1. Ally

Shit, shit, shit.

Turning the key in the ignition for the fifth time, Ally winced. The engine refused to start, no matter how many times she tried.

Watching the puff of breath in the freezing air escape her mouth, she sighed. Digging through her purse, she found her phone. Dead.

Shit!

Rubbing her hands over her arms, trying to warm herself, Ally decided she could just walk home. It wasn't far and she needed to get some exercise anyway. Not that she hadn't been running her tail off all day at the diner, but a little more exercise never hurt anyone.

Ally locked the doors and started her walk toward home. She could smell the coming snow in the air, so crisp and fresh. It would be the first snowfall of the season and just like every year, she felt like a little kid waiting for the flurries to begin. Living so close to the mountains, she was used to the cold weather. Every November, when the first snow came, she felt like a little kid again.

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season made her love her hometown even more than normal. The town went all out for Christmas. All the store fronts were decorated in twinkly lights and sparkly decorations. Nearly every house in town would be fully decked out even before December rolled around. It made her heart happy seeing such warmth and love all around her.

Without her parents around, she never decorated her house anymore, or even put up a real tree for that matter. Her undecorated tabletop tree was all she had. Her mom had been the most festive person she had ever known and always made Christmas feel especially magical.

She missed her parents immensely and found it too hard to celebrate a holiday that fell on the day after her parents had died in a tragic snowmobiling accident several years prior. After they died, the entire town mourned. Her parents got along with everyone and her mother baked cookies for nearly half the town during the month of December.

The first Christmas after they died, several people had invited Ally to spend the holiday with them, but she couldn't. She couldn't face the look of pity in people's eyes. She knew they meant well, but she didn't think she would ever feel the same joy for Christmas as she had before.

She still loved seeing everyone else's decorations. It made her feel warm inside and feel a little like her parents were all around her in the town. Even though she hadn't celebrated Christmas since their death, Ally sat on the couch every Christmas Eve in her favorite Christmas pajamas, watching ‘National Lampoon"s Christmas Vacation' and drinking hot chocolate. It had been their family tradition and somehow, it made her feel close to them again.

As she walked, the puff of air coming from her lungs with each breath she let out reminded her of the frigid temperature. Pulling her coat around her as tight as she could, she walked up Main Street toward her street. All the shops closed at five; the one downfall of living in a tiny town. The other restaurants in town closed at eight. Only the diner and the local tavern were open until ten.

By the time she'd left the diner after closing, it was almost eleven, and everyone was already tucked away in their warm homes. She couldn't complain about having Main Street to herself. The white lights were strung along the street and the storefront windows sparkled with glittery red and green décor.

Stopping to look in the window of the local toy store, Ally stared in fascination at the full display of bobbles, lights, and fake snow that would tease any child walking by with their parents.

A single snowflake floated down in front of her face as she stood in front of the window. Ally turned toward the street and looked up to see a whole flurry of snowflakes falling from the sky. She couldn't help but watch the flakes fall in amazement. The world seemed to become a little bit quieter as the perfect flakes fell.

"What in the world are you doing standing out here in the freezing cold?" a voice demanded.

Ally looked down to see the town sheriff had pulled up to the curb beside her without her realizing it. The officer scowled at her through the rolled down passenger window, waiting for a response.

"Oh, hi officer," she greeted warmly.

She was still amazed at the beautiful flurries floating to the ground as the snow had begun covering the road, turning it white.

"What are you doing out in the freezing cold?" he demanded again.

Ally snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards the grumpy officer. He was the new town sheriff and she had only seen him a couple of times when he had come into the diner to pick up a coffee. He was polite when he had ordered coffee, but had an edge about him that made her tummy feel a little nervous each time he came in.

"I'm walking home," she answered.

He stared at her in bewilderment, his dark eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "It is the middle of the night and only 28 degrees out. Why exactly are you walking home?"

His tone sounded angry, and she sensed he wasn't a patient man.

Diverting her eyes from his, she mumbled, "My car wouldn't start."

He made her uneasy. Not in a way that she felt he was dangerous but in a way that made her feel like a child being scolded by a parent.

"Why didn't you call someone? Surely you know someone who would have picked you up?"

She felt as though she was on trial as he shot the questions at her.

"My phone is dead and I had already set the alarm at the diner, so I didn't want to go back in and set it off. I'm fine, my house isn't that far away." She motioned her hands towards her house as though it was right in front of her.

Ally shivered involuntarily. She was looking forward to getting home, taking a hot bath, and crawling under her heating blanket in bed. It was really cold out. She needed to get moving before the snow saturated her clothes and made her even colder.

"Get in the car. I'll drive you home."

"I'm okay, thank you. It's really not that far."

Ally started walking again towards her street, hoping he would drive off and go be a grump to someone else. No such luck. He crept the police SUV forward to keep pace with her walking.

"Little girl, get in the car right this minute so I can drive you home because I promise you won't like what happens if you don't," he said firmly.

Stopping dead in her tracks, Ally turned and looked at the scowling man in the car. Her tummy did a flip and her bottom tingled. Had he just said what she thought he'd said? Was he some crazy cop on a power trip?

"Wha… what?"

"I think you heard me. Get in the car now before I start counting. If I get to three, you will find yourself not liking the consequences. It's not safe for you to be out here in this weather."

Standing in disbelief, Ally stared wide-eyed at the man who had just threatened her.

His eyes challenged her. "One."

"You have got to be kidding…"

"Two."

Realizing he was definitely not kidding, Ally grabbed the car door and opened it. Slumping into the seat, she crossed her arms. She didn't like that she had obeyed his command, but she also had a feeling he was a man who would actually act on his vague threat, and she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

"Thank you. Buckle up."

She didn't respond to him but buckled her seatbelt obediently and sat back in the seat. Watching him out of the corner of her eye as he began driving, she saw him turn her seat warmer on. The instant warmth felt as though it was defrosting the chill off her bones, and she melted against the seat.

"I'm Luke Matthews, the new sheriff."

His tone was still firm, but the gruffness had disappeared.

"Ally Blake."