Page 5 of Frost and Felines

"May have implied?" Chase's eyebrows shot up as he doctored his coffee with cream. "How do you 'may have' imply marriage?"

"They were taking shots at my reputation, suggesting the inn needed a 'stable couple' to run it properly." His tiger hissed at the memory. "So I might have hinted that my marriage status wasn't what they thought."

"Smooth." Chase's grin widened. "Real smooth. And now?"

"And now they've invited my non-existent wife to their New Year's gala." The whiskey wasn't helping as much as he'd hoped. "I don't suppose you know any women willing to fake being married to the town's former playboy?"

"Your exes might be up for it."

"Right, because nothing says 'I'm a changed man' like asking one of the women I used to sleep with to pretend to be my wife."

"Could ask one of the staff-"

"Absolutely not." Kieran's tiger bristled at the thought. "I'm trying to be more professional, remember? Dating employees is off the table, fake or otherwise."

"Then I guess you're screwed." Chase's amusement filled the kitchen. "Should've kept your mouth shut."

"Thanks for that brilliant insight." Kieran dumped the rest of his drink in the sink.

3

MALLORY

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Mallory pushed her cart down the baking aisle. She grabbed the last bag of flour, adding it to her growing collection of winter supplies.

"Looks like everyone's stocking up," a young mother commented beside her, wrestling with a squirming toddler in her cart.

Mallory managed a tight smile. "Winter's coming." She moved to step around them, but the little girl caught her eye.

"Pretty hair!" The child reached out toward Mallory's platinum strands.

Despite herself, Mallory softened. "Thank you, sweetheart." Children had always been easier to deal with than adults. They didn't expect small talk or judge her solitary lifestyle.

The mother apologized, but Mallory waved it off. "It's fine. She's adorable."

Moving through the store, she added a stack of new paperbacks to her cart. The covers promised cozy winter mysteries - perfect for staying in during the storms ahead. More shoppers crowded the aisles now, their carts bumpingand voices rising. The press of bodies and noise made Mallory's skin prickle. A familiar tension built in her chest as her magic responded to her discomfort. The lights flickered again.

"I need to get out of here," she muttered, heading for the checkout. Eli used to squeeze her hand in moments like this, grounding her when the magic threatened to spiral. Now she dug her nails into her palm instead.

The checkout line snaked through the store. Mallory took deep breaths, focusing on the book titles in her cart rather than the chattering crowd. A child somewhere started crying, and the wind outside picked up speed.

"The weatherman says this storm's gonna be a big one," the elderly cashier commented as he scanned her items.

"So I've noticed." Mallory kept her responses clipped, willing the conveyor belt to move faster.

The last thing she could afford was for her magic to cause a scene in the middle of the grocery store. The wind whipped even harder against the windows. Several customers muttered about the weather, and Mallory felt their anxiety feeding into her own. She needed the sanctuary of her quiet house, away from all these people and their emotions that tangled with hers.

"Stay safe out there," the cashier called as she hurried toward the exit with her loaded cart.

"You too," she managed, pushing through the automatic doors into the gusty afternoon.

The automatic doors whooshed shut behind her as she stepped into the swirling snow. The wind whipped her hair across her face, and she struggled to keep her grip on the shopping cart.

"Oh, come on," she muttered, pushing against the gale that threatened to send both her and her groceries flying. "This is definitely not helping my anxiety."

The cart rattled across the parking lot, its wheels catching on patches of ice. Her SUV sat in the furthest spot possible - she had deliberately parked away from other cars to avoid social interaction. Now that decision seemed less brilliant.

"Eli would be laughing his head off right now." The thought brought an unexpected smile to her face. She could almost hear his teasing voice: 'Maybe next time park closer, storm girl.'

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