Page 11 of My Santa Mountain Man
“But… what about your satellite phone?”
He looked down at the ground, not meeting my eyes. “I don’t have one.”
“What! After the big talk you gave me? Why don’t you have one?”
He frowned, and I saw a hint of the little boy he must have been when he was growing up. “I don’t have the money for that.”
That’s when I laughed. “Well, aren’t we a pair? Broke and broker. I don’t know whereyouwere going, and I’m sorry that my tree falling has altered your plans.”
I thought about it and came up with the best solution I had. “I think we should get through this storm tonight. Then tomorrow morning I’ll hike to the closest neighbor with a phone that works.” Then I wrinkled my brow. “Where were you heading, anyway? Is there someone you were going to visit?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Corbin grew quiet, and I could feel him growing more remote by the minute. Not that we’d been sharing a moment, but his bluster was missing compared to the first time I met him.
I shivered and hugged myself. I wasn’t dressed for this weather. The party dress under my winter coat wasn’t enough to keep me warm in this storm.
One thing was true… I wasn’t holding up my end of a neighborly relationship. Not when I’d known the tree was a hazard and left it to fall. I felt terrible, but what could I do?
“I’m sorry I ruined your plans. I’m going to go inside and warm up. I’ll try to get this fixed as soon as possible. MerryChristmas, Corbin.” This was going to be the worst Christmas Eve of my life. All alone in my old, rundown farmhouse.
But as soon as I turned back to go inside, the transformer on the closest electric pole sparked, and all the Christmas lights went out.
The world went from cheery and bright, straight to gloomsville.
I stared at my new house in shock.
Everything Corbin had said was true. I wasn’t cut out for this.
It took swallowing my pride to get me to turn back around and ask that man for help. But he was right. Without him here, I might have frozen to death tonight.
“Corbin?”
“What, Poppy?”
“I don’t have a generator. Would you be willing to check my wires and see if you can get the power back on? The woodstove in this house isn’t usable yet. I need to have a service come out and remove all the creosote from the flue. It started a small fire for the last people that lived here, and I was told not to use until I get it serviced.”
Ten minutes later, he confirmed that there was nothing that could be done. The electric company would have to fix the transformer.
His voice was a little less gruff than usual as he told me, “Pack a bag, Poppy. You better come stay with me tonight.”
And that’s how I got my first invitation to Corbin’s place. This was going to be a strange Christmas Eve, but I was so grateful to have some company.
Right now all I wanted was to stay close to Corbin and the protection he offered from the elements.
Chapter 8
Corbin
I had no idea how the hell it had happened, but I found myself driving me, Hopkins, and Poppy back to my place.
She would have been truly screwed without me. And even though I tried to bark real loud to keep the world at bay, I wasn’t an asshole. And I couldn’t leave her without any source of heat. Not overnight in weather like this. It could be dangerous.
I wasn’t acompletemonster.
Poppy was shivering, and Hopkins nuzzled against her, intuitively trying to warm her up.
She’d packed an overnight bag, but hadn’t changed out of her party dress. All I’d seen so far were thick, shapely calves covered in warm stockings, and a few inches of the hem of her dress.
She didn’t look like a party girl at all right now. Poppy looked sad and a little defeated.
