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“Uh, yes,” he said reluctantly, not wanting to share too many of the details of his and Mindy’s past. “Or rather, Iknewher. We haven’t seen each other in several years.”
Hugh and Mayor Thornton both still seemed a bit curious about what Noah meant, but neither of them pressed him for more as they walked toward one of the exits at the side of the room. The few remaining townspeople who had attended the meeting were making their way toward the main exit, and Noah found himself appreciative that he and his lawyer were being led out another way. After everything that Mindy had said, Noah needed a bit of time to hone his proposal before he had to face more questions from agitated residents of the sleepy town.
They stepped out into the hallway, and the noise of those leaving through the front of the building echoed through the halls as the three of them turned to look at each other.
“Thank you for attending today,” the mayor said, giving Noah a respectful nod. “Normally, I would offer to continue to show you around, but I have another meeting to rush to this morning.”
“No problem at all,” Noah answered, waving that off. “Thank you for your time.”
“Mr. Henderson and I have a few things to discuss now that the meeting is over,” Hugh put in. “So don’t let us keep you.”
That was news to Noah, and as the three of them said a hasty goodbye, he wondered what else the lawyer needed to speak to him about. He and Hugh walked toward the coat closet in silence and retrieved their coats.
“What do you need to talk to me about?” Noah asked as heshrugged his camel-colored coat back onto his shoulders.
He hated the heaviness of the coat going over his suit jacket, disliking the way it made him feel confined in his own skin. But he pushed the thought aside, reminding himself that he’d be grateful for the added warmth once they stepped out into the frigid, early December air.
“We need to discuss some particulars of your aunt’s will,” Hugh said as he opened the door and stepped out into the cold, pausing to hold the door open for Noah. “We can head to my office. It’s just a few blocks away, so follow after me, please.”
Noah nodded and trailed after Hugh, glancing around to take in more of the town as he went. It appeared that even more people had woken up and begun their days since he’d entered the town hall building for the meeting, and they bustled down the streets all around him. Hugh gave Noah an informal tour as they went, pointing out a few of the different businesses they passed.
One in particular, a small restaurant called Frosty’s Shack, had an impressive number of cars already in the tiny parking lot, and as they walked past, a customer was just opening the door. Noah sniffed at the air, his stomach giving a fierce growl of hunger at the delectable scent that drifted out.
“Ah, yes.” Hugh smiled, sniffing at the air as well. “You’ll have to make a visit to Frosty’s while you’re in town for sure. It’s my favorite place to get breakfast. And their burgers? Best in town.”
“I’ll remember that,” Noah responded, still feeling a bit stunned by all the decorations and the bright Christmas colors that seemed to be everywhere.
They paused outside of a sage green two-story building, and Noah caught sight of the name of Hugh’s law firm emblazoned on the door. Once again, the lawyer held the door open as Noah stepped inside, then followed him in as they escaped the cold.
There was a large oak desk in the center of the entryway with a young woman behind it, typing quickly on the keyboard in front of her. She grinned at them in greeting as they passed but didn’t take her eyes off her computer for too long as Noah followed Hugh farther into the tastefully decorated building.
They stepped into Hugh’s office and Noah shut the door behind them, the silence of the room pressing in on him. He debated about whether to take off his coat, but he hadn’t fully warmed up yet, so he opted to keep it on as he sat in one of the chairs across from Hugh, who had taken a seat on the other side of the desk.
“All right.” The lawyer rubbed his hands together, then swiveled in his office chair so that his back was facing Noah as he began to rifle through a tall file cabinet. “I know we discussed the basics over the phone earlier this week. But as I continued to go through the details of your aunt’s will, I found something in it that I need to discuss with you. A stipulation of sorts.”
“Stipulation?” Noah repeated, and Hugh nodded.
“Yes,” he said, pausing for only a moment as he pulled a file folder from the cabinet with a flourish. “Ah! There it is.”
He plopped the folder on the desk and flipped it open, grabbing a stack of papers from inside it. Noah caught a glimpse of the words “Will and Testament” emblazoned at the top before Hugh began flipping through the document.
“Your aunt loved this town very much,” Hugh explained, running his finger along the page as his eyes skimmed it. “It was her heart and her soul. And she wanted you to get to know Snowy Pine Ridge before you do anything with the property.”
“Get to know it?” Noah cocked his head to one side, confusion furrowing his brows as he worked to make sense of what Hugh was telling him. “How does someone ‘get to know’ a town? It’s not sentient.”
“Yes, well, in her own words…” The lawyer cleared his throat before he began reading directly from the document. “‘To ensure my nephew understands the full meaning of the gift I am bestowing upon him, and the magic of the place he will now own, it is my requirement that Noah Henderson spend a significant amount of time Snowy Pine Ridge before the property will fully transfer to him. He must reside here for no less than three congruent weeks, and in those weeks, he must spend sufficient time within the town, getting to know its people and its essence.’”
Noah couldn’t stop the groan that pushed past his lips. “Ah. I see. And what exactly does she mean by sufficient time?”
Hugh lifted one shoulder, glancing up to meet Noah’s eyes. “It’s not spelled out in detail, but since you’re required to be here for at least three weeks, my recommendation would be to spend as much time exploring the town as you possibly can. You might be surprised at how easy this place is to enjoy.”
Noah fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was sure that Hugh meant well, but there was no way the other man could possibly know exactly what this stipulation in the will would mean for Noah. Not only was the Christmas-filled atmosphere of the town the near antithesis of everything Noah enjoyed, but with the addition of the revelation that Mindy Harvey was living here as well? He couldn’t think of anything more likely to end in disaster than the two of them being stuck in such a small town together.
Although Mindy was the first—and only—woman he had ever loved, their relationship hadn’t ended very well. And if their interaction today was anything to go by, she certainly didn’t harbor any warm feelings toward him.
Hugh was still looking at Noah with an expectant look on his face, and Noah managed to muster up a small smile as he nodded weakly.
“Right,” he said, trying to inject an optimistic note into his voice. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy every moment of it.”
