Page 7 of Christmas Escape
Melody blew out a breath and waved a hand rapidly near her face. “Is it actually hotter?”
I nodded then headed for the thermostat. Not…good. It read fifty-six degrees. Obviously, there was a problem. “Yeah, it’s a lot warmer, and I turned off the thermostat earlier.”
“Does this happen a lot?”
“You mean it being thirty-thousand degrees in one of the cabins? No.”
“I was just wondering. Your mom said you were fixing the generator, then there was the water line thing, and now, the heat…”
“Like I said before, I wasn’tfixingthe generator. I was topping off the fuel in it—which I still haven’t finished doing.”
“Oh.”
“The ice storms last month did a number on the property. None of the other cabins were damaged—only this place. I’ve spent the past couple weeks making sure everything is back up to par. As for the water line, I wasn’t fixing it, or I would have turned off the water beforehand. I was only doing a final check and discovered some loose brackets. Really loose brackets.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you said there would be a water leak.”
“The pipe was on the verge of coming loose. If it had, it could have busted.”
“Could have. Or maybe not. And the heat?”
“Broken thermostat. The store ordered the one I need. I thought it was a faulty temperature gauge, but apparently, it’s not even working to shut off the furnace. I’ll have to turn off the gas to the cabin. It’ll cool right down, but you won’t be able to turn the heat back on to warm up. You’ll freeze your little ass off.”
I pulled out my cell, intrigued by the way her cheeks colored at my statement. Resolved in what I had to do, I dialed up the office. My mom answered after two rings.
“Hey, Mom. I’m still at the cabin,” I told her, watching Melody look around the space.
“Oh, I thought you’d be done by now. I sent our guest over.”
“Yes, she’s here.” Melody looked over at me when I mentioned her and caught me watching her. “We ran into town, but they didn’t have the part I need in stock. Look, we need to refund her charges. The cabin’s heat is broken, and she can’t stay here.”
Melody’s lips parted in dismay. I felt horrible to change her vacation plans, but hopefully, I could make things right and we could also discover what it was sparking between us. I knew it wasn’t one-sided. Remembering the hand holding in the truck and the way she watched me, I was pretty sure if we explored these feelings, something real, something concrete, would emerge. And damn, I wanted to experience kissing her and really holding her in my arms.
“Are you sure?” Mom asked. She hated to disappoint visitors.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I have to either wait for the part or drive over to Saranac Lake or Lake Placid and hope they have what I need. But I doubt they’re still open since it’s Christmas Eve.”
“No, you can’t do that,” she said. “The storm’s supposed to hit in an hour. You’d get caught in the middle of it.”
“I know.”
The iron gray clouds had been rolling toward us when Melody and I had returned from town. That made it even more important for me to convince her to stay at my place. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I’d worry about anyone’s wellbeing out on the roads today, but for some reason, I knew I’d worry about hers even more.
“I’ll process the refund. I just hate disappointing that sweet girl and ruining her Christmas, though. We can’t let her get caught in the blizzard, either.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen, and I won’t let her Christmas be ruined. I’ll call you later on, okay?”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.” I shoved my phone back into my pocket and nodded toward the door. “Come on.”
“Uh…come on…where? Are you…kicking me out? Just like that?”
I chuckled. “Not a prayer. Since the thermostat isn’t working, I’m turning off the gas and water, clearing the pipes so they don’t freeze, then we’re going to my place.”
“No, we’re not. I’ll just…stay here. I’ll figure it out. Leave on the heat… Open a window—”
“Yeah…no. Look, there’s a blizzard warning in effect through tomorrow. If you really want to be alone, I’ll clear out of my place and go to my parents’ house. But I promise there’s enough room at my home for both of us. It’ll have to do until tomorrow, at least. And if you still want to go, I’ll try to find you a place once it’s safe.”
