Holt

The truck fishtails a little before finding some traction and making it over the last little hill to the hotel. We both grabbed a bag with some clothes, and we can just stay in an empty room instead of trying to go back to the cabin. The ten inches predicted by the weather service has turned to sixteen inches, and we have to be getting close to that total. Since the storm isn’t even half over, they’ll probably be raising it again.

“Made it!” Kinley announces, popping open the passenger door.

“Did you doubt me?”

“Only when we got stuck the second time,” she giggles.

Last night was wonderful. After our walk, we ate chili and watched television, curled up on her couch with a fire burning in the fireplace. I could’ve stayed right in that spot forever. Today, though, I feel like a kid with a snow day off school, mainly because I haven’t seen this much snow since I was young. I can’t wait to get out in it.

“What’s in the bag?” Kinley grabs her backpack and watches as I sling my guitar over my back and grab a large plastic bag along with my duffel.

“Some Legos for Mitch. He had to leave his at home.”

She tilts her head, giving me a scrutinizing look as we slog through the knee deep snow and into the warm lobby.

“What?” I feel like I have food on my face or something.

“Just thinking, I may have fallen in love with a good guy.”

“I sometimes leave the toilet seat up and forget to rinse my whiskers out of the sink if that sets your mind at ease.”

She doesn’t get a chance to answer before Mitch rushes up. “Hey, Holt! I got a new Spiderman video game! Want to play?”

“Absolutely, in just a little while, okay?” I pause to pull a set of Legos out of the plastic bag and hand it to him. The box is so large he can barely hold onto it, and his face lights up.

“Legos! Grandma, look! Holt got me Legos!” He rushes over to where his grandmother and Harriet sit in the lobby.

“Did you say thank you?” his grandma asks.

“Oh shit! I forgot!”

“Mitchell!” his grandma scolds, but she can’t suppress the smile on her face.

He sets the box down and runs back over to me, hugging me around my waist. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

Clark watches the scene from behind the front desk and grins at the kid. “You can dump them there on the rug if it’s okay with your grandma.”

A minute later, he’s sitting in a pile of blocks, lost in Lego heaven. It seems strange to be in the hotel when it’s so empty. It’s just some staff, the kid, his grandma, and us. Kinley steps behind the desk and grabs a keycard. “We’ll be in Junior Suite B,” she informs Clark, and we head upstairs with our bags.

“I have some stuff to check on. Do you think you can entertain yourself for an hour or so?” she asks after we settle into our room.

“Sure, go do your thing. I need to hit the gym.”

She kisses me and goes to work while I change into sweats, and head down to the gym. It’s well equipped, and I jump on a treadmill by the window where I can watch the snow while I run. It’s so different seeing the snow here. I’m used to watching it blanket a city, then quickly turn to a gray sludge that’s a royal pain in the ass.

Out here, it wraps the treetops in lace, and outlines the bare trees against the deep gray of the sky. The hills in the distance become mounds of glistening white, and an occasional wind whips the powdery surface up in small whirlwinds. The edges of the lake are encrusted with ivory, while the water takes on a cool blue tint. Are there any seasons out here that aren’t gorgeous? The urge to write strikes me, but I tamp it down until I’m finished here.

After my run, I move to do some reps on the weights, and Clark walks in. “Need a spotter?”

“Depends.” I take a quick drink from my water bottle. “Are you going to drop it on my neck?”

His laughter echoes through the room, and he shakes his head. “And spend the next few days trapped with all these women? No way.”

“There’s definitely a shortage of testosterone right now.” We straightened everything out when I gave him a ride yesterday, and he seems like a decent guy. Anyone who has Kinley’s best interest at heart is fine with me.

He spots me, and I do the same for him. He’s on his last few reps when the lights flicker a little. “Have you ever had a power outage here?”

“A few times over the years, but Kinley’s father installed the big backup generators about five years ago. They’ll keep power running to the furnace, water heater, and a few kitchen appliances. There’s emergency lighting as well, and we have a storage room with rechargeable electric lanterns. I charged everything. If they go out, we’ll be fine.” They flicker again, and we both grin. “It’s probably a matter of time since they just officially upgraded the storm to a blizzard. We could get more than two feet.”

His news excites me in that childish way I haven’t felt in too long. Two feet of snow. Tomorrow is going to be amazing. I can’t wait to get Kinley out in it.

“I should probably charge my phone,” I remark. I don’t want to be cut off from Dad and Marcus, just in case there’s an issue, not that I could do much from here.

I’m on my way up to our room to plug the phone in when it rings and my stomach sinks at the sight of Sully’s name. Things are finally going well. Please don’t let anything else be wrong, I think, accepting the call.

“Holt?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Something wrong?”

“No, man. Something is very right. I have some amazing news. Plygant Records wants you.”

Is he fucking kidding me? “Sully, we’ve been through this. I’m not doubling for Marcus anymore.” What are they trying to do? Hide the fact he’s lost a limb? I wouldn’t put it past them.

“No, they want you. That video of you singing to Kinley in the bar has shot straight to the top of all the social media sites. They want to sign you.”

His offer nearly knocks the wind out of me. I’m stunned anyone thinks I could sell records, but one thought of how Marcus lives, being stalked by paparazzi and having no peace is all it takes for me to decide.

“Not interested.”

A long pause is followed by his stunned response. “Excuse me? You realize this is an opportunity of a lifetime. A world tour, more money than you can ever spend, fame and—”

“And being followed around having every detail of my life in the tabloids. That’s not the life I want. As for the money, I already have more than I could spend from my Jilted songs, plus a waiting list of artists who want me to write for them, and you know it.”

“Take some time to think about it. There’s no rush.”

A dry chuckle escapes me. “There is no chance in hell I would ever put myself in a position to answer to you or your label. Remember giving Alicia my key and sending her to try to fuck things up with Kinley? Because I sure as hell do. Let me make this as clear as humanly possible, Sully. Go fuck yourself.” I end the call and put the phone on charge.

That felt good.

After all the hell he has caused me, it felt so damn good.

A smile remains plastered on my face the entire time I shower and dress. I got to tell off my nemesis, and I’m trapped in a nice warm place, riding out a blizzard with the woman I love. Can the day get any better?

I catch myself humming a melody as I press the elevator button and wait.

“There you are,” Kinley says, grinning at me from inside the elevator when the doors open.

“All done with work?” I step inside, and she nods.

“I was just coming up to see if you were ready for dinner.” She lays her hands on either side of my waist and leans in, sniffing my neck. “You smell good.”

“I just got out of the shower.” My hands wander down over her ass.

“Really,” she murmurs, then reaches out and hits the stop button, bringing the elevator to an abrupt halt.

“What are you doing?”

She doesn’t answer, just unzips my pants and shoves them down, kneeling as she does. Her hot mouth surrounds my cock, and I’m hard in seconds. Stumbling back a step, I lean on the handrail against the elevator wall, and slide my hand into her hair. I love when she leaves it down.

I’ve had plenty of experience with women, but no one has ever gone down on me the way she does. The first time she blew me, I barely lasted a minute, and it’s not going to be long this time either. “Fuck, Bug,” I groan.

She hums, and a sharp sensation jolts me, almost making me come right there. Her soft hand kneads my balls as she sucks me steadily, her tongue working in ways I didn’t think possible.

Sweat pops out on my forehead, and I have to fight not to shove my hips forward. She’s killing me, stroking me with her lips, her tongue, her hand. The tiny buzz starts at the base of my spine, growing slowly until I know I can’t fight it.

“Kinley,” I gasp, jerking as she sucks harder. “I’m going to come.”

She glances up at me and moans, then closes her eyes. Gripping her hair, with her hot mouth engulfing me, I lean my head back and come so hard the room disappears for a moment. She softens her pace but doesn’t stop until I twitch and pull her head back.

Her little self-satisfied smile is impish and makes me want to dirty her up in the best way. She stands and pulls my pants up, dropping a kiss on my lips as she zips and buttons while I stand there, still trying to find my brain.

“Fuck, Kinley, that was amazing. When I get you back to our room tonight—”

That’s as far as I get before the light in the elevator goes out, plunging us into pitch darkness.

“Shit, there goes the power,” she says, and turns on the flashlight on her phone. It illuminates the small space and she pulls out the stop button.

Nothing happens.

“Do your backup generators power the elevators?” I ask.

“Yes, they’re supposed to. Oh shit,” she adds, amusement in her voice. “We had it off when the generators kicked on. It probably needs to be reset from the maintenance room. I’ll have to call Clark.”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “Great, I finally get him to stop hating me, and now we’re going to be busted fucking around in the elevator.”

She calls Clark, and I can hear his deep laughter. “Why did you stop the elevator, Kinley?”

“It doesn’t matter why! Just get us out of here.”

She leans back against me, and I wrap my arms around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder while we wait on Clark to reset the system. “There’s never a dull moment with you, Bug. I love you.”

She turns her head and kisses me. “Is that the blowjob afterglow talking?”

“No, I love you. And your blowjobs. But mostly you.”

Giggling, she tilts her head, letting me trail my lips down her neck in that way that makes her shiver. “I love you too.”

“Do you think I have time to make you come before we get rescued?” My hand slips down the front of her pants.

Light floods the space, and we start to move. “Guess not,” she says, stepping away and running her hands through her hair. “Do I look okay?”

Her lips are a little puffy and her cheeks are pink. Her hair is slightly mussed. “You look sexy as fuck.” And there’s not going to be any doubt what we were doing when those doors open, but I don’t tell her that.

The elevator reaches the lobby and the doors slide open to reveal Clark, Harriet, and a maintenance man I’ve never met. They all share the same cheesy grin.

“Shut up,” Kinley sings, as we exit.

“How about a new rule?” Clark teases. “Don’t hit the stop button during a storm.”

He looks at me, and I shrug. “Talk to her, not me.”

“Traitor!” she laughs, smacking my arm.

“Let’s go. I’m starving,” I remark, and Harriet laughs.

“Can’t imagine why.”

The power doesn’t come back on which isn’t a surprise since the storm won’t end until late tonight. After dinner, Clark, Harriet, Mitch and Della lounge around the sitting room with Kinley and me. A fire roars in the large stone fireplace, and electric lanterns push back the shadows, making the room pleasant.

Kinley sits on a sofa with Harriet and Della, talking about ideas for her future renovations while I sit on the floor with Mitch, helping him build a Lego castle. Legos were my favorite when I was a kid too. I had a lady give me a huge tub of them from a yard sale once, and they were my pride and joy until one of mom’s boyfriends stole them. Probably for his kid.

“Okay, cross your fingers and turn the crank,” I tell Mitch.

The look on his face is pure excitement and happiness when the drawbridge lowers like it’s supposed to. He raises it again and beams up at me, then Della. “Grandma! Look! It works!”

“That’s fantastic, hun,” she says absently, going back to their conversation.

Mitch shrugs at me, and I whisper, “Psh…girls. No interest in cool castles.”

“Unless there are princesses in them,” he agrees, making me laugh. “My little brother is better and getting out of the hospital soon. We’re going to go home, and I can go back to school instead of doing my work online.”

“That’s great. I’ll bet you miss your friends.”

“Yeah.” His face is serious as he scoops up the extra Legos and dumps them in the box. “I hope they didn’t forget me.”

“I’m sure they didn’t. You didn’t forget them.”

He smiles up at me like the idea never occurred to him. “That’s true. We aren’t leaving until after the snow melts, though. Mom says the airports are closed.”

“Good, because I need someone to go sledding with tomorrow.”

His head whips around to face Della. “Grandma! Can I go sledding with Holt tomorrow? Pleeease.”

She smiles and runs a hand over her mouth. “Just don’t break a bone. Your mother would never forgive me.”

“Yes!”

Della stands up. “Come on, kiddo. If you want to have energy to play in the snow tomorrow, you need to get some sleep.”

He doesn’t protest, and Clark nods toward the counter. “Take a couple of lanterns, and don’t use the elevators.”

“Until I can disinfect it,” Harriet quips, and Kinley swats at her.

It’s clear how much Clark and Harriet care for her. She may not have grown up with her mother, but I’m happy she has family.

Harriet and Clark both excuse themselves to go to bed as well, leaving Kinley and me alone in the sitting room. I sit next to her on the sofa and she curls up against me. “We should probably go to bed too, but it’s so nice right here.”

I play with her hair, running my fingers through it. “Sully called me tonight.”

“What did he want?” The disgust in her voice makes me smile.

“Plygant Records wants to sign me.”

She sits up and turns to face me. “What?”

“I guess the video of me singing in the bar has broken records on social media and they want me to make an album.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to go fuck himself.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “You don’t want to make an album?”

“I don’t want anything to do with Sully, Jilted, or that label. And I definitely don’t want my brother’s lifestyle. Just because he’s out of commission for a while, they want to bring me in to make up the money. Not happening.”

She curls back up with me and after a few moments of silence, I have to ask. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

“No.” Her hand slips into mine. “I understand not wanting to be stalked and hounded by paparazzi, and living out of hotel rooms would suck. You have such a beautiful voice. It’s just a shame no one gets to hear it.”

“You do,” I murmur against her hair as she lays her head on my shoulder.

“I’m a lucky girl.”

“Are you ready to go to bed so I can show you how lucky?”

“Let’s go.”

We each grab an electric lantern and make our way upstairs. In the dim light, with snow blowing against the windows, I kiss every trace of her body before sliding inside her. There’s one thought ringing in my head as we come together. I could do this for the rest of my life.

I could love her for the rest of my life.

I wake up to an empty bed and a note saying that she’s gone to help in the kitchen. The power is still out, and the room is dark until I pull back the curtains on the window, flooding the area with sunlight so bright it sends a temporary spike of pain through my head.

Wow.

There’s at least two feet of snow blanketing the ground, and drifts that must be three times that. There’s no wiping the smile off my face as I dress and head out to find Kinley.

The hotel hallways are a little chilly, but not too bad. I’m sure they’re trying to conserve the fuel for the generators to keep the most important areas heated. After wandering around a little, I find everyone gathered around a large table in the restaurant. Platters of pancakes, sausages, and eggs wait on the table, piled high.

Kinley smiles at me as she sets two pitchers of orange juice beside a pot of coffee. “I was just getting ready to come up after you. Are you hungry?”

“I am now.” I drop a kiss on her lips.

“Sit next to me!” Mitch insists.

“Okay, but I’m known to steal sausage.” I sit beside him, and Kinley takes the chair on my other side.

Shrugging, he stuffs a bite of pancake into his mouth. “Steal the eggs, I don’t like them.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Della scolds.

“Sorry,” he replies, still chewing.

It’s such a happy atmosphere, with everyone laughing and talking, you wouldn’t think we were trapped with no power.

“I thought I’d dig out the conversation pit,” Clark says. “We could have a fire while the kids go sledding.” He darts his eyes to me when he says the word kids.

“Just for that, you can’t ride on my sled.”

Everyone laughs, and he passes me the syrup. “I could use some help if you’re up to it.”

“Sure. You rescued us from an elevator. Least I could do.”

Kinley groans and lays a palm over her face. “Thanks for bringing that up.”

Kinley stays to help clean up after breakfast while I layer up and head outside with Clark. There’s a round stone patio off to one side of the hotel with a fire pit in the center. It’s designed to be used on cool spring or fall nights, but once we get it shoveled out, there’s no reason it couldn’t be used today.

Clark and I spend a few minutes shoveling before he pauses and says, “I need your advice.”

Sure I must’ve heard him wrong, I lean on the shovel. “What?” A few days ago, he hated me. What could he trust my advice on?

“Let’s say, hypothetically, I did something really stupid that’s going to piss Kinley off and cause…problems for her.”

“What did you hypothetically do?”

He sighs and shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. She’s going to be angry and not just at me.”

“Are you asking me if you should tell her or keep it to yourself?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

He goes back to shoveling, and I do the same. “You know what happened with us. Whatever it is, it’s not worse than lying to her about it. She’ll find out eventually and apologies don’t mean much if you wait until you get caught.”

“Fuck.” He sets the shovel aside a moment and sits on one of the concrete ledges he’s cleared.

I take a seat across from him. It’s kind of funny to see this big guy so stressed over revealing something to Kinley. He warned me I’d better not hurt her and the same goes for him.

“What is it?”

“Her mother…she sort of…blew me.”

Not the announcement I expected. “You fucked Heather?”

“No! I didn’t fuck her. I was trashed, and she showed up at my room. How it started is kind of blurry, but it ended with her sucking me off.”

“Are you interested in her? Are you going to keep seeing her?”

“No!” The horror in his voice is comical. “I can’t stand that bitch. It was a one time mistake.”

Shrugging, I get to my feet to finish shoveling. “Then I don’t see a reason to tell her. I don’t expect my father to tell me everyone he fucks around with.”

He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “I was hoping to let it go, pretend it never happened, but Heather isn’t going to. She’s trying to use it against me. She wants me to try to talk Kinley into letting her live here, and that’s not going to happen. I just don’t want it hanging over my head. She’ll use it every chance she gets to try to get her way. That’s one manipulative bitch. Kinley just hasn’t seen that part of her yet.”

“It sounds like you already know what to do then.”

He starts chucking firewood into the pit. “Fuck. Yeah. I just wanted an outside opinion on the situation, I guess. Kinley is like a daughter to me, and she’s been through enough. Her mother is a terrible person, but I think she needs to see that for herself.”

“I don’t think Kinley is going to be that disturbed by you fucking around with Heather. I mean, it may be weird since she sees you as a father figure, but there’s nothing wrong with it. The part that she needs to know is Heather trying to use it against you to get you to influence her decisions. That’s bullshit, and she needs to know.”

Clark nods, picking up the shovel, and we head back toward the doors. “I’ll talk to her before Heather comes back to work.”

“I’ll bet it was good though, huh. Crazy chicks are usually good in bed,” I tease.

“Fuck off,” he snorts. “I barely remember it.”

“Old age, man. It’s a bitch.”

“Keep fucking with me. You won’t get a chance to find out.”

“Nah, I grew on you. We’re buddies now.”

Kinley approaches as I dodge the fist heading toward my arm. “Do I want to know?” she laughs.

“Nope, go bundle up. Let’s go sledding.”

The whole day is one of the best I can remember. Kinley, Mitch, and I trudge up the hill so many times, my legs are screaming. The last few trips up with Mitch riding piggy back didn’t help.

Kinley is so much fun, it’s like she turns into a kid again as we barrel down the hill, build a snow fort for Mitch and have a snowball war. When we all change into dry clothes and gather around the fire pit where a massive fire roars, her cheeks are bright with color and her eyes sparkle with joy.

Mitch is taking a nap, so it’s only adults sitting around the fire. Kinley grabbed a few bottles from the bar and everyone is feeling pretty good.

“I can’t remember the last time I was day drunk,” Kinley laughs, and I pull her into my lap in the oversized Adirondack chair.

“It’ll be dark soon,” Clark points out.

“I’m taking advantage of you as soon as we get inside,” I murmur in her ear.

Mitch appears at the door, holding up my guitar. I left it in the lobby earlier when I was working on some lyrics. He pokes his head out. “Grandma, can I come out? I want to hear Holt play.”

“You can come out, but you might want to ask Holt about that second part.”

Everyone chuckles, and I wave to him. “Bring it here, buddy.”

We’re sitting around a fire at sunset, surrounded by friends, and I have a buzz. Of course, I’m going to play. “What do you want to hear?”

“Imagine Dragons!”

Della groans, “If I have to hear that Thunder song one more time.”

“How about this one?” I play the first few notes to Imagine Dragon’s Demons, and he sits up straight.

“Yes!”

When I finish, everyone is staring at me like I have something on my face.

“It sounded different,” Mitch says. “But I like it.”

Harriet stares at me. “Well, I guess that video wasn’t a fluke. Why the hell don’t you sing professionally?”

“Harriet!” Kinley exclaims.

“What? That was a compliment!”

“You are very good,” Della says. “Will you play something else?”

I do a cover of Human by Rag N’ Bone Man, and then Better Love by Hozier. I end up playing for the next couple of hours, some songs they request, and others I love, but I don’t do anything original. It’s still an amazing feeling. I don’t usually get to see this side of it. I write the songs and others perform them, so watching people actually enjoy my singing is a little surreal. It’s too bad the musician lifestyle is so chaotic and demanding because I could get used to this.

The wind picks up, and the temperature plummets, chasing us all inside. Just as Kinley and I are going to bed, the power kicks back on. Those utility crews must’ve been working all day.

I have every intention of making her scream my name multiple times, but when I get out of the shower, she’s curled up on the bed, asleep. She looks so happy, with a small smile on her face, and it’s been a long day. Instead of waking her, I pull her into my arms, and revel in the way she instantly cuddles up to me, like she’s drawn to me even in her sleep.

I know it’s too early, and I’ll wait as long as I need to, so I don’t spook her, but I know what I’m doing when I get home.

Dad is going to have to help me find a ring.