Naughty Elf: Evan (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

3. Evan

Chapter 3

Evan

It had to be him. How could I have ended up with a single alpha if he wasn’t my mate? There was no way… Unless, he wasn’t, and I was about to be chopped to pieces by this giant mountain man.

His scruffy beard and flannel jacket were exceptionally sexy, and I decided that even if he was taking me to his kill room, it would be totally worth it. I’d probably put up a little bit of a fight, but mostly just so he’d have to hold me down and carry me inside.

I giggled at the silly image of me trying to fight off this man who had at least 150 pounds on me.

“What’s so funny over there?” Holden asked as he pulled to a stop in front of a beautiful log cabin.

“Trust me, you don’t wanna know.” I looked out the window, checking out the land. “This is your house?”

“Yep. Just bought it a few months ago, and it’s a bit of a mess on the inside. I’ve been fixing things up, but every time one thing is fixed, another thing breaks, so it’s not exactly livable yet, but we’re getting there.”

“We’re?” The painful reality that maybe he wasn’t single hit me, and my tummy started to hurt. “Do you live here with someone?”

“No. Just me and the…wildlife.” He opened the door and then looked back at me. “You’re smart to be cautious about trusting strangers, but I can promise that I won’t hurt you. I’m gonna go inside and start working on the plumbing. You’re welcome to sit out here for a little while and think about your options, but it’s nice and warm inside, and I can get some hot cocoa going if that’s your style.”

I opened the door and dropped my foot out onto the snowy ground. “It is my style. Exactly my style. Thank you, Holden.” My backpack felt extra heavy as I carried it inside his house.

He was right that it was toasty warm inside the cabin. There was a low glow coming from the wood stove and Holden threw a few logs into the opening before coming to stand in front of me. He slipped his hands into his pockets and exhaled through his nose. “Well, the Wi-Fi is decent here, so if you want to make some phone calls or look online for a rental car or something, it’s an open network. No password required. If you really don’t have anyone to call, you’re welcome to stay here for the night.” He pointed this thumb back over his shoulder. “There’s a guest room in the back that has a twin bed. It came with the place, so I don’t know how comfortable it is. But you’re welcome to it. I need to get started on some plumbing repairs, so just holler if you need me.”

“Oh, okay.” I stood there, unsure what to do as he turned down the hall and disappeared into what must have been his kitchen.

I had my phone, but there was no one I could call for help. Other than Ralph, everybody I knew thought I was still back in the North Pole. And I didn’t have money for a hotel. I don’t know what I thought was going to happen when I got to Joyville, but it was clear I had not done a great job of planning.

I shuffled down the hall to check out the room Holden had mentioned. The first door I opened was a bathroom, but the door next to it was a bedroom with a single bed against the wall and a dresser on the other wall. If he was willing to let me stay the night, I’d have at least a little bit of time to think of a plan. Maybe see if there were any jobs for wood builders.

My socks had gotten wet from walking in the snow, so I took off my boots and socks and slipped on a pair of thick wool socks, then followed the aroma of chocolate to the kitchen. Holden was just pouring two mugs of chocolate milk from a saucepan when I walked in.

He picked up one of the mugs and handed it to me. “Sorry, no marshmallows or whipped cream.” He wrapped his hands around the other mug and leaned against the kitchen counter. “So, what did you decide?”

I blew across the top of my chocolate to cool it down, keeping my eyes low to avoid looking at the handsome stranger as I admitted my incompetence. “I don’t have anywhere to go, so if it’s okay for me to stay here tonight, I would appreciate that. I’ll look for a job tomorrow.”

He was quiet for a long while as he watched me. “Yeah, that’s no problem. What kind of job are you looking for?”

I shrugged and finally looked up to meet his gaze. “I’m a woodworker. I used to build dollhouses, but there might not be a lot of need for that around here.”

He kept his eyes on me as he took a drink from his cup and then lowered the mug. “No, not around here. But if they’re sturdy enough to be shipped, I might be able to help you sell them.”

“Really?” I lowered my mug so it was in front of my stomach, giving him my full attention. “How? Where?”

“Anyone around the world. I have a store online that I use to sell leather crafts. Belts, vests, some hats and specialized…jewelry.” He swallowed hard and then met my gaze again. “But I get a lot of commissioned work too. Custom stuff. I can help you set up a store for your dollhouses. It might be too late to get any built for this holiday season, but people shop all year round, right?

I didn’t actually know how that worked since I’d never really had to shop for anything. In my job, I was provided with everything I needed, but I was familiar with the concept of online shopping. We watched movies, after all. “That would be really great, Holden. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have been found by you.”

His eyes held mine as he took another drink. “Yeah, it’s almost as if fate intervened.”

Oh my gosh! Why did he say fate? Could he feel it too?