Chapter Sixteen

Snow

Bonnie was finishing up the last of the dishes while I rummaged through the orders for tomorrow and made sure we were ready to go for the morning. Bones and Wick had disappeared earlier, telling me to “stay out of the living room” when they got back. They didn’t explain why, but I was in the thick of icing cookies and didn’t feel like playing twenty questions.

Once Nut had finished flooding the cookies, he had moved to the living room with Bones and Wick.

The living room being off-limits wasn’t that big of a deal. Not that I spent much time in there anyway; I couldn’t even remember the last time I sat in my own living room for more than half an hour. Between work orders and holiday specials, free time was a concept I could barely even imagine.

“Are you able to come in tomorrow?” I asked Bonnie, giving her an appreciative look. She’d been such a help these past two days.

She nodded and laughed a little. “You’ve got me every day until you tell me not to come in.”

“You don’t have a job?” I asked, surprised by her eagerness to want to come in.

Bonnie shook her head. “Not at the moment. I’m usually a secretary for a construction company, but they lay us off over the winter. I won’t be back there until at least March.”

I gave a sympathetic nod. “Well, if there’s any upside, it’s that you get laid off during the holidays.”

“True,” she agreed and dried her hands. “But I tend to get bored around the house, so getting to come over here and help has been a nice surprise.”

“Well, even when Kelsi’s back next holiday season, I’ll always need extra hands if you’re interested.”

Bonnie smiled. “I’ll take you up on that. I’ve always loved baking, so this hardly feels like work.”

A flash of headlights caught my attention as they glinted off the kitchen window.

“Oh, looks like Guns is here,” Bonnie said as she glanced out the window. “I’m sure he’s hoping to snag a cookie,” she added with a laugh.

“Everyone’s welcome to the rejects,” I replied and pointed to the plate on the counter. I always made a few extras when I decorated, mostly because there were always a few I couldn’t quite get to look right. Today’s pile started at sixteen, but with Wick and Bones “taste-testing,” there were only nine left.

Guns came through the door and made a beeline for Bonnie. He wrapped her up in his arms without a word and kissed her like he’d been holding his breath all day. I quickly turned my gaze to the cookies and felt like I was intruding on a private moment.

“Gunny,” Bonnie murmured, “save that for when we get home.”

“Missed you,” Guns muttered.

Bonnie giggled. “Then don’t stay away from me so long. Did you finish up everything at the clubhouse?”

I chanced a look at them again, feeling less like a voyeur now that they were talking.

Guns nodded. “Yep. Had to clear out the gutters. Good thing I got to it today since it’s starting to snow.”

“Snow?” Bonnie gasped, her face lighting up. “Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas after all.”

“Looks that way,” he replied and eyed the plate of cookies. “Mind if I grab a couple of these?”

“Help yourself,” I replied. “Bones and Wick have already had their share.”

Bones chose that moment to appear in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, looking casual as he leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. A small grin played on his face. “I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill of Snow’s cookies.”

A shiver ran through my body at his words. I hadn’t seen him much today, and having him close by was nice. It was also nice when he said covert, flirty things to me.

“There’s the prospect I needed today,” Guns joked and snagged two cookies.

“I totally forgot about that,” Wick chimed in and slid around Bones to grab yet another cookie. “You’re our forty-year-old prospect.”

Bones just flipped him off, and his grin never faltered. “Yeah, keep it up. Next time you bring your bikes in, don’t be surprised if they won’t start.”

“Oh, I’ll remember that,” Guns chuckled and raised his cookie in a mock toast. “Guess we’ll have to find another way to haze you.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “How do you feel about toilets?”

“About the same way I feel about gutters,” Bones shot back with a laugh.

Their banter made me smile. I didn’t have a clue what half of it meant, but they were in good spirits, and that was all that mattered.

“All right,” Bonnie cut in with a mock sternness. “You guys can razz each other tomorrow. This old lady’s bones are tired from working all day.”

Guns wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head. “Let’s get you home, baby. I figured we could grab a pizza on the way.”

Bonnie’s face lit up with a smile. “Sounds perfect. We can chow down and watch the snow fall from the couch.”

With that, Bonnie and Guns headed out, Wick and Nut trailed right behind them.

“See you all in the morning!” I called as the door clicked shut.

Suddenly, it was just me and Bones.

“You all done for the day?” he asked and glanced at the stack of orders I’d been organizing.

“I think so,” I replied and nodded toward the neatly stacked forms. “We’ve got all the orders we need to fill tomorrow, and we’ll finish packing up the cookies for the coffee shop in the morning.”

“Sounds good,” he said, then paused to look at me with a glint of something in his eye. “You hungry?”

I laughed and felt my own smile widen. “I mean, I could always eat. I’m kind of jealous that Bonnie and Guns are eating pizza while watching the snowfall.”

“Come here, Sugar.” Bones extended his hand to me, and I didn’t even hesitate. I slipped my hand into his, and warmth ran through me as his fingers closed around mine. He gently tugged me off the stool and led me out of the kitchen and into the living room.

The moment I stepped through the doorway, I froze. My eyes went wide as I took in the soft glow of Christmas lights woven through the tree next to the fireplace. All of the decorations I had in the boxes were placed and hung, and two stockings were hung on the mantel. The room felt like something out of a holiday movie.

“Oh my god,” I gasped and turned to him. “You did all of this?”

Bones nodded, and his lips curved into a small smile. “I’m no baker, Sugar. Figured I needed to find my own way to help you out.”

“This is… this is so nice,” I murmured, hardly able to take it all in. I’d told Bones I hadn’t had time to decorate, but I hadn’t even thought about him doing it for me. It just hadn’t crossed my mind.

I walked over to the tree and touched one of the branches to make sure it was real. “Is this where you disappeared to earlier?”

Bones moved beside me and nodded. “Yep. Took Wick along, but that was a mistake. The guy’s a tool.”

I let out a laugh, unable to help myself. “He can be, but he’s a nice tool.”

He chuckled, and I felt him watching me with his eyes lingering in a way that made me feel warm all over. I was standing there next to Bones, with a tree that he’d picked out and decorations he’d hung just to make my day a little easier.

“Bones,” I started and looked up at him, feeling a dozen different things I couldn’t quite name. “Thank you. This… it really means a lot.”

When he reached over and tucked that stray strand of hair behind my ear, my heart fluttered. “Glad you like it,” he murmured, his voice soft but sure. “Only wanted to make you smile.”

He’d done so much more than that.

“I love it,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded toward the coffee table. “There’s also a pizza waiting over there, but right now? I don’t want to move.” His eyes held mine, steady and warm. “I like being right here with you.”

I felt my cheeks warm. “I like it, too,” I admitted, my voice matching the softness of his.

His gaze dropped to my lips. “I need to kiss you, Snow.” His words made my breath hitch. “I don’t know if that’s moving too fast for you, but I’ve been wondering for a year now what you taste like.”

A thrill shot through me, and his words sank in and set my pulse racing. Bones had been thinking about me—for a year? My heart leaped at the thought. My stomach flipped, and anticipation buzzed under my skin.

“I…” I stammered, struggling to find words. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.” I could feel my face flush as I caught myself. “Well, about you. Not me,” I mumbled, immediately mortified. Only I could make such a perfect, romantic moment awkward.

Bones chuckled, and the sound was deep and warm, which melted away my embarrassment. “Sugar,” he said softly, “I know what you mean.”

He leaned in, and I rose up on my tiptoes to help close the space between us. The world narrowed down to just him, with his face coming closer and his breath mixing with mine. And then our lips met.

Heaven. It was the only way to describe the feeling. His lips were soft but sure and fit against mine with a warmth that seemed to spread through my whole body. The kiss felt perfect, like two puzzle pieces slotting seamlessly together—a connection I hadn’t known I’d been waiting for but now never wanted to let go.

Time slowed as we kissed. His hand moved gently to cradle the side of my face, and his thumb brushed my cheek. The tenderness in his touch made me melt, and I leaned into him. I enjoyed feeling the strength in his arms as he held me close. I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my chest.

When we finally pulled back just enough to catch our breath, I opened my eyes and found him watching me. His gaze was soft but intense, as if he was seeing right into me.

“Worth the wait,” he murmured, and his voice was thick with desire.

I nodded, my heart still racing. “Definitely worth the wait.”