Page 39 of The Scrooge of the Mountain

Eva.

I gained my wife.

It wasn’t a long engagement. It wasn’t a long courtship to begin with. Eva’s not the only one who acts fast. I knew she was going to be my wife the moment I laid eyes on her. People might think I’m crazy. I thought I was a little crazy, but sometimes a little crazy makes for a great life.

And as soon as I see the giant poinsettia flanking her shop, my heart begins to race. A couple of children burst out of the front door, complimentary candy canes in hand while their parents follow behind them with a bag each.

The snow that wasn’t supposed to start until tonight comes down in small, icy flurries as I stare at the facade. Fresh garland filled with red ribbons, silver bells, and pine cones hangs across the cedar awning with two oversized wreaths on either window.

I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the rich balsam scent and crisp air. I’m not the only one enthralled by the store. A few kids watch as a train chugs along on a track through a thriving Christmas village. It’s a custom-made one found nowhere else because it’s a replica of Whispering Winds and all its landmarks.

I might be biased, but the log cabin in the mountains is my favorite. I built it myself after I built our cabin. I had to change the plans during construction but the new additions were well worth it. And I can’t wait to fill those rooms.

“Are you going to stay out there all day?”

Eva leans against the door, hugging a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

I sigh as my body reacts as it always does when I see my beautiful wife. My heart pounds. My head pounds. My stomach coils into a tangled mess that puts any box filled with Christmas lights to shame. I can’t help it. And the only thing that does is Eva’s lips.

“It’s freezing out here,” she says.

“I have something that can help with that,” I say walking over to her.

I hand her a cup and she frowns.

“I was hoping for something else.”

“That’s coming too.”

I wrap my hand around the back of her head, threading my fingers through her hair as I pull her into a deep kiss that feels just as good as our first. Better. I’ll never get enough of kissing Eva. They way she tastes. The way she feels. The way she makes my soul scream.

I love her with all my being, and it’s less than what my sweet girl deserves.

“That was some kiss,” Eva says when we finally pull away.

She sucks in her bottom lip, stumbling a little as she grips onto me.

“I missed you.”

She smiles. “You were gone for fifteen minutes.”

I lean in, whispering. “Felt like an eternity.”

I kiss her again. I kiss her until she pulls away back inside to help another customer.

I wait in the back of the store, watching Eva in her element. Laughing and joking as she maneuvers through the store to find the exact thing her customer needs. I can’t keep my eyes off her, and she knows that, turning to me as she rings a young couple up.

When they leave, she takes the cup of Mistletoe Madness to her lips, pausing before she takes a sip. She sets it down, shaking her head.

Something’s off. I’ve never known Eva to snub her favorite drink.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she says, grabbing hold of my shirt and pulling me into another kiss.

“Worth it,” I rasp against her lips. “Those lips are always worth it.”

She stares up at me as Christmas music plays softly in the background. I tend not to notice it anymore now that it’s played almost year-round.

“I love you,” she says.

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