The Christmas Cabin

by Susan Hatler

  My eyes narrowed. “Gabriel Hart,” I said, as if his name were a dirty word.

  His face registered surprise at first, but then the side of his mouth slowly curved upward. He leaned against the doorjamb. “Don’t tell me Noelle and Riley separated like you predicted, and you just had to track me down in Tahoe to say, ‘I told you so.’”

  “Excuse me?” I snapped. “What do you mean that I tracked you down in my rental cabin? What are you doing here? This has to be a bad dream . . .”

  He grinned. “Do you dream of me often?”

  “Certainly not.” I snatched up my luggage, and stalked past him. The heat inside the living room warmed my cold cheeks. I barely had time to register the darling stone fireplace that was all aglow, before Gabriel came up beside me. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”

  “No, what are you doing here?” I asked, through clenched teeth.

  He shrugged, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his broad shoulders pulled the shirt fabric taut across his muscular chest. My belly warmed. But that wasn’t my fault. I disliked the guy, but that didn’t mean I was immune to the fact that he was beyond hot. Sigh.

  “My friend called last night and offered to rent his cabin to me for half-off through Christmas,” Gabriel said, leaning against the back of the couch. “So I took him up on his offer.”

  I paused, something floating up from the back of my mind. “Evan? As in, Kara’s husband?” I groaned. “Kara offered me the cabin for the same deal.”

  “They double-booked us?” Gabriel chuckled and then shook his head. “Sounds like the same old Evan I’ve known since law school.”

  “You went to U.C. Davis, too,” I grumbled, feeling a flash of annoyance that Gabriel seemed to think the whole situation was so funny.

  “Look, it’s just a simple misunderstanding,” he said.

  “True enough,” I agreed, feeling hot all of a sudden. I unzipped my jacket and hung it on a hook just inside the door. “I’m glad you realize this is just a misunderstanding. Now, if you’ll kindly pack up and go, we can just forget this ever happened.”

  He shook his head. “No way, I’m not leaving. Coming to Tahoe is a family tradition.”

  “Then where’s the rest of your family?” I asked.

  Emotion flickered across his face, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he glanced away from me and then walked around the corner without another word, while I gaped after him. Where was he going? He reappeared a minute later with his arms full of kindling. He ignored me as he passed by, and then he stopped in front of the fireplace.

  Feeling a flare of supreme irritation, I strode over to the fireplace and grabbed a log out of his hand. “You don’t need to help me with the fire. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of it myself. So, if you’d kindly go pack . . .” My voice trailed off as I dropped to my knees.

  “Not leaving.” He knelt down beside me, his hip brushing mine. “My mom is on a cruise this Christmas, so I’m here alone this time. So, if you don’t mind, just take your luggage to your car and drive to the nearest available hotel.”

  “I’m not leaving, either!” I grabbed another log from his arms, and then moved my body to block his access to the fireplace. “My aunt is insisting on going to some tea party on Christmas day with her friend who’s getting divorced. So, she can’t spend the holiday with me this year.” I glanced over at Gabriel, giving him a meaningful look. “You’d probably try to stop her friend from getting a divorce if you had the chance. Never mind that it’s the best thing for everyone.”

  “That’s not what I—”

  “You ruined my client’s chance at a new beginning, so I hope you’re happy.” I snatched another log from his bundle. “Now, can you please back off? I can make my own fire, thank you very much.” Just as I moved to put the log on my little cabin structure that would create a chimney effect for my flames, a thin sliver of wood sliced into my finger. “Ouch!”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, setting the rest of the kindling and logs on the hearth as he moved to sit beside me. “Let me take a look.”

  Before I could protest, his large warm hand engulfed mine, sending tingles skittering up my arm, tripping up and down my back, and making my belly flip. I snapped my head up and our gazes collided. We stared at each other and the moment seemed to stretch in all directions filling the living room. My cheeks heated as Gabriel seemed to stare deep inside of me, leaving me without any of my usual defenses.

  “M-My hand. Do you think it’ll get infected?” I asked, lamely.

  “I think we can save you.” He gave me a bemused look as I glanced away, embarrassed, and not quite sure why I felt that way. “I’ll get some tweezers. But, don’t worry. I’ll stay with you at the hospital should a sliver require amputation of your finger.”

  I gasped out a laugh as he walked out of the room. He was a totally insufferable man, but he had managed to surprise me with the joke. Plus, it was nice of him to help me before he got his bags and got out of my rental.

  When he came back, he dropped down to my side again. “Let’s move over to the sofa where there’s more light,” he suggested.

  I nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. We’d be more comfortable, too.”

  He glanced over at me, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “You want to get comfortable with me already?”

  “Give me the tweezers,” I snapped, my face going up in flames due to my poor choice of words. “I can do it myself.”

  He relinquished the tweezers, so I stood and moved over to the window so I could have better light. After a few moments of digging around, I sighed in frustration.

  “Time to go to the emergency room?” he asked, leaning back into the sofa.

  “I’m glad you can find humor in someone else’s pain.” I shot him a frown, and returned to working to get my splinter out.

  “It was just a joke,” he said, suddenly right beside me. “Here, let me help you.”

  Since he looked sincere and I seriously wasn’t getting anywhere, I handed over the tweezers, and extended my arm. “Okay, thanks.”

  He took my hand, and electricity raced along my arm. Then he bent over my hand, and it was like all my nerve endings were on fire.

  “Hang on a second.” He jogged into the kitchen, and a moment later I heard water running in the sink. When he returned, he wrapped a warm damp paper towel gently around my finger. “We’ll just wait a moment.”

  My heart raced, but I didn’t want him to know the effect he had on me. So, I bit my lip, trying to ignore the tingles skittering up my arm. Finally, he removed the paper towel and leaned back over my hand. Carefully, he worked the thin sliver of wood back and forth until the splinter stuck out of the skin.

  With his face so close, my gaze involuntarily dropped to study him. I could see that he hadn’t bothered to shave that morning. I had to admit he looked good with a shadow of stubble along his jaw. Very rugged. A warm feeling spread through my body again and I looked away, hoping he didn’t notice what his being in close proximity was doing to me.

  “There you go.” He held the tweezers up to show me the splinter displayed on the end of it. Then he took the damp paper towel and pressed it to my finger. “I won’t even charge you.”

  I gazed into his chocolate-brown eyes, thinking of all of the ways I’d like to pay him back. Like by closing the short distance between us and pressing my mouth to his. But, no. That thought was crazy! This guy was the reason I needed to get away this weekend. I snatched my hand away and cleared my throat.

  “Thank you.” I scooted away from him. “So, now you’ll be going, right?”

  He shook his head. “There’s no way I’m leaving. Give it up.”

  “I’m not leaving either.”

  We stared at each other for a few moments. Then Gabriel raked a hand through his sandy-brown hair. “Looks like we’re both staying then.”

  “I don’t know . . .” My voice trailed off. But, hello? What other choice did we have? He wasn’t bud
ging and there was no way I would budge.

  “I’ll take the den.” He gestured to a room off the living room area. “You can have the bedroom. I’ll bet we barely even run into each other.”

  I found myself nodding. “Okay, fine. Just point me in the direction of my room.”

  “Upstairs, at the end of the hall.” He nodded at me once, before he headed into the kitchen without saying anything else. He hadn’t looked any happier than I felt.

  I stared after him wondering what I had just agreed to. How on earth was I going to spend the next five days here with him? Not exactly the rejuvenating Christmas getaway I’d envisioned.

  Chapter Three

  After a much-needed nap that afternoon, I opened my eyes, and saw that it had grown dark outside. Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I gazed around the rustic bedroom, the events from earlier seeping into my mind. The cabin in Tahoe. Gabriel. Kara and Evan double-booking us. My major tingles from Gabriel’s touch while he removed my splinter. . . .

  With a groan, I flopped back onto the pillow. Maybe I could just stay in this room until after Christmas. As that thought entered my head, my stomach let out a ferocious growl. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. Five-thirty in the evening. My hunger was definitely not going to let me hide from Gabriel.

  I pushed back the blanket, swung my feet to the floor, and stood. The glow from the bedside lamp made the room feel cozy and warm. I paused at the window to watch the snow, falling in soft, swirling flakes. Staying here could still be a wonderful experience. At least Gabriel had agreed to sleep in the den. That meant he was at least on a separate floor. If he were sleeping in here . . .? A rush of heat flushed my body at the mere thought.

  “What’s wrong with me?” I muttered, making my way to the closet. What really needed to happen was for Gabriel to decide to leave. Then I could lick my wounds in peace and quiet. That was the only decent thing for him to do considering my failure with Noelle had been his fault. His notions of second chances being helpful were ridiculous.

  I slid the closet door open, my gaze stopping on the simple black cocktail dress I’d brought for dinners out. My white trench coat hung next to it. Perfect. In addition to the many lessons about men and marriage my aunt had imparted to me, she’d also instilled in me the value of being impeccably dressed at all times, especially when going out. If you looked good, then you felt good—a theory with obvious wisdom.

  I dressed quickly, pinning my hair back into a French knot. Then I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped my heels on. I checked my phone, hoping Kara might’ve called me back and I’d somehow missed it. No messages. I’d already called her three times, and every time the phone went straight to voicemail. Sigh.

  I liked Kara, even though she obviously couldn’t communicate with her husband very well. I couldn’t help thinking that if the two of them couldn’t coordinate something as simple as renting this cabin, then there were probably bigger things going on in their marriage.

  I slipped on my coat, wondering if I could find a good Italian place where I could get a nice steak and some red wine. A good meal might help me shake off the shock of seeing Gabriel, and start my holiday off on a better foot. I felt a pang of sadness as I wished, once again, that I’d be spending Christmas with my aunt. Nothing I could do about that, though.

  With my purse tucked under my arm, I headed downstairs and through the empty living room. Huh. I wondered where Gabriel had gone, not that I cared. I reached for the doorknob just as the front door swung open, and I jumped back to avoid being hit.

  Gabriel stepped inside holding two bulging paper bags. Snowflakes clung to his hair and dusted the shoulders of his jacket. He even had tiny flakes clinging to his dark lashes. For a moment, I stared at him.

  “May I come through?” he asked.

  “Sorry . . .” I shook myself mentally, and then backed up so he could get by. I was a grown woman, who should not be stunned speechless over a handsome guy. I moved out of the way too fast, though, and knocked into one of the bags he held. The bag started to fall and I caught it just in time. Oh, embarrassment.

  “Oops, sorry. Again. Let me help you.”

  “All right.” His brows rose, but he let me take the bag. He kicked the door shut with his boot, and then strode toward the kitchen, leaving a trail of melted snow in his wake.

  Ignoring my strong urge to mop up his mess, I set the bag on the counter. “Here you go. I’m just heading out to dinner now, so have a good night.”

  “I doubt you want to go out right now,” he said, a tiny line forming between his brows. “It’s really starting to come down out there. There’s a lot of weekend holiday traffic heading into town and the roads were icy.”

  “I’m sure it’s not that bad,” I said, mostly because I hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet, so staying in wasn’t an option for me if I wanted to eat.

  “Trust me, it’s that bad. I had a near miss with a reckless driver on the way back from town,” he said, giving me a meaningful look as he started to unpack the bags.

  “Hmm,” I said, unsure of what to do about dinner. I watched Gabriel unpack, and noticed that one bag was full of Christmas decorations. Adrenaline rushed through me at the thought of Christmas cheer and I wondered what else he had in there. When he pulled out a small elf dressed in green and white striped leggings, I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Did you get all of this stuff in town?” I asked. I then watched him nod. Then I picked up the elf, admiring its cuteness. “This elf looks exactly like one my aunt kept in the kitchen before Christmas when I was growing up. She used to tell me that he was watching my behavior for Santa, so I’d better be good. I used to go to bed each night, hoping he approved.”

  “You grew up with your aunt?” Gabriel asked, pausing until I nodded. Something flickered across his face, making me wonder what he was thinking. He went back to unpacking the bag of groceries. He pulled out chicken and veggies. “I know you’re not happy about being stuck in the cabin with me. Let me cook you dinner as a peace offering.”

  My gaze darted to his. He’d surprised me by the invitation, and men rarely surprised me. The offer was so . . . nice. Remembering how he’d sabotaged things for my client, I wondered what angle he could be playing. Gazing into those chocolate-brown eyes, I realized I was being paranoid. Besides, it did sound a little gnarly out on the roads and I didn’t have any food.

  “Dinner sounds nice, as long as you let me help,” I replied, setting my purse down on the counter.

  “Fair enough.” His mouth stretched into a grin. “You can start by helping me unpack.”

  He nudged the bag of Christmas goodies toward me and I smiled back at him. That bag of decorations was more than I could resist, anyway. Christmas had always been my favorite time of year, because there seemed to be an air of magic about it. Aunt Lucy had never been very sentimental, but our few traditions were special to me.

  “Wow, you got a lot of stuff,” I said, impressed with how much had been crammed into the bag.

  “It doesn’t feel like Christmas without decorations,” he said.

  I pressed my lips together, hating that I agreed with him. It turned out we had something in common. Weird. Instead of replying, I kept unpacking the bag. By the time I had finished there was a mound of decorations that included everything from stockings—two, to my surprise—to placemats to snowmen figurines. I plucked some mistletoe off the top of the pile, and raised my eyebrows at him.

  He raised his palms. “What? It’s seasonal.”

  “Uh-huh.” I decided to ignore the implication of mistletoe, especially since it had ignited a swarm of butterflies in my belly that I didn’t want to acknowledge. “So, what are we making for dinner?”

  “Chicken Parmesan. My mom used to make it every Christmastime, so I had a taste for it. Hope that’s to your liking.”

  I found it unnerving that he’d just named one of my favorite dishes. Still, I didn’t want to let my guard down around him. He’d been nice like this in th
e conference room, but this seeming-good nature had been the reason I’d failed with Noelle.

  “You sure you wouldn’t rather be home for Christmas?” I asked, half-heartedly. Despite my desire to be alone, the truth was that I was warming up to his company. And this worried me. “I mean, don’t you have a girlfriend to get back to?”

  “Not currently.” He shrugged as he opened the package of chicken, leaving the discarded package on the counter.

  “You’re really not dating anyone?” I asked. Interesting. . . My gaze dropped to the garbage on the counter. I bit my lip to keep from mentioning that he should throw the wrapping away immediately, and then wipe down the counter with a disinfectant.

  “I got out of a pretty serious relationship about seven months ago,” he said, washing the chicken and then arranging it in a pan. He grabbed some seasonings, shaking them over the chicken. “Heather and I were together for two years, but then . . . well, it was over. I’ve gone on a few dates since, but I haven’t met anyone special.”

  His eyes clouded. I had the strong urge to wrap my arms around him, which was so not a good idea. My hands needed to be occupied pronto.

  “I’ll wash the basil,” I said, which wasn’t the greatest response after he’d just opened up about his personal life. But I didn’t know what to say without asking a whole lot of nosy questions, like why did they break up, which was none of my business.

  “Do you have anyone special at home?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Nope. Not even a goldfish.” I winced as soon as the words left my mouth. How pathetic did I sound? “I mean, I date when I feel like it, but I never let it get too far. Companionship is one thing, but I don’t enjoy the complications of a relationship.”

  His gave me a long look that made me squirm, as if I’d revealed too much. I also felt like squirming because he’d just spilled sauce outside of the pan onto the counter and didn’t seem to notice.

  “What should I do now?”