Page 60 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

With a sigh, Holly petted Cupid, settling next to Nick to wait out the storm.

Chapter Twenty

Holly stretched and swung her legs over the bed. After slipping her feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers, she trudged toward the kitchen. Her head was calling for coffee after a night of little sleep. The storm had eventually died down, but Holly’s adrenaline had taken longer to dwindle.

Before she reached the kitchen, she found Nick in the living room, pulling on his boots.

“Good morning.” Holly kissed him on the cheek.

Cupid sniffed her slippers and then looked up at her curiously, his tongue hanging out as he panted.

“Good morning,” Nick replied.

“Where are you off to?”

“I thought Cupid could use some fresh air after last night.” Nick grabbed a tennis ball off the table. “We’re going for a run up the mountain to toss the ball around a bit before I have to go to work.”

“It snowed a lot. Be careful on the roads.”

“We will.” Nick pulled on his coat.

Holly tilted her head. “Will Cupid be able to find the ball in all that snow?”

“He loves a challenge.”

“I think he gets that from you.” Holly fixed his dark gray scarf and then used it to pull him in for a kiss. “Have you seen my mom yet?”

“No. I think she’s still asleep.”

“Ah, okay, I’ll let her sleep in a bit. That wind was so loud, it echoed in my dreams.”

Nick pocketed the tennis ball. “Hopefully, the worst is over.”

She smiled at him. “Have fun on the mountain.”

“See you later.”

When Nick and Cupid left, all was quiet. Holly went into the kitchen, grateful the coffee had already been brewed. She poured a steaming cup and had just made her way to her laptop on the kitchen table when her phone buzzed.

“Hello?”

“Ms. St. Ives, it’s Marie from Blossom Boutique.”

Holly tensed. Something was wrong. “Yes?”

“I’m afraid I have some terrible news.”

She shook. Though Nick’s reassuring words had calmed her the night before, her nerves became frazzled all over again. “What is it?”

“The shop suffered considerable damage because of the storm.” Marie’s voice cracked as if she were holding back tears. “The front window was completely broken in from branches flying free in the wind. That let the snow in, and we don’t know if that had anything to do with the electrical fire or …” She trailed off and sniffled.

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”

There was another sniffle on the line. “Eighty percent of our stock is ruined. Including your gown, I’m afraid.”

Holly couldn’t find her breath. Was this really happening? Marie continued to speak, but Holly could barely process anything she was saying.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Holly said. “This must be so heartbreaking. I hope your insurance covers the damages.”

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