Snowed In With You

Chapter Twelve

Sara

I was in a gently rocking boat, swaying from side to side.

It was a surprisingly warm boat and come to think of it, I wasn’t sure why I would be sailing.

The last thing I could remember was Fletcher.

We were in Alaska together at a lodge by the bay.

He’d been looking at the fuse box when a spark had jumped and I–I couldn’t really remember.

My eyes fluttered open to find two deep pools of blue staring down at me in a mixture of concern and panic.

Fletch’s face seemed oddly close to mine, I’d only seen him like this when we’d been about to kiss – was that what was happening now? I gave an airy giggle and let one hand flop up to rest against the faint stubble lining his jaw.

Fletcher frowned and I patted the line between his eyebrows sloppily, the rocking stopped and I glanced about, shocked to find myself off of the ground and in Fletch’s arms.

‘Hello,’ I said with another strange giggle, ‘why am I so high up?’

Fletcher cursed, ‘Sara, how are you feeling?’

Now that I thought about it, my head did throb quite a bit.

Was that why Fletcher was carrying me? ‘Ow,’ I said, patting the large egg on the back of my head.

He sighed, ‘Yeah that’s what I thought.’

The rocking started up again as he carried me through the lodge and into the lounge.

I pressed my face into his chest, luxuriating in the warmth of his hands on my body and the smell of fabric softener and cologne in his jumper.

Fletch sat on the sofa with me still in his lap and ran a gentle hand over my hair, reaching for one of the soft blankets I’d left downstairs with his free hand as he pulled it up and over us, tucking it in around me softly.

‘You knocked yourself pretty good, gorgeous.’

‘Didn’t mean to,’ I mumbled, the longer I was awake the more the odd hysteria faded and my head ached.

His hand continued to stroke the length of my long hair and I sighed, relaxing into him.

‘Thank you,’ I said and his voice sounded surprised when he replied.

‘For what?’

‘Taking care of me.’

He chuckled deeply, ‘Well I wasn’t exactly going to leave you passed out in the basement.’

I ignored him, grateful for the fact that he cared enough to carry me up here in his arms – I was heavy, so I knew that had taken effort especially with all the stairs – cuddle me on the sofa and tuck me into a blanket.

He pressed a hand to my forehead and hummed before peering into my eyes, my breath caught at the intense ocean-blue stare.

‘I don’t think you’re concussed, but probably best you don’t move for a while.’

‘I have some painkillers in my wash bag upstairs, could you get it for me?’ I hoped he’d say yes because despite the throb fading to a dull ache, I really did not want to move right now.

‘Sure thing, gorgeous.

You just stay right here, okay?’

I must have dozed off while he was gone because I woke up in a sweaty cocoon of blankets, spied some Tylenol on the side next to a large glass of water and I was once more in Fletch’s arms as he stroked my back.

‘Oh man, how long was I asleep for?’

‘Couple hours,’ his voice rumbled soothingly through his chest and into mine and I smiled slightly as I pushed off some of the blankets.

‘How do you feel?’

I touched the back of my head gingerly and gave a sigh of relief when the pain didn’t make me want to puke, ‘Actually, a lot better.

I’d still like the meds though.’ Fletcher nodded and passed them over, I gulped them down and then peered up at him curiously.

‘Have you been sitting here this whole time, watching me sleep?’

A small blush stole over his cheeks and I stifled a grin, ‘Okay, I wasn’t watching you sleep.

I was just making sure you were okay.

Besides, I did leave for a little while.’

Disappointment flared up and I pushed it away, ‘You did?’

His crooked grin flashed across his face, ‘Yeah, I have a surprise for you.

I was going to wait but I thought you would probably need them now more than ever.’

I looked at him in absolute confusion as he lifted me off his lap and strolled over to the kitchen.

‘What are you doing?’

‘You’ll see,’ he called and I could hear the laughter in his voice.

He walked back in a moment later holding a plate and I gasped as he got close enough for me to see what was on it.

‘You baked me cookies?’

He shrugged, ‘Well, they were a packet mix, but yeah.

I saw them in the shop and remembered how much you said you liked them when we were drunk at the wedding.’

I let out a loud laugh, ‘Oh my God, I forgot about that.’ I shook my head, mortified, I was pretty sure my exact words had been Cookies are possibly better than sex, you know.

Of course, later on that night Fletch had definitely proved me wrong – not that I would tell him that.

I reached for one, perfectly golden, chocolate chip cookie and moaned when I bit into it.

They were slightly gooey in the middle which, in my opinion, was the only way to have them.

‘Thank you,’ I said, smiling up at him and pecking him on the cheek as he sat down next to me on the sofa.

He turned a little redder and I watched in fascination as the colour spread over his cheeks.

He nodded, eyes warm on mine, ‘You’re welcome.’

Silence followed but it was the comfortable kind while we munched on cookies and watched the fire crackle.

By the time the plate was cleared I was feeling a lot better and Fletch stood up abruptly, tugging on his boots, scarf and coat while I watched with raised eyebrows.

‘Is this a show opposite to the one you gave me the other night? Where you put more clothes on instead of taking them off?’

He laughed as he walked over to gently tug me off the sofa.

‘Put your shoes and coat on.’

I did as he instructed but grimaced as he walked towards the door, ‘You really want to go out there?’

‘Trust me?’ He asked, his hand outstretched and I didn’t have to think about it before placing mine in his.

His grin was so broad it made my heart stop before starting back up again at double speed.

It was surprisingly calm outside.

The snow still poured down but the wind had eased and for a moment we just stared out at the white expanse, our breaths fogging the air around us.

‘It’s beautiful,’ I said and he murmured an agreement, catching my hand in his again and moving just a little bit closer to my side before stepping away and throwing himself down into the snow at our feet.

It puffed up in a powdery cloud and I shrieked.

‘What are you doing?’

He was laughing as he looked up at me from the ground, ‘Join me.’

I hesitated for a moment and then shrugged, why not? I folded myself down into the snow a little more gracefully and released a breath in a sigh as my head met the cold snow and it soothed the bump still high on my head.

‘Are you ready?’ he asked and I had no idea what he was talking about as he grabbed my hand in one of his and then spread his arms and legs out wide, raising an eyebrow to encourage me to do the same.

I mimicked him and then laughed as he tugged my hand up and down, moving his legs in time, making slightly messy angels in the snow.

‘You know, I don’t think I’ve ever made a snow angel before,’ I smiled as we lay there afterwards, staring up at the sky as snow drifted down onto our faces, tangling in our hair.

The cold slowly seeped into me but I didn’t mind, it wasn’t until I started to shiver that Fletch stood and I followed suit.

Our angels laid deep into the snow, interlinked at the arms and I turned to Fletcher with a smile, taking in the lightness of his eyes, the relaxed, happy look on his face.

I stepped a little closer and his gaze dropped to my mouth.

I licked my lips and he looked like a man starved.

Linking my arms around his neck, I pressed myself against him, shuddering as his heat warmed me.

‘Can I kiss you?’ he asked softly, the fog of our breath intertwining and his blue eyes deepening when I nodded.

‘Thank fuck,’ he gasped, bringing his hands up to clasp my face and lowering his lips to mine.

It was like all of our other kisses and yet somehow more.

Maybe because I was actually sober this time, or maybe because something delicate and fragile was growing between us and I realised I wasn’t scared to let it in any more.

Fletch wasn’t the person I’d thought he was after that morning I’d woken up alone – if anything, he was everything I’d hoped he could be and things I’d never even guessed at.

I pulled back from the kiss and his lips curled in the same soft smile I knew I was probably wearing too.

His hand found mine as we walked the short distance back to the lodge and for the first time, I was grateful we’d been forced onto this trip together.