Page 11 of Hensley Manor
After stripping down and placing Ian’s clothes on the counter near the sink, I slid into the hot water with a pleased groan. I grabbed the bar of soap from the tray by the faucet and tore off the paper before bringing it to my nose. It smelled like pine and something else woodsy. I liked the scent, whatever it was, and lathered up.
The hot bath only helped for a while. Once I was dried off and back in my room, wearing a red robe that was curtesy of the inn, the tension returned to my neck and shoulders. And to top it all off, it had started snowing again.
Fuck you, Jack Frost.
Someone knocked on the door. “Mr. Wiley?”
I got off the bed and answered it, finding Ian on the other side. And damn, he still made my heart beat a bit faster upon seeing him.
“Here you are,” he said, handing over folded clothes. His blue eyes paused on my chest, where the robe had separated a bit and revealed my bare skin. My body stiffened in response to his seemingly hungry gaze. But he quickly lifted his eyes to mine and flashed a polite smile. “Let me know when you want to go to town.”
“Thanks. I’ll, er, change and I should be ready to go.”
“Excellent.”
He walked away, and I watched him a moment before closing the door.
Why was he being so nice to me? I took off the robe and changed into the clothes he’d brought. As I studied myself in the mirror, I shook my head with amazement. They were the same clothes I had been wearing last night while getting drunk in my apartment. Reason told me it wasn’t possible, because I had never been so drunk that I didn’t remember something, but I couldn’t fight the facts.
I had flown on a plane, lost my luggage, and checked-in to a bed and breakfast in a town I’d never heard of. My best friend’s number had changed overnight. I couldn’t find my damn phone.
I just wanted everything to go back to normal.
***
Christmas was everywhere, even more so than back at home. Every nook and cranny of Evergreen Valley was decked out in holiday cheer, from Main Street to the homes between there and Hensley Manor.
Trees around town were decorated with shiny garland and ornaments, and all the shop windows showed winter scenes of fake snow even though there was an abundance of real snow just outside the front door. Large red and green presents were placed on the sidewalk, and a man dressed as Santa walked around waving at everyone, holding a sign advertising a toy shop.
I could’ve thrown up. It was my worst nightmare come to life.
Ian walked beside me, wearing a long navy blue coat that reminded me of the expensive cashmere ones I’d seen advertised on high-fashion models. He was both casual and sophisticated. And me? Well, I was wearing a cheap one I’d bought from the mall for twenty bucks.
I had been kind of shocked when he offered to take me to town. He was busy running the bed and breakfast, but he had taken time out of his day to help me out. Finding a genuinely nice guy like him was rare. He was the one good thing to come from this whole strange ordeal so far.
“How do you like Evergreen Valley?” Ian asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.
“It’s…different.”
“Different is good sometimes. Then again, there’s comfort in familiarity. I’ve lived here my whole life and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“So, you’re happy owning the bed and breakfast? You don’t want more out of life?”
“What more could I want?” He stopped on the sidewalk and turned to me. “I enjoy running the inn and the family business. I get to meet people from all over, hear their stories, and bake for them. I wake up every morning and look forward to the day. Not everyone can say the same. Some people might want an extravagant life full of adventure, but I’m happy where I am.”
Happiness. Something I hadn’t felt in way too long, even before I woke up in this strange town.
“What about you?” he asked. “What do you do for a living?”
“Nothing exciting,” I said, shrugging. “I work a nine to five office job where I do accounting for an ungrateful boss. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. It’s just something I do to get by and pay the bills.”
Ian stared at me with a pensive look. I waited for him to say what was on his mind, but he didn’t. Instead, he motioned with his head to the shop in front of us. “Want to go in?”
I nodded and followed him into the clothing store. There didn’t appear to be much of a selection, but the basics were all I needed. I moved along the racks, grabbing a few shirts and a sweater, as well as a pair of jeans and some sweatpants to sleep in. Then, I went to the undergarment section and grabbed a bundle of boxers. The only boxers available had either reindeer, elves, or some other Christmas thing printed on them, and I rolled my eyes.
Thankfully, I had my wallet. With my phone missing, I’d been afraid I wouldn’t have any money, either, but it had been on the dresser in my room.
After paying for the clothes, we went back outside.
