Winter Falls (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 22

twenty-two

That kiss.

Oh, that kiss.

What was I supposed to do with it? I touched my lips and could still feel his on mine. My body had roared to life and trembled for the next hour each time I thought about the kiss since.

I shivered now, what had I been thinking to walk up to him like I had? He obviously hadn't minded and I carried the moment with me.

I saw Asher earlier. He'd grown into a confident and good-looking guy. A big change from the tall skinny teenager I remembered. But then hadn't we all grown up? We’d briefly chatted before he lit the fire in the magnificent fireplace. It was the central focal point of the room and reminded me of medieval hearths in castles, that kind you could stand in. The stonework above the mantle which was a thick plank of live edge wood, was breathtaking.

I let myself get lost in the crowd in the great room. I wasn’t sure why people called it a great room--maybe because it was huge in size. It really was a gorgeous space. I could sit here forever.

Soaring ceilings with windows that had--I was pretty sure--a spectacular view. But currently it was a wall of white, and beyond that, darkness as evening progressed.

After the kids had something to eat, Amos had taken a bunch out to the barn to feed the horses and they'd come back so excited. Even Amos seemed lighter in mood. But he gave strict instructions no one was to leave the house because visibility was close to nil.

Then the fun had begun to get the families sorted into sleeping arrangements. There were seven bedrooms and by doubling up singles and families, everyone had somewhere to sleep. Amos gave up his bedroom. Once all that was settled, the kids had been shuffled off to sleep, and it wasn't long before everyone was tucked in for the night.

I curled into the corner of a leather chair, and pulled a quilt over me. The fire was dying down, and it reflected an amber glow off the wide board wood planks of the floor, interrupted by a scattering of area rugs, which I was sure were lovingly hand made.

But there wasn't a hint of Christmas to be seen anywhere. How glorious the house would look if it was decorated? I'd heard some folks commenting about it. And children worried Santa wouldn't find them if they had to stay here longer.

There was something missing in this gorgeous home. There weren't any photos, nothing homey, no slippers under a chair. It was absent of trinkets or memories past, no books piled up on tables; it was meticulously clean and organized. It dawned on me...the house didn't hold the warmth of one that was lived in. Truly a family home, that had its own cluttery feel of life living within these walls. It made me sad.

But I had an idea.

Amos thought having everyone in the house would've been completely chaotic, but it seemed to be much more organized than he’d anticipated. He'd even enjoyed taking the kids out to the barn, and they been so excited to throw hay to the horses. Start them young, he thought.

He been worried on the walk back from the barn because the wind was whipping the snow almost horizontal. It was hard to see, and this was how people got lost and froze to death in the snow.

Once he wrangled the kids into the house and handed them off to their parents, they'd arranged the sleeping situation. Which Holly helped him do. Then he took refuge in his office.

The house had quieted and he checked his phone to see if there were any messages from Alana. But no. Asher and Caleb were checking the generator to make it was in order and Amos decided to look a little closer at the paperwork that sat like a stone on his desk.

He tilted his chair back, put his feet up, and rested the papers in his lap.

He stared at them without really seeing them. His thoughts went back to the kiss. You could've knocked him over with a feather when she’d done that. He'd been so overwhelmed by her, and the feelings she let loose, his response surprised him. All the years of being alone built up into one huge wave, and when she tightened her hold around his shoulders, there was nothing he could do except lose himself in her.

And lose himself, he did.

Jack lay on his bed, lifted his head and gave a little whine, shaking Amos from his thoughts. Someone was coming.

Whoever it was knocked on the office door and then pushed it open. Holly poked her head around the edge of the door and his heart quickened.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." He put the papers on the desk and dropped his feet to the floor. Jack jumped up, with tail wagging he greeted her. "Have a seat." He indicated to a chair and watched her sit. She looked different somehow, and he couldn’t put it finger on it. Her lips were plump and shiny, reminding him how they felt and she tasted. He cleared his throat and tightened his stomach muscles. It would do not good to stand up now.

"Hope I'm not bothering you, but I've been thinking about something."

So, had he. But probably not the same thing as her. It wasn't hard to notice that they both skirted the elephant in the room, their kiss.

"Should I be worried? You thinking of something usually means I have another job to do." That sounded a little harsher than he intended.

"Well, it will involve work if you agree." She lay her fingers over her knees and leaned forward in the chair.

"Tell me."

"Earlier I heard some of the kids talking about being here another night if the snow doesn't let up and Santa not being able to find them."

"OK, and how does that affect me?" he asked, unsure where she was going with this.

"I'd also been thinking that if you had any Christmas decorations stored away, we could do some decorating so it would seem more festive."

He could tell she was hesitant to talk to him about it and she was a complete opposite to the confident and bold woman who’d kissed him earlier. He wondered why the difference.

"I haven't had this place decorated in years."

Since Mom and Dad were killed.

"I think I know why and I understand." she drew in a breath as if the next words out of her mouth he wouldn't like. "Maybe you need to decorate. You've been living in darkness ever since your parents died."

He sucked in a startled breath. He couldn't remember the last time someone had mentioned his parents to him. Most people don't because they know he doesn't like to talk about it. But she did.

"What do you want?" He was getting annoyed, and concern showed on her face. But at this point, he didn't really care. She was treading into treacherous territory.

"Amos, there's no need to get so defensive. I know how it feels to lose people--I lost my parents as well, but life goes on. As much as I hate that expression, it’s the truth. So, I wanted to broach the subject of finding any decorations that you may have stored away so that I could put some up to give a little more cheer to all of us stranded here in your lovely home."

She watched him and he considered her request. "I saw you with the kids, and the animals at the shelter. You're hiding who you are and you don't have to anymore."

It was as if she just drove a knife through his heart, and he stood abruptly. Jack jumped up and she leapt from the chair.

"I'm sorry if I upset you--

"It's been a long day and it will probably be longer tomorrow if nobody can go home. If you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest. You can sleep in here. In the closet, there are some pillows and blankets and that couch is comfortable."

He needed to get out of that room, and away from her. No one had spoken to him like that, at least not since his parents’ death. He wasn't prepared for all the feelings that broke through his defenses.

"Sleep well," he said as he left the room.

"Amos, Amos, please don't go like this."

Her voice followed him from the room, but he kept walking.