Keith stomped his boots at the entrance to the barn. At least a foot of snow had fallen through the night, making for a winter wonderland when he woke up.
Perfect.
He couldn’t have called in a better favor to God if he’d tried. He had a special morning planned for Torie and snow was a huge part of it. A back-up plan was in place if the forecast had been wrong, which it was quite a bit of the time, but God answered his prayers and a white Christmas was delivered.
As he prepped things for his big surprise, his thoughts wandered to the night before. An all but perfect Christmas Eve. Hell, as long as Torie was with him, any day or night was perfect.
As much as he hated to admit it though, she was right. They had some logistics to work through. That was for sure. And he had more questions than answers at the moment.
As he moved around the horses, he looked up to the sky. Snow fell in soft tufts, like small bits of cotton. Yeah, they had some stuff to figure out, but nothing was going to ruin what little time left they had together right now. He’d make damn sure of that. If God was up for delivering them a white Christmas, Keith was all for making it the best one Torie’d ever had.
***
Keith had said to dress warm but wouldn’t say why. Curiosity tugged at her as she finished pulling her hair into a high ponytail. Maybe they were going horseback riding again. She wore jeans and her old cowgirl boots just in case. A long-sleeved T-shirt with a sweater and her big jacket should be good.
She turned off the light in the bathroom. Drawn to the scenery outside, she sat on the bench in the picture window of the guest room. Quite a bit of snow had fallen overnight, turning the trees and area around the cabin into a winter wonderland. It was as if a white Christmas was delivered just for her. There was something almost magical about this place. It drew her in then wrapped her up like a warm blanket.
When she’d arrived not long ago, everything that mattered to her was in San Diego. Her work, her friends. In just a short time, so much had changed. Her intent was to be here for a few weeks to figure out what steps to take with her dad. She had no clue what was in store for her. With Keith in her life now and this place practically calling to her, she was more confused than ever. Or was she?
Aimee would be here now too. Could she leave San Diego and live here? Is that even what Keith wanted? They’d only been together a short time. Her head said it was crazy to even consider such things yet. Her heart said it might be time to take a chance and go for it.
She sighed and leaned against the window, her arms wrapped around her knees that were tucked up against her. She missed the snow. Having seasons. It was so beautiful. A palette of white with green and brown sprinkled in. No matter what happened, she would always have this time with Keith. Nothing could ever take that away.
A sound in the distance made her sit up and cock her head to listen. Were those bells? They were getting louder, but as she scanned the property she couldn’t see anything. Kneeling on the window bench now, she looked through the trees. What in the world?
Her heart pounded in her chest as the scene unfolded in front of her. It was straight out of a movie. Coming up the road that led to the cabin was a horse-drawn sleigh, Keith holding the reins and Bones sitting beside him, her ears perked and a big doggie grin on her face.
“No way!” The warmth of Torie’s breath steamed up the window. She rubbed it away with her hand and looked again. Nope. It wasn’t a figment of her imagination. The man of her dreams was pulling up to her front door in a bright red sleigh on Christmas morning.
Like a child, she climbed out of the window seat and ran for the stairs. She opened the front door and stopped on the porch just as Keith was pulling the horses to a stop.
He jumped down from the sleigh and with his arms out wide said, “Merry Christmas.” His cowboy hat and coat were dusted with snow. His blue eyes glimmered and she had to pinch herself as a reminder she wasn’t dreaming. This amazing hunk of a man was here for her.
Without hesitation, she ran for him and jumped into his open arms. He caught her without faltering and held her. She clung to him, her arms and legs wrapped around him tight. His breath was warm against her neck. “So… I guess you like my present.”
She pulled back and held his face in her hands. Leaning in, she kissed him, his lips cool against hers. After thanking him thoroughly, she leaned her forehead against his, her body still enveloped in his arms.
“I will take that as a definite yes.”
“Yes! I love it.”
He set her on her feet but kept his arms wrapped around her. “Go grab your coat. Your chariot awaits, my lady.”
Torie kissed his cheek and turned to go back into the house. After putting on her coat and tucking her phone in her pocket, she locked the door. Keith held out a hand for her and helped her into the sleigh. Bones gave her a big kiss and snuggled next to her as Keith climbed in and took the reins.
“There’s a blanket there next to Bones if you get cold. You can wrap up in that.”
“Thanks.” She scooted as close to him as she could. “I think I’ll keep warm this way for now though, if that’s okay with you.”
He graced her with a dimpled smile. “You read my mind.”
With a flick of his wrist, the reins snapped and the horses ambled forward. Torie leaned against Keith’s shoulder and sighed. Bells were attached to the side of the sleigh, their jingle echoing through the trees. The clomp of the horses’ hooves mixed with the slush of the sleigh gliding through the snow became a symphony that filled her ears. One of peace and joy—all the things Christmas should be.
She didn’t get many presents at Christmas growing up. And Keith could’ve lavished gifts upon her if he’d wanted to, trying to make up for that. But instead, he put together the most romantic moment of Torie’s life. Simple. Thoughtful. Generous. Just like the man sitting beside her. It was as if he gave her a piece of himself. No present would ever come close to matching it. Ever.
They rode in quiet, both soaking in the moment. One she’d never forget. Torie had never been with anyone where silence wasn’t awkward. But Keith. Keith’s presence had become her calm. Steady. Sure. He didn’t waver. Solid on every level. And times like this brought her a peace she’d never experienced before.
They rounded a bend and emerged from a patch of trees to a clearing. Keith’s cabin came into view, a mountain haven amidst the white blanket of snow. He guided the sleigh up to the front porch and stopped.
“Okay. Part two of this Christmas morning awaits.”
He hopped down and came around to help her out of the sleigh. She took his hand and followed him inside, Bones tagging along behind. He opened the front door and led her inside. The warmth enveloped her right away, a welcome respite from the chill outside.
He took her coat and hung it on a rack just inside the front door. A stairway was straight ahead with a family room to the left and a dining room to the right. “Make yourself at home.” He gestured to the family room. “I’m going to cook us up some breakfast.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t look so surprised. I’ve been feeding myself for years. Trust me.” His eyes twinkled as he kissed her cheek. “Look around while I head to the kitchen.”
“Okay.” Bones trotted towards the family room as Keith disappeared through the dining room. Torie decided to follow Bones. Keith said to look around and she had to admit, she was curious.
The one word that came to Torie’s mind as she stepped into the family room was “grand.” Everything about the place was large. Huge logs criss-crossed to make a pattern along the ceiling. The walls were made of the same type of logs standing together side by side. A fire crackled in the stone fireplace, the hearth reminding her of a historical fiction novel she’d read about Scottish warriors in the 1500s.
Keith stepped into the room, a physical reminder of why the place was grand. A man his size needed a place that could hold him. But like the man himself, it wasn’t off-putting but rather, warm. Safe.
“You okay? I got coffee going. Now I just need to know if you’d like waffles or an omelet.”
He looked like a kid on…well, Christmas. “Waffles sound amazing. You can make waffles?”
“I’m a man of many talents.” He winked and left the room.
Torie fanned her face with her hand. Of that, she had no doubt. Cupboards opened and closed and the scent of coffee wafted into the room. Heaven. She was in heaven.
A Christmas tree sat in the corner, lit up and twinkling cheer throughout the room. Presents sat beneath, the entire picture something from a postcard or Norman Rockwell painting.
She pinched herself once more just to be sure. Nope. Not dreaming. She was here. With Keith. On Christmas.
Bones trotted into the kitchen, the potential for scraps calling as Keith moved around making breakfast. Torie followed. There was an island in the center of the room with two barstools tucked up against it. Keith stood on the other side, moving between the island and the kitchen sink that sat opposite.
He filled a mug of coffee and set it down in front of a barstool then continued with his work. She sat in front of it and took a sip. Hmmmm, just as she liked it. She watched as he set up a waffle iron and plugged it in. He tossed a dishtowel over one shoulder and whipped a whisk around a bowlful of batter. His muscles flexed beneath his dark blue Henley as he worked. Yep. It was true. This man was dropped straight from heaven just for her.
“Well, what do you think?”
For a second she thought he’d caught her staring and meant what she thought of him and his muscles. She could feel her cheeks flush so she sipped her coffee again to hide.
“Of the house,” he continued.
The house. Right.
“It’s beautiful. It suits you.”
He stopped and looked at her. “I’m not sure what that means.”
“It’s a good thing. It’s…big and yet, homey. Warm.”
He went back to whisking, a dimple peeking out with his grin. “Ah. Got it. Well, I’m a big guy. I wanted to build something that…fit me.”
“It’s perfect.”
A muffled ring from the hallway made them both turn and look. “Oh. Shoot. I put my phone in my coat pocket and forgot to turn off the ringer. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“That must be Aimee. She’s the only one who checks in on me at Christmas. Even when on her honeymoon.” She rolled her eyes. “You mind if I say hi to her real quick?”
“Not at all.”
Torie stood and found her way to the front door via the main hallway. By the time she got there the phone had stopped ringing. She pulled it from the side pocket and looked at the screen. One missed call and one voice mail. Without checking the number she hit play on the voice mail. Smiling, she waited to hear her friend’s cheery voice through the phone line. What she heard instead made her drop to her knees in the hallway and grip her stomach.
His voice slithered through the phone like a snake. “Hey, little girl. What are you thinking, trying to hide from me? All this time and you still don’t wanna see your old man? Well, you can run, baby, but you can’t hide.”
Torie clutched the phone in her hand as the message ended. She turned and sat with her back against the wall, her knees pulled up against her. Panic flowed through her in waves. Her breath came in spurts as tears began to run down her cheeks. He’d found her. Her phone hit the wood floor with a thud as she dropped it and buried her face in her hands.
***
The hair on Keith’s neck stood on end when he heard the thud in the hallway. Something was wrong. He abandoned their meal and in just a few steps made it to the front hallway. Torie sat curled up in a ball against the wall, her face in her hands, her phone discarded beside her.
She sounded as if she’d just run a marathon. He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. He wasn’t a stranger to panic attacks. Her body wracked with sobs but she leaned into him, gripping his shirt and holding on as if he was her only lifeline. That was fine by him. He’d hold her forever if need be.
With one arm holding her secure against him, he stroked her hair. Some strands had come loose from her ponytail. He brushed them back out of her face and let her cry. Gave her time to catch her breath. Kissed her forehead until her breathing began to sound normal.
“What helps chase away the darkness?”
Her head rested against his chest, her hands still holding onto his shirt but not as tight. She took a few deep breaths, the weepy hiccups breaking his heart. Man, he loved this woman.
When she spoke her voice was frail. “When I was a girl, Gram would sing hymns to me as I fell asleep. I usually sing those in my head and for whatever reason, it helps.”
She curled up tighter in his arms, needing to be closer. He wrapped her up and kissed her forehead. “There’s a reason, alright, Dragonfly. There’s a reason.”
And right there on the floor of his front hallway, he hummed “Amazing Grace,” the woman in his arms weaving her way into his heart and changing him forever.