Sofia shook her head. “No, nothing on the way up, and there was nothing around him when I found him. He could have been coming from the other direction, though.” She paused, considering. “Maybe I should go back up there and check farther up the trail.”
“No, don’t worry about it. I’ll have the deputies send someone.”
Sofia stiffened.The deputies? Is Dr. Margo worried Isaiah’s a criminal?
Dr. Margo must have correctly interpreted the expression on Sofia’s face, because she quickly added, “That’s standard procedure in a case like this. We need to figure out who this man is to get his medical records and treat him appropriately before getting him home.”
Sofia nodded, confusing emotions stirring in her.Not every man is like Noah.The words came to her as clearly as if her mother were in the hallway with her.You can’t distrust everyone just because one man didn’t deserve your faith.
And her mother was right. Ash was nothing like Noah. But Noahhadexisted. His betrayal had been real. What he’d done to her couldn’t be erased, not completely. And if there was one person like Noah in the world, there could be others.
She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering what day it was. If there was any day she should take her mom’s advice, it was her birthday. She opened her eyes to see Dr. Margo waiting patiently, as if she understood Sofia’s hesitation.
“Leave your phone number at the reception desk if you’re willing to come back tomorrow. I’ll only call you if I think you’re needed, okay? Otherwise, great job here. You did excellent workexamining him on the trail and getting him out of the cold. Have fun at the party tonight.”
Sofia nodded, said goodbye to Dr. Margo, and briefly stopped at the reception desk to leave her phone number. As she walked out the door, her phone buzzed, and she read the text message. Ash had let her know that he and Tyler had just dropped off her car. The keys were inside.
“Well, you’re right about one thing, Dr. Margo. Ash does manage to be everywhere at once,” she said to herself before leaving the hospital and not daring to look back.
Chapter Four
ASH
Ash pulled into the parking lot of the Emerald House, the anxiety he was feeling about Sofia melting into the background as he thought of the evening to come. Holly was on her way back to Emerald Hollow, and they would get to spend their first New Year’s Eve together.
While Ash had been utterly awed by his tour of the North Pole—it was still hard to believe he’d met real-life elves and been in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer—his favorite moments with Holly were still the magical ones they shared together in his hometown. And the only night that was possibly as magical and full of promise as Christmas Eve was New Years.
Comet raced to his side as he entered the Emerald House, the white streak across his black fur brighter than usual. Holly had given the dog a bath at the North Pole, and the clean evergreen smell refused to dissipate. At first, Ash had thought it was just lingering shampoo, but he’d begun to wonder if there was magic in the water at the North Pole. Ash reached down to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “Hey, buddy.”
A tall woman with curly black hair approached him, and Ash grinned. “Esmeralda! How’s everything looking for tonight?”
As president of the chamber of commerce, Esmeralda oversaw the New Year’s Eve bash, and Ash was glad to see her.
“Nearly ready,” she said, letting her eyes sweep over the coffee shop gathering area. “Holly is still planning to help with the decorations, yes?”
Ash tried to suppress a proud grin. Holly had become famous for her decorating capabilities after stunning the town at the fall festival and again at the Christmas Faire. None of them knew that she had the assistance of magic, and that was just fine by him. To him, Holly would be magical whether she was Ms. Claus or not.
“Yep. She should be getting into town any time.”
“Excellent. A few of the chamber members will be here to help her, and the DJ should be showing up by seven. Are you and Enzo ready with the food and drinks?”
“All squared away.”
Esmeralda clapped once. “All right, then. I think everything is in motion. Though we did sell more tickets than ever. I think we may need to look for a larger venue next year.” There was reluctance in her voice, and her eyes held regret.
Ash understood where she was coming from. He’d had plans to build a larger conference space on the back side of the property, near the woods, but those plans hadn’t come to fruition yet.Could such a big project be completed in time for next year’s New Year’s Eve bash?
“Normally, we cap it at sixty, but people were just clamoring for tickets this year. We ended up selling a hundred. It may have something to do with your Holly’s party-planning skills. And it’s hard to turn people away when the ticket sales go to support the animal shelter,” Esmeralda continued.
Ash’s head began to spin.A hundred tickets? There are going to be one hundred people in my coffee shop?In previous sold-out years, sixty had already made it feel like the space was ready to burst. He let out a soft whistle.
“I know, I know. Forgive me. But you and Holly are a dynamic duo with these things. If anyone could make this work, it’s you two.”
He relaxed at that. Esmeralda was right. Holly made it feel like nothing was impossible. Maybe it wouldn’t be as overwhelming as he was expecting.
“Thanks, Es. I’d better get back to work. See you tonight.”
Esmeralda gave his arm a little squeeze then left the Emerald House.
