Snowy Night At The Inn

Elle took the steaming mug of hot chocolate from the inn keeper, an older woman, her wise face etched with years of exhaustion and stress. They exchanged smiles and sipped their comforting drinks as the fire in the fireplace crackled, the smell of pine filling the air around them.

The place is obviously many decades old. The wood is rotted in some places, the porch itself on its way to collapse. Trophy heads and dusty portraits of past owners adorn the walls. The unsettling decor of the cabin is quickly overshadowed by the bright woman who greets guests at the door. The bright, stone fireplace warms the chilling air. The well-worn fabric couch offers a cozy and inviting spot to settle in.

Electricity is sparse throughout the building, so the only outlet available is downstairs in the lobby, which pulled her from her room in the first place.

Elle and the inn-keeper sip their mugs in comfortable silence, the rest of the inn empty except for the two. Others would prefer the resorts, but Elle finds the place more relaxing than the noisy hotels that everyone else goes to.

The creaking of the old door causes both women to look up from their mugs and meet the gaze of the man guilty of disturbing their peace.

A lumberjack of a man greets them with a grin, hidden behind his closely trimmed mustache and beard. His light auburn hair hidden under a heather gray knit cap.

“It’s cold out there!” He chuckles half-heartedly.

The old woman rushes over to the burly man and rushes him inside while fussing over him. She pushes the man onto the sofa next to Elle and hands him a piping cup of cocoa.

“Jack, honey, this is our guest for the weekend!” She happily introduces the two, beaming as she disappears into the back of the inn.

The two chuckle with each other over the sudden introduction and disappearance of the chipper woman.

“Sorry about my mom.” An embarrassed blush reddens his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He rubs the back of his neck, his biceps flexing, his long sleeve Carhartt shirt pulled taut against his skin.

Elle giggles, her voice pitched a little higher than her usual. “Don’t worry about it. She’s sweet.” She takes a sip of her drink and then sticks her hand out in his direction. “I’m Elle. It’s nice to meet you.”

He takes her hand gently in his, and squeezes it firmly, but not enough to cause any pain or discomfort. “Jack. And the pleasure is mine.” His demeanor quickly shifted from ‘shy’ to ‘flirty’ in a second.

The two sit quietly together on the sofa. Watching the snow fall gently outside the small cabin inn. The only sound between them being their soft breaths, crackling fire and the old radio playing the oldies quietly in the background.

Their peace was soon chased away when a blaring alarm comes loudly over the radio. The two intently listen to the weather report, warning of an incoming heavy snowfall. The robotic voice cautions people to stay indoors and to avoid going out onto the roads until the warning has lifted.

Elle sighs, her shoulders dropping after the music starts up once again. She planned on staying in the mountains only until tomorrow, but the weather had other ideas. But the company didn’t seem so bad. There’s service, though spotty, so if she’s still here through Monday, it won’t be hard to explain the situation she’s found herself in.

“Don’t worry too much. It’ll be okay.” Jack attempts to comfort.

Elle relaxes. He’s right. It could be a lot worse, and the company isn’t so bad. Jack seems nice, and his mother surely is.

The two watch the snowfall steadily pick up as the impending blizzard begins to take over the skies. The inn shakes violently and the already creaky foundation becomes more unsettling.

“Looks like we’re in for a long night,” Jack murmured, his deep voice a soothing contrast to the howl of the wind outside. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and glanced sideways at Elle. “I hope you’re not too spooked by the noise. This place has weathered worse storms than this.” he chuckled, attempting to put her fears at ease.

Elle wrapped her hands tighter around her mug, the warmth comforting. “Spooked? Not at all,” she lies, her voice steady but her eyes betraying her unease.

Jack grinned, his teeth flashing under the soft light of the fire. “So much for a relaxing weekend.” He leaned back, his broad shoulders sinking into the worn cushions of the sofa. “Hope you don’t mind being stuck out here a while longer than you anticipated.”

“It’s alright.” Elle tilts her head in curiosity. “Do you come up here often?”

He shrugged, a sheepish expression crossing his face. “I come when I can. I only came this weekend because I checked the forecast and was worried about Mom staying in this mess by herself.” His gaze softened as he glanced toward the back room where his mother had disappeared. “This place means the world to her. It’s where I grew up.”

Elle smiled at the tenderness in his tone. “It’s a special place,” she said. “Not many people would keep something like this going for so long.”

“Yeah,” Jack said, his voice tinged with pride. “It’s got character. Kind of like you.”

Her cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment. “Character? I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or a polite way of calling me odd.” She chuckles quietly.

Jack smiled, his voice rich and warm. “Definitely a compliment,” he assured her, his eyes meeting hers with a twinkle.

Before she could respond, the innkeeper reappeared, carrying a heavy quilt in her arms. “Here you go,” she announced, draping the blanket over the back of the couch. “It’s going to get colder before it gets warmer. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Elle’s heart skipped a beat as the older woman winked at her before retreating back to the kitchen. She couldn’t tell if it was the firelight or her own embarrassment that made her cheeks feel so hot.

Jack reached for the quilt, spreading it across both of their laps casually. “Well, guess we’re in this together,” he grinned.

Elle laughed softly, the tension from the storm easing. “Guess so.”

As the storm raged on outside, the two of them shared stories and laughter, their mugs of cocoa long forgotten. What began as a reluctant escape from her busy life in the city was quickly turning into something far more unexpected—something that warmed Elle’s heart in a way no fire ever could.

©️T.L. Ryan 2024. All rights reserved.