Something big.
But this wasn’t the time to explore that. If it really meant something, we’d have time later on.
So I told him, “Go check in on Rod. And be safe out there.”
“I will. And you’ll be fine?”
“Promise. I’m a grown-up. I can handle some alone time in a snowed-in cabin. It actually seems pleasant. I’m planning to root through the record collection I see gathering dust in the corner.”
That got a tiny smile out of him. “By the time I come back, you’ll have this place all girled up.”
“I won’t do anythingtoodrastic. My pink wallpaper’s hiding in the trunk of my car.”
He let go of my hand and announced, “I can see the headline.Mountain Man Leaves Beautiful Stranger in Cabin. Returns to Pink Abomination.”
“No. Worse. Christmas decorations.”
He groaned, but it was a mock groan. And the man couldn’t keep the smile off his face.
Had I actually thought he was grumpy when I first met him? He’d just been worried about his uncle.
Although I still hadn’t gotten to the bottom of why he hated Christmas so much.
“Go now. Before you let all the heat out.”
His eyes lingered on mine for another second before he turned and headed out into the cold winter day.
Chapter 12
Tex
It had felt strange leaving Chloe at my cabin. There had been something domestic about it, as though she were my wife saying goodbye to me as I left the house.
And when she’d taken my hand, I couldn’t make myself let go. Evidently she couldn’t either, so we’d stood there for a long time saying goodbye to each other.
Whatever was happening between us, it was happeningfast.
I felt like we’d skipped the first date, first kiss, first fuck and moved straight into domestic bliss.
I shook my head. I probably only felt that way because she was staying with me. But I had to remind myself it was only happening because we were snowed in.
With one last look over my shoulder, I got on the snowmobile and started heading out.
But I only made it twenty feet before I saw my friends Holt and Ellie snowshoeing up to my cabin. I turned off the snowmobile and asked, “What are y’all doing out here?”
Chloe must have heard the engine turn off because I heard the back door creak open. She came out to see what was going on.
Ellie laughed. “Is that an elf? Tex, you’ve been holding out on us.” Then she turned to Chloe. “I’m Ellie. Who are you?”
“Hi, I’m Chloe. And I got stuck out here during the storm. Tex was a sweetheart and took me in.”
Ellie smiled. “Let’s go inside and let the men have their chat. It’s too cold to be out here.”
The two ladies headed in, and I turned to face Holt. This couldn’t be good news, even though Ellie had seemed upbeat.
“Is Rod okay?”
“Yeah. That’s what I’m here to tell you. He lost power, but the Garbers checked on him. He’s good. They have a satellite phone, so they were able to call my neighbor Johnny with a message for you. Johnny came by and told me to come out to your place so you don’t worry yourself to death.”
