Operation White Christmas: Escape to the Country

by Nicki Edwards

  “Good morning,” he said as soon as he saw her. “Hope you like bacon and eggs.”

  She caught sight of the laid table and nodded. Could this man be more perfect?

  “And I’ve been out and bought you some tea.” He pointed to the mound of boxes on the counter.

  She threw her head back and laughed. “You bought all of this for me?”

  He nodded and she saw a flush creep up his neck to his cheeks. “Yeah. I went out while you were getting your beauty sleep.”

  “Which I needed,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Well it worked.”

  Her breath hitched. “Was that a backhanded compliment?”

  He ducked his head and turned back to the frying pan but not before she saw the flush darken. She laughed to herself. He was so easy to read.

  “What will you do with all this?” she said, pointing to the tea.

  “Invite you back to drink it,” he murmured.

  “I might say yes.”

  Instead of replying, he pointed the tongs at the window. “It doesn’t look too bad out there. It snowed overnight and it’s drifted a bit, but I don’t think I’ll have any problems pulling your car out.”

  Her heart fell. “That sounds good,” she said, pasting on a smile. That sounds terrible. She didn’t want to go.

  Jim put a plate in front of her, heaped with bacon and eggs and mushrooms and cooked tomatoes. It looked every bit as good as something from her favorite café back home. She leaned over and inhaled deeply. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “It feels like the Last Supper.”

  He stared at her. “What do you mean?”

  “The big meal before I never see you again.”

  “You could always come back.”

  She snapped her head up to look at him, knife and fork held midair. “What do you mean?”

  “On your way back to the airport you’ll be driving right past. You could always drop in again.”

  She grinned at him. “To help you finish the tea?”

  He chuckled. “Okay, so maybe I went a little bit overboard.”

  She cocked her head. “A little bit?”

  He blushed bright red and it was so cute.

  “Okay, a lot. But I didn’t know what type you liked.”

  She screwed up her nose. “So now’s probably not the right time to tell you I prefer coffee in the morning, is it?”

  He groaned theatrically. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

  She grinned, shook her head and laughed when he threw his hands in the air in mock exasperation.

  “Are all Aussies like you?”

  “Are all Canadians like you?” She lobbed the words back at him like a tennis ball going over the net.

  “I’d like to hope I’ve set the bar very high for all your future dealings with Canadian men.”

  *

  Twenty minutes later, they had washed all the dishes and stacked them away. He was stalling for time. Time to spend with her. Time to work out what was going on in his head and heart. Time to work out how to ask Hollie to stay for the rest of her vacation. Something had made her change her mind overnight, because the Hollie standing in his kitchen was very different to the one he’d sent to bed last night. This one was sending out “I’m-attracted-to-you” vibes. Then again, he may have been mistaken – it had been a long time since he’d let a woman come this close.

  “I guess I’ll go and get your car then.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, that’s okay. It’s a tight squeeze in the tractor. I’ll pull your car out and drive the car back to you.”

  “What about the tractor?”

  He shrugged. “I can walk back and get it later.”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll drive you.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He shuffled from foot to foot. “Okay then, so I’ll get going.”

  “You just said that.”

  He was officially going mad.

  He grabbed his boots and pulled them on and caught sight of her own boots. He groaned loudly. He was such an idiot.

  “Oh Hollie, I’m sorry. I never thought about your boots. We should have put them near the fire to dry last night.” He picked them up. “They’re still soaking. Do you have another pair in your suitcase?”

  She shook her head. “No. They were the only ones I brought with me, but that’s okay, I have other shoes. When I get to Niagara-on-the-Lake, I’m sure there will be shoe shops.”

  He grimaced. “Wait until you see the prices.”

  “Really?” Her face drooped. “Oh well, nothing to be done about it. Even if these dry, they won’t be suitable for the snow. I’ll have to buy proper snow shoes.”

  “I’m sure I’ve got some spare boots lying around here you could borrow.”

  He spoke without thinking and immediately kicked himself when he saw the look of confusion cross Hollie’s face. She probably thought he had women stay all the time and leave their boots lying around. How was he going to explain that he still had an entire wardrobe full of his wife’s clothes and shoes?

  He attempted to play it down. “I keep spare boots and extra coats and gloves for times like this.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  She shrugged her shoulders and thankfully appeared to accept his explanation.

  “Is there anything I can do while you’re gone? I’ve already packed my bag.” She indicated the backpack she’d dumped on the laundry room floor.

  “Would you like to feed Roo?”

  Her eyes lit at his suggestion. “I’d love to.”

  “You’ll find everything in here. I’ve already let her out for a quick run and put her in the stables, but I’ll bring her back in while you prepare the bottle. The milk mixture is in the cupboard and the instructions are easy to follow.”

  “How will I know what to do?”

  Jim chuckled. “Roo will show you.”

  He opened the back door, stepped out, and prayed the cold would clear his head. Was it less than twelve hours ago he’d found her stranded in the snow? It felt so much longer. How was it possible he felt such a connection to her in such a short space of time?

  He whistled for Wiggles and the dog appeared, bounding through the snow with a grin on his face. He ruffled the dog’s ears. “What have you been chasing?”

  The dog barked and raced off toward the stables. In stark contrast, Jim dragged his feet every step of the way.

  Chapter 8

  Hollie looked up minutes later to see Jim at the back door with Roo in his arms. She hadn’t expected him to be so fast.

  He was grinning, eyes sparkling.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” he said, depositing Roo on the tiled floor. She made a funny bleating sound and looked around expectantly.

  “About what?”

  “Come with me to collect your car. The sun is shining and I can show you the farm on the way.”

  Her pulse raced at the idea, then her heart plummeted. She scowled in disappointment. “Remember I don’t have any boots.”

  “I told you I could fix that.” He grinned again. “Feed Roo, grab your coat and I’ll be back.”

  The little llama butted against Hollie’s leg and she laughed and ran her fingers through the soft wool. “Are you hungry?”

  She tested the milk and decided the temperature was okay. She held it up and Roo’s eyes seemed to sparkle. Hollie laughed again. “You are adorable.”

  She angled the bottle and Roo made a little leap and gripped the teat in her mouth, sucking eagerly. Within minutes she’d drunk the entire bottle.

  Jim returned brandishing two pairs of boots and the ugliest woolen beanie Hollie had ever seen. “Not sure what size foot you have, but if these are too big I’ll get you another pair of socks.” He handed her the beanie.

  She eyed it suspiciously. At least she wasn’t trying to dress to impress him.

  He laughed at her expression. “It might not be fashionable, but trust me, it’s co
lder today than it was yesterday and you’ll need it. I promise it will keep your ears warm.”

  How had he read her mind?

  She peeked through the window behind him. The sun was blinding bright as it bounced off the snow.

  “But the sun is shining. It can’t be that cold.”

  He chuckled. “Never let that sun fool you.” He reached and tucked a strand of hair behind one ear and she shivered at his gentle touch. “Your hair is still damp and if it’s not tucked in, it will freeze solid.”

  She pulled the beanie over her head so it covered her ears and slid her feet into the first pair of boots. They fit perfectly. Jim handed her gloves.

  “These should fit too.”

  She didn’t have time to dwell on who the boots and gloves and hat belonged to because Jim grabbed Roo, locked the back door and dragged her by the hand across the yard. The air was so cold she gasped, coughed, spluttered, certain her lungs were freezing closed.

  Jim laughed at her. “I told you it was cold. At least the snow is powdery so you shouldn’t slip.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth when she felt her legs coming out from underneath her. She landed on her back with a heavy woomph as the air rushed out of her lungs.

  Jim turned around and, rather than helping her up, stood with his hands on his hips, grinning down at her. “You should have told me you wanted to make snow angels.”

  He threw himself onto the snow beside her and she wriggled herself into a sitting position to watch him, glad she’d worn every single layer of clothing from her carry-on luggage beneath her coat.

  He waved his arms up and down and moved his legs in and out. “This is how you do it,” he said. Once he was finished he leaped up and admired his handiwork.

  “I wasn’t exactly planning on doing anything except try to walk across the snow.”

  Jim leaned over and pulled her up. “I shouldn’t laugh but it was kind of funny.”

  Hollie tried to glare at him, but the absurdity of it hit her and she burst out laughing. She looked down at the mess she’d made in the snow beside his perfectly formed snow angel. “Just sayin’, this does not count as my first attempt at making snow angels,” she told him.

  “Deal.” He grabbed her gloved hand in his and together they walked slowly toward the stables.

  “Why do you have a llama?” she asked as they got closer.

  “I don’t have one llama. I have a dozen.”

  “What for?”

  He chuckled. “If I tell you, you must promise not to laugh.”

  She started laughing straight away and he nudged her with his hip. A tingle of awareness raced down her spine.

  “I use them for weddings.”

  “For what?”

  “Weddings. You know – when two people promise to love one another for the rest of their lives, forsaking all others, that kind of thing.”

  Instant bitterness rose like bile. “I know what a wedding is but I can tell you no one promises that anymore.”

  “Ouch.” His eyes bore into hers and she looked away. When he made no further comment, she snuck a look at him. She was surprised – and pleased – he wasn’t pushing her for more information.

  They reached the tractor and Jim helped her climb into the cab. He was right, the seat really was only designed for one person. Hollie perched on the edge, hoping he had enough room to drive safely. Wiggles tried to join them, wagging his tail excitedly.

  “Stay, Wiggles,” Jim commanded. The dog’s ears drooped and Jim laughed and ruffled the dog’s head. “You need to protect Roo.”

  He jumped in the other side and sat beside her. When their thighs touched, her skin tingled uncontrollably. Something warm raced up then down her spine, making her shiver with pleasure. She was acutely aware of how close they sat and the way his scent filled the space. The smell was subtle, more like a mix of body wash and deodorant rather than the heavy aftershave Steve splashed on. She liked it.

  The tractor growled beneath them as it lurched forward and the huge wheels crunched and ground their way over the snow.

  “It seems deeper than yesterday,” she said.

  “Yeah. We had a decent dump overnight. At least it’s stopped now. You wouldn’t believe it, but we could have warm weather next week and it might all melt.”

  “You’re joking!”

  “Nope. Old Man Winter likes to keep us on our toes.”

  “This is so beautiful,” she said, looking around her. “Do you ever get sick of it?”

  “Yeah, by the end of winter, I can’t wait for the snow to melt, but I never get sick of the farm.”

  “Hey, you didn’t explain what llamas have to do with weddings.”

  He rolled his eyes. “If you ask me, I think it’s a crazy phase and I have no idea how long it will last. Couples have their wedding photos taken with llamas.”

  She tilted her head. “You’re kidding.”

  A slow smile built. “I’m certainly not.”

  “And they use your llamas?”

  “And my farm. And my photography skills. I’m a wedding photographer. The pictures in my house are what I take for pleasure.”

  “The pictures in your house should be in a coffee table book. They’re amazing.”

  “Thank you, Hollie. That means a lot, eh?”

  They shared a look and a smile and another tingle slid pleasantly down her spine. Jim stopped the tractor and switched off the engine. “Here we are.”

  Hollie looked around and her heart froze. She inhaled sharply. “The car’s been stolen!”

  Jim chuckled. “No it hasn’t.” He pointed. “See that mound over there? That’s your car. Wait here.”

  After grabbing two shovels from the back of the tractor, he helped her down from the cab and handed her one.

  “Ah, now I see why you really wanted me to come – you didn’t want to have to do all the work on your own.”

  “Ah yeah, you got me!”

  Twenty minutes later Hollie had worked up a sweat. Who knew shoveling snow was such hard work? She took a break for a second, leaning against the shovel and catching her breath when something hit her square in the back. She squealed and turned as Jim lobbed a snowball in her direction. It landed on her left shoulder, exploding in her face. Cold water trickled down her cheek. She shrieked and jumped to the right, but he’d already taken aim with the third snowball. This one landed on her chest with a whomp.

  “That’s for slacking on the job,” he yelled with a grin.

  “Oh, now you’re in for it,” she cried, bending to scoop up snow.

  She chucked it in his direction and it landed meters from his feet. He threw back his head and laughed at her and her heart lifted at the sound.

  “How’s your aim, Aussie?”

  “It’s hardly fair when this is the first time I’ve ever seen snow.”

  Jim held the next snowball midair. “You’ve never seen snow?” The look on his face was incredulous.

  She shook her head. “Never. That’s why I’m here. To have my first white Christmas.”

  He dropped the snowball to the ground and loped toward her, grinning like a little kid. “So you’ve never made a snowman?”

  She shook her head.

  “You’ve never tasted snow as it falls and let it melt on your tongue?”

  She shook her head again.

  “Never been skiing?”

  “They’re all things on my list,” she said with a giggle.

  “Oh you poor deprived Australian. You’ll have to make sure someone takes you to do all those things while you’re in Canada.”

  Her heart started racing and she willed it to slow down. Everything within her wished he would offer to take her.

  *

  They quickly finished shoveling snow and he hooked the car to the tractor and dragged it across the snow out of the ditch. He unhitched it, checked it wasn’t damaged and tossed Hollie the keys. Everything within him hoped the car wouldn’t start.

  “Are you happ
y to follow me back to the farm?”

  She nodded, but he saw her frown.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “The car’s not locked. I must have been so tired I forgot to lock it.”

  He peered inside. “Nothing seems to have been touched.”

  Hollie climbed in, put the key in the ignition and turned it over. Jim stuffed down a groan of disappointment when it started first go. His wish hadn’t come true.

  “You’ll have to let the car run for a while to warm up. I’ll get a head start back along the main road. Do you think you’ll be able to find your way?”

  “Yeah, cheers. No worries.”

  Ten minutes later, she pulled in behind him around the back of the house.

  “So I guess you should get going so you can check in to the bed and breakfast,” he said when she wound down the window.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  Did he imagine it, or did her smile waver? He thought of suggesting he show her how to make a snowman before she went. Would it be pushy to ask her to stay longer? He sighed softly. Yeah, it would. He gave her a tentative smile. “I’ll grab your bag then. Do you need anything else before you go? A cup of tea?”

  She smiled up at him. “Thanks for the offer, but I reckon I should get going. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. You probably have work to do and I’m keeping you from it.”

  He wanted to tell her he had no work to do, tell her she wasn’t being a burden, tell her he wanted her to stay, but the words stuck in his throat. He took the steps two at a time, unlocked the back door, grabbed her backpack and carried it back to her.

  “I’ll put this in the trunk. Can you push the button?”

  Hollie fumbled around the dash for a second before the trunk popped up. He frowned.

  “Where’s your suitcase?” he called out.

  “What do you mean?” She jumped from the car, raced to his side and stared at the empty space.

  “It’s not here.”

  “I can see that,” she snapped. “So where is it?”

  “Are you sure you put it in there at the airport?”

  “I didn’t. The car hire bloke did.”