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“I do,” Lucy said, turning on her heel and leading them toward the front desk.
Savannah took in all the details as they followed her. The lodge was utterly charming and she immediately felt warm and welcomed. The lodge definitely had an old-fashioned feel, but it was obviously well cared for from the clean and highly polished wood to the tasteful Christmas decorations. Nothing was overdone and yet she felt surrounded by Christmas nostalgia.
Lucy opened a large leather-bound book and ran her finger over the page, then she turned to her computer, moving the mouse and clicking a few times. “I’ll put you in room eleven,” she told them. She clicked a few more times. “You can stay as long as you need to.”
“Thank you.” Savannah went to reach for her purse and realized it was still out in the car. “When we can get out to the car, I’ll bring my credit card to you and—”
“Whenever,” Lucy said, waving that away. “I’m not worried.” She handed Savannah the key to their room. An actual key. It was ornate brass with a pretty maroon ribbon tied to the end. “Up the stairs, take a left.”
“You don’t need our full names, addresses, anything?” Savannah asked.
Lucy laughed. “I suspect we’re going to be spending the next couple of days together, at least. There will be time for all of that.”
“Oh, okay.” Savannah had never been in a situation like this. “Well, if you want—”
Just then the front door opened again, and a gust of cold air and snow swirled into the lobby.
“Oh goodness!” Lucy exclaimed, coming around the desk and starting for the new couple who had just stepped into the lodge. “Welcome! Come on in.”
“Looks like we’re not the only ones to just blow in here. Let’s get out of the way,” Theo said, putting an arm around Savannah.
“Yeah, okay. I guess if Lucy isn’t worried about working things out, then I shouldn’t be either.”
“Exactly.”
Savannah’s eyes found the huge front windows through a doorway off the lobby. The snow was coming down even faster, making it impossible to see anything but white. It was like they were in a snow globe, and someone had just shaken the thing.
“I need to call the Monroes and let them know I won’t be there tonight,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ll call my mom too. And we should check in with people in Autre, just let them know we made it.”
“Good idea.”
They climbed the stairs to the upper level and found room eleven. Theo pushed the door open, and Savannah stepped past him into the room.
It was…beautiful.
Cozy, charming like the rest of the lodge, but beautiful. There was a huge four-poster bed with a thick, deep red comforter, and half a dozen throw pillows in cream and forest green. The curtains on the window were the same forest green and were pulled back to reveal a tall pine tree, ladened with fluffy snow and the still-swirling storm.
At the foot of the bed sat a cedar chest with a thick quilt in Christmas colors folded on top. Across from the bed was a fireplace that had possibly once been a real wood-burning fireplace but had been replaced with gas at some point. To the right of the fireplace, in the corner near the window, was a Christmas tree, glowing with white lights. Wooden apple ornaments hung from the branches and the whole thing was draped with a wide green and gold ribbon garland. The same garland hung from the mantel.
Savannah turned to Theo. “Wow.”
He grinned. “Yeah.”
“This is so pretty.”
“It really is.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what the other farm has to offer, but this is pretty great so far.”
“Oh! I should call them.” Savannah looked for her purse for a few seconds before remembering, again, that her purse was still out in the car.
“Here.” Theo held out his phone.
“Thanks.” She took it but paused. She looked up at him. “I’m really used to traveling on my own. Checking into places on my own. Figuring things out on my own.”
“I know,” he said.
“But I like having you here with me. Just because Icando it on my own, doesn’t mean that being alone is the only, or best, way.”
