Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
This place is perfect for Christmas. We never got snow back home, but up here, you could have a white Christmas. Everything sparkles outside, and it makes it breathtaking. I can see why anyone would love living out here in a world of their own. It would be so easy to forget about everything else.
“Do you think Santa will know I’m here?” Mina comes in front of me to look out the window too.
“I think so,” I say quietly before a lump forms in my throat.
Christmas is almost here, and I don’t have anything to give her. My plan was to try and stop somewhere and pick out a few small toys for her. I remember what it’s like to wake up on Christmas morning with nothing and to think that Santa forgot you.
My mother never said anything and would pretend it wasn’t a holiday. We’d go about our day as if it was any other. It took me years to realize Santa didn’t think I was a bad girl.
“Let’s see what we have to cook up.” I try to distract her as we walk away from the window and into the kitchen.
Mina helps me crack a few eggs and stir the pancake mix, but the cartoons soon steal her attention. Once it’s finished, I set all the food out on the kitchen island and grab some plates and orange juice.
My eyes keep checking the time, and as the minutes pass by, my worry for Fraser increases. I’m sure the roads are bad, and although he might be used to them, someone else could end up on the side of the road.
Or Cole could have found him.
The thought sends a chill down my spine, and it’s a reminder that I need to leave soon. Not only for our safety but Fraser’s too. I can’t pull him into this mess. He’s been so kind with all his help already. He carries his own demons and doesn’t need ours too.
“Breakfast is ready,” I call to Mina before putting down her plate. She jumps off the sofa to run over but stops when we hear a vehicle outside.
“Ralph!” she squeals with excitement, and my heart does a weird flutter that I’m not ready to name.
When the front door opens and Fraser steps in, Mina goes running toward him. He barely has time to put down what he has in his hands before catching her. I watch the two of them, and my insides melt as he lifts her into his arms.
“We made you breakfast,” she declares.
“I am starving.” Fraser’s eyes meet mine. “Let me haul the rest of this inside and grab some more wood first,” he says before putting Mina back on her feet.
“What is it?” Mina tries to open a lid on one of the containers.
“Something for you and Nyah.” He steps back outside while Mina manages to get the lid off the box. I notice he has our bags with him too, which is a relief.
“Ohh!” Mina coos as she lifts a shiny red ornament with a snowman on it.
“Make way,” Fraser calls before he comes through the door with a freaking tree.
“A Christmas tree!” Mina squeals like it’s Mickey Mouse and jumps up and down. She’s about to burst with excitement, and I stand there at a loss for words.
“You all right?” Fraser asks when he comes over to me and pulls off his coat.
“Did you do this for us?”
“Thought it might be fun.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
Without thinking, I throw my arms around him and hug him as tightly as I can while burying my face in his chest. His arms wrap around me too, holding me close. I’ve never felt something so overwhelming and safe all at the same time.
His hand rubs up and down my back, and I swear I might cry.
“I got you,” I think I hear him say, but maybe it's just my imagination.
My arms tighten around his massive body, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let go.
CHAPTER 8
FRASER
Seeing the decorated tree in the living room should make me anxious. Hell, everything about this setup should be sending me into a panic, but somehow it’s not.
“What are you doing?” I ask Nyah as I watch her reaching for an ornament.
“Well, usually after I put Mina to bed, I spread around the ornaments she hung. Otherwise they’re all hanging at the bottom.”
“So?” I shrug, and she looks at me funny.
“It doesn’t bother you?” I see the edge of her mouth turn up in a half smile, and it’s the prettiest little thing.
“Don’t move them.” I try to say it as gently as I can, but it still comes out like an order. “I like them all being at the bottom.” Maybe adding that on will soften the blow.
Sure, there are only one or two ornaments at the top and about fifty at the bottom, but seeing how happy Mina was when she was hanging them, it would break my heart to move them around. I don’t care that it’s not perfectly symmetrical, I care that it made her eyes light up like the star on the top of the tree. I also care that it made Nyah shed happy tears.