Welcome To Winterville by Carrie Elks

26

“What kind of problem?” Holly frowned at Gabe. He was shifting his feet like he couldn’t stand still. The lights flickered again.

“You know the storm we promised Everley wouldn’t happen? It just reached Marshall’s Gap.” That was the next big town. “Took out their power. They’re working on getting it back up, but of course everything’s so damn slow because it’s Christmas Eve.”

“What does that mean for us?” North asked, running his thumb along his chin.

“The storm’s heading this way. It’s likely to take our power out, too, and since we rely on Marshall’s Gap for backup, it isn’t going to happen.

“The storm’s coming here?” Holly shook her head. “I thought it was headed south of here.”

Gabe grimaced. “It’s already snowing like crazy out there. The winds are picking up. It’s only a matter of time before the eye hits us.”

“Shit.” North looked out at the stage. “We have all these people who have to get home.”

“Should we stop the performance?” Holly asked. “Give them a chance to get out of here?”

“It’s too late.” Gabe’s voice was grim. The lights flickered once more, this time staying dark for five seconds before they came back on.

“Can somebody put a dime in the meter?” Everley yelled from the stage, and the audience laughed.

Gray Hartson started singing again, and the murmurs from the audience quietened.

“Okay, let’s think.” Holly put her hand to her temple. Her brain was mush. It was hard to form a coherent thought. “Um, the Inn has a generator, right?”

“Yep. And a few of the houses do, too.”

“So we get as many people as we can to safety. Between the Inn and the local houses we should be able to take care of most of the audience. We could even get some heaters and cots into this place as an overspill if necessary.”

North nodded. “I’ll make an announcement as soon as they finish their song. We need to get people out while the power’s still working.”

“Alaska and I will head over to the Inn now,” Gabe said. “Get things as ready as we can for an influx of people.”

Holly let out a lungful of air. “I need to get to Josh’s cottage.”

Gabe and North exchanged a look. “You can’t drive in this weather, Hol. You’ll kill yourself.”

“I’ve driven in snow before.”

“Not this kind of snow.” North shook his head. “Seriously, we’ll have to wait it out. You can go to Josh in the morning.”

“But he doesn’t have a generator. We need to get him to the Inn.” Panic gripped her.

“Holly, you can’t go out. People will follow you. Hell, I’ll follow you. And we’ll all end up getting hurt.” Gabe put his hands on her shoulders. “Call him and tell him about the storm. I’ll give him some tips for keeping warm. Then as soon as it passes, we’ll go get him, okay?”

She let out a long breath, taking her phone from her pocket. “Okay.”

Bringing up her contacts, she pressed his name, lifting the phone to her ear.

“Hi, this is Josh Gerber. Leave a message.”

“It’s his voicemail,” she mouthed at Gabe.

“Tell him about the storm then pass it to me,” he told her.

“Josh, this is Holly. There’s a storm coming. You need to get ready for it, because nobody can get to you right now. Gabe’s going to tell you exactly what you need to do to be prepared, but stay safe, okay?”

She passed the phone to Gabe, barely listening as he listed the things Josh could use to bunker down and keep warm. He’d be all right, she knew that. He had a fireplace and there had to be candles somewhere. And the storm would pass soon, wouldn’t it?

Gabe finished rattling off instructions. “Okay, man. Stay safe. We’ll get you when we can.”

He passed her the phone. Everley and Gray were still singing about the Boys of the NYPD choir, their voices rising to a crescendo that thrilled the audience.

Then the lights flickered again, before plunging them all into darkness, and people started to shout and scream.

Holly turned on her phone’s flashlight. Gabe and North did the same.

“I need to get on the stage and tell them what’s happening.” North frowned.

But then something magical happened. One by one, everybody in the audience turned their own flashlights on, holding them up in the air and swaying them from side to side.

Everley started to sing again, and Gray joined in, the two of them performing without a back track or mics, until they ended the song and everybody applauded.

North was by their sides as soon as they finished singing, whispering into their ears. Everley nodded, and turned back to the audience.

“Friends,” she shouted out. “I’d like to ask each and every one of you for a favor. Please stay seated and listen carefully to my very handsome and clever cousin, North Winter.”

Gabe slid his hand into Holly’s, squeezing it tight. She squeezed back, thankful he was here.

“Hello everybody,” North said, yelling so he could be heard at the back. “We have a little problem. A winter storm has decided it wants to join in the festivities. But I don’t want you to worry, because we have a plan. Listen carefully, and stay seated until we evacuate you row by row. It looks like you’ll be spending Christmas Eve with us in Winterville this year.”

* * *

Josh couldn’t sit still. He’d been pacing the floor of his living room for what felt like hours, thinking about her.

Holly laughing with him while they ate dinner together.

Holly kissing him when he was supposed to be working.

Holly naked under the tree the day he had to leave for those damn work meetings.

He’d thought those moments had meant as much to her as they did to him. Thought they were on the same page. He was in love with her. And it hurt.

It hurt.

Love wasn’t supposed to make you feel this bad, was it?

He let out a sigh, raking his hand through his hair. It had started snowing again. And now he was worried about her driving here after the show. He picked up his phone and opened up his messenger app, wincing when he read her words.

Don’t drive tonight. The weather is bad out there. We can talk tomorrow. Josh x

He waited for the two ticks to arrive, to let him know she’d received it. But they didn’t come. He frowned and resent it, then a little red dot appeared.

Unable to send message.

He tried calling her instead, even though he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk to her. But instead of connecting, all he could hear was static. Frowning, he looked at his service bar.

But it wasn’t there.

And then all the lights in the house went out.

The fire was still burning, casting an orange glow across the living room floor. He walked over and flicked the light switch up and down again, but it was futile.

The electricity was gone. Along with the phone service and god knew what else.

He walked to the front door and pulled it open, and a thick curtain of snow rushed in. The icy cold air stunned him, before he pushed it closed again, leaving a blanket of snowflakes on the wooden floor.

Damn!

It was a snowstorm. An honest-to-goodness white out. The kind they rarely got in Cincinnati, thank god. And even if they did, his condo had generators, and it was a short walk to the nearest shop or café for help.

But here he was alone. He looked at his watch. It was almost nine o’clock. The show was due to finish in the next ten minutes. Was it snowing this heavy in Winterville, too? If it wasn’t, it would be soon. It was only a couple of miles away.

What if Holly tries to drive here anyway?

A cold shiver snaked its way down his spine. The last words he’d said to her had been unkind. She’d hurt him, and he’d taken it out on her. Then he tried to get her to tell him she loved him, before rejecting her.

He was like a wounded animal, lashing out because he didn’t know how to deal with the pain.

Truth was, he still had no idea how to deal with it. Holly was the only person who’d ever gotten beneath his skin. He’d fallen for her in the biggest of ways. He was in love with her.

He’d spent a lifetime building up defenses to keep him safe from pain. He’d become a successful businessman because that was what he knew. But then she came along, and everything changed.

She was the only one who knew him. And if he was being honest, that’s why she was able to hurt him so much. He’d let himself become vulnerable and her hiding things hit him at the deepest, tenderest part of his heart.

He’d spent the last two days figuring how he could give the town back to her. To give her the greatest gift he could think of.

And all the time she’d been hiding the truth from him. She didn’t need him to give her the town. She’d already gotten what she wanted.

His chest clenched, the pain making him wince. He wanted to hit something, to lash out. To do anything to take this hurt away.

He leaned his head against the hallway wall, closing his eyes as he remembered her tear-stained face.

I wanted to tell you before. We talked about this. We agreed we’d keep business and our private lives separate.

He had agreed. Maybe he was even the one who suggested it, he couldn’t remember now. And she hadn’t done anything wrong. Not really. She’d done exactly what she said she would.

Kept things separate.

He was the one who’d begun to mix them up. He’d decided to gift her the town instead of doing what a good businessman would. He’d thought that she’d be so grateful, and he’d get to be the knight riding in on a silver steed.

But she didn’t need a knight. She was her own knight. That was the beauty of Holly Winter. She never stopped fighting. She never gave up. She loved fiercely, even when she couldn’t admit it.

And she’d taught him how to love. Something he never thought he could do. And now that he’d had a taste of it, he wanted more.

He wanted her.

Wanted to wrap her in his arms, to tell her it was going to be okay. To kiss away the tears he’d caused until her lips curled in a smile again.

He wanted her to be happy. To be the one who made her happy.

Wanted to love her. To show her that no matter what happened, he would be there for her. That she could rely on him the way she hadn’t relied on anybody else.

The wind was whipping around the house, making the windows and the door rattle. He looked at his phone again. Still no service.

But he couldn’t stay here. Not knowing that she might be out there, trying to drive to his house because he demanded she did.

He had to get to her before she got hurt. He grabbed his phone again, wincing when the ‘no service’ icon appeared at the top of the screen. Running his fingers over the keypad, he quickly typed out a message, knowing it wouldn’t be received.

Don’t drive anywhere. I’m coming to you. Stay in Winterville, I’ll be there as soon as I can. - J

* * *

The Inn was full of people everywhere you looked. Even Gray Hartson and his family were settled in on a sofa waiting for the storm to pass. The staff was doing their best, passing around hot cups of cocoa and coffee, along with pastries and sandwiches they’d quickly whipped up. Alaska was at the desk, allocating bedrooms to those who needed them most – children and the elderly, while Gabe and Everley were searching through the linen closet, piling up pillows and blankets for those who would be sleeping in the lobby and dining room.

Even though there was a whiteout outside, everybody was in good spirits. Alaska had put on some Christmas music, and people were singing along, their voices echoing through the lobby. In a corner, somebody had gathered up all the children and was reading ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas to them, as they all stared up, their sweet faces full of excitement, because this was so much more fun than being made to go to bed and wait for Santa.

“Are you okay?” Dolores asked, as Holly stared out of the window, wincing at the force of the wind as it pelted snowflakes against the glass.

“It’s bad out there,” Holly said.

“It’ll be fine in a few hours. You know what these storms are like.” Dolores patted her arm. “Hang in there, honey.”

“Josh is stuck at his home. He won’t have electricity.” She hoped he’d had the sense to get firewood in before the storm got too bad. It was the only way he could keep warm.

“He isn’t here?” Dolores asked, her brows pinching. “Why not?”

Holly pulled her lip between her teeth, her eyes stinging. “We had an argument.”

“Oh honey. No wonder you’re worried.” Dolores patted her arm. “It’ll be okay. You should be able to get to him in the morning. He’s a sensible man. He knows how to keep warm.”

Holly let out a long breath. “Yeah.” But it didn’t stop her from checking the weather every few minutes. Or from wishing she hadn’t lied to him.

“Everything okay?” Charlie Shaw asked, passing Dolores a cup of cocoa. “I put a little something extra in it,” he told her, patting his pocket, where an outline of a whiskey flask revealed itself.

Dolores gave him a thankful smile. “Holly’s worried about Josh. He’s stuck at his place.”

“Ah, it’ll be cold but he’ll be fine.” Charlie winked at Holly. “You and this Josh fella, you’re a thing, huh?”

Holly swallowed hard. “Kind of.” Or they were, until she’d hurt him. A fresh stab of guilt cut at her tender heart.

Charlie patted her arm. “He’ll stay inside. That’s all you gotta do in this weather.”

“I told her that.” Dolores took a mouthful of cocoa and winced. “What the hell did you put in here?”

“A little bit of my moonshine.”

Dolores widened her eyes. “I’m already seeing two of you.”

“Two of who?” North asked, appearing behind Holly.

“Charlie’s sharing his moonshine.” Dolores’s voice sounded slurred. “Want some?”

North grimaced. “I think I’ll pass.” He bumped his shoulder against Holly’s. “You hanging in there?”

“Maybe I should go outside,” Holly looked out of the window again. “I guess I could walk to his house.”

“Hell no. You’ll find your death out there. And anyway, how will you see where you’re going? You’re more likely to walk into a tree than you are to find his house.” North shook his head.

“He’s right.” Charlie nodded. “I’ll clear the road in the morning. We all just need to stay put until then.”

Somebody was singing “Silent Night”. The plaintive notes made her heart ache.

Then a rally of beeps started echoing through the lobby.

“We have service,” somebody shouted out.

“My phone’s working!”

Oh thank God! Holly pulled her phone out to call Josh. She held her breath as her screen lit up.

Don’t drive anywhere. I’m coming to you. Stay in Winterville, I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Oh no. No, no, no. Her heart started to clammer against her ribcage. “He’s gone outside,” she said, her voice full of horror.

“What?” North bent to look at her screen. “Why the hell has he done that?”

Dolores and Charlie exchanged a worried glance.

“I don’t know.” Holly shook her head. She could feel the tears threatening again. She swallowed hard, trying to push them away because now was not the time to be crying. She needed to have a level head. To figure out what to do.

Because the man she loved was out in this storm, trying to get to her.

“Gabe?” North called out.

“Yep?” He lifted his head and walked over to them. “Wassup?”

“Josh is out in the storm. Can you call mountain rescue?”

Gabe pulled his phone from his pocket. “I can, but they won’t come out. Not in this weather.”

“Call them anyway,” North said. “Log his disappearance.”

Holly stared out the window again. Snow was pelting against it, sticking to the glass. “What can we do?” she murmured, shaking her head.

“Only one thing we can do,” Dolores said, pressing her lips together. Her words weren’t slurred any more. Funny how an emergency could sober a person up. “We need to call a town meeting.”

* * *

Walking in a storm like this was turning out to be a bad idea. Even in a thick padded coat and boots, with his snow gloves and hat firmly covering any exposed skin, save his face, Josh could still feel the cold seeping through. The wind was noisy and unrelenting as it blasted down the side of the mountain, snowflakes slapping against his face like they had a personal beef with him.

He took a deep breath in, forcing his body forward, taking slow but steady steps as his boots crunched in the snow.

He could only see a couple of feet ahead. Enough to make out that he was still on the road, thanks to the gap between the trees, but he had no idea how far he’d walked, or how far there was still to go.

Josh hadn’t seen a single car, either. He wasn’t sure anybody could drive in this weather and actually make it to their destination safely. There was already two feet of snow on the road, with more on the sides as the wind banked snow up until it was four or five feet high.

If Holly had gotten into her car, then she must have stopped somewhere. She had a blanket in there, he thought. She was intelligent enough to know she needed to stay where she was.

Yeah, and you’re intelligent enough to know you should have stayed at home, idiot.

He blinked at the vehemence of his own thoughts. Thanks, brain. Even that had turned against him.

That’s because you’re a complete dickwad. Have been since you left Cincinnati this morning.

Was it only this morning? He blew out a mouthful of air. He hadn’t realized how steep the hill into Winterville was when he was driving it. Now that he was on his feet, it felt like he was climbing Everest.

Except only dickwads climb Everest in a storm.

Snow was sticking to his eyelashes, making his vision blurry. He blinked them away, trying to focus on the road ahead. It was shrouded in darkness, the same way it had been since he’d left his house. When was that? An hour ago? Two? He’d lost all sense of time and distance. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, blinking when he saw he finally had service.

Then the phone slid out of his hands into the snow. He dropped to his knees.

His mittened hands were useless as he dug into the snow to get his phone, but he didn’t dare take his gloves off. Sure, he was an idiot – his brain had established that much – but he didn’t have a deathwish.

When he finally extracted it, the phone was covered with snow. He dusted it off, praying to God that water hadn’t gotten inside. When the screen lit up, he grinned, because at last something was going his way, even if the wind was still a bitch as it whipped his face.

Then, as if by a Christmas miracle, it started to ring, Holly’s name lighting up the screen.

He grinned, swiping the accept call with his nose so he didn’t have to take his gloves off.

“Holly?” He had to shout to hear his own voice over the wind.

An unintelligible buzz was his only reply.

“Holly? Where are you?”

This time there was silence. And damn if this wasn’t worse than no service at all.

“Holly, wherever you are, stay there. It’s a nightmare out here. Whatever you do, don’t go out.”

There was no connection. He couldn’t hear anything at all. When he looked at the screen it was black.

He tried to switch it with his nose again. Nothing. Then, in frustration, he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

She was alive and using her phone. That’s all he needed to know. Now he was going to keep walking until he found her.