Page 40 of A Winter Thaw

“You don’t have a coat,” Theo said, his tone playfully reprimanding.

“I’ll be okay,” Michelle said through chattering teeth. “Thanks for all your help, Theo, really. It means a lot.” For a moment, she looked up into his eyes, and he swallowed.

“Here,” he said, taking his coat off. He hadn’t taken it off since he’d arrived at The Birchwood House. “Put my coat on.”

“Don’t be silly,” Michelle protested, even though she was touched by the thoughtfulness of the gesture. “You need your coat.”

“No, I don’t,” he said. “I’m nice and warm. Put it on, okay?”

Michelle pressed her lips together and then shivered more violently. Theo laughed and started to wrap the coat around Michelle’s shoulders. She made a faint snorting sound in a final protest and then slipped her arms into the coat. It was still warm with Theo’s body heat. It smelled faintly of woodsmoke from the fire, and like Theo’s cologne, which was a woodsy, musky smell that she’d never realized how much she liked until that moment. For a second, she just stood there, holding perfectly still. She felt suddenly shy and didn’t know what to do with herself.

“Thanks, Theo,” she said after a few heartbeats. “You’re… this is really nice of you. Everything you’ve done this week has been really nice of you. I appreciate it a lot. I didn’t even have to ask you for help. You just showed up and gave it to me.”

“I’m happy to do it,” Theo said softly. “I like spending time with you, Michelle. Even when we’re verbally sparring. But I do find it much more enjoyable when you don’t fight me on trying to be a decent person. I don’t want our whole thing to be giving each other sass all the time. I like… I like just being nice to you.”

Michelle found herself laughing. “I feel the same way. I’m getting so tired of the way we act like we’re obligated to butt heads all the time. Why do we act like that? It’s like we signed a contract when we were kids and we pretend it’s still legally binding.”

“I’ve been trying to figure out the same thing.” Theo grinned. “It’s like we’re hard-wired that way. But I think we could change that.”

“How?” Michelle meant the question to be playful, but it came out breathless.

“Well, how about this?”

Theo brought his face closer to hers, and before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her gently. Her heart began to pound, and an electric feeling of happiness and excitement rippled through her.

In the next instant, the lights snapped back on. The porch lights sprang to life, and the lights in the kitchen glowed, casting light onto Theo and Michelle through the windows.

The kiss had felt easy in the dark, but as soon as Michelle could clearly see Theo’s face, she felt embarrassed and startled. Had she really been standing there kissing her nemesis?

They both laughed, feeling awkward, and Theo shuffled his feet. For a moment, they looked at each other, and neither of them said anything. Michelle felt as though she had no idea what to say.

The moment was interrupted by Puddle bounding up the steps and wagging her tail expectantly in front of the side door.

“I—I’d better get back inside,” Michelle said. “I should make sure the guests have everything they need. Have a good night, Theo.”

She hurried inside the kitchen, feeling as though her cheeks were flaming. She was halfway across the kitchen before she realized that she was still wearing Theo’s coat. She took it off and set it on the back of a chair, glancing over her shoulder. Theo hadn’t come back inside, and she wondered if he was going to.

Go talk to him, she told herself. Go give him his coat back.

She felt overcome by shyness, however, and a moment later she hurried out of the kitchen. She wanted to distract herself with work for a moment before she even tried to process what that kiss might mean.

She went and spoke to all of the guests, making sure they were all comfortable and content. They seemed to be in excellent spirits, and most of them chose to stay gathered around the fireplace, talking and playing board games.

Michelle went around the house, blowing out all the candles. Her brain buzzed with the memory of her kiss with Theo, and by the time she got back downstairs, she was hoping with all her might that he was back in the parlor, chatting and laughing with the guests around the fireplace.

She stopped in the doorway of the parlor and looked inside. Theo wasn’t there, and her heart sank. She tip-toed into the kitchen and saw that his coat was gone. Theo was nowhere in sight. She walked slowly across the kitchen and looked out at the porch.

He wasn’t there either. Michelle bit her lip and turned around. She saw the coleslaw container she'd left out on the counter. She went over to it and put it back inside the refrigerator. She’d make herself dinner a little later. For the moment, she didn’t feel hungry at all.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Elaine opened up her laptop with a gentle sigh. Outside the window of the hotel room, snowflakes swirled frantically as another arm of the blizzard hit Boston. She was warm and cozy inside, enjoying a cup of coffee while she got some work done. Although at first she and Audrey had been terribly disappointed to learn that their flight had been delayed yet again, they had decided to put a brave face on the situation and make the most of it. The day before, the two of them had experienced a wonderful day exploring the city, and after a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant, they’d gone out to see a movie.

Although she missed The Birchwood House and Michelle and Shep terribly—and she was itching to get back home so that she could spend more time with their new puppy—she’d been having a wonderful time in Boston. As much as she enjoyed her work, it was still pleasant to have an extended break from her normal responsibilities. The hotel was beautiful and comfortable, the food had all been to die for, and she liked exploring a thrilling old city that had plenty of fascinating sights to offer.

She opened her email inbox, wondering if there was an update from the airline, and her eyebrows lifted curiously when she saw an email from the business conference that she and Audrey had just attended.

She clicked on the email eagerly and began to mutter under her breath as she read it. “Since the weather is impacting the vast majority of our guests…pulled together as a team… are happy to announce that we are offering free virtual bonus material, available today.” Elaine clasped her hands together, feeling excited. “Oh! That’s wonderful.”