Page 34 of A Not So Merry Ex-Mas

My eyes start to adjust to the dark, and I can just make out his bright eyes and lopsided grin, which has my insides turning into a gooey mess. The teapot lets out another annoyed scream, and I take a deep breath.

“Let me get that.” I sigh.

Cole reluctantly drops his hand but doesn’t say a word as I turn off the burner.

“I’m not too familiar with generators, but shouldn’t it have already started working?” I place the teapot on a hotplate, turn to Cole, and lean against the counter.

“Hmmm…” Cole responds as if just noticing we’re still surrounded in darkness. “Yeah. It should have.”

He gets up and starts heading to the living room. “Let me go check on it.”

“Are you going to be able to see anything?” I ask, quickly following after him. “The wind has beenraging for the last hour. I don’t think going out is such a good idea.”

“Bug.” Cole stops and rests his hands on the top of my arms. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay. It’s just behind the house, and I shouldn’t have any trouble getting to it.”

He leans in and kisses my forehead, sending tiny shockwaves down my entire body. My eyes linger as he puts on his coat and boots, a surge of energy running through my body. He grabs the flashlight and beams it at the doorknob. But before opening the door, he turns back to me.

“Add a few more logs to the fire, and check to see if you can find any candles. I forgot to ask Mike and Mel where they might be, so I can’t tell you where to start looking.”

“Okay,” I watch him pull open the door. “Cole?”

He gently pushes the door shut without fully closing it, to keep the cold air from rushing in.

“Be careful.” Even in the dark, I can see every one of his teeth as he grins at me.

“I’ll be careful, I promise. I should be about ten to fifteen minutes max. Hopefully less. If you’re up for it, we can sit in front of the fire, finish the popcorn garland, and talk.” he says gruffly, making me all but melt into a puddle right where I stand.

“I’d like that.” A shy smile crosses my face, and my chin tips down. His handsome face gives me one last grin before he opens the door. A blast of wind sneaks into the cabin, sending shivers down my spine. I wrap my arms around myself.

I step closer to the door and watch him get swallowed up by the storm until I can’t see him anymore. Then I turn my focus to finding candles and the fire.

I’ve looked everywhere Ican think of but haven’t found a single candle. I turn off the flashlight on my phone and look out the kitchen window. I hope to catch a glimpse of Cole in this mess to make sure he’s still alive, but I can’t see anything through the swirling snow.

A gust of wind slams against the window, and my feet lift a few feet from the ground.

Everyone says being stuck in a blizzard with a handsome man is so romantic. My thoughts revisit me and Cole in the kitchen just as the power went out. I can’t helpbut agree.

The wind lets out a howl that slams against the cabin again, causing me to flinch. Unless, of course, you’re alone, in the dark, with the wind threatening to blow your house down.

Then it’s not so fun.Jingle Bellsblares from my phone, causing my already frayed nerves to come undone. Mel’s name glares at me.

“You scared the bejeesus out of me.” Holding my hand to my chest, I try to calm my erratic heart.

“I just called you,” Mel’s laughter rings through the speaker. “What’s so scary about that?”

“Me standing in the dark, alone with the wind whipping and howling.”

“Alone? What did you do with Cole?” Have to love it when Mel gets her sass going.

“I didn’t do anything with Cole!”

“Oooh?” Mel grabs onto my tone way too fast. “This sounds interesting. Tell me more.”

I feel heat creeping up my face and an internal giddiness that makes me feel like a schoolgirl with a major crush. I brush off the light quiver in my stomach.

“We lost power, and the generator isn’t working. Cole is outside trying to fix it.” I work to keep the grin from my face and my voice sounding disinterested. But Mel sees right through me.

“I think you and I need some alone time for a girl-to-girl chat.” She giggles, and I can’t help but laugh with her. “Oh, we definitely need some girl time!”

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