Page 49 of Kringle and the Kraken

Levi hoisted a large box filled with big glass jars from the shelf and balanced it in his arms, carrying it over to the door and setting it down before coming back to where I was moving further down the aisle with the glassware.

“Here they are.” I bent and hoisted a still sealed box up to a higher shelf, then pulled my keys out of my pocket and cut the tape. I plucked out a bottle and held it out to Levi. “Do you think these will work?”

He took it from me and turned it over in his hand. He unscrewed the tiny lid, then twisted it back on. “Yes. I think these are perfect.”

I studied the bottles. They would actually be perfect for mini ships. “If there are any left, I might keep a couple for myself.”

Levi cocked his head. “Why?”

“I make ships in bottles. It’s a hobby, but I take commissions and sell them online. These would be great for some tiny ships.”

“That is so cool! I always wondered how those are made. Will you show me?”

I felt my cheeks turn pink. “Of course. You can see some of them when we get to my house.”

“I can’t wait.” But there was something in Levi’s expression that said he was looking forward to being alone with me for reasons that had nothing to do with my hobby. Unless I could count tentacle sex as a new pastime.

We packed up the boxes quickly, ran through the house to tell my parents what we were taking, and got back into my truck.

The drive out to my house was peaceful. The snow that had fallen recently made everything look even more serene. Evergreen trees grew thick along the road, keeping thelandscape green even after all the other trees had lost their leaves and stood like barren sentinels dotted among the fat spruces. Fall was still my favorite time of year. The contrast of the bright yellows, oranges, and red among the evergreens was gorgeous, but winter wasn’t bad either. It was beautiful in its own quieter way, and it was at its prettiest when it was snowing.

As if the weather gods had heard my thoughts, a few fat flakes of snow hit the hood of the truck.

“Oh my gods.” Levi leaned forward and watched the flakes fall through the windshield. “It’s beautiful.”

“Wait until you see it tomorrow. I’m guessing we’re in for another solid snowfall tonight.”

His amber eyes glittered with appreciation. “I can’t wait.”

I pulled onto the gravel path that was my driveway and parked my truck in its normal spot a few steps from my door.

Levi swung his door open and stepped out looking up at the old lighthouse. “You really live here?”

“Yep. I bought it from the government when they were decommissioning some of the coastal lighthouses.”

“Wow.” He turned to take it all in. “Do you have to man the light?”

“No. That part is managed by the Coast Guard. They set it remotely and service it twice a year. There is a number I can call if something goes wrong, but usually, they know before I do.”

“That is so cool.”

A clump of snowflakes fell and melted on Levi’s cheek, and I reached out to brush them away with my thumb. “Do you want to see inside?”

“Oh, hell yes.”

We grabbed the supplies we’d gathered from my parents and headed to the house. The old keeper’s house was a two-story farmhouse-style home with a wraparound porch. It was connected to the lighthouse by a short brick breezeway. I couldtechnically use any part of the lighthouse itself if I wanted, but I didn’t need the extra space, so I stuck to the farmhouse unless I went up in the light for the view, which I did when I needed to think.

In the summer, I opened the lighthouse to the public on weekends. I didn’t really give tours, but people were welcome to go up in the light and take pictures from the top. The Coast Guard made sure the building remained structurally sound.

Balancing one of the boxes of glass bottles on my hip, I dug my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door, then held it wide so Levi could step in ahead of me. The sun had turned watery as more snow fell, and it started to dip toward the horizon, making everything glow a muted gold.

“This is gorgeous, Kris.” Levi stood in the middle of my living room, which was right inside the door, and spun in a slow circle.

I loved my house. It was bright and airy and always smelled like the sea. Most of the walls were pale gray with white trim and dark wide plank wooden floors that were more or less original to the house. Because my house was so close to the city and because there were other old houses out here on the cliffs—even if I couldn’t see my closest neighbors—my utilities were all on the normal grids, and I didn’t have to worry about propane heat or generator electricity. After studying maritime history for years, I knew that wasn’t the case for lots of lighthouse owners. A lot of lighthouses were in state parks or remote locations where they couldn’t be tied into public utilities. I was lucky to not have that problem.

Setting my box down on the bench next to the door, I toed off my boots and met Levi in the living room. He looked so good in my space, and I had the sudden overwhelming urge to do everything I possibly could to keep him there. Not like in a creepy way, but in the let’s build a life together kind of way.

But maybe I was getting ahead of myself.

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