Page 64 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

“Deal.”

We both chuckled at that, knowing it was all in good fun. Then he released me, and we each grabbed a book from the suitcase. I opted for a new one—a romance with a wintery cover that I was already dying to dive into. He wasn’t sure what to grab, so I suggested that cozy mystery I loved.

“All right, Green,” I said as I curled up in one of the armchairs with my book. “Let’s find out if you can keep up.”

“Never worry about that,” he replied with a wink that set my blood on fire.

My heart was still racing, and not just from the gift or that playful chase. It was all thanks to the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in his world.

And because of that… we didn’t end up reading much.

The next night,we tried to read together in the library again. But, after a few minutes of thumbing through pages, we abandoned our books for the plush couch near the fire. Hudson pulled me into his side, one arm draped around my shoulders while I curled up against him. The warmth of the flames was almost as comforting as the steady rise and fall of his chest under my cheek, but not quite.

The book I’d picked was still in my lap, but I didn’t bother trying to focus on the words. Instead, I traced my fingers over the raised letters on the cover, letting my thoughts wander.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, his voice low and rumbly in my ear.

I tilted my head to look up at him. “Just a penny?”

His lips curved, but his eyes stayed soft. “What, you want more? How much are we talking?”

“Hmm…” I pretended to think it over, my fingers tapping against the book. “At least a buck fifty.”

“Done.” He leaned back, his hand sliding down my arm to clasp my fingers. “Now spill.”

I smiled, shaking my head at him. “I was just thinking about how much this town means to me now. When I got here, I was running—trying to get away from all the mess. But now…” I looked at the fire, watching the way the flames danced. “Now I’m glad I’m not leaving just because I flat-out don’t want to.”

He knew I planned to stay with Tommy and Grace after my reservation at the inn ran out, but of course, that plan had been made before I’d moved into Hudson’s room. We hadn’t discussed it again, but it was still nice to know I wasn’t theone leaving Snow Hill. The clock was still ticking on his end, of course, but he wouldn’t be that far. He’d visit me, or I’d visit him.

Hudson went quiet for a moment, and when I looked back up at him, there was something cautious in his expression. But then he seemed to make a decision, and I watched as his shoulders relaxed, the tension melting out of him.

He gave me one of those rare, genuine smiles that made my heart skip. “I’m glad you want to stay in Snow Hill.”

I tilted my head, not sure how to take that.

He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, his expression shifting into something almost sheepish. “Because I just bought a house on the outskirts of town.”

My mouth fell open, and then I shut it with a snap. “You did what?”

“It’s a fixer-upper, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Hudson…” I stared at him, my mind racing. “Why?”

“Because I love it here.” He lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “But really… becauseyoulove it here.”

“But… why would you buy a house here because I love it?” The answer was like a wisp of smoke that I was trying to catch out of the air, and I needed him to solidify it for me.

“I didn’t think it would matter to me that Snow Hill felt like home. I figured I’d come here while on leave, snag a place in Harrisburg, and then visit whenever I could. But the drive’s really not that bad. And I figured if I was going to get a place anywhere, it should be here. With you.”

I swallowed hard, my throat clogged with emotion.

He smiled, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Nerves? Hope? “And… I was kind of hoping you’d want to move in with me.”

My breath caught. “What?”

“It seems like the next logical step, considering we’ve been living together at the inn for weeks,” he said, his tone light andteasing, though there was a vulnerability in his gaze that made my heart ache. “And I know it’s fast, but I don’t want to imagine this—us—ending. I want you close. Need you close.”

“Oh.” It was all I could manage.

---