Chapter 3

THREE

Cora

It’s been a few days, and I finally feel like I’ve settled in. The house is beautiful, and I love my room with a view of the mountains and forest. Plus, it’s just nice not to have to worry about something breaking or the floorboards giving out under me.

It also helps that Huxley has been away so much. He had a big tour come into town and has been working like crazy. Something that he curiously didn’t seem happy about. You’d think that he would be thrilled since that meant that business was going well, but he just grumbled before he left each morning.

Then, there was a storm that hit a little further north of Wolf Valley, and he and Kip volunteered to help search the nearby ski resort for anyone who was injured or in need of help. So, for having lived with him for three days, I haven’t actually seen that much of him.

That looks like it’s about to change, I think as I hear his truck pull into the driveway.

“You’re home early,” I say from the couch as he walks in.

His dark green eyes find me, and I fight not to squirm under his gaze.

“Weather is getting bad, so all flights have been canceled for the rest of that day.”

I nod and watch as he toes off his boots. I’m not sure if I’m hoping that he will come and join me in the living room or leave me alone.

He turns and heads over to the couch, and I swallow as I watch him drop down onto the cushioned seat next to me.

“What are you doing?” He asks me, his voice rough and deep.

“Nothing. I’m bored.”

“No work today?”

“No, we’re all off until after the holidays.”

He nods and I roll my eyes at his lack of conversation skills.

“I love Christmas and New Years,” I tell him, “But sometimes this time of year can be so boring. It feels like time seems to rush all of the way up until Christmas, and then it just grinds to a standstill for a few days.”

“You don’t like the break?”

“I do, I just wish that I had more to do sometimes.”

He nods, and I sigh, sitting up more.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What’s your favorite holiday?”

“Um, Christmas, I guess.”

“What did you do for Christmas when you were younger?” I ask him, settling back against the pillows as I turn to face him.

He does the same, getting comfortable on the other end of the couch and watching me right back.

“We went to visit family most years. We would spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with my mom’s side of the family and then make the drive to my dad’s side and spend New Years with them.”

“Where are you from again?” I ask him.

“Destiny Falls. It’s this tiny town in Michigan.”

“You didn’t want to go back there when you left the Marines?”

“No, there’s not a lot left there for me. My parents split up a few years ago, but they both still live in town. I’ve gone back to visit and I can’t handle the constant arguing. The holidays are the worst because they both want me to spend them with each of them, and it gets tough having to choose and upset one or the other.”

“I bet,” I say softly.

He clears his throat, and I know that he’s about to shift the conversation to me.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” I ask with a smile, and the corners of his lips tilt up.

“Where are you from?”

“Raleigh, North Carolina.”

“You’re a long way from home.”

“Yep.”

“You don’t like North Carolina?” He pries, and I shake my head.

“No, my parents divorced when I was really young, but they had started a business together, so they never really got any space from each other.”

“They didn’t sell the business? Or split it?”

“Nope, neither one of them wanted to give it up. Both too stubborn, I guess.”

“And you were in the middle,” he guesses, and I nod.

“Always. I hated it. I always had to try to lighten the mood and diffuse any of the tension. When I got older, I just started leaving. I would say I was going to help with accounting just to escape them and I ended up kind of disappearing into the math. Stuff made sense there.”

He nods, and I swallow hard. I hate talking about my family and childhood, but Huxley doesn’t make me feel judged. If anything, he seems to understand how hard it is to be stuck in the middle.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“You too,” I whisper.

“So, that’s how you decided to go into accounting?” He asks, and I nod.

“Yeah, I loved it. I think that my parents thought that I would come back and work for them again after graduation, but I just couldn’t. I mean, you should have seen them at my graduation ceremony. They got into a screaming match at dinner, and I decided for sure right then and there that I was going to go far away from them.”

“Why Wolf Valley?” He asks, and I shrug.

“There was just something about this town. Some kind of magic,” I say with a smile, hoping that I don’t sound crazy.

“Yeah,” he agrees, and my smile widens.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, and he nods.

“Almost always.”

I giggle as I push to my feet.

“Want to make dinner with me and then watch a movie or something? Looks like the weather is going to be too bad to go out tonight.”

“Sure.”

He follows me into the kitchen, and I ask him about helicopters and how they decided to start Semper Fly as we make spaghetti and carry it into the living room. He lets me pick the movie as he adds some more wood to the fireplace, and soon I’m snuggled under a blanket, watching Bridesmaids.

He’s not that bad of a roommate, I think as my eyes start to drift shut.

I’m not sure when I fall asleep exactly, but I start to stir as I’m lifted into a pair of strong, muscular arms.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Huxley whispers, and I smile.

He actually might just be the best roommate that I’ve ever had.