Snowed In With The Grinch

Chapter 5: A Challenge Accepted

Holly woke the next morning to the faint hum of holiday music drifting through the lodge’s hallways. She buried her face in her pillow and groaned. Hadn’t these people ever heard of boundaries? Not everyone wanted to wake up to cheerful renditions of “Jingle Bells” when their life was in shambles.

For a moment, she debated staying in bed all day. Maybe if she stayed under the covers, the world would magically fix itself. Or maybe the storm would clear, the roads would open, and she’d finally be able to leave this overly festive snow-globe nightmare of a town.

But she knew better. Nothing in her life had ever magically fixed itself.

Throwing off the covers, she forced herself out of bed and into the small bathroom attached to her room. A splash of cold water to her face woke her up, but it didn’t wash away the growing sense of frustration in her chest. She was stuck. She hated being stuck.

---

Downstairs, the lodge was as bustling as ever. Families crowded around the breakfast buffet, children’s laughter rang out from the sitting area, and Marjorie was busy passing out cups of steaming cider to anyone who walked past the front desk. The scent of cinnamon and pine seemed stronger today, and Holly wondered if they were deliberately trying to choke her with holiday cheer.

She grabbed a cup of black coffee from the buffet and claimed the same armchair by the fire that she’d sat in the day before. If nothing else, at least the fire was warm, and the coffee was drinkable.

“Morning, Grinch,” came the now-familiar voice.

Holly sighed, setting her coffee down on the small side table. “Do you have radar for me or something? How do you always find me?”

Jack Winters grinned as he plopped down in the armchair across from hers. Today, he was wearing another ridiculous sweater, this one featuring a penguin in a Santa hat. He held two mugs in his hands, one of which he slid across the table toward her.

“What’s this?” she asked, eyeing the mug suspiciously.

“Hot chocolate,” Jack said. “With extra whipped cream. Consider it my peace offering.”

“I didn’t know we were at war,” Holly muttered, though she reluctantly picked up the mug. It was warm in her hands, and she had to admit, the whipped cream looked tempting. She took a small sip and immediately hated herself for how good it was. Sweet, creamy, with just a hint of peppermint.

“See?” Jack said, leaning back in his chair. “Not everything about this place is terrible.”

Holly narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t push your luck.”

He chuckled, watching her over the rim of his own mug. “So, what’s the plan for today? More sulking by the fire?”

“I’m not sulking,” Holly said defensively.

“Oh, you’re definitely sulking,” Jack said, his grin widening. “But that’s okay. I’ve got a solution.”

“Let me guess,” Holly said dryly. “Another unsolicited tour of the town?”

“Better,” Jack said, leaning forward. “A little friendly competition.”

Holly raised an eyebrow. “What kind of competition?”

Jack gestured toward the front of the lodge, where Marjorie was hanging a wreath on the front desk. “There’s a wreath-making contest happening today. Thought you might want to try your hand at it.”

Holly let out a short laugh. “You seriously think I want to spend my day making wreaths?”

Jack shrugged, his grin never faltering. “I don’t know. Do you?”

“No,” Holly said firmly.

“Are you sure?” he pressed. “Because you strike me as someone who might actually be good at it. And it might be fun.”

“Fun is overrated,” Holly said, crossing her arms.

Jack tilted his head, his gaze steady and challenging. “I think you’re just scared.”

Holly’s eyes narrowed. “Scared? Of making wreaths?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, leaning back with a smug smile. “I think you’re scared you can’t beat me.”

Holly let out a scoff, but her competitive streak flared to life. “Oh, please. I could make a better wreath than you in my sleep.”

“Prove it,” Jack said, his tone playful but serious enough to get under her skin. “Come on, McAllister. Unless you’re too afraid to lose?”

Holly set her mug down with a decisive thud. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

---

Thirty minutes later, Holly found herself sitting at a long table in the lodge’s activity room, surrounded by pine branches, ribbons, ornaments, and an assortment of other craft supplies. Jack sat next to her, whistling along to the holiday music playing in the background as he worked on his wreath.

“This is ridiculous,” Holly muttered, struggling to bend a piece of wire into a circle. “Who even thinks of these things?”

“Ridiculous or not,” Jack said, carefully tying a bright red bow onto his wreath, “you’re going down.”

“In your dreams, Winters,” Holly shot back, though she couldn’t help but smirk as she started weaving pine branches into the wire frame.

The room around them was filled with chatter and laughter as other guests joined in the contest. Children squealed with delight as they glued candy canes and fake snow to their creations, while an older couple debated whether or not to use tinsel. For the first time since she’d arrived, Holly felt a faint sense of camaraderie in the air. It was… nice. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud.

As the contest went on, Holly found herself getting more and more into it. She tied ribbons with precision, arranged ornaments in perfect balance, and even added a sprig of holly berries for a pop of color. When she glanced over at Jack’s wreath, however, she burst out laughing.

“What is that?” she asked, pointing to the monstrosity he was creating.

Jack looked at his wreath proudly. “It’s a masterpiece.”

“It looks like Christmas exploded on it,” Holly said, still laughing. “Seriously, do you even know the meaning of the word ‘restraint’?”

“Not when it comes to Christmas,” Jack said with a wink.

Holly shook her head, a genuine smile spreading across her face. For a moment, she forgot about the storm, the canceled networking event, and the chaos of her life. All she could focus on was the ridiculous man sitting next to her and the ridiculous wreath he was making.

---

When the contest ended, Marjorie walked around the room, inspecting each wreath with exaggerated seriousness. Holly couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of pride as Marjorie paused in front of hers, nodding approvingly.

“This one’s lovely,” Marjorie said, smiling at Holly. “Simple, elegant, and festive. Well done.”

Holly couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. Maybe she wasn’t completely terrible at this after all.

When Marjorie reached Jack’s wreath, however, she let out a loud laugh. “Oh, Jack,” she said, shaking her head. “You never change, do you?”

Jack’s wreath was, in a word, absurd. It was overloaded with glitter, fake snow, candy canes, and tiny ornaments that jingled every time it moved. A miniature Santa Claus figurine sat in the center, surrounded by so much tinsel that it practically glowed.

“It’s a bold statement,” Jack said, his tone deadpan.

“It’s something, all right,” Marjorie said, still laughing.

As they left the activity room, Jack bumped her shoulder playfully. “You know, for someone who hates Christmas, you’ve got a real knack for it.”

“Don’t push your luck, Winters,” Holly said, though her tone was lighter than it had been in days.

Jack grinned. “Admit it. You had fun.”

Holly hesitated, then sighed. “Maybe a little.”

Jack’s grin widened, and Holly felt a strange warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate. Maybe being stuck in this town wasn’t the end of the world after all.

Holly’s growing connection to Jack—and to the town—starts to chip away at her icy exterior. But as the storm continues, so do the complications that come with being stuck in Snowfall Valley.