Page 31 of Catch Yourself a Snowmance

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I nearly forget she’s there … I’m dozing back to sleep.

Then Iremember.

Alyssa?

I roll over onto my side to pull her toward me.

She’s cold. I’ll hold her.

Why is she in my bed?

My eyes are so heavy, I can’t open them to check.

Sleep takes me again.

Oh, yeah. Alyssa. She’s here. In my bed.

This place is drafty. My foggy mind drifts back to sleep.

In my dream, I tuck Alyssa into my arms.

Snuggling her is … weird. She’s larger than usual. And bulky. And … hairy?

Hairy Alyssa.

It’s still Alyssa.

But why does she smell like pickles and ginger ale?

We had chili. Maybe it’s the chili.

I snuggle her close.

She’s warm. Really warm. Like a little heater.

No. A big, hairy heater.

“That better?” I ask her.

Something isn’t right. Why is Alyssa so big and muscular and …

“AAAAAGGGHHH!” I wake, nearly falling backward off my bed when hairy Alyssa pushes me.

On the other side of my bed, looming at over six feet tall, Gage shouts “What are you doing in my bed?”

“What areyoudoing?” I shout back at Gage. “This is my bed!”

“What do you mean what am I doing? What wereyoudoing? You were about to kiss me!”

“You were inmybed. I wasn’t kissing you.”

“You snuggled me like that was your next move.” Gage looks around, a dazed expression on his face.

I follow his gaze. It’s my room, alright.

“I must have sleep walked,” he says, shaking his head. “What’s your excuse?”

“My excuse for what?”

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