Page 4 of Chased at Christmas

Eyes on Mira, I tuck behind the desk and click to respond to the call. Chevy’s face pulls up right away. The man has always been a sharp-looking dude. I swear he’s the only mountain man I know that can pull off always looking dapper no matter what we’re doing. That said, he looks exhausted, like there are new lines on his face that weren’t there before.

“Hey, buddy. How goes it?”

“Fuck. You’re the only guy I can get ahold of. None of my sisters are answering.”

I glance toward Mira, wondering if she wants me mentioning she’s here with me, but she answers the question by sneaking into the frame.

“Hey, big brother. I’ve been talking to the boss man here. He’s trying to get me to move trees around in the barn while everyone else is on a snow day. Tell him he’s crazy.”

“You’re making her work on a snow day?” Chevy glares at me with jovial intent. “What the fuck, man?” We’ve been friends since grade school and though Chevy isn’t my biological brother, it feels like he should be. As kids, we shared holidays and birthdays, which means Mira and I did as well. Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with her, and I haven’t met anyone since who fits the way she does.

“I’ll reward her later.” I glance toward Mira with a sly grin, but she over corrects as though she’s hiding something.

“He’s not going to reward me.” Her arms cross and her tone is flustered. “It’s... he’s probably going to make me bake cookies, then callthatthe reward. Anyway, I’ve gotta get to work. I love you, big brother.”

Chevy narrows his brows and glares toward me as Mira falls out of frame and closes the door to my office rather loudly. “What’s up with her?”

I shrug. “Dating a new guy. She’s all up in her feels about it. Apparently, this one is perfect.” My stomach clenches as I talk to my friend.

“What do we know about him? Please tell me he isn’t some online guy again.”

I brush my hand down over my beard and pinch my lips together before nodding. “Yeah. Well, this one seems to make her happy, so… I guess we should be happy for her.”

“I guess, but I’m tired of seeing her hurt. These dudes are all the same. Married, hideous, jobless, basically just shit. They do whatever they can do to make themselves look good enough to snag a few minutes of attention from a woman. It’s a sick cycle and we need to snap her out of it.”

“This guy is different, I think.” I glance away. “At least that’s what she says, but who knows?” I draw in a deep breath and look back at my friend. The guy who’s put his life on the line every day to keep us safe. The guy who was awarded a Soldier’s Medal for saving a man’s life. “I should get moving. She’s going to have that barn torn apart before I get there. Everything okay with you?”

Chevy nods and pulls his hand down over his beard. “Yeah, I’m thinking it’s crazier back there with all the drama.”

“Might be. We love you, man. I’ll talk to you soon.”

We disconnect the line, and I stare at the empty screen where my buddy was just staring back.

I’ve never lied to him before. I told the truth when I popped his four-wheeler’s tire on his fourteenth birthday. I told him the truth when I saw his ex-girlfriend with another man. I told him the truth when I lost his prized fishing pole in the ice last year. But here and now, while he’s thousands of miles away, in another world, protecting us all, I lied to him… and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to make things right.

Chapter Three

Mira

I’ve always appreciated a good old-fashioned snowstorm. The blustering wind, the frigid cold, and the big, white flakes drowning out the rest of the world. A reason to stay inside. A reason to bake and eat an entire loaf of my signature banana bread while simultaneously binging on every book I’m behind on reading. Anything would be better than being trapped with Gabe. This is asking for trouble.

I glance down at my phone and shoot a text toWolverine.I need to get my mind off Gabe and whatever happened between us the other night. He’s off limits. End of story.

Me: I miss you. Today sucks.

Wolvie: Why’s that?

Me: Snowstorm. What’s it like where you are?

We don’t talk much about where he’s from or what his real name is, but it’s probably time that we do. Everyone’s concerns over my choice in internet dating annoys the crap out of me, but some of it is valid. I should know something real about this guy before things go any further.

Wolvie: Sorry it’s storming, baby. If it makes you feel better, it’s crazy here too.

Me: It snows where you are! That’s good. I couldn’t live without a little snow. Are you in the mountains?

Three dots pop on the screen and stay like that for a long while, as though maybe he’s thinking over whether or not to answer me. Maybe I moved too quickly. Some people don't like talking about where they live to internet strangers, and that’s okay. Then again, if we’re officially dating like he says we are, I should know where he lives.

“You’re not supposed to be on your phone during work hours.” My phone pings as Gabe steps into the barn and pulls on his work gloves. “I’m thinking we should move the middle stack of trees to the back, and we’ll leave the space free for all the wreaths you finished yesterday. Let them showcase the spot. What do you think?”

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