“Where are we?” she mumbled.
“Rexburg,” he replied as he stopped the car in front of a pump. “Are you hungry?”
A restaurant shared the parking lot with the gas station. It was a small building of yellow stucco with bright Christmas scenes painted on the windows. Homemade posters advertised tacos, burritos, refried beans, and fried ice cream, while a faded neon sign in the front blinked High Valley Cafe. It reminded April of Tina’s Place in Snow Valley.
“How about there?” she pointed.
Scott glanced at the restaurant and pulled a face. “Uh…no.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“You know how these types of mom and pop places are; the food is bound to be terrible.”
“Or, it might be an awesome hidden gem,” April countered. “There are a lot of cars out front; that's usually a good sign. Come on, let’s try it.”
“A hidden gem in the middle of podunk nowhere?” Scott laughed. He got out to pump the gas and when he finished, he started the car and drove back to the freeway without a word.
April bit her lip. “What was that back there?” she finally asked after they’d gone several miles.
“What was what?” he kept his eyes on the road.
“I thought we were going to check out that diner, but you blew me off.”
Scott shook his head. “No, we weren’t. Didn’t we agree it would be nasty?”
They had definitely not agreed on any such thing, but perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. April didn’t think it was worth fighting about. By the time they stopped at an Arby’s half an hour later, she was over it.
The sun was slipping behind the western hills when they crested the ridge of the canyon. Snow Valley came into view, the pink of the sunset reflecting on the glittering white snow. Far across the valley, April could make out the smudge that was the biggest barn on her parents' dairy farm.
She couldn’t help grinning. Coming home was just … well, like coming home. Somewhere safe and comfortable where everyone knew everyone else and they all took care of one another. Snow Valley was a place where neighbors shoveled each other’s driveways, where kids could take homemade cookies to school on their birthdays, and where everyone stayed around to socialize after church.
It was also a place where the whole town turned out to celebrate Christmas.
She reached over to run her fingers along Scott’s arm. “Are you excited?”
“Sure. Aren’t you?”
“Of course. Wait until you see it, it’s amazing. Fireworks, pageants, dances, a parade … we have to go to the carnival. I think there’s a model train show this year; Ben might really like that.”
“Sounds like a lot of work,” Scott observed.
“It is, but it’s worth it. For two weeks, it’s … magical. And it brings in a lot of tourists. My parents have thought about turning the house into a bed and breakfast, but it hasn’t worked out, yet.”
“Because of your brother?”
“Partly,” April admitted. “Mom has her hands pretty full with him and Dad is so busy running the farm he can’t really help with a bunch of guests.”
“I’m glad they didn’t do the bed and breakfast this year,” Scott said with a smile. “I’m going to have enough culture shock without having a house full of strangers too.”
“Culture shock?” she teased. “You’ll be fine.”
He flashed her a quick grin.
“Mom said my friend Paisley is pretty involved in the planning. Maybe we should call and offer to help,” April said.
“With your parents gone, I think we’re going to be pretty busy already, don’t you?”
“We’ll be fine. Ben has a nurse and Dad said he’s got the farm work mostly covered.” April gave his arm a squeeze. “But you’re right. We’ve been so stressed with school, we should try to relax.”
Scott captured her hand in his. “I’m definitely looking forward to some time for just the two of us.” He kissed the back of her fingers.
She beamed at him, “Me too.”
Snow Valley was named for the prominent Snow family, not the climate, though it would have been appropriate considering the snow pack each year. April remembered many years with so much snow, the entire town looked covered in quilt batting. But every year the valley’s school children were in for disappointment. School never closed, no matter how deep the snow.
As they drove down Main Street, April felt a thrill of excitement. The streetlamps were hung with lighted decorations – candy canes, Christmas stockings, stars, trees, and snowflakes. A plastic Santa with his sleigh and reindeer hung over the street and every store and house was swathed in lights, tinsel, garlands, and banners. Inflatable lawn ornaments were everywhere.
“I hate those things,” Scott pointed to one yard with not one inflatable, but several.
“They’re getting into the spirit of things,” April defended her hometown. Truth be told, she didn’t really like inflatables either, but they did add to the festive mood.
Despite the cold, the streets were packed with revelers out enjoying the atmosphere. Scott drove slowly and April’s anticipation grew as she watched the crowds – parents struggling to maneuver strollers over the packed snow, kids bundled into snowsuits, couples, young and old, holding hands. Santa hats speckled the crowd like sprinkles on a cupcake.
Fire barrels were placed at intervals up and down the street and dozens of booths sold hot chocolate, coffee, roasted nuts, and homemade candy. The square in the center of town was crowded with people who had come to see the live nativity and Christmas carols pumped through speakers mounted on the streetlights.
“You have to try the scones,” April said as they passed a parking lot where the Sierra Club had set up folding tables and deep fryers under the awning of an RV. Hand-lettered signs read: Fresh Scones, $3. The thought of a crisp, hot scone dripping with honey butter made her mouth water.
Scott looked around with interest. “I can’t believe so many people are out on a night like this,” he said. “They must be freezing.”
April laughed. “You should see them at the polar bear plunge. Wanna give it a try?”
“Not even a little bit,” he shuddered.
“We’ll have to come back tomorrow so I can –” she drew a quick, startled breath when she spotted a tall man with blond hair in the crowd. As they drove by, she craned her neck to look back and relief flooded through her when she saw the man’s face – it wasn’t him.
“So you can what?” Scott prompted.
April shook her head. “Nothing, forget it.” Her palms were suddenly clammy and a knot of anxiety settled in her stomach. She had been about to suggest they drive into town to visit all her old haunts, but suddenly that didn’t seem like such a good idea.
She directed Scott to the two lane highway cutting across the valley. Fields and pastures flanked both sides of the road, fences half buried in the snowdrifts. Horses and cattle had carved long, dirty paths through the otherwise pristine whiteness. April watched for the occasional farm house, her mind automatically conjuring the names of the people who lived there as they drove by.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. Authors need reviews, preferably positive reviews! If you did like the book, I’d love a review from you on Amazon or Goodreads or both. Thank you again!
Other Books
By
Cindy Roland Anderson
Fair Catch
Discovering Sophie
Under a Georgia Moon
About the Author
Cindy Roland Anderson has always had a penchant for chocolate and reading romance novels. Naturally, romance is what she loves to write—usually with chocolate. Cindy has won several awards for her writing, including first place with her bestselling novel Fair Catch. She hones her writing skills by attending workshops and conferences, and is active in two critique groups with some awesome lad
ies. Cindy is a registered nurse and works in the newborn intensive care unit. She loves to bake, not cook (there is a difference!) and enjoys spending time with her family. Cindy and her husband John reside in Farmington, UT. They are parents to five incredible children. Over the past few years their family has expanded by adding a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and four adorable grandchildren.
To contact Cindy or to see other projects she is working on go to www.cindyrolandanderson.com or check out her author Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrolandandersonauthor
An Unexpected Kiss: A Christmas in Snow Valley Romance Page 14