Chapter 4
Maybe I fell asleep and am having a dream. Because in no reality does a man like Spencer McCallister come to rescue me.
Sure, my brother does; that’s a family obligation, but an almost stranger. Definitely not his six-foot-five teammate, who has been avoiding me like I’m poison ivy since the day we first saw each other…
Well, he made an impression on me.
I don’t know if it is that dangerous air he has about him, or that the man is built for fantasies.
God, I fan my face and unzip my coat, reaching for the heat controls on his very fancy new truck.
You’d think I was in the tropics for how hot I feel right now.
I need to get this under control before he gets back in the truck and sees me sweating. And especially before we get to the resort where everyone will be watching.
Mainly Justice.
I use my sleeve to rub away the fog on the passenger window, watching Spence relocate my car. Funny how big he looks climbing inside a vehicle that feels perfectly normal to me.
It takes him a moment to get the seat far enough back for his legs.
But he’s efficient, and a moment later he’s got me parked near the edge of the lot. The taillights flicker. He hops out, opens the back and scoops up my purse, overnight bag, and the emergency bag all in one hand, like they weigh nothing.
I do not look at how strong his thighs are beneath his jeans. Or the way his winter coat hugs shoulders that look like a mountain range.
Whew.
As he strides competently back toward me, he’s watching me through the window. Locked on me so intensely, there’s practically a wire of electrical current zinging between us.
Lord help me. This is going to be the longest holiday trip of my life.
A rush of cold air comes in as he opens the back door to the truck, carrying the scent of his aftershave straight to my nose.
I have to cover my face with my hand. Oh, my god. Spencer McCallister smells gooood.
My heart speeds as he climbs in the driver’s seat, closes the door, and looks over at me. Those hazel eyes are as sharp as surgical instruments.
“Are you warm enough?” He asks in a husky tone.
Too warm. Too close to something I can’t have. “I’m good.”
Do I sound as breathless as I feel?
“Thanks for getting my things.”
“No problem. I was thrilled to see you had emergency supplies.”
I laugh softly, doing my best not to stare at him. “You do know my brother.”
His gaze flicks away from me too fast, and he clears his throat.
“I know Justice. We’ve been through a lot, and he wants you safe above all else.”
He shifts the truck into gear and drives slowly toward the road, leaving the convenience store behind us in a downpour of snow.
“Have you heard from him and the others? I’m really worried about them. What if the road really is closed? They could be stranded.”
Now I’m talking too fast. Jeez, get a grip, girl.
For a beat, he just looks ahead, the angle of his jaw becoming more tense. “About that. Pretty much everyone got delayed.”
“Rosalie and Justice?”
He swallows loudly. “Yes.”
Spence tugs at his jacket collar.
“So they’re caught in the storm?”
“Yep.”
He’s usually not a one-word answer kind of guy.
Something’s up. “I hate that there’s no cell signal out here,” I complain.
“Complicates things,” he says stiffly as he skillfully navigates the deep snow.
Many things about the night are mysterious. Like why and how he knew to rescue me.
“How did you know to come looking for me?”
“I was at the resort on Wi-Fi and got a message that you were close. I knew how bad this road was getting when I came in.”
I feel his eyes on me and look over at him.
“I had to come get you.”
My tongue dips out, sliding across my lip because I need a drink of water ASAP before I go up in flames.
What would it feel to have a man like Spencer McCallister looking out for you all the time?
Safe.
The word makes me feel such intense longing; I have to look out the window to reorient myself.
“I owe you. As nice as that guy was, I didn’t want to sleep in the store on a cot.”
His voice sounds huskier when he says, “I want you safe, just as much as your brother.”
“When do you think they’ll arrive?”
“Not exactly sure.”
The wipers go back and forth, silently knocking snow out of the way as his headlights illuminate a million flakes.
Conditions are bad. Getting worse. No one else is on the road.
I sit up more in my seat, unsure if I feel dread or…excitement? “They’re not making it tonight, are they?”
He looks pained. “No.”
“Who else is at the resort?”
Spence scratches the back of his head. “Maybe some Christmas elves.”
When I laugh, he finally loosens up, and his killer, dimpled grin makes an appearance for the first time tonight. “Is that what you call your teammates now?”
“Nope.”
“Are you talking about Elf-on-a-shelf?”
He’s nearly grinning. “Who knows if they have one. There’s too much to catalog it all. They’ve decked the place out. And the fridge, my god, wait til you see what’s in there.”
The ease with which he’s speaking to me is a first. Warm and open. This isn’t the Spence I’ve met before. And I love it so much that my eyes sting.
“It takes a lot of food for this crew,” I say, imagining the resort’s commercial kitchen loaded for feasting.
Spence reaches for my hand, and I startle when he folds my fingers inside of his. “Liberty, I need to tell you something.”