Snowed In With The Grinch

Chapter 16: Snowed In

The first thing Holly noticed that morning was the sound of wind howling against her window. It was relentless, rising and falling in eerie crescendos as if it were trying to claw its way into her room. She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. A snowstorm. Of course. Just another disaster in the long line of mishaps that seemed to follow her since she arrived in Snowfall Valley.

She peeked out from under the covers and turned her head toward the window. All she could see was white—snow falling in thick, heavy sheets, blanketing the town in a flurry of chaos. If there was a road under all that snow, it was long gone. She could already hear her ex, Lucas, mocking her in the back of her mind. *Should have stayed in the city, Holly. No one gets snowed in when they live somewhere sensible.*

With a groan, Holly sat up and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. The reception was spotty, but the weather app loaded just enough to deliver the bad news: **Blizzard Warning in Effect. Roads Closed. Stay Indoors.**

“Perfect,” she muttered, tossing the phone onto the bed. She had a knot of restless energy buzzing inside her chest. The idea of being stuck in the lodge with nowhere to go, nothing to do, and Jack Winters’ relentless cheerfulness was almost enough to send her into a spiral.

But there wasn’t much she could do about it. With a sigh, she pulled on her warmest sweater and padded downstairs, hoping for coffee—strong coffee—and silence.

---

The lodge’s sitting room was anything but silent. A dozen guests were crowded near the massive stone fireplace, chatting and laughing as they sipped steaming mugs of cider. Marjorie was at the center of it all, as usual, doling out cookies and cheer like she was running a one-woman Christmas factory.

“Holly!” Marjorie called the moment she spotted her lingering near the door. “Come in, come in! Don’t just stand there looking like a lost puppy.”

Holly hesitated, tempted to turn around and retreat to her room, but Marjorie was already shuffling toward her with a mug in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. She didn’t stand a chance.

“Here,” Marjorie said, thrusting the mug into Holly’s hands. “Hot cider. And a few of my gingerbread cookies—fresh out of the oven.”

Holly took the mug reluctantly, the warmth seeping into her fingers. “Thanks, Marjorie.”

“Storm’s a nasty one,” Marjorie said, glancing toward the window. “No one’s going anywhere for at least another day.”

“Fantastic,” Holly muttered.

Marjorie chuckled, patting her arm. “Oh, cheer up, dear. Sometimes a little forced downtime is exactly what you need.”

Holly doubted that, but she bit her tongue and let Marjorie steer her toward the fire. She was just about to sit down when she heard a familiar voice from across the room.

“Morning, McAllister. Sleep well?” Jack stood leaning against the wall near the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest and his signature grin firmly in place. He had snow dusting his shoulders and a mug of coffee in his hand, like he’d just strolled in from a morning adventure.

Holly sighed, clutching her cider a little tighter. “Don’t start with me, Jack.”

“Start what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m just making conversation.”

“You’re incapable of ‘just making conversation,’” Holly shot back, sliding into one of the armchairs by the fire.

Jack laughed, the sound warm and effortless. “Touché.” He took a seat across from her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “So, what’s the plan, Grinch? How are you going to survive a full day trapped in here with the rest of us?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Holly said flatly. “But I’m considering barricading myself in my room.”

“Boring,” Jack said with a wave of his hand. “You’ll miss all the fun.”

Holly arched an eyebrow. “Fun?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, his grin widening. “Hot cocoa, board games, snowball fights—you know, actual fun.”

“I think you and I have very different definitions of the word ‘fun,’” Holly said, taking a sip of her cider.

“Clearly,” Jack replied, still smiling. “But don’t worry, McAllister. I’ve got all day to change your mind.”

Holly rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. If she knew Jack—and unfortunately, she felt like she did—he wasn’t kidding. He’d spend the rest of the day finding new ways to poke at her, and she wasn’t sure whether that thought annoyed her or made her stomach flutter in a way she didn’t want to examine too closely.

---

As the hours passed, the storm outside only grew stronger. Snow piled against the windows, and the wind howled like a living thing. The lodge felt like a world unto itself, warm and safe against the chaos outside. Holly found herself lingering in the sitting room, drawn to the fire’s warmth and the hum of activity around her.

Marjorie had set out a stack of board games on the coffee table, and several guests were gathered around, playing and laughing as if being snowed in were the best thing that had ever happened to them. Holly kept to herself, curled up in her chair with her laptop, trying to make progress on some overdue work. But her focus kept slipping, her attention drifting to the sounds of laughter and the flicker of the fire.

And, of course, to Jack.

He was everywhere—helping Marjorie in the kitchen, entertaining the kids with stories and jokes, and somehow managing to win every single board game he played. Holly wanted to be annoyed by his constant presence, but instead, she found herself watching him more than she cared to admit.

He caught her eye once, mid-laugh, and winked. Holly immediately looked away, her cheeks burning.

---

By mid-afternoon, the storm showed no signs of stopping. Holly was starting to get restless, the knot of energy in her chest making it impossible to focus on anything for more than a few minutes. She stood, stretching, and wandered over to the window.

“Thinking about making a run for it?” Jack’s voice came from behind her, and she turned to see him leaning casually against the wall, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Tempting,” Holly said dryly. “But I think I’d freeze before I made it to the end of the driveway.”

“Probably,” Jack agreed. “Guess you’re stuck with me, then.”

Holly sighed, turning back to the window. “So it seems.”

For a moment, Jack was quiet, and Holly almost thought he’d left. But then he stepped closer, his voice softer than usual. “You know, it’s not so bad. Being snowed in, I mean. Sometimes it’s nice to just... stop for a while.”

Holly glanced at him, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his tone. “Stop?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, his gaze distant. “Take a break. Slow down. Enjoy the moment.”

Holly frowned, her instinct to push back rising. “That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have anything waiting for you on the other side of the storm.”

Jack’s eyes flicked to hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw something deeper in them—something sad. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual teasing grin.

“Maybe not,” he said lightly. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.”

Holly shook her head, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Jack’s words than he was letting on. And for the first time, she wondered what he wasn’t saying.

---

As the evening settled in, Holly found herself reluctantly drawn into the group activities. Marjorie insisted she join a game of charades, and though Holly grumbled the entire time, she couldn’t deny that it was fun—especially when Jack’s over-the-top antics had everyone in stitches.

By the time they gathered around the fire for hot cocoa, Holly felt a strange sense of peace. She wasn’t ready to admit it, but being snowed in wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. And maybe, just maybe, Jack wasn’t as insufferable as she’d thought.

As she sipped her cocoa, Holly caught Jack watching her from across the room. His expression was softer than usual, almost thoughtful. When their eyes met, he smiled—not his usual cocky grin, but something gentler.

Holly’s stomach flipped, and she quickly looked away, her heart racing for reasons she couldn’t—or wouldn’t—name.

Trapped by the storm, Holly begins to see Jack in a new light—but the flutter of feelings she’s starting to develop leaves her more unsettled than she’s willing to admit.