Page 9 of Her Christmas Lumberjack

She beams at me, and that’s when it finally hits me…

I’m snowed in with this gorgeous angel.

Helping Rudolph distracted me from this before, but now it’s like an avalanche tumbling down on top of me.

Aurora is staying in my cabin.

God knows how long the blizzard will last. She could be stuck here for days sleeping under my roof. If it was anybody else, I’d be praying for the storm to end. But fuck, I never want Aurora to leave. She’s like a shot of adrenaline to my heart, making me feel things again after months of grief. Things I’ve never felt before.

It might be wrong, but I silently hope this blizzard won’t slow up just yet.

5

AURORA

I sit cross-leggedin front of the fire, stroking Rudolph’s fur as the scent of pot roast drifts toward us. It’s pitch black outside, but we can still hear the blizzard even if we can’t see it. There’s something cozy about listening to the roaring storm from the comfort of Nolan’s cabin, protected from the weather outside. His home is like something out of a movie—wooden beams, warm rugs, rustic furniture. It’s even prettier than the mountain cabin where my parents are spending Christmas.

But I shouldn’t be here.

This was never supposed to happen.

I hear Nolan clattering around in the kitchen, plating up our food, and I draw my knees up to my chest, closing my eyes tight. When I came here, I intended to continue the interview from yesterday. But when Nolan started talking about his family and the farm, what it meant to all of them…I couldn’t do it. I was going to turn around and leave. Liz’s disappointment, Samuel’s complaints; anything would be better than having to lie to Nolan’s face for another second.

But I left it too late.

And I definitely didn’t count on a blizzard trapping me with him overnight.

Now I’m stuck in this beautiful cabin with a gorgeous lumberjack who has no idea that I’ve been lying to him about everything.

“I’ve made such a mess of things, Rudolph,” I murmur, listening to his gentle breathing as he sleeps.

A thought hits me, and my hand stills on his side.

The land Samuel is disputing…does it include Nolan’s cabin?

His brother’s cabin, too?

Before I came to Cherry Hollow, I didn’t know the brothers’ cabins were on the same plot of land as the farm. Now the realization punches me in the chest.

Could the Thorne brothers lose their homes as well as their business?

The thought makes me nauseous. I know the law can be cruel, but that would be too much. It would devastate Nolan and his family, and not for the first time, I pray Samuel Thorne’s claim falls apart. I pray I can find something, anything, to prove that our client doesn’t have a legal leg to stand on.

“Dinner’s ready,” Nolan says, his deep voice startling me. I was so lost in thought I didn’t see him come in. He sets the pot roast on the table along with crusty garlic bread and a big bowl of mashed potatoes. It smells delicious, and I push myself up off the floor, sitting at the table.

“Thank you, Nolan. This looks amazing.”

“Don’t mention it.” He sits opposite me. “I saved some of the cooked beef for Rudolph. He’ll probably want more food when he wakes up.”

“Good idea.”

The thoughtful gesture makes my throat tighten.

Why does this man have to be so darn sweet?

“I almost forgot,” he says, standing up again and heading into the kitchen. He comes back holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. “You like mulled wine?”

“Love it.”

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