Page 13 of Home for Christmas

“The snow’s really coming down, sweetheart. I know it might seem like an easy thing to come out and grab some things, but it might be really hard to do that if it keeps coming down like it is.The power is already out so you and your mom will have to stay with us until it’s safe to come back here. We have fireplaces and a generator so you guys will be safe and warm while this thing blows over.”

“Oh, yeah. Okay.”

A shiver works its way down my back as I throw crap into the bag. How long will it take to get the power back on? How much will it snow? We’re not known for big snows so surely it can’t be a lot. Right?

When I turn around, Tannen takes the bag, and we head down the stairs where I get the first good look outside since before my shower. “Oh my God! Tannen!”

“Come on, let’s get you buttoned up.”

He waits while I shove my feet in boots and put my coat and gloves on. He puts his coat on too and we head out. His hand engulfs mine. He turns to me on the porch and shoves a beanie on my head.

“I’m not happy that you have wet hair, baby. Let’s get you in.”

“O…okay.” All I can do is agree with him as my teeth chatter. I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. He grabs my hand again and helps me off the porch. We go slow because the stairs are iced over and dangerous. He leads us to the back of his house and through a fence that wraps around his backyard.

“Too many steps in the front.”

I nod and keep following him as he makes his way through the yard, and I notice sunken places that might be my mom and Kate’s footprints from when they went across the yard before us. The prints are faint and almost completely covered by thenewly fallen snow. I’ve never seen it snow so much…except in the movies and on TV.

Once at the back door, Tannen knocks and pulls me closer to him, sharing his body heat. Normally I wouldn’t burrow into him but he’s just so damned warm, and it’s just so damned cold. I spot his mom coming quickly to let us in. Tannen pushes me in first and then comes in behind me. My mom comes rushing over to help me out of my coat and boots. By the time I have everything off, Kate is waving me over to the island offering me a hot chocolate.

“Your hair is wet, Marley love?”

I look over the rim of my mug and at Kate and wonder what to say.

“Marley was in the shower when the lights went out Mom.”

“Oh no!” His mom looks genuinely worried for me.

“That’s why she wasn’t dressed, Kate.” Why does my mom look… disappointed?

“I helped her out of the shower and made sure she didn’t slip on her way to the room.”

“What a sweet boy. Marley, isn’t that the sweetest thing?”

“Yes, mom. He was very sweet. He even helped me down our front steps. If he hadn’t I would have slipped for sure.”

Anything to get them away from the fact Tannen might have seen me naked.

“We wouldn’t be as comfortable as we are if Tannen hadn’t bought me that generator. He is a very considerate person andwill take good care of his family. You know, when he has a wife and children.”

I go back to silently drinking my hot chocolate and watch the snow fall outside.

Chapter Twelve

Tannen

Somehow, the moms finagled it so that me and Marley are sharing a bed. I no doubt have any longer, not after the ten-minute talk about how good I would be at making a family and keeping them safe, that are mothers are trying to push us together. They would both be perfectly happy if it continued to snow so much the door wouldn’t open for the rest of winter, as long as me and Marley ended up married and I put a baby in her belly, which, shit, I shouldn’t think of breeding Marley while she’s standing right next to me and we are about to share a fucking bed, but it is what it is.

“At least it’s big, right?”

“Pardon?”

“The bed. At least the bed is big enough we won’t be squashed together. Right?”

“Sure. Yeah.”

“A big bed for a big guy.”

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