Page 9 of The Christmas You Crash

“Well, thanks.” He gifts me a blinding smile when he finally meets my gaze. “I’m going to see if I can get someone out here to drag my car out of the ditch.” He wanders into the living room in a new pair of sweatpants and hoodie, with his phone in his hands. He taps away on it for a minute before lifting it to his ear.

“Hey, I was hoping you had a driver available tonight. My car doesn’t do too well in the snow, and I kinda ended up in a ditch after leaving a friend’s house. I don’t think there’s any damage or anything, so we should be able to just tow it to a hotel nearby.” Ryder listens to the person on the other end of the line, his face quickly pulling into a frown. “Are you sure? Don’t your trucks have all-wheel drive and stuff? I really need to get to a hotel tonight.”

My stomach sinks as he goes silent again. He’s pacing, now, and his jaw ticks.

“No, I get that it’s snowing and I’m not the first person to get stuck tonight. I’d be happy to pay a premium fee, if that makes a difference.” He pauses before sighing deeply. “No, no, of course. No, it’s not an emergency. Yeah, let me give you the address and my number. And I’ll be the first person on your list once the snow clears?”

Shit.Shit.

Ryder rubs a hand over his dark, tousled hair. Hair that I can now tell is just a bit wavy on the top. “Yeah. Okay, great. Yeah, I understand.” He rattles off the address of the cabin and his number before sighing again. “All right, thanks, man. Happy holidays.”

I don’t like the sound of that conversation. Not one bit. I flip the sandwiches before returning my attention to the massive man in my living room. His shoulders slump, and he looks like a toddler about to get in trouble for drawing on the walls. He takes a deep, fortifying breath, rubs the back of his neck, and meets my eyes.

“So, uh, there’s only one tow company in town, and they’re not taking any more non-emergency calls until the snow stops and the plows have had a chance to clear the roads. Since they’re calling for snow for at least the next four days, they said it could be almost a week until they can get me out.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say. I mean, we don’t really have any options here. Either I kick him out to freeze to death in his vehicle, or my solitude is no more. I only consider banishing him to his car for all of thirty seconds before I plaster a fake-ass smile on my face and say, “Well, looks like you’re staying here, after all.”

Blowing out a breath, Ryder eyes me cautiously. “I’m really sorry, Lexi. I swear, I’ll do my best to stay out of your way. You won’t even know I’m here.”

I doubt that very much, but it’s a nice sentiment.

“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to tiptoe around me all week. That would be miserable.” I want to say,Yes. Please do stay out of my way.But my mom raised me better than that. And it’s not Ryder’s fault I hate hockey players. So, despite my inner Grinch shouting about hating noise and Christmas and general merriment, my outer Cindy Lou Who can admit no one should be alone for Christmas. Especially not alone in a frozen car.

“Well, thanks, Lexi.” Ryder looks visibly relieved. “I’ll, uh, I guess I’ll just toss my bag in a bedroom so no one trips over it. Got a preference for which one I should take?”

None, I say in my head. “Any of them are fine. I already unpacked in the main bedroom at the end of the hall, but there are three others. They all have their own bathrooms, so take your pick.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Ryder rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll just be right back.”

With a sigh, I turn the burners off and grab two bowls, plates, and spoons. I dole out the soup and plate the grilled cheese, and by the time Ryder’s back, I have everything laid out on the table. I pour us both another mug of hot cocoa, and then we take a seat.

The atmosphere is decidedly less comfortable than it was when we were just drinking hot chocolate, expecting to spend anhour, tops, together. But faced with the reality of being snowed in with a complete stranger for at least a few days, we’re both stuck in our own heads. I’m mourning the loss of my peace and quiet, and who the hell knows what Ryder’s thinking? He’s probably cursing my dad for putting him in such an awkward position. I know I am.

“Wow,” Ryder says after taking his first bite of the grilled cheese. “This is amazing.”

“Oh, thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

“Thanks for making it.”

“Of course.”

We lapse back into silence, only the soft, wet sounds of chewing filling the air. He’s halfway through his sandwich when he clears his throat. “So, uh, you’re getting your MBA, huh? That must be hard.”

I chuckle. God, this is awkward. “Yeah, it can be. It’ll be worth it, though.”

After another few minutes of silence, Ryder asks, “What do you want to do once you graduate?”

“I’m not totally sure,” I admit. I’ve spent so many nights waffling between a job that will make me a lot of money or a job that fulfills me, even if it doesn’t pay the big bucks. “There’s always finance or business development, but I’m also considering non-profit work.”

Ryder’s eyebrows rise. “Oh, yeah? What kind of non-profit?”

“Ideally, something that would have a direct impact on the local community. Maybe something with kids. I’m still trying to narrow down what moves me most.”

“Well, I think that’s awesome.” He watches me while he takes a few sips of his soup. “I bet your dad is proud of you.”

I scoff before I can stop myself but manage to keep my true thoughts about that inside. “I’m sure he is.”

In truth, I doubt my dad ever thinks about what I’m doing with my life. It’s not hockey, so it’s not important. The extent of his involvement is paying my tuition and living expenses until I graduate. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that he’s footing the bill, and I know how lucky I am that I’ll graduate without a cent of school debt. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish he’d take an interest.

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