12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Cole

"Perfect timing," I say as I answer Mike's call.

"Oh?" I can hear the laughter in his voice. "For?"

"Noelle and I were talking, and she asked me if I saved any cats—" I look over my shoulder and glance back in the kitchen.

The laughter that rings through the phone has me cringe. Yeah, it's funny unless it's your nickname. Then, not so much.

"It's not that funny." A wry grin stretches my face.

"Oh, it's not? Hey Mel!" I blow out a big breath and rub my forehead. "Cole says his nickname isn't that funny."

I can hear Mel laughing and feel the heat creeping up my entire body.

"Not that funny?!" Mel yells, and I groan.

I hear gasping for breath as Mike and Mel break into a laughing fit that leaves them barely able to talk.

"Catman is the worst and ridiculously funny!"

Mike snorts. Actually snorts; and I sit heavily on the couch, covering my face with my hand.

Okay, it's awful. But it's also hilarious. If it were anyone else's nickname, I would tease them mercilessly, but it's mine, so I'm the one who gets teased relentlessly.

The first prank started with a stuffed cat in a cape in my locker, and it hasn't stopped. It's slowed down, but I will still find the occasional cat with bat ears somewhere.

I never thought I'd experience going from being a sought-after, admired professional pitcher where everyone wants your signature to being ‘Catman'.

Having your friends laugh at you every time they hear it. Extremely humbling.

"Did you call for a reason?" My attempt to change the topic fails as the laughter continues. "Mike?"

Cackles are the only response I get.

"I'm going to hang up! "

"Sorry, man," Mike spits out between chuckles. "That nickname…"

I let out a huff, feigning annoyance at the two of them. My lips lift into a crooked smile.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. It's funny. Now, can we get to the reason you called?"

I hear Mike take a few deep breaths as he attempts to get his laughter under control.

But then I hear Mel in the background. "Catman." They both erupt into laughter again. This time, I laugh with them; well, at them.

My nickname is awful, but laughing at people laughing at it never gets old.

While I wait for Mike to pull himself together, my eyes drift to the tree. I haven't decorated one in at least five years, but I'm looking forward to it. Especially with Noelle.

"This decoration was for the one ballet class I took. I cried the entire time and begged my mother to let me quit." My heart melts into a sloppy puddle at the smile she beams in my direction. Her hazel eyes glow as she holds the miniature pair of pale pink ballet slippers. "I didn't stop crying until she said I could. That Christmas, this ended up on the tree. When we moved from Utah to New York, Gran kept it for me."

A feminine cackle pulls me back to the present.

"I hate to interrupt your and Mel's party," I say with mock ire while the corner of my mouth lifts. "But can you tell me where the tree decorations are? I probably should've asked last night but didn't think about it."

"Hmm. I think they're in the shed where the tree stand was." Mike's voice is still filled with humor. "Did you see it there?"

"Honestly, I didn't." I rub my hand up and down my face as I imagine what the task of getting the decorations from the shed will look like now. "Guess I'll be shoveling to get the shed door open. Speaking of, where is the shovel?"

"The shovel is in the closet on the porch. I'm pretty sure it won't run from you."

I groan as Mike starts laughing hysterically all over again. I rest my head on the back of the couch and smirk as his laughter rings in my ears, quietly waiting for him to collect himself.

"Still there?"

"Yup. Just waiting for you to stop laughing." I grin.

"Sorry. So how are things? Power still on?" He asks.

"So far so good. We probably already have close to a foot of snow, and the wind is picking up, but for the time being, we have power."

"Good news." I nod in response and glance at the fire as a loud pop grabs my attention.

One of the first things you learn as a firefighter is to see a fire in a new light. You see it as a living, breathing entity that, when controlled, is entrancing, but when running free, terrifying. Regardless of the situation, it's never fully under your power.

"Cole?" Mike's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Nope. I was trying to tune out your laughing at my expense." Mike chuckles on the other end.

"Yeah, that will never get old, Catman," he chuckles. I roll my eyes and smirk. "I was just saying that it looks like the storm is shifting west again."

I put Mike on speaker and pull the phone away from my ear to open the weather app. "I see that. Looks like we're still in for a bit of a wild ride, though, especially when the wind picks up."

"Yeah, that's why I was calling." Finally! The point of his phone call. "Make sure you bring some extra wood inside. The drifts may be rough."

"I stacked a bunch on the porch so that it would be easy for Noelle or me to grab if we started running low. I'll make sure to restock the pile inside, though."

"How are things with Noelle?" Mike's voice rings out through the cabin, and I whip my head toward the kitchen just as I take the phone off speaker.

I relax when I'm positive Noelle didn't hear that and isn't coming. "I think good." A smile spreads across my face as I think about breakfast.

I noticed a few moments where she withdrew, but there were also moments when the air was electric.

"Yeah, good," I say more confidently. I look at the time. It's only eleven. We still have a lot of hours left in the day, and I need to make sure that I use them wisely. Behind me, I hear footsteps, and then a door closes. My shoulders slump. "But it's early. We'll see how the rest of the day goes."

I push open the door and rest the storage bin full of decorations on the floor next to the entrance. I grab the door to keep it from slamming just as a gust of wind tries to push it open.

The wind makes a howling, swooshing sound as the storm rages on.

I leave the door open and head back to the pile of logs. I place as many as possible and then head back into the house. The door slams open before I can grab it.

"Cole!" I hear Noelle yell from down the hall, and the tension in my shoulders releases. She's been MIA since right after breakfast, and I wasn't sure if I'd see her again today. "Are you okay?"

I'm still following Mel's words of wisdom, but letting Noelle dictate the pace is killing me inside, and I'm barely restraining myself.

"Yes," I yell back. "Just trying to bring in some more wood, and the storm is picking up."

I put the logs down next to the ornaments just as she appears in the living room, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

"How can I help?"

I look over her face and notice her guarded expression. My stomach drops.

I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think it would be this hard.

"If you could open the door for me after I grab the logs, that would be great," I say as I close the door behind me.

When she sees me through the window panes, she pulls the door back, and I step over the threshold, but not before a gust of wind follows me. I see her shiver as she closes the door.

"What would make you go outside in this?" She asks, still looking at the storm through the window.

"I want to make sure we have enough wood for the fire." I nod to the wood pile running low by the fireplace. I rub the snow from my head and then slip out of my coat. I then point to the storage bin. "And to grab the Christmas ornaments."

I hang my coat and take my boots off without saying anything else. I grab a stack of logs and head to the fireplace.

I place the logs on the wood pile and then stick my hands in front of the flames to try and get rid of the chill from outside and Noelle. Glancing over my shoulder, I see her standing at the door, back to me, looking out the window.

"Okay, over there?" I ask, returning to the fire to give her space to respond.