“I’ve got it,” she protested.
“I know.” He slung both her bag and his over one shoulder. “But I’m trying out this new thing called ‘being a good boyfriend.’ I’ve heard girls really dig that.”
“Dig that?” She rolled her eyes at his word choice, but her lips twitched. “Personally, I like not being treated like I’m breakable.”
“Funny, I like you not being dead.” He gave her a pointed look. “Guess we’ll both have to compromise.”
He shifted the bags and reached for her free hand as they started toward the front steps.
Snow crunched beneath Olive’s boots. The breeze disappeared a moment, and the air held a pristine stillness—like the world paused its breath.
Maybe this retreatwouldbe more fun than she’d anticipated.
Stillness could be good . . . right? The Bible even talked about it.Be still and know that I am God.
She could do this. She could relax and try to enjoy herself for once.
Before Olive even crested the porch, the door opened, and Tevin stood there, his arms wide and his smile even wider. “Olive and Jason—welcome to our very own Hallmark movie.”
Olive gave him a look. “Hallmark movie?”
“I just found out that one—Mistletoe and Madness—was filmed here last year. You’ll see why this inn is the perfect setting. Just you wait.”
Olive exchanged a look with Jason before stepping inside.
Her eyes widened as she soaked in her temporary home away from home.
Tevin was right—the inn looked like it belonged on a Christmas card.
A massive stone fireplace dominated the great room, its mantel draped in pine garland and twinkling white lights. The air smelled faintly of wood smoke and cinnamon, and someone had tucked sprigs of holly and strings of fairy lights into mason jars along the windowsills.
A small tree stood near the far corner, trimmed with red plaid ribbon and a handful of handmade ornaments shaped like stars and snowflakes.
The flicker of the fire threw long, uncertain shadows across the walls, and the ticking of an old clock seemed to pull her back in time to a simpler era, when the holidays were homemade and cozy instead of commercialized and hectic.
“Where’s everyone else?” Jason scanned the room.
“Nova and Mitzi are getting cookies in the kitchen—Mitzi really isn’t happy about her broken arm.”
On her last mission, Mitzi had broken her arm while fighting a drug lord posed as a North Dakota farmer.
“Mara—she’s one of the owners—apparently makes a killer sugar cookie,” Tevin continued. “They’re all decorated like the most adorable little snowmen—that’s what I hear, at least. Heartwarming, right? I haven’t tried them yet myself, but they smell amazing. Anyway, Rex ran into town an hour or so ago to grab a few things at the store. And Trick isn’t here yet—but he’s sick, though he won’t admit it.”
“He’s still sick?” He’d been coughing the last time Olive saw him, his usual spunkiness subdued.
“He claims it’s allergies, but we all know that’s not true,” Tevin continued. “He insists on coming, despite the fact that he’ll only be spreading his germs. Oh, and JJ is in his room.”
JJ Price had joined Aegis only recently. He was a quiet kid with quick hands and a quicker mind. He had an easy smile, a habit of over-apologizing, and a wild obsession with Pac-Man. But she couldn’t help but like him.
Jason set their bags down.
Olive knew she was about to be immersed in a whirlwind of team bonding and Christmas celebrations.
She just needed a moment to collect herself before that happened. Since she’d lost her entire family when she was a teenager, the holidays had been hard. Many times, she hadn’t even celebrated. This retreat would be challenging for her.
However, if she could take on different personas for the cases she worked, then certainly she could pretend to have fun here—and make people believe she was being genuine. No need to ruin the fun for them.
“Listen, I’m going to step outside and stretch my legs a minute—before the snow becomes so deep we’re trapped inside,” she started. “The ride was longer than I expected, and I need some fresh—albeit cold—air.”
