Page 48 of Snowbound with the Santas

Okay, I have to be logical. I’m sure that this is a common occurrence since they rely on a generator, and really, how reliable can a generator even be when you’re up a mountain in the snow? After a few steadying breaths, I set the razor down on the tray that runs along the bath and stretch one hand out for the sink.

I’m sure I saw a flashlight in there when I was searching for the disposable razors Archer mentioned. My fingertips brush nothing, and I don’t want to leave my seat on the edge of the bath until I have something else to guide me.

It’s so dark that I’m not even convinced that my eyes are open since there’s no difference when I blink. Chewing slightly on the inside of my cheek, I lean forward further until my fingertips brush the cold edge of the copper sink and a rush of relief moves through me.

With the sink for balance, I pull myself forward and hiss slightly as the smarting pain from my razor cut flares up sharply.

“So dumb,” I murmur. I’ve had countless accidents with a razor while shaving, and each time I tell myself it can’t possibly happen again.

And then it does.

I crouch down and open the cupboard doors, then thrust both hands inside and carefully feel over the countless items inside. There are boxes, a wicker basket and toothbrushes, a few bottles, and other items that I can’t decipher through shape alone. No flashlight, though.

“Rayne?” Knuckles rap quickly against the door and then it swings open, revealing a beam of light aimed down at the floor.

“Nick?” I squint upward, unable to tell who is holding the light until he walks closer and holds out one hand for me.

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay? We heard you scream. Are you hurt?”

“I just slipped with the razor,” I explain, taking his hands. The warmth of his fingers closing around mine immediately soothes my heart, calming an influx of nerves I hadn’t even registered.

“Here, sit. Let me take a look.” Nick guides me backward until my calves hit the toilet, and I sit down. Then he kneels in front of me, and I can just make out the full bush of his beard in the aura around his flashlight.

“It’s really nothing.”

“I still want to look.” Nick hands me the flashlight, then cups my legs and checks them both at a glance. My left has blood trickling slowly down my shin from a single thin slice just below my knee.

“See?” I tease softly. “I’m fine. What happened to the power?”

Nick glances up, squinting against the light, so I keep the beam down on my leg. “The storm’s well and truly here. It knocked out the generator. Archer wants to go fix it, but I told him I’d kill him if he even thought about going outside right now.”

“He wants to go out in the storm?”

“He’s a fixer,” Nick replies, using the washcloth to clean up my leg. “His first thought is to get the power back. Mine is to keep everyone safe and not frozen to death. Speaking of which.”

Satisfied that my leg is okay, he grips my knee lightly and looks up at me.

“We’ll get you some extra blankets to keep you warm tonight while you sleep. It won’t feel like it at first, but the lights and such do end up providing some warmth and without it, this place can get pretty cold.”

I nod, and a shiver shoots down my spine as the damp ends of my hair trail across my shoulders. “Okay, thank you. Actually…” I pause briefly. “Everything you have all given me, from clothes to the razor and toothbrush, is all borrowed.”

“Yes.” Nick nods, and his eyes crinkle slightly when he smiles. “Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all, but I was just wondering… whose bed am I sleeping in?”

Nick’s smile widens. “Mine. Any complaints?”

“No.” I smile back at him. “I was just curious. So, where are you sleeping?”

“In a cot in Frankie’s room.”

“A cot?”

“Yeah, a military cot,” Nick explains. He digs around in the cupboard for something and pulls out a Band-Aid. The paper is yellow with age, but the bandage itself is clearly in good condition. As soon as he opens it, my nose stings with the slightly sharp smell of antiseptic.

“Thank you,” I whisper as he covers the cut with the Band-Aid and smooths it down with both of his thumbs.

“You’re welcome.” Nick looks up at me, and the glow of the flashlight from below highlights his handsome face in such a way that all his sharp, masculine features stand out a little more.

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