Nat’s eyes narrow at the screen, giving me the sense she’s scrutinizing my face. I expect another joke or a string of rapid-fire questions. Instead, she gives a decisive nod. “Okay, Joss. I’ll be there. You can count on me for whatever it is you have planned.”

  *****

  The clicking of camera shutters greets me as I climb out of my car. A small crowd has already gathered, some of them with professional cameras and video cameras, and some with cell phones. I smile and wave as they follow me down the sidewalk, firing questions and comments at me.

  “How do you feel about Alan’s engagement so soon after your divorce?”

  “Do you have anything to say to Alan and his new fiancée?”

  “What are you doing in a place like Honeywell Hollow?”

  “Is it true you’ve called Selma Melissa Graham here to finally bury the hatchet?”

  “Give us something, Josslyn. You must have something big planned to call the media here just days before Christmas.”

  I pause outside Sweet Escapes with my hand on the door. “All will be revealed soon. Thank you for coming all this way. No photography past this point, please.”

  I slip inside the café, shooting a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure the photographers heed my request. They all fall back, some of them gathering in a huddle on the sidewalk while others head across the street to the park. I inhale deeply, my mouth watering at the scents I’ve come to expect when I enter Sweet Escapes. I’ve been thinking so much about the concept of ‘home’ recently, and I’ve realized Sweet Escapes is home. Honeywell Hollow is home. The people I love are home. Home is a feeling as much as it is a place, and I feel it here.

  One of those people I love and consider home barrels toward me now. Rex throws himself against me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

  “Hi buddy! It’s so good to see you.” If the little squeak he releases is any indication, I’m hugging him too tight. I release him and grip his shoulders, my eyes sweeping over his face. “How are you doing? I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. I got a letter from my mom today. She said she’s starting to feel better and she loves me and misses me. And she sent me a drawing, look.” He pulls an envelope from his back pocket and carefully frees a sheet of folded paper, which he hands to me. The drawing is a full-page pencil sketch of Thea, Rex, and Liam, and it’s good. Really good.

  “Uncle Liam said we’ll smooth it out and frame it so I can put it by my bed,” Rex says. He takes the drawing back and admires it, eyes shining with pride. His expression shifts suddenly, brows drawing together. “Are all those photographers outside here for you?”

  “They are, yeah. A couple of my friends are meeting me here and the press knows about it.”

  “Oh. Are you leaving Honeywell soon?”

  I open my mouth, then close it. I’m not sure how much to tell him. “It’s…kind of complicated,” I say slowly. “But I want you to know I love you and I’m not going to disappear from your life. There’ll be times when I’m really busy or I’m traveling and you might not hear from me as much, but I promise I’ll be in your life for as long as you want me.”

  He drops his gaze to the floor. My eyes flick down and I nearly laugh when I see he’s not wearing winter boots like I expected, but rather a hilariously furry pair of Chewbacca slippers. When he raises his head again, he gives me a shy smile. “Is forever okay?”

  My eyes and nose sting with the threat of tears. I kneel in front of him so we’re eye to eye. “I was hoping you’d say that. Forever sounds really good to me.” I hold out my arms and he throws himself into them, wrapping his arms around my neck and holding on tight.

  He dashes away when I release him, calling over his shoulder that he’s going to get back to his coloring. Mae joins me a moment later, pulling me into a hard hug before cupping my face and giving me a long, searching look.

  “You okay?” she asks.

  “I think so,” I tell her, letting out a shaky laugh. “At least I will be.”

  From the corner of my eye, I spot a flurry of activity outside. Raised voices and camera flashes have me turning to see Nat and Selma among the photographers, smiling and posing for pictures in front of the giant nutcrackers. Butterflies take flight in my stomach.

  “Are you sure about this?” Mae asks.

  I whip around to face her. “I am. Are you having second thoughts? I can have Nat and Selma meet me somewhere else if you don’t want this much focus on Sweet Escapes. Or we can film somewhere other than Honeywell if that’s what you’re—”

  “Joss.” Mae’s eyes are full of amusement and affection as she grips my shoulders. “I know you’ve put a lot of thought into this. I wouldn’t have agreed—and neither would Town Council—if I didn’t think this was a fantastic idea. Having a movie filmed here with three big stars is going to benefit the overall economy of Honeywell, and that, plus the donation from the Pascals means the center can stay open permanently.”

  “I don’t know about stars…” I murmur.

  Mae swats at my arm. “Is that all you took from what I said?”

  I laugh, grabbing her hand and holding it. “I can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”

  “Oh honey, are you kidding? It’s a pleasure. Having you here these last few weeks has been incredible. Seeing how you fit in, watching you come into your own…watching you and Liam fall in love…”

  I swallow hard. “What if this isn’t enough? What if he thinks this is all for show?”

  “My boy is smarter than that.” Mae’s confident tone infuses me with the confidence I need to stick to my plan.

  Outside, Nat and Selma break away from the gathered paparazzi and enter Sweet Escapes. I suck in a deep breath, squeeze Mae’s hand, and go to greet them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Sweet Escapes looks a lot different the next day when I arrive. A security guard outside checks my ID before ushering me through the front door, which now has a giant ‘Closed for a private event’ sign erected on it. All of Mae’s beautiful Christmas decorations are still in place, but the usual tables and chairs have been pushed to the sides and replaced with equipment and light stands, new furniture, and people bustling around talking into headsets. And this is just for an interview. I worried last night that when I arrived today, I’d discover my time away from the limelight had turned me off, but I can practically feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I’ve missed this.

  After meeting at the café yesterday for the purpose of creating buzz for our interview today, Natalie, Selma, and I holed up in my house. We talked for hours about the movie, the Pascal sisters, life, and fame—and the price of fame. We ordered pizza and drank way too much wine, especially considering we need to be camera-ready today. We all ended up falling asleep in the living room around midnight; I woke up an hour later with a full bladder, and sent the girls to their rooms. Besides the fact Honeywell doesn’t have a hotel, I figured they might as well stay with me while they’re here. I have plenty of room, plus I thought it would be a good opportunity for the three of us to bond so our on-screen sisterly chemistry would be genuine and believable to audiences.

  Now we’re about to sit down with Samira Ansari from Northern Light, a high-profile celebrity news show based in Toronto. I had to call in several favors to talk directly to Samira; I worried she’d balk at the idea of coming all this way only days before Christmas, but she jumped at the opportunity for an exclusive interview with the three of us. We’ve all worked with Samira in the past, and I trust her to ask in-depth questions without crossing a line.

  “How are you feeling?” Selma asks. “Excited, nervous?”

  “Yes,” I say with a laugh, and she nods in understanding. While the rumors of animosity between us have always been complete bullshit, I’m equal parts relieved and delighted to discover I genuinely like Selma. She’s funny, insightful, and down to earth, and we’ve learned we have countless things in common. I’m confident we’ll become great friends and that working with her will be a highlight of my career for multiple reasons.

  The makeup artist, who introduced themselves to me earlier as ‘Jase, they/them pronouns’ bustles over for one last touch up. They stand back to admire their handiwork, smiling a red-lipped smile. “Gorgeous. I’ve applied to work in the makeup department on the movie. If you happen to have any sway…”

  “I’ll put in a good word for you,” I promise, eyeing myself in the small mirror Jase hands me. I’d nearly forgotten what my face looked like with full makeup, but Jase has done an incredible job. “I’ve been calling in favors left and right lately with a one-hundred-percent success rate.”

  Jase laughs, blowing me a cheeky kiss as I’m swept away by a production assistant who murmurs in my ear that we have five minutes until we’re live.

  I settle onto a long, plush couch between Nat and Selma. They both reach for my hands at the same time, and I let out a breathy laugh as I squeeze their fingers, drawing strength from my old friend and my new one, the two women who will play my sisters on screen for several months starting in January.

  “We’re ready for this,” Nat says, phrasing it as a statement rather than a question. It didn’t take much convincing to get her to join us for the interview. She initially thought the focus should be on Selma and me to dispel rumors of our supposed feud, but I told her this interview was about much more than that and we needed our costar by our side.

  “So ready,” Selma says.

  With a final squeeze, they release my hands as Samira sits in the armchair across from us. The next few minutes are a blur of last minute questions and directions, an unseen person flitting behind me to fix my hair, and then we’re being told we’re going live in three, two, one…

  “Good morning, folks, I’m coming to you live from the most adorable town in Northern Ontario called Honeywell Hollow,” Samira says, smiling into the camera. “I’m here with Josslyn Hazelwood, Selma Melissa Graham, and Natalie Huang, the leading ladies in the upcoming indie flick Finding Us, written and directed by the Pascal sisters. Welcome, ladies!”

  We give the standard enthusiastic greetings expected of us.

  “Josslyn, I want to start with you since you’re the reason we’re all here in Honeywell Hollow,” Samira says. “The public has been wondering where you disappeared to, and, of course, speculating about the reasons. Is Honeywell Hollow where you’ve been hiding out all this time?”

  This part was something we agreed on beforehand. I specifically wanted Samira to use the words ‘hiding out’ so I could be the one to turn it around and control the narrative, something people in the spotlight rarely get to do.

  “This is where I’ve been, yes, and hiding out is exactly what I was doing at first. Just ask Natalie.” I hook a thumb in Nat’s direction. “I’m sure she’ll be all too happy to tell you she thought I was running away from my life.”

  Samira turns her gaze to Nat. “Is that true? You two have always been quite close, right?”

  “Joss is my best friend,” Natalie says simply. “And yeah, I did accuse her of running away. That’s not how I see it anymore, although I’ll let her explain that.”

  I smile at Nat, and she pats my leg encouragingly. “I came to Honeywell to get away from everything. Back in Toronto, I felt like I was being haunted in a way. Haunted by my failed marriage, haunted by the press, haunted by my own image everywhere I looked. I wanted a break, and I had the luxury of being able to take one.

  “I chose Honeywell at random, hoping to escape everything for a while, and I ended up stumbling into what felt like a real-life film set. I didn’t think places like this existed outside of the kinds of movies I’m known for. And, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay at first. I hope this doesn’t damage my image as the Queen of Christmas, but the holidays and all they entail were part of what I was trying to escape.”

  Samira nods, her expression full of understanding. “I’m sure there are plenty of viewers who would like me to pursue that, but that’s not why we’re here today, right? I think it’s safe to say the holidays can be rough for a lot of people for a whole slew of reasons, and leave it at that.”

  “Thank you,” I say, my throat tight. Selma hands me a glass of water that seems to have materialized from thin air, and I take a quick sip. “Anyway,” I say with a self-deprecating laugh, “Honeywell wasn’t what I thought I wanted, but it was exactly what I needed. I ended up falling head over heels for this little town.”

  Samira’s face lights up with a knowing smile. She leans forward slightly as she asks, “With just the town itself or…?”

  We didn’t rehearse this part. It would be easy for me to deflect. To laugh and say yes, just the town. But that’s not true and I'm tired of hiding my true self. “Not just the town,” I say slowly. “With its people. And…one person in particular.”

  Samira waits a beat, brows raised expectantly. When it’s clear I won’t be volunteering more than that, she gives an exaggerated huff and flops back in her chair. “You’re not going to say any more than that, are you?”

  Now I do laugh as I shake my head. “Sorry. I haven’t even told him yet.”

  The words slip out. I barely realize what I’ve said until Samira’s eyebrows hitch up further and whispered voices filter into my awareness a second before someone out of view shushes everyone. Natalie shifts beside me, clearing her throat. She murmurs something out of the corner of her mouth that I don’t catch, but part of it sounds like ‘ratings gold’.

  “Who knew Josslyn Hazelwood could be such a tease?” Samira says, rearranging the note cards in her hand. “When all of this comes to light, I hope I get first dibs on the scoop.” She shoots me a subtle wink before continuing on smoothly. “And now the three of you will be filming a movie here in Honeywell Hollow. I have to ask the question that’s on everyone’s minds: what about the rumors of the rivalry between you, Josslyn and Selma Melissa?”

  “The rumors are just that: rumors,” Selma says firmly. “They don’t have any basis in fact, but they were perpetuated by the media. No offense,” she adds quickly, and Samira chuckles, waving her off. “To be fair, we didn’t do anything to put the rumors to rest. We’re looking to do that now, though.”

  “The thing is, Selma and I were barely more than acquaintances until a couple days ago,” I say. “We saw each other at various industry events, but that’s it. The first time we were photographed together, neither of us knew there was a photographer there. We both looked serious, and they caught me mid-eyeroll, looking irritated about something Selma said. The truth is, I was commiserating with whatever she’d just told me, and I happen to be an eye-roller.”

  Nat leans across me to get in the shot. “It’s true.”

  “I learned from the best,” I say dryly.

  “Everything after that was completely made up,” Selma says. “Joss and I didn’t see each other for probably a year after that, by which time our supposed feud had become legendary. Of course, it didn’t help when rumors started that Joss was being cast alongside me in All the Heart Wants, and it supposedly fell through because we refused to work together.”

  “Right, when what actually happened was a scheduling conflict,” I chime in. “They would have needed me in Vancouver a month before I was finished shooting a movie in Toronto.”

  “But the two of you have never made any public comments about the veracity of the rivalry,” Samira says. “Why is that?”

  Selma opens her mouth, closes it, and looks at me. I nod for her to go on. “It wouldn’t have helped,” she says. “People will believe what they want to believe. Our supposed feud may make headlines whenever we’re within a hundred feet of each other, but it’s never really bothered us since we knew it wasn’t true.”

  Samira looks at me as if for confirmation.

  “She’s right. Whenever I saw the headlines, it kind of just made me laugh and roll my eyes. I am glad we have the chance to rectify it now and put the ridiculous rumors to rest, though.”

  “Josslyn, you said you and Selma Melissa were basically only acquaintances until a few days ago,” Samira says. “What happened then?”

  “When we all officially signed on for Finding Us and the Pascal sisters agreed to film in Honeywell, I invited Selma and Natalie up here for a few days. We won’t start filming for another month or so, but I wanted to spend some time with them, and I wanted them to get a feel for the town.”

  “Can I just say the idea of the three of you doing a movie together makes me beyond happy?” Samira says. “Natalie, I don’t want you to feel left out of this conversation, so do you want to tell us what this movie is about?”

  “Gladly!” Natalie sits up straighter, crossing one long leg over the other and clasping her hands in her lap. She’s practically glowing now that it’s her turn to be in the spotlight.

  And I…well, I have to stop myself from letting out an audible sigh of relief as I lean back on the couch. The hard part is over. Now I can stop spilling my private business to the world and we can talk about the movie and Honeywell.

  I’m not entirely sure if I hope Liam is watching the interview or not. Confessing my feelings for him on live TV wouldn’t have been my first choice for how I’d tell him I love him, but it’s out there now. I may have initially wanted a no-strings-attached holiday, but those strings grew until they sprouted roots. I just have to hope he feels the same way and we can turn our fling into something more permanent.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The phone calls start before we’ve even finished filming the interview. By the time Mae hands over our purses, which she locked in the back room, I have forty-seven missed calls and a mountain of texts, mostly from numbers I don’t recognize. I don’t even bother checking my voicemail; there’s only one person I’m interested in hearing from, and I don’t see Liam’s number among the seemingly endless list of missed calls.