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Thesleek black limousine rolled smoothly along the highway, snowbanks and snow-covered pines whizzing by outside through the tinted windows.Rosaliesat on one of the long benches, facing the opposite windows, laptop open as she worked through some emails and other low priority work.Onthe other side of the limo,Trevor’sface was illuminated by his own laptop screen, his fingers flying over the keys.
“You’resuch an aggressive typer,” saidRosalie, grinning and shaking her head. “Whatdid that keyboard ever do to you?”
“Nothing, and it never will because it knows who’s the boss.”
Carriesat curled up in the corner of the limo, notebook open, gazing out the window as she twirled a pen between her fingers.Eversince the break up, she’d started working on some new music, mostly just poetry she could use as lyrics, but that was often how the songwriting process happened for her.SometimesRosaliewondered if she should try to write poetry or journal to process all of the things she didn’t want to feel.Toput them on paper, examine them, understand them.Itwould probably be healthier than pretending her emotions didn’t exist, but then, if she did that, she’d have to feel them.Allof them.
Theypassed by the cheerful “WelcometoGossamerFalls” sign, and a little jolt of excitement shot throughRosalie.Itfelt a little surreal to be back here, even though she’d always known there was a good chance they’d wind up filming the music video at the falls.Surreal, and…good.Comforting, and welcoming.Asthough she belonged here.Andshe realized that it was because a part of her—a large part—wantedto belong inGossamerFalls.
Carrieset her notebook down, peering out the window. “Oh, wow.Thisis even cuter than you described,” she said, taking in the cozy shops and cafes as the limo wound its way upMainStreet.Thepedestrians on the sidewalk all stopped to gawp at the limousine as it passed.
Thistime,Rosaliewould make sure she had the chance to properly explore the town.She’dmissed out last time because of the snow, and hadn’t gotten to visit the adorable boutique she’d seen, or the coffee shop, or the book store.
Trevorclosed his laptop and looked out the window. “MyGod, it’s likeGilmoreGirlshad a baby withHallmarkand it threw up everywhere.”Helet out a shudder.
RosalieandCarrieboth laughed. “Spokenlike a city boy, through and through.”
Rosalie’sexcitement grew as they continued upMainStreet, her heart doing a little skip and a flop in her chest as they passedHemlockSquareand the municipal building that housed the police station.Shecraned her neck as they drove past, wondering if she’d get a glimpse ofJack.
“Lookingfor your lo-vah?” teasedTrevor, eyebrows wiggling.Heheld his wrists out in front of him. “Takeme, officer.I’vebeen a bad, bad girl.”
Rosaliethrew a crumpled up receipt that had fallen out of her bag at him. “Ihave no idea whyItell you anything.”
“Becauseyou love me, and you don’t have any other friends.”Hesmiled at her, not unkindly, but something about his remark hit home, and she swallowed thickly, sitting back in her seat.Itwas true.BeyondCarrieandTrevor, she didn’t really have any friends.Andshe’d always told herself it was because she was too busy with work.Butwas that the whole of it?Orwas it because making friends meant letting people in, something she avoided at all costs?
“Thesehouses are all so cute and cozy,” saidCarrie.Shehad a pensive look on her face as she tapped her pen against her lips. “Hmm.Iwonder.”
“Youwonder what?” askedRosalie, but beforeCarriecould answer, they’d pulled up under theShephardInn’sporte cochere.Carrie’ssecurity team emerged from the blackSUVthat had proceeded the limousine, coming around the side of the limo and opening the door for them.
Itwas a brilliantly sunny day, the bright sunshine winking off of the snow, making it glitter and sparkle.Theair was fresh and clean, and birds chirped merrily from the trees.Rosalienoticed several bird feeders hanging from the trees to the side of the hotel, flashes of bright red, soft yellow, and pale blue standing out against the white backdrop of snow.
Autumnstepped out of the hotel’s front doors, accompanied by a tall, broad-shouldered man and several employees wearing long-sleeved gray polo shirts embroidered with the hotel’s logo.
“Welcome,” saidAutumnwarmly, introducing herself toTrevor,Carrie, and the security team. “I’mAutumnShephard, the manager.We’vegot the entire hotel booked out for your team, so please, if there’s anything at all that you need, just let me know.”
“AdamShephard, assistant manager,” said the man, shaking hands withRosalie,TrevorandCarrie’shead of security. “AsAutumnsaid, if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let us know.”
Thestaff members started unloading the bags asCarriestretched and looked around. “Thisplace is amazing.Whenwas it built?”
“1850,” saidAutumn. “Itoriginally belonged toRobertParker, whose family ran the foundry in town.Thefoundry closed at the turn of the century, and the family’s wealth dried up.Thehouse fell into disrepair, and it was vacant for several years between the two world wars until our grandparents bought it and turned it into a hotel in the late 1940s.”
“Fascinating,” saidCarrie.Shestepped past the security guards, looking around.Shesmiled atAutumn, a conspiratorial grin meant to win friends. “AndIhear that it’s haunted?”
“Wehave two friendly resident spirits,” saidAutumneasily, although her cheeks were pink and her eyes were glittering.Itwas a starstruck lookRosaliesaw often on those meetingCarriefor the first time. “I’msure they won’t bother you, and canIjust say, we are absolutelythrilledto have you staying with us.”
“Well, after the pictures and videos thatRosaliesent,Iknew this was the perfect place for the video shoot.Maybeeven more.”
“More?” askedAdam, butCarriehad already walked inside the hotel.Rosaliestared after her as staff continued to unload bags.Allof the equipment for the shoot had been sent directly to the falls in a large trailer, which would be unloaded by members from the video shoot team.Ithad taken a lot of coordination, but they’d made it work.Theyalways did.
“Hi,” saidRosalie, lifting her hand in a wave as she greetedAutumn.
“Hi!” saidAutumnback, completely ignoring the wave and pullingRosaliein for a hug.Oh, well, then.Rosaliewasn’t usually a hugger, but in this instance she didn’t mind. “It’sso good to see you again!”
“Youtoo,” saidRosalie, and she found that she meant it.Sure,Autumnwas a little offbeat, and wore her heart on her sleeve—the complete emotional opposite ofRosalie—but she couldn’t deny that she liked her.Herearnest honesty and easy warmth were appealing.
Therewas a flurry of activity asAdamandAutumnpassed out room keys, and then led their group on a short tour of the hotel, showing them the lounge, with the restaurant beyond, the sun room, and how to access the grounds.Theyalso passed out maps of the town with information about theHudsonHighlandsandGossamerFalls.
“Everyone, take thirty minutes to get settled, and then meet back out front,” saidRosalie. “We’llhead to the falls to get set up and rehearse for tomorrow.”
