Chapter 4

4

T he morning after the wedding had Jessica and Travis with large smiles on their faces as they all sat around a table in the dining room for breakfast. Brent’s eyes slid to Candace frequently, where she watched her sister with pure happiness on her face.

Brent knew Candace was protective of her sister, but she seemed to see Jessica’s wedding almost as her own with how happy she appeared. Candace’s eyes caught Brent staring at her, and he smiled brightly.

The signature move of rolling her eyes didn’t disappoint again as she shot a glare at him. He snickered and went back to eating his breakfast. Annoying her was his favorite pastime.

“What are all of your plans today? Anyone heading home?” Rick asked.

Wintervale was still snowed in on one end. The other end had been cleared out, but in order to get home, it would add an extra five hours to the drive as it would take them out of the way to get home.

Everyone shook their heads “no.”

Jessica perked up. “I kind of want to check out the old ice rink.” Her eyes shifted to Candace. “Do you remember that? I wonder if it’s still open.”

Candace nodded. “I remember that I’m terrible at ice skating.”

Jessica chuckled. “Maybe. But you have to come. It’s tradition.”

“Where is it?” Jan asked.

“It’s not far from here if my memory serves me right. Maybe a ten-minute drive and it’s at the fishing pond. It freezes over in the winter and people go ice skating.”

“That sounds like fun. These old bones wouldn’t handle skating well, but I’d like to accompany you if you don’t mind,” Jan said.

“The more the merrier,” Jessica said.

All eyes swung to Brent. He raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m always up for an adventure.”

Jessica clapped her hands together. “Yay! This will be so fun.”

Once they all finished their meals, they went to the front desk to ask about the ice rink. The woman at the desk informed them it was still open, and they were doing van rides over there from the resort lobby every hour.

The group parted ways to dress warmer and met back down in the lobby for the van that was scheduled to arrive any minute. Candace wore black leggings, which were tucked into her boots. Her fluffy red coat was pulled on and black gloves covered her hands. Her blonde hair was French braided and tucked inside her coat. Candace’s penchant for avoiding looking at Brent made it easier for him to watch her without her noticing.

It was one of his favorite things to do when they were around each other. She was a mystery he wanted to solve.

The van pulled around and opened the doors, letting several people out who had come from the skating rink before allowing the next group to climb inside. Once the driver got back behind the wheel, he turned around to face everyone.

“Hello! I’m Ethan, and I’ll be your driver today. I’m the adventure guide here at the resort, so if you plan to do any resort winter activities, they will probably be booked with me. There is a structure set up near the ice rink where you can rent skates through parks and recreation. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Everyone remained silent, so he smiled and started the van. They drove out of the resort parking lot and down the road. Brent looked out the window, watching the scenery passing them by. The town was blanketed in snow, and they had done a great job clearing paths for people to get around. Several snowmen sat along the sides of the roads, despite no houses being nearby. And they weren’t just plain snowmen either. Several of them wore outfits.

Brent chuckled at the creativity of them. “Was there some sort of snowman building contest?”

Ethan glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “The elementary school brought the kids out here to build snowmen along the paths. They were tasked with making each of them unique. I think they did an excellent job.”

Brent nodded in agreement.

Ethan drove them down a dirt road into an area with several campsites that remained empty, with a few feet of snow filling them. They drove down the road and it broke out into a small clearing where several people skated around on the pond ahead.

Once they all got out of the van, Ethan told them he would be in that same spot at the top of each hour for anyone who was ready to leave. Travis, Jessica, Candace, and Brent made their way over to the parks and recreation tent to rent skates, while Rick and Jan purchased hot chocolate and wandered over to the rink to watch.

They pulled their skates on, and Jessica took Candace’s hand. “Do a lap with me for old time’s sake.”

Candace laughed. “I’m sure I’m just as terrible now as I was then.”

“I don’t care. We need to do it.”

A look passed between the women before they stepped out onto the pond and clutched each other while clumsily skating around.

Travis chuckled. “This town is exactly what they needed, I think.”

Brent tore his eyes away from the girls who had fallen and sat on their butts, laughing hysterically. “What do you mean?”

“Jessica told me she hadn’t been here since before her parents died, but was adamant about getting married here. I worried it wouldn’t be what she remembered, but I think it’s exactly what she remembered. Maybe even more.”

“How did they die?”

“Car accident. Candace had to leave college to raise Jessica.”

Brent’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”

Travis nodded. “Yeah, they only had each other. But I’m glad this town is what she remembers. I think it’s good for the both of them.”

Brent looked back out at the girls laughing on the ice rink, and he saw both of the women in a new light… especially Candace.

“Seems to be,” he murmured.