Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

As the days passed, I found myself enjoying decorating on my own more than I’d thought I would. There was something about Blowing Rock, about the simplicity of it all, that made me feel like I could breathe again. Plus, despite Ethan’s constant scowling and hisveryfirm anti-glitter stance, he was starting to grow on me. And let’s be honest, the guy was really nice to look at. Not that I wastotallydistracted by that or anything.

One evening, as I was hanging a garland over the fireplace, I heard Ethan’s voice behind me. “You know, you don’t have to do all of this.”

I turned, finding him leaning against the doorway, watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “Do what?”

“This.” He gestured to the decorations: the lights, the wreaths, the stockings, the ten-foot Christmas Tree. “You don’t have to go all out. Mae would’ve been happy with just a small tree.”

I smiled softly, stepping down from the stool and facing him. “Maybe. But this isn’t just for Mae. It’s for you, too.”

He blinked, clearly taken aback. “For me?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged, trying to keep it casual even though my heart was pounding. “Everyone deserves a little magic at Christmas. Even grumpy innkeepers.”

For a moment, I thought he might argue, but instead, he just looked at me, something softening in those stormy eyes of his. “You’re something else, you know that?”

I grinned, feeling a little flutter in my stomach. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

He shook his head, but there was a warmth in his eyes that made my chest feel tight. “You should.”

And just like that, I was convinced.Maybethis guy wasn’t all grump and scowl. He had layers, like a really complicated Christmas present wrapped in too much tape.

But before I could dig deeper into that thought, Mae came barreling into the room like a tiny tornado of holiday cheer, effectively breaking the moment. She was holding a string of lights and waving them around like a lasso. "Holly! Look, we need to put these up!"

I let out a breath, forcing myself to break eye contact with Ethan before I did something completely embarrassing, like lean in for a kiss. But even as I focused on Mae and her overzealous string of lights, I could still feel the weight of his gaze lingering on me, warm and thoughtful, that made me feel seen in a way I hadn’t in a long time.

And for the first time in, well, forever, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.