Page 36 of The Inn at Evergreen Hollow

She looked over, about to say something to Aiden, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw that he wasn’t next to her. She turned around, pulse beating for an entirely different reason, and she saw that some several yards back the path had forked. Lost in thought, she must have fallen back a little and veered off.

Quickly, she turned around, retracing her steps. She was sure he would come back too, once he realized they’d gotten separated, but she didn’t see him. Itmusthave been this fork where they’d lost track of each other, but when she went left instead of right, assuming she’d catch up to him quickly, she didn’t see any sign of him. Not even boot prints, to suggest that he’d come this way.

She felt a spark of panic, blooming in her chest.This was a mistake,she thought.The hike. Coming back. All of it.She knew it was an overreaction, but turned around in the woods, it almost felt like a sign. Like a reminder that she didn’t belong here in Evergreen Hollow.

Nora turned around, her heart hammering in her chest—and then she heard Aiden’s voice calling through the trees.

“Nora?”

“I’m here!” She lifted her hand, waving it, although she couldn’t see him to tell if he could see her. “I’m over here!”

“I hear you! Just stay there!”

A moment later, she saw him coming through the trees, and she felt a little weak with relief. He caught up to her, concern on his face, and Nora felt herself flush a little.

“It all looks the same to me out here,” she admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. “Just snow-covered landscape. I got turned around.”

“Your lack of direction really is appalling,” he said gravely, but she could see the corners of his mouth twitching. “At least one of us can find our way.”

“Thank goodness for that.” She could see the humor in his eyes, that he wasn’t annoyed, and it eased her anxiety. She laughed, glancing ahead. “Want to help me find my way back to where we’re supposed to be?”

“Gladly.”

Aiden guided her back to the trail, and they hiked up the hill in companionable silence once more, Nora being more careful not to get separated. “This way,” he said, pointing to the peak of the hill. “The best spot to watch the sun rise.”

She followed him up, a little out of breath, but as they stood side by side she could see the sky starting to flood with color, the first rays of dawn breaking. It was stunningly beautiful, and it made her breath catch a little, seeing it.

“I’m sorry for the heartbreak you’ve been through recently.” Aiden’s voice startled her a little, low and quiet. “But I’m grateful it brought you back to Evergreen Hollow.”

Nora turned, surprised. His face was serious, his eyes meeting hers, and she felt the quick leap of her heart in her chest. “I am too,” she said softly, looking up at him, and she saw his lips curve in a soft smile.

His hand reached up, gloved fingers touching her jaw as he leaned in, and her heart raced. It had been a long time since someone had kissed her for the first time.

And when his mouth touched hers, there on the snowy hillside as the sun came up around them, she was glad it was him.

CHAPTER TWENTY

After the hike, Nora came home feeling the most rejuvenated that she had since she’d been home. Even the early hour that she’d gotten up and the physical exertion hadn’t worn her out, and she came back to the inn eager to dive back in to planning for the festival. The inn had been quiet when she came back, but she’d grabbed a couple of banana muffins and another mug of coffee, and hours had passed before she’d looked up from her notebook and realized it was past lunch.

Her high spirits extended into the evening. She knew that part of it was because of the kiss with Aiden—a kiss that she had to admit a small part of her had been hoping for, but that she hadn’t been sure would really happen.

She knew too, that she was starting to have feelings for him. It felt impossible not to. The easy way they were able to talk to one another, the way she felt so comfortable around him, the clear respect he had for her and her accomplishments even though her life had been so different from his—and it didn’t hurt that he’d grown up to be an incredibly handsome man. She could feel the casual interest starting to grow into something more. Surprisingly, it didn’t frighten her as much as she had thought it might.

Everything with him felt so different from how it had with Rob—night and day, so different that it felt impossible to compare, even if she had really wanted to. Which she didn’t, because for the first time in a long time, everything about her romantic life felt sogood.

It felt right. It made her feel as if she were finally on the right path, while simultaneously making her realize that she hadn’t been before. Rob had never been right for her. She just hadn’t been able to admit it, because it would have felt like failure. She hated failure.

She would have rather been trapped than admit a mistake. But now, she saw it all more clearly.

Her mother came in just then, her father just behind Rhonda, and Nora’s excitement crested. She’d been waiting all day to share her ideas with them, and she waved excitedly at her parents, gesturing at the chairs next to the fire.

“Can you sit down for a minute? I want to tell you something I’ve been thinking about.”

“Of course,” her father said affably, sinking into the chair. Rhonda sat down next to him, a curious expression on her face.

“What’s going on, Nora? You look like you’re about to explode at the seams.”

“I have an idea.” Nora turned to face them, trying to speak carefully through her excitement. “You told me a few days ago that things have been slow at the inn. Fewer guests than usual, this time of year.”

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