Winter Woods (Heartwarming Holidays Sweet Romance Book 3)

by ID Johnson

  She’d planned to get at least six thousand words written by bedtime, and yet she wasn’t worried she’d be off track with the novel. Something told her she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night anyway. There’d be plenty of time to write later. She was just content to know that Memphis was in her cabin.

  Ordinarily, she’d be horribly embarrassed at falling in front of a handsome man, but Memphis hadn’t made her feel like an idiot for jumping or a fool for falling. He’d just picked her up and took care of her, calmly handling the situation until everything was right again. He definitely seemed like the sort of guy one would want around in case of an emergency. All the more reason to want to keep him.

  But she knew that wasn’t feasible. Even though her mind wanted to wander to the what-ifs of him moving to Virginia, she didn’t think it was a good idea to do so. It seemed like he had his mind made up, for the most part, about going back to Texas. There might be a possibility he would move closer later on, once he had things smoothed over with his father, but Olivia didn’t think setting her hopes too high was a good idea. Still, did that mean she couldn’t enjoy his company while he was here, as a friend?

  With a sigh, Olivia set her coffee cup down, snuggled down beneath the blankets, and rested her head on the pillow. Her head was telling her one thing while her heart was screaming another. For now, she’d try to focus on learning more about him and getting to know who Memphis really was. If romance was in her future, she knew God would find a way of bringing it about, no matter how the situation appeared to either of them.

  What seemed to be a few minutes later, she heard Memphis calling her name and opened her eyes. It took her a second to remember what had happened and to place him in her bedroom. She rubbed her head where it still smarted. “I guess I must have fallen asleep,” she said, groggily.

  “I guess so,” he said, with a little chuckle. He was sitting on the edge of the bed again. He must’ve been rocking her to wake her. “I made dinner, if you want me to bring you a plate.”

  “Dinner?” she repeated. A handsome cowboy who was good in an emergency and cooked? “Sure, I’m starving.” Her stomach rumbled as if to concur.

  Memphis stood. “I cooked some of the venison Mr. Minter had in the freezer and made a vegetable medley out of the cans in the cabinet,” he explained as he headed for the ladder. “It’s not a five-star meal or anything, but I think it’s edible.”

  “Will you join me?” she called as he disappeared down the stairs.”

  “Sure,” he replied. A few minutes later, a tray of food slid over the edge of the top rung onto the floor, followed by a cowboy.

  Olivia couldn’t help but smile. “We can have a picnic on my bed.” She realized she was still only wearing a robe, but the blankets were nestled beneath her arms, and she fully trusted him at this point. If he’d wanted to take advantage, he’d had plenty of opportunities, and time and again he’d proven himself to be a gentleman.

  Memphis carefully placed the tray across her legs and then sat down on the edge of the bed a few feet back. He’d brought napkins and another bottle of water for himself. She still had plenty left from before. Lifting his plate off of the tray, he scooted hers closer to her. “I hope you like it,” he said with a small smile.

  He’d already cut the meat up for her, which Olivia appreciated. She speared a bite of deer and put it in her mouth. It was delicious. The flavor and spices tasted divine. “Yum,” she said, as soon as her mouth was empty. “This is so good!”

  “Is it?” he asked, smiling sheepishly at her. “Or are you just saying that?”

  “No, it’s really good,” she replied. She took another bite and then tried the vegetables, which normally weren’t her thing, but she was so hungry, she ate them anyway. They had a nice buttery flavor to them which made them much tastier than the ones her mother usually made. “You should think about becoming a chef.”

  “Ha, I don’t know about that,” he said between bites. “I’m just glad it’s edible.”

  She had been teasing, since one dish did not a chef make, but it really was very good. “There’s this little diner in downtown Charles Town, Bishop’s. Everything there is so good. Sometimes I just go in and sit for hours and write, usually with a piece of pie.”

  “And a cup of coffee or twelve?”

  Olivia smirked at him. “Maybe.”

  “Sounds real nice.”

  “Yeah, it is. There’s a bakery, too. My friend Delaney owns that. She makes killer hot chocolate.”

  “So do you still order coffee when you go in there?”

  “No,” Olivia replied, before finishing her last bite of venison. “You can’t miss Delaney’s cocoa.”

  “Well, if I’m ever in Charles Town, I’ll have to stop by the diner and the bakery, I reckon.”

  Olivia glanced up at him, wondering if he was actually thinking of going there or just making conversation. They were just friends at this point. Surely, it would be just fine for a friend to visit another friend—wouldn’t it? Still, did she want to get her hopes up that someday there might be more?

  “In Hockley, there’s not much of anything except the trains.” Memphis set his plate aside and opened his water, taking a long drink.

  “Really? I’ve always loved trains.”

  “Yeah, pretty much everyone works for the trains. Or farms. We’d find things to do, but it was hard to stay out of trouble on a lonely summer night with nowhere to go.”

  She imagined a younger Memphis running about the streets of a skeleton town—with a train whistle in the background. “Did you ever hop aboard a train car, just to see where it might go?”

  “No,” he replied, a far off look in his eyes. “But I did think about it a time or two.” He let out a sight and managed a smile. “You look like you feel much better.”

  “I do,” Olivia nodded. The back of her head still hurt a little bit, but she wasn’t cold, and her back didn’t hurt too much now. “Thank you again for all of your help.”

  “Nah, it was nothing,” he replied, waving her off. He held her gaze for a moment, with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “Me, too,” she admitted. “In fact, with all these blankets on, I’m getting a bit too warm.”

  “I’ll turn the heat down some when I take these downstairs,” he offered, standing and gathering the dirty dishes, including her coffee cup, and putting them on the tray. “I brought in some more firewood, and I’ll make sure there’s plenty to last you tonight. But I really don’t think you should be going up and down that ladder, not at least until morning.”

  “Yes, Dr. Cowboy,” she said, a smirk on her face.

  He eyed her from across the room where he stood near the ladder. “Don’t you be giving me no sass, little lady,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Unless you want me permanently camped out on your couch to keep an eye on you.”

  The thought didn’t sound too horrible to her, but there was no way she could ever explain to her mother how a man had slept in her cabin, no matter how innocent the situation. “I won’t go down the ladder,” she assured him.

  He continued to stare at her for a moment before turning to back down the ladder. She watched him go. She just couldn’t help it. He was easily the most attractive man she’d ever met, both on the inside and the outside. Memphis was not the type of person one would soon forget, and as much as she hated the thought of saying goodbye to him, she knew it would come sooner or later. She prayed for strength and guidance under her breath as he made his way downstairs.

  A few minutes later, he was back with her laptop in hand. “Too bad you set a passcode on this thing or else I’d already know what happens in the next novel.”

  She looked at him wide eyed, wondering if he’d actually attempted to hack her computer. “It’s not finished yet, so you wouldn’t know everything.”

  “I’m just teasing,” he assured her as he set it down on her lap. “I assume you have a passcode on it, though.”

  “Of course I d
o,” she replied, holding her MacBook against her chest like a prized possession.

  He chuckled. “Do you still want me to take a few of these quilts off?”

  “Yes, please, but could you put theme nearby in case I need them?”

  “Sure. And I’ll bring you some more coffee as soon as it’s done brewing.”

  “Thank you, Memphis,” she said.

  “No problem.” He pulled the top two quilts down, leaving one and her bedspread, and folded them at the foot of the bed. Olivia averted her eyes from his physique, trying to keep her mind from wandering.

  Once he was done, Memphis said, “I’ll be right back,” and headed down the stairs again.

  “Oh! Is my phone down there?” Olivia shouted after him. She was almost certain she hadn’t taken it with her, but the thought that it might’ve been in her pocket when she fell in the water made her stomach turn.

  “I’ll bring it up,” he replied, which she assumed meant not only was it down there but it must not have been in her pocket. Surely, if it was ruined, he’d say that.

  A few minutes later, he was back up the ladder with a thermos. “I thought this might be a better idea than just one cup,” he replied, setting it on the night stand. He produced a bottle of water out of his pocket, which he placed next to the coffee, and then handed her the phone.

  Olivia checked the battery and saw that it needed charging but it wasn’t ruined. “Thank you so much,” she said for what must’ve been the hundredth time that day.

  “Sure thing. Is there anything else you need?”

  Looking around the room, Olivia remembered that she had some snacks in her bag. Her laptop was fully charged, so she shouldn’t need the cord, and her phone charger was plugged in by the bed. “No, I think I’m good.”

  Memphis nodded, and the look in his eyes made her think he was just as sad to be leaving as she was to see him go. “Okay, well, I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”

  “All right,” Olivia said quietly. She would likely spend most of the night writing and then sleep in tomorrow morning. “Don’t worry about coming too early. I may be pulling an all-nighter tonight.”

  Chuckling, he said, “Gotta get that book done.”

  “You know it.”

  “Well, I hope you have time to come over for Gramps’s birthday party tomorrow evening. I know he’d love to meet you, and having you there would be much more exciting than just the four of us hanging around together.”

  Olivia had been considering it since he first mentioned the party a few days before. She wasn’t sure if he still wanted her there or not. Now that she’d met Nash, and he seemed like a nice person, she thought she might go. She also really wanted to meet Gramps. “I would love to,” she said, smiling.

  Memphis’s face lit up. “Awesome. Okay. Well, then, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Giggling, Olivia said, “Okay. Be careful walking home.”

  “I will,” he nodded.

  “Watch out for any wayward puddles.”

  He snickered. “I will be on the lookout.”

  She realized he was lingering, and she thought he must not want to go anymore than she wanted him to. Eventually, he took a step back, toward the ladder. “Good night, Memphis.”

  “Good night, Olivia.” Two steps more, and he was headed down the ladder. She closed her eyes and listened to him cross to the door, heard it open, heard it close, and felt her heart fall. The cabin suddenly seemed completely silent and devoid of life.

  Olivia sat and reflected, listening to the wind blowing outside and the distant cracks and pops of the fire downstairs. Her heart was telling her Memphis was the one for her, but she didn’t know how that could be possible with him so far away. Her lead character, Margot, was facing a similar dilemma, and up until this moment, Olivia wasn’t sure she could capture the emotions necessary to truly convey what her heroine was going through. Now, as she opened her laptop, she felt as if she knew exactly what to write. “Well, one of us is getting a happy ending,” she said aloud as she opened her document and began to type. Hopefully, she would find a way to her happily ever after as well, though from this juncture it didn’t look possible.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Olivia snapped her laptop closed and inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, and slowly let it out. She couldn’t help but grin sappily as she reveled in typing those last two words, “The End.” She remembered, as an elementary school student, how her teachers had always told her not to write that, but it was such an accomplishment to be able to say, “I did it! I wrote an entire novel!” Why wouldn’t you write it? Of the hundred thousand or so words she’d written, those were probably the two most satisfying.

  She knew that the hard work wasn’t over. This was just the first draft. She’d read through, make changes, read through again, listen to it aloud, and then make even more changes before she sent it to her editor—who would also make changes, causing Olivia to make more changes. But eventually, this document would be her long awaited second novel. She prayed it would be as successful as the first. Prayers for a third novel, hopefully, in less time than it took her for a second, were also whispered.

  Looking out the window, she could see that the sun was setting. She’d spent almost the entire day “in the zone” typing away. Memphis had stopped by briefly around 10:00 to make sure she was okay and tell her he’d come by to get her around 8:00 that evening, but he hadn’t stayed long since he knew she was working. Glancing at the time on her phone, she saw that she had a couple of hours to get ready and decided to call her sister and check in before heading upstairs to decide what to wear.

  Fiona answered on the second ring. “Hey, Olivia! How are you?”

  “I’m good,” Olivia replied, happy to hear her sister’s familiar voice. “How are you and the girls?”

  “We are great. Ruby and Paisley are decorating for their party, and Cliff is helping them hang up streamers.”

  “Oooh, that sounds exciting.” Olivia could imagine the little girls dancing around, excited about their New Year’s party, even though there would be no guests that weren’t of the plush variety, other than their parents, Uncle Brett, and his girlfriend. “What’s on the menu?”

  “You know, the sophisticated sort of hors d’oeuvres you might find at an upscale gathering of the rich and famous. Things like peanut butter and jelly crackers and grilled cheese squares—uncrusted, of course.”

  “Well, aren’t we just fancy, fancy?” Olivia asked, giggling. “I’m sure they’re having a wonderful time. Are they wearing their party gowns?”

  “Certainly, darling,” Fiona replied, drawing the last word out as if there were not “R”.

  Sighing, Olivia said, “I wish I could be there.”

  “We wish you were here, too. How is the novel coming along?”

  The melancholy passed and excitement built in Olivia’s voice. “I finished!”

  “You did? Seriously? That’s wonderful news.”

  “I know! I called you right away.”

  “I’m so happy for you, Olivia.” She could hear the true joy in her sister’s voice. Fiona knew how hard it had been getting past the writer’s block and finally creating the story she wanted to put out there for her readers.

  “Thank you. I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m happy with what I’ve written.”

  “I can’t wait to read it.”

  She knew she’d hear that from a lot of people, but that was okay. That was a good thing, as odd as it still felt to hear. “I’ll let you read the draft when I get back, if you want.” Olivia had never offered to let her family read something first before, but maybe it was time she let more people into her world.

  “That would be amazing,” Fiona exclaimed. “I can’t wait.”

  “I just hope you’re happy with the way things turned out. I know I can’t please everyone.”

  “As long as you’re happy, and you’re true to your characters, then who cares?”

  So true, Olivia t
hought.

  “Does this mean you’ll be heading home sooner?” Fiona asked, and Olivia could hear the excitement in her voice.

  “I think so,” Olivia replied. “I mean, I said if I got finished earlier than expected, I’d come home. So, yeah, I should be able to leave tomorrow or the next day.”

  “Why not tomorrow?” Fiona asked. “Is the weather still bad there?”

  “No,” Olivia replied. She had not mentioned Memphis to Fiona at all, and she wasn’t sure there was any point in telling her now. He was due to leave the day after tomorrow, she thought, so why not stick around until then? “I just want to make sure I’ve got everything solid before I re-enter my cluttered life.”

  Fiona paused for a moment, and Olivia could practically hear her thinking about how to insist she come back the next day. “Well, I’m making big New Year’s Day dinner, so hopefully, you’ll be back in time for that.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Olivia promised. She knew it would mean a lot to her sister for her to be home for dinner. Knowing that one more day with Memphis wouldn’t be long enough anyway sort of made her feel like the most practical thing to do would be to leave. But that didn’t mean she wanted to.

  “What are you going to do tonight? Stay home and read over what you wrote?”

  “Well, I am on the top of a mountain. It’s not like there are a lot of choices for what I could do,” Olivia reminded her. Then, wanting to be transparent, she added, “One of the neighbors is throwing a little get together. I might swing by there for a little bit.”