Page 20 of Frost and Felines

His tiger didn't like that last part, but some things were worth waiting for.

9

MALLORY

Mallory watched as Kieran's face transformed from excitement to devastation as he opened the storage boxes containing his cherished Christmas decorations the following morning. Her heart clenched at the sight of the shattered glass ornaments scattered throughout the containers.

"These were my grandmother's." Kieran lifted a broken crystal angel, its wings snapped clean off. His jaw clenched and his forearm muscles flexed beneath his tanned skin as he gripped the storage container. "She gave them to me before she passed five years ago."

Charlotte picked through another box, her expression grim. "The star is missing entirely."

"That star's been on our tree for three years straight." Kieran's voice grew rough. "Ever since I opened this place."

Outside, the snow picked up intensity, whipping against the windows in harsh gusts. Mallory tried to steady her breathing, knowing her emotions were feeding the storm. But seeing Kieran's broad shoulders slump as he surveyed the destruction made her chest ache.

"Those bastards." Chase kicked an empty box. "This has Gregory written all over it too."

Amy held up a twisted string of antique glass beads with tears in her eyes. "Who would do something so cruel? These were beautiful, and one of a kind."

Kieran's hands clenched into fists. "I'm going to kill him."

"We need to focus on solutions," Charlotte said, ever practical. "Though I don't see how we can replace these in time for tonight's lighting ceremony. The roads are completely snowed in right now."

The wind howled louder. Mallory wrapped her arms around herself, trying to contain both her magic and her growing anger at the Simmons' malicious and heartless attack.

"Even if we could get to the stores, nothing could replace these." Kieran picked up a mangled ornament, his voice thick with emotion. "My mother painted this one herself. Each ornament had a story."

Mallory stepped closer, placing a tentative hand on his arm. His muscles were coiled tight beneath her touch. "I'm so sorry, Kieran."

He covered her hand with his own, and the simple gesture sent warmth spreading through her chest. The storm outside intensified further, the visibility dropping to near zero as her emotions swirled like the snow.

"The ceremony for the guests starts in three hours," Amy said quietly. "What are we going to do?"

Kieran straightened his shoulders, though Mallory could still see the pain in his eyes. "We'll figure something out. We have to."

Mallory stared down at the broken pieces of crystal and glass in the storage containers, her mind racing with possibilities. Years of writing about DIY projects and creative upcycling suddenly clicked into place.

"Wait." She carefully picked up a handful of the shattered ornaments, the fragments catching the morning sunlight streaming through the lobby windows. "What if we could make something new from these? Something that honors the old while creating fresh memories?"

Kieran's blue eyes locked onto hers. "What do you mean?"

"We could use resin to create new ornaments, embedding these pieces inside. Mix in some fresh elements, maybe some pine needles and berries from the courtyard." Her hands moved as she spoke, already arranging pieces into a pattern. "The broken bits would catch the light even more beautifully than before."

"That's actually brilliant." Kieran moved closer, his presence warm at her side. "But do we have what we need to make them?"

Charlotte's eyes lit up. "The craft store down the street delivers even in snow. I'll make some calls."

Within an hour, they had spread supplies across three tables in the empty dining room. Mallory demonstrated the technique, showing them how to layer the fragments with the new elements.

"Like this?" Amy held up an ornament where she'd arranged broken pieces of a painted cardinal around fresh cranberries.

"Perfect." Mallory smiled, surprised by how natural it felt working with others. "The old and new complement each other."

Kieran worked beside her, his movements precise despite his large hands. He had rolled up the sleeves of his henley, revealing corded forearms as he carefully arranged pieces of his mother's hand-painted ornament.

"This is actually pretty therapeutic," he said, glancing at her. "Though I'm still going to murder Gregory."

"Murder is so messy." Mallory's dry response drew a genuine laugh from him. "Besides, look what we're creating instead."

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