Page 31 of Rebel Without a Claus
“You’re not going anywhere tonight,” Luke says, reading my thoughts. Or rather, my mom’s thoughts.
I look back at the barn and flash him a teasing grin. “So… I’m sleeping with the reindeer?”
He gives me a long, patient look, then playfully rolls his eyes at me. “You’re sleeping in the guest room.”
I blink. “Youhave a guest room?” I squint my eyes, trying to see beyond the falling snow to the small cabin where I know Luke lives, off site from Aunt May’s farm house.
“I don’t,” he says, “but Aunt May does.”
I try to ignore the way my heart sinks just the tiniest bit at that. “Well, we’d better go check on her, shouldn’t we?”
But then, Luke takes my hand, giving it another squeeze. “Ready?”
“To run into a blizzard?”
“What else could I mean?” His eyes roam across my face, pausing briefly at my lips.
And I swear, with the unspoken words in that moment, my heart decides to skip a beat—just to spite me.
CHAPTER 11
Luke
The wind howlsacross the field like it’s got a vendetta, and the snow whips around us, falling sideways, thick and fast. I tug my coat tighter in one hand and hold Eve’s hand behind me.
We trek across the field through near white-out conditions, snow biting into our faces. Aunt May’s house is closer than my cabin, and I lead her there first, wiping snow from my face with a curse. Because there’s no way in hell I’m bringing Eve to my cabin. Nuh-uh. No way.
“We’re almost there!” I shout over the wind.
She looks up at me, cheeks flushed from the cold, her hair tangled under the pom-pom beanie. She pouts—actually pouts—but nods and jogs to keep up with me, brushing hay off her coat. “I-it’s s-s-so cold!”
“I know! The sooner we get inside, the sooner we get to sip Aunt May’s hot chocolate!”
Her eyes seem to light up at that and it kicks a fire under her ass. Suddenly she’s running beside me, the porch of Aunt May’s house coming into view. “With peppermint, right?”
I don’t bother replying, but despite the less than stellar conditions, I can’t help but notice how stunning Eve looks. Even now. Running in a blizzard with red cheeks and hay caught in her hair. I can’t stop thinking about how she lookshappyhere. Like shebelongshere. Not just in the barn—but here. On the farm. With me.
That thought’s dangerous. I shake it off.
Aunt May opens the door just as we’re running up onto the porch as though she was waiting at the window. She wears a smile way too bright for someone who just witnessed the start of a potential blizzard apocalypse. “Oh, thank heavens! You made it!”
Eve stomps snow off her boots. “May, this storm’s intense!”
Aunt May tsks, ushering us inside. “Yes, yes. I’ve been watching the weather all day. Seems you’ll be stuck here overnight, sweet pea. I already called your mother to check in and let her know your car was still here and we’ve got you.”
“I really appreciate you taking me in,” Eve says, shucking her damp coat off of her shoulders. “Luke said you have a guest room?—”
“Oh,” Aunt May says, her tone suddenly serious. “The heat’s out up there.”
I freeze from where I’m shaking the snow from my hat and cut my eyes to Aunt May. “For how long?”
“Um, I-I’m not sure,,” she says with a suspicious stutter. “With the master bedroom down here, I didn’t notice it until yesterday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Aunt May flings her hands in the air. “I only just noticed last night! And then you were up and out the door this morning like lightning.”
My stomach drops. “Let me take a look at the thermostat. Maybe I can fix it?—”
