Holly pulled the car over to the side of the road. She flicked on the light on the ceiling of her beat up but serviceable sedan. It had done her well on the long drive. Good thing she’d written out the directions to Comfort Crossing in the middle of nowhere Mississippi because she’d lost her cell signal twenty minutes ago. Her map app on her phone was doing her no good. She snatched up the directions she’d hastily written on a scrap of paper. Maybe too hastily. She wasn’t sure if this was where she was supposed to turn, or if she needed to go to the next intersection. After twisting the paper back and forth, as if that was going to make any difference, she decided it did say to turn left here.
Probably.
She pulled the car back onto the blacktop road and decisively made a left turn. This was the right way. Left way. Left was the right way. Well, she knew what she was talking about even if her brain was bouncing around trying to trick her.
What had seemed like such a good idea last week began to pale a bit as the day had worn on. She knew she was headed to a small town somewhere not far from the coast of Mississippi, but she hadn’t realized just how far Comfort Crossing was from any real town. Though, she doubted the residents would like it if she said Comfort Crossing wasn’t a real town. She’d keep that thought to herself when she began her work at Comfort Crossing Animal Clinic. Two weeks of work away from her home, family, and friends. Just what she craved this holiday. Long hours, lots of work, and just pop on over to the new year. Snap, just-like-that, the holidays would be over and life could get back to normal. Please.
Her headlights sliced through the darkness until she could see a glow coming from a town in the distance. Hoping the lights meant she’d found her destination, she drove on. She flicked on the radio and twisted the knob to see if she could get a signal. After a bit of static, the clear tones of a country singer belting out Jingle Bells poured into the vehicle.
Not a chance.
She quickly twisted the knob again only to be greeted with the melodious sound of Silent Night. The next station blared out Deck the Halls. Great. She stabbed at the off button. Didn’t any station play normal music in December?
She pulled into town, thankful to see a sign declaring she’d found Comfort Crossing, and made a left on Main Street. The street was decorated with lights strung across it from sidewalk to sidewalk and bright red bows tied on each lamppost. The front of the stores were all decorated with holiday festivity, with snow etched snowflakes painted on the windows and Christmas displays beckoning customers to come in and finish off their holiday shopping. It looked like a vintage Christmas card for Pete’s sake.
She gritted her teeth, ignored the decorations and continued down Main Street, looking for Chalk Road. There it was. She pulled under a street lamp and glanced at the directions one more time. Take Chalk Road about two miles. The cottage she was staying in was on the left. A red mailbox. That should be easy.
Four miles later she turned the car back around. She drove more slowly this time and spotted the red mailbox, cleverly almost hidden in a bush. Not such a great marker after all. She pulled into the gravel driveway and followed its curves up to a pretty white cottage.
Then she saw the twinkling white Christmas lights strung on the bushes lining the front porch. A wreath hung on the door. Red-ribboned bows hung from the porch railings. It was Christmas at this cottage, that was for sure.
Her worst nightmare.
Exactly what she did not want.
How could she have known escaping Christmas by hiding out in a small town and waiting for the holiday to blow past her would put her right smack into its midst? A place she did not want to be.
She pulled her suitcase out of her car and crossed over to the come-rest-a-spell front porch. Red Adirondack chairs and a swing were nestled at one end of the porch. Light poured through the big picture window. She could see into the cottage to a tidy family room with a fireplace against the far wall. She didn’t realize it would get cold enough here in Mississippi in the winter for a fire.
Holly picked up the flower pot beside the door, and just like the instructions had said, there was the key. She opened the front door and crossed into the cheerful warmth of the cottage.
* * *
Holly unpacked her suitcase and settled in. Someone had left her coffee, milk, orange juice, a sandwich, and a delicious looking cinnamon roll. She guessed when Comfort Crossing needed a temporary veterinarian, they went all out to make you feel at home.
Her partners at the vet clinic in Kansas had known how hard this Christmas would be for her. When Lynn, not only her best friend but another vet at the clinic, had seen the ad for this temporary position she’d suggested that maybe Holly should take it. Holly had made no attempt to hide the fact that she wasn’t having Christmas this year.
She was not decorating.
She wasn’t going home to visit her parents.
She’d refused Lynn’s invitation to have Christmas with her and her family.
Lynn, always looking out for her, had said spending the holidays in a place Holly had never been, without all the haunting memories, might be the best thing for her. It hadn’t taken much to convince her that Lynn was right.
Lynn sure had been right about one thing. The stress and gloom that had been hanging over her all month had lifted as she drove down to Mississippi. She’d listened to an audiobook on the drive. When was the last time she’d listened to or read a book? It had been so long. She’d just tried to keep busy. Very busy. Always doing something, chasing away the memories. But as she’d driven down the highway, she’d felt herself relax for the first time in she didn’t know how long.
Well, until she’d pulled into Christmas Town and then onto The Christmas Cottage. She wondered if she could just unplug those Christmas lights. That was a thought. Of course the Animal Clinic was on Main Street with its frighteningly over-decorated storefronts. She’d just ignore them on her way to and from work.
A dog barked outside the cottage and she stopped for a moment, frozen in time. No. Just a hint of a memory that she pushed firmly to the side before it could develop fully.
Then she heard the barking again. This time she knew it was real barking. Right outside.
“Louie! Come back here.”
A voice called outside the cottage. Holly opened the door and was greeted by the most gorgeous Australian shepherd she’d ever seen. He jumped up on her in greeting, almost making her tumble back inside. She caught herself on the door frame. “Down, boy.” The dog obediently sat at her feet. She noticed he had a full tail instead of the docked tail of most Aussies. It thumped against the porch flooring.
“Louie, Dad’s going to kill me. Come back.”
Holly heard a voice from around the corner. Just then a boy came barreling around the house and up to the porch.
“Louie.” The boy took a big gulp of air. “Bad dog.” The boy paused a moment to bend over and catch his breath. The dog got up and licked the boy’s face.
“I’m sorry, lady. I’m supposed to train him not to jump up on people. Or run away. He’s supposed to come when I call. Which he usually does, but he saw a squirrel and ran off.” His explanation came out in a rush of words.
“It’s fine.” It almost was. “His name is Louie?”
“Yep. Louie, sit.”
The dog immediately sat.
“Nice.” She was impressed.
“He’s really good when he wants to be.” The porch light gleamed off the boy’s brown curly hair. His jeans had a rip in the knee. His baseball cap was slipping off the side of his head with locks of curly hair poking out wildly in all directions.
“Louie, down.” Louie plopped down on the front porch. “See, he has lots of tricks.”
“So your dog is Louie, what’s your name?”
“I’m Josh. I live next door. Dad takes care of this house. It was my aunt’s house. She moved away for work. We sometimes rent it out.”
“Nice to meet you, Josh. I’m Holly.”
“Nice to meet you. My dad won’t let me call you Holly. I can call you Miss Holly though.” The boy tugged at his baseball cap righting it back on his head, tilted back at a jaunty angle.
“Miss Holly it is then.”
“Joshua.” A deep voice called from the side yard.
“Over here, Dad.”
A tall man came striding around the corner of the house and stopped short. “I’m sorry. Didn’t know you were here yet. Hope Josh hasn’t been bothering you.”
“Not at all. Just getting to meet him and Louie.”
The man sighed, walked over to Louie, bent down, and ruffled the fur on his head. “You’re such a bad dog, Louie.” His voice held warmth and affection and Louie’s tail thumped against the boards on the porch.
“I’m Steve Bergeron. Live next door.”
“I told her we watch the house for Aunt Lucy and rent it out sometimes,” Josh explained.
“Lucy, my sister. Doesn’t live here anymore but doesn’t want to sell the house.” Steve smiled at her.
“Nice to meet you, Steve. I’m Holly Thompson, but you know that since I recognize your name from our emails about the rental.”
Steve nodded. “Doc Benson usually arranges for his temporary vets to stay here, not that he takes time off very often.” The tall man lounged against a beam supporting the front porch. Louie sat obediently at his feet, his tail swishing back and forth.
“I start tomorrow. He’s going to show me the ropes, then hopefully I can hold down the fort for his vacation.”
“He was lucky to find you. I was beginning to think he wouldn’t be able to get away. Hard to find temporary help during the holidays. Everyone wants to be with their families. Doc Benson is actually going to visit his daughter who moved to Arizona a few years back.”
She could tell he was asking, in a non-asking way, why she was available.
“I didn’t have anything special planned for the holidays.” Nothing at all. Except avoiding them.
“Well, we’re glad to have you. You let me know if you need anything while you’re here. I left you a few things in the fridge to tide you over until you have time to shop.”
“Yes, thank you. That was nice. I need my morning coffee.”
“The coffee maker is on the counter. Filters in the drawer under the coffee maker.”
“Miss Holly, I can help you with any chores or anything you need while you’re here. I’m a good helper, aren’t I, Dad?”
“You are, Josh. But I don’t want you bothering Miss Holly.”
“He’s no bother. You’re welcome any time, Josh.”
The impish I-told-you-so grin Josh flashed at his dad almost made her break into laughter.
Wow. Laughing. When was the last time she’d laughed?
The boy’s grin was almost a mirror image of his father’s. He looked like a mini-twin to his dad. His dad had the same curly brown hair, only cut shorter. His broad shoulders filled out his chambray shirt. He had on the same simple jeans as his son, minus the rip in the knee. Work boots peeked out from the bottom of the jeans. Steve pushed off the porch, motioning for Louie to come. He turned to Josh who was busy stepping on and off the first step to the porch. “Come on, son. Let’s let Miss Holly get all settled in.”
Steve turned to Holly. “My phone number is written on the pad by the phone. Call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Holly watched the two of them walk away. Josh threw a stick and Louie chased after it. The three of them crossed the distance between the houses. She could just make out the shape of their house, faintly illuminated by the front porch light.
She rubbed her arms and looked around for the plug to unplug the Christmas lights. She saw Steve had put them on a timer. Okay. Fine. She’d leave them plugged in so she didn’t mess up the timer and seem ungrateful for his efforts, but she didn’t have to be happy with it.
She opened the door and went back inside to the cozy but lonely cottage if a place could be both cozy and lonely at the same time.
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