Katie’s eyes popped open.
Alex lay facing her, one arm under his pillow, the other over her waist. His face, relaxed and gorgeous, sent her heart into somersaults. She took a moment and enjoyed the view of his tousled hair and perfectly shaped mouth. During the day, she tried not to stare at him in case he caught her, but like this—ah. The way that man kissed! She smiled, remembering their marathon make-out session, and wiggled her toes.
She heard a noise. It sounded like a car door slamming. Oh my god! Were they getting rescued? She sat up and Alex’s arm slid onto her bare legs. Was it the owners? She glanced around at the empty bottles, chocolate wrappers, and dishes from their Christmas Eve party. Instead of stockings over the fire, stray clothes were draped and drying over chairs. They’d sort of trashed the place.
“Alex. Somebody’s here.” She nudged him.
He stirred. “What?”
Someone knocked on the cabin door. She startled.
“Wake up!” She shook Alex again. Suddenly, the door opened and a young guy entered. He wore a knit hat, a thick coat and no gloves.
“Hello? Anybody here?” His eyes scanned the cabin and immediately landed on Katie, the pull-out bed, and Alex’s back. “Oh.” He averted his eyes. “I’m sorry to intrude. I’m trying to find my…”
“Jason?” Alex rolled over and sat up, immediately awake.
The young guy broke into a huge grin. “Alex! You son of a bitch!” He stomped the snow off his boots and crossed the room. Alex, wearing nothing more than plaid boxers, met Jason halfway. They exchanged a bear hug and pounded each other on the back.
Katie stared at Alex’s long legs, lean waist and muscled chest. She couldn’t believe she’d snuggled against him all night. She smoothed her t-shirt and wished she hadn’t slipped off her sweat pants last night when she got too warm. Alex’s body radiated heat like a furnace. What would his brother think of her?
“Why am I not surprised it’s you that showed up?” Alex asked. Both men grinned, and Katie saw the brotherly resemblance.
“New tires, a snow plow and the biggest blizzard in years, how could it not be me? Plus, watching mom bite her nails and try not to cry put a damper on the holidays. You really screwed up Christmas.”
“Sorry about that.” Alex scratched his head, mussing his hair more. “Oh shoot. I’m sorry. Katie, this is my brother, Jason. I told you he loves to play in the snow.”
“Hi,” she said, embarrassed to be found in bed his brother. Her head throbbed, and she knew she looked like hell. She certainly felt like it.
“Hi,” he said.
She noticed that Jason fought back a grin as he took in the disarray of the room. It looked like they did a lot more than they should have.
Jason turned to his brother. “Alex, I should warn you—”
Alex interrupted before his brother could finish. “Jason, Katie made the most amazing meal last night.”
“Alex.” Jason started again, with a concerned expression.
“You wouldn’t believe what she can cook over a fire.”
“Alex!” Jason snapped loudly to get his attention.
“What?” he answered, distracted.
“I didn’t come alone,” he said in a quiet voice and tilted his head toward the door.
“Oh,” Alex said. “Oh!” His eyes bugged out and he turned to Katie with a pained expression.
What? She wished she could read his mind.
The door opened and a whip of a girl appeared. Dressed in a white jacket with a fur-lined hood, she could have modeled in an ad for the Ugg boots she wore. Silky blond hair, pink glossy lips and long, dark lashes framed her doe eyes.
Trina.
Katie stared, dumbstruck, at this tiny cream puff who’d invaded her secret, snowed-over holiday.
“Alex! Oh my god!” She launched herself unexpectedly into his arms. “Oh, baby. I was super worried. You have no idea. Last night I almost didn’t open my Christmas gifts because I was so upset.” She hugged and kissed him repeatedly, while he tried to hold her off.
Katie wanted to evaporate into thin air, but couldn’t pry her eyes off of Alex and the white tornado wrapped around him.
He held Trina stiffly and set her on her feet. He wiped his mouth and glared at his brother.
Jason shrugged. “When she heard I was heading out at daybreak to search for you, she insisted on coming. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. You know how it is.”
“I was so scared. I cried all night,” Trina exclaimed.
Katie doubted it, based on Trina’s bright eyes and porcelain complexion.
Alex peeled Trina’s arms from his waist, but she clung to his arm. He glanced at Katie, clearly embarrassed. Katie averted her eyes and grabbed her jeans off the nearby chair. Would she ever get the image of sexy Alex, dressed in his underwear and the highly polished Trina, out of her mind? Why did Trina have to be here?
“How’d you find us?” Alex asked Jason.
“The police called last night when they found your truck in the river. You sure know how to freak people out.”
“You should have been in the truck. That wasn’t exactly a sleigh ride, was it?” Alex turned to Katie.
Katie glanced at him as she pulled her jeans over her hips. Trina finally noticed her for the first time and startled, as if Katie were a bulging pimple on the end of her nose. “Who are you?” she said.
“Trina, this is Katie. I was giving her a ride to her mom’s for Christmas.”
Trina’s eyes traveled over Katie’s unkempt appearance, making her feel more uncomfortable than if a bunch of drunk frat boys had ogled her. “You said you were giving a friend a ride. You never said it was a girl!”
Trina noticed the tangle of blankets on the sofa bed. She looked from Katie, now buttoning her jeans, to Alex, in his boxers. “You slept with her!”
“It’s not like that.” His expressive eyes went straight to Katie. Katie saw so much in their conflicted depths. Was it guilt, regret or plain old embarrassment at getting caught this way?
“You cheated on me?” Trina asked, her face awash with shock.
“No, and it wouldn’t be cheating on you, anyway, would it?” he asked, pointedly.
Ignoring his comment, Trina perused the remains of their little party. She frowned at the empty wine bottles, then poked her French-manicured fingernail at the silver wrapping paper and the empty chocolate wrappers. Katie didn’t want Trina near their stuff, where she could soil the memories of their special night.
Trina’s lower lip protruded into a pink, glossy pout. “You bought me chocolates and then let her eat them?”
Alex rolled his eyes. “No. Not everything is about you, Trina. Katie brought them and shared them with me.”
Trina emitted a small huff. She reached to pick up Katie’s cinnamon candle, burned halfway down the jar.
“That’s mine, too.” Despite the fact Katie looked like a homeless person and probably smelled like one too, she scooped up the candle. She wasn’t about to let this spoiled, Kardashian wanna-be touch her gift from Alex. And what was with all the make-up? They were in podunk northern Wisconsin for Pete’s sake, not at an L.A. movie premier.
“Doesn’t look like you were suffering very much,” Trina whined. “I imagined you huddling in a cave somewhere, alone. Looks like I missed out on a really good time. How could you?”
“Trina, lay off,” Alex said.
The temperature in the cabin turned glacial and it wasn’t because the fire had burned out in the wee hours of the morning. Katie crossed her arms and chewed on her lip. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Okay, not true. She’d fallen for Alex when he still officially belonged to this snotty beyotch.
“What? I’m just saying… I don’t think you were exactly suffering. I can’t believe I lost sleep over you, while the entire time you were whoring around with this…” Trina sneered at Katie. “…this, person. I don’t even get what you see in her.”
“Trina! Enough!” Alex yelled, and Tri
na actually shut up, but she still glared at Katie. Alex frowned and shook his head.
Katie avoided Trina’s stare and glanced around the cabin, her eyes settling on Alex and then his brother.
“Well, do you guys want to stay here all day or do you want to go home?” Jason asked.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Alex said, with the first note of optimism since Trina walked in.
“Yeah, the sooner the better,” Katie mumbled.
Trina plopped onto a chair near Alex and watched Katie’s every move. Alex shook his head. “Trina, why don’t you wait in the truck?”
“No, I think I’ll stay here.” She gave him an icy glare and returned her eyes to Katie.
“I’m sure Katie would like to get dressed without you.”
“But you’re staying. I don’t trust her,” she whispered loud enough that Katie could hear.
“For crying out loud, Trina, get in the damn truck! You’re acting like a two-year-old.” Alex grabbed the arm of her coat and pulled her to her feet.
Jason stepped forward. “Come on, Trina. Let’s wait in the truck where it’s warm. I’ve got to radio in that we found them.”
Trina stomped her designer boot-covered feet out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her.
“Wow, she’s a real treat,” Katie said. For a girl who tricked her boyfriend into marriage, she still acted like she owned the guy. If what Alex said was true, he’d been trying to break it off with her and she wouldn’t let him go.
“I told you.” Alex rubbed his hand over his face.
“You need a hand? Otherwise, I’ll be in the truck,” Jason said, his hand on the door.
“Can you get a message to my mom for me?” Katie asked.
“That’s why I’m radioing in. Cell phone service here is spotty at best. Your mom reported you missing the night before last and said you were riding with someone named Alex. The cops put it together, and my parents and your mom have been in touch. She knows we’re all out searching.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” At least that was one bright spot in this mess.
“No problem.” Jason gave Katie a warm smile, which was a nice change after Trina, the pint-size, arrogant snit.
Jason left them alone in the chilly cabin. Katie sighed in relief. What a way to wake up. She longed for a couple pain relievers and a gallon of water.
“Merry Christmas.” Alex grimaced.
She gave him a reluctant smile. “Merry Christmas.” She slipped into the bathroom and finished changing. When she came out, Alex had dressed in his jeans and pulled his sweatshirt back on. He was folding the sofa bed back into the couch.
“Let me help you.” She put the cushions back in place and folded a blanket.
“I know things are really messed up right now with Trina and everything, but I really enjoyed spending time with you.” Alex looked so earnest as he rolled a sheet into an unruly clump.
“So did I.” All Katie could think about was the hours she’d spent in his arms, making out in front of the crackling fire.
“I’m sorry Trina was so…”
“Bitchy?” she offered. Despite Trina’s little performance, it was clear she didn’t care about anyone other than herself.
He laughed. “Yeah, that’s about right. She had no right to talk to you that way.”
“That’s okay. She’s nothing to me. I’m glad you’ve figured her out and aren’t going to marry her. You’d be very unhappy.” Katie prayed he still planned to break it off.
“I dodged a bullet with her. That’s for sure.”
“When are you going to do it? Break up?”
“As soon as possible. Not at my place with my family. I need to go to her place where her parents will be there to pick up the pieces. She tends to be high drama.”
“Gee, I didn’t notice.”
They picked up the dishes and empty bottles. “I feel terrible about leaving behind a mess. I wish we could do something about the broken window and all the stuff we ate.”
“Don’t worry. My dad will call it in to the cops, and we’ll figure out whose place it is and let them know. Dad will probably be over here tomorrow installing a new window.”
“What about your truck? I forgot all about it. I hope it’s okay.”
“If it’s still there, I’ll have it towed out. Hopefully it didn’t suffer too much damage.”
“This has been quite the Christmas. And to think how mad I was about having to come up north. If I hadn’t, I never would have met you.”
“I’m glad you did.”
They gathered up their bags, her candle tucked safely in her backpack. It was Katie’s only proof of her time with Alex. He hadn’t said anything about seeing her again. She heaved her pack over her shoulder and pasted a smile on her face. “Well, I think that’s it.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ve got everything.” His eyes turned thoughtful. “You know, maybe after…”
A loud blast of the truck horn sounded.
Her heart dropped. She wanted him to finish his sentence, but he didn’t. “I guess Jason’s ready.”
“No. That was Trina.”
“Ah.”
“I guess we better go.”
She grabbed her remaining bag. At the door, Alex paused with his hand on the knob. He seemed about to speak, but another blast from the truck sounded. He opened the door. Katie passed inches from him, more aware of him than ever before, his scent, the angle of his jaw, and his mussed hair.
She crossed the threshold, then glanced back one final time. When she thought of Christmas, she’d always remember their time here.
Katie turned and entered the chill reality of a new day.
Chapter 14
Alex smiled in satisfaction as Katie’s mom hugged her tight. She’d run outside without a coat the moment Jason pulled up in his truck.
“Thank God, you’re safe,” she said.
Katie didn’t pull away. Alex was glad to see them together and happy. Her younger sister hugged Katie from the side while Not the Boyfriend stood by looking pleased.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m here.” Katie patted her mother’s back.
Her mom stood back and held Katie’s face. “You have no idea how terrified I was. Seriously. I swear I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” She pulled Katie into another bear hug.
Alex waited silently, his brother at his side, while Trina sulked in the truck. Thank God she didn’t get out to meet everyone. After her obnoxious behavior during the ride over, he wanted to throttle her. During the trip to drop Katie off, Trina insisted on sitting on his lap in the crowded truck cab. She kept glaring at Katie. He couldn’t get her off his lap fast enough.
Katie’s mom finally released her. Katie turned, and with a sweet smile Alex liked to think Katie reserved only for him, said, “Mom, this is Alex Walker. If he hadn’t found that cabin, I don’t know what would have happened. And this is his brother, Jason.”
“Thank you so much for taking care of Katie. Is it okay if I hug you? I’m a hugger, and I’m thankful to have her back.”
“Sure.” Alex smiled and received her embrace. Katie rolled her eyes. He winked at her. What would he do when Katie wasn’t around?
Her mom released him. “Would you kids like to come in for some hot chocolate or something to eat?” She looked to Not the Boyfriend as if wanting approval.
“Absolutely. We’d like to hear all about your adventure,” Tom said.
“Thank you, but my parents are waiting and we need to get back,” Alex said, wishing he had more time with Katie.
“Of course. I’m sure they’ve worried sick and it’s Christmas,” Katie’s mom said.
He longed for a private moment with Katie but knew it wouldn’t happen. Everyone watched them, especially Trina.
“I guess we should get going,” Jason prompted.
Alex wanted to tell Katie how the last two days had been the time of his life and that he would never forget their Christmas Eve. But he co
uldn’t put any of it into words. Would it be okay to hug her goodbye? It seemed too forward, even though her mom had hugged him.
Instead of speaking from his heart, he blurted, “Once we get my truck towed out of the river, I’ll bring you your duffle bag and whatever else you left.”
“Thanks. That’d be great.” Katie’s eyes searched his, but he knew a simple look couldn’t convey his feelings.
“Drive careful,” Tom said, shaking hands with Jason and then Alex. Katie’s mom stood shivering in the cold, her arms folded across her chest to stay warm.
“I guess we’ll be going then.” He nodded to Katie. Her eyes looked troubled. What did she want to say to him? Was she glad to be rid of him? Probably. Especially after Trina’s behavior.
He climbed into the truck. Jason backed out of the narrow driveway. Snow was piled high on both sides. Katie’s mother led her into the warmth of the log home. His heart twisted as she disappeared from sight. Alex’s reality sat next to him, her perfume choking away his breath.
~ ~ ~
After a long hot shower, some aspirin, and a nap, Katie felt human again. Wearing her sixteen-year-old sister’s jeans and a hoodie, she joined her mom and sister at the dining room table in Not the Boyfriend’s massive cabin. He seemed nice enough, but his taste in decorating was a bit on the wild side for her tastes.
A deer head with a huge rack of antlers adorned the space over the massive fireplace. Another deer head hung in the entryway. Taxidermy fish, various birds, and a fox were mounted throughout the spacious cabin. Worse, they all seemed to be watching her.
Her mom set a bowl of steaming vegetables on the table among the other dishes. Katie didn’t recognize them. “What’s that? It doesn’t look like potatoes.”
“They’re root vegetables: rutabaga, parsnip, and beets. Try them; they’re good.” Her mom sat, reached for Katie’s hand, and gave it a squeeze. “I can’t believe all that you’ve been through. It’s a miracle the two of you are okay. And Alex, what a resourceful young man.”
Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella) Page 9
