Page 22 of Let it Snow Queen
I swallowed, leaning into the feel of his rough hand. “I do miss him.”
And I already miss you, too.
What was I supposed to say? Any sort of goodbye felt awkward. It was as if I didn’t know them well enough to express my conflicted feelings, but also like we’d known each other forever and I should be making plans with them. We should have been figuring out how we’d see each other again, but that was stupid. This was a random holiday hookup. They’d go on with their careers, and I’d go home to be smothered by my well-meaning family.
“Are you guys leaving too?”
His smile under his red beard faded a moment before he responded, “We’ll likely stay a few more days before heading back to California. There’s . . . a lot of paperwork to take care of.”
I huffed and turned my gaze back to the flame.
“Wouldn’t you like to see this place revitalized? More families, a booming economy, more resources to go around?”
His tone was genuine, so instead of being a brat, I considered it for a moment. “When I was little, there was this theme park that housed orca whales and made them do tricks. They were catching calves off the coast of Washington and hauling them in tanks to turn them into performers. My mom is a marine biologist and a huge supporter of saving the oceans. Anyway, she and I took a girl’s trip to basically intercept the fishing boat trying to capture the whale.”
“You’re kidding.” He laughed. “That sounds dangerous. You’re telling me two fathers let you both do that? You’d never get past the front door if it were me.”
A giggle escaped my throat. I loved that memory, though I’d never shared it with anyone. “They didn’t know. Mom told them we were going on a spa trip. We found an old fisherman friend of my mom and dad’s and stayed in his cabin. We lured the pod into the bay outside his private beach, and with some other local fishermen’s help, we strung out a net and kept them in the cove. The poachers looked for two days for the pod before giving up.” I shrugged. “After that, my mom worked some magic and made the cove a federally protected space.”
Gallow let out a whistle. “Wow, that’s actually badass.”
I nodded. “You could argue that taking the whales for educational purposes is moral, but it’s not. And neither is tearing down a forest for condos. Or, I don't know, destroying the local culture. The people here are kind and genuine. Do you think they’ll stay here once a bunch of city folk take over?”
He went silent for a moment. “I guess activism runs in your family?”
“Oh yeah. My papa operates free health clinics all over the world. My dad’s a Marine and wildlife photographer. He saved some rare species of owl a few years ago. My moms are huge advocates for foster children . . . and my mom and the whales. Plus, damn, add in accessibility and gay rights in there. I went to a lot of parades and town halls as a kid.”
He laughed. “Shit, Ruby. How are you all so remarkable?”
“I guess I never thought about it. Saying it out loud . . .”
“And you’re the conservationist of the family, I reckon.”
My heart warmed with something. “I never thought of myself as that. I just came up here to take photos of flowers and clear my head. But yeah . . . conservationist sounds kind of good.”
Gallow cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “So, Ruby, I was thinking. I know it sounds crazy, but—”
The front door flew open. Koji yelled, “Come help! Fox is in trouble!”
Panic flitted through me as Gallow and I bounded outside. I looked around. “Where is he? What’s going on—”
Something hit my shoulder. Surprised, I looked down to see a dusting of snow on my chest. Then another orb hit Gallow right in the face. Koji jogged across the way to where a hedge had been molded out of snow. The sound of Fox’s laughter echoed over the sparkling sheets of white. “Oh, you’ve gone and done it now!” Gallow shouted, taking my hand. “Come on, lass. We’ve got a battle to win.”
I giggled, relief and excitement showering me at once as I stepped into my boots, letting Gallow pull my coat over my arms. I let the big Irish man tug me down the stairs, and with a few large scoops of his big arms, Gallow and I had a fortress. I went to work on making as many snowballs as I could. Globes of white hit our shield as Gallow stood and threw his own. I joined him, laughing like a maniac as I hit Koji and Fox on my first throws. “That’s my girl,” Gallow cheered, taking the collar of my coat and pulling me toward him. As soon as I hit his broad chest, his lips found mine. I gasped at the feel of his warm lips and scruffy beard. Several snowballs hit us then, and I laughed into his kiss. Gallow wasn’t deterred, only holding me closer as I tried pulling away, his other hand flipping his friends off.
Suddenly, someone behind me tugged my wool ear band over my eyes. Before I could ask, I felt his teeth nip my earlobe. I reached around and gripped Fox’s hair while Gallow still held me close. “Good idea. How about we leave this on . . . but take everything else off.” The fire in my belly lit with anticipation.
“Blindfolded? Seriously?” I yelped as my mountain man scooped me into his arms.
Gallow chuckled darkly. “Fox and I will take good care of you.”
“Me too,” a third voice interjected as stairs creaked and the warmth of the fireplace met me.
My heart rate doubled instantly at Koji’s voice.
“Are you . . . okay with that, lass?” Gallow and Fox still had no idea Koji and I had already hooked up.
I nodded. “That’s fine.”That’s fine,as if I were ordering fries with my meal.Yes, I’ll take two nice men with a side of an angry one.