Finding Me in the Storm (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

Chapter Nine

Elaina

“I will check back in with you in a bit,” Nate tells me. “You have the Wi-Fi password and everything else you might need?”

“Definitely,” I tell him. “My first thing to deal with is Luna. I’m calling to let her know about the last few days and get some answers,” I tell him and notice his face drop.

“You aren’t going to be too rough on her, are you?” he questions, popping a hip against the door.

He had set me up in a small office behind the reception area at the resort. It was sparsely furnished, but it would suffice for checking emails and private phone calls. When he finishes work today, we have plans to continue our adventure, seeking out in the snow. His face, though, catches me a bit off guard, almost like a small child hoping for approval from a parent. He is worried about what I might say to his sister, I know instinctively.

“Not too hard,” I reply. “I mean, I might play up the nearly dying in the snow.”

“And her prince of a brother that rescued you from freezing to death,” he adds. “I mean, she needs to know that I’m not just a pretty face.”

I have to laugh, “No, you are also a fantastic mini cookie baker, terrible at every board game ever made, and good at taunting me out of my comfort zone.”

“I mean, if you are in upstate New York in the winter, at a ski resort—you need to ski. Why else would you come to a place like this?” he taunts.

“I don’t know. Reading great books by the fire, hot cocoa, and Christmas movie marathons sounds great to me,” I interject back as the smile on my face expands to near-painful levels.

“Not on my watch. Tell Luna I said hi, and we will be talking soon,” Nate finishes as he pivots out of the office space.

I immediately pick up the phone, and for the first time in days, it connects. I wait for the line to connect, trying to formulate my thoughts on exactly what to say.

“Hey, you are alive,” Luna says in an accusing tone the minute she answers. “I seriously thought you were dead. I was going to have to live with a ton of guilt if that happened, so I’m glad to hear from you.”

“Yeah, about that guilt,” I start right in, “care to share why you arranged for me to go to a cabin you knew your brother would be occupying. Or why didn’t you tell me that it was in the middle of nowhere and the cab driver would not be taking me to the door? Or how you were supposed to be here not me; I almost died in the snow where I got stuck until Nate unceremoniously rescued me,” I finish all the accusations in a single breath.

“Well, it does sound like it all didn’t work out the way I had imagined in my head,” she starts.

“Why send me here to have to coexist with Nate and not give me a warning?”

Silence. Normally, Luna is the chatty one of the two of us. I wish I could see her face at this moment, as she tends to wear all her emotions on her sleeves. I’ve long been able to read my best friend when I’m sitting across from her. Unfortunately, the distance is not making that possible.

“Please don’t kill me,” Luna retorts with a deep sigh.

A tiny fissure climbs my spine as goosebumps break along my arm.

“What did you do?” I demand.

“Okay, you know I love you and think you are the smartest person. You are kind, committed to your career, and horribly single. My brother Nate is good-looking, a successful small business owner, and a die-hard bachelor. I thought maybe if you two could just get to know each other finally, you might hit it off,” she admits.

“You set me up with Nate on purpose?”

“Maybe,” she replies in a tiny squeak. “In my defense, I didn’t realize how bad the storm was or that the driver of your cab wouldn’t take you to the door. I just thought you would show up and be stuck trying to get along with each other. I knew that given an opportunity that you both would definitely see things in each other that I admire, and maybe it could spark something. I mean, you as a sister-in-law would be a dream come true.”

“I am a doctor in another state,” I tell her, emphasizing each word. “You know my schedule, and your brother does run a ski resort up in the netherlands of New York. How did you see that working?”

“I mean,” Luna growls lightly. “I didn’t have all the details worked out. I, honestly, am sorry. I guess I should have let you on to things. Has Nate been terrible? I know that when he is feeling put upon, sometimes that arrogant side of him comes out. The two of you definitely have never been overly friendly, and I assumed you would just retreat to the resort, if my plan did not work for you to get to know each other. I didn’t figure on the blizzard dumping buckets of snow on your heads.”

“Actually, Nate got me out of the snow, and we did manage a ceasefire during the storm,” I tell her. “He’s been great, and for the first time, I have to admit, I understand why you love him so much.”

“I’m sorry, I need to check out my window here. Nope—I don’t see pigs flying, but you just said something kind about my brother, right? Or am I having a stroke and hallucinating that?”

“You are not funny,” I retort. “I can be nice to Nate. I must admit that things could have been much worse without him around during the storm.”

“So, I did a good thing?” Luna asks.

“I’m not willing to go that far yet,” I tell her. “Let’s just go with it; I’m not going to disown you when I see you next.”

“That is something. You could have been really mad at me with how bad the weather was reported on the news. I can pick you up from the airport when you are back. Do you know when they will start allowing flights out again?” Luna questions.

“Um,” I hesitate as I clear my throat. “I mean, I could fly now. I’m going to stay, though. Nate is graciously allowing me some ski lessons at the resort, and we have a few more nature hikes we want to get done.”

“I’m sorry. Did you just tell me that my indoor, book-reading brainiac of a best friend is skiing and hiking—with my brother, her sworn enemy?”

“Maybe.”

“So, it might be a little more than a ceasefire between you and Nate,” she teases.

I can hear the anticipation and maybe a hint of gloating in her voice. I’m not sure what this thing is going to end up being with Nate and me. At this stage, I don’t want Luna to know any details yet. Where things are headed from here is anyone’s guess.

“I’m going now. I will let you know when I finally do book tickets home.”

“Just remember, I’m going to want details when you get home,” she tells me.

“You know you are talking about your brother and me, right?”

“Ewww. Yeah, just give me cliff notes later,” she says.

We give a few more updates, and then disconnect. I sit back in my seat with a chuckle and shake of my head.

“I guess on to business,” I murmur as I open the laptop.

I’m shocked at the reluctance to get word on my jobs. Something has shifted in my short time here with Nate, but it can’t impact my future. I’ve worked way too hard not to see all that effort pay off. The lucrative jobs are certain to come, and my life is finally feeling on the cusp of starting. I seriously can’t believe that one little detour in a cabin is going to change everything—can I?