Olivia Blake had perfected the art of city life.
Her days were a blur of subway rides, coffee runs, and late-night brainstorming sessions in glass-walled conference rooms. She was proud of her career as an editor at Urban Outlook, even if it left her too tired to actually live.
But on the morning of December 20, her perfectly ordered life took an unexpected turn.
Her phone buzzed, dragging her away from a feature about minimalist holiday décor. She frowned at the name on the screen: Mom.
“Hey, Mom,” Olivia said, balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear. “What’s up?”
“Olivia, it’s Aunt June,” her mother said, her voice unusually tight.
Olivia sat up straighter. Aunt June had practically raised her while her parents worked long hours at the bakery. “What’s wrong?”
“She broke her leg,” her mom said. “Slipped on ice outside the Christmas market.”
“Oh no,” Olivia gasped.
“She’s fine,” her mom continued quickly. “But she can’t run the market booth, and you know how much she loves it. The doctor says she needs to rest.”
Olivia glanced at the stack of proofs on her desk. Deadlines loomed, but the thought of Aunt June missing the market—the one she’d organized every year since Olivia was five—made her chest ache.
“I’ll come home,” Olivia said before she could second-guess herself.
Her mom’s voice softened. “Thank you, sweetheart. It’ll mean the world to her.”
Olivia sighed, already dreading the mountain of emails she’d face upon her return. But for Aunt June, she’d brave anything.
Even Pine Hollow.
The snow-dusted streets of Pine Hollow looked like something out of a Hallmark card. Olivia gripped the wheel of her rental car, squinting at the familiar landmarks: the general store with its oversized candy cane decorations, the tiny ice rink next to the library, and the towering Christmas tree in the town square.
She’d barely parked in front of Aunt June’s cozy bungalow when the door flew open.
“Olivia!” her mother called, waving frantically from the porch.
Olivia stepped out, immediately engulfed in the crisp winter air. “Hi, Mom!”
Her mom pulled her into a hug, then dragged her inside, where Aunt June was propped up on the couch, her leg encased in a bright red cast.
“Look at you, city girl,” Aunt June said, her eyes twinkling despite her injury. “Did you bring the entire population of New York with you, or just your attitude?”
Olivia laughed, shaking her head. “I missed you too, Aunt June.”
“Well, you’re here now, and that’s what matters,” Aunt June said. “You’ll be running the booth at the market tomorrow. And don’t you dare sell anything for less than it’s worth. Pine Hollow shoppers are ruthless.”
“Got it,” Olivia said, saluting dramatically.
Her mom chuckled, but Olivia barely heard her. Her gaze had wandered to the framed photos on the mantel: holiday snapshots from years past, all featuring the same tousled-haired boy with a crooked smile.
“Is that… Charlie?” she asked, pointing to one of the photos.
Aunt June grinned. “Oh, yes. Charlie’s still here. He’s running the tree lot this year. You’ll probably see him at the market.”
Olivia felt a flutter in her chest. She hadn’t thought about Charlie in years.
***
The Pine Hollow Christmas Market was bustling the next morning. Olivia set up Aunt June’s booth, arranging hand-knitted scarves and ornaments under a banner that read “Holly Jolly Crafts.”
“Need help with that?” a voice drawled behind her.
She turned, and there he was.
Charlie.
He looked like he’d stepped out of a lumberjack calendar: flannel shirt, jeans that clung just right, and the kind of stubble that could make a razor weep. His hair was still tousled, and his crooked smile hadn’t changed a bit.
“Charlie,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Livvie,” he said, his grin widening.
“No one calls me that anymore,” she said, crossing her arms.
“Shame,” he said, leaning casually against a post. “It suits you.”
Olivia rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. “What brings you to the market?”
“Tree lot’s just down the way,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Figured I’d say hi. It’s been, what? Ten years?”
“Twelve,” she corrected.
“Not that you’re counting,” he teased.
Olivia laughed despite herself. “How’s life in Pine Hollow?”
“Quiet. Simple. Perfect,” he said. “You’d hate it.”
“Probably,” she admitted, though a part of her wasn’t so sure.
Over the next few days, Olivia found herself bumping into Charlie more often than seemed accidental. He showed up at the booth with hot cocoa, helped her hang decorations, and once stepped in to shoo away a particularly haggling customer.
“You’re really bad at saying no,” he teased afterward.
“I’m good at saying no,” she shot back. “Just not to old ladies with kind eyes.”
“Admirable,” he said, his eyes sparkling.
Olivia opened her mouth to respond but found herself momentarily at a loss. Something in the way he looked at her—the tilt of his head, the easy confidence in his smile—made her stomach flutter. It wasn’t the hot coffee he’d just handed her or the chill of the snow swirling around them.
It was Charlie.
She shook the feeling off quickly, laughing lightly. “Well, someone has to keep the peace.”
“You’ve always been good at that,” Charlie said, his tone softer now.
Something about the way he said it made her pause. A memory surfaced unbidden: a younger Charlie, his nose bloodied after sticking up for her on the playground, flashing her that same crooked smile.
“You’re staring,” he teased, breaking the silence.
Olivia blinked, heat rising to her cheeks. “I’m not staring. I’m just… remembering.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Good things, I hope.”
She didn’t answer, and he didn’t press. Instead, he gestured toward the garland-draped booth behind her. “Looks like your next customer’s waiting.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur of small talk and transactions, but Olivia couldn’t shake the stirrings in her chest.
That night, she lay awake in Aunt June’s guestroom, staring at the ceiling.
It wasn’t just nostalgia. She was sure of it now. Something had shifted between her and Charlie. It wasn’t dramatic or overwhelming; it was subtle, like a single snowflake landing on her palm, fragile yet undeniable.
But what did it mean?
She groaned, turning over. This wasn’t what she’d come to Pine Hollow for. She had deadlines, projects, and a life waiting for her back in New York. And yet, all she could think about was the way Charlie’s eyes crinkled when he laughed, the warmth of his hand brushing hers as he passed her a box of ornaments.
She was teetering on the edge of something she couldn’t name, and it terrified her.
***
By Christmas Eve, Olivia couldn’t deny the spark between them. It felt like they’d picked up right where they’d left off, except this time, it wasn’t the innocent friendship of their childhood. This was something deeper, something she didn’t want to leave behind.
But leaving was inevitable.
The morning of December 26th, Olivia stood in Aunt June’s living room, staring at her packed bag. Her flight was in a few hours, and she had a stack of deadlines waiting for her in New York.
“You’re quiet,” her mom said, handing her a cup of tea.
“Just thinking,” Olivia said.
“About Charlie?” her mom asked, her voice knowing.
Olivia sighed. “It’s complicated. My life is in the city. I have a career, friends, an apartment I love. I can’t just… give that up.”
“Why not?” Aunt June called from the couch. “If you’re waiting for a guarantee, you’ll be waiting forever.”
Olivia bit her lip. She knew they were right, but the idea of leaving everything behind was terrifying.
Charlie was waiting by her car when she stepped outside.
“I heard you’re heading back,” he said, his hands shoved into his pockets.
She nodded. “Yeah. Back to deadlines and subways and overpriced lattes.”
“You sure that’s what you want?” he asked, his voice soft.
Olivia hesitated. “I don’t know, Charlie. This… you… it feels like a dream. But what if it doesn’t work out? What if—”
“What if it does?” he interrupted, stepping closer.
She looked up at him, her heart pounding. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Because it is,” he said. “Stay. Just for a while. See where this goes.”
For the first time in years, Olivia felt something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel: hope.
She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing against her chest. But as she looked into Charlie’s eyes—steady, hopeful, and brimming with something she couldn’t quite name—her doubts began to melt away.
“Okay,” she said softly, the word carrying more than just an answer.
“Okay?” Charlie’s grin spread slowly, like the first rays of sunlight breaking through a winter storm.
Before she could answer, he pulled her into a hug—a warm, all-encompassing embrace that seemed to anchor her to the moment. Olivia froze at first, startled by the surge of emotions crashing over her. But then she leaned in, her arms wrapping around him as she let herself exhale.
“You mean it?” he murmured, his voice low and close to her ear.
“Yes,” she whispered, her cheek pressed against the flannel of his shirt. She could feel his heartbeat, steady and sure, matching her own.
Charlie pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands still resting on her arms. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear that.”
Her laugh was soft and breathless, the corners of her mouth lifting in a smile she couldn’t contain. “I think I’m starting to get an idea.”
His grin widened as he spun her in a playful circle, their laughter mingling with the faint hum of Christmas carols drifting from the town square. Olivia’s hair caught the light of the twinkling decorations, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she didn’t care about what came next.
Pine Hollow wasn’t where she’d planned to spend her future. But as Charlie set her down gently, his hands lingering at her waist, Olivia realized something that made her heart skip a beat.
Sometimes, the best plans weren’t plans at all.
