Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Jackson gritted his teeth against the chill as he climbed out of his truck. He’d followed Felicity’s Jeep a quarter mile down the road to the secluded cabin, grateful for the heater in his truck. The temps had dropped and the wind was whipping through his sweater.
“Your teeth are chattering,” she said as she unlocked the cabin door.
“I’ll be fine once we get inside,” he said.
“Not until we get the fire started,” she said.
“No central heat. Great.”
Felicity chuckled. “It’s a cabin retreat, meant to be cozy. Don’t worry. There are blankets and a hot shower. You won’t freeze.”
He definitely wouldn’t. Just being near Felicity got him heated.
She’d been spot on about needing that fire.
The cabin was an icebox when they first walked in.
Jackson wasted zero time getting the fire started.
Thankfully, there was a Firestarter log ready to go in the fireplace as well as a metal container of chopped wood to keep it going through the night.
While Felicity disappeared into the small kitchen, Jackson got the fire to a dull roar, and when she returned with two cups of hot cocoa, his teeth had finally stopped chattering.
“Excellent job, boy scout,” she said, handing him the cocoa.
“I’d say thank you, but that Firestarter log was a cheat.” He wrapped his hand around the mug and grinned at her. “Brilliant, but a cheat.”
“Gotta make it pleasant for the guests,” she said. Her phone buzzed and she quickly answered it, assuring the other person on the line that she was fine and safe for the night.
Jackson pulled out his phone and called Marissa.
She answered on the first ring. “Jackson. Please tell me you’re not stranded in a ditch somewhere in this weather.”
“I’m not in a ditch, but I am stranded at Apples and Spice and Everything Nice. After I picked up the apples, a tree fell and we can’t get out. It looks like we’re gonna be here for the night.”
“We?” she asked.
“Yeah, me and Felicity. Her renters had to cancel, so we’re holed up in the cabin.”
There was silence for a moment, and then Marissa cleared her throat. Amusement was clear in her tone when she said, “That’s a lucky break, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’m not complaining.”
She laughed. “I bet you aren’t. Don’t worry about things here. I’m closing up early, and Danny’s taking me home before the roads are completely impassable.” There was more than a little innuendo in her voice when she added, “Have a good night.”
“I’ll try.” He ended the call and wondered if Marissa knew that he’d spent that one night with Felicity.
He certainly hadn’t told her. He wasn’t the kiss and tell type.
But she was best friends with Felicity, so it was possible she’d told Marissa.
But, maybe not. Jackson hadn’t exactly been shy about his interest in the woman sitting next to him.
Once Jackson ended his call, he sat on the sofa and took a sip of his cocoa.
Felicity was standing near the fireplace, soaking in the warmth. When she turned around, she said, “That was Clara, wondering if I was caught in a snowdrift.”
“Did she make it home all right?” Clara was Felicity’s other best friend, and she owned a glassblowing shop in downtown Christmas Grove.
“Yes. Is Marissa still at Sleighed?”
Jackson nodded. “She’s closing early and Danny’s taking her home.”
“Good,” Felicity said with a sigh of relief. “I also got a text from Marilyn that she made it to the bank on time and is currently tucked in her house as well.”
“Sounds like everyone is in good shape to weather the storm,” he said. “Thanks for putting me up by the way.”
She shook her head at him. “There’s no need to thank me. You’d do the same.”
“True.” He glanced at the kitchen. “Is there food in there? Enough to make something for dinner?”
“Yes. Part of the service is stocking the cabin so that guests don’t have to run out for groceries. Once I finish this cocoa, I’ll go in and make something,” she said as she closed her eyes, looking exhausted.
“No way. Let me do that.” Jackson rose and was already in the kitchen when he heard her mutter something. “What was that?”
“I said thank goodness,” she said as she appeared in the doorway. “I can boil water and scramble some eggs, but that’s about the extent of my culinary prowess.”
Jackson pulled out a box of tomato basil pasta and said, “Lucky for you, you’re snowed in with a chef.”
“Very lucky.” She looked down at her still-wet jeans and said, “If you’re good here, I think I’m going to go get cleaned up.”
“Go ahead. Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes,” he said as he grabbed a jar of sun-dried tomatoes from the cabinet.
With her cocoa in hand, Felicity disappeared.
Jackson found a bottle of wine, opened it to let it breathe, and then made the pasta, marveling at how well she’d stocked the kitchen for her guests.
By the time Felicity returned, he had two plates of chicken and sun-dried tomato basil pasta on the table along with a loaf of fresh rosemary ciabatta bread.
“It smells wonderful in here,” Felicity said.
“Thank you.” When Jackson looked up from the table, his mouth began to water, and it had nothing to do with the pasta.
Felicity was standing across from him in a fluffy terrycloth robe, her skin pink from the shower and her thick blond hair tied up in a haphazard bun.
All he wanted to do was haul her off to the bedroom and devour every inch of her.
“Jackson?” she asked, looking amused.
“Yeah?”
“Is dinner ready?” She waved at the table. “Want me to pour the wine?”
“No. I mean yes,” he stammered, feeling like an idiotic fifteen-year-old. “Dinner is ready, but I’ve got the wine. Go ahead and take a seat.”
She sat at the small two-person table while Jackson poured the wine.
Once he was seated, he held his glass up and said, “To good company, a hot meal, and a warm place to ride out the storm.”
“I’ll toast to that,” Felicity said as she clinked her glass to his.
Jackson took a sip of wine as he watched Felicity take a bite of the pasta.
“Oh wow, Jackson.” She closed her eyes and let out a tiny moan of pleasure before she said, “This is delicious.”
She was going to kill him. How was he going to survive the night alone with her if she kept making those noises?
“You should start serving this at Sleighed.” She grinned at him and took a long sip of the wine.
“Maybe I will.” He certainly would if it meant she’d spend more time there.
He didn’t know why he was so drawn to Felicity.
Sure, she was gorgeous and fun to be around, but she’d already told him she wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship.
But he was. He’d always known he wanted a life partner.
He just hadn’t found the right woman yet.
Or at least he hadn’t until he met Felicity.
Too bad she was only interested in having a little fun.
“So, what should we do to pass the time tonight, Felicity?” Jackson asked just as she was biting into a piece of bread. “Any ideas?”
She choked.
Jackson couldn’t help chuckling. “Oh, I see.”
“Stop,” she said, laughing. “I just swallowed wrong.”
“That’s what she said.”
Felicity rolled her eyes. “There are some games in the chest in the living room. Cards, too. Also some movies on DVD. We’ll find something wholesome to do.”
“Wholesome, right.” He winked at her and drank some more wine.
“Get your mind out of the gutter.” She stood and cleared their empty plates. “I’ll clean in here. You go pick a game or movie or get a shower if you like. There’s plenty of hot water. I’ll meet you in the living room when I’m done.”
Jackson hesitated for a few beats and then left the kitchen.
He briefly contemplated a shower but decided against it for the moment.
Both of them wrapped up in robes was a disaster waiting to happen.
Instead, he checked out the chest in the living room.
When he didn’t find a game that interested him, he looked in the closet and grinned when he spotted the perfect activity.
Once he pulled the boxes out of the closet, he synced his phone to the speaker that was on the mantel and chose a Christmas music station.
By the time Felicity made her way into the living room, he had the fake Christmas tree put together and set in the window just waiting for them to decorate it.
She stopped mid-step, staring first at the tree and then at Jackson.
“Surprise!” he said, holding up a delicate glass apple ornament. “I can’t think of anything better to do on a stormy night like tonight than decorate this tree.”
Anger flashed in her bright blue eyes as she stalked over to him, grabbed the ornament from his hand, and carefully put it back in the box. Then without a word, she disappeared into the bedroom and slammed the door.
Jackson stared after her, shocked by her reaction. Then his heart sank as he realized he’d majorly overstepped. Feeling awful, he turned off the music and got to work taking the tree down and putting everything back where he found it.