Page 8 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage (Jonathon Island #6)

“No way.” Jonah grabbed the kettle that still sat on the back of the stove from when Martha had made tea the night before and turned to fill it at the sink. “Bacon is definitely better cooked on the stovetop.”

“It’s like going to war for some bacon.” As soon as she said it, she wished she could stuff the words back into her mouth. Hadn’t Martha said Jonah was in the Army? Would he take offense to that statement? “I mean?—”

“You’re right, but what’s a few war wounds in exchange for protein goodness?” Jonah set the kettle back on the stove and bumped Bronte’s shoulder. “Speaking of, that bacon about done? It’s looking a little extra crispy.”

“Oh!” Bronte pulled at the paper towels, grabbing a wad and tossing it on the plate next to the stove before transferring the bacon. Jonah was right. It was extra crispy. She bit her lip. “Sorry. I hope you like your bacon crunchy.”

Jonah plucked a piece off the top of the pile and popped it in his mouth with a very audible crunch. “It’s perfect, but that’s for you.” He pointed to a wooden box on the counter. “And my sister keeps all the tea in there. If you want to pick one out, I’ll get the table set and you can eat.”

Deciding against digging in her luggage for her favorite tea, Bronte settled on a cinnamon teabag. “Are you not going to eat?”

Jonah set her plate at the table before picking up his book and moving to another seat. “Nah, I already ate. My body’s still in a different time zone.”

Bronte nodded as she finished pouring water into her mug. Her middle warmed at the realization Jonah had cooked breakfast for her. “You didn’t have to…” She motioned to the plate of food as she sat down with her steaming mug.

“It’s nothing. I was up anyway.”

Bronte nodded, her eyes darting to the window.

The snow was still falling, although maybe it had let up a little bit?

How could something so beautiful also be so frustrating?

She had wanted it to snow while she was here—in theory—but now she wasn’t so sure.

Would it have been better to be stuck here in the snow by herself?

Would she have known about dripping the water or the generator?

How did one even start a generator? Jonah had said they’d probably be stuck here for a couple of days, so as long as she kept her head down and got the words in, she should be able to still make her deadline.

With three days to spare for the read-through, as long as she put in at least seven thousand words a day, give or take, she would make it.

The best Bronte had ever done in a day was four thousand, but it was fine. She wouldn’t think about it. The food in front of her started making her stomach turn. She could do this.

Couldn’t she?

Taking her phone out of her pocket, Bronte sent Lexi a text explaining the situation and that she’d be staying on Jonathon Island after all. She’d barely hit Send before her phone started ringing.

“You’re staying? In that house? With a strange man?” Lexi fired off before Bronte could even say hello. It was five thirty in LA. How was Lexi even up at this hour?

Bronte’s eyes darted up to Jonah, who was focused on the book in front of him. “It’s fine, Lex. It’s not like either of us has any other choice anyway. The snow is really coming down.”

Lexi let out a grunt. “Put him on.”

“Lexi—”

“Let me talk to him, Bronte.”

Cringing, Bronte held the phone out toward Jonah. “Um, my friend would like to talk to you.”

Jonah set his book face down on the table and took the phone from Bronte, eyebrows raised.

Bronte didn’t know what Lexi was telling Jonah, but she had a pretty good idea. Jonah’s face gave nothing away as he calmly listened and agreed to whatever Lexi told him on the other end of the line.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Yes, ma’am what? Bronte would bet Lexi was having a cow at being addressed so formally, and what was he yes ma’aming her about?

“Jonah White.” An amused sigh. “Jonah Ray White.” A beat of silence. “I give you my solemn word.”

Bronte wanted to roll her eyes. Solemn word. But more so, she wanted to know what solemn word he’d promised Lexi. Why hadn’t she put Lexi on speaker instead of just handing over the phone?

“Lexi, was it?” He paused while Bronte assumed Lexi was confirming her name. “Well, Lexi, I hope that you have a wonderful day Christmas shopping with your mom.”

Wait, what? Lexi had told Jonah she was going Christmas shopping? They’d talked for a whole two minutes on the phone, and they were friends all of a sudden?

Finished, he handed the phone back to Bronte and picked up his book.

“Hello?”

“Okay, I feel a little bit better about you staying with him, but I’m still running the full stalking gambit on him.

” Bronte could hear Lexi typing on her laptop.

Full stalking gambit started with Facebook, Instagram, and then moved on to more obscure places like Google and LinkedIn.

“Goodness, Bront. This man is gorgeous.”

Bronte’s gaze darted back to Jonah, who looked completely engrossed in his book, but from the grin on his face, she wondered if he’d heard what Lexi had said. Bronte turned in her chair, as if that would keep Jonah from overhearing their conversation. “I guess.”

“There is no guessing about it. This man is as fine as any leading man. And four sisters? And he’s military?” The more Lexi’s stalking turned up, the more it sounded as if she was on Jonah’s side of things.

“So, you’ve deemed me safe?” Her eggs were getting cold, and Bronte was ready to wrap up this conversation.

“Yes, yes. If anything turns up, I’ll let you know. I’ve also threatened him within an inch of his life if he hurts you.”

Bronte’s eyes slid closed. “You did not give him the Liam Neeson speech, did you?”

“You bet I did.”

Sighing, Bronte glanced toward Jonah, still reading his book, but his smile had grown even more. “I’m going to let you go.” Bronte ended the call before Lexi could protest. This day had gotten off to a fabulous start.

But whatever the case, she still had ninety thousand words to write. And it looked like she was going to have to do it not in peace and quiet but in the company of a much-too-handsome distraction.

Not ideal. But when had life ever given her what was ideal?

Bronte Parker would make the best of her lemons, just like she always did.

* * *

Jonah bit the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling.

He didn’t know Bronte’s friend Lexi, but hearing the “Liam Neeson speech” coming from the sweet but stern voice on the other end of the phone reminded him of something one of his sisters would do.

Lexi didn’t have anything to worry about, he’d be gone soon enough. Hopefully.

“I am so sorry about her.” Bronte picked up her fork and stabbed her eggs.

“No problem at all.” Jonah turned the page of the book he was reading. Or pretending to read. Since Bronte had answered her phone, Jonah had read the same paragraph three times before giving up and just turning the page. “It’s good to have someone looking out for you.”

“Yeah.” Bronte crunched off a bit of bacon. “It’s really coming down, isn’t it? Any chance of it stopping soon?”

“This is nothing.” Jonah lifted his cup toward the winter wonderland. “You should have been here for the snow of ’08. Almost completely snowed us in. Snow up to the top of the windows.”

“That’s”—Bronte paused, and Jonah could visibly see her swallow—“a lot of snow.”

“What? It doesn’t snow where you live?” Jonah’s eyebrow quirked.

“It does. Just not like this.”

Jonah took another drink of his coffee, his eyes never drifting from Bronte.

When she’d come down this morning ready to leave, his heart had dropped.

Not because she expected him to leave—he completely understood that.

He didn’t want to be trapped in a house with a stranger any more than she did, but maybe he didn’t want to be trapped here all alone either.

“So, what brings you to Jonathon Island? You mentioned work?”

Bronte wrapped her hands around her mug and stared into the backyard. “I came here to write a book.”

“Like a book book? A real book? I didn’t see that one coming. Most visitors on the island are here because of Daisy’s YouTube channel. Daisy Decker, she?—”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with her channel.” Bronte brushed him off with a wave of her hand.

“I don’t actually know her, but she’s dating my buddy, Hunter.

Or I guess they’re engaged now. Anyway, I’ve heard there’s been an influx of visitors to the island because of Daisy’s show.

Well, an influx compared to the usual numbers since the Grand burned.

Before the fire, Jonathon Island was a pretty big destination for families.

There was talk of abandoning the island, but…

” Jonah trailed off. He was rambling, and Bronte’s eyes were getting that glazed-over look.

“But a real book? Are you writing about Daisy?”

“Yes, like a real book. No, not about Daisy.” He could be mistaken, but was that a blush on Bronte’s cheeks?

Color him fascinated. Jonah leaned his chin into his hand. “Reading is my favorite. Tell me about it. What do you write?”

Bronte set down her tea, opting for picking at her eggs with her fork. Was she going to tell him?

After a pause, Bronte put her fork next to her plate and wrapped her hands back around her mug. “I write about messy family relationships. The series I’m working on tells the story of a single mother and her two daughters as they navigate the ups and downs of their lives and relationships.”

Jonah blinked. Her series sounded…boring.

“It’s literary fiction,” she followed up when Jonah didn’t say anything.

Jonah slowly nodded. “I can’t say that I’ve read a lot of literary fiction.”

“What do you generally read?”

Jonah lifted the book he was almost finished with. “I read a lot of rom-coms.” Bronte’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously. When you have four sisters, it just happens, but when I’m not reading hot-pink books, I love a good fantasy. Brandon Sanderson is my favorite.”