Dancing in Lake Mistletoe (Lake Mistletoe #4)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mindi

“U m, I don’t think it’s gonna fit,” I say as I hold Josie’s hand.

Dutch is unstrapping the tree we spent the last hour picking out before it was loaded onto his truck.

“It’ll fit,” he assures me. “Get the door.”

I open the front door to the house, and Josie and I step aside as he hoists the netted tree onto his shoulder and carries it up the steps and into the living room.

“The stand is over there.” He nods toward the hearth, and I hurry past him to grab the green metal contraption.

“Where do you want it?” I ask.

“In the corner by the window,” he instructs.

I place it about six feet from the wall. He carefully sets the tree into the stand, and I help him hold it in place while he tightens the clamps. Once the tree is secure, he backs up, and the three of us stare up at the massive grand fir, the top of which brushes against the ceiling.

“What do you think?” he asks, glancing down at his daughter.

“It’s perfect,” she exclaims.

“I think so too.”

Removing a knife from his pocket, he flicks it open and uses the blade to cut through the thread of the net. The boughs of the tree fall in a cascade of deep green, filling the entire space.

“You girls ready to tackle the decorations?” he asks.

Josie raises a finger in the air. “First, we need food. Then, we have to change into Christmas pajamas and make hot cocoa. Then, we decorate,” she declares.

His eyes go to me. “You heard her.”

“I did, but I don’t have Christmas pajamas,” I tell them.

Josie prances down the hall to her bedroom and returns with a bag that reads Mrs. Claus’s Boutique —a name I recognize from Sun Valley Resort. She proudly presents it to me.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“It’s a present for me and you. Daddy said we have to open it together,” she explains.

“He did?” I say, eyeing him as I take a seat on the couch in front of her.

I open the top of the bag, and Josie reaches inside and pulls the red tissue paper out to reveal what’s inside. A set of The Nutcracker pajamas, one in her size and one in mine.

Josie squeals with excitement. “We’ll match! Come on, Mindi. Let’s change.”

Tears prick the back of my eyes as I look from the soft holiday lounge set to Dutch.

“Go ahead. You can borrow a pair of my socks,” he says.

I stand and let Josie lead me by the hand to his bedroom, where she digs a pair of thick white socks from one of his drawers for me. We change quickly, and when we return to the living room, Dutch has his phone to his ear. He ends the call and takes us in.

“What do you think?” I ask as we do a little twirl for him.

“I think you guys look super beautiful and super comfy. I’m going to go change and get comfortable too. Before the pizza gets here.”

He disappears, and when he returns, he’s wearing a pair of red lounge pants and a fitted white T-shirt. My mouth waters at the sight of his tousled hair and sexy smile.

Damn.

Josie turns the television on, and when the pizza arrives, we dive in while we watch a holiday classic— How the Grinch Stole Christmas! After eating, Josie and I make cocoa while Dutch goes to the garage to fetch the bins full of ornaments, lights, and other decor before the three of us set to trimming the tree. And I can’t remember having more fun as we adorn it with shiny baubles, sentimental ornaments made with Josie’s tiny handprints, candy canes, and silvery tinsel.

“Whoa, you’re wearing more tinsel than the tree. All we need to do is place a star on top of your head, and Santa’s gonna try to leave presents under you this year,” Dutch says as he pulls a glistening strand from my hair.

“Don’t forget the mistletoe, Daddy!” Josie cries from her spot on the carpet, where she’s filling in the empty bottom branches.

He reaches into one of the containers and pulls out a sprig of faux mistletoe, a velvet ribbon laced through one of its leaves. He walks to the hallway entrance and hangs it from a hook. Then, he reaches for me and tugs me under it.

“Now, you have to kiss him,” Josie shouts.

“I do?”

She nods enthusiastically. “Yep. It’s the rule. He kisses me every time I pass under it to walk to my bedroom!”

“Well, a rule is a rule,” I say as I stand up on my toes and wrap my arms around his shoulders.

I press my lips to his quickly and try to back away, but his arms come around me and hold me in place. Then, he covers my mouth with his and kisses me more thoroughly.

Josie giggles.

“That’s how you kiss under a mistletoe,” he says as he releases me.

“My turn!” Josie bellows as she jumps to her feet and runs to him.

I step aside as he scoops her up into his arms and peppers her face with a dozen kisses as she squirms.

“That’s enough, Daddy,” she squeals through her giggles.

He finishes and places her back on her feet.

We finish the tree, and Dutch totes the bins back outside.

When he returns, he dusts snow from his hair. “It’s really starting to come down out there.”

I look out the front window and see the snow falling in big, fat flakes.

“I’d better bring in some wood,” he says.

He fills the rack with cut firewood while Josie and I make more cocoa. He builds a fire as the wind howls outside, sounding like it’s alive, rattling the windows and whistling through the gaps in the front door of their house. Snow is coming down in thick, blinding sheets now, piling up fast on the porch and burying the town of Lake Mistletoe under a deep white blanket. I glance outside again, watching as the world turns darker, the snow swallowing everything in sight.

We cuddle under blankets in front of the fire and watch a movie until the electricity begins to flicker. When the living room finally goes black, Dutch grabs a flashlight and goes out the back door to fire up the generator.

Josie and I raid the kitchen pantry and find a set of candles and a book of matches.

I light them just as the generator hums to life, and the light above the kitchen island comes back on.

“Looks like a blackout on the street,” Dutch says when he returns. “The generator should keep the fridge and hot water running, but I’ll get some more candles from the garage.”

We quickly light all the candles and place them around the living room. And I move the pot of cocoa from the stove to the hearth to keep it warm.

Dutch is pacing in the living room, phone pressed to his ear, his jaw clenched. He’s been getting call after call ever since the power went out.

Apparently, there’s a major blackout in Lake Mistletoe and Sun Valley, taking down the whole grid. Half the town is probably sitting in the dark, wondering when the lights are going to come back on.

I’m sitting on the couch with Josie, wrapped in a blanket, her small body huddled close to mine. The temperature in the house is already starting to drop, and the storm doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

Dutch hangs up, running a hand through his hair in frustration. His eyes meet mine, and I can see the worry there. Not for himself—Dutch is as steady as a rock—but for the town, for everyone who’s going to need him tonight.

“They need me at the power station up on the mountain,” he says, his voice low and urgent. “This storm knocked out half the lines. It’s gonna be a long night.”

I nod, understanding immediately. Of course they need him. Dutch is the one who knows this town’s electric system inside and out. If anyone can get things back up and running, it’s him.

“Go get dressed, baby. I’ll take you to Grandma’s,” he says. Then, his eyes come to me. “I’ll drop you off at the inn on the way. Keller should have the generator going there.”

Josie whines. She doesn’t want to get dressed and go out in the snow.

“I can stay with her,” I say. “You go. Do what you need to do.”

Dutch’s eyes soften, and for a moment, he looks like he wants to argue, but he knows as well as I do that there’s no time to waste.

“You sure?” he asks, his gaze flicking between me and Josie.

I give him a reassuring smile. “Absolutely. We’ll be fine.”

Josie looks up at me, her big brown eyes wide and a little scared. I tighten the blanket around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be an adventure, Josie. We’ll be like pioneers, living without power for a little while. Just you and me.”

I look back up to Dutch. “I can keep the fire going, and we can read by candlelight. We’ll be fine.”

“We can read Harry Potter,” Josie says.

Dutch kneels in front of her, brushing a hand over her cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? You be good and listen to Mindi.”

Josie nods, leaning into his touch. “Be careful, Daddy. I love you to Venus.”

He kisses her forehead. “I will, baby. I love you to Saturn.” Then, he stands and grabs his coat from the hook by the door and turns to me, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Mindi.”

“Don’t worry about us,” I say. “We’ll be just fine.”

With one last look at Josie, Dutch disappears into the storm, the door closing behind him with a gust of icy wind. The house feels even quieter now, his absence making the space feel bigger and colder. I glance at Josie, who is still wrapped tightly in her blanket, and I force a smile.

“All right, kiddo,” I say, standing up and clapping my hands together. “First things first. Let’s get a cocoa refill and then fetch that book.”

Josie nods. She carries our mugs over, and I fill them to the top, then set them on the coffee table before returning the pot to the fire. She runs to her room to find the book, and I grab a couple of extra blankets from the linen closet and spread them over the couch. She sprints back, clutching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , and climbs on the couch. I plop down beside her.

For the next hour or so, we sit, huddled together, while we delve into the story of wizards and muggles.

The candles flicker softly around us, and for a while, it’s easy to forget the howling storm outside or the fact that the temperature is slowly dropping. We’re bundled up in a cocoon of blankets, and I make sure the fire stays lit.

A gust of wind slams against the house, rattling the generator, causing the lights to blink briefly, as if reminding us of the storm’s presence. Josie jumps, her hand gripping mine tightly.

“It’s okay,” I say softly, rubbing her back. “It’s just the wind.”

I pull her closer, trying to reassure her. “You know, your dad is out there right now, making sure the whole town gets its lights back. He’s like a Christmas hero.”

Josie looks up at me. “He is.”

“Definitely,” I say. “He’s the one who makes sure all the Christmas lights stay on, even when a big snowstorm tries to mess it all up.”

I continue reading as her eyes grow heavy. When she finally succumbs to sleep, I mark the page and set the book on the table. And I snuggle in and let the storm lull me to sleep.