Love, Actually was probably one of my least favorite Christmas movies of all time.

So, why I was subjecting myself to the torture of it; I couldn’t give a plausible answer. It was probably because none of the good movies were on TV at the moment, or because I liked to laugh at the couple in it that are faced with a dilemma when the best friend of the guy is in love with his girl. Like how fucked up was that? This was supposed to make people happy? No one had epic love stories like this. At least, no one I knew. It was all just bullshit.

The song Trouble by Valerie Broussard shrilled from my phone, saving me from having to watch the last thirty minutes of this wreck. My best friend Sara always had the best timing.

“If I have to watch Love, Actually one more damn time, I’m going to shoot myself!” I answered before she could say anything.

I’d shouted it loud enough my neighbors two miles away probably heard me. But seriously, why was this damn movie so overplayed? I could get behind a comedy Christmas movie with just a little romantic action, but this was just driving me insane.

I flipped through the channels angrily, trying to find any other Christmas movie than that one. There had to be something.

“I can’t tell if you’re talking to me or yourself. Though, I’m worried about the latter of the two,” Sara said to me through the phone. Sara and her husband Caleb didn’t like me being alone for Christmas and had invited me to stay with them, but I didn’t want to impose on them after Sara just had their first kid, Jackson. This was their first Christmas together and they needed this time. I’d go see them after Christmas, though. They only lived about thirty minutes away closer to the city.

“I guess you’re just going to have to figure that one out for yourself,” I replied with snark.

This was almost the exact same conversation we had last year before Christmas. Only then, I was depressed from the death of my father. He passed the September before from a heart attack and I wasn’t doing so well at the time. I may have actually thrown the remote at the TV the last time we had this discussion.

Dad and I were close. My mom had walked out on both of us when I was only five and never came back. What little girl wouldn’t be heartbroken if her mother left? All I could think about after she left was what I had done wrong to make her want to leave. No matter how many times my dad told me it wasn’t my fault, it took a long time for me to believe him. He was my best friend and never stopped being the best parent he could be taking on the role of two parents. I watched every day as he struggled to make ends meet working construction jobs here and there. I mean he drank a good bit and was probably a bad influence, since he cussed like a sailor, but he was a good man and took care of me. He pushed himself to learn everything he could about what a mom was supposed to teach a daughter, but many nights he had to miss out on time with me to work. I was usually stuck with a babysitter, but it had to be done so that food could be on the table. Dad wanted to give me a comfortable life, never letting me want for anything because of the absence of my mother.

Dad and I had the same traditions every year on Christmas Eve and Christmas. We would light a fire and roast marshmallows, until we couldn’t eat anymore. We drank eggnog and made cookies, while watching every Christmas movie there was. We even went door to door singing Christmas carols to the neighbors. The only thing that ever changed in our routine, was once I turned twenty-one, we started throwing a wee bit of alcohol into the eggnog. It made things more interesting come caroling time. ‘Deck the Halls’ became ‘Check the Walls’ because we always got a little too tipsy.

I planned to mostly keep up with the traditions by spending my entire holiday in front of the TV. Pajamas, alcohol, and binge-watching Christmas movies was my idea of a great way to celebrate. I just hoped that the approaching storm headed my way in a few days wouldn’t knock out my power. I’d lose half my plan that way.

“I still think you should be here with us. What if your power goes out? You’ll be all alone and have nothing to do,” Sara said, using that concerned voice of hers that she used when she was about to start begging.

In his will, Dad left me his cabin and instructions to change it however I wanted; make it mine. But, I didn’t have the heart to do that. I quickly moved out of my shitty apartment and into the cabin. It may not have been much, but it was what I had left of Dad besides memories.

Unfortunately, Dad only owned half of the cabin. The other half of the duplex was owned by an older man named Stanley, who rented it out to tourists during the holidays and sometimes the summer. In Telluride, Colorado, there were a lot of tourists that flocked here. Tons of them stayed in the area because it was close to the lodge and ski resort that was about thirty minutes from here. I had yet to have to worry about neighbors, thankfully, but I knew my luck would run out sooner or later. Sooner came a lot faster than I’d have liked. Mr. Stanley apparently hired some construction company to come stay and renovate a few things before he finally sells his half. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of permanent neighbors after the construction crew left.

“Sara, I will be fine. Besides, the other side of the cabin will be occupied for the next two weeks by some construction guys. Apparently, Stanley wants these renovations done by Christmas. He dropped off the key to me yesterday before getting out of dodge. See? Not completely alone.”

I liked being alone nowadays. I’d become a little reclusive since Dad died, and I wasn’t ashamed. I used to be a party girl who went out every night and even had multiple boyfriends at once. They knew about each other of course, because it was never anything serious. I didn’t do serious relationships. I did fun and easy, not complicated and surrounded with feelings.

But now, I preferred life a little quieter.

She sighed. “What if they’re axe murderers? Then what?”

“I have Dad’s shotgun handy. Besides, Stanley does background checks on his waiters at the diners he frequents, so I’m fairly positive they aren’t axe murderers and I’ll be all good here.”

“Point taken. But what if you can’t figure out how to light the fire? I know you. You can’t light a fire to save your life. I bet you anything that you have yet to light one since it started getting cold.”

I looked glumly at the unused cobblestone fireplace before shooting it a glare. I really did suck at lighting fires. Dad always lit them for us. Now, it felt like such a mockery having it there.

“Well, the good news is, if I get desperate enough, I have enough alcohol in this cabin I could start a small bonfire. I’ll just throw one of these bad boys in there with some wood then stick a match in,” I replied sarcastically, holding up my almost empty bottle of Jack. I would never actually do that. Knowing this, she caught my bluff quickly.

“Yeah, you’re so not going to be that desperate. Anyways, with your luck, you’d set the whole cabin on fire.”

I stuck my tongue out at her. I knew she couldn’t see it, but it made me feel better.

“Stop sticking your tongue out at me,” she replied blandly.

Damn! She knows me too well.

“Fine. But I’m still not coming to your house for Christmas either way. You guys need that sweet family bonding time. I’m perfectly alright where I’m at. I promise.”

“Okay, Low,” she relented with a sigh. “If that’s what you want. Just call me if you change your mind or if you’re in any trouble. I don’t know how fast Caleb could get there, but you know he’d come get you in a heartbeat. Right? He’d steal the snow plow from Sampson Gregor if he had to. You did it for us that one year, so it would only be right to return the favor.”

Poor Sampson. That guy never forgave me for stealing the snow plow two winters ago. He just made it way too easy to access the keys. I’d honestly probably get blamed for it if Caleb was to do it, though.

“I know, but I’m a perfectly responsible adult, Sara. I’ve got this!” I replied with mock enthusiasm.

* * *

“I so do not have this!” I shouted in panic as I fanned out my burned meal that I’d just taken from the oven.

I was a horrible cook and thought a simple oven lasagna would be no problem. Apparently, the cardboard bullshit that it came in catches fire super fucking easy and smoked up the cabin to the point I had to open the windows. It amazed me I could light food on fire just fine, but God forbid I try to light a fire on purpose and I get nada.

Now, I was hungry and freezing. Stupid cardboard.

A knock at my front door caught my attention as I waved the towel at the smoking food.

“Coming!” I yelled over my shoulder. I quickly shoved the oven rack back inside and closed it before going to answer the door.

I was not expecting the man candy that stood there. I was suddenly a little self-conscious with no makeup, my caramel curls up in a messy bun, wearing my stained white, knit sweater, plaid pajama bottoms that had a hole in the butt, and my slippers that were made to look like bear paws. It made it doubly unfair that I looked like this, while he looked like sex wrapped in a leather jacket with dark jeans and thermal sweater. All of which hugged his body builder frame like a second skin. Add in the fact, his jaw was covered in a thick, dark beard and he had that bad boy look down pact. I loved beards almost as much as I loved bad boys. If I could drool right now without looking like an idiot, I’d have made a puddle at his feet.

“Holy shit. Who are you and who do I have to thank for sending you here?”

Smooth, Lowen, I thought to myself. My non-existent filter mixed with this special sexy look probably came off really stupid to this guy.

Thankfully, he only gave me a smile that looked like he was more flattered than anything as he casually leaned all six-foot-two of himself against the doorway. His rich, chocolate brown eyes, that had these slight gold flakes inside, looked me over curiously.

“Uh, well, I guess you have your neighbor Stanley to thank. I’m Tobi. I’m part of the renovation team that’s staying next door for the next two weeks. Did Stanley call and give you a heads up?”

I couldn’t help following his hand as he ran it through his short, dark brown hair. Why was it so attractive when guys did that?

Thank you, Santa! I mean Stanley…

“Oh, well I’m Lowen. Yeah, he did. Cool.” I babbled stupidly. I wanted to face palm myself as soon as the words left my mouth. See! This was what happened when I was hungry.

“So, you’re staying two weeks?” I added quickly, hoping to change the subject before he thought I was a total spaz.

He nodded his head and rubbed a hand down his beard. “Yeah, just needed to get that key from you while my friends unload our stuff. He did leave that with you, didn’t he?”

“Let me grab that for you,” I said before walking over to the coffee table where I’d set the key down. I held back the urge to do a ridiculous victory dance at having him next door to me for two weeks.

He leaned in the doorway, looking towards the kitchen when I walked back to hand the key to him. “You burn something?” He asked.

“Not what I wanted to burn, but yes. I got in a fight with the oven and lost.”

He chuckled and waved the key. “Well, thanks for this. I guess I’ll be seeing you since you’re right next door.”

“Yep, I guess so.”

“Alright awesome. I’ll see ya,” he replied with a panty dropping smile and a wave as he backed away and started walking to the other side of the cabin.

“Later,” I said, trying to not sound too disappointed that he had to go. He was just so damn good to look at. I closed the door and peaked through the curtain.

I watched like a creepy stalker as he unlocked the door, then turned to go back down the steps leading to the driveway below. The cabin was up on stilts, since it sat on the side of the mountain, and the driveway was beneath the cabin itself. I was a bit bummed I couldn’t see what his friends looked like yet, but I wasn’t too sad about watching his perfect ass as he descended.

I’ll admit it. I was as bad as a dude when it came to flirting. When you’re raised with only a male figure in your life, you kind of lose the ability to be subtle. Well, at least I did. I had absolutely no qualms about hitting on someone I thought was hot. Some men liked it, but I intimidated most with it; which was another huge reason why I never did serious relationships. Any guy I started getting even remotely more serious with couldn’t handle me. They didn’t like not wearing the pants in the relationship, so I’d dump them if they couldn’t keep up, or they’d dump me before even sleeping with me. It was definitely their loss if the latter was the case. I wasn’t easy by any means, but I wasn’t afraid to get kinky either.

That’s why I’d dated twin brothers. Two men were easy for me. It was twice the attention and I got something different from each of them. Unfortunately, they felt more for me than I did for them and I had to end it before things got too intense in the feelings department. It was easier that way, rather than falling for someone and having to worry about being abandoned in the end like my mother did to dad.

I liked men who could handle someone like me. And just by looking at Tobi’s muscle mass and getting an alpha vibe from him, I bet he’d be just fine on his own. Odds were, he had a girlfriend already. Men that good looking always had perfect girlfriends that were more high maintenance than a Pomeranian.

Who knew, though?

If I played it right, I just may get laid this Christmas. Now that was a plan I could totally derail my original plans for.