Page 22 of The Inn at Evergreen Hollow

“To befair, I usually have people to do that.” Nora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing back at the photo once more. “What has he been up to since school anyway? I remember he wanted to do something around here. I guess he really did stick to that.”

“He went to a trade school in Albany, to study carpentry.” Melanie shrugged. “And then he came back here. That’s why he was there with Blake at the event center that night—they and some of the other guys have been repairing it since the storm. But Aiden does all that kind of work around town. He takes some other projects too, for places outside of Evergreen Hollow. I think he’d have to, in order to make enough of a profit. It doesn’t help that he undercharges pretty much every resident here, I think,” Melanie added wryly.

“I just don’t understand why he would want to come back here,” Nora murmured, her gaze returning to the picture. Her brow furrowed as she studied it, remembering what little she knew of him. He’d been smart. Quiet, but definitely intelligent. He could have done a lot more than come back to Evergreen Hollow and patch up the buildings in his hometown for a pittance.

“I mean…” Melanie let out a small sigh. “A person might come back to their hometown for any number of reasons.” Her voice was gentle, but there was a slight pointedness to it as she continued. “I still live here too. And I love it. I don’t want to be anywhere else, even if I could make a lot more money running a coffee shop in a bigger city, or do anything else. I know small-town life isn’t for everyone, but it is for some of us. And for those who like it, this place feels like… like an oasis. A calm, quiet place away from all of the chaos, where we’ve made our lives exactly how we want them.”

Something about the sincerity in her friend’s voice struck Nora. She still didn’t understand the feeling, but it was clear thatMelanie did, and Aiden must too. She might not understand the particular charm of Evergreen Hollow, but it was clear that they believed in it. It held a clear allure for the people who lived there, and even if Nora thought they were a bit deluded, Melanie was clearly happy. Aiden had seemed happy too.

Maybe shehadbeen a touch too judgmental. Just a little.

Melanie reached for her cup of cocoa, taking a sip as she continued flipping through the yearbook. Nora looked at the photos, her gaze roaming over the pep rally pictures and the cheerleaders with the football team and the parades, the science fairs, and the end-of-year awards. As she did, she thought of all her ambitions, all those years.

She had always been so laser-focused on what she had wanted for herself, on what she was going toachievein the future. Her life had centered around plotting her escape from Evergreen Hollow, and she hadn’t bothered with anything other than fully detaching herself from those roots once she was gone.

She’d kept in touch with Melanie, as best as she had felt she could manage, but no one else. None of the classmates she’d once considered friends, or even those she’d known in passing, like Aiden. They’d vanished from her thoughts once she’d managed to flee Evergreen Hollow, and she hadn’t looked back.

She felt a little guilty for not recognizing him. She wondered, as Melanie picked up their junior yearbook, why he hadn’t brought it up when they’d met again at the event center. He could have mentioned that they’d gone to school together once he’d realized she didn’t recognize him, but he hadn’t, and she wasn’t sure why. If anything, he’d seemed a little guarded around her. Like he wasn’t entirely sure what to say.

“I have an idea,” Melanie said suddenly, cutting through Nora’s thoughts and startling her a little. Her voice had that bright, enthusiastic ring that Nora knew meant she was excited for something that she’d just thought of. “While you’re here, I’mgoing to show you a different side of Evergreen Hollow—all the things to do that we have fun with.” Her eyes sparkled, and there was a determined set to her jaw. “I want to show you there’s more going on here than you think.”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Rhonda spoke up immediately from Nora’s other side, and Nora knew instantly that she was outnumbered. Her mother sounded as thrilled about Melanie’s idea as Melanie herself was. “You could go ice skating!”

“There’s a weekly cooking class at the event center too. It’s themed. I think next week’s is French cooking. From that Julia Child cookbook,” Melanie added. “Or the shelter always needs people to volunteer to walk the dogs, and there are such gorgeous hiking trails here, even in the winter.”

Nora laughed, shaking her head. As hesitant as she was to immerse herself any further in Evergreen Hollow, she had to admit that it did sound like fun.

“Slow down,” she said, still chuckling. “I’ve already committed to helping with the festival, so I’m not going to havetoomuch free time on my hands. I’ll start with one thing and go from there. How does that sound?”

Melanie and Rhonda glanced at each other, and Nora saw a look pass between them that she couldn’t figure out, almost as if they’d thought of the same secret at the same time. She couldn’t imagine what it could be. In a town where everyone knew everything about everyone else, she didn’t think there were that many secrets to be shared.

“You should try a ballroom dancing class,” Melanie said decisively. “There’s a little place at the edge of town called the Crescendo Dance Studio. It’s really fun, and the teacher is very patient. I think you should start with that.”

She couldn’t come up with an objection. She thought it was as good an option as any. Ice skating seemed more likely to end in a broken ankle, and she’d always been so bad at cooking thatthe idea ofthatclass made her think it was only going to result in embarrassment.

As for the shelter idea, she didn’t mind dogs, but she was already walking around outside in the cold far too much for her own comfort. She had experience with dance, at least, although the fact that neither Melanie nor her mother realized that reminded her uncomfortably of the distance that had grown over the years.

“Ballroom dancing it is,” she agreed, and frowned as Rhonda and Melanie exchanged another of those knowing glances. “But the festival takes priority.”

“Of course!” Both women on either side of her agreed in tandem, and Nora let out a breath.

It was decided, then. But there was no rush.

She’d get around to it eventually.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

By the following afternoon, Nora had printed out pictures of all the new materials that she had ordered for decorations, with excited plans to go to theGazetteand share them with Sabrina. The woman had been a bit prickly when she’d been there last, but Nora felt sure that once she saw what had been chosen, she’d share in Nora’s excitement. After all, it was one less thing for her to worry about to ensure that the festival went off without a hitch.

She’d printed off the photos in the small office at the inn, tucking them into a manila envelope and sliding them into her big leather tote purse. She bundled up, opting today for a cheery red angora sweater that matched the festive town mood, slim black jeans, and her Hunter boots with her cashmere wool peacoat and the navy scarf she’d bought over it all. She needed to make a stop at the general store today as well, since she needed a handful of odds and ends for securing the decorations once they arrived. Thumb tacks, hooks, and twine, all things that she could get easily at Sugar Maple.

Leon was behind the counter as always when Nora arrived, a cup of coffee in front of him as he went over something in a notebook. He had a friendly smile and a wave for her as shewalked in, and she raised a hand in response, making her way around the store as she picked up the few things she needed. She couldn’t help but notice that there was a more relaxed pace to her errands these days. In Boston, she would have been running around frantically if she needed to make a stop for something like this, probably on a call while answering a text on her Apple watch at the same time. There was no need for any of that here. No one was rushing her to get this done, and she hadn’t even brought her watch with her.

Similarly, her phone had remained markedly silent for days. She’d been mildly hurt by it at first. That her boss and coworkers weren’t frantic to ask her questions about things that needed to be done, and that Rob hadn’t regretted his choice within a day or two and started to blow up her phone. But now, she was starting to find that she enjoyed the peace, just as she was enjoying sipping the latte she had gotten from Melanie while browsing the shelves at the general store.

After a few minutes, she took her purchases up to the counter. Leon grinned at her as he rang them up, reaching for a paper bag.

“I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to have an expert like yourself helping with the festival this year,” he said, and she could hear the mixture of fatherly teasing and sincerity in his voice. “Between the new and improved event center, and your hands in the planning, this one is going to be one for the books I think.”

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