The Christmas Dilemma by Sarah Vance-Tompkins

Author:Sarah Vance-Tompkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781961544437
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2023-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

ELI

Eli pulled Audrey closer and breathed in, savoring her familiar vanilla-sugar scent while he comforted her. He wasn’t certain if she was injured but he didn’t let go until her tears quieted. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he never wanted to let her go.

Since she’d been living at Hillcrest House, his days had a purpose he’d been missing. He’d isolated himself from his family. Now he needed to reach out. Even if she was dating someone else. He needed to tell her the truth. Not now. All that mattered at that moment was, she was okay, and she was with him.

He cradled her head in his hand. Let his fingers drift through the tendrils of her hair. She tucked her head back under his chin and pressed her face into his shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“What possessed you to drive out here?” he asked. “In a blizzard.”

“It was a beautiful day when I left. I needed some Christmas cheer. I decided to go to the source. So I went to back to Red Trillium Farm. But the storm rolled in so quickly.”

“Once again, Christmas proves to be the problem rather than the solution,” he said.

“In my own defense, it wasn’t snowing when I left Christmas Tree Cove. It wasn’t bad until I’d driven out past Sugar Hill.”

“Yeah. It’s dangerous when a storm comes on this fast,” he said. “Power is out county-wide. No cell service. And it’s going to be very cold tonight.”

Luke stuck his head into the cab. “Is she alright?” he asked.

Eli had forgotten Luke was standing by in the cold.

“I’m fine,” Audrey said. “It all happened in slow motion.”

“That’s the way it goes,” Luke said. “When it’s blowing and cold, there’s black ice on the road you can’t see.”

“Once the truck started to spin, I couldn’t get it to stop.” Audrey said. “We need to hurry. We’ve got to get you back to town before the worst of the storm hits,” Luke said.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Eli said.

Audrey wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her from the car and carried her back to Luke’s truck. She didn’t protest. Eli was surprised.

Luke was in full-on rescue mode. He opened the passenger side door and Eli deposited her inside the cab.

“Is there anything else you need in the truck?” Luke asked.

“My purse was on the floor on the passenger side,” Audrey said.

Eli started back to the truck, but Luke stopped him.

“I’ll grab it. Stay with her. Get her warmed up.” Luke said. He went back to retrieve her belongings.

Audrey brushed her hood off her hair and Eli got his first glimpse of her face. Streaked with tears. Her eyes red from crying.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Eli’s heart was in his throat. Something was wrong. “Did something happen? Something with your mom.”

She shook her head.

When Luke returned, he turned the heat all the way up to full blast in the truck. Eli pointed all the vents at her.

Luke hopped into the cab.

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