Chapter 4
Tex
The storm would be rolling in tonight.
It was expected to be a bad one.
And I was fretting hard.
Rod was back home, and he’d insisted that he and Sally would be fine. He’d also refused to let me stay over just until the storm passed.
I got it. I’d been up his butt ever since they’d released him from the hospital.
He’d let me stay at his place for two weeks, taking care of him to the best of my ability. I wasn’t particularly skilled at mothering people, but we’d managed well enough. I’d kept him and the horse fed, bathed and watered.
But I’d been hovering too much, and after two weeks of it, Rod kicked me out and sent me back to my place just so he could have some peace and quiet.
I knew the truth. He wanted to get a steak from the Hungry Rooster. Uncharacteristically for me, I’d been shoving smoothies and salads down his throat. Doctor’s orders.
And now that he’d kicked me out of his place, I was bouncing around my cabin, feeling untethered.
Christmas was in two days, and the storm would likely have passed by then. I’d spend Christmas at Rod’s place. His sister—my aunt—would be there, too. She was flying in from out of state, and she’d take over the mothering at that point. She planned to stay for a few months.
And I knew this was why Rod had kicked me out. This was his only window to sneak in the steak.
Maybe I should have gotten the damn thing for him. I could have made him eat it with a salad on the side.
It bothered me knowing that the roads would be impassable soon. I had an old snowmobile. If he ran into trouble, I could take it over to his place, but it would be hard to get him on the back of it if I needed to take him somewhere.
It sucked that the nearest hospital was in Fernwood. I definitely couldn’t take him that far on the back of a snowmobile.
I gritted my teeth, then blew out a deep breath.
I was fretting over my uncle like a fucking mother hen. And it wouldn’t solve any problems. All I was doing was freaking myself out.
He’s going to be fine. He will.
The knot in my chest tightened. I had an appointment next week to get a full physical and bloodwork done.
We were kin, and life had been a series of steak and potatoes, washed down by a cool brew.
But all of that was different now that I’d seen the consequences of that lifestyle. Lately I’d been learning to cook vegetables.
I think it was the cabbage that threw him over the edge.
A small grin popped up on my lips while I thought about it. I’d boiled an entire head, cut it in half and served it to both of us.
It had tasted nasty, nasty, nasty. And then Rod’s whole place had smelled like old farts, even though it wasn’t us farting. I chuckled at the memory.
Maybe I’ll call him and promise not to make him eat cabbage ever again.
Right then, there was a knock on my door.
That was odd as hell because it was six p.m.
The postman came earlier in the day, and I didn’t have company here. Ever.
I lived too deep in the mountains for that, remote even by Red Oak Mountain standards.
Grabbing my shotgun, I strode to the door and swung it open.
“You!” I grunted in surprise. “How are you here? What the fuck?”
The pretty elf had started singing a Christmas song, but she stopped now, her voice faltering as she looked up at me.
It was the woman from the sleigh ride, Chloe.
And what was she wearing?
My cock rose from its deep slumber and stirred to life.
Her costume was two sizes too small, her ample breasts valiantly attempting to stay contained. And the bottom of the elf skirt was teeny, tiny and too short for church. Miles of thigh were on display, perfectly highlighted by the sexiest candy cane thigh-highs I’d ever seen in my life.
Last time I’d seen her, she’d been bundled up in a sweater, a coat and a pair of jeans.
Christmas came early this year.
I licked my lips, a Pavlovian response to the sight before me.
But then my senses came back. I steered my eyes up to her face and asked again, “Chloe, what are you doing here? How did you find out where I live?”
“I—I didn’t.”
My lips curled up into a grin. I’d been thinking about her ever since that night a few weeks ago. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
That thought had pained me to no end. But here she was. A Christmas miracle.
“I’m—uh, I’m from the Merry Elf Company. I’m supposed to sing you a jingle, put a smile on your face and then… head on my way.”
I started laughing. “The Merry Elf Company?”
“Yeah. Have you ever heard of a singing telegram? That’s what I am.”
Nothing she was saying made any sense.
Had she tracked down where I lived and concocted this crazy story just so we could meet again?
“Chloe, why are you really here?” I asked as my eyes drifted back down to her luscious curves.