Page 3 of Knotty, Nice, & Holiday Lights
What’s the worst that could happen?
“Okay,” I say firmly, nodding my head to myself. “I’ll go to Crescent Lake for Thanksgiving. I can tell my family that a big project has a tight deadline and I can’t make it.”
“You’ve made the right decision.” Bec’s tone has that strange vibe to it, where she knows something you don’t and will go to her grave with the information.
This woman is trouble. The best kind of trouble, usually.
I’m putting my office belongings away when my phone chimes with Bec’s text, giving me the address and booking information for the B&B.
The Cozy Crescent.
Huh. That sounds… cute.
It’s then I catch that the check-in time istomorrow morning.
What the hell, Bec?
After a moment of gaping at the screen, I rush for my bedroom to get my suitcases packed. One for everyday clothes, the other for miscellaneous items, like a puffy coat and winter boots, just in case.
Once I have my laptop packed in its bag, I grab my stuffed bunny from the office and stick it in one of the suitcase's zipper compartments.
Later, I rummage through my fridge and stuff myself with leftovers from the night before, take out the trash so it won’t stink while I’m gone, and take a nap.
It will be a seven-hour drive, and the check-in time is 11 am, so I’ll be leaving in the early morning darkness.
My alarm rouses me, and I shower and then dress by the dim bedside lamp. Before I put my shoes on, I reach for the little notepad and pen on my nightstand that I usually use to jot down ideas I have in my dreams. I can’t remember if I dreamed anything during the five hours of sleep I’d gotten, but that’s not what I need the paper for this time.
I write three names on the small sheet:Troy, Bill,andHugo.
My supervisor, the general manager, and the CEO.
I tear the sheet off the pad, then tear twice more to separate the names, fold them in half, and stick them into my sneaker. When I slip my foot in the shoe and feel the little papers crinkle, a sense of satisfaction overtakes me.
With every step I take, I’ll crush them underfoot and rise above them, all while telling the universe I want them out of my path.
An old trick I learned from my elderly neighbor while I was growing up. It never ceased to make me feel better.
With bags in tow and enemies squashed, I leave my apartment to head to Crescent Lake.
Chapter Two
Crescent Lake is absolutely gorgeous.
Despite it being as cold as fuck here, the grass is deep green and lush. Many of the trees still cling to their rainbow leaves, occasionally floating to the ground when rustled by a breeze.
As I drive through the Main Street area, and a bit beyond, everywhere I turn are beautiful autumn-themed decorations—giant cornucopias, oversized metalwork leaves painted in all the autumn colors—mixed with some of the cutest cartoon-style turkeys, some blow-ups, others weighted plastic. Storefront windows are all decorated from the inside out, some painted with Thanksgiving scenes, others with string-light candy corn or acorns.
The backdrop to this beautiful scene is a serene mountain range that looks like a painting you’d find in a museum. It leaves me breathless.
Vibes so cozy wrap around my whole body that I can’t help but grin.
The Cozy Crescent is not far from Main Street, about four blocks west, sitting on the crest of a hill. It looks like a quaint European cottage, gray stones of all shapes, sizes, and shades make walls, the roof is steep-pitched, and I count two chimney stacks. The front door is bright red, an autumn-themed wreath hangs from it, the fixed window shutters are the same color as the door.
I travel around to the back, following the perfectly manicured grass line and entering a smooth asphalt parking area. I park just at the back of the building and climb out of my car, shivering in my hoodie as I lock up, then walk to the pretty stone path that circles back around to the front. When I’m almost at the door, I turn toward the street and stare in awe at the sight before me.
From here, nearly all the town is in view, from the farthest mountains to the town’s namesake lake, to Main Street with all its decorations.
Something about this place makes me feel more peaceful than ever.
