Page 323 of Screwged for Christmas

“I give up.”

Didn’t trouble come in threes? She held her breath, waiting. “Please God, send help or a sign I don’t belong here and I’m out.”

With her heart still lodged close enough to her stomach she couldn’t tell which hurt more, Ivy looked around for her phone. This was out of hand now. What sane woman left her B&B in the busiest time of the year? “Come on Gran, pick up!”

“Give me the juicy stuff after the beep.”

She didn’t smile this time at her gran’s cheery recorded message. “Gran. You have to come home. This place needs you.” She turned to make sure no one was within earshot before continuing. “I know what you’re trying to do and it isn’t going to work. Maybe I’m not cut out for this B&B stuff. I can’t seem to get anything to go right. It’s been one thing after another. And Rocco. Why didn’t you tell me about Rocco? And back to Aspen. Gran, Aspen and I—It’s just, I don’t know. But I’m—It’s just crazy.” The beep cut her off.

“Damn it!” She hugged the phone to her chest. What good would talking with her do anyway?

Ivy tossed the charred, smoking cookie tray on the counter with a loud clank.

“Please God, give me the strength if nothing else,” she whispered. The job in New York was a blessing in disguise.

She didn’t have time for crazy. Plans were made to be kept and she had everything planned out. There was only one way to get back on track and that boiled down to her new job. If she could somehow manage that, then everything would fall into place. It had to.

Then why did her gut churn like a windmill at the thought? She worked hard to shove away the unsettled feeling. Action. She needed something to occupy herself, and since cooking didn’t seem safe for anyone at the moment, she moved around the kitchen and opened all the windows.

Proof of her failure still fumed from the sink. It would take forever to rid the place of the stench and now she had to find out what to feed these people.

Cold air rushed in and for a second she considered closing the windows again.

How late could she leave and still catch a flight out of Anchorage? If she hurried, she could catch a bus. She paused and considered that for a minute but flicked it aside just as quickly. These were nice people. And it would not be nice of her to char her gran’s reputation along with the damn cookies.

Ivy exited the kitchen and made her way to the side to open more windows by the dining table.

“Are you okay, Ivy?” Mrs. Howard’s stomach came into view from the second floor by the railing before the woman as Ivy turned.

“I’m fine, Mrs. Howard. Everything is okay.”

“We smelled smoke and Thomas is in the shower. I thought I would check. I’m pregnant, not helpless like he’d have you think. What happened?”

Before she could answer, sirens and flashing lights came up the drive in a hurry.

Sharp jabs of pain hit Ivy between the eyes.Crap.She pressed her thumb and middle finger to the space with a low groan.

Where was a closet to hide in when a girl needed one? She flicked the curtain to the side of the front door and cringed. “And there came the third problem of the trio,” she groaned. Okay, so she might have overreacted in her rush to speed dial.

Shit. Aspen, in full fire gear, and six of his men rolled to a stop in her drive. They must have ignored every stop sign and red light between here and town.

Man, he was going to be so mad when he didn’t find a fire. But, damn. Him in a uniform, Lord save me, the man made her press her thighs together despite how embarrassing the whole situation was. She’d have to change her panties after this.

She swung the door open as soon as Aspen’s feet hit the welcome mat. He smiled down at her that momentarily had her questioning her entire life up to that very second.

Her heart stopped working. Her mouth seemed to fail her too because she just stood there. Taken aback by the easy glide of his warm, sexy grin. It had her forgetting the events of the last ten nightmarish minutes. Nowthatwas a Christmas miracle.

Okay, she needed to get her reactions to him under control. ASAP. She bowed her head slightly and cleared her throat in an effort to hide how seeing him standing on her doorstep just because she called affected her.

He’d come for her. That sat up there with sainthood in her book.

“Where’s the fire, Ivy Sunday?” He stepped past her when she pointed to the kitchen and several men followed.

Kids descended the stairs, their eyes wide with surprise.

“Everything okay?” Mr. Howard stood at the top of the railing with a worried look and freshly wet hair.

“Yes. False alarm,” she answered as Aspen exited the kitchen a few minutes later.

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