Chapter Nineteen
Luke
“Honey, what’s gotten into you?”
Zoey’s mother was watching Luke pace around her living room. He and Parker had trudged through the nearly foot-and-a-half-deep snow to have their traditional Christmas Eve luncheon next door with the Millers, while Mom stayed with Dad at the hospital. They’d already eaten and exchanged gifts, and now Parker and Zoey were playing Apples to Apples with the Millers, which would be funny given how Zoey had complained about her parents being old for playing it last year. She seemed to be having a good time now.
Luke wasn’t. He’d been worried about Charlotte since their call yesterday. They’d texted a few times, with her insisting she was fine, but he could tell she wasn’t, and that she was lonely. No one should be alone on Christmas, especially like this. And what about his dad? He and Parker couldn’t even make it up to the hospital, but they’d FaceTimed with him, and he’d been in good spirits. He was doing so well, he’d be able to come home tomorrow. Besides, he wasn’t alone—he had Mom, and they were doing fine.
Luke took another turn through the kitchen, to the foyer, to the living room, thinking. Shit, there had to be some way to go up to the resort.
He drew a sharp breath and stopped short in the doorway to the kitchen.
That’s it.
He went to the window. It was still light out, and even though it was overcast, the snow had stopped three hours ago. Everything was quiet and white.
Who needed roads?
“I need to go,” he said without preamble.
Mr. Miller gave him a look that questioned Luke’s sanity. “Where?”
“I need to see about something. Thanks for the lunch. It was great.” He nodded to Mrs. Miller, then turned and went to the foyer closet for his jacket.
A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to find both Zoey and Parker standing behind him. She smiled. “We’ll walk with you.”
Frowning at both of them, he said, “I’m good.”
“We’re not,” Parker said, eyebrows raised. “Talk to us, man.”
Luke blew out a breath as they grabbed coats and followed him onto the porch. Zoey grinned at him as soon as the front door closed. “Who is she? The girl at the café?”
Luke laughed. “Am I that transparent?”
“Pretty much.” She linked her arms through both boys’ and tugged them across the snowy lawn. “What’s up?”
As they struggled over to his house, he told them about Charlotte’s cancelled trip. “I can’t stand here another minute, knowing she’s all alone on Christmas.”
Parker nodded slowly. “I’d feel the same way.”
“Awww.” Zoey kissed his cheek. “But, Luke? She’s up at the resort. How are you even going to get there? It’s miles, and uphill—too far to snowshoe or ski.”
Luke punched in the code to open the garage door and took her inside, pointing to a tarp in the back. “I guess you don’t know about Dad’s newest toy?”
He went to it and pulled off the tarp to reveal a gleaming black snowmobile. “This is how I’m going up there.”
“Yeah, it is.” Parker punched him in the shoulder. “Dress for it, and you’ll be fine.”
Zoey looked between them, eyes wide. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.” Luke grabbed a gas can to top off the snowmobile’s tank. “Absolutely.”
A drive that took less than twenty minutes by Jeep took almost two hours on the snowmobile. He slid off the road a few times and had to haul the vehicle back onto the track. So far, he hadn’t broken his neck, but he had a good idea of how crazy this had been. Still, it was worth it when he pulled up outside the café. The windows in the second story glowed, marking the snow with warm light.
Shivering, he plodded through the drifts to stand outside the window and pulled out his phone. Look outside.
A moment passed, then Charlotte’s blinds flipped open. He waved up at her, and her hand flew to her mouth. He pointed toward the café’s front door, then pointed at his chest. She was moving before he finished the pantomime.
While she came downstairs, Luke pushed the snowmobile to the side of the café and pulled his backpack out of the saddlebag. He pocketed the keys just as the door scraped open against the piled snow.
Charlotte’s head poked out. “Are you crazy?”
He grinned. “Didn’t we already have that conversation?”
She stared for a second before beckoning to him. “Come inside before you freeze.”
“Yes, please.” He’d worn his heaviest gear, along with his best thermal shirt, flannel-lined jeans under his snow pants, and hot packs in both his boots and his gloves, but he still felt the cold like it was a living thing, a frozen coal knotted into his chest.
He stomped the snow off his boots and came inside to find Charlotte firing up the espresso machine. “We need to get you warmed up.”
She was wearing yoga pants and a soft fleece top that clung in all the right places. She also had her hair up in a ponytail, revealing her neck. Luke’s fingers twitched, urging him to run them through her hair. Damn, slow down. “I can think of a better way than coffee.”
So much for slowing down. Jesus.
Her cheeks went pink, and she flashed him a quick smile. “I’m sure you can, but I’d prefer for your hands not to be ice-cold.”
Heat flared through him. Yeah, he didn’t need the coffee, but she was right—his hands were freezing, and she probably wasn’t into the “hurts so good” method.
Honestly, while he’d hoped they’d end up in bed together, he’d really come to the mountain just to make sure she was okay. He could tell she hadn’t been, but having him here seemed to have dispelled some of the pain she’d been carrying.
He pulled off his gloves, coat, and fleece sweatshirt. All he had on underneath was the waffle-print thermal, but it was more than enough for the warm café. He hung everything up, then turned to find Charlotte watching him, her eyes hungry.
The café seemed to narrow into sharp focus, and Luke felt lightheaded. This had been the best idea he’d ever had.
He swaggered over to her and leaned over the bar. “Hey there, gorgeous. How about something a little stronger than coffee?”
“Now you’re talking.” From beneath the bar, she unearthed a bottle of Irish Cream and poured more than a shot’s worth in both coffees. Her hands shook while she did it.
Luke’s breath caught in his chest. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He toasted her, and they drank in silence for a moment before she set her mug down. “I can’t believe you came all the way up here to see me.”
“I can.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’d travel a lot farther if I knew you were alone on Christmas—or any other time you needed me.”
She smiled, her eyes downcast and her expression shy. “When I met you, the first thing I thought was, ‘here’s another player, ready to break some hearts.’”
Her words were like a sucker punch in the sternum. He rubbed a hand over his face. She’d nailed him dead to rights. “As much as it hurts to admit, a while ago that would’ve been right, but I’ve hit a few bumps in the road and realized I wanted more than a string of snow bunnies on the go. Then I met you, and I knew.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, and the air crackled, ready to ignite. She swallowed hard. “Maybe we should go upstairs. I have a fire going.”
“Sounds good.”
They climbed the stairs slowly, and Luke liked that. Prolonging the inevitable, even though his body was screaming to take her right there. That made the situation even hotter.
She let him into her apartment. It was warm, and the fire crackled. He stopped to throw another log on it, then turned to face her. She was sitting on her couch, watching him. “Hit the lights?”
Her voice… God, that voice would put a siren’s to shame. Just the tone said all kinds of things that made his heart race. Luke flipped the switch by the door, so that the fire and a few candles were the only light.
Before he sat, knowing this could be awkward later—and he didn’t have time for that—Luke bent to take off his boots, snow pants, and socks. Finally down to his jeans and thermal top, he walked to the couch and sat next to Charlotte, devouring her with his eyes.
“So,” he said in a low growl. “Now what?”