CHAPTER ONE

Quinn Seasons cared about one thing and one thing only—making sure the Seasons Inn was the most successful business in all of Apple Hollow, New Hampshire. He had a legacy to protect. His parents had spent forty years building a reputation of warmth, excellence, and charm. Now that Quinn was in charge, his goal was to not only uphold their standards, but also to fix the problems his parents never had the time to solve.

One of his current solutions was the reason his younger sister stormed into the lobby after her lunch break.

“Why do you act like you’re the only one who runs this place?” Nora stood before him, arms folded across her chest and brow furrowed. “When is it going to get through that thick skull of yours that you don’t get to unilaterally make decisions without talking to me and Brady?”

Quinn wasn’t technically the only one his parents had entrusted to run the inn. All four siblings were given equal stakes in the inn. The three Seasons siblings involved in running the inn each had their own responsibilities. Nora ran the concierge desk, Brady was the activities director, and Quinn did everything else. Thankfully, Theo lived in Boston and was not involved in the day-to-day stuff. He was an equal partner—as he liked to remind Quinn—so he had a say in the bigger financial decisions, but the day-to-day operations were none of his concern.

Quinn hadn’t thought this was one of those things he needed to run by the group.

“I’m the hotel manager,” he said, keeping his tone even. “Sometimes decisions need to be made and I have to make them.”

Nora shook her head and narrowed her eyes. “You are the manager. You get to manage work schedules and sign off on supply orders. You do not get to pull the want ads for a pastry-chef position just because we haven’t found one that we like yet.”

“We’ve been looking for almost a year,” he countered. “Mom is clearly irreplaceable.”

Their mother had been the inn’s pastry chef for decades. When she retired, Quinn had no idea how difficult it was going to be to find someone else who measured up. It had been one disaster after another. The chef they had hired in February clashed with everyone and had to be let go a month later. The one they hired in May quit two weeks later. And now? It was the second Sunday in October, and not a single viable candidate had applied since.

“Well, if you aren’t going to hire anyone, then we’re going to have to resort to buying from the bakery in town,” Nora said, crossing her arms tighter.

“We can’t afford that.”

“Well, we can’t just keep asking the kitchen staff to pick up the slack,” she argued.

Frustration flickered in his chest. “Sometimes there’s no good solution. Sometimes you have to go with the least-bad one.”

Before Nora could fire back, a guest approached the front desk, looking for help with making an appointment at the spa. Quinn handed her off to Nora, who turned on her usual charm. That was her domain. Brady ran activities and came up with the big events. Theo offered opinions from two hundred miles away. The bulk of the operations fell on Quinn.

Nora complained about his decision-making, but she had no idea how many decisions he made in a day. He wished his only worries were making schedules and signing off on supplies. Quinn’s siblings were oblivious to how much financial oversight, marketing, and strategic planning was involved in his job, on top of the basic operations duties. It was no wonder he barely slept. It was ten jobs in one.

It would have been nice if instead of criticizing his decisions, one of his siblings actually thanked him for everything he was doing to make sure the inn stayed open and profitable.

He rubbed the back of his neck. Thanks to falling asleep in his office chair last night, he had woken up with the biggest crick in his neck. It seemed like there were always annoying aches and pains to deal with these days. Maybe it was because he was inching toward forty, or maybe it was because he didn’t take very good care of himself. His family often liked to accuse him of working himself to death.

Wade Kramer, the inn’s head of maintenance, strolled in from outside. He was grinning from ear to ear. Quinn had to resist rolling his eyes. For the last six months, Wade had worn the same expression. It probably had something to do with the fact that he’d finally admitted he was in love with Nora and she felt the same way about him. For years, they had tried to convince everyone they were only friends, even though it was obvious they had something more than that.

“Hey, Quinn. How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” Quinn said, glancing up. “Did you figure out what was going on with the landscaping lights out front?”

Wade shrugged. “All I can figure is it’s a wiring issue. They work fine when I test them during the day, but they still flicker at night.”

Quinn frowned. “Well, we can’t afford to replace them right now. If it keeps up, pull out the troublesome ones and redistribute the rest. Make it look intentional.”

“Whatever you say, boss man.” Wade gave him a mock salute.

“Maybe it’s not an electrical problem,” someone said behind Wade.

A man stepped forward. Quinn recognized him as one of yesterday’s check-ins. The guy had on a UFO T-shirt and wild curls that fell into his eyes like a curtain.

Wade turned to him, curious. “What else could it be?”

“It could be—” he lowered his voice into a dramatic whisper “—supernatural.”

Wade laughed out loud. Quinn felt a new headache coming on.

“Ghosts?” Wade asked, fully entertained.

“There are rumors online that this place is haunted.” The man continued, “You two work here. I bet you’ve heard about or witnessed some unusual things happening.”

“The inn is not haunted, sir,” Quinn said flatly.

The man ignored him, pulling out his phone and tapping on the screen. “There have been several former guests who have reported strange things happening while they were here. Especially during this time of year.” He held up his phone and Wade took a closer look.

“I don’t know, sir. I’ve worked here since I was a teenager. I have never seen or heard any ghosts,” Wade said.

“The inn is not haunted,” Quinn repeated more firmly this time.

“I heard a really famous ghost hunter was coming to do an investigation for his podcast, Echoes from the Other Side,” the guest added. “I came to check it out before he got here so I could see for myself. These guys sometimes fake stuff. You have to be careful.”

Quinn could feel his blood pressure rising. “The inn is not haunted, sir.”

“Who thinks the inn is haunted?” Nora asked, stepping around the counter to stand next to Wade. “When I was little, I swore Room 222 was haunted.”

“You did?” Wade blinked at her. Quinn groaned.

The wannabe ghost hunter’s face lit up. “What happened in Room 222?”

“Nothing happened in Room 222,” Quinn snapped. “If the inn was haunted, I would know about it. There has never been a ghost in Room 222. My sister has always had a wild imagination.”

Nora shook her head. “You’re no fun, Quinn. And maybe it’s not my wild imagination but the fact that I am not a closed-minded person.”

“There are not, nor have there ever been, any ghosts at the Seasons Inn,” Quinn said.

The man seemed disappointed but turned to Nora. “Maybe I could ask you some questions later?”

“Of course,” she replied with a smile. “Next time you see me around, feel free to come talk to me.”

The man nodded enthusiastically and wandered off in the direction of the stairs, saying something about going up to the second floor. Quinn pressed a palm to his forehead.

The last thing they needed was viral ghost rumors keeping real guests away. Especially when he had just set it up to have a travel reviewer visit during the Fall at the Lake event. A positive write-up could help boost bookings in the coming year.

“I need to hear this ghost story,” Wade said, nudging Nora. “You should come over tonight and tell it to me.”

She grinned up at him. “Only if you think you’re brave enough to hear a scary ghost story.”

“I think I can handle it. Although, you might have to sit really close so I can hold your hand if I need to.”

Nora laughed and kissed him on the cheek. Quinn had to look away. He was glad his sister and Wade had figured things out and were happy, but he didn’t need a front-row seat to their cutesy exchange.

He glanced up at the front doors and froze. Something made him look. It wasn’t a sound or a flash of light, but something buried deep in his bones, in his DNA, reacted. The air shifted. Maybe this place was haunted, because a ghost most definitely entered the lobby.

*

Apple Hollow hadn’t changed one bit. It was almost like Lia Posey hadn’t just traveled across the country, but back in time as well. How could a place stay frozen for almost two decades?

“I can’t believe that Grandma won’t let us stay with her,” Audrey grumbled as they entered the Seasons Inn lobby.

Lia’s sixteen-year-old daughter had a lot to learn about Apple Hollow. Figuring out that her grandmother was only good at taking care of herself was a tough first lesson. Lia had half hoped that her mother’s selfishness had lessened with age, but no. She was almost surprised when she turned them away.

Almost.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be greeted with open arms was one of the big reasons she hadn’t wanted to come back. Unfortunately, she was out of options and ended up at her mother’s front door. She’d hoped that given how dire her circumstances were, her mom would at least let them stay there long enough to get back on her feet.

She had been wrong.

Apparently, having two guests for an unknown amount of time was too stressful for a woman who lived alone. Surprisingly, she had offered to let Audrey stay, but the teenager was more loyal than Lia gave her credit for. She had told her grandmother that if they both couldn’t stay, then she wasn’t going to, either.

If this last-resort plan didn’t work, they were going to be sleeping in their car for a while and Audrey might change her mind about standing her ground.

The Seasons Inn was their last thread of hope. There was only one person in the world who might show Lia some kindness. Laura Seasons had been like a second mother to her. She was actually the mother Lia wished she’d had. Kind, patient, and an amazing baker. Lia had learned everything she knew about baking from Laura.

Laura wasn’t Lia’s mother, though. She was Quinn’s mother.

Quinn Seasons was the boy Lia had loved fiercely and left recklessly. She had broken both their hearts when she left eighteen years ago. Truth was, she never quite stopped loving him. She’d just moved on, trying to convince herself that there was something better outside of Apple Hollow, or maybe it was that she could be something better if she got out of Apple Hollow. Growing up in this small town the way that she did, with a single mother who had no desire to be a mother, made her feel like everyone in Apple Hollow thought she was less-than. Everyone but the Seasons family, who had always treated her like she belonged. She had left before they found out she wasn’t good enough to be one of them.

“How are we going to pay for a room here?” Audrey whispered as they stepped farther into the lobby. “This place looks fancy.”

She wasn’t wrong. The Seasons Inn was decorated beautifully for the fall. The scent of cinnamon mixed with clove hit her when they first walked in. There were cozy throw blankets in autumn colors folded over the backs of the two chenille chairs by the fireplace in the familiar sitting area to the right. The mantel was covered in garlands of colorful leaves and miniature pumpkins. Tall cream candles flickered beside a wooden sign carved with the words Gather Here.

An easel held a giant glossy poster advertising something called Fall at the Lake, claiming to be a celebration of local flavors and folklore. That was new. Maybe some things had changed.

When her gaze swung to the left, her heart stopped. Her lungs forgot it was their job to take in oxygen so she could function. There, behind the front desk, was Quinn, staring at her like he had just seen a ghost.

She had foolishly expected his father to be in that spot. That’s where she could find him whenever she had been at the inn. Quinn, on the other hand, never stayed in one place long. He was usually off roaming the property, checking on guests, leading a trail walk, fixing a busted light bulb. He always had a smile on his face and grass stains on his pants. He loved being outdoors, never standing still.

But there he was in his blue Seasons Inn polo, standing very still in the spot where his dad used to stand. He was older. Of course, he was. They both were. Lia had been gone a long time. His face was more angular. He seemed a little bit weary. But under all that, he was still him.

Did he recognize her? Maybe he was still staring because he was trying to figure out who she was and how he knew her.

“Mom?” Audrey tugged at her hand. “Are you okay?”

Lia blinked and realized that she had stopped dead center in the lobby. Her heart was suddenly beating like the wings of a hummingbird. She took a deep breath, thankful for the oxygen that helped her brain figure out how to form words again.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just—” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence. She knew it was likely he would be there. He had stayed in Apple Hollow because the inn had been his future. She had done everything she could to discourage him from following her because she had known this was where he had seen himself growing old.

With or without her.

Her chest ached in a way it hadn’t in a very long time.

“Are we going to ask for that lady or what?” Audrey whispered.

Laura. Right. Laura Seasons would come through for them. Lia clung to that belief like a life raft. If she could speak to Laura, maybe she could land a job and a roof over their heads.

She just had to get past Quinn first. Well, this was going to be awkward.

“Lia Posey?” a voice called out. A pretty young woman stepped around a man standing in front of Quinn’s counter. “Oh, my gosh. Is that you?”

Eighteen years was a long time and as much as she thought things hadn’t changed, the people had. There was something familiar in the woman’s eyes. She had dark hair that framed her bright face. Her eyes and smile were exactly the same as her dad’s.

“Nora Seasons?”

“Yeah, I can’t believe you recognize me. I was, like, ten years old the last time I saw you.”

Quinn’s little sister was all grown up. The silver name tag on her lapel signaled that she now worked at the inn as well. “You may be older, but you are a Seasons through and through.”

“This is Wade. Wade Kramer,” Nora said, motioning to the tall man beside her. “Do you remember him? His sister, Blair, was always over here. She’s my best friend.”

They were so much younger than Quinn and Lia it was hard to remember. Lia decided it was better to feign that she knew what Nora was talking about. “Right. Hi, Wade.”

A quick glance in Quinn’s direction confirmed he was still staring at her like she was some kind of sideshow freak. He hadn’t moved and was still tight-lipped.

“What brings you back to Apple Hollow?” Nora asked brightly. “And who is this lovely lady?”

Both questions were ones she didn’t want to answer in front of Quinn. There was no way not to have this conversation somewhere else, however.

“This is my daughter, Audrey. Audrey, this is Nora. She’s the daughter of the lady I was telling you about.” Lia turned back toward Nora, praying Quinn would magically disappear and not have to hear any of this. “We were hoping to talk to your mom about a job. Someone mentioned that you might be looking for a pastry chef. I thought maybe she’d consider taking me back under her wing.”

Nora’s face fell and she quickly looked over at Quinn, who most definitely did not magically disappear.

“Our mother retired almost a year ago,” he said, forcing Lia to face him. “And we are no longer seeking applicants for that position.”

Lia’s stomach dropped. She could feel the tiny balloon of hope she’d been holding on to float away, out of reach. She was too late, and Laura was no longer the one in charge of the kitchen. Every cell in her body wanted to bolt for the door, get in her car, and drive as far from Apple Hollow as she could. Of course, she was out of money and therefore had no way to pay for any more gas. Things were looking pretty horrible at the moment.

“That’s not true,” Nora said. “We are looking for someone for the job, but we need someone reliable. We’ve had two people accept the position and leave shortly after. Are you back in Apple Hollow for real?”

Another loaded question. She was back. For how long? Well, that was to be determined. Lia had left this small town to escape the looks and the gossip about how bad she had it. She had run away because she couldn’t burden Quinn and his family anymore. She really had believed that she could make something of herself if she left, yet, here she was, back and almost more pathetic. She’d returned to beg the same family she knew she didn’t deserve for help.

She had almost made it, though. Things had gone in a slightly different direction than she’d expected, but she had owned her own bakery for a whole year. Twelve months of believing she had finally accomplished something worth being proud of, only to have it stripped away from her, and she was left with nothing to show for it.

She didn’t want to lie, but stretching the truth seemed like the only option if she wanted to get back on her feet. “I’m back. For real.”

Nora lit up. “Great! When can you start?”

“Hold on a second,” Quinn intoned. “You can’t just hire someone because you knew them almost two decades ago. We don’t hire people without looking at their résumé and calling their references. We need to go through the proper steps.”

“Of course,” Lia said, the heat rising in her cheeks. She didn’t have copies of her résumé. She didn’t think Laura would require one. Laura wasn’t doing the hiring, though. Quinn was, and apparently, he could hold a grudge just like her mother. “I can give you the names of some people who can vouch for my skills.”

“She makes the best cinnamon-apple tart you will ever eat,” Audrey chimed in, making Lia’s day. “I can vouch for that.”

“We’re going to need professional references,” Quinn said coldly.

“I would love to try your apple tart,” Nora said. She looked like her dad, but had clearly inherited her mother’s sweet nature.

Lia smiled faintly. “I mean, really, my baking will say more than any reference ever could. Maybe I could make you guys some things and you could judge me off that?”

Nora tilted her head and stared at her brother for an answer. It was clear she was on board with that idea, but it seemed he had final say.

Quinn’s eyes narrowed. Lia noticed the dark circles under them and the way his hair was a little long around his ears. She could tell he was stressed, and the part of her that would always care about him wanted to know what kept him up at night.

“You know I wouldn’t show up on your doorstep if I didn’t need this, Quinn,” she pleaded. She was ready to get down on her hands and knees if that would sway him. “Let me show you that I can do the work. I learned from the best.”

“I’ll talk to the chef about letting you use the kitchen to bake something,” he finally said. “But we’re still going to need some references and a résumé.”

“Thank you,” she breathed out as relief flooded her body. All she needed was to get back in that kitchen and do her thing. One taste and there was no way he wouldn’t hire her.

“Once I get your résumé, I’ll call you with a time to come in, maybe next week,” he said.

Next week? That was problematic. “Oh, we can’t do it today? I was hoping to start right away.”

“We’re kind of homeless,” Audrey blurted out. “Next week isn’t going to work for us. Maybe you could give us a room here and when my mom blows your taste buds away, you can add room and board into her salary.”

“Audrey,” Lia hissed, mortified. Lia had raised her daughter to be bold, but this was a bit bolder than she was comfortable with.

“You’re not staying with your mom?” Nora asked so innocently. She was much too young to remember Lia’s complicated relationship with her mother. Sarah Posey had always acted more like Lia’s friend than her mom. Some people might have thought that would be great. Lia wasn’t some people.

“She wouldn’t let us stay there,” Audrey answered before Lia could put a coherent sentence together. Her shame was rendering her mute. “So…we’re desperate.”

Nora didn’t hesitate to offer up a solution. “Well, you’re staying here then. On the house, while you interview for the job,” she added.

“Nora…” Quinn said her name the same way Lia said Audrey’s when she was exasperated with her.

“I can guarantee that Brady will side with me on this one, so don’t even go there.”

He didn’t argue, but the tight set of his jaw gave away his displeasure.

“Thank you so much,” Lia said softly. “I promise we won’t be a problem once we get our bearings.” She didn’t want to cause them any trouble. She also didn’t want Quinn to think she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself or her kid.

It definitely looked like that right now.

“We’re happy to help an old friend,” Nora assured her.

Quinn silently tapped on his keyboard. He slid two key cards into a machine and then slipped them into an envelope. He held it out but didn’t make eye contact. “Room 222. I’ll check with Chef and see if you can get in there after the dinner rush. You’ll have to do your own cleanup.”

“Of course.” Lia took the key cards. “Thanks again. I know I’m asking a lot.”

His gaze lifted from his computer screen and locked on her. The expression on his face was exactly the same as the one he’d worn the night she left. Guarded. Wounded. “Some things never change.”

And this time, it was Lia who had to look away.