Chapter 15
DREW
I check my phone for the millionth time while snow falls in white sheets outside.
Willa should have been home an hour ago before the blizzard warning was enacted.
The lights flicker, and I stop in my tracks, glancing up at the ceiling as wind batters the windows.
Just as I release my breath in relief that we didn’t lose power, everything goes dark except for the flames in the wood stove.
I have a generator for our side of the duplex, so we’ll be fine. I’ll just have to go outside and get it started. Izzy’s completely unfazed by the loss of power, sitting with a blanket tucked around her while she watches a cartoon on her iPad.
“Bug.” I kneel down in front of her and hit pause on her show. “I’m going to go out and turn on our generator, so we have lights and power, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Don’t move while I’m outside, can you do that for me?”
“Yeah.” She looks out the front window. “Why isn’t Willa home yet?”
“I don’t know. She might have had to stay at the resort because the weather got too bad.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.”
It takes me about ten minutes to get everything together and layer up, and in that time I see lights shine outside. The tension in my stomach unknots when I peek through the blinds and see Willa. As she and Maya come up the steps, I open the door.
“Power’s out. I’m about to turn on my generator, but it only works for this unit.”
“Oh. Okay.” She pauses and looks around like she might be thinking about leaving.
“Stay with us.”
“Are you sure? We can go back to the resort and sleep in the employee lounge for the night. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Absolutely not.” I wrap my arm around and guide her inside. “Bug, do you think we should have a sleepover with Willa and Maya?”
Her head snaps up in excitement. “Yes!”
“Sorry, looks like you’re stuck with us for the night.”
“Can I sleep with Maya?” Izzy asks as the dog runs to her for pets.
Willa looks at me. “It’s fine with me, if it’s fine with you.”
“It’s more than okay with me.” That leaves Willa all to me. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, I’ll stay here with Izzy.”
I hear Izzy ask if Willa will paint her nails and smile. She asked me once, and I messed up so bad, she peeled it off before she went to bed the same night. I’m so glad Willa is good with her. Beyond good with her actually. She’s incredible, and it’s not fake, which makes me love her even more.
I halt dead in my tracks.
Love?
Am I falling in love with Willa?
As I start walking again, I think back on every moment with her; from the very first ski lesson, I knew she was different.
It goes beyond seeing her with Izzy. It’s the way she didn’t blink an eye at spending a not insignificant amount of money to bid on me at the charity auction.
How brave she is to go out and rescue people from dangerous situations.
She gets along with my friends, even grumpy ass Ben and Noah.
I was comfortable in Holly Ridge before, but she’s the piece that makes it feel like home.
I am falling for her.
My stomach swoops as I let the realization settle in. We haven’t talked about the future or being together. After Izzy goes to sleep, I’ll test the waters.
It’s my first time needing to use a generator, but I get it sorted quickly. There should be enough power to run the heater, some lights, and the major kitchen appliances. But we won’t be able to watch a movie unless I use my laptop.
Before heading back inside to the girls, I let myself into the other unit and turn the faucets on to a slow drip, so I don’t have to deal with frozen pipes in the morning. That’s the last thing I need with my family coming to visit tomorrow.
If the storm blows through by then, which before we lost power, it looked like it might not. I was looking forward to seeing my parents, so I’ll be disappointed, but Izzy will be devastated. She became so close with them when we lived in Chicago, especially when they started watching her for me.
The girls are snuggled up on the couch with Maya at their feet when I come back inside.
They don’t notice me, so I take a second to watch as Willa reads Izzy’s favorite story to her.
She yawns and lays her head down on Willa’s shoulder, her dark brown eyes drifting closed.
My heart swells when Willa leans down and presses a kiss to the crown of her head.
She quietly closes the book and readjusts Izzy, so they’re both more comfortable.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, so I tear my eyes away from my girls and slip back into the kitchen. It’s a text from my mom saying their flight out of O’Hare was canceled. I thank her for letting me know and ask her to keep me updated on when it’s rescheduled.
A floorboard creaks on the stairs, and I walk out of the kitchen to find Willa carrying Izzy upstairs to her room. My daughter’s long, dark curls mix with her wavy blonde tresses making such a beautiful contrast as both their hair falls over Willa’s shoulder.
I follow her up, stepping around them in the hall to pull down Izzy’s covers and make sure she has all the stuffed animals she could want. The quiet smile I share with Willa feels so natural. Like this is the inevitable outcome of whatever is happening between us.
After we get Izzy tucked in, we go back downstairs.
She isn’t even fully off the last step when I sweep her into my arms, pressing her back against the wall and covering her mouth with mine.
She parts her lips for me, immediately granting me access to that perfect mouth of hers.
I slide my tongue along hers while my hands wander over her hips and down to her ass.
She grinds her pussy over my hard cock, head falling back against the wall.
Just when I’m about to tear her clothes off, her stomach growls. We break our kiss sharing a smile and groan. It’s probably best that we stop so we can talk, but damn the timing sucks.
“Come on,” I say as her feet drop. “Let me make you something to eat.”
She giggles and follows me into the kitchen, perching herself on one of the stools. “Normally I’d tell you not to worry, but I am pretty hungry. I didn’t have time to take a lunch break today.”
“Oh yeah?” I open the freezer to see what I have as options. “Why’s that?”
“We had a rescue in the upper bowl. A snowboarder fell and broke his collarbone.”
“Fuck. That’s a painful break.”
“Especially when the only way down the mountain is being dragged behind a snowmobile.”
I wince in sympathy. “I have some frozen vegetables I can roast along with some andouille sausage or there’s ravioli with vodka sauce.”
She thinks for a moment and then requests the ravioli. As I start getting everything ready, she pulls out her phone.
“Damn. They closed the highway.”
I look over at her. “Really?”
“Yeah. You probably have an emergency message about it on your phone.” She rubs her hands over her face. “Guess I’m not going home for Christmas.”
“If it makes you feel any better, my parents' flight got canceled earlier tonight. I’m kind of glad Izzy passed out so early, so I didn’t have to tell her right before bed.”
“Is she close to them?”
I nod as I set the pot of water on the stove and turn up the burner.
“She is. After I found the nanny posting photos online and acting like we were a couple online, my parents stepped up and started taking care of Izzy. During football season she probably saw them more than she saw me. It’s one of the reasons I retired. ”
“Your nanny was doing what?” Her brows rise. “How did she not realize you’d catch on?”
“I have no clue. After everything Isabel went through losing her mom and then to have someone just using her job as a way to get close to me? I was disgusted.”
“I would be, too. I’m sorry that happened. I hope you know I’m not using you for anything.”
Here it is, the perfect opening. “I actually wanted to talk to you about this.” I gesture back and forth between us as my stomach roils with nerves.
“Oh?” She straightens.
“I like you.” Love you. “A lot.”
Her lips lift in a slow smile. “I like you a lot, too.”
Thank fuck. My chest loosens as I walk around the counter and lift my hand to the side of her face. “All I want for Christmas is for you to be mine.”
“Your what?” she teases.
“My girlfriend. My partner. Everything. Anything.” My fingers slip into her hair. “I know you might be gone this summer, but I’m okay with long distance. I just want you.”