Page 19 of Snowed Inn For Christmas

“How did he get the keychain, though?”her dad asked.

“I don’t think we want to know the answer to that question,” her brother said, his eyes landing on the picture frame where the last camera was hidden.

“Why don’t you guys take this stuff down, and I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes,” he said, continuing to stare at it.

Once they left the apartment, he picked up the picture frame and held it in front of his face.

“You picked the wrong fucking person to stalk, mother fucker,” he growled.“When I find you—you’re dead.”

Eleven

Julie

Ihadn’t been calmin days, and I felt like I was going to go out of my mind any minute from the anxiety threatening to boil over.The worst of the storm had happened, but it would still be days before they got anyone out to clear the roads, which sucked because I really needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air.

Daisy sat at the table, finishing her breakfast, while Gage leaned against the island and drank his coffee as he studied me.

“Stop it,” I hissed as I walked past him and opened the fridge.

I wasn’t hungry but needed something to distract me.I looked around, trying to force myself to think about what I wanted to make for dinner.But the thought of food made my already upset stomach more queasy, so I closed the door and leaned against it.

“Mama, are we going to decorate for Christmas?”Daisy asked, pulling my head out of the intrusive thoughts I was having and making my heart sink.

I had been so consumed by everything with Joel that I had completely forgotten about Christmas.My eyes welled with tears as I stumbled for the right words to say, because how do you break a five-year-old’s heart by telling them that you don’t have anything to decorate with?I hadn’t even had a chance to do any shopping, which meant that we didn’t have gifts to exchange, nor did I have anything for Santa to leave for her.

Fuck.I was a terrible mother and was going to ruin Christmas for her.

“I was actually going to talk to you girls this morning to see if you wouldn’t mind helping me decorate the house,” Gage said, his smile sending calming energy through the room as it washed over me.“My grandmotherloveddecorating, so we have a ton of stuff.”

“Can we help him?”Daisy asked, looking at me with the biggest smile and eyes filled with hope.

“Of course, my love.I think that would be so much fun!”

“Yay!I’m all done with breakfast.Can we start now?”

“Ummm...”I hesitated, not sure how to respond.