Page 46 of A Newport Christmess

I hurried after him. “Where are you going?”

“Outside to see what that sound was.”

Or who it was. “In the storm?”

“I’ll be fine. Lock the door after me, and I’ll be right back.”

I gave a meager nod of agreement, and he slipped out. I bolted the door behind him when guilt riddled my mind. What if I was sending him to his death—unarmed and unsuspecting? That was a heavy burden to live with. Besides, I had no idea where my phone was, and the house was too dark for my comfort level. Without another thought, I pulled on my boots by the door and grabbed the iron skillet from the table.

When I stepped into the frigid night air, the snow whipped around me. I glanced around, but I couldn’t see Landon. My body convulsed in some sort of intense shiver, and my teeth clanked together in repeated motion. Maybe I should have waited for him inside like he’d said. But what if he needed me?

Footprints in the snow caught my attention, and I carefully stepped where he had. Snow found its way into the tops of my untied boots, but I continued around the house, wishing I had thought to grab my coat. Landon stood toward the far side of the house, his shoulders rounded from the cold. He directed the unimpressive amount of light emanating from his flashlight upward. I continued forward, my gaze locked on what he was staring at—a long, thin piece of metal hanging from the roof. I glanced behind me to make sure no one was around.

After a minute, he turned off his flashlight and shoved the phone in his pocket, starting toward me with his attention on the snow in front of him.

“What is that?” I asked when he was close enough to hear me.

His eyes shot up, and he froze. “Jeez, Quinn.” He released a puff of breath, and his expression softened. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing, and you don’t have your coat.”

I lifted the iron skillet as evidence. “I thought you might need my help.”

He bit the inside of his lips as though trying to prevent a smile. “It’s just the rain gutter that’s come loose. But had it been something more sinister, you would have single-handedly scared the culprits away. One look at you and”—he tossed his thumb over his shoulder—“gone.”

I scoffed. “Remember, I’m tougher than I look.” As though my body wanted to mock me, it gave another uncontrollable shiver. “When I need to be, anyway.”

He chuckled. “Let’s get you inside.”

With careful steps, we made our way back into the stairwell, and Landon locked the shared door behind us. “You going to be okay?”

I batted at the air. “Of course. It’s not like I’m afraid of the dark.” Mostly.

His hand hesitated on the doorknob to the downstairs apartment. “Are you sure?”

I started up the stairs to prove my point, glad the stairwell window let in a faint light. “Yeah. Besides, we both know you need your sleep,” I said, hoping it sounded more playful than accusatory.

He laughed. “If something comes up, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll keep my phone by me.”

Reaching the landing, I creaked the door open, staring into the dark house. I swallowed. Just because it was dark didn’t mean it wasn’t safe. Our house check had been thorough—at least, pretty thorough. There were a few places we hadn’t looked on the main floor, and I had stupidly left the door unlocked while we’d been outside. I hadn’t noticed any extra footprints in the snow to indicate someone had taken advantage of the opportunity, but how carefully had I looked? I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to find Landon still standing at the bottom, waiting. “We didn’t check the coat closet,” I blurted before I could stop myself. “Or the broom cabinet in the kitchen. Or the laundry room.”

Landon started up the stairs, his smile discernible in the dim light.

“And we missed the downstairs bathroom,” I said, my voice catching as he stepped next to me on the landing. His warmth penetrated into me. Since when did my insides morph into a kaleidoscope of butterflies at the thought of being alone in the dark with a man? This was not good. I was not supposed to be having feelings like this for Landon.

When I bolted the door behind us, I felt oddly aware of Landon standing at my side.

“Anywhere else we should check?” he asked, only his shadowed features visible in the thin veil of light coming from the sliding glass door.

“No. I think that should be it.” I hesitated, wondering how much to show the crazy card. But it was unnervingly dark, and since I had to sleep here by myself, I might as well mention my concerns to prevent Landon coming back a second time if my imagination got the better of me. “Unless, when we were outside, someone moved from one of the new hiding places to somewhere we’d already checked. Or came in through the unlocked door.” There it was. I’d officially revealed an exponential growth trajectory on my crazy.

“The whole house it is.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket again and aimed it downward. “Do you want to come this time?”

Yes, I absolutely did. And that was the problem. Since it was improbable that there was anyone hiding in the house (though it was always safe to double-check), it was growing clear to me why I wanted to go—the accidental touches, the sound of his laugh, and the memory of his hand on my waist. I didn’t trust myself. Not at all. Not with these stirrings inside me. “I’ll wait here.”

* * *

“The house is secured.” Landon had made quick work of the house check.

“Thank you.”