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“Roman. Christ.” Blake exhales in exasperation. “I thought you were...” He shakes his head. “The snowplow called when they saw your bike in the ditch by Winslow’s. I’ve been calling your cell thinking the worst.”
Blake steps forward to enter, but I don’t budge. “Lost my cell in the wreck. Luckily, Bea found me when she left work.” I grab the door handle, closing the door as I step onto the porch. Bea’s going to be madder than a hornet. “We couldn’t get the bike in the truck. Glad you showed up now. Don’t want the bike to rust.”
I trot down the snow-covered steps as guilt grips my gut.Don’t look back.Bea’s bound to come flying out the front door any second.
“Bea okay? She isn’t answering her phone.” Blake hesitates before falling in behind me.
“Power went out, but she had everything under control.” I toss my helmet in the front seat as Blake rounds the plow blade. He glances up at the cabin before closing his door. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders. Had firewood stacked and read. Didn’t need any of my help.”
“Hmm...” Blake eyes me cautiously before turning the key. “Guess I’m bailing your ass out today then. Shouldn’t take long to get your bike to the shop.”
Blake clears more snow from the drive as he turns the tow truck around. I catch Bea out of the corner of my eye as I glance back at the cabin. We roll forward toward the gravel road as a loud thud splats against the back window. Another thud hits the roof of the cab. A second later, a ball of snow and ice slides over the windshield. Blake chuckles as he glances in the rearview mirror. The Christmas jingles playing on the radio do little to quiet the rage in her voice as she yells my name like a woman scorned.
“What’d you do to piss her off?” He turns onto the road and keeps driving. “You’re going to have one hell of a time setting that mistake right.”
If Blake knew the half of it, he’d bury me alive in the snow and watch me die a stone-cold death. I only hope Bea can find it in her heart to listen to the voice of reason and hear me out when the time comes.
CHAPTER 9
***
Bea
I hurl snowballs at Blake’s truck until the only sign of his vehicle is puffs of exhaust. I stand in silence amid the sun and snow, feeling sorry for myself. This whole thing with Roman is my fault. I pushed for it. I took the naughty elf oath, vowing to break free of my shell and ask for what I wanted.
A lot of good that did me.
I stomp up the porch steps and slam the cabin door behind me, muttering obscenities under my breath. I hope Roman’s ears are burning because I have some choice words for him next time he dares show his face.Ifhe dares.
The cabin lights blink, and the whir of electricity comes to life. If all it took was slamming the door, I might have tried that to begin with. My shoulders slump as my gut wrenches in turmoil. Things between Roman and I might not have escalated if the electricity hadn’t gone out. Roman wouldn’t have been in an accident if the winter storm had passed us by. If I hadn’t been so stubborn.
If, if, if.
How can so manyifsbe a coincidence? How can they add up to the best time of my life and the biggest mistake I’ve ever made?
I spend several minutes searching for my phone and finally fish it out of my coat pocket, deader than a doornail. I place it on the charger to find several missed messages from Blake and two from work. I ignore Blake’s message since he and Roman left me high and dry,or wrapped in a wet towel, to be exact. I focus on the message from work instead.
