Page 69 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

Heather chuckled again. “It was. Our venue was flooded, and the hurricane stranded half the guests.”

Holly shook her head. “I think I would have lost my mind.”

“Honey, I nearly did. But in the end, all of that didn’t matter. Don and I got hitched at the local fire station, and we laugh about our little adventure now. It makes for a fun story, at the very least. And we’ve been married for nearly forty years now.”

“That’s great, Heather,” Nick said. “Congratulations.”

“Appreciate it. And good luck to you both.”

“Thanks. So, is the maze tricky?” Holly asked.

Heather leaned forward once more. “Like most things in life, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble if it were easy.”

“Well, we might have an advantage.” Nick gestured at Cupid, who was sitting on his haunches, waiting. “We’ve got a pretty intuitive snow dog to help us out.”

“That is, unless a squirrel crosses his path,” Holly added.

Heather snorted. “Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Gorgeous dog, though. Husky?”

“Malamute,” Nick responded.

“He’s a beaut. In any case, you’ll want to get to the end of the maze, for sure.” Heather looked left and right as if she was about to let them in on a secret and didn’t want anyone else to hear. “When you get to the exit, there’s a special wish box. You write down your New Year’s wish on a card available there, drop it in the box, and your wish just might come true in the coming year.”

“How fun.” Holly stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “We’ll definitely make some New Year’s wishes.”

Nick glanced at Holly. “Not sure what I should write down. My wish already came true.”

Holly’s cheeks grew warmer. She turned from him to Heather. “Thanks again.”

“Enjoy the maze,” Heather replied with a wave.

With a nod, Nick hung his arm over Holly’s shoulders. They made their way past the booth and through the entrance, marked with a big, red arrow.

The sky darkened as Nick and Holly entered the maze. What seemed like a hundred Christmas trees encircled them, twinkling lights glowing everywhere. The snow came down in gentle waves, flakes landing on her nose and cheeks as Nick and Holly walked languidly through a literal winter wonderland.

Nick tucked the ticket stubs into his pocket before taking Holly’s hand.

Cupid trotted in front of them, sniffing the snow and the lower branches of the trees. It was quiet, with no music playing. The only sound that interrupted the silence was the bubble of children’s laughter. A peaceful calm surrounded Holly, easing her tension.

“This is beautiful.” Holly squeezed Nick’s hand. “One might say, ‘a-maze-ing.’”

Nick sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Yikes. It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

Holly playfully elbowed him. “But honestly, it’s mesmerizing. I almost don’t want to find my way out.”

“We could make it work,” Nick joked. “I’m pretty handy with tools. I could build us a little hut. The place has lighting, so that wouldn’t be an issue, and we have each other to keep warm.”

“There is a ton of foot traffic, though. So, not a lot of privacy.” Holly scrunched her nose.

They reached an intersection where they had to choose whether to go left or right.

“Which way?” Holly asked.

Cupid sniffed the air in front of them and then scurried to the right.

Nick smiled. “I say we trust the snow scout.”

Nick and Holly continued on their way, allowing Cupid to lead them through the trees. Holly leaned her head back to take in the panoramic view of the stars. She felt like she was in another world, one with no worries. Snowflakes landed on her face, but she welcomed them.

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