“Excuse me?” I turned off the water. “I never had a crush on any McAlister.”
“I think every girl in high school did.”
“Even you?” My brow arched in surprise.
“Sure. In an it’s-never-gonna-happen kind of way.”
“Then I suppose that’s what we’d call mine too.”
“But I was never attracted to the athletic type. I liked the nerds.” A coy smile spread across her face. “You’re the one who always liked the players and athletes and—”
“And look where that’s gotten me.” I dried off my hands just as I heard my mom come through the front door.
“What smells so heavenly?” she asked, marching into the kitchen with bags dangling from her arms.
“Pot roast,” my sister informed her.
My mom dropped the bags into a chair and gave me a big hug.
“I bailed on your father. I had to get some shopping done.” She took in a deep breath and looked around the kitchen. “It’s so good to have both of my girls back for the holidays. And by the way, the lights in the windows look amazing. You two should be enjoying your vacation, not working on our house.”
My mom untwisted her brown hair from her bun and let it fall to her shoulders.
“It was fun, and tomorrow is the tree.” My sister beamed and I nodded.
“Only if you insist.” My mom looked pleasantly relieved. She always hauled out the Christmas tree and faithfully decorated it with us growing up, but I wasn’t sure it was her favorite task this time of year.
The doorbell rang, and I glanced at my sister and mom, wondering if they were expecting anyone.
“It might be a package for your dad,” my mom informed us.
“I’ll go get it,” my sister volunteered while I collapsed in one of the kitchen chairs.
I was probably more like my mother than I realized. All this decorating had me exhausted. Or maybe it was running into Colton.
“So how was the store today? Busy?” I asked.
“Crazy busy, which is why I’m so happy we hired more people for the holidays. This is the first year your father finally got some part-time help. But I needed to get out of there. Having to mix one more gallon of paint today would have thrown me over the edge. There’s one lady who has brought back four different gallons we’ve had to add to our Oops paint section, even though there’s no oops on our part.”
“About how I remembered.” I laughed. “How about Dad? How’s he holding up?”
“I think he’s feeling it too.” She let out a tired sigh and sat down at the table across from me. “Retirement is calling, but I’m not sure either of us is ready to take the plunge. What would we do?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe sleep in a little, travel, pick up some hobbies.”
“I don’t know about all that.” She hugged herself as if she’d gotten a chill just thinking about the idea.
“Dear Gina.” My sister came bounding into the kitchen. “You have a visitor.”
“Who?” I whispered, hopping up from the chair.
“You’ll just have to go find out.” She sat in my chair and traded glances with my mom as I left.
I wandered down the hallway and almost gasped when I saw Colton McAlister standing in my parents’ foyer.
“Why’d she let you in?” I asked, and he smiled.
“It’s good to see you too.” He slid off a black knit cap to reveal a tangle of dark hair and my heart skipped a beat.
He was too good-looking for his own good.
“I’m simply surprised to see you here is all, especially inside,” I said calmly, even though I was anything but. My heart was rattling around my chest and my stomach was knotted so tightly it hurt. I hated that he was so attractive.
“Well, I can go stand on the porch if it makes you more comfortable.” His eyes sparkled with that golden glow I noticed at the grocery store, and I tilted my head to look at the ceiling when I realized a bundle of mistletoe was hanging over us.
I hopped back quickly and he laughed.
“Sorry,” I muttered under my breath, feeling my cheeks warm. “Nothing personal.”
“That’s good to know.” He held his cap in his hand and drew in a deep breath as his eyes connected with mine. “Listen, I’m headed up to the mountains for the holiday with my family, but I’d really like to take you out to dinner before I go. Maybe catch up and . . .” He bit into his bottom lip, which only made my mind wander to places it shouldn’t. “Let me apologize for everything.”
“Everything?” I folded my arms across my chest, and I noticed his gaze drop to my breasts. Instead of being annoyed, I liked the attention. “That’s kind of broad.”
I noticed a little of the ego from earlier had disappeared, but what was left was plenty. It must be nice going around town and always getting what you wanted.
“I’m sure I have a lot of apologizing to do.”
I shook my head and waved my hand to dismiss him. “All water under the bridge. I don’t give anything a second thought.”
“You know” —his voice lowered and he took a step closer— “I wish I could believe that, but I don’t think that’s the case.”
“How do you figure?”
“If your eyes could throw daggers in my direction, I’d be a dead man.”
A tiny pool of guilt flooded my stomach, and I shifted my weight.
“I doubt that.”
“I don’t.” He glanced at the banister my sister and I had recently finished decorating and smiled. “That’s beautiful.”
“Thanks, but I really don’t think now is a good time to meet. I haven’t been home in years, and I really would like to spend as much time as possible with my family.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “With Christmas only a few days away, there really is no time, especially with you heading to the mountains.”
If Colton was disappointed, I couldn’t read it. It was as if he half-expected to get turned down before he’d even set foot in our house. Although, that was a good assumption on his part, considering everything his family had done to ours over the years.
He slid his wallet out of his jeans, pulled out a business card, and handed it to me.
“How about if you change your mind, you give me a call and we can have breakfast or lunch together. I can make it quick.” His smile softened me slightly, and I cursed myself for falling so easily into his web of charisma. “I’m not leaving for the mountains until Christmas Eve. Maybe you can fit me in.” He drew a breath, glanced at the mistletoe above, and brought his gaze back to mine. “People change, Gina. I’ve changed.”
“Honestly, I’m over everything. Really, I am.” I hugged myself a little tighter, and his eyes canvassed my body, gauging my reaction to him, and right now, I looked like Fort Knox.
I immediately dropped my arms to my side and straightened up.
“Well, thanks for stopping by. If I get hungry enough, I just might give you a call.” I pressed my lips together so hard they began to tingle.
“If I don’t see you, Merry Christmas, Gina.” He took a step toward the door, and I felt a sense of panic, and I had no idea why.
“Merry Christmas, Colton.” I cleared my throat. “And Happy New Year.”
He turned around, and his eyes stayed on mine.
All the teenage feelings that I’d done such a good job of pretending never existed came rushing back. Every teenage urge and desire crashed down on me as if they meant something now as a thirty-year-old woman.
We’d never been in the same circles, and it had been my own fault for being fooled into believing he was different from the other McAlisters. The truth was that the family had always and would always be out for themselves.
When he didn’t open the door, I drew a breath.
“Merry Christmas, Colton,” I repeated, knowing it didn’t matter what kind of man he grew into because I knew what kind of boy he’d been, and I resented him for it, his whole family, really.
&n
bsp; “You’ve certainly outgrown your shyness.” He smiled.
“I was never shy.” I shook my head.
“You sure were around me.” His voice lowered, and the attraction I’d always felt for Colton McAlister came whooshing back.
“Like you said, people change.” Since he wasn’t budging, I started to the door and opened it wide, feeling the icy air swirl its way into our warm home.
“I just hope you’ll give me a chance to show you how I’ve changed,” he said, barely loud enough for me to hear.
I held the door open against the wind. “Goodbye, Colton. Thanks for stopping by.”
Our bodies brushed against each other, and my entire body lit up like the Christmas tree we’d yet to finish decorating. He caught my tiny gasp as I felt how hard his entire body was. We stood against the door, me partially frozen.
The pull he had over me held me in place as it had back in high school, but this time I refused to give in.
Even when he lowered his head and kissed my cheek, I knew I wouldn’t see Colton McAlister again.
Chapter Three
“I can’t believe I’m so sick,” my sister moaned from the couch. “I can’t pick up Grandma like this. I can’t see Grandma like this. It would probably put her in the hospital with pneumonia.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got it handled,” I assured her.
Unfortunately, when Ken got back from his conference, he brought back an awful code-red flu that my sister managed to instantly catch, and instead of spending Christmas Eve day with his family like they’d planned, she was sprawled out in her living room, and he was visiting his parents alone.
The noises coming from her weren’t human, and I was glad that Ken convinced her to stay home and rest so they could spend Christmas Day with our family. I only hoped she was feeling better by tomorrow because the thought of hearing her hacking while we carved the rib roast wasn’t appealing.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to make it in the mountains? It’s different up there than driving around here in snow.” She tried to shove herself up higher on the couch.
“Totally fine. I’ve got this. Between my GPS and my trusty little Subaru, it will be a breeze.” Truthfully, we had no choice. We couldn’t leave Grandma stranded at her house.
It was Christmas Eve, and my parents were manning the store so their employees could spend time with their families. Surprisingly, Christmas Eve was actually pretty busy at the hardware store. Whether it was batteries parents forgot or plumbing issues that always seemed to arise when family came to visit, my parents wouldn’t be home until at least eight, which should work out perfectly if I left now to pick up Grandma. It was about a three-hour drive up the pass as well as back down.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to just ride with you?” My sister coughed into her elbow and I laughed.
“Yeah. Positive.” I smiled and stood up from the chair I’d been sitting in that was as far away as I could get from her.
“Call me at the midway point or something so I don’t worry, and then once you get to Grandma’s.”
“Yes, Mom,” I joked, and she hacked into her flannel sleeve.
“Merry Christmas to me,” she mumbled.
“Do you want me to get you anything like cough syrup with a big, bright red bow on the way back? I can drop it off here before I head out.”
“I’ve got plenty. Can’t you tell it’s working?” She laughed and blew me a kiss before snuggling deep into her fleece blanket and hacking into a pillow.
“Love ya.” I gave her an air hug and headed to her front door.
The last thing I’d read about the weather before I headed up to the mountains made me nervous, but as long as I got to Grandma’s before it was dark, I’d be fine. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to Grandma. She was the only grandparent we had left.
The drive started off easily enough. The road was somewhat clear headed into the mountain pass, and most people seemed to already be where they needed to go.
When the first large snowflake hit my windshield, I promised myself it was a fluke. The weather report showed clear skies, no snow.
But when the third and fourth flakes struck my windshield, I knew the weathermen in Colorado were about as accurate as those in Washington. I turned down my radio and concentrated on the road ahead that was suddenly turning downright treacherous.
After about thirty minutes of going slower than a tortoise, I spotted a gas station and decided to pull over to check my phone’s latest weather update. Maybe it was just a passing storm, and I could wait it out for a little while.
With my wipers swiping the windshield in a rather ominous rhythm, I drove into the tiny parking lot that was completely vacant. The red Open sign was flashing in the convenience store’s window, and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness swept over me.
It made no sense. I was on my way to pick up my grandma to bring her back to my warm and welcoming family whom I loved very much, yet as I sat in this parking lot, I felt completely and utterly alone. A chill ran through me as I thought back to my old boyfriend.
We’d been together for nearly six years, and it was hard to believe that this was our first Christmas apart.
It was for the better. There was no getting around that, but it was still . . . odd.
I let out a low sigh and slid my hands off the wheel and pulled on my gloves. I hated that my ex-boyfriend had pushed his way into my thoughts. It had been nearly nine months since we’d broken up, and I was better off for leaving him.
I no longer had restless nights wondering where he was. I didn’t need to make up excuses for his missing various parties and dinners with friends. And I could finally walk around with my head held high instead of worrying about what the latest gossip was about him and me, which generally turned out to be true. Hearing about how he’d gone home from some bar with someone other than me time and again was utterly gut-crushing.
I swallowed a lump and thought back to my parents. How had they done it for so long? How had they found one another?
Anyway, all of that boyfriend stuff should be a distant memory. It was Christmas Eve, and I was back home in Colorado, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
I took out my phone and quickly realized that it didn’t matter what the weather app said because my phone had absolutely no service. I let out a groan and decided to go into the store to stock up on a couple of snacks and maybe a hot cup of coffee.
The jangle of the door as I made my way inside was about as festive as it got in the mini-mart. There wasn’t a string of tinsel, a garland, or an ornament to be found. In fact, I wasn’t sure the cashier even knew it was Christmas with the heavy metal blaring on the radio behind the counter.
“Do you have any coffee?” I asked, scanning the small store.
“Just poured it out. Didn’t expect anyone else to be coming through.” The man was probably in his early twenties, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, and looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here, and I didn’t blame him.
“I can warm you up some water in the microwave if you want,” the guy offered. “We’ve got some singles of hot chocolate and cider.”
I grabbed a couple of small bags of chips, a couple more of some chocolate chip cookies, and an energy drink
“That’s okay. It’s probably better if I just stick to caffeine drinks.”
The guy’s eyes dropped to my drink. “Have you had that one before?”
I wasn’t really an energy drink kind of person, but the way I was feeling and I hadn’t even picked up Grandma told me I’d better start trying.
“No. Is it nasty?”
“It tastes fine, but it’s not for the faint of heart.” He rang me up. “In fact, I’m surprised they don’t make you sign a waiver, so I wouldn’t drink the whole thing at once.”
“Duly noted.” I smiled and took my snacks and drink with me.
Before I hit the door, I turned around and held up the energy drink. “Merry Christmas.”
I smiled and nodded before heading back out into the cold. As long as they didn’t close the pass before the thirty-mile marker, I’d make it to Grandma’s. This wasn’t the news I wanted to hear.
The snow had only gotten worse, and I realized I just needed to get to my grandma’s. I slid into the car and cranked up the heater as I opened the drink and took a sip of the sickly-sweet drink that was said to be citrus-flavored. To get the taste out of my mouth, I opened the bag of potato chips next and had a few before pulling back onto the mountain pass.
It was like a ghost town. There wasn’t a car to be seen anywhere.
As I drove slowly up the mountain, watching the snow pile up on all sides, I wondered if once I got to Grandma’s, we’d even be able to get back off the mountain.
“One step at a time,” I muttered to myself as the conditions became blizzard-like.
I let out a slow groan as I looked at the odometer. I only had sixteen miles left, but at this speed, that could take a couple of hours.
With every passing second, my heart rate went up as I drove deeper into the snowstorm.
“This will work out just fine,” I told myself. “Just get to her house and going back down will be much easier.”
Just as the words slipped out of my mouth, my car began spinning sideways. My entire world became slow-motion as I watched the large flakes smack my windshield and my car rotate in circles as it moved toward the snow bank.
“No, no, no, no,” I commanded, but it didn’t matter what I did.
There was no controlling my car as it smacked right into the wall of snow. Everything happened so slowly, I knew I wasn’t hurt, but I wasn’t so sure about my car.
I took a swig of the energy drink, jumped out of the car, and eyed the foot of fresh snow that my car had decided to call home. It was like the snow bank came out of nowhere and there wasn’t a car or truck in sight to help.
This wasn’t good. I got back in the car and tried to drive out of this precarious situation, but I just felt the wheels spinning, grinding me deeper into the snow pack.
Mistletoe Mischief: A Christmas Romance (Island County Series Book 9) Page 2