Megan came around the corner, bundled in her Stay Puft gray parka, a hat with a thick white pompom, boots, and carrying a fabric tote bag. She blinked behind her blue scarf, unable to hide her surprise.
“Oh.” She looked from Josh to Cole. Her breath frosted in the icy air.
“We’re almost done digging you out,” Cole offered, hoping she’d accept his peace offering, though, by the looks of it, she was planning to hike to her destination.
She still looked back and forth between him and Josh, finally asking, “What are you doing here?” She still had the same furrow between her brows when she was frustrated.
He laughed at her question. Like mother, like son. “Technically, I sort of live here. Though, not exactly, since it isn’t quite inhabitable. Yet.”
Megan raised a brow and shook her head as if trying to sort through his words. Then, “I see you’ve met my son, Josh.” Her features softened, a smile lighting her face when she looked at Josh. It was the same way his mother used to look at him. The look that told him she’d do anything for him.
It put a strange lump in his throat. “A couple times now, actually.”
“So I hear. The tickets?”
Right. That. Cole shrugged it off. “I couldn’t pass up a chance to support youth hockey.”
Josh leaned his shovel against the garage. “Do I still get paid for shoveling the driveway?”
Cole smiled. “You can have my share.”
Megan laughed. It was a sweet, light sound that shook something loose in his core. “I think that can be arranged.” She looked at Cole and chewed her lower lip, finally asking, “Do you have a couple minutes?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Because he really didn’t want to tell her that he had no choice but to evict her—them—in front of Josh either.
She turned to Josh. “I’ll be right back, okay? We’re going to run this around the corner. When you’re done, head back upstairs. I left the kettle warm for hot cocoa.”
“Okay.”
“Can I carry that for you?” Cole reached for the tote bag she carried.
“I’ve got it. I just need to drop it off at the church. There’s a wedding scheduled for today.”
“Please. Let me carry it for you.” He reached for it, letting the gentle pull of his hands convince her to release it.
“Okay. Fine. Thank you.” She led them down the sidewalk toward Deep Haven Community Church and let out a long breath. “I’m sorry about how I reacted yesterday.”
He waited for an excuse, but none followed. “I’m sorry you got the news the way you did. If I’d known there was a tenant—and if I’d known it was you—I would have come by in person.”
She stopped walking and turned on him, her bright golden-brown eyes searching his, several snowflakes landing on her long lashes. “Where have you been all these years?” The question, charged with confusion, caused him to pause. He wasn’t one to look back with regret.
He shrugged. “Foster care first. Then the Army.”
He didn’t miss the way her eyes shifted to his scar. Don’t ask.
“You’re in a big hurry to get out of here.”
“It isn’t personal. I have a job—well, I hope to have a job with the U.S. Marshals Service soon.”
She looked up at him, tilted her head as if calculating something. Nodded. “Yeah. I always thought you’d set out to help others.” Her words were quiet, reflective. He could see something sad and lost in her eyes before she turned away and continued walking with careful steps down the sidewalk. And he wanted to ask her what she’d been doing all these years too, but maybe he didn’t have the right to ask. He was the one who owed her.
“What did you do in the Army?”
“I was a Ranger.”
“Aren’t those the guys who jump out of airplanes?”
The incredulous light in her eyes made him laugh. “Yes, sometimes.”
“Wow. That’s crazy. Thank you for shoveling the driveway. I’m not sure that really stacks up to Ranger duty. Were you the one who did the street too?”
“Yes, ma’am. You’re welcome.” And what else could he say? That it was the least he could do since he still needed her to move out? “Casper tapped my driving skills—I can handle more than a minivan on ice.”
“Is that what you learned in the Army? Advanced minivan maneuvers?”
He smirked. She hadn’t lost her sense of humor. “Something like that.”
“And now you want to be a Deputy U.S. Marshal? Why?”
“I made plans with my friend, David, before we discharged. It’s something we both felt would allow us to continue our service stateside. Work together.”
She paused. Gave a little nod.
“What about your parents? Your sister?”
She lifted a shoulder. “They all moved to Florida last fall. Sold the house.” She kicked her feet in the snow. “Lillian’s going to school down there.”
“And her heart condition?”
“She’s been stable for several years. And they’re close to a heart center.”
They arrived at the church, stomped the snow off their boots.
Cole followed her inside and down the hallway. She flipped on the light to a classroom and slipped off her hat and scarf.
He needed to talk to her. Tell her why he had to sell the house. “Hey, Megan?”
“You can put that over there.” She pointed to the long table and he set the bag down. Her phone began ringing and she checked the number. “Sorry. I need to take this—”
She answered it and stepped out into the hallway. As she paced outside the door, resignation threaded her voice. “Absolutely… Yes, I understand you can’t do that… Sure. I’ll get it to you as soon as possible. Thank you.” She hung up and blew out a long breath when she came back into the room.
“Everything okay?”
Her shoulders sagged. “I hope it will be.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s the Black Spruce. I’m trying to buy it.”
“The bed and breakfast next door? Isn’t it vacant?”
“Yes. The owners moved to California and need to sell. I signed a purchase agreement and if I don’t come up with the rest of the down payment by the end of March, then it will be void and it will go on the market. And some out-of-town management company is dying to snatch it up and turn it into another expensive rental.”
Right. Maybe this wasn’t the best time for the conversation. The one where he explained to her the five reasons she had to agree to break the lease and move out.
“I’d better get back to Josh.”
“I was just starting to thaw.”
She tucked her hair back into her scarf and wound it back around her neck before snugging on her hat and stepping out into the freezing air. “Oh, come on, Ranger, don’t be such a pansy.”
“Ranger?” Somehow, the teasing lilt in her voice unraveled him a little, as if she’d somehow sneaked inside a barricade he had forgotten he’d built.
“It isn’t that cold.” She stooped down and tossed a scoop of snow at him.
He ducked. “Hey!”
“Surely you experienced worse in the Army.”
“Not by choice. And you’d better be careful who you pick a snowball fight with.” He leaned down, scooped up a ball of snow and began shaping it, careful not to pack it too hard.
“Did they teach you that at the Ranger academy too? Was that a class?”
“Funny. No. And it’s the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program.” He pitched the snowball at her, aiming for her well-padded shoulder. She didn’t even flinch when it shattered down her arm.
“My son throws harder than that.” Her eyes lit with challenge, her breath rising in a puff from her pink lips.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” The words hung in the air between them. He’d meant the snowball, but more than that. No, he’d never wanted to hurt her. She blinked, looked away, and pointed to the trees, heavy beneath their white burden. “It’s usual
ly subzero in January and February, so this is actually rather pleasant. I’d say we’re hitting twenty degrees today.” She held out a finger as if taking the temperature and wind direction.
“You say ‘subzero’ like it’s normal. Can I tell you, it isn’t normal?”
“Around here it is.” She began walking back toward her apartment, her feet squeaking in the cold snow.
“You don’t have to live like this. There are warmer places.” Warmer. Brighter. So many other places. He caught back up to her, shoving his hands in his pockets, his chin down into the neck of his jacket.
“I like it here.” She narrowed her eyes. “And you used to too.”
“To be fair, most of the time I spent here was in the summer. I only endured one winter here. Way more ice and snow here than in Minneapolis.”
“Endured?” She quirked an eyebrow at him, took a step forward to challenge him. “I remember the Christiansens taking us to Honeymoon Bluff. And dragging my sled to the top again and again with you. You know you loved it just as much as I did.”
“I loved going fast.”
She was so close, her sweet floral scent tugged at him. Distracted him.
“You loved all of it. Screaming down the hill. Crashing at the bottom. Lying in the snow and staring at the blue sky. And not going home until you were so cold you couldn’t feel your toes.”
Because he hadn’t wanted to go home. He’d wanted to stay on that hillside with her forever. Carefree. Drinking in the joy of her shrieks and laughter.
Not face the drunken abuse of his grandfather. He swallowed, turned away. Pressed down the twist in his gut.
“There’s another big snowstorm moving in. See?” She pointed toward the low-hanging clouds, heavy with moisture, in the distance. “Which could be bad news for my wedding travelers, but lucky for you. It’s warmer than typical.”
He wasn’t feeling lucky. Snow had already begun falling again, a thick layer covering the road and driveway where he’d plowed and shoveled. And he still hadn’t explained to her why she had to agree to move out.
If he wasn’t careful, he’d be stuck in Deep Haven until the spring thaw.
Megan woke the next morning with a devastating realization. Her wedding was in big trouble, and worse, not even God was on her side.
The depth of snow outside the apartment door was a clear sign to Megan that God had, in fact, completely forgotten about her. That the prayers she’d lifted in the sleepy darkness the night before, begging God for favor, asking Him to help her make this wedding happen, hadn’t been heard. Or worse, He’d given her a resounding no.
She pulled open the exterior garage door, kicking the snow away with her boots. This was what she got for teasing Cole about the weather. She closed the door and tried the interior garage light switch again. Still no power, and snow continued to fall from the steel-gray sky.
Don’t panic. Maybe the church had power. She climbed the stairs back to the apartment and began bundling herself in layers. She grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer and shoved it into her pocket.
“I’m ready to go.” Josh wrapped his scarf around his neck.
“Perfect.” She scooped up Puck and set him on the couch. “We’ll be back, buddy. You stay here where it’s warm and cozy.” The orange tabby began kneading a blanket, circling to hibernate through the storm. Smart cat. It was a tempting prospect if there weren’t I-do’s on the line.
Snow blew across their path as they worked their way through the deep drifts and clung to the trees along the street. She snugged her collar closed and stopped next to Josh. Listened to the soft pattering of flakes falling around them.
A stillness hung over the morning, a peacefulness she longed to hold on to. Snow made the whole world new.
“This is the best,” Josh said, opening his mouth to the snowfall.
She forced a smile. “All right, Frosty, we’d better keep moving.” They plodded their way down the block and around the corner to Deep Haven Community Church.
Casper Christiansen’s truck and Pastor Dan Matthews’s SUV were parked in the church lot. Another SUV was parked along the entry curb, and several sets of fading footprints followed the sidewalk to the church door. The snow around the entry had already been cleared, with fresh snow readily filling back in. She pulled the door open, holding it for Josh to tromp in ahead of her.
“Pastor Dan?” she called down the dim hallway. “Hello?”
“I’m in here.”
She followed his voice around the corner to the conference room. He stood over the large table and his gray eyes looked up from the box of batteries and blankets in front of him. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind him cast bright reflected light across the room, creating a halo on his brown hair.
“The whole town’s out of power.” He finished loading another stack of fleece throws into the box.
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Megan answered.
“I’m going to make rounds around town to ensure we don’t have any elderly who are homebound without any means to keep warm. Your bride-to-be is somewhere here, too, in a bit of a panic.”
“Alexa’s here?”
“Yeah. She’s distressed, as I’m sure you can imagine.”
“I bet.” It wasn’t too unusual for brides-to-be on their wedding day, but Megan figured it had more to do with the two feet of fresh snow outside than the nuptials.
He frowned. “I’m not sure how long it will take to get the power back—if anyone can even make it here safely for the wedding.”
“Can I play out front?” Josh stood in the doorway, adventure lighting his eyes.
“Sure, sweetie, be careful and look out for cars.”
Dan rubbed his jaw. “I’m hoping it doesn’t take long to repair the lines. I’d hate to have to cancel tomorrow’s church service, too.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to have to wear my snowsuit to the service.” She grinned. “You know I would, though.”
He laughed.
The exterior door clattered closed, and the low tones of tenor voices echoed down the hall. Casper Christiansen walked in, followed by Cole.
Snow still clung to their hats and jackets. The bulk of Casper’s winter coat only added to his hockey-player size. He tugged heavy gloves from his hands and brushed the snow from his brown beard.
Cole had traded his leather jacket for a thick ski jacket. His days-old scruff, knit hat, and Gore-Tex pants made him look like he was ready for a backwoods rescue.
Huh. The last time she spoke to Raina, she and Casper were clearly on her side. Cole had the maddening ability to unsettle her every time he approached. His blue eyes locked on to hers and he gave her a tentative smile. Like he wasn’t quite sure where he stood with her.
Good. He shouldn’t be. Sure, he might have engaged in a snowball fight, but the man was still evicting her.
He pulled his knit cap from his head and scrubbed a hand over his hair. She was pretty sure his high-and-tight would not suffer the effects of hat hair.
Casper set his gloves down on the table. “Bad news. One of the white spruce behind the church has knocked down the power lines. It’s going to take a while to get them repaired.”
Megan closed her eyes and slumped against the wall. “How long will that take to fix? We have a wedding here tonight.”
“I don’t know. The electrical crews can’t get into town yet because there’s so much snow to plow.”
Cole stepped forward. “Who’s in charge of getting the outlying roads plowed?”
“Public Works, but we don’t have a strong contingency plan for this type of situation. We’re too isolated, with too few people to get it done.”
“Hey—I have the floral delivery.” Claire Atwood appeared, bringing with her a whirl of frigid air from outside. Her dark hair fell in waves around her face and her baby bump was already starting to show. She held a large arrangement of snapdragons, peonies, and roses in shades of lavender and pink. “I’m worried if we don’t get these inside
fast, I’ll lose them to the cold.”
“They’re beautiful!” Megan touched one of the soft blooms, such a striking contrast to the deep winter surrounding them.
“Where should I put them? I have three more arrangements to bring in,” Claire said.
“I can take that one for you.” Cole lifted the arrangement from Claire’s arms and followed Megan to the sanctuary. “Where should I put it?”
“Let me get my layout sketch.” Megan tugged a binder from her bag and pulled her notes out. She placed them on the top of the piano so they could both study the plan. “Okay, it looks like that one is supposed to go on the altar.”
Alexa Berg entered the sanctuary wearing her Uggs, anorak, and red-rimmed eyes. She hung up her cell. “Jason’s family is stuck in Duluth. They aren’t going to make it.” She shook her head.
Megan blinked. “What? Why are they back in Duluth?”
“They had an issue with two of the tuxedoes, so they kept their rooms there and drove back after rehearsal.” Alexa squeezed her eyes shut.
“Oh no.”
“My groom isn’t going to make it in time to marry me.” Her shoulders drooped.
In reality, getting married didn’t require power, or even guests, but it did require a groom. And, ideally, everyone who had taken the time to RSVP. Light and heat would be a definite bonus.
“What are we going to do? We have the flowers. The cake is already in the refrigerator.” Alexa wiped tears from her eyes.
“Hey—it’s okay.” Megan wrapped her in an embrace. “We’re going to figure this out.”
“Even if the power’s back on, I need a groom to marry!” She let out a small cry of frustration. “It sounds like the roads are going to be a mess all day.”
Megan released her, tugged her phone from her pocket, and began scrolling through her calendar. There had to be some way to make it work.
Alexa blew her nose and blotted her eyes. “Can we move it to Monday night? There’s supposed to be a break in the weather Monday morning. Then everyone could be here for an evening wedding.”
It wasn’t an easy solution. Megan shook her head. “That’s the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I’m already booked for a wedding at the Art Colony that night.”
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