I gave a startled laugh, ready to tell him no when I remembered. “Oh. Uh, yeah, I am.” I’d better stay consistent.
At his disappointed face, I added, “Should I be on my guard? Is he as charming as you?”
“Eh, he does alright for himself. He looks just like me, though, so you know he’s a handsome son of a gun.” He shot me a sly grin.
I laughed. Jack then busied himself with showing me all the points of interest.
“That big red barn is where we milk the cows by hand twice a day. Once at 7am and then again at 5. You’re welcome to come and watch or even try your hand at it anytime you’d like. Around back are the stables where we have about a dozen horses. Let us know if you ever want to ride. That big wooden building in the middle is the lodge. That’s where all your meals will be and any other group gatherings. During the day, we have lots of crafts available and movies to watch, and we hold the Christmas dance here.” He pointed toward a group of small buildings lining both sides of the cutest pretend Main Street I’d ever seen. “That place is open twice a day and will serve you free hot chocolates, coffee, or an ice cream cone.”
“Ice cream? In the winter?”
He eyed me suspiciously. “Well, now, maybe I ought to reevaluate my initial view of you. Any visitors at the lodge need to appreciate ice cream in all the seasons.”
A grin split my face. “I assure you, my freezer is full of Ben and Jerry’s at this very moment.”
He laughed a deep rumble as he clutched his chest. “Attagirl. Don’t you scare me like that.”
I re-focused my gaze out the window, still smiling. This was one of those surprising moments when I found myself completely at ease with someone in a matter of minutes. It didn’t happen to me often, but when it did, I was always blown away by it. What was it about people like that? How did they give you the feeling that you could be fully yourself, no holds barred, and that you’d be happily accepted? The dark cloud above my head at my arrival had evaporated into a light, contemplative gray as he continued to point out different buildings and recount funny stories about farming. Deep in my little baby Scrooge heart, I could see the magic of this place. I could feel it from the pride in Jack’s voice. It was like a picture perfect little Christmas village in a snow globe. Next to the tiny ice cream shop, there was a small building boasting a sign that readGeneral Store. Squinting closer as we passed, I saw the sign in the window stating the four hours each day that it was open. A small white church with a steeple sat across the street, with a sign out front boasting that all were welcome. Each building was snow-covered and had Christmas lights strung along the outside, and wreaths hung on every window in sight.
“You know, with the exception of this humongous tractor, it feels like we just stepped into a Thomas Kinkade painting.”
Jack laughed. “Good. That’s the goal.”
He nudged my arm and pointed a couple hundred yards down Main Street. “That’s where all the guests stay. We call it the village.”
Roughly fifteen cabins were littered around the base of the tree-covered hills. They weren’t in any linear order but seemed scattered in more of a circular manner, giving each cabin a more secluded feel as opposed to being directly across the road from its neighbor. The cabins were different sizes, but they were all constructed from rich, dark wood. Chimney smoke rose up to greet the sky, lending a sense of warmth and coziness to the atmosphere, and like the rest of the buildings in this charming place, wreaths adorned each of the doors and windows.
“Wow,” was all I could say.
Jack circled back toward the barn and stables sitting on the other side of Main Street, past the general store, and parked the tractor. He stood and leaned forward to open the door for me to exit.
The men made quick work of unhooking my car. Jack pointed toward the lodge just up the sidewalk and said, “I know your parents and sister are here already. My wife, Sandy, should be in the lodge and can get you all checked in.”
I took my car keys from Jett. “Thank you for not wrecking this priceless heirloom.”
He grinned, the braces on his teeth gleaming. “Don’t know how you drive in something that low to the ground. I’d recommend getting a truck.”
I laughed. “Every winter, I put that in my letter to Santa, but he never comes through.”
Turning to Jack, I shook his hand, “Thank you for the lift and for my personal tour.”
He chuckled. “My pleasure, Olive. It will be fun to have you around. And if there’s any way we can get rid of that pesky boyfriend, let me know. I’d love to introduce you to my son.”
“I don’t think so.” I grinned and waved, making my way toward the lodge. If his son turned out to be anything like Jack, I was going to be sorely disappointed in my fake-boyfriend situation.
A light sprinkling of flakes drifted down from the sky. The air was fresh, and for a moment, I almost decided to keep walking instead of facing my family. But I forced myself to be a grown-up, put a pleasant look on my face, and opened the lodge door.
The place seemed empty at a glance. The doorway opened into a large foyer with a hallway that seemed to round the perimeter of the building. I moved forward and passed through another doorway and into the sprawling main room. The pitched ceilings were high, and the floor was concrete. Long, wooden picnic tables were placed all around the open room with chairs tucked neatly underneath. Front and center, a stage with a red, velvet curtain drew my eye, and directly across from the doorway was what looked like a large kitchen with a long bar top coming out from the wall, connecting the kitchen with the main room—probably where they served the meals. I took a few steps inside, scanning the room with interest. A front reception area sat off to the left side. There seemed to be no one there to greet guests. I was about to turn and leave when I noticed a small yellow light shining out of what looked like an office just behind the front desk.
A moment later, a thin woman with short blonde hair peeking out from underneath a cute red beanie stepped out of the office. She gave me a wide smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back as I took in her black leggings, long red sweater, and snow boots. She looked like a walking ad for Vermont tourism.
“Hi! I’m Sandy. How can I help you?” She leaned against the reception desk separating us and glanced over me and my luggage. “Oh wait, you’re the spitting image of two other brown-haired beauties I just handed keys to. Are you with the Ellises?”
I clenched my stomach while I smiled, determined not to let the name bother me in public. “Yes. Elaine’s my mom.”
She leaned over and checked a paper on the desk. “Yes. Cute couple.”
Suck it up, Buttercup.