Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

It’s okay to splurge a little for the holidays, right?

Caroline Stoker was standing to one side in her chilly upstairs bedroom, watching as Leon, the owner of the Sugar Maple general store in town, worked on installing a faux fireplace. She watched with narrowed, keen eyes, trying to make sure that all was going as it should. She was familiar with some of it since she’d been helping with maintenance at The Mistletoe Inn for years, but she thought it was better to have Leon help with this.

Normally, she wouldn’t have bought something so extravagant at all. The fireplace, while certainly aesthetically pleasing and cozy, was a luxury she didn’t need . She’d been doing just fine living at the inn for all these years without anything so fancy.

But last week, the heating had gone out. Not unusual for a quaint old inn like the Mistletoe—things were always breaking left and right, in need of repair and upkeep—but definitely bad timing, right before Thanksgiving. Now it was the day after, and late fall in Evergreen Hollow, Vermont, was more than a little chilly.

Most of the guest rooms already had faux fireplaces installed, and downstairs the huge real fireplace sufficed to keep the living room warm, the heat from the stove in the kitchen spreading through as well. But hers had needed something, and while she’d balked at the splurge, her mother had insisted that she deserved it.

You always work so hard. She could hear Rhonda’s voice echoing as she stood there, trying to drive away the guilty feeling that nagged at her. You do so much for the inn. A little luxury like that is nothing. Just get it.

She felt like the money spent could have been used on upgrading something else, something that would lure guests and drive business. But then again, she was always putting the business ahead of any of her personal wants and needs. It was something her mother and her sister Nora often gently reminded her of. But she’d always been this way since she’d been old enough to help out and contribute to the inn’s upkeep, and she certainly didn’t know how to stop now, nearly in her mid-forties.

Leon moved around behind the fireplace to finish some of the wiring, giving Caroline an unobstructed view of how it looked, just to the right of her tall maple bookshelf. It fit in perfectly with the quaint, rustic decor of her bedroom—all maple wood, a hand-tufted rug and woven plaid bedspread—and she couldn’t help but be incredibly pleased with it. It looked perfect, and she was glad that her mother had talked her into it. She could even put a maple hearth just over it, to add a few of her own decorations. A little frivolous, but if she had any time to herself she could work on it.

“Well? What do you think?” Leon stood up with a groan, one hand on his back and another on his knee as he straightened, looking down at his work and then at Caroline. “Everything to your satisfaction?”

“It looks perfect,” she assured him. “I love it. Are you sure it’s all put in correctly?” She frowned a little, walking toward it to peer behind the fireplace. She was used to doing a lot of this sort of work herself at the inn, and it made her feel slightly itchy to have someone else installing something.

Leon chuckled, running a hand over his short gray beard. “It sure is. I might not be an official handyman like your sister’s husband, but I feel confident installing anything we sell in the Sugar Maple catalog.” There was a twinkle in his eye that said he understood why Caroline was so anxious about it, and she had to remind herself that he wasn’t laughing at her. She didn’t like feeling as if she were the source of others’ amusement, but in the past year, she’d learned to relax a little—to not be so tense and prickly. Sometimes she still had to remind herself of little things though, like remembering to unclench one’s jaw.

Having her sister home had helped a great deal. She hadn’t realized how much of her tension had been bound up in resentment and feeling the weight of so much responsibility until Nora had come back from Boston last year, after years away, to spend the holiday season with them. They’d patched things up, finally, and Nora had helped her loosen up a little.

“Thank you,” she said, flashing him a smile. “It’s a beautiful job. I can’t wait to get to sit in front of it with a book and relax.”

“Well, it’s a perfect day to do that. Day after Thanksgiving—leftovers and a book in front of the fireplace sounds like a good afternoon.” Leon leaned down, starting to pack up his tools and gather up the packaging from the fireplace.

“That’s going to have to wait, unfortunately,” Caroline said wryly. “There’s always work to be done, even the day after Thanksgiving.” Even on Thanksgiving, considering the fact that she and her parents ran The Mistletoe Inn where they lived, a bed and breakfast that was the only spot for tourists and out-of-town visitors to Evergreen Hollow to stay. Business had picked up considerably over the past year, thanks to her sister’s contributions to some marketing plans that had centered around last year’s Evergreen Snowman Festival. She looked a bit longingly at her soft, worn blue armchair with a plaid throw tossed over the back of it.

Tonight, she promised herself, as she started to walk Leon downstairs.

“So what’s on the agenda for today, then?” he asked as he followed her down, toolbox in hand.

“It’s time to decorate the inn for Christmas. Mom and I will be at it for the rest of the day.”

“Well, that sounds fun and festive. Tell your mother hi for me. You have a nice day now.” Leon smiled at her, heading out the front door to the truck waiting outside.

“You too.” Caroline let out a small sigh, closing the door behind him. Decorating should be fun and festive, she supposed, but for her, it had just become another part of her routine. She’d been doing it for years—at this point, she could probably have put up all of the decorations in her sleep. Fun didn’t really play into a lot of her day-to-day—her life was practical at its core. She ordered her days according to what was the most efficient way to handle the business, to keep things running, and to make sure that their guests were as happy and worry-free as possible. She rarely took time for relaxation or fun, but she was used to it by now. It didn’t bother her. Not really.

She heard voices coming from the kitchen and walked that way to find her sister Nora leaning against the counter, chatting with their mother. She looked happy and at home standing there, a far cry from the way things had been when she’d first come back from Boston last year. Her long-term boyfriend had broken up with her out of the blue, leaving Nora adrift and unsure how to move forward, and her best friend Melanie had convinced her to come home for a little while. It had turned out to be, in Caroline’s opinion, the best decision Nora had ever made.

The change in her sister from then to now was obvious. She’d come in from Boston like a whirlwind, in designer clothes and a ubiquitous cashmere peacoat and name-brand rain boots so shiny Caroline hadn’t been sure they’d ever been out of the box before then. Today, she was wearing thick, warm leggings with a long fisherman’s wool sweater over it, in a deep cranberry red that fit the season, with worn-in duck boots and a heavy green jacket made of wind and water-proof material, the interior and hood lined in a soft black faux fur. Still stylish, but she no longer looked so out of place around the rest of the locals, down to her makeup-free face and the messy brown bun atop her head.

“What are you doing this morning? Besides stealing pastries,” Caroline added, teasing her sister good-naturedly. Nora had a basket sitting on the counter next to her, suspiciously close to the plate of pumpkin scones their mother had made this morning.

“I had a meeting for a baby shower I’m organizing.” Nora smiled. A year ago, Caroline thought, her sister would probably have scoffed at the idea of being happy organizing a small-town baby shower. She’d been a star event planner in Boston, organizing huge corporate events and six-figure weddings. But since she’d thrown herself into helping with the town festival last year to keep her mind off her then-recent heartbreak, Nora had taken a different view on small-town celebrations. Caroline had wondered what her sister would do, after leaving her job and deciding to settle back at home, but Nora had managed to swiftly re-invent herself as a decorator and event coordinator for all of Evergreen Hollow’s needs—and some of the neighboring towns, as well. It had been enough to keep her busy, and she seemed just as fulfilled by it.

“ And, ” Nora continued, scooping some of the scones into the basket, “Aiden and I are going on a little skiing adventure today. So I figured I’d come by and get some snacks. You know how much he loves your baking,” she added, grinning at Rhonda.

“You both do,” Rhonda said fondly. It was true—Nora didn’t live at the inn with Caroline and their parents, since she and Aiden had gotten married earlier that fall—but most mornings she could be found in the Mistletoe’s kitchen, helping herself to breakfast or pastries. One thing she hadn’t picked up since settling down to small-town life was cooking. But then again, Caroline reflected, she wasn’t all that great at it either. Their mother had despaired of teaching either of them ages ago.

“A skiing adventure?” Caroline snagged one of the scones for herself, reminding herself that she could take a few minutes before getting to work. “Aiden has really made an outdoorsy girl out of you.”

Nora laughed. “He really has.” There was a bright, cheery glow in her cheeks as she finished loading up the basket with scones, and Caroline couldn’t help but feel happy for her sister. Finding love had been a big part of what had ultimately convinced her to stay in Evergreen Hollow, instead of going back to Boston.

The two of them—her sister and Aiden, who had been the town’s carpenter since not long after he graduated high school—had reconnected when Nora had come back from Boston. A few dates had sparked a serious connection between them, and a desire to see where it could go, along with her desire to spend more time with her family, had convinced Nora to stay. They’d gotten married a couple of months ago, early in the fall. A fast relationship, but one that everyone who knew them understood, even Caroline.

Even as practical as she was, she could see how madly in love Nora and Aiden were, and not just in the way that flamed fast and burned out quickly. They were in it for the long haul, and she had to admit they were perfect together. Nora had worried that she’d disapprove, with the relationship having moved so quickly, and normally she would have. But with the two of them, she just couldn’t. It felt right.

“It’s impossible not to be outdoorsy here, with how beautiful it is,” Nora added. “And Aiden’s been teaching me how to improve at skiing, so with the fresh snowfall, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

“Speaking of…” Rhonda turned as the three of them heard the sound of heavy boots walking through the living room, as Caroline’s new brother-in-law walked in. He was dressed just as he always was—worn jeans, a thick wool sweater, and a faded Carhartt jacket with heavy work boots.

Aiden smiled at Caroline and his mother-in-law, going to give Nora a quick kiss and snag one of the scones. “Gotta get our energy up,” he said with a grin, and Rhonda smiled right back.

“Want some coffee to go?” she asked, and Aiden shook his head.

“I appreciate it, but I’ve had two cups already this morning. I need to burn some of that caffeine off. And yesterday’s good cooking.” He grinned at Rhonda. “I had too much of that stuffing you make, and your pumpkin pie.”

“I’m going to send the two of you home with more leftovers if you stop back by after your skiing trip,” she said, and Nora laughed.

“We’ve already got enough to feed us all week! You hang on to the rest. We probably should get going though,” Nora added, glancing outside at the late-morning sun.

“We should probably get to work on the decorations.” Rhonda looked at her daughter, and Caroline nodded.

“The two of you have a good time,” Caroline said, as Nora and Aiden started to head to the front door. “Be careful!”

The living room was already full of large totes containing Christmas lights and decorations. Caroline had brought them down from the attic last night after the guests had turned in, careful to keep it quiet and stage them in a way that wouldn’t be too obtrusive for anyone still at the inn this morning. There were a few guests still relaxing—an elderly couple playing checkers next to the window and a younger woman curled up next to the fire in a large armchair, making notes on a sketchpad. They didn’t pay much attention to Caroline and Rhonda as they started to get the decorations out, organizing them by which rooms in the house they belonged in, and then what would go outside.

As Caroline unwound long strings of lights—she’d be putting them up on the roof, since for the past few years she’d started to worry about her father being up on a ladder or going onto the icy, snowy roof—her thoughts drifted back to her sister and the whirlwind romance with Aiden Masters.

She couldn’t help but wonder why it seemed that romance had never been a possibility for her. It felt to her as if she’d always been destined for a rather muted life, one focused on hard work and duty, putting her parents, the inn and the business in front of anything else. She’d always put herself last and never thought much of it, but seeing Nora and Aiden giddy with that newlywed glow made her feel a little sad—not for them, but for herself.

Seeing her sister so happy reminded her that there was something that she hadn’t gotten to experience, the kind of fairytale that she thought she was likely too old, and too set in her ways, for. Too busy too, she thought as she organized the strings of lights by color. The more orderly everything was before they started decorating, the less chaos there would be in the process.

That was how she’d always managed her life—efficiently, productively, with as little chaos as possible. But she wondered if she’d passed over something along the way, something that might have made her happier.

It was too late now though, she thought. She was resigned to that—had been for a long time—and there was no point in wool-gathering about it now.

She had decorations to put up, an inn to help run, and a day’s worth of chores to manage. That waited for no one.

Certainly not her.