Christmas Cancellation

7. KOL

Chapter seven

W hen Noelle stepped out of Ms. Winters’s office, her eyes were red and puffy. She’d been crying. Every instinct in me screamed to protect her, even though I barely knew her. Something inside me flared, a need to be the one who wiped those tears away.

She tried to cover up her emotional state with a forced smile, but I wasn’t buying it. I shot Ms. Winters a quick scowl. Whatever they’d talked about had clearly upset Noelle, and she didn’t seem the type to cry easily. I bit back my questions though. Noelle would tell me if or when she was ready.

We’d spent the majority of the past four hours talking—mostly lighthearted stuff, but I’d gotten a few glimpses into the serious parts of her life and had learned a lot about her. Being cooped up with someone in a snowstorm brought out the truth faster than any candlelit dinner. It was a great way to learn what a woman was really like, outside the pretentiousness of the dating scene. From what I’d gathered, Noelle was an open book—most of the time. She didn’t bother hiding who she was, and I respected that. But the topic of her parents? That was a door she kept bolted shut. It stirred up in me an instinct I didn’t usually have for strangers—to defend her from whatever hurt lay behind that door. It wasn’t the same as looking out for my brother and sisters, or even the guys in my unit. This was different. More visceral. I wanted to shield her from whatever caused her pain and make it right.

“The storm is getting worse,” I said, showing them the radar on my phone. “We need to get going if we’re gonna make it anywhere tonight.”

I picked up Noelle’s coat and bag and stepped closer to her.

Ms. Winters turned toward Noelle. “Where are you staying tonight, dear?”

Noelle glanced at me before responding to Ms. Winters. “I, uh, had a hotel booked in Albany for tonight,” she stammered. “I thought I’d fly into Albany, grab a rental car, drive to Saratoga, and head back to Atlanta tomorrow.” She paused, a hint of pink spreading across her cheeks. “But…everything got thrown off when the flight got canceled. I haven’t made any new plans yet.” She bit her lip, her shoulders slumping. “I guess I should’ve thought this through earlier. God, I feel so stupid—”

I interrupted her before she spiraled any further. “You’re not stupid,” I said firmly. “I figured you’d need a ride somewhere, so I stuck around.” I glanced out the window at the swirling snow, then back at her. “It’s not like anyone’s getting around in this storm without four-wheel drive and snow chains. And right now, my Bronco’s the only thing that can cut through this. ”

Her eyes widened, and she blinked at me for a second. “You stayed because…?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to play it off. “Yeah, well, you didn’t think I’d leave you to fend for yourself, did you?” I pointed out the window, at the snow that had built up on the porch railing during the short time we’d been here. “Even with four-wheel drive, we’re not getting far. This storm’s only gotten worse since you went into your meeting.”

Ms. Winters pursed her lips, worry creasing her forehead as she glanced from Noelle to me. “It looks rather bad, doesn’t it? Are you sure it’s safe to drive at all?”

“It’s worse than bad.” I sighed, consulting the weather app on my phone again. The radar showed nothing but a sea of white. “We’ll have to take it slow. But yeah, I can get us somewhere here in town.”

Ms. Winters clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “Well, Noelle, why don’t you stay at your aunt Mary’s place now that you own it? It’s exactly as she left it the day she passed. I even hired a cleaning service to go by each week. Oh, and if you want to keep that up, let me know, and I’ll give you their number.”

Now that she owned it. Hmm, interesting development. It made me wonder if she had plans to move back to Saratoga.

Noelle’s mouth twisted like she’d bitten into something sour. “I don’t know… It feels weird, staying in a dead person’s house.”

Ms. Winters waved it off. “Oh, nonsense! It’s your house now. And don’t you worry about Mary’s place being haunted or anything like that. It’s just a house. You’ll be just fine. But if you’re uncomfortable, you and your…friend here could stay with me.”

I caught the slight wince on Ms. Winters’s face. Clearly, she didn’t actually want houseguests, but she felt obligated to offer .

“Thank you, but—” Noelle started, and then the lights cut out, leaving us in pitch black.

Ms. Winters yelped and immediately began scurrying around, shuffling across the hardwood floor. “One second, I’ve got a flashlight around here somewhere!” She rummaged through a drawer as I switched on my phone’s flashlight to help light up the room.

“Oh no! I wonder how long the power will be out,” Noelle said. “I doubt any crews can get out during this mess.”

“Ma’am, will you be okay here by yourself if we leave?” I asked, shining the beam around.

“Oh, I’ve been through my share of outages,” Ms. Winters said with a huff, finally finding her flashlight. She flicked it on, casting a shaky beam of light. “I’ll be fine. A long time ago, I had all my fireplaces converted to gas, so they don’t need electricity. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“How far is it to your aunt’s house?” I asked.

“Mary’s place is only down the street. Not far at all,” Ms. Winters said, waving her hand dismissively. “If you’re bundled up, it’s an easy walk. But with all the snow piling up, you might want to take that big red sleigh of yours that’s parked out front.”

I almost laughed. “Sleigh?”

Ms. Winters chuckled. “Santa’s sleigh, Bronco—it’s all the same in this weather, isn’t it?”

I rolled my eyes.

“The Bronco can definitely handle a couple of blocks, even in this weather,” I said, shaking my head. Santa’s sleigh , huh? Never thought of my truck that way, but I guessed it fit.

“Well then, it’s settled,” Noelle said, exhaling slowly. “We’ll stay at Aunt Mary’s.”

“Ma’am, if you need help, just call Noelle, and I’ll come,” I offered, turning toward the door .

“Oh! The keys!” Ms. Winters hurried over to a drawer, pulled out a keychain, and passed it to Noelle.

Noelle held the keychain in her palm, staring at the key fob for a second, which had a horse etched onto it. Her thumb brushed over the horse, and something softened in her expression. She nodded, slipping the keys into her tote.

“Thanks, Ms. Winters. For everything,” she said.

“All right,” I said, placing a hand on Noelle’s back and guiding her toward the door. “Let’s get moving before the storm picks up more.”

With her tote looped over my arm, I paused by the door and held her pretty red coat up, waiting. Noelle’s brows arched in surprise. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she stepped forward, sliding her arms into the sleeves. I eased the coat up over her shoulders, taking an extra second to pull her hair out from under the coat and smooth the collar. She tilted her head, a look of surprised gratitude flickering across her face as she glanced back at me.

Noelle glanced over at Ms. Winters. “Thank you for everything. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Ms. Winters gave her a quick hug. “You take care now, both of you. And drive safely in that sleigh of yours!”

We stepped outside into the biting cold. The only light came from the flashlight on my phone and its dull reflection off the snow. There weren’t any electric lights on for as far as we could see. I hooked an arm around Noelle’s waist as we shuffled down the slippery sidewalk. Her boots skidded on the ice, and she grabbed onto my jacket, muttering something about her impractical footwear.

“Easy,” I murmured, guiding her toward the Bronco. I opened the passenger door, holding her steady as she climbed inside. Once she was settled, I moved around to the driver’s side, snow crunching beneath my boots with each step. The cold hit me, a gust of frigid air rushing across my face.

I jumped inside and quickly cranked on the engine. The Bronco roared to life. Its headlights pierced the swirling snow, illuminating the curtain of white that danced in front of us. I flipped on the defrost setting, watching as our breaths fogged up the windshield.

“Where to now?” I asked, turning my attention to Noelle.

Narrowing her eyes in thought, she stared out into the storm. “I think it’s about eight houses up.” She pointed in the direction opposite the way we’d come earlier.

I nodded and noticed how sad she still seemed, haunted by whatever had happened in that office with Ms. Winters. I rotated toward her, cupping her cheek and running my thumb along the soft curve. Her skin was chilled, but the contact sent a pleasant warmth through my palm. “We’ll be there soon,” I said quietly, offering her a small smile.

She gave a half-nod, pressing her lips into a thin line. This wasn’t the same Noelle I’d met at the airport, the one who had come off as spoiled and brash. Then, she had put on a confident front, all wild laughter and unfiltered remarks. Now I was witnessing a deeper, more cautious side to her—someone who held her true feelings close and carefully guarded the parts of herself that had been hurt.

“You okay?” I asked, still cradling her face in my hand.

“Yes,” she whispered, though her eyes remained despondent.

“Liar,” I whispered, but I decided to let it go for now. I brought my hand back to the steering wheel and eased the Bronco out of the driveway. Ice crunched under the tires, a sound that promised nothing but trouble if I wasn’t careful. The snow swirled thick around us, turning everything into a blur of white. I had to grip the wheel tightly to keep us moving straight backward. Even with four-wheel drive and chains, the tires slipped a few times as we were getting out of the driveway, threatening to drag us into a snowbank.

The houses on either side of the street were practically indistinguishable under the thick layer of snow deposited by the storm. “Sure it’s up this way?” I asked, straining to see through the windshield. The tires fought for traction as we crept forward. It was like navigating through a whiteout, the snow so thick it blurred out the edges of the road. I kept the beams of the headlights low, trying to make out anything beyond the hood, but the swirling flakes made it nearly impossible.

Noelle sat forward in her seat, scrutinizing the row of darkened Victorian homes. “It’s hard to tell…” she muttered. “They all look the same.”

I scanned the houses as well, even though I didn’t really know what I was looking for. Each roof was piled with snow, icicles dangling off the edges. They all seemed more or less the same to me.

“Wait…there!” She pointed, excitement creeping into her tone. “That’s it! The lamppost with the horse.”

I spotted it—a vintage lantern with a silhouette of a racehorse perched on top. It wasn’t lit, of course, thanks to the power outage, but it was the only thing distinguishing this driveway from any others. I maneuvered through the snowbanks and turned into the driveway. The tires spun for a second before catching, jerking us forward. Once we had made it all the way up, I shifted into park and engaged the parking brake.

Noelle grabbed her phone and squinted at the screen. “Power’s out all over the city,” she said, exhaling sharply. “They’re saying it might be a while before it’s restored.”

“Figures,” I muttered, staring out into the darkened street. This storm wasn’t letting up any time soon .

Noelle hopped out of the Bronco before I even had a chance to shut off the engine. Independent as hell, that girl. Not used to a man treating her like a lady either. I climbed out, chuckling as I shut the driver’s door and made my way around the front; in those boots, she wouldn’t make it far on the ice-covered ground.

“Seriously?” I called out, watching her teeter as she slowly made her way forward.

She turned, shooting me a defiant glare. “What? I’m fine!” She took another step, her boots skidding across the slick driveway, her legs wobbling like those of a newborn deer.

I crossed my arms, bracing myself for what came next. Sure enough, she flailed, trying to regain balance. For a second, it looked like she might pull it off. But then her heel caught the edge of a brick flower bed, and it was game over. Her feet flew one way, her blonde curls whipped the other, and her arms windmilled. She lost her grip on the tote bag, and it went flying, getting snagged on a low tree branch nearby. The entire scene played out like a cartoon, ending with her face-planting in the snow.

I bit back a laugh as I jogged over to the heap that was Noelle. “You really need a lesson in wait for the guy to help you out , don’t you?” I teased, crouching down next to her.

She spit out a mouthful of snow, propping herself up on her elbows and shooting me an indignant glare. “Not. A. Word. I have it under control.” She kept scowling as she attempted to stand.

“Right,” I said. “Totally under control.”

I plucked her tote out of the tree.

When she endeavored to rise from her knees, she yelped and fell back onto the snow, turning to hold her ankle. She looked up at me through her eyelashes. “It’s just a little sprain,” she said unconvincingly .

“Uh-huh,” I said, bending over to help her up into a standing position. “Let’s see if you can walk.” As she gingerly attempted to keep her foot off the ground, I gestured toward her ankle.

“I’m fine,” she hissed through clenched teeth, but when she attempted to put weight on it, she winced and nearly toppled over again.

I caught her before she face-planted a second time. “Yeah, you’re fine,” I said dryly. Handing her the tote, I shook my head and grinned.

“Come on, hold still.” I crouched down, slipped my arm between her legs, hooked it around her thigh, grabbed her forearm in my other hand, and ducked my head under.

“What are you—” She gasped as I swung her up and over my shoulders, securing her in a classic fireman’s carry. “Kol! Put me down!”

“Not a chance.”

I had tried to lift her up in a somewhat dignified manner, but she was squirming too much, making it difficult.

“Damn it, Stinkerbelle. You’re not making this easy. Now behave.” I smacked her ass for good measure.

“Ugh! You brute!” She huffed, though her tone had carried a hint of laughter.

“Yep. We’re doing this my way now. Otherwise, you’re going to end up breaking something.” I stomped up the porch steps, keeping a firm grip on her though she kicked and wiggled the whole way.

“Kol!” she squealed, half-laughing, half-protesting as her tote swung wildly and nearly clocked me in the head.

“You always this stubborn, or is it just a special occasion?” I asked, trying to keep a straight face while she groused.

“Depends on the company,” she shot back, her voice muffled from being upside down .

At the door, I set her down gently but kept my arm wrapped around her waist to support her as she balanced on her good leg. She dug into her tote, fishing for the keys.

“Need me to help with that too?” I teased, arching an eyebrow.

“Ha, ha,” she muttered, finally yanking the keys free. She slid the key into the lock and pushed. The door creaked as it swung open.