Page 12 of Snowed In with My Ex

“Good.” Piper nodded before putting her hand up for a high five. One I returned.

“You should get going before it’s too late.”

“What do you mean?” I asked just before she slipped out of my SUV.

“It’s supposed to snow,” she shared before she shut the door.

“Snow?” I repeated. My buddy had told me all about the snow where he lived.

Worry crept up my back at the thought of my princess driving in shitty-as-fuck weather. I started my car and without a secondthought headed home to pack a bag and pick up something I had bought after two weeks of being with her. Something I had stupidly put off giving her and should have given her a long time ago.

Nick was right.Life was too damn short not to take risks and stop you from going after what you wanted. Fuck me, wasn’t I the one who had told him that on Thanksgiving?

I was an idiot.

But I was going to make sure I made it up to her. I had no idea how, but I would figure it out. Before I could do any of that, I needed to figure out a damn fast way to get to Alpha Mountain.

Allie

I shutthe door behind me and shook the snow out of my hair.

I was tired as hell.

Piper had been right when she tried to warn me about driving in snow. The snow flurries I experienced back home were nothing compared the actual weather I had to go through.

Luckily, the flight had been uneventful and renting a car had been fairly easy. I’d lucked out and was upgraded to an all-wheel drive SUV that was better equipped to handle the curves of the road on my journey to Alpha Mountain. A lot better choice than the compact I had originally requested.

When I got closer to my destination, I made sure to stop at a small grocery store, where I probably bought way too many groceries since it was just me, but it was fine. I’d even stopped at a small bakery that had been open. The moment I walked in, I knew I was going to have to buy my weight in goodies. Everything smelled so good, my mouth watered.

When I reached the cabin, I’d parked and frowned.

The place was beautiful, but the entrance was on the second story. I glanced at my overfilled trunk and regretted all the extra goodies, including the various bottles of wine I’d picked up.Obviously, I’d forgotten about the fact anything I wanted to take inside meant I had to carry it up a flight of stairs.

After countless trips, I made it inside for the final time and smiled. I finally had a moment to really take the place in. The cabin was genuinely gorgeous. So much nicer than I could have imagined. The pictures I had seen when I booked it online didn’t do it justice.

All crisp white walls with exposed dark wood beams. Open and spacious.Completely inviting and exactly what I need.

I breathed in and exhaled slowly, trying not to think about the original plans for this place. But as much as I tried, Winston was never far from my thoughts. I blinked away tears that threatened to fall.

This week was not about that.

This would be the perfect place for me to get my head on straight. Maybe, originally, it would have been the most amazing backdrop for a romantic couple of days off, but that was then.What would Winston think about the place?I wondered to myself as I pushed off the huge wooden door. I shook the thought away. I couldn’t go there.

Instead, I explored the cabin a little before I ended up back in the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of wine and prepared a plate of fruits and cheeses. I needed a snack and took it to the living room but stopped. My muscles were still tense from the semi-scary drive and hauling everything up to the cabin. There was a great clawfoot tub in the master bedroom. One that faced a huge floor-to-ceiling window that made it feel like you were outside. I could take a bath, have a snack, and relax while I watched the snow fall.

With a new plan in mind, I set up a bath for myself.

Thankfully, the renters had left out some sweet mandarin bath oils for people to use. It smelled incredible as the bathroom started to slowly steam up from the hot water. After undressing,I got in and sighed with relief in the hot water. My body almost immediately relaxed.

With a happy sigh, I reached for my glass of wine and took a sip. My attention moved to the huge window. It was beautiful but kind of intimidating. The night was dark, and if someone or something was out there, I was pretty sure I couldn’t see it. I shook the thought away.

I was in a sweet little mountain town, not in LA.

I needed to get Piper’s warnings about crazy caveman-like mountain guys out of my head. I giggled and shook my head. Before I knew it, the wine was starting to help, too. My body felt looser, and breathing was somehow easier.

A mountain man, I thought to myself.

A big, tall, rugged guy. A man.