8.
As she walked down into town later that night, her heart raced with anticipation and she couldn’t keep the smile from her face. The thought of seeing Finn again was making her feel as excited as she had done when she was a kid on Christmas Eve. She laughed to herself at the irony and quickened up her pace.
More snow had fallen throughout the afternoon and she crunched through the fresh white in her black boots. Even though the heel was small, she still tottered on them with care, not wanting to slip.
The noise of the town grew louder around her and as she stepped into the main stretch her heart felt warm at the sight of all of the lights and people having fun. She hugged her arms around herself and made her way toward the lodge bar that stood tall and proud in the center of the square.
As she crunched over the snowy ground and the scent of beer and warm bodies grew closer her mind skipped back to how she had felt when she was with Finn… the scent of his cologne, the way his eyes locked with hers… his smile…
“Hey,” his voice pierced through the night and was so unexpected it made her jump.
Chloe spun around to see Finn standing behind her with a cheeky smile on his face and as he started to laugh, knowing that he had shocked her, she slapped him playfully on the shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
He was so strong and protective, and she felt tiny in his arms. She looked up into his eyes and he planted a soft, solitary kiss on her lips.
“Sorry,” he shrugged cheekily.
“Sneaking up on a girl at night… all alone…” she joked. “It’s a good job I’m not trained in martial arts.”
She raised her eyebrows and Finn winked at her.
“I won’t do it again,” he leaned in closer, “Scouts honor.”
Chloe felt herself blushing. She had been relaxed with booze the previous evening, and now she was completely sober she felt shy and nervous around him. It was as if they were two teenagers, just meeting up for the first time at the movies.
“Come on,” Finn said as he clasped his hand in hers. “I want to show you something.”
He pulled her towards the other side of the square and away from the bar. Chloe realized that her chance of Dutch courage was slipping away behind her and she was going to have to roll with it. Even though her nerves were getting the better of her, she knew she would enjoy herself, just being with Finn again was making her feel so alive it was liberating.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he pulled her further out of the square and out towards the forest.
“You’ll have to wait and see…” Finn smiled at her warmly.
They crossed onto a pathway that was lit with lights and lined with Christmas trees. With each step they took they seemed to be going more into a fairytale. The town was so beautiful and all of the houses were like something out of a dream. Out of the main section where Chloe’s lodge was situated and closer towards the town, the houses were more like cottages out of a Disney movie and really made the place feel like magic.
“It’s just up here,” Finn said as he raced up an incline and Chloe tried to keep up with him without skidding on her boots and making an ass out of herself.
When they reached the top he wrapped his arm around her and Chloe gasped as she looked out from their vantage point and out across the whole town. It was so incredible to see it from there at night, all lit up and bustling with life and the sounds of winter. Christmas songs and people singing and laughing drifted up the mountain to meet them and it was hard to believe that it was all real.
“It’s almost like this is the only place on earth, don’t you think?” Finn whispered.
Chloe nodded and turned to look at him. As he pulled her closer to him she had an overwhelming sense of unreality.
“Where did you come from?” she whispered as he ran a hand through her hair.
He kissed her deeply and hard, and it was so powerful it almost took her breath away. As she entwined herself with him she couldn’t believe how fast she was falling for him and how natural it felt. It was as if this was always meant to happen and they had both just had to find their way to this point in time.
Finn smiled at her and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“Come on,” he said. “I don’t want to keep you out, up here in these dangerous mountains,” he joked, obviously mocking the bartender from the night before. Chloe laughed and slipped her hand into his as they walked together back down the hill.
“How long will you stay for?” she asked him as they began to approach the square.
“I’m not sure,” Finn shrugged. “Probably until after the holidays.”
“Me too,” Chloe beamed. She was glad that he wasn’t going to be disappearing on her any time soon.
He led her towards the bar and as they stepped inside they chose to take a quiet table in the corner next to one of the roaring fires and cuddled up on one of the big cozy couches.
Finn ordered them a bottle of red wine and poured it for them both before relaxing back into the cushions and pulling Chloe close to him. If the room had been quieter, it could almost have been as if they were an established couple, relaxing at home on an evening in front of the fire. Chloe closed her eyes and imagined it and smiled.
They were wrapped up in each other’s arms, kissing and exploring each other without offending everyone else in the bar when Chloe felt her cell phone vibrating in her back pocket. She ignored it at first, but when it started to go off for what must have been the fifth time she apologized to Finn and excused herself from the table.
“Mom?” she said as she pressed answer.
“Chloe,” her mom panted hurriedly. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the square, at one of the bars… what’s the matter?” She could sense the angst in her Mom’s voice and knew immediately that something was wrong.
“Who are you with?” her Mom asked.
“Mom! What is going on?” Now Chloe was really panicking.
“Listen to me carefully, whatever you’re doing, leave it and walk out of their casually. If you’re with someone, just excuse yourself and say you need to get an early night. Hurry back. Right now!”
Before Chloe had a chance to respond, the line went dead.
She knew that something had been happening with her family, and now she had the feeling she was about to find out the truth. She turned on her heel and trying to keep her hands from shaking she walked back to Finn and apologized.
“I’m so sorry,” she said trying to act as normal as possible. “That was my mom, she’s not feeling well and she needs me to head back.”
Finn raised his eyebrows and looked concerned.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as he got to his feet.
Chloe nodded and leaned in and gave him a kiss.
“Honestly, everything’s fine,” she smiled.
She turned and quickly walked out of the bar, not looking back over her shoulder even though he had called her name.
She had to get back to the cabin. Something terrible was happening… she could feel it.