Grounded for Christmas

He broke her heart. She’s the one who got away. When they get snowed in together over the holidays, will their love get a second chance?

Excerpt Chapter 3

He started to say something else, but the phone vibrated in his hand, indicating an incoming text. After some exchanges of texts, a GPS app opened on his phone and Joseph handed the device to her.

“Mind navigating?”

Mary shook her head. “Least I could do. Thanks. Otherwise, I would’ve been stuck in that terminal for God knows how long.”

He gave her a crooked smile. “So no longer annoyed I bummed a ride on your flight?”

Her smile faded a little at the reminder of her earlier behavior. She didn’t apologize for it because she wasn’t sorry, and a large part of her was still sore at how things had gone down after their one night together. Nevertheless, Joseph had been kind to her the entire trip so far. “Right now, no annoyance at you here.”

He nodded. “We’ll start with that, then.”

They drove for an hour and mostly in silence, letting only the music from Joseph’s holiday playlist fill the car. She wished she weren’t so charmed he had one, but she was. Sometimes, Joseph would sing along to a track, and she would let his voice wrap around her. It was so resonant and warm, pleasant no matter what he did with it, and she prayed for fortitude that she wouldn’t fall for it again. When one knew better, one did better. She didn’t need to be made a fool for a second time.

Eventually, they pulled up to a small structure on the edge of a lake. Because it was well dark with no moon and no floodlights shone around the home, Mary couldn’t get a good look at the exterior beyond the fact it was shaped a little like a barn or a shed. She eyed it with dismay, careful not to look at Joseph, who blew out a heavy breath.

“I should’ve asked for pictures,” he mumbled, making Mary laugh.

“If he rents it out as a homestay, wouldn’t it be on one of those websites?”

Joseph shrugged. “Maybe it’s a more informal thing. But it’s a warm place to stay rent-free. I suppose beggars can’t be choosers.”

He insisted she stay in the vehicle while he checked out the premises, wanting her to stay warm. He returned a few minutes later, tapping on her window. She rolled it down.

“So, there’s food in the pantry and in the refrigerator as promised, but really just basic staples. We can try for a grocery store and see if they’ll have anything; but considering Charlotte’s gonna get what Houston’s getting now in a few days, there may not be much food.”

“And keeping warm if the power goes out?”

He shook his head. “No fireplace and I didn’t see a generator. We’ll have to get a propane heater.”

“And the propane,” Mary added. She did the math. If they bought that, it was the same as booking a room for two nights, so six of one, half a dozen of the other to her.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, can I take a look? At least put my things inside?

He glanced off to the side, his feet shuffling in the dirt drive. “Um, there’s also only one bedroom and one bed.”

She nodded slowly. “Are you asking me to sleep on the couch?”

His head popped up. “What?”

She shrugged and faced the dashboard, unable to say the next while looking at him. “The last time we shared a bed, it didn’t go well—”

“I thought it went very well,” he said, his voice soft, but it might as well have been a bellow the way his words affected her. “It was the morning after that wasn’t so great. Or really, the afternoon.”

She frowned. “The afternoon?”

“You were on a plane instead of with me. In that bed.”