Bear leaps up to greet her, his tail wagging like she’s Santa herself, the traitor.
“Hi, big guy.” She smiles at him, kneeling to scratch behind his ears as if she’s known him all her life. She’s shivering violently, and I wonder what possessed her to drive up the mountain on her own, wearing barely anything, without even checking the weather forecast—bringing gifts I don’t even want.
What the hell is wrong with her?
"Don't get comfortable." I cross to the stove and start building up the fire. "The storm should pass by soon. You'll be gone after that."
She looks up from Bear, her smile faltering. "Right. Of course."
Bear snuggles into her lap, and she leans in, stealing his warmth.
I should tell her to get up, and to keep her distance. But she's shaking so hard her teeth are chattering, and even I'm not enough of a bastard to pull a half-frozen woman away from the only heat source besides the fire.
“Thank you."
I don't respond; I just turn back to the fire and wait for her to disappear into the bathroom.
This is temporary. The storm will pass, then she will leave, and my life will go back to normal.
Well, that's the plan.
Chapter Three
COOKIE
DAY 1 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT
The second Red trudges out into the storm to check my poor car, I know I'm screwed—and not in a good way.
But damn, Beth was right. Heismy type—he’s anyone’s type.
Snowflakes whip past his broad frame, and his shoulders hunch against the wind. Not long after my arrival, the storm turned vicious in minutes, transforming innocent snowfall into something that belongs in a disaster movie. Through the curtain of white, he stalks around my car, his practiced movements confident despite the chaos swirling around him.
He tries to yank open the driver's door, failing miserably, may I add, then stomps to the passenger one.
I’m surprised he doesn’t tear it from its hinges. My poor car.
I watch as he slides behind the wheel, his brows knitted together. The engine turns over with a reluctant whine, then coughs like it's ready to die. When he presses the gas, the tires spin helplessly, whirring against the mounting snow but going nowhere.
I hug myself on the porch, my teeth chattering so hard I worry they might crack. The Santa dress seemed cute and festive back at the bakery, but now it feels like soggy tissue paper against the mountain cold. My legs are numb from my thighs to my toes, and I can't feel my fingers despite stuffing them under my arms.
Red shoves his way out of my car, scowling as he mutters something to it.
"She's got character, you know!" I call out over the howling wind, trying to inject a bit of cheer into what's becoming a nightmare scenario. "All she needs is a little TLC and maybe some prayer!"
I’m praying I’m right, because as nice as Red is to look at, it’s clear he doesn’t want me here.
His head whips toward me through the snow. Even from twenty feet away, those blue eyes could freeze hell over.
"What sheneedsis a grave." His voice carries despite the storm. "You're not driving her anywhere tonight."
My stomach drops to my frozen toes. Beth and I checked the weather before I left—light snow, they said.
Whatisthis weather?
I remember Beth telling me if the weather got bad, I’d be stuck up here, but I didn’t actually expect that to happen.
Now look at me.
