Welcome To Winterville: A Small Town Holiday Romance

by Carrie Elks

“I know we shouldn’t. But we want to, don’t we?”

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Damn, she was adorable. “What if I’m too sore?” she whispered.

  “Then I’ll hold you all night against my manly chest and read you romantic poetry.”

  Holly laughed. “You had me at manly chest. What time should I be here?”

  “Whenever you’re ready. I have meetings until seven, but I can always stare hotly at you until they’re done.”

  She nodded. “Okay, but I’ll bring the food tonight. It’s my turn.”

  “Works for me.”

  His laptop let out a shrill ring, reminding him that he was supposed to be in a video conference. “I have to get that.”

  “I know. And I have to go.” She pressed her lips to his. “I’ll see you later.”

  He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and kissed the smooth skin of her throat. “You will.”

  He watched her walk out of the house, her hips swinging as she made it to her rental car. Once she was safely inside and driving away, he turned to his laptop, lifting his headset and accepting the call, the boardroom of Gerber Enterprises flickering to life on his screen.

  “Apologies for my lateness,” he said, though he wasn’t sorry at all. “Where are we at?”

  Elizabeth and Kevin turned to the screen, their spines straightening as they saw he’d connected.

  “I got your email,” Kevin said. “Are you sure you want to pay for a relocation company? It’s not in the agreement, and it’s going to cost a lot of money.”

  “I’m certain.” The idea had come to him this morning. He couldn’t stop the sale at this point – and he didn’t want to – but he could make things easier for the people of Winterville who’d have to leave in order for the resort to be built. Bringing in a team of corporate relocators would help them find new homes and new jobs. At a cost to Gerber Enterprises.

  “Okay, we’ll get onto that,” Kevin agreed. “You’re the boss.”

  Yes he was. And right now he was okay with that.

  It had taken twenty minutes in a second shower of steaming hot water, followed by an intense session with a mirror and the contents of her cosmetic bag for Holly to finally look presentable. Sure, she still had shadows beneath the layers of concealer, and every time she walked her inner thigh muscles took her back to Josh’s bed, but at least she’d made it out of the Inn.

  The snow had stopped sometime overnight, and the roads were freshly plowed, but the roofs and lawns of the town were blanketed in a fresh layer of white that glistened in the winter sun.

  Her first priority was coffee. She pushed open the door to the Cold Fingers Café, and Dolores gave her a great big smile.

  “The usual?” Dolores asked.

  “Yes please.” Holly opened her purse to find her wallet.

  “You can put that away. Your coffee is paid for.”

  “It is?” Holly looked up, her brows knitting. “Did I over pay last time?”

  “No.” Dolores’ grin hadn’t moved an inch. “Mr. Gerber asked me to put all your coffees and pastries on his tab. So this is on him.”

  Holly pressed her lips together. “In that case, you need to put all his purchases on my tab.” She pulled her card out and passed it to Dolores. “I’m good for it.”

  Dolores chuckled. “What the hell is going on with you two? It’s like that movie…” Her brow creased. “What’s it called? The one with Tom Hanks and that pretty girl who was married to Jerry Lee Lewis.”

  Holly blinked. “I have no idea.”

  “She means Meg Ryan,” a voice called from across the café. Everley was sitting in front of the fireplace, a laptop in front of her.

  “Sleepless in Seattle?” Holly asked, unsure.

  “Nope. It was the one where they hated each other.”

  “You’ve Got Mail,” Frank shouted out. Holly bit down a laugh. How long had he been watching romcoms?

  “Yep. That’s it.” Dolores crossed her arms. “They hated each other but loved each other really.”

  Holly’s cheeks flamed. But she said nothing. Love was a strong word. Lust felt better right now.

  Dolores passed Holly her Americano, along with a pastry she insisted was on the house, and Holly walked over to where Everley was sitting, a half-eaten danish on a plate in front of her.

  “Comfort eating?” Holly asked, sinking into an easy chair.

  “Nope. It’s the first thing I’ve had all day. Did you hear about my Instagram post?”

  “No. I didn’t even know you posted it.” Holly grabbed her phone, opening up the app.

  “That’s because I did it last night while you were canoodling with the enemy.” Everley grinned, pulling out her phone and opening up Instagram. She passed it to Holly. “And we’ll come back to that, because I need all the details. But first I need to finish making this list. Because Gray Hartson has offered to come sing at our show. And now everybody wants a ticket. I have no idea how we’re going to fit all of them.”

  Holly looked at the screen, watching her cousin’s video appeal for help. She was dressed in one of Candy’s old costumes, her hair coiled into a topknot like Candy used to wear. She blinked at the number of likes and comments.

  Everley had gone viral. And the biggest name in rock had replied. Gray had been a friend of their grandma’s. He and his family lived in a small town a few hours away. He was being so sweet to offer to sing on Christmas Eve.

  There were so many comments from people begging for tickets, offering to pay astronomical sums to be there. It took her a full five minutes to scroll through them all.

  Then she saw a name that made her look at her cousin. “Dylan Shaw commented. I didn’t know he had Instagram.”

  “I guess the internet’s made it to wherever he is.” Everley swallowed. “Should I block him?”

  “Do you want to?” Holly asked her, passing back the phone. Everley’s eyes were shiny. Other people might not have noticed, but it was clear she was panicking over her ex-husband’s comment.

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to think about him, I guess.” Everley picked up her danish and stuffed it between her lips. “Okay, so now I’m comfort eating.”

  Holly laughed. “At least his comment is nice.”

  You look more beautiful than ever.

  Everley swallowed her pastry, chasing it with a mouthful of coffee. “It’s weird though, isn’t it? All the ghosts of our past coming out of the woodwork.”

  “Your paths were bound to cross again. His dad still lives here.”

  Everley really did look upset. Holly decided to change the subject.

  “So, what can I do to help with the show?” Holly asked.

  “Can you do the accounting?” Everley looked up at her. “I’d be so grateful.”

  “Of course I will. You don’t need to ask. I’ll do whatever you need me to. I know how overwhelming this must be.” Holly gave her cousin a soft smile. “And you’re going to sing, aren’t you?”

  Everley looked uncertain. “I don’t know. Everyone will be there for Gray Hartson… I might be out of place.”

  “You’ve worked in shows for years. Spent all that time on Broadway and in touring productions. You have to sing,” Holly urged her. “You’ll be representing us all. And Candy.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gabe asked, throwing himself into a spare chair next to Holly.

  “I’m telling Everley she has to sing in the concert,” Holly told her cousin.

  “Of course she does. That goes without saying.” Gabe gave Everley a warm smile. “You’ll be amazing.”

  “Who’ll be amazing?” North asked. “Oh, Holly, there’s a message for you at the Inn. Alaska took it.”

  “A message?” Holly asked. “Do you know who from?”

  North shrugged. “Ask Alaska. Anyway, what are you all talking about?”

  “I’m telling Everley she has to sing at the concert.”

  North smiled at his cousin. “Yep, she def
initely has to sing.” He winked at Everley. “You can do the finale. Sing Every Day Feels Like Christmas.” Candy’s signature song. It would bring down the house. “Maybe Gray can sing with you.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Everley sighed. “We don’t have much time. Thank God Kris has the website and ticket sales under control.” He was doing it remotely from England.

  “And I’ve spoken to an A/V company one of my friends owns,” Gabe said. “They’re willing to provide all the sound and light equipment for free. They’ll even throw in some technicians.”

  Everley smiled. “That’s fantastic. People are so kind.”

  “Candy’s name is known everywhere,” North said. “She was such a generous person, and people like to give back.”

  “Yeah, they do.”

  The café door chimed, and Josh walked up to the counter. His eyes swept over to where she was sitting, but his expression didn’t change. He leaned forward to say something to Dolores, but Holly was too far away to hear him. Whatever Dolores said in return, it made him give a small smile then look over at Holly again.

  Their eyes met and her stomach gave a little lurch. Dolores passed him a cup of coffee and he lifted it up, raising an eyebrow at Holly.

  She bit down a smile. Dolores must have told him she’d paid for it. She wanted to give the air a fist bump because this was so much fun. Instead, she lifted her own cup up, as though to toast him.

  “What are you doing?” Gabe murmured, looking from Holly to Josh and back again.

  “Just reminding him we’re still here,” Holly murmured. She really needed to take more care, because there was no way she was admitting to Gabe or North that she’d spent most of last night beneath Josh Gerber’s very delightful body.

  “You should ignore him. He’s not worth our attention.” North shook his head. “Why is he still here anyway?”

  Everley folded down her laptop. “Beats me.” She bit down a smile, glancing slyly at Holly. “Anyway, I need to get back to the Inn and talk to Alaska about something. And you need to pick up your message,” she said to Holly. “Want to join me?”

  “Sure.” Holly drained her coffee and glanced at their boy cousins. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  “We should have a family meeting tonight. We have a lot to go through,” North said. “How about we get takeout at mine?”

  Tonight? She’d already promised to go to Josh’s. Everley must have noticed Holly’s expression fall, because she quickly demurred.

  “I can’t make it tonight,” Everley said, her lips curling. “I have to… um… do some womanly things.”

  “Womanly things?” North grimaced.

  Gabe chuckled. “What kind of womanly things?”

  Everley leaned forward, her expression serious. “You don’t want to know,” she whispered. “It’ll ruin the mystique.”

  North wrinkled his nose. “Ev, your mystique was ruined the day you walked into the lobby of the Inn and stripped down to your Care Bear undies.”

  “I was four years old,” Everley protested. “And I wanted everybody to love the Care Bears as much as I did.”

  Holly coughed down a chuckle.

  “Don’t you laugh.” Everley shook her head at Holly. “Remember your butterfly panties? They caused way more problems than my Care Bear ones.”

  North’s jaw twitched. “Yeah, the less said about those, the better.”

  “Can we stop talking about my panties and get out of here?” Holly said, helping Everley pack up her laptop. She wanted to get out of here before North remembered why he hated Josh so much.

  Those damn butterfly panties. She wished they’d never existed.

  Although, it still sent a shiver down her spine that Josh ended up walking around with them in his pocket all those years ago.

  “Yep, we’ve gotta go. We have things to talk about.” Everley side-eyed Holly. “Very, very womanly things.”

  “Get out of here with your womanly things,” Gabe said, shaking his head. “You’re ruining my masculine vibe.”

  16

  Everley leaned on the Winterville Inn reception desk, grinning at her sister. “Okay, so long story short, Gray Hartson has agreed to headline the concert. I’m going to sing the final song. And Holly and Josh Gerber have been banging the brains out of each other.”

  Alaska looked up from her computer, her eyes catching Holly’s. “I knew there was something between you two.”

  It had taken the entire walk from the café to the Winterville Inn for Holly to fill her cousin in. She’d only given her the barest of details, but clearly Everley was filling in the gaps herself.

  “It’s so dreamy,” Everley said, her expression soft. “Two houses, both alike in dignity.”

  “Can you quit with the Romeo and Juliet quotes?” Holly said, shaking her head. “We’re not exactly mortal enemies.”

  “But you are on two different sides,” Alaska pointed out. Her long blonde waves were coiled up into a bun. “How are you going to deal with that?”

  “I don’t know,” Holly said honestly. “We haven’t talked about his plans for Winterville.”

  “They were too busy doing other things to talk,” Everley said, giving them both a wicked grin.

  “Don’t you have a concert to arrange?” Holly asked her, shaking her head. Everley never failed to make her grin. “And I hear you have a message for me?” she said to Alaska.

  “Yep. Your friend Natalie called. Your phone is off and your voicemail is full. I tried it as well and got the same result.” Alaska rooted beneath the counter, then brought up a complimentary slip.

  Natalie would like you to call her ASAP.

  Holly pulled her phone from her purse. Sure enough, the screen was blank. The battery must have died while she was at Josh’s last night. She hadn’t even thought to check. “That’s my lawyer friend. I sent her those deeds we found.” She grimaced at her phone again. “I’ll go upstairs and charge it,” she said, taking the slip from Alaska. “Thanks, honey.”

  “No need to go upstairs, we have chargers here.” Alaska pulled up a box full of plugs and cords. “You can’t begin to imagine how many people either lose theirs or forget them. They’re the new toothbrushes.”

  “I’m going to head into the business suite,” Everley said, hugging Holly tight. “I’m guessing you won’t be here for dinner tonight.”

  “Not tonight,” Holly nodded. “But that’s okay, because you have womanly things to deal with.”

  Alaska frowned. “What kind of womanly things?”

  Everley rolled her eyes. “Nothing. I was digging Holly out of the mess she’s made.”

  Holly left her cousin to fill Alaska in, and wandered over to a sofa next to an outlet, sliding the charger into her phone. A moment later her screen lit up, then a barrage of notifications filled it. Three missed phone calls from Natalie, notifications from Instagram – including Everley’s latest video, and a billion messages and texts filled her eyes.

  Of course she clicked on the ones from a certain Josh Gerber.

  You’re so damn beautiful. – J

  That one was sent right after eleven. She couldn’t have left his house long before he’d sent it. She smiled at the thought of him sending it as he sat in a video meeting. The next was sent twenty minutes later.

  What time are you coming tonight? I need you here early. – J

  She loved how impatient he was to see her. She felt exactly the same.

  I just ran up to grab something from my room and the bed still smells of sex. Is it wrong that I like it? – J

  No, not wrong at all. She swallowed hard, the memory of his body on hers making her skin feel hot.

  What the hell, Winter? – J

  But thank you for the coffee. – J

  Although now I’m thinking of ordering coffee for the whole town and putting it on your tab. Just to see your face. – J

  By the way, you still look beautiful. – J

  She laughed, remembering his face when Dolores mus
t have told him his coffee was already paid for. She slid her fingers across the phone screen, her smile still curling her lips.

  You looked pretty good yourself. – H

  Everley had disappeared from reception, no doubt pulling her hair out in the business suite. Alaska was talking to one of the few guests, leaning over one of the free paper maps they supplied, drawing out directions.

  Thank god. I was starting to think I had the wrong number. Wanna come over and play? – J

  I’m busy! And sore. I also realized I forgot to ask you a question last night. – H

  What question? – J

  What’s the thing you keep in your pocket? – H

  Come over here and find out. – J

  Good try. I have work to do. Some asshole is trying to demolish my grandma’s town. – H

  He sounds like a bastard. Want me to beat him up? – J

  It’s okay. I’m looking forward to doing it myself. But thanks for the offer. <3 – H

  I love the way you tell me you’re going to beat me up then send a heart. It makes me feel all warm inside. By the way, that thing in my pocket? It’s missing you. – J

  Shut up, I’m busy. I have phone calls to make. I’ll see you tonight. – H

  My pocket and I look forward to it. Xx – J

  With a stupid grin still on her face, she closed her message app and pulled up her contacts. A moment later, her friend Natalie answered, her warm voice echoing through the phone.

  “Hey stranger. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day.”

  “Sorry about that.” Holly grimaced. “I forgot to charge my phone.”

  Natalie sighed. “Oh my. You really have switched off from the world. I can’t imagine not having my phone fully charged twenty-four-seven. Nancy would personally hunt me down no matter the time of day or night.”