Page 49 of A Christmas For Holly

I’ve fucked this up.

I watched him in silence, trying to figure out what to do or say. There was so much I wanted to tell him—that I was an idiot, and I would understand if he told me get the fuck out into a snowstorm, but also that he didn’t have to keep running, that I wasn’t going anywhere. But instead of talking, I crossed the room, making sure not to startle him.

His eyes widened and then grew bright with tears, and my heart fractured.

“Oh, Paul, I’m sorry,” I whispered, and when I got close enough, I paused.

“It’s okay.”

It clearly wasn’t okay. “Can I hold you?” I asked, keeping my voice low, not wanting to spook him.

Holly didn’t say anything right away. He looked up at me, and there was so much fear and confusion in his expression, maybe even a little hope. Finally, after what felt like forever, he nodded. It was a slight, stiff nod, but it was enough.

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. His body was tense at first, as though he wasn’t sure whether to lean into me or push me away. I pressed my nose to his throat, breathing him in, the scent of him calming something inside me. I felt him relax, his body softening against mine as he let go of the tight hold he had on himself.

We stood there in silence, wrapped up in each other, the world outside the kitchen fading away. I didn’t say anything—I didn’t need to. The hug was enough.

He tightened his hold on me, pulling me closer, and without thinking, I pressed a kiss to his throat. The moment felt warm, soft, and surprisingly natural. I could feel his pulse under my lips, steady and real, grounding me in a way I hadn’t expected.

“Do you want me to fix a shower for you?” I asked, my voice low, trying to shift the mood and give us something practical to focus on.

Holly blinked as if waking up from a daze, then nodded, still leaning into me. “Yeah, that’d be… good. But how does the shower even work with no power? How do we get hot water?”

I smiled a little at that. “Old cabin trick. The heat for the water comes from the stove,” I explained. “A coil system runs from the stove to the water tank. So as long as we keep the fire burning, the water heats up.”

Holly’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? The stove heats the water?”

“Yeah, it’s not bad if you know how to keep the fire going. But it’s not instant—it takes time for the water to warm up, and you have to feed the stove regularly to keep the temperature steady.”

He gave a small, tired chuckle. “That’s… kinda cool that you know that.”

“I’ll check the stove, make sure it’s running hot enough,” I said, easing back from him, though my hand lingered on his arm for a moment longer. “Don’t get too excited just yet.”

I moved over to the stove, checking the fire and adding more logs to ensure it was burning strong. The warm glow of the flames flickered against the walls, making the small space feel cozier than it had any right to.

“You’ll have to be quick. We only get a few minutes of hot water at a time,” I said, glancing back at him.

He gave me a small, tired smile. “I can work with that.”

I smiled back, but the knot in my chest hadn’t eased. Fixing a fire, heating water—that I could do. But navigating the emotions between us? That was a whole different challenge.

I walked over to the window and stared out. It was still snowing, but the blizzard had eased up. The snow was softer now, falling steadily, pretty, but it had buried the cars. There wasn’t even a hint of where either vehicle had been—just smooth, untouched white.

“It’s not as blustery anymore,” I said, more to myself than Holly, still scanning the outside. “But I’m worried about the roof. The snow’s piling up, and we could be in trouble if it gets too heavy.”

Holly glanced over, frowning. “Do we need to do anything?”

“It’s the weight,” I explained, returning to him. “Snow might look light when it falls, but it adds up fast. It can collapse the roof if it gets too thick, especially the wet kind like this. You need to clear it off before it becomes a problem.”

Holly glanced at the ceiling as if imagining it caving in. Then he surprised me by saying, “Let’s do it together. After breakfast. And before the shower.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You sure? It’s not exactly the most fun job in the world.”

He shrugged, giving me a slight grin. “Well, I’m not exactly doing anything else today.”

“Fair enough.”

We cobbled breakfast together, rummaging through what was left in the fridge. Cereal and milk for me, while Holly found some nuts and stirred them into a bowl of yogurt. The refrigerator was staying cool, but I knew that wouldn’t last long if the power didn’t come back. “Might be worth taking the milk and other stuff outside,” I suggested. “Turn the snow into an outdoor fridge before everything goes off.”

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