Faking Christmas(17)
“You know, with the exception of this humongous tractor, it feels like we just stepped into a Thomas Kinkade painting.”
Jack laughed. “Good. That’s the goal.”
He nudged my arm and pointed a couple hundred yards down Main Street. “That’s where all the guests stay. We call it the village.”
Roughly fifteen cabins were littered around the base of the tree-covered hills. They weren’t in any linear order but seemed scattered in more of a circular manner, giving each cabin a more secluded feel as opposed to being directly across the road from its neighbor. The cabins were different sizes, but they were all constructed from rich, dark wood. Chimney smoke rose up to greet the sky, lending a sense of warmth and coziness to the atmosphere, and like the rest of the buildings in this charming place, wreaths adorned each of the doors and windows.
“Wow,” was all I could say.
Jack circled back toward the barn and stables sitting on the other side of Main Street, past the general store, and parked the tractor. He stood and leaned forward to open the door for me to exit.
The men made quick work of unhooking my car. Jack pointed toward the lodge just up the sidewalk and said, “I know your parents and sister are here already. My wife, Sandy, should be in the lodge and can get you all checked in.”
I took my car keys from Jett. “Thank you for not wrecking this priceless heirloom.”
He grinned, the braces on his teeth gleaming. “Don’t know how you drive in something that low to the ground. I’d recommend getting a truck.”
I laughed. “Every winter, I put that in my letter to Santa, but he never comes through.”
Turning to Jack, I shook his hand, “Thank you for the lift and for my personal tour.”
He chuckled. “My pleasure, Olive. It will be fun to have you around. And if there’s any way we can get rid of that pesky boyfriend, let me know. I’d love to introduce you to my son.”
“I don’t think so.” I grinned and waved, making my way toward the lodge. If his son turned out to be anything like Jack, I was going to be sorely disappointed in my fake-boyfriend situation.
A light sprinkling of flakes drifted down from the sky. The air was fresh, and for a moment, I almost decided to keep walking instead of facing my family. But I forced myself to be a grown-up, put a pleasant look on my face, and opened the lodge door.
The place seemed empty at a glance. The doorway opened into a large foyer with a hallway that seemed to round the perimeter of the building. I moved forward and passed through another doorway and into the sprawling main room. The pitched ceilings were high, and the floor was concrete. Long, wooden picnic tables were placed all around the open room with chairs tucked neatly underneath. Front and center, a stage with a red, velvet curtain drew my eye, and directly across from the doorway was what looked like a large kitchen with a long bar top coming out from the wall, connecting the kitchen with the main room—probably where they served the meals. I took a few steps inside, scanning the room with interest. A front reception area sat off to the left side. There seemed to be no one there to greet guests. I was about to turn and leave when I noticed a small yellow light shining out of what looked like an office just behind the front desk.
A moment later, a thin woman with short blonde hair peeking out from underneath a cute red beanie stepped out of the office. She gave me a wide smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back as I took in her black leggings, long red sweater, and snow boots. She looked like a walking ad for Vermont tourism.
“Hi! I’m Sandy. How can I help you?” She leaned against the reception desk separating us and glanced over me and my luggage. “Oh wait, you’re the spitting image of two other brown-haired beauties I just handed keys to. Are you with the Ellises?”
I clenched my stomach while I smiled, determined not to let the name bother me in public. “Yes. Elaine’s my mom.”
She leaned over and checked a paper on the desk. “Yes. Cute couple.”
Suck it up, Buttercup.
“What’s your name, dear?”
“Olive Wilson.” I made sure to emphasize my last name. Maybe it was petty, but I was not an Ellis.
Her brows furrowed as she looked at her papers. “Is your husband coming? There won’t be much room in Cabin 7.”
“I’m not married.”
She peered up at me. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought, with your last name…” She trailed off awkwardly and I tried to feign a smile.
“Nope. Just me.”
“Okay. That pull-out couch can’t be too comfortable, so we do have some cots available if you’d prefer.”
“Oh. Are there no beds in there?”
“Well, with your sister’s family in there already, it will be a little tight. It has one full-sized bed, and there’s a pull-out couch in the living room. It’s one of our smaller cabins.”
My heart sank. “I thought I had my own cabin.”
That statement caused a furrowed brow as the woman shuffled through the papers on her desk. “Let’s see…”
My feet began to twitch as I tried not to panic. I loved my sister, but other than offering some babysitting here and there, I hoped to be hidden far away in a cabin all my own. A place where I could choose when to come out and be seen (i.e., rarely, with a side of mealtime only).
“Oh, yes. Here it is. I’m sorry you weren’t told. Your mother called yesterday and had you moved into Cabin 7 with your sister. She said it was because the…” She searched through more papers on her desk. “...the Fosters were now coming.” She looked at me with concern in her bright eyes. “Is that alright? I wish we had another cabin available, but unfortunately, everything is booked up this week.”