Page 16 of Snow One Like You

“Come in,” she called. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, but didn’t see her.

“Cammie?”

“I’ll be out soon. Damn, it’s cold,” she said from inside the bathroom. “Did you find something that won’t swallow me whole?”

I chuckled and set everything on the bed. “Actually, I found something even better.” With Lulu waiting on me and not knowing how long the cell service would last, I didn’t want to linger. “Everything is on the bed, babe. I have a call I need to take.”

“Okay,” she said as she opened the bathroom door, rubbing her arms and bouncing up and down for warmth. She glanced at the pile of clothes, and her brows dipped. “Um, thanks.”

She was probably curious why I had women’s clothes in my cabin, but I’d explain it to her after I spoke with my family.

I returned to my room and retrieved my phone, putting it between my ear and shoulder as I grabbed a pair of thick wool socks and sat on the bed to put them on.

“Okay, I’m back. You know, I almost forgot it was Christmas Eve.”

“I’m so sorry we can’t be there, Soren,” my sister groaned. “Maybe we could just drive to Winter Falls. Not up the mountain but?—”

“Forget it, Lulu,” I snapped as I walked out of the bedroom. “It’s too dangerous.”

She sighed. “I hate the idea of you spending Christmas alone.”

“Yeah, well, I hate the idea of you and the kids traveling in this weather. Have you been watching the news, woman?” My voice was cocky when I quipped, “I win.”

“By default!” she cried, making me laugh asI moseyed across the room to stoke the fire.

Lulu and I had been close our whole lives, but we had one constant sibling rivalry—even to this day. Whenever one of us got our way, we declared, “I win!” It had driven our mother crazy because she couldn’t understand that it was a silly joke and a way of saying “I love you” to each other.

“Don’t be a sore loser, Lulu,” I teased. “You know you love me.”

She laughed. “Sometimes. But seriously, though, are you sure you can’t make it out to us?”

“I’ll come visit you guys as soon as the storm clears. Even if you drove out here—something you would regret when I got my hands on you—the town has closed the roads.” I didn’t mention the lack of electricity, or she would freak the fuck out.

“Are you sure it’s safe to be there?”

Once the fire was roaring, I went to the kitchen to look for food. It was warmer than the bedrooms because of its proximity to the fire and lack of door between the kitchen and livingroom.

“The cabin is stocked with food and supplies. I just chopped a fuck ton of wood, so I’ll be warm even if the emergency generator goes out.”

“But if the blizzard knocks out the cell towers, you won’t be able to call for help.”

“Stop worrying yourself into a panic attack, Lulu,” I said soothingly. “Take a deep breath.”

Ever since her asshole of a husband decided he wasn’t “cut out for monogamy,” my sister had been having panic attacks. She had techniques that kept them mostly under control, but in situations when she got worked up and didn’t see it coming, they could hit her like a ton of bricks. So whenever we saw the little signs, we did our best to help calm her. The divorce had become nasty because Trent was being petty and caustic, hurting her even more than when he announced that he no longer loved her.

He’d demanded alimony since Lulu was a very successful screenwriter. And because Lulu’s job made their lives more than comfortable, and she could get very busy near a deadline, he’d stayed home with the kids rather than getting a job. Not that he would be able to since the jackass had no fucking skills.

He also demanded half their assets even though she’d either brought them with her into the marriage or paid for them afterward.

To make matters a million times worse, the motherfucker was attempting to gain full custody of their three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. He claimed it was because Lulu’s job kept her from being able to care for their kids full-time, but the truth was, he just wanted child support. With half their assets, alimony, and child support, Trent wouldn’t have to get a fucking job. He’d live off my sister while he fucked around because he was too selfish and immature to keep it in his pants.

I’d always struggled to find any redeeming qualities in Trent, but I’d at least thought he was a good father. However, using his children to get to Lulu’s money…that was lower than low. He didn’t deserve those amazing kids and didn’t have what it took to raise them alone.

He was using all of his meager resources to dig up dirt on my sister, and we weren’t about to give him any ammunition to gain full custody. Luckily, I had deep pockets and had thwarted all of his attempts to twist everything Lulu did into proof that she was an unfit mother. The only thing I hadn’t done was break the law. But I’d come really fucking close.

“I told you before, all the cabins are equipped with landlines,” I assured her. “I’ve never seen a place run so efficiently. Caleb’s wife and her partner are more than prepared for the storm. I’ll be fine, and I’ll touch base with you frequently, okay?”

“Okay,” she sighed, sounding less frenzied.

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