Page 4 of Matchmaking Under the Mistletoe

“Uhhh, well actually, my phone is dead, and I haven’t memorized a number since 2001,” I say with a grimace.Shit, I probably wasn’t supposed to admit that either right? God, I’m a disaster.

Huey just shakes his head before letting out another chuckle. “Well, I’ll be damned, Miss Millie. You sure know how to get yourself in a pickle, huh? Okay, what about this, would it feel better if I called down to the station and let the sheriff’sdepartment know you’re here? You can tell them who you are, and they’ll vouch for me. You know, just to verify I’m not wanted for any violent crimes or anything like that?”

I let out a laugh before shaking my head. “Well, you know, I don’t think that would hurt if you wouldn’t be too offended.”

“Not at all. Just give me a second and let me find my damned cell phone; it’s always running away on me. I’ll be right back,” he says before disappearing inside. I hear him shuffling through drawers before he comes back out with an ancient looking flip phone and dials a number.

“Hey, Sheriff Mitchell. I’ve got a quick favor to ask of ya,” he says before rolling his eyes. “Yes, Sheriff, just because I retired doesn’t mean I’m blind. I see the snow… Yes, yes, I know everyone is driving like they’re assholes since they’ve never seen snow before, but it won’t take but a second… A young lady broke down here in front of my farm, and her phone is dead. Can you just reassure her she’s safe and won’t end up on an episode ofCriminal Minds?”

Huey laughs again before handing out his phone to me. “Here you go. Ask him whatever you want. I’ll be inside.”

He closes the door behind him, and I shiver on the porch before putting his phone to my ear. “Hey, this is Millie Pouncey. Are you the county sheriff?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m Sheriff Mitchell. I’m sorry it sounds like you’re having a bit of trouble today. But all jokes aside, I’ve worked with Huey for the last twenty years. I can promise you, he’s as harmless as can be. Honestly, if any of my girls were in your situation, I’d want them to find someone like him,” the man says, and I feel myself relax a bit more as he continues.

“He was the fire chief here until he retired this summer, and he’s made a bigger, more positive impact on a lot of the kids in this town than you can imagine. I would send someone out there to help y’all out, but this snowstorm has people not knowingtheir asses from their elbows. We’re running all over the place. But anyway, Huey will help you find somewhere to stay, and I’ll have someone check in on you tonight. Why don’t you let me jot your name and number down, and I’ll fill in the rest of the force on your situation. We’ll make sure you’re safe while you’re here, and Huey will give you my number in case you need anything,” he says, and I can hear the phone ringing in the background.

“Okay, thank you, Sheriff Mitchell. I’ll be in touch. Thanks for your help,” I say before listing out my information and snapping the ancient flip phone shut and opening the front door. The house is quaint but tidy, and I’m briefly hit with the feeling that this little farmhouse held ten times the love and laughs compared to the mansion I spent the last ten years living in with Allen.

“Come on in and let me grab you some coffee. Once you’re warmed up, we’ll start working on a place for you to stay. But first, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

I try not to grimace at that because it occurs to me that I don’t have the slightest clue what to say about myself.

I don’t think I fully realized until yesterday how much of myself I’d given up to fit into the mold of the pretty little perfect wife. Outside of my daily runs through the city, my hobbies and interests died pretty soon after I said “I do”, but I don’t think the man in front of me would really understand that even if I told him.

“Umm, well. I’m thirty-one, and I'm from Washington, D.C. I was driving through when a deer tried to attack my car, and here we are,” I say with a weak grin.

“Do you have a job? Are you single? Come on, girl, you gotta give this old man more than that. Those nothing responses might work in D.C, but the people around here are some nosey sons of bitches,” Huey teases.

“Umm, no job other than running my ex-husband's social calendar. I organized several of the charity functions for him too, but that’s it. I guess that answers your other question too. Newly single, I suppose,” I say and try to ignore the pang of sadness I feel at that statement.

“How ‘newly’ are we talking?” Huey asks as he raises his eyebrow in my direction.

“You weren’t kidding about the nosey son of a bitch thing, were you?” I joke, making Huey laugh.

“You have no idea,” he replies under his breath.

I let out a sigh before responding, “My divorce was finalized yesterday. I found out last month that my ex-husband cheated on me for the last several years with all three of his assistants. So, I guess you could say it’s pretty freaking new, but at the same time, a part of me feels like I’ve been on my own for years.”

Huey gives me a short nod and replies, “Got it. I gotta say, if he’s that much of an idiot, he doesn’t deserve you anyway. Why don’t I make a few calls and see if we can find you a place to stay? Judging by the damage to your car, you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Just make yourself at home, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

With that, he stands and walks back onto the porch, and I marvel at how much my plans have changed over the last hour.

CHAPTER 3

BRIAN

“Oh my gosh, Brian, I bet I’ve literally called your cell a hundred times this morning. I’m sorry, but we’re completely swamped. Is there any way you can come help us here at the inn?” Bridget, my cousin and receptionist at Deer Valley Inn, asks as soon as I pick up my phone.

I swear my phone has been ringing nonstop since I opened my eyes this morning. I know Springside, Alabama isn’t at the top of the list for snowy places in America, but sweet baby Jesus, these people are losing their fucking minds.

“Uhh, I’m not sure Bridget. I’ve had to reschedule the city council meeting because half of them are scared to leave the house. I was supposed to spend the morning going through bids on the expansion we’re doing on City Hall, but instead I spent an hour on hold with the lady at the Emergency Management Agency. She’s trying to figure out how long this storms gonna last, and I’ve missed three calls from the sheriff’s office because, all of a sudden, no one can drive like they have any damn sense. I’m also trying to finalize next year’s budget that’s due on Friday. Oh, and the grocery store shelves cleared out as soon as the word ‘flurry’ was mentioned. You know I don’t mind helping, but doyou think you can get someone else to cover? It’s just not a great time to try to get away,” I say, grimacing as I watch yet another car skid into the curb of the sidewalk outside my office window.

“Well, let’s see, we’ve had eight calls today about booking weddings for the summer after that article went live yesterday inWeddings and Winemagazine. Which would be great if they didn’t ask nine thousand questions every time they called, and the snowstorm from hell hadn’t decided to make its once in a decade appearance. Also, everyone has decided the snow is a reason to drink. The winery here has had a line out the door since nine this morning, and we went from having nine open rooms in the inn down to just one in the last hour. Also, none of the staff from Saddle Ridge could make the drive over, so I’ve been the only one in the lobby answering phones since I got here this morning. I haven’t even had time to go to the bathroom, never mind eat lunch,” she says, and I instantly feel guilty.

Deer Valley Inn has been in my family for generations, and after my mom passed last year, I’ve done everything I can to fill in the gaps and keep the place running smoothly. Apparently, all it takes is a couple inches of snow to turn those gaps into gaping holes.

“I’m sorry, Bridget. This snow has really thrown both of our days for a loop, I guess. Wait, why isn’t Helen handling the wedding stuff?” I ask, referring to the middle-aged woman I hired a few months ago to oversee events.

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