Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Find your Bliss with these great releases… Claiming the Doctor’s Heart
The Mistletoe Trap
The Kiss List
More than Friends
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Victoria James. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
10940 S Parker Rd
Suite 327
Parker, CO 80134
[email protected]
Bliss is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Edited by Heather Howland
Cover design by Bree Archer
Cover photography by Georgijevic, standret, Karvas, and Marseas/Getty Images
ISBN 978-1-64937-082-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition November 2020
Dear Reader,
Thank you for supporting a small publisher! Entangled prides itself on bringing you the highest quality romance you’ve come to expect, and we couldn’t do it without your continued support. We love romance, and we hope this book leaves you with a smile on your face and joy in your heart.
xoxo
Liz Pelletier, Publisher
Chapter One
It was the cutest, most cheerful-looking little cabin Melody Mayberry had ever seen.
She hated it instantly.
It was exactly the opposite of how she was feeling right now. And, okay, maybe she didn’t hate it. It was just so…happy, and she was the furthest she’d ever been from happy. Had she ever been happy? That was the question. Maybe she’d spent her life chasing someone else’s version of happiness, and when that all came crashing down, she’d been left with nothing.
Which was why she was here, staring at a cabin, with no idea what she was supposed to do with her life now that her career at the hospital, the only thing she’d prided herself on, had just gone up in flames.
She clutched the steering wheel tightly even though she wasn’t driving and the ignition was already off. Deep breaths. She needed to take deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she forced her grip to relax and counted to ten. When she opened her eyes again, it was with a determination to be positive. People were happy at Christmas, right? Or was that statistic that people were really depressed during the holidays?
Get it together, Melody.
She peered through the snowy windshield of her car again. The house in the middle-of-nowhere Montana was straight off the Country Living Instagram feed. It was just as adorable as her sister, Molly, and brother-in-law, Ben, who owned this red cabin. The front porch, with its perfectly stacked logs of wood and a stone chimney, which promised long nights with wine by a roaring fire, almost made her want to believe in the magic of a season that had lost its wonder these last few years.
Molly and Ben had probably enjoyed long nights together by the fire. Her youngest sister, Addie, and Addie’s new husband Drew and his daughter had also probably enjoyed hot chocolate and marshmallows in front of the cozy fireplace.
She, on the other hand, would not be enjoying long nights or even short nights with anyone. That was fine. She’d never wanted a relationship anyway. There wasn’t time for that. Especially not now. She was here to be away from people.
She glanced over at her phone as it vibrated on the passenger seat. Are you there yet? Text when you’re there.
Sighing out loud in the car, she picked up her phone and texted Molly back. Sitting in the driveway. This is the cutest-looking place ever. Thanks again for letting me stay here. See you soon, xo.
She loved her sister and brother-in-law. Molly and Ben were even cuter than this cabin, actually. Molly was a doctor; Ben was a firefighter. They were…the perfect couple. She was the one with the problem, not them. And no one in her family knew just how badly she was struggling right now. She was a master at hiding her emotions, even from herself. They knew what had happened at the hospital, but she had reassured everyone she was fine and just needed a vacation because she never took them. All true. Except the part about being fine.
Maybe in her short career she’d been blessed. Or lucky. Maybe that was why she’d never had anything go really wrong during a delivery. She knew the statistics. She knew this happened. She had just never counted on how losing a baby during a delivery would feel, how it would make her question every single decision she’d made that night, how it would haunt her.
Or that she would never forgive herself.
But she was going to sort herself out here…in the middle of nowhere, hours away from Shadow Creek, in blissful solitude. Then, in one month, when Christmas and New Year’s were over, she was going to go home, resign her role as an OB/GYN at the Shadow Creek Hospital, and go back to being her old self. Before her biggest screw-up and most devastating night of her career. Right.
She glanced over at her pile of comfort groceries and forced a smile. She could do this. She could take a whole month and not work. It had never been done in the history of Melody. Ever. Even as a child, she was always studying, always trying to get ahead and earn her mother’s approval. But that’s what growth was about, right?
She swallowed down the self-loathing as she remembered what an awful person she used to be. Maybe she deserved all this misery. It was the universe’s way of telling her she’d never be like her amazing sisters. Her mom was really good at reminding her of the fact.
She buttoned up her coat and slipped on her gloves, pushing aside those thoughts. She was also going to work on her stress while she was here, starting with downloading a yoga app. Her muscles were so tight, they felt like they might snap in the cold.
As she opened the door, a gust of bitter wind hit her face along with a blast of icy snow. After gathering her purse, suitcase, giant bag of pity-party food, and extra-large fully loaded Luigi’s pizza, she trudged up the walkway, barely managing to hold it all. She was grateful the porch light had been left on. She dumped everything—except the pizza, she was guarding that with her life—on the adorable front mat featuring a vintage red pickup truck with a Christmas tree sticking out of the back and a dog in the driver’s seat. The scent of cedar from the fresh wreath on the red door teased her nose and almost made her wish she was happy for the holidays.
Finally finding the front door key they’d given her, she managed to juggle all her belongings over the threshold and into the semi-dark house.
She placed her bag of groceries on the large island with a thud and immediately tensed.
Movement sounded behind her.
She spun around just as a man’s silhouette emerged from the dark hallway. Shrieking, she dropped the pizza and made for the door.
“Melody?”
She froze. I know that voice…
The light flicked on, and Ben’s brother Finn stood there, wearing nothing but a pair of navy and white striped boxers and a frown. Sensory overload. She hadn’t seen Finn in…forever. He had changed since she’d last seen him. He was thinner maybe, making every hard ounce of muscle more clearly defined. He also had a beard, and it seemed so strange on him…not that he didn’t look good. He looked…scruffy, disheveled, in a way that was oddly appealing to her. Finn was a guy who’d always made her heart race, and that hadn’t changed. His brown eyes weren’t sparkling like she remembered, and his dark brown hair was longer.
He’d been through a hard year himself. After getting injured on the job as a firefighter, he’d been forced to take an indefinite leave of absence until he was fully healed. He’d been in the ICU for a long time, and for a while, no one knew if he’d pull through. Her heart squeezed as he walked forward, his limp obvious.
Ben and Finn had always been the kind of guys who would stand out in a crowd…or downtown Shadow Creek when she asked him to prom. She’d had such a huge crush on him, but there was no way a boy like Finn Matthews would ever ask her. So she decided to suck up the courage and ask him herself, if only to prove to her mom that she could find a date just as easily as Molly, her beautiful sister, who was already madly in love with Ben.
She’d never live down the humiliation of falling on her ass in front of him, her mother, and half the town when he turned her down outside of Luigi’s Pizza in downtown Shadow Creek.
Ever since then, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him. He never mentioned it and was always overly polite to her—the kind of polite a person was when they felt bad for the other person. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. They never would have worked out. She’d been ridiculous and insecure and desperate. She was an adult now. She only had half the issues she used to have.
“I, uh, wasn’t expecting you,” he said, glancing over her shoulder. “Are you by yourself or is the entire family going to burst through the door behind you?”
She was slightly relieved that he seemed to find “just her” more palatable than the entire crew. But why was he even here? “Just me. And pizza.”
He ran a hand over his jaw, his eyes traveling from her to the box on the ground. “We need to save that pizza. I haven’t had Luigi’s in months.”
Of course he was happier about the locally famous pizza than he was about her impromptu arrival. Maybe he really wasn’t expecting her up here at all, and not just at this hour of the night. She certainly hadn’t been expecting him. She crouched down and picked it up, placing the closed box on the counter. “Right. Well, help yourself. I’m pretty sure it’s ruined.”
“Uh, Luigi’s is never ruined. I can peel the cheese off the lid if necessary.”
He walked toward the kitchen, and her mouth went dry because, despite the limp, the beard, and the shaggy hair, Finn was still the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen. The beard made him look serious. Like, so different from Ben’s younger, easier-going, life-of-the-party brother. So different from the guy who had said no to taking her to prom. Not that she actually remembered that day or thought about it. Ever. Once in a while. Maybe a little more now that she’d moved back to Shadow Creek.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to eat your entire pizza. Maybe just a slice. This extra-large size is hardly big enough to share.”
She flushed and forced a laugh, like this was all normal and that the threat he posed to her pizza was why she’d been ogling him. “That’s funny.”
He blinked. “I wasn’t joking.”
He thought she was going to eat a fully loaded, party-sized pizza by herself. She had no idea what that said about either of them. “There’s plenty. Trust me. Also…um, what are you doing up here? Mol made it sound like I’d have the place to myself.”
Something flashed across his brown eyes. “Same here. I had no idea you were coming up. Molly and Ben were just here last weekend and didn’t mention it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, causing ripples of muscles to be highlighted. He was clearly comfortable standing in the middle of the room in only his underwear. She was the only one having issues with him standing there like that.
“It was sort of a last-minute decision.” More like a last-minute plea for help because she’d basically been told to go on a vacation for a month by her boss. She just wasn’t sure how to take a vacation. And vacation implied that she was supposed to enjoy herself, which she was definitely not good at. She hadn’t been about to waste money on a trip somewhere just to not have fun, so when Molly offered this place, she’d readily agreed.
“Oh, well, uh, I can just stay out of your way,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, no, that’s okay. I’ll sleep here tonight and then head back to Shadow Creek tomorrow.” She would not subject another person to her junk food–infused pity party of misery.
He shrugged, and she forced herself to keep her eyes on his and not the muscles that moved. Clearly, she was nearing some kind of breaking point. One night sharing a cute cabin with Finn was fine. He couldn’t possibly remember the time she’d asked him to prom. That was over ten years ago. She still remembered it like it was yesterday, unfortunately. He looked just as non-plussed by her now as he did then.
“All right, no big deal. There’s like a thousand bedrooms here, so pick whichever one you want. Have a good night,” he said, turning toward the hallway.
Her heart sank a little. It’s not that she expected them to have a conversation or that he’d be happy she was here, but…their siblings were married and about to have a baby. They were practically family, and Finn talked to everyone. Everyone loved Finn.
She unloaded her groceries, a wave of sadness washing over her as he walked away. Was she lonely? She was never lonely. She didn’t need people at all. She never had. Maybe it was all this holiday stuff and seeing both her sisters happily married. So happily married. And she was…nothing right now. “Sure, good night. I’ll put the pizza leftovers in the fridge,” she said, calling after him.
He paused and then turned around. She ignored the slight fluttering in her stomach. Maybe he’d stick around and talk. “Do you need help with your bags or anything?”
Her heart sank. He’d asked with the politeness that had been instilled in him and nothing more. Not an ounce of friendliness. He actually sounded even more miserable than her. She shook her head. “Nope. I’m good. Thanks.”
He gave her a nod and proceeded to walk down the hall with that limp that reminded her that he was going through his own crap. The last update from Molly regarding his health was that it was still unknown if he’d be cleared to be a firefighter again, but that he was doing great otherwise. Maybe that’s why he was still hiding out here. Her heart squeezed as she thought of how close he’d been to losing his life and his leg.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled off her coat and turned on the lamp beside the front door. She quickly surveyed the small cabin. If she were in the mood to appreciate anything, this would have been it. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace dominated the small area, and the red overstuffed sofas were cheerful and filled with various Christmas pillows. Candles were arranged on a tray on the ottoman coffee table, and Buffalo Plaid throw blankets sat on the armrests and in a basket beside the lone armchair. It was a spread straight from the Pottery Barn catalogue.
She let out a sigh and turned to the kitchen. White cabinets with mouldings and trim that gave it a farmhouse feel graced the other side of the space, and a small white table was tucked into a corner complete with a window seat and view of the front yard. It reeked of happy people. Molly and Ben were happy people. They deserved all of this.
Speaking of Molly and Ben, she pulled her phone out of her purse and texted her sister. She couldn’t get angry with her. She could never get angry with Molly becau
se Melody had been a horrible sister, and she basically now had to spend the rest of her life making it up to her.
Just walked into the cabin. It’s so cute. Thanks again for letting me stay here. Um, why is Finn here?
She put the phone down on the stone counter and proceeded to gather all the items that needed to go into the fridge. Opening the fridge, she was relieved to see that there was a jug of filtered water, jars of supplements and protein powder…and beer. No wonder Finn was so excited to see the pizza. She ran over to her phone when it vibrated on the counter a minute later.
Oh, glad you like it! I totally forgot to mention that Finn is staying there indefinitely. But don’t worry, he’s really great!
She chewed her lower lip, dying to call Molly out because there was no way that she would have forgotten to tell her that Finn was here. Leaning against the counter, she stared at the screen, wondering why her sister would have lied about this. It couldn’t be because she was trying to set her up with him, could it? Molly wouldn’t do that. And besides, she had never hinted that she was remotely interested in Finn. She’d never told her sisters about that prom invitation.
She didn’t want to upset her, and Molly was almost eight months pregnant. The last thing she needed was stress. Ben was stressed enough for all of them. That was kind of cute. Really, the man was a dream.
“Ben claims he had no idea you were coming up here.”
Melody jumped at the sound of Finn’s voice again. She turned around to find him standing in front of the fridge, faintly disappointed he was now wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Ratty jeans. Worn T-shirt. Beard and shaggy hair. Who would have ever guessed this would be a look she’d find herself into? She straightened her shoulders, the realization that he’d texted Ben about her mildly alarming. He obviously wasn’t happy she was here.
She shook her head. “Don’t worry. Seriously. I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow. It will be like I was never here. Then you can get back to your…manly retreat,” she said, scrambling for words suddenly. She was never at a loss for words. But this last year had been a nightmare and had rattled her self-confidence more than she realized. Until it was too late.
Snowed in with the Firefighter (Shadow Creek, Montana) Page 1
