Page 12 of One Night, Two Holidays

And then everything goes still.

She’s close enough that I can see the snowflakes caught on her lashes, the little curls escaping from under her hat. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes shining, and her lips…

I reach up and cup her face, my gloved thumb brushing along her cheekbone. For a moment, the rest of the world fades away. It’s not just that she’s beautiful, though she is. It’s the way she’s breathed life back into me. She’s made me laugh, helped me relax, reminded me what it feels like to have fun. Somehow, in less than twenty-four hours, I feel less like an exhausted husk of myself and more likeme.

Then she glances up, behind me. “The power’s back on.”

I twist around; sure enough, there’s a subtle glow of light from her apartment window. The same window she looked out of when I was smashing up the snowmen.

Feels like a lifetime ago.

“You can charge your phone,” she says. “See if you have any alerts from the airline.”

Strange, I’d forgotten all about that. “Good idea.” Though I don’t want to move.

As we head back inside, relief and excitement settle in my chest—hopefully, I can catch a flight home later today. But underneath that, there’s another feeling, quieter but impossible to ignore. A flicker of…disappointment?

I glance over at Nessa, snowflakes still caught in her hair, and it hits me like one of her snowballs: if I didn’t have somewhere else to be, I’d be just fine staying right here.

CHAPTER 10

December 25, 11:34 am

NESSA

“Let there be light!” I call out as I swing my apartment door open. The living room has come back to life—the TV is on, and theA Christmas Storymarathon is still playing. It’s the leg lamp scene, almost the same place it was when the power went out last night.

Jack would get a kick out of that if he were here; he went home to shower and change. I wish he’d hurry back. But then it hits me: what if hedoesn’tcome back? His power is back on—maybe he was just hanging out to stay warm, nothing to do with me, personally. A mean little voice sneaks into my mind, whispering the words that nag at me all too often lately: that I’m not enough to be anyone’s first choice.

My phone—charging on the kitchen counter—chimes. When I pick it up, I see a bunch of Happy almost-Hanukkah texts and pictures that have come in from my roommates and parents. Julie, from her cruise stop in Key West—a parrot on her shoulder. Amanda, a selfie with her boyfriend snowshoeing by the lake inMichigan. And my parents on the beach holding margaritas, smiling at each other like no one else exists but them.

I’m thrilled for all of them—but it’s a reminder that everyone I love has someone else they love more. At this stage in my life, my friends are pairing off, and my parents are in their second act, and I’m here. Just with myself. And maybe Jack, if he hasn’t gotten sick of me yet.

I shake that off—he said he’d be right back, and I have no reason to doubt him. It’s just that the apartment feels empty without him. Lonely. I miss him, which is crazy. Because less than twenty-four hours ago, the only thing I knew about the man was that he was probably a doctor, he was definitely a runner, and he had calves that made me weak in the knees.

But in this short window of time, Jack has grown even more attractive to me. Now I know how much humor and heart there is behind his dazzling blue eyes. How smart he is, how he listens and pays attention with his whole body, how much he loves his family. And despite missing them, he’s helped make this holiday brighter, even with sub-zero temperatures and no power.

There was a moment out there when I was sure he was going to kiss me—his gloved hand was like ice on my face, and I shivered even as my skin lit up at his touch. But then I had to go and blow it, noticing the electricity was back on. At this rate, the man might not kiss me until New Years Eve. If we’re still stranded here together…which wouldn’t be so bad.

He’s probably finished showering by now, so I should get a move on if I don’t want to be a smelly elf when he gets back. Then he’ll never want to kiss me.

Thirty minutes later,I’ve showered and shaved (just in case!) and am drying my hair when there’s a knock at my door.

“It’s open,” I call as I walk out of the bathroom. I decided to stay cozy and warm, wearing a fresh pair of leggings, a tank, andan oversized sweater. It’s going to take a while for this ancient heating system to get the apartment back to a bearable temperature.

Jack walks in, looking clean and fresh and as excited as—well, a kid on Christmas morning. His arms are full of bags and boxes of frozen food.

“What’ve you got there?” I ask, leaning against the wall.

“Potatoes,” he says. “Hashbrowns, French fries, and mashed.”

“I thought you said your fridge was empty?”

“It is.” He bumps my shoulder on his way to the kitchen. “But my freezer was stocked. I thought we could maybe use this stuff to make some kind of latke-like objects. I’m sure they won’t be as good as the ones you make with your roommates, but it could be fun. And tasty. What do you think?”

My eyes well with tears. What I think is that this is the sweetest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me, and that Jack is the sweetest, most thoughtful person, and I’m sorry he got stranded in Chicago, but I’m so glad he’s here with me. I didn’t realize how sad I’d been until he reminded me how it feels to be happy.

But I don’t have the words to say all that, so I walk into the kitchen and wrap my arms around him. Jack stiffens at first, as if he doesn’t realize what I’m doing—but after a moment, his body seems to melt into mine, and he hugs me back.

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