Page 30 of Wishing Stone

“Stay here,” I told her, then placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

I stepped away and began the short walk around the pond to the storage shed where the extension cords were waiting to be plugged in. I glanced at the water’s surface as I walked. When I was here yesterday preparing for today, the pond had been covered in a thin layer of ice. Today’s sun had melted it, but the crispness in the air signaled that it wouldn’t be long before it completely froze over for the year.

When I reached the shed, I smiled with anxious anticipation. Opening the doors, I was greeted by blackness and had to flip on the light switch so I could see. In the far corner, the ends of several extension cords awaited me. I couldn’t wait to show Krystina the winter wonderland that I’d created for her. I could have paid a crew to do it, but I wanted this to have my personal touch, knowing she would appreciate it more that way. With Hale’s help, we had brought all the tools needed to string lights around the pine trees, all while Krystina worked in the house, completely unaware of my secret project. Oversized light-up presents and large blowup ornaments that rivaled the size of those on 6thAvenue lined the path that wrapped around the pond. When it was all lit up, the scene looked like a postcard.

After plugging the extension cords into the outlet, I walked back out into the night. However, everything remained dark. Not a single strand of lights had turned on.

What the hell?

Hale had assured me that he’d tested everything last night. Going back inside the shed, I wiggled the cords around to see if there happened to be a loose connection, but my effort was in vain. The night was still black, and I had no idea what I needed to do to get the lights to turn on.

“Dammit,” I muttered.

I was a man of many talents, but electrical work was not one of them. Pulling my cell from my pocket, I dialed Hale’s number. Hopefully, he would be able to fix this.

“What’s up, boss?” he answered after the second ring.

“Hale, I’m in the storage shed. All I have to do is plug in the extension cords, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It isn’t working.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when I plug them in, nothing happens,” I said impatiently.

“That’s strange. It could be one of two things. It’s possible that we tripped a breaker. If that’s the case, it’s an easy fix. I’ll run over to the main house and check the main panel in the basement now.”

“And if it’s not that?”

“It means it’s a problem with the lights. When one bulb goes out, they all go out. So we’d have to either restring all the lights or test each bulb to locate the defect. Let’s just hope it’s only a tripped breaker.”

“Shit,” cursed under my breathe. There had to be at least twenty thousand bulbs out here. “Alright. Check the breaker box and let me know what you find.”

“I’m walking over to your house now.”

Ending the call, I made my way back to Krystina. When she heard me approaching, she angled her body toward me.

“Alex? What’s going on?”

“A little problem, angel. Just hang on.”

She nodded, but I noticed a slight chatter to her teeth. I thought about the thin shirt she’d been wearing, and considered the cold bite brought on by the slight breeze. While the down-hooded coat provided ample protection from the cold, she still should have worn a heavier shirt. Looking down at her feet, I noticed she wore fashion boots. The stylish footwear clearly wasn’t meant for warmth.

Damn it.

I mentally cursed myself for not noticing her shoe choice before leaving the house. Pulling her close, I rubbed my hands up and down her arms to try and ward off her chill.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Today

5:05 PM, Hale:It’s not the breaker. Must be a problem with the lights. What do you want me to do?

Fuck!

I glanced at Krystina, who was still blindfolded and waiting, then looked back down at my phone.

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