Page 45 of Holly and Ivar
“Bite your tongue.”He held out his arm, rolling up his sleeve.“See these veins?Pure maple syrup.”
She laughed and brushed her fingers against his arm.That unforgettable, tingly warmth spread up her arm.She gently withdrew her hand, wondering if he felt it too, though she wasn’t quite brave enough to meet his eyes.
***
Ivar
“There you go, enjoy,” the server said, placing their drinks on the table.
“This place is dangerously comforting,” Holly said, stirring her foam.“If I lived here, I’d never get any work done.”
Ivar smiled, the heat from her touch still radiating up his arm.It was cute, the way she'd blushed, so he knew she'd felt it too.“Your work ethic is too strong, but I’d like to see you try.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but the bell over the door jingled so sharply that half the cafe glanced up.
Gwen Brooks swept in, cheeks flushed from the cold, a red scarf trailing behind her like a warning flag.She didn’t bother removing her gloves before striding straight toward their table.
“Ivar,” she said, slightly out of breath, “mind if I sit for a moment?”
He straightened, instantly wary.“Sure, Gwen.This is Holly Kringle.She’s with the family interested in the Hale land.”
Gwen nodded briskly and offered her hand across the table.“Nice to meet you, Ms.Kringle.I was actually just on the phone with an Adam Kringle not ten minutes ago.”
Holly blinked.“My father.”
“Right.Well, I’ll tell you both what I told him.”Gwen dropped into the empty chair, leaning forward, her expression grave.“Rowan Hale’s brother, Chad, has decided to get involved.And apparently, he’s managed to convince her not to sell.”
“So she’s pulling out?”Ivar asked.
“Worse,” Gwen said.“Chad’s put together a whole business plan.He wants to develop the land himself—a ski resort and spa.Says it’ll ‘modernize’ Winterwood and ‘bring in tourism dollars.’”She air-quoted the words.
Ivar’s hands curled around his mug.“I checked recently.That land isn’t zoned for that kind of development.”
“Not yet,” Gwen said.“But Chad’s persuasive.He’s already talking about investors and infrastructure grants.He’s got big-city energy and, apparently, enough charm to match.And Ivar, I’m sorry, but if this goes through… we’ll lose access to the trail network.”
The words hit like a gust of cold air.Ivar’s pulse quickened, and for a split second, he could swear heheardthe forest—the deep creak of branches, the moaning of ice under stress.A pressure built behind his ribs, sharp and protective, as if the land itself was calling out in protest.
“No commission for me,” Gwen added with a humorless laugh.“And a lot of angry townsfolk once the bulldozers roll in.Anyway…” She stood, pulling her scarf tight.“Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.Ms.Kringle, lovely to meet you.Though I suppose there’s no deal to be made now.”
And with that, she was gone—the door jingling behind her, letting in a swirl of cold before it shut again.
Silence filled the space between them.The cheerful buzz of the cafe felt suddenly distant, muffled by the weight of what Gwen had said.
Holly stared at the table, her latte cooling untouched.
Ivar exhaled hard, running a hand through his hair.“A ski resort.On that land.”He shook his head.
“Holly,” he said softly, but with clear determination.“We can’t let him destroy the forest, the tree.”
“Then we don’t.”
24
deck the hales
Holly
ThebuzzoftheMaple Mug faded into a dull hum as Holly pulled her tablet from her purse and set it between the mugs.The glow of the screen was harsh compared to the honeyed light of the cafe.
