The final day of the Snow & Ice Festival arrived, blanketing Snowfall Valley with the kind of soft, glittering snow that seemed to come straight out of a Christmas movie. Vendors hurried to set up their last displays, musicians tested their instruments for the grand finale concert, and the air buzzed with the hum of excitement and anticipation. It was the kind of morning that made Holly’s heart ache, a perfect blend of joy and peace that felt bittersweet when her mind drifted to the uncertainty that still lingered between her and Jack.
They had talked—really talked—yesterday in the sculpture garden. He’d apologized, promised to try, and for a moment, it had felt like a weight had been lifted. But even as Jack had reached for her hand, she’d felt the fragility of it all. His grief, his gui
