“No, yeah, I’m good. And Mom’s going to flip when she sees you. She’s missed you. Uh, you should totally stop by here first, though. Before you get to the cabin. I think that would surprise her more.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said, grabbing my things for the night and hittingSendon the email to my employees.
If I got home and packed tonight, I’d be able to leave first thing in the morning with minimal stops, I should make it to the cabin before dinner.
“I’ll call you when I get close, okay?”
“Sounds good. Call me! Before you get here! So I can make sure we surprise Mom!”
“Alright.”
“But stop here first,” he repeated. If I hadn’t been distracted, I would have picked up on the weird tone in his voice.
“Yeah, yeah.” I patted the pockets of my suit jacket for my keys. “I’ll call you.”
“Cool. See you soon, Uncle Ash,” he said before I ended the call.
With a rejuvenated pep in my step, I headed out of the office, waving goodbye to actual smiling employees, who probably thought I’d just lost my mind
3.Ember
The bell rang over the door of the general market I stepped into. I was officially andfinallyin Sugarloaf.
Winter was proving to be colder than I’d expected when I’d first booked my impromptu little getaway. An unpredictable storm hit, making the roads a lot slicker and colder than I liked to drive through. But thankfully, I was almost there. I’d just stopped to stock up on groceries before heading to the cabin to hunker down in nothing but peace and quiet.
This storm could turn into a blizzard for all I cared. I wouldn’t mind a week of being snowed in all alone with nothing but great snacks, wine, and a TBR list a mile long. I had no plans of getting back into my car for an entire week, whether it was sunny or snowing.
“Hello, honey, you need any help?” the older lady behind the register called out. I smiled politely, shaking my head.
“No, but thank you.”
“New to town?” she asked, and the smile on my face grew. I forgot how nosy people could be to newcomers in small towns.
“Just visiting. I rented a cabin for the holiday.”
“Oh, that’s nice, honey! With your family?” Yup, small towns were super nosy!
“Oh no, no family.”
“Friends?” she guessed. I pressed my lips together.
“No.”
“A boyfriend?” She winked, and I snorted. This lady would love Rosie and her manifestations. There was no boyfriend on the horizon for me. Thank goodness!
“No, nothing like that. No boyfriend.”
“Oh.” Her smile slightly dimmed. “You’re all alone.”
“Yep.” I grabbed a shopping cart. I didn’t want to be rude, but the quicker I got my shopping done, the sooner I could get to the cabin and avoid the crazy snow that was falling.
“You’re all alone for the holiday?” she repeated, like it was the worst idea ever, when it was the most peaceful thing I could have imagined.
“Yeah.” I hated the pity I saw in her eyes. “I needed a break.” I felt the need to share with the woman whose name I didn’t even know.
“Oh, okay…” She nodded, looking at me like I was some kind of three-headed creature. “Well, if you get bored, there’s a New Year’s party at the tavern, off Fourth Street, that starts about five and goes on till about noon on the first,” she shared with a grin. I laughed quietly.
“That sounds like a party,” I noted, and she chuckled.
