Snowed Into Love

Unwanted Reunion

Maya had never been good at small talk, and in the awkward silence that followed Ethan’s greeting, she was once again reminded of why she had left Pine Hollow in the first place. The small town, its familiar faces, and especially Ethan—everything about this place reminded her of a life she had carefully put behind her.

Grace, oblivious to the tension, beamed at the two of them. “Ethan’s been a huge help with the festival. We’re lucky to have him around this year.”

Maya’s mind whirled with a mix of emotions, her gaze darting to Ethan, who stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Ethan Walker—the one person she had left behind without a second thought. Her heart squeezed at the memory of their last day together. The fight, the unspoken words, the promises that had never been kept.

Ethan gave a half-smile, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Someone has to keep this place running while everyone else panics.”

Maya forced herself to focus on the present, on what she had to do. “I can’t imagine you being the one to organize a festival.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, though his tone remained casual. “And I can’t imagine you taking a break from your busy life to save a small-town event.”

Ouch. The words stung more than she expected. Ethan always had a way of cutting to the core, reminding her of everything she had left behind. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

Maya forced a smile, her voice tight. “I’m sure I can handle it.”

Grace clapped her hands together, clearly excited. “Perfect! I’ll leave you two to catch up while I finish some things in the back. Ethan, could you show Maya around?”

Before either of them could protest, Grace disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Maya and Ethan standing in the lobby with the uncomfortable weight of their history hanging between them.

Ethan broke the silence first, his voice a low rumble. “I guess I should show you where things stand with the festival preparations.”

Maya nodded, trying to keep her voice neutral. “Lead the way.”

The walk around the lodge was more awkward than she had anticipated. The long hallways, the cracked wood beams, and the unmistakable scent of pine and cinnamon filled the air, but it was the tension between them that made everything seem colder. Ethan didn’t ask about her life, and Maya didn’t offer any updates. They both knew what had happened ten years ago. She had left—ambitious, eager to prove herself—and he had stayed, rooted in a town that didn’t offer the same opportunities. The distance between them hadn’t just been physical, but emotional.

They passed through the lobby, where the sound of the crackling fire from the stone fireplace did nothing to ease the chill between them. Maya glanced up at the old portraits lining the walls—pictures of people who had lived their whole lives in Pine Hollow, never once questioning the town’s quiet ways. It was the kind of place that felt frozen in time.

“So, what exactly am I walking into?” Maya asked, trying to keep the conversation going. “What’s the current state of the festival?”

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his eyes thoughtful. “The snowstorm hit just before we could finalize a lot of the plans. Some vendors canceled, and others got stuck in the mountain pass. We’ve got the decorations mostly done, but half the volunteers couldn’t make it. It’s… a mess.”

Maya nodded, absorbing the information, though she couldn’t help but notice the way Ethan’s voice faltered as he spoke. He wasn’t just frustrated with the situation—he seemed like a man who had been carrying this burden alone for too long. The old, familiar ache tugged at her chest, but she shoved it aside. She wasn’t here to fix old wounds.

“Sounds like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” she said, her voice more confident than she felt.

Ethan gave a dry chuckle. “You don’t know the half of it.”

They stopped in front of a large room that had clearly been hastily converted into the festival planning headquarters. Stacks of mismatched decorations, papers strewn about, and half-hung garlands decorated the space. A few volunteers were in the corner, working on what appeared to be last-minute crafts and gathering supplies.

Maya glanced around, her lips pursed. “This is… not what I expected.”

Ethan leaned against the doorframe, his expression unreadable. “The storm didn’t help. We’ve had a lot of last-minute changes and cancellations.”

“Sounds like a disaster,” Maya remarked, her eyes scanning the chaos. “You know, there’s a thing called ‘planning’ that could’ve prevented this.”

Ethan smirked. “And you know, there’s a thing called ‘life,’ which has a way of making all your plans useless.”

Maya shot him a sharp look, but instead of responding, she began walking around the room, trying to get a sense of what needed to be done. She picked up a sheet of paper with a schedule on it. “Well, we’re definitely behind schedule. Let’s focus on what we can salvage.”

Ethan’s tone softened slightly, and he pushed away from the doorframe. “You’re not wrong. I’ve got a few ideas for how we can salvage things. We can start by reworking the timeline and prioritizing the key events. Maybe focus on the lighting and food first?”

“That’s a good place to start,” Maya agreed, making a mental note of everything they needed to change. “We’ll have to move quickly, though.”

Ethan stepped closer, his gaze fixing on her. “Look, I don’t mean to make this harder, but I’ve been dealing with this festival for months. We’ve got sabotage on our hands, and that’s the last thing I need right now.”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “Sabotage? You mean people are deliberately trying to ruin the festival?”

Ethan nodded grimly. “Yeah. Things have gone missing from the supply room, and there’s been a lot of little accidents. It’s too coincidental to be random. I don’t know who’s behind it, but it’s been making everything harder.”

Maya’s curiosity piqued. “That’s… not good. We need to figure out who’s doing this before it gets worse.”

Ethan stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “I know you’re not here for the drama, but if you’re serious about saving this festival, you’re going to have to help me with this. We need to know who’s causing these problems.”

Maya hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Alright, I’m in. Let’s get to the bottom of this.”

Ethan’s lips twisted into a small, appreciative smile. “Alright. I’ll fill you in on everything I’ve noticed. We’ll keep this quiet for now. Don’t want to spread panic.”

As Maya walked through the room, a strange sense of unease settled in her stomach. The festival was just a backdrop for something much more serious—something that might change everything. She wasn’t here just to save the event anymore; she was here to uncover the truth. And the more she spent time with Ethan, the more she realized she might be walking into something much bigger than she had expected.

---

The kitchen door swung open, and a loud crash echoed through the lodge, snapping Maya out of her thoughts. She looked over at Ethan, who rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’ll go check that out. You stay here and get started.”

Maya nodded, but as she watched him walk away, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the storm was only just beginning.