Cider & Chill: Thanksgiving in Holiday Valley by Kaylin Evans

Author:Kaylin Evans [Evans, Kaylin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lisbon Press
Published: 2019-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

I drive Hannah to her apartment, then wait in my rental car for her to run inside and change into hiking-appropriate clothes.

I’d love to go inside, see what her place looks like, but she tells me there’s no way we’ll actually end up going on a hike if I do… and she’s right. I would drag her into her bed – or maybe we’d make it no farther than the couch – and strip her clothes off all over again.

So I wait patiently, and about ten minutes later, Hannah comes bounding up the walkway in a pair of hiking boots, jeans, and a fuzzy flannel shirt. She’s got her hair pulled back in a chunky braid and she’s carrying a couple travel mugs full of coffee when she climbs back into the car. I lean across the center console and give her a kiss, then she hands me one of the mugs and tells me where to drive.

The park she points me to looks like nothing more than a small gravel parking lot from the road. There are trees all around, the leaves turning red and gold and crunching under our feet as Hannah takes my hand and leads me to a hiking trail just wide enough for two.

We bring our coffee mugs and I link my hand in hers as she guides me into the forest.

There are tall oaks and maple trees on both sides of the trail, and I can hear running water somewhere in the distance. With each step, more leaves crunch underfoot and the whole park smells like crisp, clean fall air.

“Do you come here a lot?” I ask as we round a slight bend in the path and I see a river up ahead.

“As often as I can,” Hannah says, nodding. “It’s nice in the summer, and very peaceful when it’s all snow-covered, but autumn is my favorite. The chill air, the changing leaves… people think this is the season when everything dies, but I always find it hopeful. The earth is shedding its old skin so something new and beautiful can emerge.”

I stop her on the path so I can circle her in my arms and give her a long, deep kiss. “That’s lovely,” I tell her. “I like it.”

Then we start walking again. We make it to the river’s edge and the trail follows it for a while, the water flowing gently beside us. Then Hannah asks softly, “Were you and your dad close?”

I wince slightly, pained at the sudden mention of my dad. I’ve been trying so hard to keep him out of my mind that it took me off-guard. She apologizes, but I squeeze her hand. “It’s okay.” Henry’s right – I need to deal with this. “Yes, we were. When my brother and I were kids, he never missed a school event or sports game. Then we both worked for him after college, so even as adults, we would see him every day.”

“That must be nice,” Hannah says. “I’m in

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