Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

“Yes.” His voice was soft. “We can do that.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE STORM CONTINUED for two days and then gave way to clear blue skies and bitter cold.

Alec dressed in thick layers and went outside to clear the snow while it was still soft and powdery.

Watching from the window, Sky decided outdoor gear suited him. He looked like a man who could take on nature single-handed. She indulged herself for a few moments, admiring sheer muscle power and masculine brawn, then she borrowed his spare jacket and joined him outside.

He looked surprised. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Are you kidding? Shoveling snow is better than the treadmill. And anyway, I just called my parents back and told them I’m spending Christmas here.”

He straightened. “And how did that go?”

“Let’s put it this way—I thought some snow clearing might lower my blood pressure.”

He gave a sympathetic smile. “That bad?”

“Worse. But it felt good to tell them what I wanted for a change. They told me I was making bad choices and I pointed out that they were in fact my choices to make. And I felt—” she breathed “—strong. More in control. It was a good conversation.”

And she knew he was the reason she’d found the courage to have that conversation.

Shoveling snow, she discovered, was a perfect way of working off a bad mood. They worked together, their breath forming clouds of vapor in the freezing air.

Alec gave her a long, searching look. “I should thank your mother for clearing my snow.”

She eased upright, wincing. “I have a backache. That’s what comes from taking your frustration out on a snowdrift.”

“Welcome to Maine in winter. And we escaped lightly this time. We still have power and the plow came earlier so the road’s clear at least.” Alec unzipped his jacket a little way. “We can go on and find a Christmas tree later, but first I need to walk across to Hunter’s Cove to check on Meg. I won’t be long.”

She wondered when he was going to get used to the fact she didn’t need him to entertain her. “You can be as long as you need to be and do whatever it is you need to do. But who is Meg?”

“My nearest neighbor. Meg has lived on the island forever. Tough as they come and never asks for help, but she broke her hip last winter and isn’t as mobile as she’d like to be.”

“Does she have family on the island?”

“She has a son and a daughter, but not on the island. They live in Bar Harbor.”

“That’s not so far.”

“They’re busy with their lives and she doesn’t want to bother them.”

“So you watch out for her?” They didn’t visit, so he did. Knowing that did something to her insides. And she knew it wasn’t just because he did the right thing, but because he did it quietly with no agenda or expectation of favors in return. He painted himself as selfish, and yet he always did what needed to be done, even when it inconvenienced him. He’d done the same thing with her. Her heart bumped against her chest. “I’ll come with you and I’ll put some soup in a flask for her.”

“You don’t have to do that. It won’t be a very comfortable trek. The snow will be deep in parts and there will probably be some branches down.”

“Deep snow is good. All the more for me to push some down your jacket when you least expect it. You’re forgetting I have that gold medal in snowballing.”

He gave a half smile. “You shouldn’t have reminded me. Now I’ll be ready for you.”

“No, you won’t. I’m cunning.” Warm from the exertion, she unzipped her jacket slightly, too. “I’ll wait until your guard is down and then I’ll pounce.”

“I like it when you pounce.” He reached out and hauled her against him and because she didn’t see it coming she lost her balance and put her hands on his chest to steady herself.

“I almost landed on my butt there. Do you always just grab what you want?”

“Sometimes. When it’s worth grabbing.” His mouth came down on hers, his kiss warm and skilled and she melted into him, clutching those broad shoulders. Her legs felt heavy and her breathing labored. She’d spent most of the past two days in bed with him, most of it awake, and still she couldn’t get enough of him.