Page 7 of Chased at Christmas

“We have more cookies than we know what to do with.” He pulls out a tin of sugar cookies and a box of peppermints. “Candy canes, too. We’ll survive. If we get really desperate, we can go up to the house.”

I stare out the side window and watch as the snow plummets down. He’s not kidding, it’s really bad out there. Leaving and climbing the mountain in my little Elantra would be a mistake. Still, though, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be trapped with him. “Just stay over there and I’ll do my thing here. Okay?”

He nods and sinks behind the counter, pulling out his phone. He’s texting someone.Of course he is.He’s probably texting lots of someone’s. With a body like his, I’m sure he’s the center of attention everywhere he goes. I’m sure this thing he’s trying out with me is some kind of deep seated mental disorder. I’m the one he can’t have, so he wants me. The second he gets me, he’ll stop caring.

Now I sound like Emma.

Despite all this information being fed into my brain, I’m still tempted to ask him who it is he’s talking to. Thankfully, a series of vibrations distracts me from whatever it is I feel for Gabe and sends me back to the space I’m the safest… tucked away in the ether with theWolverine.

Chapter Four

Gabe

Mira sits across the room under the light of the window. The space heater spills down over her shoulders and her jacket is unzipping more and more by the second. I wish I could sneak over and crank it up so she’d finish taking it off, but there might be other ways to get her comfortable.

I stare down at my cell phone and consider the predicament I’m in, though not for long as another buzz comes in to distract me.

Mira: Looks like I’m stuck here.

Me: That sucks. Stay with me. I’m bored right now, too.

Mira: Whatcha doing? It’s crazy you’re from Rugged Mountain! You get the day off?

Me: Nah, but it’s slow. I’ve been thinking a lot about what we talked about last night.

Mira: What about?

Me: You were talking about love, and what you wanted for the future. I know I said I didn’t want kids, but if that’s something you really want, I could get on board.

I glance toward Mira, my stomach tight with guilt. If she knew I were theWolverine,I’d bet she’d drop me in a second. But here, in this space between real life and fantasy, we’re making things work, and I don’t want it to end… at least not yet. Maybe not ever. Maybe if I can’t have her in real life, I’ll haveher here. Pieces of her, anyway. Moments with her thoughts, her words, her heart… something to hold on to.

Mira: I wouldn’t want you to have kidsfor me.I want you to want them becauseyouwant a family. It’s too much responsibility to put on someone who isn’t fully invested, ya know?

Me: That’s the thing. I never thought I was until I met you. Now, I think about you and me in a little farmhouse on the mountain, raising a couple of kids and trying not to mess ‘em up.

Mira: Isn’t messing them up the fun part? Where will they get their personalities from?

Me: LOL. I guess that’s true.

Mira: I think they say that about good comedians. They’ve all had some kind of messed up childhood. So… I guess if we want the kids to be funny, we’ve got to do what we’ve gotta do.

Me: That sounds like a solid plan. When should we get started?

Mira: Immediately.

Me: I like the way you think. You staying warm enough? I’d bet that barn is pretty chilly.

Mira: There’s a space heater on in here but it’s not working as well as you’d think. Maybe the barn is too big.

I glance toward her as the light from the window shifts to illuminate her chest. I want to offer my coat, make notice of the comment she’s just made, do something to help her feel warmer, but that would be weird and suspicious. Right now, she doesn’t suspect a thing. If I run over and fix the heat lamp the moment she texts about it, that’ll raise some flags.

Me: If I were there, I’d keep you warm.

She smiles, the light from the phone illuminating her face.

Mira: Yeah? How so?

My cock throbs against the zipper of my jeans.

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