Christmas in Evergreen

by Nancy Naigle

“What do you do in Evergreen?” Ryan asked.

  “I run a veterinarian practice.” She loved talking about her work. “Or, I did.” It was hard to get used to saying that. “But now I’m moving to Washington D.C. for a new job and…for a change of scenery.” Why did I put it that way? Am I having second thoughts about Spencer?

  Zoe’s smile drooped. “So you’re not going to spend Christmas in Evergreen?”

  “No.” Nostalgia flooded Allie’s heart. “For the first time in…forever.” She hadn’t realized just how much she was going to miss the festival—and Evergreen—until now.

  “The festival sounds like fun,” Zoe said.

  “It is.” Allie couldn’t contain her enthusiasm for all the memories that flooded back, but then she caught him staring at her, kind of nodding toward his daughter. “But…not as fun as Florida,” she said, trying to make it sound awesome. “I mean, come on. The beach?” She gave Zoe her best convincing look, but she was with the girl on this one. Who wanted to go to a sunshiny spot for the holidays? Maybe if Allie had grown up someplace warm, she would’ve felt differently, but in her mind, Christmas and snow went together like cookies and milk.

  “Yeah. It’ll be great.” Zoe flashed her dad a smile, then popped an arm on the table, ready to chat more with Allie.

  Allie was convinced Zoe’s smile was forced. “Hey, can I show you something?”

  “Sure,” Zoe said.

  “Check it out.” Allie took her paper napkin from under her silverware and pulled it in front of her. “You do a fold. And then another fold.” She made one more triangle, then smoothed out the seams. “And then you make these tiny little tears. Little triangles.” She ripped the pieces around the edges of the folded napkin, letting the excess fall to the table. “And then…” She unfolded the napkin and held it up. “You unfold to reveal the magical snowflake!”

  “Cool!”

  Allie turned the paper snowflake over in her hands. “Yeah, my mom taught me that. She said this way I could always carry the magic of the Evergreen Christmas with me wherever I go.”

  “Neat!” Zoe was delighted. “My mom used to make a lot of our Christmas decorations.”

  Allie heard the land mine in that comment.

  There was a brief silence, and Allie realized that her troubles with Spencer were insignificant compared to this. She couldn’t imagine being without her mom. She wanted to ask what happened but knew the topic was a sensitive one by the look in Zoe and Ryan’s eyes.

  She leaned in closer to Zoe. “Do you want to learn how to do it yourself?”

  “Sure!”

  “Yeah. I’ll show you.” She gestured to Ryan. “Napkin.”

  “Napkin,” he said like a doctor in surgery.

  “All right. Your turn.” Allie handed the napkin to Zoe. “Fold it in half.”

  “Like this?”

  When Allie looked up, she caught Ryan’s eye—he was smiling at them. He mouthed, Thank you.

  He was so lucky to have a sweet daughter like Zoe. It must be hard to be a single parent, but he seemed to be doing a great job. She nodded and turned her full attention back to Zoe while he watched them with his chin propped up on his hands.

  The waitress came over. “Are you ready to order?”

  “I think I’ll have a cup of cocoa, and can I get a sandwich? Theirs looked good.”

  “Got it. It’ll be right out.”

  “Thank you.” Allie watched Zoe’s progress. “Oh, you’re a natural.”

  “I learn fast.”

  “The key is tearing those little triangle pieces. Any shapes, really. I mean, no two snowflakes are supposed to be alike.”

  Zoe ripped several more shapes around the edges. “Like this?”

  “Looks good. Ready to do the reveal?” Allie prompted.

  Zoe unfolded the napkin with care, then held up her finished snowflake.

  “It’s beautiful,” her dad said.

  “Better than mine. I love it.”

  “You can keep this one.” Zoe handed her the snowflake. “Since you won’t be here for Christmas.”

  “You are the most thoughtful girl.” She looked into those big brown eyes. “I’m so glad we bumped into each other today.”

  “Me too,” he said.

  The waitress came out with Allie’s order and refilled Zoe and Ryan’s drinks. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “That’ll be all. Just the check,” Allie said. They chatted more about Evergreen, how they decorated like this at Christmas every year and details about the fun events. She told them about the toy store in town, too. “There are lots of great shops on Main Street. Evergreen is small, but we pack a lot of good stuff into our town, and the people are awesome.”

  “Sounds like it.”

  Allie moved her plate to the edge of the table, and the waitress dropped her bill off. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll have to stop in Evergreen every time we go back to Grandma and Grandpa’s. It was kind of right on the way.”

  “That’s true,” Ryan said. “They live just over the line in New York. Less than two hours, and the ferry breaks up the ride. I’m surprised I’d never stopped in Evergreen before. It’s kind of a hidden gem tucked away with just the one sign.”

  “It is.” That it wasn’t all that well-known was part of the beauty of it. She was glad to be going home to sleep in her own bed in Evergreen tonight. Talking about her hometown had made her miss it already, and she hadn’t even left yet. “I’m just…” Allie got up and went to pick up her bill, but Ryan grabbed it. “Thank you. I’m going to go see if I can get my truck started. If I can’t, I’ll get a room for the night.”

  “It’s probably time for us to go to our room, too, Zoe. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ryan took out his wallet and dropped a couple of twenties on the table. “That should cover it all.”

  “Thank you.” Allie got up and followed behind them until they veered off at the hotel.

  “Drive safely,” Ryan said.

  She raised her hand in a wave as she stepped outside. The air was brisk, but it seemed clean and fresh after being inside the crowded restaurant.

  The parking garage was clearing out a little. Folks must’ve been heading back home since the flights were cancelled, or had decided to drive to stay on schedule. At least the roads weren’t bad. Vermont did a great job keeping the main highways clear.

  Back on the roof of the parking deck, she gave her truck a silent pep talk the whole walk over to it. She patted the hood in encouragement, then slid behind the wheel. “C’mon. Let’s get started,” she said as she twisted the key in the ignition.

  But no luck. She tried and tried, but the truck refused to start. It was too cold to sit and mess with it now that it was starting to get dark. She’d have to stay at the hotel.

  She let out a sigh, then gathered her things. She’d waited so long now that she hoped she’d be able to even get a room. The lobby was busy, but she was able to get to the desk quickly. Hopefully a good sign.

  “Please tell me you have a room for tonight.”

  The desk clerk smiled. “I have one left. Someone just cancelled their reservation.”

  “Thank goodness.” Allie pulled out her wallet and handed the clerk her driver’s license. “My truck wouldn’t start. I’m stranded.”

  “I’m so sorry.” The clerk went to town typing on her computer, then pulled a piece of paper from the printer and handed her the register. “You’re in luck. King-size bed. Initial here and here for me, and I’ll need a credit card.”

  Allie handed over her credit card, not even bothering to ask what the nightly rate was, because at this point, what did it matter?

  “I’ve got you in this room.” The clerk pointed to the n
umber on the front of the small white folder. “Elevators are right over there. Wi-Fi is free. The password is inside the card pocket.”

  “Thank you,” Allie said.

  “Breakfast starts at six and runs until nine in the morning.”

  “Bonus. Thanks again. You saved my day.” She walked over to the elevator and took it up to the fifth floor.

  The room was very nice. The king-size bed looked so inviting with its deep piles of white linens. There was an excellent view of the airport, which was a little eerie with everything at a standstill. Allie turned on the bedside lamp and dialed her parents’ restaurant. “Hi, Dad. Bad news. My flight got cancelled.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Then the truck wouldn’t start.”

  “Do you want me to come get you?”

  “No. I got a room here at the hotel airport tonight. Hopefully, I’ll be able to fly out tomorrow morning.”

  She heard him relaying the message to others. Nothing new. Seemed the whole town always knew her business.

  Dad came back on the line. “Ezra said you know it’s bad if they’ve closed the airport.”

  Michelle’s voice rose in the background. “Luckily, we’re not landing planes, we’re just having a festival.”

  “My first festival,” Ezra reminded everyone, “and we get a blizzard. If we’d had an app, we’d have known that.”

  “Oh, no,” Allie said. Would Ezra ever give up on that app idea? Now probably wasn’t the time to mention her Bovine Translator App.

  “Ezra, relax,” Dad said. “Everything will be just fine.”

  “Sounds like you and Mom have your hands full,” Allie said.

  “Business as usual,” he said. “Keep us posted, and let us know if you need our help.”

  “I will, Daddy.” She hung up the phone. She set her suitcase on the dresser and took out a pair of pajamas. She slipped into them and then got right into bed and turned the television to the Hallmark Channel. So what if she was getting a later start on her new adventure than she planned? She couldn’t turn her nose up at a relaxing night like this. She switched the light off and laid back against the pillows. With all the hope and warmth those movies brought to her heart, she watched two back-to-back, then turned off the television, pulled the covers tightly around her, and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

  Allie woke up early, as if it was any other work day, even though she had no place to be. She’d never been one who needed an alarm clock. She got up, padded over to the window, and pulled back the drapes.

  Her mood plummeted. Nothing was moving out on the runways yet. Not great news.

  She checked her phone for any updates. Unfortunately, today’s flights had already been cancelled, too. She logged into the airline app. They had rescheduled her on a flight the following day. Spencer was going to be disappointed too.

  She ought to take advantage of the hotel and sleep in until checkout time. She rolled over, telling herself to relax, but it wasn’t her nature to lay around. She tossed. Turned. Tried to count sheep; in her head, she began examining and vaccinating them, which wasn’t helpful when trying to fall back asleep.

  Finally, she gave in and got out of bed. She repacked her pajamas and changed clothes, then headed down to the lobby to get breakfast and extend her stay another night.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ryan had already struck out getting his stay here at the Burlington Central Hotel extended. It seemed other travelers had been less optimistic than he was when things had gone haywire yesterday, booking two nights to begin with. That was something to keep in mind if he was ever in this situation again.

  Having just called every hotel in the area and not coming up with anything, not even an expensive option, it was becoming clear that he and Zoe might be sleeping in the airport tonight. That wasn’t appealing at all.

  He phoned his office and had them start looking for an Airbnb nearby, or the possibility of flying out of a different airport tomorrow. Albany was about a three-hour drive south, but if they could get a room at that hotel, it might be an alternative.

  All he wanted was to give Zoe the best Christmas ever, but Mother Nature was definitely making it more difficult than he’d ever imagined. He wouldn’t give up that easily, though. He’d come up with a solution…somehow.

  Ryan heard Allie’s cheerful voice across the way. He turned and saw her standing at the front desk with her back to him. She was talking to the clerk who was emphatically moving her head from left to right. He felt Allie’s pain. He’d just gone through that, too. No room at the inn.

  “Thank you so much for checking,” Allie said. “No problem.”

  But there was a problem, and he was having the same one.

  Allie spotted them and walked over. “With all the flights that were cancelled, there are no more rooms. They won’t let me stay another night.”

  “The same with us.” Ryan held his phone in the air, and then shoved it back into his pocket. “And there are no rooms anywhere, it seems.”

  “I’m going to see if I can get my truck started,” she said. “If I can, you’re welcome to come back to Evergreen.”

  Zoe bounced up on her toes like she was getting ready to do a swan dive. “Yes!” She quickly looked at her dad and toned it down. “I mean…yeah, we could go to Evergreen again, right, Dad?”

  “That’s very nice, but where would we even stay? Is there a hotel or…”

  Allie cocked her head. “Sort of.”

  Sort of? It was a yes-or-no question. Then again, in his current situation, “sort of” was an improvement. And he didn’t really care where they stayed as long as they were safe and comfortable. Those airport lobby chairs were barely tolerable for sitting, much less sleeping.

  She wiggled her brows in a playful way, then pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.

  Ryan heard the woman on the other end of Allie’s call answer with a cheerful-sounding “Merry Christmas.”

  “Barbara? It’s Allie.”

  “Hi, Allie.”

  “Am I calling at a bad time? You sound out of breath.”

  “No. I was hanging the wreath on the door and putting more decorations out front. What’s up?”

  “I’m calling because all the flights going out of Burlington have been cancelled and there’s literally no room at the inn. I’ve made friends with these nice folks who were heading to Florida for Christmas, only now they’re stranded.”

  “Oh no. That’s terrible,” Barbara said. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I know you aren’t planning to open for a couple more weeks, but would that mean you have a vacancy for a nice man and his daughter for the night?”

  Barbara’s excitement came through the line. “Yes! It would be wonderful to have them stay here. Just as long as they know it’s not quite finished yet. But I can easily make up a guest room.”

  “Oh, Barbara, that would be great.” Allie gave Ryan the thumbs up.

  “Wonderful. Okay, I’ll see you then. My first guests! I’m so excited. Bye!”

  Allie hung up her phone. “You are the first guests to ever stay at Barbara’s Country Inn. She needs you to know it’s not all the way finished. She doesn’t officially open for a couple of weeks.”

  “We’re not picky,” he said. “We’ll even help.” Zoe nodded with exuberance.

  “I’m sure you won’t even be able to tell it’s not ready for business. I hear she’s doing amazing things with that place. She’s such a neat lady. You’ll enjoy meeting her, and it’s walking distance from my house. I can give you a ride back to the airport tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure the inn will be fine.” He was thankful to have a place to stay, and being in Evergreen again would be fun for Zoe. That town had made a good first impression on his little girl. She wa
s clearly eager to get back to it for another peek.

  “Now, we just have to get the truck to start.”

  “Good thing you have your mechanics with you,” Zoe teased.

  “You’re right. Come on.” Allie led the way to the parking deck. “Okay, guys, you can throw your luggage in the back.”

  Ryan picked up their two suitcases and put them in the back of the truck. “Hop on in, kiddo.” He opened the door for Zoe, and she scrambled into the middle of the bench seat.

  Allie put her bags in the back and got in, too.

  With all three of them piled into the front seat, they shared a hopeful glance and then Allie turned the key.

  He hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath, but when the truck started on the first try, Ryan let out one big exhale. They all cheered, and finally, things seemed to be going his way. What a nice change of events.

  “All right, guys. Buckle up,” Allie said. “Evergreen, here we come!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Allie knew the route from Burlington to Evergreen well, and her old truck took command of the highway like it was a sunny day.

  Zoe craned her neck to get a better view of a horse-drawn sleigh being pulled through the snow on a side road. “This is so neat.” It was fun to see things through the fresh eyes of a child. She might have taken that for granted if Zoe hadn’t been here.

  “Allie, my dad’s a people doctor, and you’re a pet doctor. So, you’re kind of the same.”

  Ryan reasoned, “Well, except my patients can tell me where it hurts.”

  “Oh, well you’ve obviously never met an unhappy reindeer.” She flapped her hand in the international talking symbol. “You get a lot of this.” Allie’s phone interrupted their fun. She glanced at the display. “Ooh, it’s Henry.” She pressed the button for speakerphone. “Can you hold this?” she asked Zoe.