Page 1 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

CHAPTER 1

Sofia

I tightenedmy grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles white against the cold plastic. Slowing to a crawl down Main Street, I took in the way Snow Hill glowed in all its Christmas glory. The small, Pennsylvania town looked like it belonged in a snow globe on the shelf of one of its magical shops—not out here in the real world, where things sometimes sucked, and not everyone got their happily ever after.

Then again, wasn't that why I was back here? To snag some Christmas magic of my own?

True, last year's Snow Hill trip had ended with the guy I liked turning out to be abadguy during an epic snowstorm. But my time in this town had started out well, and there was a happy ending—just not for me and the bad guy.

Which was for the best, of course.

Either way, maybe that meant Snow Hill could make the bad things in life a little more magical, and so here I was.

Every lamppost I passed as I headed toward the town’s famous inn was wrapped in garlands and red bows, and every door on every house had a wreath and lights. It was actuallymandatory in Snow Hill that residents decorate their homes for Christmas—in the HOA rules and everything.

I wanted to roll my eyes when I first heard that, but I couldn’t bring myself to ignore the sweetness. How simple and safe must it be in this place for them to mandatedecorations?

My lips quirked into a smile before I caught myself, quickly replacing it with a forced frown. I wasn't here to be charmed. I was here because Philadelphia had finally swallowed me whole.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled up in front of the old Victorian with its beautiful wrap-around porch and festive lights. The Snow Hill Inn was an icon, and I couldn’t wait to settle in. But then I realized I had no idea where to park. When I visited last year, I hadn't brought my car. Did they have a parking lot around the back? Was the street parking for guests?

I told myself to chill out as I managed a decent parallel park across the street, and then I lowered my forehead to the steering wheel with a sigh. My car wasn't even off yet, and already I was letting overthinking and anxiety creep in. Would it be like this the whole time?

I hated that part of myself—the way my mind spun scenarios and dissected details until even the simplest things felt overwhelming. Philly had been full of noise and overwhelm, but this? This was supposed to be my escape. Snow Hill wasn’t just a place on a map; it was a chance to breathe again.IfI could let go and let myself enjoy it.

By the time I made it to the porch, however, most of my worries were replaced with concentration as I focused on lugging my suitcases up the steps without slipping. I opened the door, immediately greeted by intense warmth that burrowed deep into my bones—and it wasn't just the temperature of the inn, but the wattage of Joan Patterson's smile as the friendly innkeeper rushed forward.

The woman’s round face was stretched so wide it should've cracked right open. "Sofia!" Joan sang.

I grinned as I hefted my suitcases through the door. “Hi!”

Joan barely gave me time to close the door before she wrapped me in a hug, her Christmas-sweater-clad arms squeezing tightly before releasing me with a pat on the shoulder.

The greeting caught me off guard. I wasn’t a stranger to overzealous hugs—thanks to my loud and proud family—but Joan hosted so many visitors at her inn that I’d been afraid the woman wouldn’t even recognize me.

"I'm so glad you made it,” Joan said, grinning at me like I was a lost relative. “Tommy's here—said you'd be rolling in about now."

"Great," I said, anxious to see my baby brother. Well, he'd always be that tome, but he was over six feet tall and a police officer, so he was most definitely not a baby anymore. "Where is he?"

"Right here," Tommy answered, wandering in from the sitting room with a to-go cup from the local cafe. "Got you a peppermint mocha."

I eyed my brother. “Did you poison it?”

“Um, that would be illegal.” He gestured to his police uniform.

“So this is just a nice surprise? No tricks?”

Just as I was about to take the cup, Tommy pulled it out of my reach. "Sorry, what did you say? You don't want it?"

"Gimme, gimme," I said, making grabby hands at the cup.

Tommy surrendered the thoughtful treat, and I brought it to my lips, moaning in delight as it warmed me from the inside out. "Aw, you actually remembered to ask for extra sweetener."

"I listen. Sometimes," he replied. "Anyway, you look good. Better than you sounded on the phone, that's for sure."

I shot him a glare. "Don't start."

"Just saying."

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