Snowed Into Love

Trouble In the Snow

Maya's breath fogged in the cold morning air as she made her way to the community hall, the site of the planning meeting. The weight of the previous night’s discoveries—the sabotage, the unspoken tension with Ethan, and the looming question of what was really happening at the festival—was enough to make her second-guess everything she thought she knew about Pine Hollow.

But this was what she had come for. The meeting.

Stepping inside, she was met by a small group of volunteers, their faces a mix of suspicion and curiosity as they glanced up from their papers. They were an older crowd, the kind of people who had lived in the town their whole lives, and their eyes were as cold as the snow piling up outside.

Maya took a deep breath, ready to prove herself. She was the outsider here—the city girl who didn’t know the first thing about running a festival in a town like this. They were all waiting for her to slip up, to prove their doubts about her were justified.

She forced a smile and addressed the group. “Good morning, everyone. I know there’s a lot to go over, and I appreciate you all taking the time to help out with this year’s festival. I’m here to do everything I can to make it a success, and I’d love to hear any thoughts you have about what we need to focus on today.”

A few of the volunteers exchanged wary glances, but it was one of the older women, Hazel, who spoke up first.

“You city folks always have big ideas,” she said, her voice dry as dust. “But you don’t know how things work here. We’ve done this festival for years. We don’t need no fancy plans. We need to keep it simple.”

Maya bit back the frustration rising in her chest. “I’m not trying to change everything, just improve what we can. Maybe some better organization, some fresh ideas. I believe there’s a way we can do both—honor tradition and modernize a bit.”

“Modernize?” Hazel scoffed. “We’re not trying to be like all those other big-town festivals. We’re Pine Hollow. We do things our way.”

Maya clenched her fists, trying to stay calm. “I respect tradition, but I also know that we can’t keep doing things the same way every year if we want the festival to grow. The town deserves something bigger than just ‘the same old.’”

There was a long silence as the group absorbed her words. A few of the volunteers were nodding slightly, but most still seemed unconvinced.

Ethan, who had been standing at the back of the room, crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. He was watching Maya with a look that was a mix of amusement and something else—something hard to read.

“Well, Maya’s got a point,” he said, his voice light but with an edge to it. “If we want to see any improvement, we need to be open to new ideas. I think we can all agree that last year’s festival was a disaster.”

Some of the volunteers shifted uncomfortably, and Maya noticed Hazel’s grip tightening around the edges of her notebook.

“New ideas, huh?” Hazel muttered, glaring at Ethan. “You’ve been a part of this town long enough, Ethan, but you’re too soft. You let people like her come in and change everything.”

The sharpness in Hazel’s words stung, but Maya didn’t let it show. She forced herself to keep her voice steady. “Look, I’m not here to change everything. I’m here to help. And I’m not alone in this. We have a lot of people in this room who care about making this festival a success. We’re all on the same team.”

Ethan, sensing the rising tension, spoke up again. “Alright, let’s take a step back and look at what’s already in motion. We’ve got the basics covered, but we’re all clearly going to need to pitch in a little more. Maya, maybe you could help with the schedule and delegate tasks to make sure everything’s organized?”

Maya nodded, her gaze flicking to the volunteers. She could feel the weight of their skepticism, but she was determined to win them over.

“We’ll need to start with the main events and make sure we have the resources for them,” she said. “We’ll focus on the food, lighting, and entertainment first, and then work on the smaller details.”

Hazel gave a noncommittal grunt, clearly not impressed. Ethan offered a small smile, as if to say ‘you’re doing fine,’ but Maya could tell he didn’t think the volunteers were convinced. Still, they were listening, and that was progress.

The meeting dragged on, with more pointed comments from the volunteers, but Maya kept her focus. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she wasn’t giving up.

---

Later that day, as Maya and Ethan walked back to the lodge, the tension between them was palpable.

“You did okay in there,” Ethan said, his tone uncharacteristically soft.

Maya glanced at him. “Thanks. But they’re not exactly on my side.”

“They’re old-school,” Ethan said. “It’ll take time. But you’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.”

Maya smiled, though it was more for herself than for him. “I’m not here to be liked, Ethan. I’m here to fix this festival. We’re running out of time.”

Ethan’s expression darkened. “It’s not just the festival, Maya. Things are happening here—strange things. People are starting to notice. And they’re getting scared.”

The unease that had settled in her stomach earlier returned, stronger now. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll fill you in tonight,” Ethan said, his voice low. “But we need to be careful. We’re not just fighting a failing festival. We’re dealing with something bigger.”

Maya’s heart skipped a beat. “Something bigger?”

Ethan didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. There was more going on in Pine Hollow than she had imagined.