An Heirloom Christmas by Squires Megan

Author:Squires, Megan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chrissy

CHRISSY SHOT UP from the stool, the spark jerking her out of the trance she’d all-too-easily slipped into. She rushed toward the outlet and yanked the cord from the wall. The smell of electrical smoke in the air was so different from the kind her candles produced and it stung her nose and made her eyes water.

“What on earth happened?” She whirled around to face Nick. His hands were on his thighs and he shook his head like he had to collect himself and his thoughts before answering.

“Looks like maybe a tripped breaker,” he hissed through his teeth.

“From the heater?”

“More than likely.” He sighed and then stood. “Do you know where your breaker box is? I can check it out for you if you like.”

“It’s out in the front room. On the east wall, I think.”

“Gotcha. I’ll go take a look and see what’s going on.”

Chrissy was grateful for the temporary solitude. She needed a moment to herself to replay what might have happened had that outlet not popped so loudly, making her duck for cover.

She was about to kiss Nick.

Nick McHenry, her first boyfriend and ex-fiancé.

What in the world had gotten into her? Maybe it was the jacket. Snuggled up next to him, their bodies forced so intimately close, the pleasant, warm scent of his familiar cologne—it was like some portal had opened up and whisked her back in time.

She ran her fingers across her lips and briefly closed her eyes.

“Chrissy?” Nick called out from the other room. His tone held enough uncertainty that she knew her attention was needed elsewhere and not focused on old memories she had no business rerunning. “Can you come here for a second?”

When she rounded the corner, her heart bottomed out, like an anchor had been wrapped around it and thrown overboard.

Nick stood in the middle of the room, a light bulb in his hand.

“What—?” She nearly choked. “What happened?”

“It’s out, Chrissy.” His voice was gentle. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s gone out before. Briefly, but it always comes back on.” She tried to conceal the vibration in her voice. Rushing forward, she took the bulb from him. “We’ll just screw it back in. I bet it will work if we just put it back.”

“I already tried that.” He took a step forward. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s been on forever. I can’t imagine a tripped breaker is enough to make it go out for good.”

Nick’s sincere demeanor didn’t change as he came up behind her and placed a hand on the small of her back. “Maybe it was the storm. Who knows? But I don’t think it’s going to come back on, Chrissy. I don’t think it has anything left. I’m sorry.”

She shrugged like she didn’t care about the light bulb as much as she did. “It’s fine. It’s just a light. Some things aren’t meant to last forever.”

Nick pulled back his hand. “Right. I guess that’s true.”

“I should get back to my candle making.”

He looked at her like he’d been shocked with the same current that jolted the store moments earlier.

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