Page 17

17

KIERAN

T he first rays of dawn painted the snow-covered landscape in shades of pink and gold. Kieran's tiger purred with delight as he watched Mallory expertly wield her shovel, her platinum hair escaping from beneath her wool hat. Even bundled up in winter gear, she moved with a grace that captivated him.

"You're staring again," Mallory called out, not looking up from her work.

"Can't help it. You make snow shoveling look like an art form." He grinned as her cheeks flushed a light pink. Whether from the cold or his compliment, he couldn't tell.

"Better than making it look like a disaster." She paused, leaning on her shovel. "Did I tell you about the time I accidentally created a mini blizzard during my college graduation?"

His tiger perked up at the prospect of learning more about her. "No, but I'm dying to hear it."

"Picture this - I'm already nervous about walking across the stage, right? Then my heel catches on my gown." She demonstrated with her hands. "Next thing I know, there's snow falling inside the auditorium. Only over the stage though."

Kieran laughed, the sound echoing across the parking lot. "What did you do?"

"Pretended to be just as shocked as everyone else. Blamed it on the air conditioning system going haywire." She shook her head, smiling. "The dean bought it, thank goodness."

His shovel hit a particularly stubborn patch of ice, and he used his brute strength to break through it. "Any other entertaining mishaps?"

"Oh, plenty. There was the time I got so excited about getting published that it rained in my living room. Just my living room." She chuckled. "Eli thought it was hilarious. He just grabbed an umbrella and sat on the couch reading until I calmed down enough to stop it."

Instead of the usual sadness that accompanied mentions of her late husband, her eyes held fond amusement at the memory. Progress, Kieran thought, even as his tiger rumbled possessively.

"The weather's been surprisingly stable lately," he noted, moving closer to help her with a heavy drift.

"Maybe I'm just... content for once." Their eyes met, and something electric passed between them.

The moment stretched, full of possibility, until Mallory cleared her throat and returned to shoveling. Kieran watched her work, his heart full. Every day, every moment with her made him more certain - pretending wasn't enough anymore. He wanted this to be real.

Kieran's tiger bristled as Mallory's next words hit him like a bucket of ice water.

"The town crews are over there across the street. I think I just overheard them saying they can start bridge repairs in a few days," she said, her voice deliberately casual as she attacked another snow drift. "And something about taking only a week or so, with the weather cleared up."

His shovel bit into the snow with more force than necessary. The thought of her leaving made his chest hurt. These past weeks, watching her charm guests and staff alike, seeing her quick mind at work solving problems, hearing her laugh at his jokes - it had become as natural as breathing.

"That's... good news," he managed, though his tiger protested. The parking lot suddenly felt too small and too confining.

Mallory nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Right. Good news."

The silence stretched on between them, broken only by the scrape of their shovels against the pavement. Kieran watched her, memorizing the way she moved, the determined set of her jaw, the wisps of hair that escaped her hat. His tiger paced, urging him to say something, anything, to make her stay.

But what could he say? Their arrangement had always been temporary. He had no right to pressure her to give up her solitude and her independence, just because he had gone and fallen in love with her.

"This place won't be the same without you," he said finally, trying to keep his tone light despite the ache in his chest.

"I'm sure you'll manage." Her voice wavered slightly. "You did fine before I showed up."

His tiger disagreed vehemently. Nothing about The Hearthstone would be the same after she left. Who would help him deal with difficult guests? Who would catch his eye across the room and share silent jokes? Who would make him want to be better, stronger, and more worthy?

"Yeah," he said, focusing on clearing another particularly stubborn patch of ice. "But it was never this good before."

The admission hung in the crisp morning air between them. Mallory's shovel stilled, and for a moment, Kieran thought she might say something. Instead, she turned away, attacking the snow with renewed vigor.

His tiger rumbled unhappily. They'd both gotten used to having her here, to having her in their life. The thought of going back to how things were before seemed impossible now.

He noticed how Mallory's shoulders slumped ever so slightly as she dug her shovel into another drift. His tiger grew restless, hating to see her sad in any way. The pristine snow covering the parking lot sparked an idea in his mind.

While she was focused on her task, he quietly packed a perfect snowball. His enhanced reflexes made his aim true as he launched it, hitting her square between the shoulder blades.

Mallory whirled around, her mouth agape. "Did you just-"

He grinned, already forming another projectile. "What are you going to do about it, storm witch?"

Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Oh, it's on."

His enhanced speed gave him an advantage, but Mallory's precision with her throws made her a worthy opponent. She pelted him with rapid-fire snowballs while ducking behind a car.

"That the best you got?" he taunted, shaking snow from his auburn hair.

"Not even close!" She popped up from her hiding spot, launching a barrage that had him dancing backward.

His tiger delighted in the chase, in hearing her laugh echo across the lot. He circled around, using his supernatural stealth to sneak up behind her.

"Gotcha!" He wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning them both into a snowbank.

They landed with a soft thump, Mallory sprawled across his chest, both of them breathless with laughter. Snow soaked through his coat, but Kieran couldn't care less. Not with her dusted with snowflakes, her cheeks flushed pink, and her eyes sparkling with joy on top of him.

"I haven't had a snowball fight since I was a kid," she admitted, making no move to get up.

"See what you've been missing out on?" He brushed a snowflake from her cheek. "Sometimes a little spontaneity is exactly what you need."

"Is that your expert opinion?"

"Absolutely. I'm very wise." He affected a serious expression that made her laugh again.

Mallory rolled off him onto her back, both of them staring up at the winter sky. "We should probably finish shoveling."

"Probably," he agreed, not moving. His tiger purred contentedly, savoring these last precious moments with her. "But five more minutes won't hurt anyone."

Kieran's tiger protested at leaving their comfortable snow nest with Mallory, but the cold seeping through his clothes couldn't be ignored. He sprang to his feet in one fluid motion, then extended his hand to help her up. Her small, gloved hand fit perfectly in his larger one.

"You're soaked," he noted, watching droplets of melted snow trail down her neck.

"Because someone thought a snow fight was a brilliant idea." But her eyes sparkled with playfulness as she retrieved their abandoned shovels.

Together they made quick work of the remaining snow, their movements synchronized as if they'd been working together for years instead of weeks. His tiger preened at how natural it felt beside her.

"Race you inside?" he finally said playfully.

"Not a chance. I've seen you run."

They hurried through The Hearthstone's front door, their boots squeaking against the polished floor. Kieran's clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin, and his tiger's fur would have been standing on end if he'd been shifted. Mallory didn't look much better.

"We should get changed before-" Kieran started.

"Kieran!" Charlotte's voice cut through the lobby. "The Christmas Eve preparations-"

"Can wait ten minutes while we get out of these wet clothes," he finished firmly, his tiger asserting its dominance.

Mallory attempted to wring out her coat sleeve, creating a small puddle on the floor. "I think I've got snow in places snow was never meant to be."

His tiger's mind went places it shouldn't at that comment. Kieran cleared his throat. "Let's head to our rooms before we flood the lobby."

They squelched their way down the hall, leaving a trail of melted snow in their wake. Mallory suddenly burst into giggles.

"What's so funny?"

"Us. We look like we got into a fight with Yeti and lost." She gestured to their bedraggled appearance.

Kieran's tiger preened. "Speak for yourself. I think I pull off the drowned rat look rather well."