A Quiet Christmas Alone...Kinda (Blushing Books 12 Days of Christmas 4) Read online

  She seemed to have slowed a little in her hand-warming efforts, so he put the hood down. “Okay, let’s see if it starts now.” He tried it, and after a few pulls, it started. “Okay, there you go. If you follow me up I’ll know for sure you made it to your cabin.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said.

  “Yes, I do. I want to be sure you make it safely. Kenny’s snowmobile hasn’t been run in close to a year. I don’t want you getting stranded out there without proper winter apparel.”

  Lucy stood there with her hands still cupped, breathing into them in an attempt to warm them up. She stopped at his words and put her hands on her hips. “My winter apparel is fine.”

  “So you don’t want these,” he asked, pulling her gloves out of his pocket.

  “Of course not,” she insisted. “I don’t need them.”

  “Stubborn woman,” he mumbled. “Let’s get back to your cabin. Last chance; do you want these gloves?”

  “I said I’m fine. I never wear them.”

  “Well, you should, especially if you’re going to be running a snowmobile. Your hands will get cold.”

  She pushed past him, ignoring his offer of her gloves, and got on the running snowmobile and took off.

  “Damn stubborn woman,” he grumbled, hurrying to get his machine started and turned around. He wasn’t a bit happy with her at the moment. Not only was the stubborn lady refusing to wear gloves, which she should have on in this weather, but she was running the snowmobile entirely too fast for a machine she was unfamiliar with in an area that was obviously new to her. He hurried to get caught up with her.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t take long. Not too far up the path he found her lying in the snow, the snowmobile on its side not too far away. He pulled up close, jumped off and ran to her. “Lucy, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she spat out. “I must have hit something that was hidden by the snow.”

  “Which is why you should never go as fast as you were going,” he told her.

  “But you didn’t hit anything coming down here,” she complained.

  “I followed a path I’m familiar with. You veered off the path I took.”

  “I did?” Todd could tell she wasn’t aware of that until he mentioned it. “Well, it started snowing, and the wind is blowing, so I couldn’t see the tracks coming down here,” she said in her defense.

  “Which is why I offered to lead the way,” he said calmly. “Let’s get you up out of that snow. Are you hurt anywhere?” He was at her side, feeling her arms and legs for any injuries.

  “Of course not.” She started to get her feet underneath her to stand, but he seemingly effortlessly reached down and lifted her, standing her on her feet, and holding on until he was sure she was steady.

  “Do you hurt anywhere?”

  Stunned at the ease with which he’d lifted her to her feet, she shook her head. “No.”

  He tentatively let go of her, and when he was sure she was okay, he went to the snowmobile and righted it. It had stalled out, so he started it again to be sure it was running okay before turning to her. “Do you feel up to taking this back to your cabin?”

  Lucy was beginning to feel guilty, which was not something she was used to feeling. He had been nothing but kind and generous to her, and continued to be, even though she knew she had been treating him badly, yet again. “Yes, I’m fine,” she answered meekly. “Todd, I’m sorry.”

  “We’ll talk when we get to your cabin. It’s cold out here, and I want to get you home and warmed up. Here, put these on.” He handed her the gloves he had in his pocket, and wrapped his scarf around her neck and ears. She started to take it off, but seeing the look on his face, she left it alone. “Thank you,” he said simply. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll lead, and get us back on the path. If you need me to stop, yell. If I don’t hear you, watch me. I’ll look back every so often, and if you need to stop, wave at me. Okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  To her surprise, he smiled at her. “Good.” He moved his snowmobile in front of hers and waited until she signaled her readiness, then started on up the hill, at a much slower rate than she’d been going.

  They got to her cabin fifteen minutes later. As soon as they were inside, he hung his coat on a rack by the door, took his boots off, and went to her fireplace. He stoked the fire, adding wood to get it burning better. She took her coat and boots off and joined him, standing in front of the fire. They stood side by side for several minutes, neither saying a word. She broke the silence, but sounded tentative. “Todd?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry. And thank you for the gloves and scarf. They felt good.”

  Todd’s head came up and he turned to look at Lucy. He saw the sincerity in her eyes. “You’re welcome, Lucy. And thank you for saying that. I knew there was a sweet little lady hiding in there somewhere.”

  He watched the expression on Lucy’s face, but was having a hard time reading it. She looked surprised, but then he saw a look he couldn’t interpret. She slowly smiled then, but it was a rather sad smile. “I don’t know how you could tell,” she said quietly. “I’ve pretty much been a bitch since I met you.”

  “Watch your language,” he said quietly, “and don’t talk about yourself that way. I’ve assumed you’re upset about losing your job, and I understand that. I’m not saying it gives you the right to take it out on other people,” he added with a little grin that somehow looked stern, “but I do understand it.”

  “You’re a very understanding man,” she said a little sheepishly, “and I thank you for that.”

  “Could we sit down and talk a bit? I’d like to get to know you, the you that includes the sweet little lady I knew was hiding behind that attitude.”

  She had to smile. “I think I’d like that. Let me get us something to drink. You’ve had breakfast, I take it?”

  “Yes, I have, but something to drink would be nice.”

  “Coffee or hot chocolate, or would you prefer something cold?”

  “Coffee would be wonderful.”

  He went to the kitchen with her and they talked while she put the coffee on. “Why don’t we start over,” he suggested. “Hi, I’m Todd Henderson. My cabin’s west of here.”

  She shook his offered hand. “I’m Lucy Crider, and I’m staying in my cousin’s cabin. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, Lucy. Are you staying here over the holiday, or just a few days?”

  “I’m planning on staying until after the first of the year.”

  He cocked his head to the side to study her a few moments. “Don’t you have family or friends you want to spend at least one of the holidays with?”

  “Not really.” She grinned as she said, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t been in a very good mood lately.”

  “You don’t say?”

  She giggled. “And if I go around my family I’ll keep hearing about how holidays are better shared with someone special and that I need to find a man and settle down. I don’t think I’m up to that right now.”

  “Boy, do I hear you loud and clear there.”

  “You’re not married, either, I take it?”

  “Nope, and no significant other. I think I must hear the same speech at holidays that you hear. I wasn’t up to it this year, either.”

  “Any special reason you’re not up to hearing it this year in particular, or are you just getting tired of it?”

  “Both, actually. There’s something on my mind and I need to make an important decision. Christmas around my family is not a quiet atmosphere in any way, and when you top that with everyone telling me I need to find a good woman and get married and start a family, I just didn’t want to even tackle it. So I retreated to the cabin so I can do some thinking and avoid all that.”

  “I don’t mean to pry into your business,” Lucy said as she handed him a cup of coffee, “but sometimes talkin
g to someone that’s not family or a close friend can be helpful when you’re trying to think something through. I’ve been told I’m a good listener. If you want to talk about this decision you’re trying to make, I may have a different perspective on it.” She smiled as she added, “And I have plenty of time. It’s not like I have a job I have to get to.”

  “Thank you,” Todd said sincerely as he led her toward the living room and the fire. “I may just take you up on that. First, let’s get to know each other a little bit. What do you do; what kind of job did you have, or what kind of job will you be looking for?”

  They started chatting, and Todd was surprised when he glanced at his watch. “My goodness, Lucy, we’ve been talking for two hours. I had no idea it had been that long.”

  “I didn’t, either. I’ve really enjoyed talking with you. Will you stay for lunch?”

  “I don’t want to be a bother, Lucy. I’m sure you didn’t come out here planning on feeding the neighbor.”

  “I didn’t come out here knowing I even have a neighbor, but I’m sure glad I not only have a neighbor, but he’s kind enough to help me. I really do appreciate all your help, Todd, and I’d love to have your company for lunch.”

  “Are you sure you have plenty of food? The way it’s snowing, we may not be leaving this mountain for a few days.”

  She looked out the window, and he could tell she was concerned. “I’ve got plenty. I’ll go put lunch on.”

  He followed her out to the kitchen, but before she started cooking, he turned her to face him. “Lucy, I’m glad we’re getting to know each other. While you’re here, if you need anything I want you to feel free to call me.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded, but continued. “But as you get to know me, you’ll find that honesty is very important to me. I do not like or accept anything less than the truth, even if people are trying to keep someone from worrying.” He watched as she started nibbling on her lower lip. “So I’m going to ask a question and I want an honest answer. If we’re stranded here for several days, are you going to be okay? Did you bring enough food with you? I know I brought some food in, but most of what I brought in looked more like clothes and books.”

  “There’s plenty of wood to keep warm, and I have some food. I’ll be okay.”

  “Lucy, that’s avoiding my question, and I just told you I want total honesty. You didn’t bring much food with you, did you?”

  “I didn’t know it was going to snow right away. I planned on going in to town today to get groceries. Do you think that will be out of the question? If it stops snowing soon will it be okay by later this evening?”

  “You didn’t listen to a weather report before you came here, did you?” Not waiting for an answer, he continued. “They’re calling for snow all day today and most of tomorrow. No, we won’t be going to town later today. I say we because I don’t want you trying to go anywhere while it’s snowing. It gets slippery around here when it snows, and the tires on your car wouldn’t even get you up to the snowmobile garage. It wouldn’t be safe for you to try to get to town. When it’s safe to get out on the roads, I’ll take you in my four wheel drive truck.”

  “But when—”

  “In the meantime, why don’t you come over and stay at my cabin? I brought plenty of food along. I know it can get bad out rather quickly, so I have lots of food. I have enough for you, too. I always keep a large store of canned food in the cabin just in case there’s an unexpected blizzard or something, and I have all that as well.”

  “Thank you for the offer, Todd, but I don’t know about staying there. I mean, we just met.”

  “You can trust me, Lucy. It’s a two bedroom cabin, so you’ll have your own room. I’d feel better if you stay there.”

  “Can I think about it tonight? I have plenty for a few days, and I kind of wanted some time to think, too. If it keeps snowing like it’s supposed to and we can’t get out to go to town, maybe I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  He contemplated the situation, and finally gave in. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. I understand your wanting some time alone. You wouldn’t have come out here otherwise, so I get that. Show me that you have enough food for tonight and I’ll rest easier. I’ll come back tomorrow and get you.”

  Todd was a take charge kind of guy and was used to people listening to him. He was surprised when she didn’t. “I’ll make you a counteroffer. I’ll show you that I have enough food for a few days, and I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know I’m fine. Then if we can’t get out, I’ll ask nicely if I can borrow some food until we can get to town and I can replace it for you.”

  Todd was momentarily at a loss for words. This little lady wasn’t like any he’d met before. He knew he was a little intimidating at over six feet tall with a muscular build, on top of his dominant attitude, but that was okay with him. Not many people stood up to him, or argued with what he said, men or women. Yet, here was this little wisp of a woman going toe to toe with him. Although it was a little frustrating, considering he was trying to make sure she was safe, he had to respect her at the same time.

  “We’ll take it a day at a time. You show me you have enough food for a couple days at least, and we’ll talk on the phone tomorrow. We’ll see what the weather’s like by then and go day to day from then on. Can you live with that agreement?”

  His big smile got to her, and she lost the strength she’d been surprised to see she had in the first place. “Yes, on one condition. You stay for lunch now.”

  “Darn stubborn lady,” he mumbled.

  “I heard that,” she said.

  “Good. I meant it. You’ll find I don’t say anything I don’t mean. You are a stubborn little lady, and we’ll talk about that, but after lunch. What can I do to help you?”

  Lucy turned toward the kitchen so he wouldn’t see her smile. It felt good to win. “Just come keep me company. Do you like barbecued pulled pork sandwiches?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “All I have to do is heat them up. I brought some potato salad, too, and some chocolate chip cookies. Does that sound okay?”

  “Sounds delicious.” They chatted while she heated up the sandwiches and he set the table. After he helped with the dishes they went to the living room.

  He added wood to her fire, and sat them down on the couch. “I’m going back to my cabin, Lucy, to give you some alone time to do the thinking you wanted to do. You’re sure you want to stay here?”

  “I’m sure. I came here to get away, and I need to do some reflecting.”

  “Okay, but call me tomorrow. From what I saw, you have enough food for tomorrow, but assuming the roads will be impassible for several more days, plan on coming to my cabin after tomorrow, okay?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Okay,” he said with a sigh, “time to talk about being so stubborn.”

  “I’m not stubborn.”

  “Have I mentioned to you that I don’t like or accept anything short of the honest truth?” Before she could object, he went on. “Lucy, you are about the most stubborn little lady I’ve ever met. That’s not the most attractive trait you can have, but it’s not really my business and I’m not going to say anything about it if people want to be stubborn.”

  “Good.”

  “Let me finish. Unless it involves your safety. So far you’ve tried my patience with your stubborn attitude with your gloves. It’s cold out there, and if you’re operating a snowmobile your hands are out there in that cold wind. As if that’s not enough, what if you have mechanical problems with the machine or it tips over? Then you’re out there, possibly lying in the snow, with nothing in your hands, for who knows how long? That’s a good way to get frostbite.”

  “I already told you I was sorry about that. You were right about the gloves.”

  “How about when I told you I’d lead the way back here and we’d take it easy, but you took your stubborn little self past me and jumped on the snowmobile and took off like a bat out of hell? That’s
when you needed the gloves you didn’t have. Remember that stubborn little temper tantrum?”

  “Stubborn little temper tantrum?”

  “Is there something else you’d call it?”

  “I thought I could follow our tracks back to the cabin.”

  “Yeah, and how’d that work out for you?”

  “The snow covered the tracks.”

  “And instead of admitting it and letting me lead the way back, you kept your stubborn little behind on the snowmobile and went faster than was safe, just to be right and show me we didn’t have to go slow and take it easy over rough terrain you weren’t familiar with. Again, how’d that work out for you?”

  He could tell she was getting upset with him, but he was pretty sure she was getting the point he was trying to make. “And staying here without sufficient food during a blizzard is just as foolish as or more so than those, and I won’t allow it. You can stay here tonight and tomorrow if you want, but if it’s still snowing and we’re still snowed in, your cute little behind is going to be staying at my cabin, no matter how stubborn it is.”

  “You won’t allow it? If I decide I want to stay here—”

  “Then your cute little behind will be sore while it’s staying at my cabin.”

  She stopped mid-sentence, not at all sure what he was saying. “Excuse me?”

  “I will be keeping you safe, Lucy, with or without your help. Kenny is a friend of mine, and I will not allow his cousin to starve up here when I have plenty of food at my cabin.”

  “But what did you mean about, about my… when you said—”

  “Are you talking about when I said if you’re stubborn and refuse to stay at my cabin until we can get into town for groceries, that your cute little behind would be sore while you’re at my cabin?”

  “Yes. What do you mean by that?”

  “I think you know, but just to make sure you’re perfectly clear, I’m saying that I’ll put you over my knee, take down your jeans and panties, and spank that cute little bottom of yours. It’s one thing to be stubborn, but I won’t allow you to be so stubborn as to put yourself at risk.”