'Twas the Week Before Christmas

by Olivia Miles

  Holly forced a bright smile, knowing she had no right to feel let down. These people were her customers. They owed her nothing. She was providing them a service, not the other way around. If they wanted to leave early, she shouldn’t be making them explain on her behalf.

  It was just another aching reminder of how badly she wanted a family of her own. She was trying to fill the void with this playhouse she had created and, while it served its purpose, ultimately she could not depend on her guests for anything more than they were willing to give. They passed in and out of her life with pleasantries and warmth, but they were not permanent fixtures.

  Her chest squeezed tight. Max was no different.

  “Of course you can’t wait until morning,” Holly said to Dana. This was the Connellys’ third visit to the inn in the last year. She would see them again. But for now, she had to let them go. “This storm is unpredictable and I’d hate for you to miss out on Christmas with your families.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that,” Dana said.

  “Oh?” Holly pulled up the Connellys’ records and changed their bill before sending the file to the printer.

  “This year we’re having Christmas with my husband’s family,” Dana continued in a meaningful tone. She locked eyes with Holly and Holly smiled, her first real smile since she’d left Max at the diner.

  “I have a feeling you’re not too excited about that.”

  “Oh, to put it mildly,” Dana said with a sigh. “Personally, I’d rather be snowed in here for the holiday but...”

  “But responsibilities beckon?” Holly flashed her a conspiratorial grin. Guess that’s one thing I don’t need to worry about, she thought, suddenly perking up a bit. In-laws.

  Dana leaned in over the desk and hissed, “They never end!”

  Holly laughed despite herself, feeling better than she had in hours. “Here’s your bill. I didn’t charge you for the weekend, of course.”

  “Oh, let us pay! The cancellation policy says seventy-two hours, doesn’t it?”

  “No, no,” Holly said dismissively. “It’s not like I would have filled the room anyway.”

  Dana lifted her eyes from the invoice. “Is everyone else checking out then, too?”

  “Looks that way.” Holly sighed.

  Dana turned to the window. “It’s really unfortunate.”

  “It is what it is,” Holly said blandly, sadness creeping in again.

  Dana suddenly smiled. “Well, one good thing has come out of all this for you. Now you won’t have to worry about taking care of guests during Christmas!”

  Holly managed a brittle smile as Dana ascended the stairs to fetch her husband and their luggage. If only she knew.

  Deciding it best to tell Stephen they had lost yet another couple for the night, Holly wandered through the dining room and into the kitchen where Stephen and Abby were chopping carrots for the stew.

  Holly grabbed a sugar cookie shaped like a star from the tray on the counter and took a bite, ignoring Stephen’s arched eyebrow. “The Connellys are leaving.”

  Abby set down her knife. “What do you think we should do?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Holly said. “Evelyn and Nelson are still here. And Max.” Her heart soared at the thought of him. Just saying his name made her feel close to him, and the image of his rugged face and dazzling blue eyes made her want to be even more close to him.

  Stephen finished dicing the carrots and plucked an onion from a wooden bowl on the butcher’s block. With an expert hand, he peeled and halved it, and then quickly chopped it into parallel strips. He rotated one half clockwise and ran his knife down the other side. Scraping the pieces from the cutting board to the large pot on the stove he said, “Well, there’s enough here to feed twenty. So I guess we’ll be having leftovers.”

  “How are we with supplies?” Abby asked, delicately veering the discussion back to practical matters. “If the storm hits tonight, we want to make sure we have enough to get through.”

  “We have enough,” Stephen replied. He slung a dish towel over his shoulder and turned to Holly, meeting her square in the eye. “But before I keep going with this, you might want to check on the rest of the guests and see if they even plan on sticking around.”

  “Stephen!” Abby gasped.

  Holly stopped her. “No, he’s right. I’m being completely unprofessional, and that isn’t like me. I’m going to go check on the Adlers and, um, Max. If they want to leave early, they should know they have the option. I’ll go now.”

  Abby held her gaze. “Okay.”

  With more bravado than she felt, Holly pushed through the kitchen and into the dining room. Her heart plummeted when she saw Evelyn and Nelson standing in the lobby.

  “Miss Tate!” Evelyn said sharply when Holly came into view.

  “Yes, Mrs. Adler?” Holly asked, though she didn’t need any clarification for the purpose of Evelyn’s visit to the lobby. Something told her that the couple was not here for the gingerbread house decorating competition that was scheduled to start in—Holly glanced at the grandfather clock—twenty minutes.

  “I’m so sorry, dear, but I think we might need to leave early.”

  “But—” Holly wanted to ask what better plans Evelyn could have for Christmas but managed to stop herself in time. She really was losing sight of her hospitality today, wasn’t she?

  But Evelyn and Holly had known each other long enough to understand the unspoken. Evelyn’s watery blue eyes drooped at Holly’s distress. When the older woman reached over to touch her hand, Holly had to fight to hold back the tears that were threatening to form. She swallowed a painful lump in her throat.

  “You know how much it means to me to spend Christmas at The White Barn Inn,” Evelyn said. “But we’re supposed to be going to Florida two days after Christmas. And if we get stuck...”

  Holly nodded briskly, not daring to speak for fear of choking on her own words.

  “Oh, I’m torn, Miss Tate! The tree lighting is tonight, and I bought a new hat especially for the occasion. Red with black faux fur...” Evelyn glanced around the room in agony, wrestling with her own emotions. “The thought of leaving all this—” She swept her arm around the room, gesturing to the twinkling Christmas tree, the stockings hanging from the mantel, the mistletoe sprigs under every doorway and the garland framing the windows.

  It was Holly’s turn to comfort Evelyn. She squeezed the woman’s hand tight, realizing how small and frail it seemed in her own. “It will all be here next year, Mrs. Adler.”

  Evelyn’s worried eyes clasped with Holly’s. “You’re sure, dear?”

  Holly smiled warmly. “Of course I’m sure.”

  Evelyn searched Holly’s face, her gaze unrelenting until her fear had subsided. Shaking slightly, she let go of Holly’s hand and turned to her husband. “Okay then,” she said. “I guess we should go.”

  “It’s the smart thing to do, Evelyn,” Nelson said kindly.

  “He’s right,” Holly mustered even though she wanted to cry out and beg them to stay through the rest of the week. “Getting home safely is most important. Do it for me, Mrs. Adler.”

  Evelyn pinched her lips and wiped away a tear. “Has everyone else decided to leave as well?”

  Holly opened her mouth to respond when her attention was suddenly pulled to the edge of the room, where Max was sauntering down the stairs into the foyer, a pleasant expression on his handsome face. Evelyn turned to follow her gaze, her mood immediately brightening.

  “Well hello again, young man!” she cooed, clasping her hands in unabashed joy.

  Max stifled a smile as his cheeks grew pink. Holly herself could barely keep from laughing at Evelyn’s reaction to his arrival, but a bigger part of her felt nearly sick with dread. The thought of Max leaving the inn tonight was a reality that sh
e wasn’t ready to accept. The chances of a man like him passing through her inn again were slim to none.

  “Max and I had a lovely chat this afternoon,” Evelyn beamed.

  Holly lifted an eyebrow and smiled slyly at Max. “Oh?”

  “Ah, yes. Evelyn did me the honor of stopping by my room today,” Max informed her, his blue eyes dancing with mischief.

  Holly bit her lip. She didn’t even want to think about what might have been said during that conversation.

  “We were just telling Miss Tate that we sadly have to leave early,” Evelyn explained and Holly felt a stab in the chest like she was hearing the words for the first time. “Will you be checking out early as well?”

  Holly held her breath and the room went still as she waited for his response. She didn’t dare look at him for fear he would see the anguish in her eyes.

  “I think I’ll stick around, actually,” Max said easily and Holly’s heart rate quickened. She hadn’t seen that coming.

  Evelyn could barely suppress her vicarious glee. “How lovely!” she exclaimed, fixing her large bright eyes on Holly in a less than subtle fashion.

  Holly bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing and Max’s eyes twinkled ferociously. The fact that he was just as in tune with Evelyn’s matchmaking as she was didn’t bother her anymore. If anything, the private joke they now shared only made her feel more bonded to him than ever. A hidden secret was shared between them, lost on sweet Evelyn.

  “I was actually coming down to see if I could extend my reservation,” he said when he had collected himself.

  Extend? Holly still couldn’t believe her good fortune. Why on earth Max was deciding to stay longer as opposed to leaving early was beyond her understanding, but she wasn’t going to question it. “Of course,” she said, regaining her composure. She forced herself back into a professional role, but in the company of her favorite guests, it somehow felt unnecessary. “How long will you be needing the room for?”

  “Until Christmas Day.”

  Holly paled. Five more nights. “Christmas Day?”

  Max scrutinized her reaction. “If that’s okay. I can move rooms if mine has been reserved.”

  Holly cleared her throat, refusing to so much as glance at Evelyn, who she could see from the corner of her eye was radiant with joy, her palm placed dramatically on her heart. “No, it’s fine. Your room is free. In fact, all the rooms are free, actually.”

  Max spared her a quizzical look. “All the rooms?”

  “We’re not the only ones heading out early,” Evelyn said. She rubbed her hands together as the plan was hatched. “So it looks like it will be just the two of you in this big, beautiful house!”

  Holly watched as Max’s eyes widened and quickly darted to hers, searching for verification. On instinct, Holly lowered her gaze, unable to look at him in that moment. Her pulse raced as her chest rose and fell with each breath. Alone in the house with Max. How would he feel about that?

  “I take it that dinner has been cancelled for tonight?” Max asked, breaking the awkward silence. When Holly nodded, he suggested, “Perfect. Then you can take me up on my earlier rain check. Maybe you can show me the town tonight.”

  “But the roads!” Evelyn said.

  Max shrugged. “The storm hasn’t hit yet. By the time it does, we’ll be all tucked into bed, safe and sound.” He turned to Holly and grinned. “What do you say, Holly?”

  Holly glanced from Max to Evelyn, whose expression was frozen in anticipation. “I’d love to,” she said easily.

  With that settled, Evelyn released a long sigh of content. “We should get going,” she said and Nelson took his cue to take the bags out to the car.

  “It was a true pleasure meeting you, Evelyn.” Max smiled down at her warmly and more awkwardly reached in for a hug.

  Breaking free, Evelyn giggled like a schoolgirl and Holly noticed her cheeks were stained with pleasure. Holly shook her head, unable to suppress the contagious energy that Evelyn carried with her. “Drive safely, Mrs. Adler. And Merry Christmas,” she said.

  Holly pulled her in for a hug and only released her when Nelson called from the doorway that the car was ready. Evelyn slid her sharp blue eyes to Holly before joining her husband. “You have fun, dear,” she purred.

  Holly felt her cheeks color. She had a feeling she would do just that.

  Chapter Five

  Holly walked back to the kitchen as though floating on air, completely unable to banish her smile. As much as her heart ached that Evelyn and Nelson had left, she couldn’t deny the glee that was building with each passing second at the thought of five whole nights with Max. Alone.

  “Dinner is off!” she announced to Stephen and Abby. They both froze midaction in their tasks, their expressions transforming from concern to bewilderment.

  “The Adlers are leaving?” Abby asked slowly.

  “Already left.” Holly shrugged. Giddily, she all but hopped over to the cookie tray and reached for a piece of fudge before stopping herself. She was about to spend a week with the most gorgeous man she had ever met. An image of the way his broad shoulders strained against the confines of his sweater filled her mind and she snatched her hand back. Now was not the time to be indulging in sweets. Now was the time to be indulging in something altogether better.

  Get a grip, Holly! He was still her guest. Why was she having so much trouble remembering this?

  “The Adlers already left?” Abby cried in disbelief and Holly nodded her head cheerfully. It was sad, yes, but in light of the other news... “Then why are you smiling like that?”

  Holly reflexively frowned. “Am I?” she inquired. Stephen shook his head and began cleaning up while Abby stepped away from the counter, her face pale with concern and her eyes wide with something close to fear.

  “I’m seriously getting worried about you now, Holly,” she said gravely.

  Holly smiled as Abby silently followed her back to her quarters, and only once the door was firmly closed behind her did she triumphantly proclaim, “Max invited me to dinner tonight. Even better? He extended his stay. For five more nights.”

  “He’s staying through the week?” Abby’s eyes flew open in shock and she threw herself down on Holly’s bed and stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

  “Yep.” Holly leaned into the antique ivory-framed mirror above her dressing table and massaged a dollop of moisturizer under her eyes. She looked tired and stressed from the events of the day, but it was nothing a little makeup wouldn’t fix. “Until Christmas Day.”

  “Really?”

  “That’s what he said.” A surge of fresh glee washed over Holly’s insides. Five more days with Max. Anything could happen in that time period.

  Abby rolled onto her side and tucked her feet behind her. She propped herself up by an elbow and cupped her head in her hand. “But why did he decide to stay longer?”

  Holly stared at Abby’s reflection. She wondered the same thing herself. The mysterious nature of his visit was certainly odd. “He says he’s here on business. That’s all I know.”

  “Business?” Abby scoffed. “In Maple Woods? Over the holidays?”

  Holly frowned and considered her friend’s words. “It is strange. Isn’t it?”

  Abby was incredulous. “Strange? Uh, yes! Just a little. He didn’t say what kind of business?”

  Holly shrugged. “He didn’t elaborate.”

  Abby pushed herself up to a sitting position dangled her legs over the side of the four-poster bed. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Business is boring. Besides,” she said, coming to join Holly in the mirror, “you can find out all the details tonight. On your date.”

  A flutter of nerves caught hold of Holly’s stomach at the term. Date. Was that really what it was? It seemed so unlikely when she stopped to think of it—he
must have an entire life in New York, so what more could he want with her than a friendly face to keep him company while he was in town? Yes, they got along, and yes, he seemed to like her. But liking someone took many forms, and with someone as gorgeous as Max Hamilton...well, chances were he wasn’t often without equally beautiful female companionship. There must have been many girls who fell under Max’s spell. Holly would be foolish to think she was the only one who could sense this magnetism.

  Her stomach churned. A guy like Max probably had his pick when it came to pretty girls. And she was hardly exceptional. Nothing glamorous. Not rich. A plain Jane, in many ways.

  She had to brace herself for disappointment. Max’s intentions—on every level—were a mystery to her. Getting swept up in romantic notions would only result in heartbreak and tears if the evening turned out to be nothing but platonic, albeit pleasant. She couldn’t go giving her heart to a man who would rather peruse a spreadsheet than listen to what she had to say. She’d promised herself after her last failed relationship that the next man she allowed herself to develop feelings for would at least have the same priorities as she did.

  Maybe Max wasn’t so different from Brendan, after all. Despite his friendliness, he seemed a lot more interested in whatever business he had going on over Christmas than the spirit of the holiday itself.

  “Why are you frowning?” Abby eyed her through the mirror.

  “What? Oh...I wasn’t frowning.” Holly forced herself back to her surroundings and dabbed some gloss on her lips.

  “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about Brendan.”

  Holly didn’t dare admit the truth. Something told her the night ahead was going be both spontaneous and romantic, and she pushed back the wary hunch that threatened to disturb the chance of hope that was playing out in her mind. It was hard not to think about Brendan sometimes—he’d let her down when she needed someone the most, destroying any hope of a brighter future, when hope was all she’d been clinging to. She hadn’t dated anyone seriously since then. And the thought of going into town with Max tonight, while thrilling, was also a little terrifying. The entire concept was so far out of Holly’s normal routine that she struggled to grasp the logistics of what a real date would require.