Free Cross Country Christmas by Tiffany King

propped up, that will be fine," he said, closing his bag.
    "Would you like to join us, Doc?" Maggie asked. "I made pot roast," she added, trying to entice him.
    "Damn, I sure hate passing up your pot roast, but June and Tim already invited me over for dinner. You know it's dang near impossible for me to turn down June's chicken pot pie," he said, smiling at Grant and me. "You take it easy, young lady. I'll come back tomorrow evening to check your ankle," he said, heading for the door.
    "Wait, what do I owe you?" I asked.
    "Think nothing of it. Maybe one day you'll pass through again and take me out for a fancy dinner," he said, winking at me before leaving the room.
    "I can't believe how nice everyone has been," I said, completely perplexed.
    Grant laughed. "I know, right? But you know what? I'd like to think anyone in Woodfalls would do the same thing if two strangers like us needed a hand. Maybe when we get home we can think of some way to pay them back."
    "That can't happen soon enough, let me tell you. Tomorrow we're calling the rental company and figuring out a way to get us another car so we can get home.
    "You know we're going to have to wait until the storm passes, right?" Grant said, snagging two of the strawberries off the tray. He handed me one before popping the other in his mouth.
    I gaped at him for a moment, ignoring the strawberry.
    "What?" he asked at my guppy-like expression.
    "We're not leaving tomorrow?"
    "Jams, have you missed the blizzard outside? We're not going anywhere until it passes and they clear the roads. Tim was saying it could be Friday."
    "But, Christmas is on Thursda y— in three days," I said, stating the obvious. There was no way I could spend the next three days holed up in some honeymoon suite with him. "What am I going to do about my mom?" I added.
    He sat on the edge of the bed beside me, which momentarily distracted me. Did he have to be so freaking handsome?
    He smiled at me. Oh hell, did I say that out loud? It was the damn pills. I could already feel their effect as my brain took on a hazy quality.
    "My mom wanted me home for Christmas," I said lamely, trying to cover up what I may or may not have said.
    "Jams, I've known your family my whole life and I'm pretty sure your parents would rather you were safe. Plus, you heard Doc Jones. You need to keep your foot elevated."
    His words made sense, or at least I thought they did. Just to be safe, I nodded my head. Again, I think I nodded my head. I was finding it hard to concentrate on what we were even talking about. Whatever had been in the pills had broken my brain, but at least I could no longer feel the pain in my ankle.
    "Jamie, are you okay?" Grant asked, looking at me with concern.
    "I'm okie dokie artichokie," I sang, giggling at my rhyme.
    "I'm taking that to mean your pain pills are working," he said, moving around to the other side of the bed.
    "Just put it this way. I feeeeeeeeel good," I slurred.
    "I bet you do," he laughed, lying back against the pillows. For some reason, his action struck me as funny.
    "I've always wanted you in the sack," I blurted out. I sensed that I shouldn't have said that, but my tongue and brain seemed to be working against each other.
    "You have, huh?" Grant said, turning on his side. "Do tell."
    I tried to focus on his face, but that had become fuzzy too. "Yep, since high school," I answered, closing my eyes. "Because I loooooved you," I sang, smiling at how the words chimed through my head.
    Grant said something else, but it took too much effort to decipher. And that was the last thing I remembered.

Chapter 9
     
     
    My eyes fluttered open to the sounds of the wind howling outside and the fire crackling in the fireplace. I felt warm and cozy snuggled up in the bed with a large hand resting on my bare stomach where my shirt had ridden up. My groggy mind didn't connect the dots until I lifted my arms, spotting both my hands. Glancing down, I could see Grant's fingers splayed across my abdomen.