by Cindy Steel
He grabbed my hand away from my face and pulled us both up and off the couch. His arms wrapped around me, but I quickly tucked my face into his chest.
“Hey, no hiding. What are you thinking?”
Smiling into his shoulder, I lifted my head up and whispered, “same.”
“Same?”
“Yeah.”
He scoffed, even as his face lit up and he pulled me closer. “I bared my heart and soul to you and all I get is ’same?’ You’re the writer.”
I poked my finger into the side of his stomach, laughing as he squirmed. “You’re right, should I think of four more sentences?”
“Brat.”
Only when our kisses slowed, my head rested on his chest while my body molded against him, did I whisper, “I’m pretty sure I love you too.”
He smiled and squeezed me tighter. His mouth came down on mine. With one hand, he cupped my face while the other pressed me closer. This time, the flavor of his kiss was sweeter than ever before. This time, his kiss tasted of promise; of devotion. It tasted like teasing eyes and a crooked smile. It tasted like nine to five and a house full of babies. It tasted like forever.
I felt something scurry across my foot.
Scurry.
There was only one thing that scurried anywhere. I broke away from Chase in time to see a small rodent scampering into the hallway. And it had touched me.
Immediately, I started jumping up and down, squealing. Chase looked both confused and alarmed at my sudden outburst. I pointed toward the hallway. “Mouse. Ran over my foot!”
For a brief moment, we were both hopping up and down, clutching each others’ hands, literally freaking out, for lack of a better term. Chase must have realized what that looked like and finally pulled us both onto the couch.
“Matt and Gina are going to get some serious points knocked off their rental profile,” he said, as his eyes scanned the room.
My hand flew to my cheeks. “I left my bedroom door open.” Stick a fork in me, I was done. Officially never getting off this couch.
His horrified gaze met mine. “Me too.”
He looked so alarmed I had to laugh, even though my plight felt just as desperate. “What happened to you?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“I guess this means you’re not going to save the day?”
He glowered at me as he tickled the side of my stomach. I laughed and tried to turn away, only to have him pull me in closer.
“I vote we pretend the floor is lava and we don’t get off this couch all night,” Chase said, his eyes trained on the hallway.
“That seems dangerous. Although very probable since I won’t be getting off this couch until Helga is dead.”
“Helga?”
“Harold’s girlfriend. Out for revenge. Seemed appropriate.”
“It fits. Alright. New plan. We stay up all night watching movies and we don’t leave this couch.” He eyed me suspiciously. “No funny business. Just movies.”
I smacked his chest. Apparently, he had more faith in my bladder than I did, as well as my self control. But I thought I could probably handle both for the night. A mouse running wild about the house, probably rummaging through all my things at the moment, did not scream romance to me.
I smiled. “Sounds perfect. You grab the remote.”
At his confused look, I pointed to where the remote lay next to the TV, after being flung across the room in our mouse frenzy.
He groaned.
* * *
I awoke feeling cozy and in love, but with a crick in my neck. Chase and I had fallen asleep on the couch. We had been nicely barricaded off the ground so Harold’s family couldn’t have access to us. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to pee, but bad experience or not, I would be making Chase go first. I had to have some girlfriend perks. The TV in front of us showed a blue screen, which had, long ago, went silent after our third movie of the night. The lighted Christmas tree in the corner gave off the most beautiful, cozy atmosphere, and I realized that today was Christmas. I looked at Chase from where I lay next to him and began kissing his lips, soft and slow. He smiled, tightening his arms around me, without opening his eyes.
“Merry Christmas, Blister.”
I smiled, reaching out to pinch him when all of a sudden the front door swung wide open, slamming into the wall. Chase and I both startled, turning our heads to see who or what was about to enter.
Matt entered the cabin, keys dangling in his hand while he set down a load of luggage. He eyed us on the couch, almost triumphantly. “Hey guys.”
Two small bodies, one boy and one girl, raced inside the room, holding toys and shouting “Aunt Penny! Aunt Penny! It’s Christmas!”
I laughed and gave awkward hugs to my niece and nephew as they piled on top of me and Chase, showing us all the race cars and babies and toys their chubby hands were holding.
“What time is it?” I asked Matt, confused as to how they could have already opened their presents at their home and been here so fast.
“It’s eleven.” Matt raised his eyebrows and folded his arms, looking very amused. “And when your demon children wake up at 4:30am to open presents, it makes our timing much more doable.” He gave us each a pointed look. “Looks like you both had a good night.”
I pulled myself up to a sitting position, trying to tame my wild hair, while Chase folded his arms behind his head and grinned.
Gina stepped through the doorway last, pulling a large suitcase behind her, a duffle bag strapped across her chest. “Well, it’s safe to say Penny’s car is stuck until spring. We had to park below and hike up…” Her voice trailed off as she spotted us together on the couch. A slow smile of satisfaction appeared on her face.
Matt smiled and sauntered over to his wife, helping to relieve her of her duffle bag and coat. “I’m sure we all have lots to catch up on, but first…” He pointed toward me and Chase on the couch and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. “Gina, you owe me fifty bucks.”
Confessions
From the Author, Penny Riley
Matt knew he had double booked the cabin. He always felt bad about not encouraging his friend to pursue his sister, even though it would have been weird. He also knew they were both single. So, when Chase wanted to use the cabin and he knew Penny had nowhere to go for the week, he and Gina made it happen. They only wished they could have been there to watch the sparks fly for those first few days.
Chase really did have a crush on Penny in high school. He became friends with Matt in an effort to get to know her and, if not to date her, then to be able to annoy her weekly. You know, the boys and pulling pigtails theory. But he ended up really enjoying Matt’s friendship and they became best friends.
That was indeed Penny’s Jack of hearts. If he had played the hand he had been given, Chase would have won with a straight flush. He discretely dropped one of his cards on the floor and picked up a random card on the table, which just so happened to be Penny’s discarded Jack. Chase cheated so Penny could save face and win some dang clothes. Swoon.
Upon closer, internal inspection, Penny also had a crush on Chase in High School.
Chase had been eight years old. He had been invited to a birthday sleepover party at a friend’s house. The group of boys had slept down in the basement. Somewhere between the time Chase fell asleep that night and woke up the next morning, there were four mice sleeping next to his feet at the bottom of his warm sleeping bag. Early that morning, still half asleep, he felt an itch on his ankle. He scratched it. Another itch. He scratched it again. He was more awake at this point. He then felt the swish of something long and wiry, and very much like a tail, brush against his entire leg. His eyes snapped open in alarm and in one swift movement, scrambled out of his bag, screaming in horror. The next twenty seconds were full of mad chaos as both boys and mice clambered about the room in confusion and terror. A bad experience, indeed.
It wasn’t a blister. It was a pimple. Very large and gushy and at the end of
her fourteen-year old nose. She didn’t know she could pop it. Her mom had once told her if she popped a zit, it would leave a large hole in her face and then it would grow back even larger. So, she left it. She was young and innocent. She was at a freshman dance with Gina when she got bumped in the nose and it exploded. EXPLODED. It had not been pretty. Blister really was a generous nickname.
Penny did get her book finished and into her editor on time. She also finished an autobiographical novella about her time at the cabin with Chase. A title she called, ‘A Christmas Spark.’
The End
Thank You
Thanks so much for reading!! There are so many great book options out there, I appreciate your time reading mine. It honestly means the world. I hope you’ll come back for more!
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost: my husband and kiddos. I hope I can continue to prove to all of us that I can be a real author one day. And J, thanks for letting me sleep in occasionally, after a late night of writing.
My mom and sister. Thank you for inspiring me to write a fun, cliche, Hallmark holiday romance as a Christmas present to you both. I had so much fun, I think I’ll do a few more! This story has come along way since then, but thanks for loving it as much as I did.
My critique group! One of the best things I have ever done was to put my timid self out there enough to be part of a critique group. You guys have taught me so much, given me great ideas for my stories, and been excited with me. It means the world! K—thanks so much for your helpful ideas, late night chats, and critiques.
My Beta and ARC readers! Thank you for taking a chance on a new author, reading my book, and telling your friends. It means so much to me.
My editor, Hayleigh Burnett at The Editing Fox. Thanks for being so kind in your edits and for your ideas to make this story really shine.
My Cover Designer, Lorri at Pure Art Digital. Thanks for taking an idea and bringing it to life so beautifully.
And finally…you! If you are reading this, thank you so much! This sweet and silly romance was so fun to write. It’s not Shakespeare, it probably won’t change your life, but I really, really hope it made you smile.
About the Author
Cindy Steel was raised on a dairy farm in Idaho. She grew up singing Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire songs at the top of her lungs and learning to solve all of life’s problems while milking cows and driving tractor—rewriting happy endings every time. She graduated with a bachelors degree from Brigham Young University - Idaho, married a cute Idaho boy, and is the proud mother of two wild and sweet twin boys. Which means she is also now a collector of bugs, sticks, rocks, and slobbery kisses. She loves making breakfast, baking, photography, reading a good book, and staying up way past her bedtime to craft stories that will hopefully make you smile.
You can find Cindy at www.cindysteel.com, @authorcindysteel on Instagram, and Author Cindy Steel on Facebook.
