Page 40 of The Inn at Evergreen Hollow

“Sabrina and I had it out a little, at the planning meeting today. I had a bunch of the decorations ready and explained my ideas, and she just burst in and said it was all too grand!”

Nora’s voice rose, more animated and cracking a little as she continued. It was clear that Sabrina had hurt her feelings badly.

“She said I’ve—that I’ve ruined everything that makes the festival special to Evergreen Hollow, that none of it supports or has anything to do with the people who live here, and that it’s alljust cold and corporate now.” She sniffed, and Aiden thought it might not entirely be because of the cold. “I worked so hard on it, and it feels like it’s all for nothing.”

Aiden was quiet for a long moment as they continued to walk, and he could feel Nora looking at him.

“What are you thinking?” she asked softly, and he sighed.

“You’re not going to like hearing it.”

He rubbed his other hand over his mouth, feeling the light scratch of stubble under his glove. He hadn’t bothered shaving before they came out for their walk, in too much of a hurry to get Nora after he’d finished up work. Besides, he thought she might like it.

“I understand where Sabrina is coming from,” he admitted, glancing at Nora to weigh her reaction. “The spirit of the festival is all about keeping things local. Outsourcing any of it takes away from that. It takes away from what it’s always been meant to be about. It’s not about how pretty or fancy it is, it’s about showcasing what’s here, right here in Evergreen Hollow.”

Nora swallowed hard, audibly, and he felt her tug her fingers away. The color was high in her cheeks when he looked at her again, and he could tell that she was upset. It hurt his heart to see it. He hadn’t wanted to upset her. But he also wanted to be honest with her. If they were going to have any kind of relationship, they had to be able to be honest with each other.

“Some of the other women felt that way too,” Nora said quietly, shoving her hands into her pockets. “They were on board until Sabrina said her piece, and I could see they’d been having some of those same thoughts. Even Bethany and Melanie weren’t completely on my side anymore.” She bit her lip. “I just don’t think I fit in here. I’m clearly not a good match with the people here. We don’t think the same. We don’t see things the same way.”

She looked at Aiden, her expression dulled, the earlier happiness he’d seen in her drained away.

“In Boston, I was a successful event planner. One of the top ones in my field. People loved the events I put on. They came back and asked for me again. I did graduations and weddings, bridal and baby showers, all for the same people. There’s a sense of community in that too, isn’t there? But they loved what I did. Everyone here thinks it’s soulless.”

Aiden let out a breath. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say, and he didn’t want to make things worse. “Just because the people here want to keep the event more local,” he said slowly, “doesn’t mean they don’t like you, Nora. It doesn’t mean that you’re not fitting in here.”

She looked up at him, tears glittering in her eyes. “What else would you call it?” she demanded, her voice rising slightly. He could hear the crack in it, and it made his own chest ache. “I’ve started to see the beauty in Evergreen Hollow, but what does that matter if no one here wants anything I can bring to the table?”

Nora swallowed hard, looking away as she clearly tried to get her emotions back under control.

“At the end of the day,” she said, her voice low and edged with frustration. “The people here just can’t look beyond the confines of their small town. Not even to think a little bit outside the box.”

Silence hung in the air for a long moment. “You’re a great example of that,” she said finally, her voice still quiet as she turned to look at him. “You have a great education as a carpenter. You went to a good trade school. You have everything going for you—talent, drive, recommendations—and yet instead of using it on a bigger scale, where your abilities could have really shone, you came back to Evergreen Hollow.”

He recoiled slightly, the words stinging. He took a step back, slightly, feeling as if she’d reached in and poked a nerve that she in particular knew how to find. It hurt, to have his confidences used against him like that.

“And all you ever cared about was climbing the ladder,” he retorted, his voice still quiet and even, but no less sharp. “There’s more to life than that, Nora! All this knowledge you have about how to put together an event and what goes with what and how to attract visitors.”

He waved his hands in frustration, letting out a breath as he tried to find the right words through his anger and hers.

“Whatmatters, ultimately, is the personal touch. The thoughtfulness that goes into something. All these grand plans you have for the festival are perfect examples ofthat. These people don’t want impersonal and fancy. They don’t want perfectly catered menus and custom signs that someone who’s never been to Evergreen Hollow or cared about it made.”

He let out a heavy sigh, feeling a distance between them that hadn’t been there before.

“They just want to have a good time with their neighbors, and celebrate with them,” Aiden said finally. “Even if it comes off as a little tacky in the execution.”

Nora swallowed hard, nodding. He thought he’d never seen her look so sad, and his chest ached, knowing he’d contributed to it. But he couldn’t have lied to her. He couldn’t have said he felt differently than he did, and he hoped she wouldn’t have wanted him to.

“I should’ve just let the planning committee handle it themselves.” Nora turned away, starting to walk back toward where he’d parked the truck. “I should never have tried to help.”

“That wouldn’t have been necessary,” he started to say, but she shook her head, walking a little faster.

“I’m tired.” Her shoulders hunched forward, her head ducked down. “I should go home.”

The drive back was silent, the truck filled with all the things he wished he could say and all the things she seemed to wish she hadn’t. She got out of the truck before he could come around to open her door, without saying goodbye. There was a heavy feeling as she stepped out, and he wondered if he’d see her again.

They hadn’t parted ways like this before. He didn’t like it.

But he didn’t know what to do to fix it either… or if he even should.

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