She took a step forward but then stopped. “Why are you helping me? The only connection we have is that we swapped phones by accident.”
“What if I told you I don’t believe in accidents?” This wasn’t the time to start talking about fate and how they were drawn together because they were mates. That might just confuse issues and break the trust she was about to put in him.
“You think that some higher power brought us together?” She arched an eyebrow.
He might need to talk about fated mates after all. “I believe that events happen in our lives that set us on a path we might not have otherwise chosen.”
“I was put on a road I would not have chosen, a road I didn’t even notice when I drove past the turn-off earlier this evening.” She pointed into the distance. “I swear the turn-off wasn’t there when I drove past before, and I can’t find Wishing Moon Bay on any map.”
“It’s a small town and we like our privacy.” Wow, that sounded lame. But telling Gina the town kept itself hidden from anyone it didn’t want here sounded crazy.
“You can say that again.” She shivered and pulled her collar tighter around her face as the snow blew across the porch. Soon it would pile up against the steps, causing a deep drift that his reindeer loved to leap into, planting his four feet firmly on the ground while burying his face in the snow. He loved the cold, he loved the thrill it gave him, but the same snow that gave him a thrill could kill his mate.
“I’ll put some coffee on.” He went inside and left the door open for her. It was her choice. She could come in or stand out in the cold.
“You’re letting all the warm air out.” She stood on the doorstep looking into his cabin, her eyes resting on the blazing fire that warmed the living room into which the front door led.
“No, you’re letting all the warm air out,” he called from the kitchen. “Shut the door, just pick which side you want to be on.”
“I guess I want to be on the warm side.” She stepped inside and the door closed behind her, her coat rustling as she took it off and hung it on a hook next to his. Then she removed her boots and set them down on the mat.
A smile crossed his lips. His mate was in his house. Even better, his mate was snowed in at his house.
“Here. This will warm you up.” He came into the living room, Gina stood in front of the fire, her hands held out to the flames.
“Thanks.” She accepted the coffee and cupped her hands around it, turning her back to the fire and letting the warmth sweep over her. “I didn’t realize how cold I was until I came into the warm.”
“The cold gets you like that.” Dash sat down in his favorite chair next to the fire, trying to act as if this was like any other day.
It’s not any other day, his other side told him. This is the day we met our mate and here she is marooned with us in our cabin. With no way down off the mountain.
“Do you have any idea how I can contact my sister-in-law?” Gina took a sip of her coffee, her eyes troubled. “You said you might be able to take me into town in your truck.”
“I can try. But first, you need to get warm and I’ll have to go out to the garage and put the snow chains on my truck. We don’t stand a chance of getting into town without them.” He pushed himself out of his chair and went to the window. Cupping his hand against the glass, he looked out. It was doubtful they would make it to town even with the snow chains. The snow would drift, leaving deep pockets in places that would make the journey treacherous. But he’d told Gina he’d try. She was his mate, he couldn’t let her down.
“And there’s no way to get a signal?” She took her phone out of her pocket and held it up. “What if I went upstairs?”
“The signal is weak up here even on a clear day. You can try but I think there’s little chance.”
Gina chewed the inside of her cheek. “Do you mind if I try?”
“No, of course not.” He placed his coffee cup down on the small table next to his favorite chair. “The front bedroom gives the best reception. I’ll show you.”
“Thanks. Sorry to cause you so much trouble.” She set her coffee cup down next to his. “I expect you’ll be extra careful next time you put your phone down on the counter.”
“I will.” He grinned. “I’m sorry I took your phone. I feel like it’s my fault since if I hadn’t picked up your phone by mistake, the guy in the gas station would have put your phone on the back counter and none of this would have happened.”
“I suppose you can’t argue with fate.” She gave him a goofy smile. “If that’s what you want to believe in.”
“That is what I believe in.” He went up the stairs one slow step at a time. Gina followed close behind him. His mind filled with images of leading her by the hand to his bedroom and stripping her clothes off very slowly before kissing every inch of her body. Then he’d make love to her. Slow, passionate love.
“So if this is fate, how do you see it playing out?”
I would not tell her how you are seeing things playing out right now, his reindeer told him with a chuckle. I suspect that might be crossing a line.
“How do I see it playing out?”
“Yes, if this is fate. What is the point in me being here?”
“That’s something we’ll have to figure out together,” he replied evasively.
“Good answer.” She held her phone up high as she followed him into the front bedroom. “You have children?” Her shock was evident. “Oh.” She covered her mouth. “I assumed you lived here alone. Do you have a wife and kids?”
“No.” He shook his head and smoothed his hand over the bedspread. There were two beds, one with pink princess bedding and the other with a race car bedspread. “I have a nephew and niece and they stay over occasionally.”
“Oh.” She looked relieved, which surprised him. If he had a wife and children, she should feel safer staying here. Perhaps she did feel a connection between them after all. “I think I have one bar.”
“Maybe try to send a message.” He hovered by the window, watching the snow drift almost horizontally over the tops of the trees surrounding the cabin.
“Good idea.” She quickly typed out a message and then pressed send. Holding the phone above her head, she walked around the room trying to find that elusive one bar.
“Try standing on the bed.” He reached out a hand for her, she took it and used it to steady herself as she climbed into the bed.
“I think it’s sent.” She held the phone above her head, her hand close to the ceiling for a couple of seconds longer before she checked. “It’s gone.”
“Do you want to wait for a reply?” he asked.
“Why don’t we go down and drink our coffee and then I’ll come back and check.” She climbed down off the bed, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. “Thank you.”
“For taking your phone?” He tugged his mouth up at one corner.
“For being so sweet about the whole thing. Not many people would be so kind and considerate if a stranger got stranded at their house in a snowstorm.”
“I’m not like other people,” he told her simply.
“I can see that.” She cleared her throat and then let go of him and went back downstairs.
He followed, but before he reached the bottom of the staircase, he sensed someone approaching. A couple of reindeer.
Without knocking, the front door flew open and his brother and sister spilled into the cabin. Two stunned faces stared at him and his mate as they reached the living room.
“We were wondering whether you were all right, I’ve been texting and even tried calling,” his sister, Ingrid, accused. “I can see why you didn’t reply.”
“Congratulations,” his brother, Greg, said.
“Congratulations?” Gina glanced at Dash.
“For getting home before the snow,” Dash replied quickly.
If things weren’t complicated enough, his reindeer said, they are about to get worse.
Chapter Four – Gina
> The two people who had just barged into Dash’s house without knocking stared at her as if she were an exhibit in a museum, or maybe a prized painting in a gallery.
Had she misread the situation after all? Had Dash sent a message to these two people to tell them he’d managed to lure a woman here?
“I’m Ingrid.” The woman, dressed in warm clothes that showed no sign of snow, thrust her hand out toward Gina.
“Gina.” Gina took her hand and was instantly pulled into a hug.
“It’s so good to meet you.” Ingrid rubbed her back and held her tightly for a little too long for two people who had only just met.
“And you, too.” She inched herself out of Ingrid’s arms.
“And I am Greg.” Greg held out his hand, thankfully he didn’t grab hold of her and hug her when she shook it. “We are Dash’s brother and sister.”
“And we were worried about you.” Ingrid punched Dash in the arm. “When the snow started, and your phone went straight to voicemail, we were doubly worried.”
“Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to return your text or call.” Both siblings shot a questioning glance at Gina.
“It’s my fault.”
“It’s no one’s fault,” Dash said quickly. “I stopped at the gas station and managed to pick up Gina’s phone instead of my own.”
“And when I realized I’d left my phone at the gas station and went back, the clerk gave me Dash’s phone and I used an app to trace it here. I was just about to leave when the snow started.” Gina shrugged. “I suppose I’m stuck here for now. Dash has kindly offered to let me stay.”
“That’s Dash, a big heart.” Ingrid’s eyes widened as she grinned at Dash, who blushed, a pink tinge covering the bridge of his nose and his cheeks.
“Anyway, we just came to check that everything is all right with you, big brother. We should get going.”
“But you’ve only just gotten here,” Gina replied. “Please, don’t leave on my account.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Wait, how did you get here? By car?” Hope flared in her chest. If Ingrid and Greg had managed to get up the mountain road, maybe she could get a ride back down with them, or even better, follow them down in her car.
“No, we came on foot.” Greg shuffled his feet and inched back toward the door.
“You hiked here through the snow?” Gina didn’t believe them. They were too dry, their clothes showed no sign of prolonged exposure to the extreme weather outside.
“Kind of. Yes.” Ingrid looked equally uncomfortable.
“Coffee?” Dash asked and passed Gina her half-drunk mug of coffee that was now lukewarm.
“Thanks.” She sipped it, all the same, to give herself something to do while she mulled over the situation.
They were lying to her. Either they had driven up by car or truck or else they had been here all along. There was no way they had hiked up here without getting wet in the snow.
“Do you want a cup?” Dash asked his siblings.
“Yes, please. One quick cup and then we have to get back. Philip is taking care of the children. They are excited enough this time of year without the snow getting them even more excited. They won’t sleep tonight if they don’t calm down before bedtime.” She accepted a cup of coffee from Dash. “They want to go out and build a snowman in their pajamas. Honestly, they have no patience, I told them the snow would still be there in the morning.”
“Can’t you remember being that age?” Greg asked. “The first snowfall of the year always sent us into a frenzy. And this close to Christmas, too.”
“Don’t remind me. They’ll be exhausted before Christmas gets here.” Her expression lightened. “Maybe they won’t get up at five o’clock on Christmas morning if they are tired.”
“My nephew is just the same,” Gina warmed to Ingrid, she seemed like any other mother with two young children. “If I can’t get out of town, I’m not going to be there to see it this year.”
“Oh, is that where you were traveling to?” Ingrid asked.
“Yes, my brother is stranded at the airport. He’s been frantically trying to arrange a flight home after his was canceled, but everyone’s trying to get home for Christmas and it’s impossible to get a flight.” She forced back the tears that pricked her eyes. She hated crying in front of strangers. “He called and asked me if I could spend Christmas with his wife and son. Just so they’re not on their own. I dropped everything and got in the car.”
“That’s incredibly selfless of you. Didn’t you have plans of your own for Christmas?” Ingrid teared up but blinked the tears away as she waited for Gina’s reply.
“Not really. At least nothing that I couldn’t pull out of. I’d planned to do some volunteer work at the local shelter. Aside from that I had some work I need to finish, but I can do that from anywhere so I packed up my laptop and as long as I have my phone, my office is portable.”
“Why weren’t you spending Christmas with your brother and his family anyway?” Greg asked bluntly.
“My brother has been working for a couple of months. They had invited me to spend Christmas with them, but I thought they might need some time alone as a family.” Saying she was busy and couldn’t make the journey had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Christmas on your own was no Christmas at all, but she honestly believed that they deserved the time alone as a family. Not that she wouldn’t have been welcome. They loved her and she loved them. That’s what made the decision easier. Gina did what was best for her brother and his family, not for herself.
“That must be tough, being away from your wife and child for so long.” Ingrid shuddered at the thought.
“The pay was good. The extra money would pay down their debts and make life easier. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the ones you love.” Gina defended her brother’s actions. He’d made the right decision even though the time spent apart had been tough on them all. Andy’s wife, Lynette, had called Gina a couple of times late at night. She’d cried over the phone, telling Gina how much she missed Andy to get it out of her system before she spoke to her husband. Lynette backed her husband’s decision to work one hundred percent but that didn’t mean she wasn’t incredibly lonely without him there. She just didn’t want Andy to worry. She wanted to save him the added guilt.
Gina loved her brother’s family. They had supported her so much when her own relationship soured, and she ended her engagement to the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. She still hadn’t gotten over it, she’d been with Jason for five years, built a life with him, built dreams around him. Dreams of a house and kids, the works. But on a vacation to the Maldives last summer, he’d dropped the bombshell that he’d changed his mind and didn’t want children. They would get in the way of the fabulous life they could share together.
When they got back from vacation, she’d visited Andy and talked her future over with her brother and Lynette. Over a long, tearful weekend, she’d realized that she wanted kids more than a fabulous life. When she arrived back at the apartment they shared, she’d given him back his ring and ended the relationship.
Jason didn’t seem to care, that was the part that tore her up inside. He took back the ring and moved on with his life. She heard rumors that he began dating within a week of their breakup, whereas Gina was left licking her wounds, and that cut deep.
Andy and Lynette had been at the end of the phone every time she needed to talk or cry. They were the perfect couple, with the kind of relationship Gina longed for.
Unfortunately, she’d come to the sad conclusion she’d never meet the right man and time, and her biological clock, was ticking. Lately, she’d buried herself in work as a way to patch over her longing for a child of her own, a man of her own. Her plan to build a nice big nest egg would free up her time so that in the next couple of years if she was still single, she could look at adopting a child in need. Being a single parent wasn’t ideal but there were children in the world who would be happy to have one parent rather than none at
all.
“You’re totally right.” Ingrid reached out and touched Gina’s upper arm. “What’s life without family and friends surrounding us? People we love and would be willing to lay down our lives for.” She glanced at her two brothers. “I’m lucky I have a mate who would do just that, but I also have two brothers who would be there for me and my family whenever I need them.”
“You know we love those children of yours as if they were our own.” Greg drained his coffee and placed the empty cup on the drainer. “We should go, and check if Philip is okay. He might have been dragged out into the snow to make a snowman. Or maybe they have used him as target practice for their snowballs.”
“Oh, don’t say that. Now I’m worried.” Ingrid put her cup on the drainer, too. “Give me a big brotherly hug.” She flung her arms around Dash who hugged her right back. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“We will. Safe journey home.”
“We’ll be fine.” Ingrid let go of her brother and took hold of Gina’s hand. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Gina. We’re going to be great friends.”
“It’s good to meet you.” Gina frowned, unsure how to respond to Ingrid’s comment about their friendship. As soon as the snow eased, she needed to leave Wishing Moon Bay and she doubted she’d be visiting any time soon.
“Have fun.” She waved as she followed Greg to the front door.
“How exactly are they getting back to town?” Gina asked Dash.
“They’ll...hike.” His answer lacked confidence and once more Gina figured he was keeping something from her or at least not telling her the whole truth.
“Hike, in this snow?” She went to the front door and watched the brother and sister as they stepped down off the porch and were swallowed up in the snowstorm.
“They’ll be fine,” he assured her, his hand on the front door as he stood behind her. “They’re experienced in this weather.”
Perhaps she should have gone with them. Surely it was safer than being stuck here alone in a cabin with a man she didn’t know. Yet when Dash stood so close, she could feel the heat from his body covering her, cocooning her, and she realized she’d never felt so safe and secure in her life. There was something about him. Something she craved.
Dashing Home for Chrstmas Page 3
