He breathed her in deeply. She felt like a puzzle piece that had been missing for years, and now she was here, fitting perfectly into his life. He could feel his arousal stirring but knew that getting Megan warm trumped how excited his body was feeling.

  He fought sleep by listening to Megan’s inhalations and exhalations and the cute little murmurs she made every time she shifted in his arms. He knew that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. He wasn’t ever going to let her go. Even if it scared him to death.

  Twenty-Nine

  Josh felt an unfamiliar hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. His eyes flashed open and he would’ve bolted upright if it wasn’t for Megan’s weight on his arm.

  “Shhh.” It was a woman’s voice. He squinted into the early dawn light and was able to make out Charlotte’s silhouette. “It’s stopped snowing and I heard the snow plow go by. We should be able to get Megan to the hospital. Shouldn’t she be covered up?”

  Josh looked down and saw that sometime during the night one of them had kicked the quilts off. He didn’t know how much Charlotte could see in the muted light but was quick to pull up the quilt over his extremely stiff morning wood. ‘Did I stay hard all night?’ he wondered to himself. He tucked the scrappy quilt over Megan’s shoulder, but she was quick to shrug it off.

  “Too hot,” she murmured.

  That’s when Josh knew that she was going to be just fine. He ran his hands down the sides of her body and felt the familiar warmth of Megan’s body, not the chilled version from the night before.

  “Meg, baby, we should get you to the hospital,” he whispered to her.

  She opened her eyes and looked into his, “I’m fine right here.”

  “I’ll go start the truck,” Charlotte said pulling her coat off the hook by the door.

  “I’m fine,” Megan repeated.

  “I know you are. Thank God. You scared me, Meg. I thought that I lost you.” Josh slipped his hand behind Megan’s neck and pulled her lips toward his. Josh couldn’t help it, once Megan’s soft lips met his, the floodgates he’d built up over the years finally cracked and tears started to stream down his face.

  He heard the door open and quickly wiped the tears off his face with the back of his hand.

  Charlotte stomped the snow off her boots and shut the door behind her. “How are you feeling, Meg?”

  “I’m fine, Char. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

  “Yes. You do.” Charlotte put her hands on her hips. “Josh?”

  All Josh wanted to do was hold Megan in his arms and never let her go, but he knew that she needed to get the medical all-clear. “She’s right, Meg. We all know that you’re fine, but we’re not doctors.”

  Megan looked from her friend to her lover. “You two aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

  “Nope,” Charlotte said. “I’ll go wait in the truck so you two can get decent.”

  “It’s hypothermia protocol!” Josh shouted as Charlotte stepped out of the cabin.

  “Hypothermia protocol?” Megan giggled.

  “It really is. Skin to skin heat,” Josh replied, wrapping his arms around her.

  Megan kissed his neck and then sat upright like she’d been shocked.

  “What time is it?” she tossed off the blankets. “Where are my clothes?”

  “Whoa, take it easy, Meg.” Josh stood up, his erection tenting out his boxer shorts. He pulled Megan’s clothes from the drying rack beside the fire and handed them to her.

  “Thanks.” She grabbed the pile of clothes from his hands. Josh pulled a pair of sweat pants on, thankful for the forgiving fabric. “I’ve got to get to the café. The grand opening is this weekend and we’ve got so much to do.”

  “Stop, Meg. The first stop is the hospital. Then I can go to the café and help you with whatever you need to get done today. That is as long as the doctor says you’re okay and clear you to go to work.”

  Megan paused, her eyes traveling down Josh’s body stopping at the fabric just below the elastic waistband of his pants. “Okay. I’ll agree to that on one condition.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “That we come back here tonight, and you let me take care of you. And that,” she grinned and pointed at the front of pants then wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him toward her by his ass.

  He wanted to pick her up and bury himself inside of her but held back. And, like the condition in his boxers, it was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do in his life.

  “Deal.”

  Thirty

  Josh walked Megan to the café in the darkness at 5 a.m. The two of them shared the first coffees of the grand opening together as they watched the sun rise over the buildings of downtown Chance Rapids.

  “I’m so proud of you,” he smiled at Megan and held her hands across the table. “Are you ready for today?”

  “You know what? I actually think that I am. I’m nervous as hell, but I think that it’s the good kind of nervous.

  They heard the back door open and the staff start to file in.

  Megan stood behind the counter and as the cappuccino machine squealed out its first official latte, she felt her heart swell with pride. She had been so nervous unlocking the door that morning, but she couldn’t let the staff see her butterflies. The smell of fresh bread and grinding coffee beans welcomed the Chance Rapids residents as they walked into the Sugar Peaks Café.

  She had completely recovered from her bout of hypothermia, although Josh told her that she’d likely be prone to recurring frostbite on her cheeks. Every hour that they weren’t sleeping or making love, they were at the café, getting it ready it for the Grand Opening.

  Megan tightened the strings on her dark gray apron and with the first sale, took the dollar from the till and pinned it up to the bulletin board in the back office. Her settlement hadn’t come through yet, but Charlotte was already treating Megan like a fifty percent shareholder.

  She thanked her lucky stars that Piper, a recent college graduate had just moved back home to Chance Rapids and had put her way through college working at coffee shops. She was a skilled barista and knew her way around a café.

  Megan pulled a tray of Sugar Peaks’ signature meringues from the refrigerator and circulated through the room, passing them out to all the customers. The coffee shop was buzzing with activity, and while there had been a few small hiccups, everything was going off better than she could have ever dreamed possible.

  She looked up and amongst the faces in line for a coffee saw Freddie’s smile. She was getting used to recognizing faces everywhere she went, and she was really starting to get why people liked living in small towns. Freddie raised his hand as he waved at her and she waved back. She wove through the crowd and presented the tray. “Sugar Peaks Meringue?” she asked.

  “I’d love one.” Freddie grabbed one off the tray and popped it into his mouth. “Looks like this is the place to be today.” He looked around the room. “Is Billie Jo here?” he asked.

  “No. And she’s Charlotte now.”

  Freddie smiled, “Right, Charlotte.”

  “She had to go back to the city to present an offer. She really wanted to be here.” Megan was partially telling the truth. Charlotte did want to be there for the grand opening, but she was still trying to figure out how to present herself. The only people that knew her true identity were Megan, Josh, and Freddie. Josh said that he swore Freddie to secrecy, and Megan trusted that Freddie would be true to his word.

  “That’s probably a good thing,” Freddie whispered under his breath. “Logan is in town and he would definitely recognize her.”

  Charlotte had never really revealed why she hated Logan Brush with such a passion. Megan chalked it up to high school stuff but planned to get Charlotte to spill the beans over some wine when she returned to Chance Rapids.

  As if on cue, the door to the café opened and an impossibly big and attractive man stood in the doorway. The room became hushed and Megan heard all the patrons whispering under their breath. Whoever he was, he had an aura of star power around him, standing tall and commanding a room the way only someone who is used to being the center of attention can achieve.

  Freddie waved to the man, “Over here.”

  And that’s when Megan knew that she was staring at superstar hockey player, Logan Brush. She noticed that all the women in the café were blushing and some were staring while others shot nervous side glances at the huge hockey player.

  “Megan, this is my brother, Logan.”

  Logan extended his hand and Megan couldn’t believe how it enveloped hers as she shook it. “Pleased to meet you, Logan.”

  Logan grinned at Megan, “The pleasure is all mine.”

  Megan felt her phone buzz in her apron pocket. “You’ll have to excuse me, but please, take a tart.”

  Logan smiled at Megan and she couldn’t believe just how perfect his teeth were. She thought that hockey players were always missing teeth and had busted up looking noses.

  She stepped into the back and pulled her phone out to see a text from Josh. He had sent her a photo of Timber holding a bouquet of daisies in his mouth. ‘Timber wanted to wish you a happy opening day’.

  She saw that an earlier message had come in that she hadn’t noticed. It was from Charlotte:

  I lied. I didn’t have an offer. I’m coming to the café.

  Oh no, Megan felt the blood rush to her face. Charlotte couldn’t show up - the man she hated more than any person on earth had just stepped into the café and was eating meringues in the front window.

  She immediately dialed Charlotte’s number.

  “Hello,” Charlotte answered immediately. She must have had her phone in her hand.

  Megan could hear the din of the café in the background of the phone. “Charlotte, where are you?”

  “I’m here. It’s amazing,” she gushed.

  Megan opened the door from the kitchen and peered out into the busy room. She saw Charlotte at the glass counter ordering her coffee. She darted her eyes to Freddie and Logan just as Freddie noticed Charlotte at the counter.

  Shit. Shit. Double shit. Megan rushed out into the café to try and shuttle Charlotte out of there as fast as she could. She saw Freddie doing the same with Logan.

  Megan came up behind Charlotte and wrapped her arm over her shoulder, forcing her to keep her gaze at the blackboard coffee menu behind the counter.

  “You need to go,” she whispered to Charlotte.

  “What?” Charlotte tried to turn to face Megan, but Megan had her firmly in her vice-like grip.

  “Slip into the back,” she whispered again. “Trust me.”

  Charlotte turned her face to stare at Megan, her eyes wide. She nodded and slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. As she turned, she ran smack dab into the chest of the man everyone had been staring at, hard enough that he had to grasp her forearm to stop her from falling.

  Megan looked to Freddie and he shrugged. “I tried,” he mouthed to Megan.

  “My apologies, Miss,” Logan said.

  Megan watched transfixed as Charlotte composed herself and removed Logan’s hand from her forearm. She didn’t say a word to Logan or Freddie, or Megan. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the café.

  “Who was that?” Logan asked Freddie.

  “You didn’t recognize her?” he asked.

  “I’ve never seen that woman before in my life,” Logan replied, watching Charlotte march across the street and hop into her SUV.

  Epilogue

  Megan woke up and stared at the freshly taped drywall ceiling. She still felt like she had to pinch herself every time she woke up. She rolled over and snuggled up to Josh’s broad back. She wrapped her arms around his muscular waist and pulled him in tightly to her. He stirred and rolled over to face her like he did every morning since she had moved into 88 Bristlecone Street. Gone were the luxury trappings of Charlotte’s mountain home, replaced with the modest half-finished bungalow and Megan had never felt more at home.

  “Merry Christmas, Beautiful,” he smiled and kissed her.

  “Merry Christmas, Josh,” she kissed him again and inhaled him, a musky cedar aroma that sent her pulse racing. Megan stretched her arms up above her head. Josh kissed the sensitive and soft underside of her arm sending goosebumps down her body.

  Megan had been waking up at five in the morning to get up and ensure that the daily baked goods were rising in the ovens. “It feels so decadent to sleep in, I can’t believe how tired I’ve been these last few weeks.”

  “Well, we were up pretty late last night,” Josh said and nipped at her collarbone.

  Megan blushed at the memory of their Christmas eve lovemaking session. She had become more and more sensitive to Josh’s touch, and they had grown to know exactly what a nip here, or a kiss there would do to each other. Megan was luxuriating in the glow of being in a younger man’s bed, a younger man capable of back to back, toe-curling, sheet gripping orgasms. She ran her fingertips to his boxer briefs and saw that he was ready for action. She bit her bottom lip trying to decide what she wanted to do with him.

  Josh pulled her hands away, “Easy now Tigress. It’s Christmas. We have all day and it’s time for someone to make you breakfast for a change.”

  Megan groaned playfully as Josh rolled out of bed. She relaxed back into the flannel sheets and listened to him clanking around in the kitchen. Timber was still snoring in his wicker basket on the floor. She pulled on a pair of flannel pants, a loose-knit sweater, some hand knit socks and padded into the kitchen.

  One of the suppliers for the café had given her a deal and she and Josh now had a fully functioning restaurant quality kitchen, complete with cupboards that even had doors. But her favorite part of the kitchen was the live edge butcher block countertop that Josh had made in his workshop. It was the kitchen of her dreams, and her dream man was standing shirtless mixing pancake batter. She tip-toed into the spare bedroom where she had hidden his gifts and gathered them up into her arms to put them under the tree. They had gone out to the woods in search of the perfect tree but had come home with the spindliest Charlie Brown tree she had ever seen. Even though the ornaments hung heavily on its branches, the white lights weighing down the boughs, it was the prettiest tree she had ever seen. One of her gifts was a small rectangular box that while it weighed next to nothing, felt like a lead weight in her hand. She debated on whether to leave it under the tree next to the wrapped scarf she had bought for him or to stuff it into one of the stockings they had hung on the river rock fireplace. Either place seemed wrong for such a significant gift.

  “Did Santa find us?”

  Megan jumped and turned to see Josh standing in the doorway with a plate full of pancakes. “Don’t let these get cold,” he flipped one in the air for dramatic effect, catching it with the plate.

  “I’ll be right there,” Megan said and stuffed the box into the pocket in her sweater.

  Megan sat down at the picnic table since Josh was still building their harvest table, and he set down the plate in front of her. Blueberry pancakes, bacon, and sliced oranges.

  “You’ve outdone yourself.”

  Josh set down his plate and tossed the tea towel onto the table. As they ate breakfast Megan felt her stomach start to churn like it was about to betray her. She knew that it was either her nerves about the gift she had hidden in her sweater, or the gift itself, hidden inside her belly.

  She heard the creaking of wicker as Timber got out of his bed and the clicking sound of his claws as he crossed the floor to beg for some table scraps.

  “Sorry, pal none for you,” she said and forced down the last of the pancakes. She gathered up the plates and started to run the water for the dishes.

  Josh came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, her breath hitching as his fingers bumped the box hidden in her shirt. “Dishes can wait. It’s time for presents.” He kissed her neck and then bounded into the living room. “Here’s one for you,” he shouted from the other room.

  Megan turned off the water, took a deep breath and walked into the living room. She sat down on the leather ottoman and Josh handed her a box.

  She peeled away the paper and opened the box to reveal a teal green Gore-Tex ski coat.

  “It’s beautiful Josh.”

  Megan wasn’t lying, the coat was a gorgeous color of green, and after spending the last few months in Chance Rapids, Megan had really started to understand the value of waterproof breathable fabric.

  “I figured that Charlotte would want hers back if she ever comes back to town.”

  Megan didn’t know if Charlotte was going to come back after what happened at the Cafe.

  “Thank you, Josh. I love it.” Megan stood up and pulled the jacket on over her sweater. She zipped it up and held out her arms - it fit perfectly. She went over to the tree, selected a gift for Josh and handed it to him. He opened it and pulled out a new climbing harness. He raised his eyebrows at her.

  “If you want to get back into climbing, I thought you could use a new harness.” Freddie had gone shopping with her and helped her pick out the gift.

  “I have been thinking about getting back into some of my old hobbies. Thanks, Meg.” Josh kissed her. “I will need a partner for belaying though.”

  “I think that Freddie’s free.” Megan laughed and then nudged him. “There’s more in the box.”

  Josh picked up the box and shook out another, smaller harness. “I’m not actually afraid of heights, Josh. I’ll be your climbing partner if you’ll have me.”

  Josh pulled Megan to her feet and gripped her in a bear hug, the harness still in his hand, “I love you, Meg.”

  They continued opening small gifts and every time Megan reached her hand in to pull out the gift she had hidden in her sweater, Josh presented her with something else to open. “You’ve spoiled me,” she said, looking around her at the scarves, hats, wool socks, her new Chance Rapids uniform all strewn around her.