of the disturbance. In the front row, she saw the culprit: a small black Scottish terrier with a plaid collar standing up on his hind legs, front paws firmly placed on the seat in front of him.

The yipping began just as the officiant began to say the familiar words, “Dearly beloved…”

Nora darted forward, intent on the first of the promised mishaps.

She’d had a feeling something like this would happen when one of the bridesmaids, who owned the terrier, had insisted on bringing the dog to the ceremony. Despite Nora’s gentle suggestions that the venue didn’t usually allow animals and that it might be best to leave the dog at home, the bridesmaid had whipped out emotional support animal paperwork instead, promising in the same breath that the mother of the bride wouldbe happy to hold onto the little terror for the duration of the ceremony.

As if to add insult to injury, Nora saw that it wasnotthe mother of the bride holding the dog, but one of the bride’s cousins, who was clearly having trouble holding onto the small creature.

The dog was squirming now, readying itself for another volley of yips as the bride began her vows, and Nora moved swiftly down the aisle, thanking her lucky stars that the dog was situated only two seats down from her side of the room. It might have been so much worse if she’d had to make her way down the aisle to get the dog in full view of the videographer.

Just as she reached the edge of the seats, the small terrier twisted out of the cousin’s hands, launching itself into the air like the world’s furriest bottle rocket. Nora gasped, nearly breaking into a run as she grabbed for the dog, her hands closing on the wiry fur just as the small terrier nearly made it to the front row.

“Comehere!” she whispered under her breath, tucking the writhing animal under her arm. A few guests had begun to look around, but she had managed to get the dog before it burst out onto the aisle—or worse, ran under the bride’s skirts or upset the decor—and Nora darted for a side door, narrowly preventing the wedding from being entirely disturbed.

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