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"Goodnight, Grace.”
And as she turned and opened the inn's door, Tommy watched her disappear inside, the warmth of the building swallowing her up.
CHAPTER5
Grace
Grace stirred from her sleep,the morning sun shimmering through her curtains at the Snow Hill Inn. She blinked sleepily, her gaze drifting across the room, taking in the festive decorations with an appreciative eye.
Like the rest of the town, Joan Patterson went all out when it came to decorating for Christmas. Even the guest rooms were as decked out as the rest of the twelve-room inn. Garlands of pine and holly draped over the antique furniture, and fairy lights were delicately arranged around the window seat, creating a cozy, almost magical atmosphere.
It was official: she'd already fallen in love with Snow Hill.
Last night, on their date, Tommy had shared stories about the town, painting a vivid picture of the close-knit, festive community. And from what she could tell, he fit right in. The man was also a talker, no doubt about it, but Grace had enjoyed every minute of it.
Her chest suddenly ached, surprising her.
Was she... No, she couldn't be. For a second there, it felt like she was thinking about staying in Snow Hill longer than she'd planned.
But Grace never wasted time wishing for more time in one of the places she visited. Just as it was her routine to explore a town without having researched it ahead of time, she also lived in the moment. No regrets about the length of her trip—whether too long or too short. She just... lived.
So then, why did her calendar suddenly flash in her mind's eye, examining exactly how long she'd have until she left?
Grace reached over, taking a pillow from the empty spot next to her in the queen-sized bed and covering her face with it. But that only caused another image to flash through her mind: Tommy's smile.
Tommy's smile from across the table as they shared a meal.
Tommy's smile as they strolled through the town afterward.
And finally, Tommy's smile when he dropped her back off at the inn.
That one had seemed a little sad, actually. And as much as she wished there would've been a point to ending the evening with a goodnight kiss... she knew it was for the best that they hadn't gone there.
But overall? It was the best date she'd been on in her entire life.
And yes, that included the cute guy in Paris who'd somehow managed to make an Eiffel Tower date seem less cheesy than she'd assumed it would be.
Grace removed the pillow from her face. This was just a fleeting connection. With her life of constant travel, Grace had learned the art of experiencing things without weaving them into the fabric of her own life, and there was no sense in changing that now.
With a deep, steadying breath, she pushed back the covers, ready to start her day. And if she spent her day carrying the memories of a wonderful evening with a great guy? Fine. But she'd definitely be careful not to let her heart wander too far.
By the time Grace descended the staircase, her senses were alive with anticipation of discovering more Christmas magic within the Snow Hill Inn. Sure, she'd planned to get out and explore the town, but the inn was so warm, and it was freezing outside.
Maybe she could spend the morning getting some writing done by the fire, then venture out when the afternoon sun took a bit of the chill away.
"Morning, Grace," Joan Patterson greeted her warmly from the foyer. "How did you sleep?"
Joan stood with her son, Nick, in a scene that looked like it was plucked straight from a holiday movie. Which made sense, considering this town was the setting for countless made-for-TV Christmas movies.
Grace loved that Nick had met Holly while she was here filming. Tommy had told Grace more about them as they'd walked through the town, more about the family who'd welcomed him in over the last five months, knowing how much he was likely missing his own family.
And now that Holly was the star of a cooking show filmed right here in Snow Hill, she had the freedom to stay and raise a family with Nick. Starting with Noelle, the adorable toddler in Nick's arms, who looked up at him with pure love as he let her examine one of the tools he'd just removed from his tool belt.
"Slept like a baby," Grace replied, unable to suppress an embarrassed smile at how quickly her mind had drifted. "This inn is everything I heard it would be and more."
"Ah, well, I'm glad you're enjoying your stay." Joan beamed, then glanced at her son. "Though, Nick might disagree with the sleeping-like-a-baby thing."
"In my world, sleeping like a baby means not really sleeping," Nick said.
