Page 19 of Snowed In for Christmas

Tommy didn't reply with more than a head shake as he walked away, but... Yeah. Showing Grace what she'd be missing—other than him, of course—when she left wasn't exactly a bad idea.

CHAPTER7

Grace

Grace steppedinto the organized chaos of Snow Hill's Annual Holiday Scavenger Hunt, immediately immersed in the festive atmosphere. She grinned widely as she snapped photos on her phone, catching snippets of life in this magical town.

Pausing to photograph the cocoa booths, she winced as the scent of freshly baked cookies teased her.

Sampling local food was one of her favorite things about her job, but with the amount of tempting treats for her to try in Snow Hill? It was a good thing she was always on the move. Otherwise, this town would do a number on her dress size.

As she stopped to scroll through her photos, Grace glanced up at the sound of laughter, spotting Robin up ahead, chatting with Holly. The movie star had been the most down-to-earth celebrity Grace could ever hope to meet during breakfast that morning, but it was the beautiful woman beside them who caught Grace's attention.

It was the same woman she'd seen with Tommy at the inn... and once again, irrational jealousy flared within Grace. But she tried to push the feeling down.

Two days.

She only had two days left in this town—around Tommy. She had no right to feel jealous.

"Grace!" Robin called, waving her over.

She plastered on a smile, joining the group. "Hey, guys."

"I want you to meet Sofia—Tommy's sister," Robin gushed, grasping the brunette's arm.

Grace felt a flush of embarrassment rise to her cheeks, mentally kicking herself for jumping to conclusions.

Real mature, Grace.

A friendly smile spread across Sofia's face as she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. I checked out your blog when Mrs. P told me about you. It's great!"

"Thank you," Grace replied, shaking Sofia's hand.

"Since you're both new to the scavenger hunt, you should partner up!" Holly suggested, her enthusiasm contagious. "I'm snagging my bestie. It's her job to know everything about this town, and I play to win."

Robin grinned, holding up her hands. "Being the mayor's assistant has some perks, I guess."

Grace smiled with the others, but she hesitated before jumping on Holly's suggestion. She'd planned to linger on the outskirts of the event, taking photos and jotting down notes for her article.

But before she could voice that, Sofia chimed in. "That's a great idea! I don't wanna do this alone. Especially because I'm here against my will."

Grace caught the meaningful look she shot at Robin and Holly, who simply shrugged with matching flares of mischief dancing in their eyes.

She had no idea why Sofia would be there against her will, but it seemed like she had no choice but to go along with this plan. And, if she were honest, she felt a tiny spark of excitement at the prospect of joining in on the fun for once instead of simply observing.

A few minutes into their hunt, Sofia turned to Grace. "How long will you be in town? I'm staying until after the holidays."

"I leave in two days," Grace replied.

"That's too bad. I was hoping we could explore more of the town together. With both of us being newbies and all that."

Grace smiled and nodded, but after all these years of traveling around the world, she'd grown accustomed to saying a quick goodbye to the people and places she encountered along the way.

"Maybe next time," she replied, hoping Sofia wouldn't ask if she ever visited the same place twice.

"Still, two days? You should definitely extend your stay. This place is the perfect escape." She paused before adding, "Trust me, I'm glad to be away from the drama back home."

"Yikes. Wanna talk about it?" Grace asked, feeling a pang of sympathy for the woman she'd irrationally envied.

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