He felt a little weird about not saying goodnight to her, but as he slid beneath the sheets with a big yawn of his own, he figured it wasn’t that big of a deal. Turning out the light, he slid further beneath the blankets and got comfortable and just when he was about to fall asleep, he heard her soft voice wishing him sweet dreams.
Gabe had been driving for the last hour and Aspen was teetering between being super excited about getting to Silver Bell Falls and complete and utter boredom. They were off the main highway and there hadn’t been anything of note to see in a while. Now the road was getting narrower and the sky was getting a little darker. “So, um…are we almost there?”
“About another mile up the road and we’ll hit the town limits.”
“Yay!” she cheered, bouncing in her seat. Honestly, she had no idea how Gabe did this drive alone. It was long and monotonous and there was nothing of real interest to see.
A few minutes later, Gabe slowed the car, pulled over, and rolled down the windows.
Aspen looked at him curiously before he motioned at the giant sign on the side of the road.
“Silver Bell Falls Welcomes You!”
“Oh, how festive!” she cried excitedly and then paused. “Wait…is that…?” For a minute she was certain she was hearing things. Gabe had turned off the car radio, and that’s when Aspen realized what was going on. The song “Silver Bells” was coming from the massive sign.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style…in the air there’s a feeling of Christmas…
“You have got to be kidding me! That is awesome!” The letters were big and red and there were mechanical bells swaying back and forth. Plus, it looked like it snowed recently so it made for a very grand holiday entrance to the town. “If this is just at the town limits, I cannot wait to see what’s coming next!”
Gabe took that as his clue to pull back onto the road. He drove slowly and began pointing out landmarks to her–the diner, the dance studio, the grocery store, and the sheriff’s office were all on the main street. He turned left at the end of the block and drove one block before turning left again.
“Over there is Silver Bell Park,” he explained. “This is the main spot for any of the activities that involve the kids. It’s a great spot for sleigh riding because of the massive hill and there’s almost always something going on there.”
Just the thought of riding a sled down the hill had her wanting to get out of the car now. “I hope you have a sled for me to use so I can check that out.”
“Trust me. We have an entire shed filled with sleds of every shape and size.”
“As it should be.” It was clear this was the more populated part of town. There were small brick buildings and a few other shops and restaurants. “There’s way more here than you let me believe, Gabe! I can’t wait to get out and walk around and check it all out.”
He chuckled. “We’ve got a whole month so there’s no need to rush out just yet.”
She leaned forward and studied the buildings. “There are quite a few businesses here. I’m impressed. There literally seems to be a little something for everyone.” She paused. “Oh! Christmas tree lots! There are…what…three of them that I can see?! Wow! So cool! Which one belongs to your family?”
“The large one up on the corner–Andrews & Sons Trees.”
No wonder the topic bothered him. The son taking over the business was literally right there in the sign.
Before she could comment, he was already pointing out more businesses. “There’s the town hall and chamber of commerce,” he began, “and then the local utility companies.” He paused and then slowed down so he could point some of the shops out. “There’s the appliance repair and a small boutique where my mom swears they have better clothes than she can find anywhere in Manhattan. Take that with a grain of salt.”
Aspen let out a small snort of laughter as she nodded.
“Then there’s the hair salon, a stationery store, and the ice cream parlor. They make all the ice cream on site and it’s quite possibly the best ice cream in the world.”
Her eyes went wide. “We are definitely going there tonight.”
“We can stop there now if you’d like. It would probably be easier than trying to leave after dinner. No doubt Mom’s been baking all week and has a pile of desserts waiting for us.”
She silently weighed her options–ice cream or Mrs. Andrews’ cookies?
“Can’t we just stop and have a small treat? I promise I won’t get anything big,” she begged. “Plus, I’m seriously dying to get out and just walk down this street. It’s so darn quaint and the town square with the gazebo is calling my name. Please? Please, can we walk around for a little bit? If your mom gets upset that we didn’t go right to the house, I’ll totally take the blame.”
He sighed loudly but pulled into a spot in front of the ice cream parlor, and she was practically out of the car before he shut it off.
The air was crisp and cold and she could totally see her breath and yet she didn’t feel the need to go rummage through her luggage for her hat, gloves, or scarf. Gabe had advised her to keep her winter coat out of the luggage so it was handy on her way out of the car.
“This is amazing!”
“It’s cold,” he countered, pulling his coat close and zipping it up. “I grew up here and I swear it still hits me hard after living in Atlanta for so long.”
“I think it feels good.” Skipping over to him, Aspen took him by the hand and led him into the ice cream shop. “I’m so glad they stay open year-round.”
“Gabriel Andrews!” someone called out. “It’s good to see you!”
Aspen looked at him curiously as an older woman walked out from behind the counter and gave him a big hug. Then she turned to Aspen and smiled. “And we are so excited that you’re here too, Aspen!”
“Oh, um…”
It seemed weird that this woman knew her name, but she figured Gabe’s mom must have mentioned it or something.
“I’m Nikki,” the woman said with a big smile. “And it’s wonderful to finally meet you! You’re a chocolatier, right? Oh, my goodness, that is something I have always wanted to try but was never brave enough.” She barely paused to take a breath. “Could you imagine the kind of trouble I’d be in if I sold ice cream and gourmet chocolates? Girl, I probably wouldn’t even fit through the door! Still, I can dream, right?”
“Um…”
“Ooh…maybe you can show me a little of how it’s done sometime? Nothing too fancy, but maybe something basic?” And before Aspen could answer, Nikki went on. “Look at me, already trying to claim your time and you just got here! I’m a mess!” She laughed. “Anyway, it is so good to meet you, Aspen, and I hope you’ll come back and say hi while you’re here!”
It was a much friendlier greeting than she’d ever gotten in her life, so Aspen simply smiled and thanked her.
“You must have just gotten into town so let me know what I can get you. I’m sure you have so much to show Aspen.”