Page 21 of Wild Christmas
By the time we get to the cabin, the snow’s falling fast. I squint at the car parked in front of my charging post, not recognizing it. It’s not until I’m parked and out of the car that I realize Freya’s car is gone. A sinking feeling gnaws at my stomach, and I’m suddenly desperate to get the girls inside.
Sydney greets me at the door, throwing her arms around the girls and snatching them into a big hug. Seeing her aunt revives Maisie and she laughs and giggles, reassuring me somewhat.
“Where’s Freya?” I ask.
Sydney narrows her eyes at me in a look I know only too well. “She left.”
My stomach bottoms out. “You mean left left or left to go to the store?”
“Freya left?” Dora’s bottom lip wobbles. “Why did she leave Dad? We were going to have a Christmas dance party tonight.”
I give Sydney a look, because sometimes you have to put a spin on things for my kids. “We can still have a dance party.”
“No we can’t.” Dora stamps her foot, and her bottom lip juts out. “You don’t dance. Freya dances. Freya’s fun. You’re not fun, Dad.”
She storms off to her room and Maisie follows her,turning to give me a death stare, so I guess she’s feeling better. Now I’ve managed to drive the nanny away and piss off my kids.
Sydney’s looking at me with an amused expression on her face.
“When you say she left, did she…?”
“She had her suitcase with her. I told her she could go now that I’m here. I said you’d pay her, but I’m sure she wants to get home to her family.”
I run a hand through my hair. Her family is here, here with me. But I never got a chance to tell her that.
“I have to go.” I have to tell Freya how I feel before she thinks I’m some asshole who took advantage of her. But Maisie has a fever and Dora’s cross with me.
“I’ll take care of the girls.” Sydney reads my mind like any good sibling.
“Maisie has a fever, but I don’t think it’s serious. I gave her a dose of Tylenol. She won’t need any more for another four hours, but I’ll be back by then.” I hope I’ll be back with Freya.
I run a hand through my hair, thinking of anything else my girls might need.
“There’s stuff for dinner in the fridge. I was going to do tacos but use whatever you want.”
Sydney holds her hands up. “Nate, I’ll be fine.”
I grab the keys to the bike, because the thick tires are better in the snow. In my backpack I stuff the chocolates, and as I stuff the roses in, the petals come off.
“Shit.” I’m fucking this up already, and I haven’t even got there. Broken flowers aren’t going to cut it.
I couldn’t get Freya any books, but there’s something else she loves. I grab the last things I need and head out the door.
“Go get her!” Sydney calls after me.
13
FREYA
The words dance on the page, but I can’t concentrate enough for them to stick in my head. I pull the woolen blanket around me and pull the heater closer to the armchair. Aunt Maxine wasn’t expecting me to come back here while she was away, and there’s no wood for the wood burner. I should go out and get some from the woodshed, but it’s snowing now and I can’t find the energy to move.
Instead I close the book and stare at my hands as thoughts of Nate tumble through my head. My chest aches, and I didn’t realize how deeply I’d fallen for him and his two little girls.
It will be better to get away from here, to go back to France and forget about the geeky mountain man biker who I should never have kissed.
Music blares out in the quiet street, and I jerk my head up to the window. Someone’s playing Mariah Carey, and usually it’s my favorite Christmas song but Idon’t want to hear it right now. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, I pad over to the window and peek through the blinds.
The snow’s coming down in a steady flutter, and something flashes in the snow. I wipe condensation from the window and peer out.
