Once Upon a Second Chance (Once Upon a Holiday Story #1)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Aaron

As much as I’d made this man think he was crazy for inviting a stranger into his home, I realized he was also a stranger to me and for all I knew, he was dragging me to my death. Oh, my God. What if this was a town of serial killers? It seemed far too perfect. Was this some Texas Chainsaw Massacre shit where no one was safe, and I was doomed?

“Are you warm enough?” Silver-Fox-maybe-Serial-Killer asked as we drove down the street.

“Uh, yeah, thank you.”

Everything in the town was closed, and when he turned right, I noticed we were going up a hill. At the top of said hill was a single huge house… Oh, that’s great. No one will hear you scream, Aaron.

“Have you eaten?” Daniel’s smile was gentle. Totally suspicious.

“I had my crackers; I’m fine.”

We pulled into a driveway, and he reached up and hit a button that opened a garage. I noticed he smelled amazing—like pine, and country, and money.

“Don’t be silly. That won’t sustain you. I made beef stew; I can heat it up for you.” He entered the garage, shut the car off, and then the door slid closed.

“I don’t want to be any more of an imposition.”

He shook his head and got out. I followed suit and ran to the back of the SUV, where he was gathering my bags.

“You’re not, Aaron. I’d get no sleep wondering if you were freezing to death in your car.”

I went to take the bags, but he only let me grab one. “I’ll get the door; you can put that bag on the counter in the kitchen.”

He moved in front of me and I had to admit, he had a fine ass. Like, Christmas was in two weeks, and I’d write Santa for an ass like that right against my fa?—

“Here we are.” He stepped into the house, and the kitchen was right there. Truly stunning. It was creams, light browns, and marble, with silver appliances. Everything you’d expect after looking at this man.

“Now, I’m sure all your clothes are in your car. I have some things you can change into. I’ll show you to the guest room—there’s an en suite, so you can shower and warm up. I’ll leave you some clothes on the bed. By the time you’re done, the stew will be heated.”

“You don’t have to do all of this for me.” His legs were long, and I rushed to keep up with him.

He waved me off as we climbed the stairs. “Like I said, I’d have tossed and turned all night.”

I made sure my shoes weren’t leaving any dirt on the stairs, and I didn’t dare touch the banister. There was some art on the walls, but more so were the family photos. Just so many of them.

“It’s not a shrine, I swear.” He chuckled. “Well, I mean, not really. Lavertons built Everlasting Springs, and we’re proud of that. A Laverton has always lived here. Through the years, a lot of memories were created in this house. Ever since I can remember, people were shoving cameras in our faces, trying to get snapshots in time. There used to be almost a hundred Lavertons in this town. But as the years go by, they pass or move along. My family is spread out now, so it’s just me.”

“They left you here alone?” We got to the top of the stairs, and I followed him down a hallway.

“There’s not a person in this town I don’t know. And my sister and mother visit often.” He opened a door and gestured for me to enter.

The room was as beautiful as what I’d been able to see of the rest of the house. The carpet was plush, the bed—maybe a queen—had a dark-blue comforter and white pillows. There were oak dressers and even a desk. Off to the side was a door I assumed was the bathroom.

“I’ll grab those clothes for you and put them on the bed. After you’re all done, you can meet me in the kitchen. You remember where that is?”

I was staring at the room, unable to register that I wasn’t going to be shivering in my car, that this rich stranger had brought me to his home.

“Aaron?” He spoke my name and I turned, coming face-to-face with beautiful gray eyes.

“Sorry, this is just so nice. You’re either a saint or a serial killer.”

He laughed, his smile wide with perfectly white straight teeth. He had a bit of a beard that was sprinkled with silver, and I quickly realized I could watch him all day.

“I swear, I’m not a killer. But I suppose that’s just what a killer would say.” He motioned to the bathroom. “Good luck.”

He let out a “muahaha” as he shut the bedroom door.

I went right to the bathroom and closed myself in. I noticed there were wrapped toothbrushes in a cup next to the sink and toothpaste and mouthwash. In the shower was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Did he get surprise guests a lot?

I was too excited about the prospect of a shower to think about it. I stripped and jumped right in, yelping when the water was cold at first, but it warmed right up.

“Oh, this is nice,” I moaned as heat melted the coldness in my bones. The shampoo smelled like apples and cinnamon—perfect for the upcoming holidays, and the body wash seemed to match the theme.

I’d last showered a few days ago in the motel room of a guy I’d met. But it had been quick, hadn’t felt quite as heavenly as this one.

Begrudgingly, I shut off the water and snagged a fluffy white towel off the bar…that, of course, was heated.

I peeked out of the bathroom and checked to see if Daniel was there, but he wasn’t. There were clean clothes on the bed that looked so warm and comfy, even an unopened pack of boxers. Who was ever this prepared?

After getting dressed, brushing my teeth, and combing through my curly hair, I made my way toward the kitchen, where I was greeted with a mouthwatering smell.

Daniel had a bowl on the kitchen table and was sitting on the opposite side.

“Oh, good timing. I just plated it. The bread is sourdough. I didn’t make it, but I got some from the bakery this morning.”

“It smells incredible, thank you.”

“Help yourself to whatever you’d like to drink. I have water, beer, wine, lemonade, hot cocoa, obviously coffee?—”

“Water, is fine, thanks.” He gestured to the fridge, and I opened it and got a bottle of water.

The stew was like a hug to the soul. Homemade meals weren’t very common for me. Last time I’d had one was probably over a year ago, in thanks from an old lady whose lawn I’d raked. She’d made me dumplings.

“This is delicious.”

He smiled and placed his cell phone on the table. “Thank you, my mother’s recipe.”

“Tell her it’s amazing.”

This was the awkward part where questions were asked of me, so I wanted to beat him to the punch.

“You have a lot of extras here. Toothbrush, boxers?”

He chuckled. “Well, I like my victims to fall into a false sense of peace before I…” He comically slashed across his throat with his finger.

“Funny.”

“This isn’t my first winter; I like making sure I have plenty. Besides, my family has been known to pop in unannounced, and they often forget things.”

That explained it.

“Okay, Aaron, tell me about yourself.” He folded his hands on top of the table.

Well, the warmth was great while it lasted.