quickly became annoyed with myself for noticing it at all.
“Well, I…” I jiggled the key in the lock with no success. “I don’t do showers. I don’t have kids and my friends don’t have kids.”
His eyes landed on my hand with the key. “Here, let me help. There’s a trick.”
Why did I feel like there were many tricks tonight?
He handed me his balloons and the box, which was heavier than I expected, and all I could return was a grunt.
The man stepped next to me, and my body temperature rose instantly. I snuck a look at the guy towering next to me, and my belly completely flipped. His short, dark hair showed off his chiseled features, and the streetlight hit his eyes in a way that made them look golden.
So beautiful, in fact.
The door clicked open, and he stepped right inside. “You have to put light pressure on just the right spot, circle it a little, and then—boom.”
My eyes widened as my entire body felt like a wet noodle dangling… just dangling with a bunch of balloons to hold me up as I stared dreamily at this sexy stranger.
“What?” He cocked his head with his dark brows arching. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “Oh, the door. Yeah, totally.”
He looked completely bewildered and scratched his chin before I pushed the balloons and box back into his fists.
I mumbled a quick thank you and marched into the store.
Before he even had a chance to start down the sidewalk, a gust of wind blew the door right out of my hands and slammed it shut with a thud.
Well, that took care of an awkward goodbye.
Chapter Three
November 26th
The house on Hawthorne Avenue was exactly as I’d remembered it. My aunt had everything in its place, even though the place was tightly packed with shelves of books, figurines, and photos of my sister and me.
The one main difference between my parents’ home and Aunt Phyllis’s was that she used the fireplace for heat. A shiver rippled up my spine as I bent down and tried to light the kindling again.
No such luck.
Just as I about gave up hope, I saw headlights turn into the driveway and relief quickly spread through me as I hopped up on my toes and tugged my sweater tighter around my chest.
My family had made it.
And I would get heat.
I had been lucky enough to fly right out of Seattle on Tuesday. Unlike most years, I’d already taken most of November and December off from the hospital, and for the rest of the days I’d been scheduled, I’d used bereavement leave.
I quickly squashed the lump in my throat as I thought about those words and my aunt. Theoretically, after the twelve days of Christmas required by her for my learning curve, come December thirteenth, I could pack up and never return, but I wanted extra time here on Fireweed. I wanted to spend our last Christmas here, and my decision wasn’t due until December twenty-sixth.
Even though I wasn’t a fan of the season, and why would I be, I was over ten. I knew it would be my last chance to feel close to my aunt.
Things just felt so very wrong without her in this world.
My dad stepped out of the driver’s seat as I watched my sister, Renee, lean against the car door. She was a yoga instructor and had somehow managed to turn life into one big stretch. I was lucky I could reach my toes on most days and here she was doing some pose, so her life didn’t go out of whack. Between yoga and meditation, she also took amazing photographs.
I smiled and wandered over to the front door just as they made it to the porch.
“Fair warning. I couldn’t figure out how to start the fire, so it’s freezing inside.”
My dad frowned and cocked his head as he set down a suitcase. “Why didn’t you just turn on the heat?”
My jaw dropped. “She has heat?”
Renee chuckled.
My dad grinned. “Yeah, the furnace is right off the garage in that mudroom. Haven’t you noticed it?”
I rolled my eyes and groaned as my mom patted my back. “It’s okay. That’s what happens when we rip you from the Midwest and plop you in a desert.”
“I seriously almost froze to death last night.” I waved my family in and saw my dad sniffle as he straightened and picked up the suitcase. “Then why does she have so much wood stacked outside?”
My dad laughed. “It’s Washington. Bad weather happens and