Maddie
Twas the night before Christmas, and no matter how hard I freaking tried, things were justnotgoing according to plan.
I kicked open my car door, slamming it hard against the snowbank I’d just plowed into. The rental car was definitely dead, and I was pretty sure I’d hit something—a fairly large boulder type-of-something—on the downward slide that’d landed me here.
Shit, shit,shittopped with sprinkles.
My heart dropped into my stomach. There was no way I’d make it to Christmas dinner now.
Still… It could’ve been worse.
I was alive, right? Stranded with no vehicle and no cell service in the middle of Nowheresville, Colorado during a raging blizzard, but alive.
“Go me, beating the odds once again!”
Reaching inside my scarf, I fished out the locket I wore around my neck and gave it a grateful kiss. It was a familiar ritual; I’d flatlined and come back enough times that they’d written me up in medical journals, and doctors were still making vague predictions about my expiration date, just as they’d been doing every year since I was born.
But just likeI’dbeen doing for those last twenty-five years, I kept right on proving them wrong.
Then again, the night was young, and I wasn’t out of the woods yet. Literally. I glanced around, taking in the sight. Deep, dark forests of snow-covered ponderosa pines as far as the eye could see.
People died in the woods all the time, especially in the winter. Swallowed up by an avalanche and never heard from again.
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts before they turned any more morbid.
Time for a little tough love.
“Maddie Lockwood? Get your cute little Christmas ass out of the car, assess the situation, and make a plan.”
There was just enough room to wedge myself through the opening without ruining my elf costume, and when I was finally free of the two-ton death trap, I nearly cried with relief. As it turned out, I wasn’t in a ditch at the bottom of a forested ravine as I’d feared, but in a driveway. At the very top of the rise was a cozy-looking, two-story log cabin nestled in the trees, smoke rising from the chimney, the whole place lit up inside.
A postcard-perfect shot, and it looked like someone was home.
“Thank you, Father Christmas!”
All I had to do was make my way up there, knock on the door, and turn on the charm. With a bit of Christmas luck and the magic of the elves, maybe they’d offer me a nice, steaming mug of hot cocoa and some fresh-baked cookies while I waited for the tow truck, and I’d be delivered to my parents’ vacation rental in time to surprise them before Dad gobbled up the last of the pecan-dusted sweet potatoes.
Leaving everything else behind, I hauled myself over the hood, then dropped down onto the driveway on the other side into powdery, knee-deep snow. I wasn’t wearing much—I’d changed into my outfit at the rental car place at Denver International, planning to arrive dressed as Santa’s little helper, all part of the big surprise. But now the bitter wind tore into my flesh, giving meanothersort of surprise. And if you’ve never gotten frostbite of the hoo-ha, well… allow me to save you the trouble.
Zero stars, do not recommend.
The wind kicked up, the icy air making my lungs burn, and I was pretty sure my toes were turning blue as I stomped a path up the unplowed driveway in my cute little elf shoes. But it would be worth it. Hot chocolate, a toasty fire… Maybe they’d even want to sing a few carols! I had all the classics memorized.
When I finally reached the front porch, I could barely breathe. At least the porch was partially enclosed, blocking out the worst of the wind—a temporary reprieve.
I raised my fist, but before I could pound on the door, it swung inward, revealing…
A mirage.
Ithadto be a mirage. A snow mirage. Was that a thing? Or were mirages limited to the desert? Either way, there was no other explanation for the vision standing before me.
The guy was in his early thirties, with wavy black hair that stuck up everywhere, and a strong, defined jaw covered in the perfect amount of I-don’t-give-a-damn scruff. He’d opened the door in his bare feet, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans all undone, a thin hoodie, and a scowl that sent the kind of shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Just like his pants, the hoodie was unzipped, revealing aseriousset of abs.
His muscular chest was slick with a light sheen of sweat.
I must’ve interrupted his workout…
Forget the damn cookies. Good lord, I wanted to lickhim. Drop to my knees, press my face against his stomach, and run my tongue all over that perfectly sculpted body…
