Cabin Fever With My First Flame (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

11. Bailey

Chapter eleven

Bailey

Finn gets a roaring fire going in the fireplace, and I take a few minutes to sit near the heat and thaw out before resuming my duties in the kitchen. For the next couple of hours, the eight of us operate like a well-oiled machine. Ella and Micah help the younger kids measure out the dry ingredients while Finn whips the softened butter for me.

By the time we’re finished, six bowls of dough need to be refrigerated. Micah suggests putting them on the back porch, which is blocked by the wind and doesn’t have over five feet of snow blocking the exit.

“How come we have to wait to cut out the cookies?” Isaac asks. “I don’t remember Mom making us wait.”

Micah jumps to my rescue and answers for me, “That’s because Mom would make a batch the night before so that it was ready right away. It was her little secret.”

“That’s actually a great idea. I never thought about doing that,” I tell them. “If you want to come over to our house next year and help us make cookies, I’ll make sure to have some ready.”

“That would be awesome!” the twins exclaim in unison.

Finn’s radio squawks in the other room, and he excuses himself while I sit with the kids and take a breather. “Is anyone up for playing a game?” I ask.

“When aren’t we?” Micah retorts. “We have first-person shooter games, strategy games, and racing games.”

Ella giggles. “My mom is referring to board games. She doesn’t know the first thing about playing video games or how to use a controller.”

“Oh. We have a few in the hall closet,” Micah says as he starts to get up.

I wave my hands, indicating he should sit back down. “I can get it.”

Micah’s brows furrow. “Are you sure? The board games are on the top shelf.”

“I’m short, but not that short! How about I’ll call you if I need any help?” Micah is a sweet kid, and he’ll be a good influence on Ella when school starts after the holidays. I’m glad Ella will have a friend and someone to show her the ropes. Mia won’t care and prefers to keep to herself, while Ava has never had a problem making friends.

I head down the hallway and open the closet, perusing the games on the top shelf. Pictionary seems to be the best bet since it can be played with teams and is always good for a laugh. I’m once again forced to stand on the tips of my toes in order to reach it. Just when I think I’ve got it, a giant hand hovers above me and nabs it.

I spin around and come face-to-face with Finn’s broad chest, clad in a black, form-fitting T-shirt that hugs all his muscles. They’ve been difficult to ignore all morning, but I’ve been sneaking in peeks here and there and admiring the view. There’s no ignoring them now, and I involuntarily lick my lips.

Finn’s eyes darken when the tip of my tongue slowly glides across my bottom lip, and he takes a small step forward. “Do you like what you see, Bailey?”

“Hmm?”

He chuckles lightly. “I asked if you like what you see.”

“It’s not bad if you’re into muscular physiques and bulky biceps—which I’m not, by the way. I just don’t remember your muscles being quite so big or your chest so broad.”

“And what are you into, Bailey Bug?” he asks huskily, using his nickname for me. I told him not to do it, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to chastise him for it at this moment. I’ve always loved the way the name rolled off his tongue, mainly because he always used it as a sign of affection. And as much as I don’t want to admit it, I need affection—even if it’s just verbally.

“Short and scrawny. Then I don’t have to look up and get a crick in my neck.”

“I can massage your neck for you,” Finn offers and then runs the tip of his finger from my neck, across my shoulder, and down to my wrist. He entwines his fingers with mine and brings my hand up to his lips. I almost take him up on his offer, but then he smiles, and I can’t tell if he’s joking or being serious. I’m in the mood for a game, but not the kind he’s playing.

“As lovely as that sounds, a hot bath would also do the trick.” I take the Pictionary box from his hands and change the subject as fast as I can. “What was the call on the radio all about?”

Finn steps back to give me some breathing room and walks beside me into the living room. “Chief was informing me that the town has seven feet of snow, and the plows are barely keeping up. New York, including our tiny town, has entered into a state of emergency and the governor has mandated that everyone is to shelter in place for the time being.”

“Were they calling you in?” I ask.

“No, but I’ll need to start digging a path to the garage soon in case he does. The snowmobiles and ATVs are parked inside. Chief Zimmerman just called to give me an update and check up on us. By the way, your parents say ‘Hi!’ and they can’t wait to see you and the girls.”

“Do you need any help shoveling snow?” Micah asks as we enter into the living room.

Finn nods. “Eventually, but I think we have a game to play first. Who’s up for some Pictionary?”

“What’s Pictionary?” Isaac asks, looking at the game with apprehension. “It sounds boring.”

“It’s so much fun!” Mia beams. She explains the rules and we split into two teams, girls against boys. Finn finds a ream of blank computer paper and some markers, and we spend the next two hours laughing our pants off.

“How did you not guess that I was drawing a firefighter, Finn?” Jonah asks, disappointed that the boys lost the game because his team didn’t give the correct answer. “I drew YOU!”

I giggle as Finn and Micah both try to worm their way out of this one. Jonah’s picture looks nothing like a firefighter. Finn studies the picture carefully and then grins. “I see it now! I was looking at it from the wrong angle.”

Isaac laughs uproariously. “Jonah, it’s a cowboy stick figure peeing on a bush!”

Jonah frowns. “No, it’s not! It’s Finn putting out a fire! How can you not see that?” He turns to me with puppy dog eyes. “Bailey, don’t you think it looks like a firefighter?”

“I think it’s a great rendition of a firefighter,” I answer. “You could give Picasso a run for his money.”

“Who’s Picasso?” Jonah asks.

“He’s a famous artist known for his abstract art. Sometimes, you have to dig really deep into your soul to understand some of his work. But when you do, it’s eye-opening, and you can’t unsee it,” I say as tactfully as I can. “I’ll show you sometime when there’s internet available.”

Finn gets to his feet and stretches. He circles to the back side of the couch and leans down so that his breath tickles my ear. Talking softly, he teases, “Nicely done. That was diplomacy at its finest.”

“I’ve had years to master the art,” I reply.

When Finn starts putting on his boots, coat, hat, and gloves, Ava hops up and runs over to him. “Where are you going, Finn? Are you gonna play in the snow? Can I come? Please! Please! Please!”

“No, Sweetpea. I’ve got to shovel the snow, which isn’t nearly as much fun. I have to dig a path to the shed to get the snow blower,” he tells her.

I walk over and put my hands on Ava’s shoulders. “Ava, aren’t you going to help us decorate cookies?” I ask, reminding her that we have an indoor task to accomplish. “We’ll get to play in the snow once we get to Pop’s and Nana’s.”

“Okay, Mom. Bye, Finn!” she says, waving as she skips away. Six-year-olds can be easily dissuaded.

“She’s cute,” Finn says with a slight tilt to his lips.

“She is, and she knows it,” I joke. Then my smile slips. “Finn, it’s really deep snow out there, and you have less than two hours of light left.”

“Are you worried about me, Bailey?” he asks, his voice low and deep.

It seems as though now that the truth is out, Finn has quickly let go of any grudges. I cough and sputter, “I’d be worried about anyone going out in the storm, Finn. It’s dangerous, and you’re doing this because you might get called in. I don’t understand why you can’t wait until the storm passes or there’s a break in the snowfall. I’ve heard stories of people getting lost ten feet from their homes because they can’t see where they’re going.”

Micah joins me in convincing Finn to wait it out. “Bailey is right. The Chief wouldn’t call you in with current visibility and storm conditions, even if you had the ATV or snowmobile ready to go. There’s no one out on the roads, and people are tucked safely in their homes. There are enough firefighters and volunteers to assist if there is a problem in town. If the snow stops falling long enough to shovel, I’ll be there to help.”

“Yeah, stay with us, Finn!” Isaac shouts.

It’s not until Jonah says, “We don’t want to lose you, too,” that Finn finally relents.

Finn takes off his hat and gloves, then slowly removes his coat and boots. “It looks like I’m outnumbered. Bailey, can I have a word with you in private, please?”

I swallow hard and nod. “Ella, do you mind getting started on making some sandwiches for everyone? I know it’s late to be eating lunch, but I’m sure we’re all a little hungry.”

Micah offers to help, which, of course, turns into everyone wanting to make their own sandwich. With Ella and Micah keeping the kids entertained, I follow Finn down the hallway to his bedroom. He gestures for me to sit.

I perch myself on the very edge of the bed so that my toes can touch the floor. “Scold away,” I say, joking, even though I’m bracing myself for the worst.

Finn grunts. “I’m not going to scold you, Bailey. You’re not a child, and I’ll never treat you as one. We’ve always talked things through, even if it takes us 18 years to do it.”

I glance at the floor and make designs on the carpet with my toe. “Then what is it you need to say that couldn’t be said in front of the children?”

Finn sits down beside me and clasps his hands together between his knees. “My job is dangerous, and every time I go out on a call, there’s a very real possibility that I might not return. It’s the main reason I packed up and moved the boys here. If anything were to happen to me, their grandparents would be able to take care of them.”

“That makes sense,” I say. “Isaac said you moved them here because you needed help.”

He bobs his head up and down. “I do, and having my parents close by is a win-win for everyone. The boys get to spend time with their grandparents after school and have a place to stay during my 24-hour shifts. Micah knows the real reason behind our move, but Isaac and Jonah don’t.”

“Where are you going with this, Finn?”

He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “Here’s the thing, Bailey. The twins know my job is dangerous, but that isn’t what is at the forefront of their minds when I go to work. They wouldn’t have thought twice about me shoveling snow in a storm, but because you were worried in front of them, they became worried.”

“I’m sorry, Finn. That wasn’t my intention, and I completely understand where you’re coming from. When we were caught in the snowstorm, I did my best to hide my panic so that the girls wouldn’t become scared. I should have been more considerate of you and the boys.”

Finn reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, Bailey. Those boys have suffered losses like you wouldn’t believe, but they’re strong, resilient, and have the most positive outlook on life. I just want to keep that intact as long as possible.”