Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella) (9 page)

“Wait for it...” He reached back in the closet, bending down to pick something off the floor. She couldn’t help but notice how nicely his jeans hugged his backside. Alex looked so fine she was actually jealous of denim. He turned and showed off a large helmet.

She looked at the helmet and then at Alex. “Sorry, you lost me.”

“It’s a snowmobile suit and helmet. As in, there must be a snowmobile in the shed outside. We can get out of here and I can have you delivered to your mom and
Not the Boyfriend
in time for Christmas Eve dinner.”
 

“You think so? That would be great!”
Sort of.
Although Katie really wanted to see her mom, she liked hanging out with Alex and hated to see it end.

“Want to see if there is a snowmobile out there?” he asked.

The eager look on his face was infectious. She grinned. “Totally.”
 

Outside, they struggled through the drifts. The wind still whipped, but it didn’t seem like new snow—more like last night’s snow blowing around. The door to the shed was snowed shut. They worked together sweeping snow away with their hands, and then Alex used his boot to clear the snow closer to the ground. Katie wished she’d worn the musty old snowmobile suit. Her jeans were already snow covered. Her scarf kept blowing off, sending an extra chill through her.

Alex pulled on the metal door handle, opening the wooden door only a couple inches. Katie fell to her knees and scooped more snow out of the way. Within a couple minutes, Alex opened the door wide enough for them to squeeze inside.

It took a moment to adjust to the dim light. A small window on each side of the shed allowed the limited light.
 

They turned to each other at the same moment.
 

“There it is. I knew it!” he said.

“Oh my god, we’re getting out of here?” She squealed at the sight of the snowmobile.

Alex held out his arms and, without thinking, Katie bounded into them, receiving his excited bear hug. His strong arms wrapped around her, holding her to his strong, muscled chest.
 

Despite them both wearing thick winter coats, the hug seemed a little too personal, like she should have a much closer relationship with him than carpool companion. But Katie didn’t care. She squeezed him back, and the side of her head brushed his chin. He released her and she stepped away, pretending his touch hadn’t affected her.
 

He peered closer at the big machine. The enthusiasm in his voice dropped. His forehead wrinkled. “We have a problem. I don’t see any keys.”

“They must be here some place.” She scanned the walls of the shed looking for a nail they might be hung on. No luck.
 

 
Alex moved some lawn chairs. “Sometimes cabin owners hide the keys of things they don’t want stolen. If the robber can’t find the keys, it’s a lot harder to steal something.”

Together they lifted rakes and shovels and buckets looking for the elusive keys.

“Their plan is working.” She couldn’t believe they’d come so close to getting out of here only to have to solve a hidden key mystery.

Alex rolled a small lawn mower out of the way. Nothing. Katie tried to move a large pot filled with soil and a shriveled up plant.
 

“Need a hand?” He squatted next to her.

“I think I’ve got it.” She gave it a heave and fell back on her butt. “Maybe not.” She laughed.

“Let me give it a shot.” Alex grabbed the side of the clay pot and strained hard to move it. He fell, knocking her onto her back. He held a piece of the pot in his hands. “Oops.”

He rolled next to her on the frozen ground. “Sorry about that. You okay?”

She edged up onto her elbows. “Aw, come on. A strong guy like you should be able to lift it.”
 

“Is that so?” He leaned on an elbow, his face mere inches away. Katie didn’t dare move. She was afraid to breathe. Alex gazed into her eyes, a playful smile on his face. And suddenly, his gaze wasn’t playful. It shifted to something else. He looked at her mouth and before she could process what was happening, he lowered his mouth to hers.
 

Chapter 10

His lips were cold, but his breath felt warm. He kissed her tentatively, softly. He pulled away for an instant, as if considering his actions, but returned. His kisses were soft, short, leisurely. She was trapped on her elbows, not wanting him to stop, but knowing it was wrong. She didn’t care. At least not at that moment. His mouth felt firm and sexy and eager for more.
 

A million thoughts shot through her brain like fireworks. But only one emotion won out. She didn’t want this to end. She couldn’t tell him to stop. She didn’t want to. It was as if he lowered a shield of desire over them and she’d become helpless to his kisses. And she liked it. Too much.

He lifted his mouth. She sighed as cool air separated them. His dark brown eyes gazed deep into hers. She recognized the desire that mirrored her own. But he didn’t belong to her. He belonged to Trina. He was
engaged
to Trina. And he saw it the minute her emotions shifted from want to guilt, and he pulled away.

Logic flooded back. “You’re engaged,” she accused.

 
“I know.” He sat back.

“What kind of guy kisses someone they’ve known for less than twenty-four hours when he’s getting married?” She sat up and touched her mouth, meaning to wipe away his kisses, but instead touching her lips as if to make sure they had really happened.

“I shouldn’t have done that. I couldn’t help it.” His head drooped.

Did she hear him right? “You couldn’t help it? Oh my god! Do you cheat on her all the time? You are… you are… horrible.” She scrambled to her feet and stepped away from him.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s complicated.”

Thoughts of her parents’ comments crashed in. It’s complicated, her dad had said when Katie asked if he cheated on her mother. “You think that by saying your life is complicated it makes it okay to cheat on your fiancée? I thought you were a really nice guy. I can’t believe I was actually jealous of her. Now I feel sorry for her.”

Katie pushed the door open and left Alex alone in the shed with the snowmobile they couldn’t drive.
 

Why did this funny, gorgeous guy, who was off the dating market, have to turn her world upside down by kissing her? He took advantage of her, and he had no right. Katie deserved better. It was shades of her home life playing over again, only dragging her into it as a main character. People were misbehaving and she was stuck in the middle. She stormed her way back to the cabin.

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~
 

“Aw shit.” Alex pushed a hand through his hair. What the hell was he doing?
 

But he did know. Katie was so damned beautiful and smart and playful. She was everything that Trina wasn’t.
 

He looked at the spot she’d vacated. Her red scarf lay all bright and cheery on the cold, hard floor. He lifted it to his face. The soft fabric caught on his unshaven chin. The smell of something fruity wafted from the scarf. Her shampoo, maybe. He inhaled deeply and then stuffed the garment in his pocket.

Kissing Katie was a stupid move, but he didn’t regret it. Granted, he’d screwed everything up with her, and he’d have to explain the whole sordid Trina mess. He really wanted to put that whole nightmare behind him. What he needed to do was put his foot down with Trina and prove he meant what he said when he broke up with her. Easier said than done.

After searching the shed a while longer for keys, with no luck, he hoped he might find them in the cabin somewhere. But then he discovered an empty gas can and realized he better check the snowmobile’s fuel level. The gauge read empty.
 

Great. They were screwed.
 

He knew the only thing Katie wanted was to get away from him, and he didn’t blame her. But then again, Katie did say she’d been jealous of Trina. Did that mean she was interested in him? At least interested before he kissed her and created another mess.
 

Alex gave up on the shed, and stepped outside. One glance at the cabin and he decided to give Katie more time to cool off.
 

~
 
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~

Katie paced the cabin, pissed at Alex for making her feel so stupid. He was engaged and had no business kissing her. One gaze deep into his eyes and she fell hook, line and sinker. She was such an idiot. And how dare he kiss her like that when he was marring another girl.

She snatched the sweat pants she’d been wearing earlier and changed back into them. Their unsuccessful romp outside left her jeans wet from the thighs down.
 

She needed something to distract her and keep her mind occupied. In a minute, Alex would walk through the door looking all tall and handsome with those deep, soulful eyes of his. She didn’t want him to know how much he affected her.
 

One glance at their meager food supply on the counter, and she decided to check the cupboards more thoroughly now that daylight streamed in. She discovered bowls and dishes, a drawer of old plastic shopping bags. The cupboards were bare until she reached the corner cupboard. Inside she discovered some spices, olive oil, a jar of bouillon, vinegar, and other items that weren’t exactly food, but might improve the remaining supplies.

She glanced at the beat up, harvest gold fridge with its cord unplugged. For the heck of it, she opened the door. Her jaw dropped then turned into a huge grin. She’d discovered a gold mine.

While the unplugged fridge couldn’t keep food cold, it did provide a secure place to store dry goods. Among the goodies, she found a package of spaghetti, a box of seasoned rice, snack crackers, hot cocoa packets and three bottles of wine.

She pulled the items out, hugging them to her body. If they were still here tonight, they’d celebrate Christmas with a feast.

~
 
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~

Alex pulled out Katie’s scarf, wrapped it around his neck, and headed for the main road. Maybe the plow had been through and he could wave down a car. He plodded through the snowdrifts, trying to stay near the trees where the snow wasn’t as deep.

The wind blasted him. He hadn’t worn his hat because he didn’t think they’d be outside for long. He pulled the scarf higher. Maybe this was his penance for the pain he would soon deliver to Trina.
 

Officially, he hadn’t broken off their engagement, but Trina knew it was coming. She’d fought him tooth and nail for months, begging him to forgive her and not tell anyone they were on the rocks. He figured that the distance of school would be enough separation that she’d loosen her clutches. Instead it was the opposite.

Finally reaching the road, he saw that a plow had been through at some point, but the blowing snow had drifted back across the road, creating deep waves, like an angry sea. The weather prediction appeared to be right so far. There wouldn’t be much traffic, if any, on this road for a while. Thank God they found the cabin and enough food to see them through.
 

If someone spotted his abandoned truck, his mom would go insane with worry. He wanted to leave some sort of sign in case the authorities were out looking for them. He unwrapped Katie’s bright scarf and knotted it tightly to the mailbox.
 
That ought to do the trick.

He pulled the collar of his coat higher and stuffed his hands deep in his pockets as he braced against the wind and followed his tracks back to the cabin. The blowing snow was already erasing his footsteps.
 

~
 
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~

Twenty minutes later, Katie breathed a sigh of relief when Alex returned along with a blast of wind and snow.

She smiled brightly and pretended their kiss never happened. Alex was taken. “I was starting to get nervous. You were gone a long time. I thought I might have to go out after you.” Or that he was rescued and left her behind. She wiped that thought away. Alex would never do that.

“I was fine. No need to worry.” He toed off his boots and then pulled off his gloves and coat, avoiding eye contact.

“Maybe, but in a bad blizzard people have actually walked right past their house and not even known they missed it. You could have frozen to death,” she said.

Alex hung his coat over a chair. “That’s why Pa tied a rope from the front door to the barn.” He bit back a smile.

She looked at him cockeyed. “You read
Little House on the Prairie
?”

He warmed himself by the fire. “My mom used to read it to us as kids.” He grinned. “Bet you didn’t expect me to know my Laura Ingalls Wilder.”

“No. You surprised me with that one. Now I’ve got a surprise for you.” She joined him at the hearth, glad to be getting along with him after the awkward moment in the shed. She used a hot pad and poured hot water from the kettle into a cracked Green Bay Packers mug and another mug advertising fishing lures. She stirred the contents up and handed him the Packer mug.