.” He motions around his mouth.
I glance down at my drink. The whipped cream!
Instead of wiping it off, I take another sip. This time, I feel the fluffy stuff on the tip of my nose. “Which way is the library?”
He straightens. “What do you want to do there?”
“Get a book,” I say innocently.
“What kind of book?”
I frown. “I don’t know. I’ll have to browse.” Then I struggle to keep off the smile threatening. “But most likely a romance.”
His face turns that same shade of red his brother’s did earlier this morning when Colin jetted like the building was on fire.
He points out the front door. “Straight across the square.”
I squint to see where he’s motioned, but the frosted glass obstructs my view.
“Thanks.” I lift my cup. “And I promise if you serve this kind of coffee from now on, it’ll keep the bad reviews down.”
I turn on my heel and hurry outside before he can respond.
* * *
The arctic air blasts me in the face. It’s colder than yesterday, and a fresh layer of snow coats everything. No wonder my room was so white. It’s blindingly beautiful.
And Colt wasn’t lying.
Straight in front of me is a town square. A real, charming area that I thought only existed on TV shows.
I look both ways before I cross the street, and then laugh at myself. Of course no cars are coming. Only six people live in the whole town. Fine, maybe seven.
A meandering path forks in two directions, encircling a gazebo in the center of the square. I wander toward the structure lit with strings of white Christmas lights and a nativity scene positioned beside it.
How had I missed this?
Upon closer inspection, the gazebo boasts expert craftsmanship with intricate carvings. The white paint and white lights should clash with the snow, but somehow, it works. Just enough of the green hedges hugging the gazebo are visible to pull the whole ensemble together.
I need to find out who built this before I leave town. Something like this would be perfect for our destination properties. Wedding parties would go crazy for it.
I stand at the bottom of the short stairs leading to the inside and look up with an unsettled feeling.
This would be perfect for some of our hotels, but it belongs here. Uniquely here.
The vision of a wedding with music and laughter and dancing fills my mind, but I quickly stomp it out.
I pull my coat tightly around me and keep moving. The path leads to a statue of a woman. Once I dust off a little of the plaque, I find she’s the town founder.
This place is full of surprises.
When I cross the street to the library, I barely check for cars, which somehow makes me feel more like a local. Not that I want to be a local.
Get a grip, Audrey.
The library is as quaint as the rest of the town. It looks like an old Victorian house, complete with a wide front porch and rocking chairs.
The sign on the door says it's open.
I stomp the snow off my boots and push inside. A bell jingles, and I pause. Isn’t the library supposed to be quiet?
“Can I help you, dear?” The woman behind an antique desk swamped with papers is exactly what I’d picture the librarian to look like. Older with silver hair in a neat low bun, she’s wearing a corduroy dress and has glasses perched on the end of her nose.
Everything in this town is picture-perfect.
Except me and the way I came crashing into it.
I clear my throat and offer her my best smile. “Do you have a genealogy section?” I might’ve told Colt a little fib, but it serves him right for that abysmal coffee yesterday.
“Of course.” She stands with ease. “Follow me.”
She moves through the library as if she could do it blindfolded past a sitting area with a fire crackling in the fireplace. Maybe if I find what I’m looking for quickly enough, I’ll be reading that romance book, after all.
She crosses the threshold of what appears to have once been the study of the house. The walls are a rich mahogany paneling and a large polished wood table sits in the center, stacked with books. Bookshelves with volumes of thick leather-bound books surround the space.
“Are you looking for anyone in particular?” She glances at me over her shoulder.
Oh. There’s a fireplace in here too. I instantly feel the chill in my bones evaporate.
“The Grant family.”
She hesitates, running her finger along the spines, and I’m almost