December 8
“Hey, Molly, Schrodinger, need a lift?”
The words, shouted over the roar of the snowmobile that came to a stop in front of her brownstone, sounded like the call of an angel to Molly. She and Schrodinger had been wondering just how they were going to get to the bookstore: the nor’easter that had settled in the night before was still dumping snow on the ground, adding nearly a foot to the already impressive amounts on the sidewalks. Sidewalks which at 6 am hadn’t been plowed, although the roads had. Molly, with no car, had been on the verge of going back inside and calling for a cab when the snowmobile had come up.
Now, she watched as the rider removed his helmet and gave her a shy smile. Luke Travers was the quietest and also the newest Gate tech in the Cove, another local boy who’d gone for his training and then come back home to work. Really, Drew was the anomaly, but Molly had heard mention that he was an orphan, so maybe that’s why he’d chosen to come to the Cove instead of back to his hometown.
Schrodinger looked up at her. Can we?
“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” she said, hefting her cooler and grinning. “Do you have room, Luke?”
He nodded and cut the engine so they could talk without shouting. “Once we saw it was still snowing, I volunteered to come and get you. Beat Drew and Tom to it by about two minutes.”
Molly blushed. “You guys! You’re awesome. Mal’s going to hate me, though. Stealing away his Gate techs.”
“Nah, he doesn’t mind.” Luke climbed off the machine and waded through the snowbanks over to her. “Let me take that. Besides, if we don’t get you to the store, who is going to send tea and cookies over to us? Pure selfishness, I assure you.” He took the cooler and offered her an arm, which she took gladly. “And it means I get to ride through downtown with one of the sexiest ladies in the Cove behind me. Talk about street cred.”
“You guys are getting your brains scrambled down at the Gate center,” Molly told him. “First Drew, now you – seriously, guys, I’m just a cook in a tea shop.”
Luke stopped short and turned to look at her. “You aren’t ‘just’ anything, Molly,” he said, and the slight tremor in his voice made her blink. “Don’t let anyone tell you that. You’re very, very important here in the Cove.” Then he grinned his shy grin again. “Besides, you’re not only sexy, but gorgeous and sweet and the best baker in the Cove and surrounding area. There’s no just about it.”
The words, more than she’d heard Luke string together in the past six months, floored her. “Really?” was all she could managed.
“Really.” Luke jumped down carefully onto the street and then turned. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her down. “There will be weeping when you finally find someone to steal your heart.”
“I think you’re all insane,” Molly said, climbing onto the snowmobile and watching as he lashed her cooler to the back of the machine. Schrodinger waited until Luke settled on in front of Molly, and then jumped in front of him and crouched low on the sheepskin there. “Don’t you guys have better things to do at the station?”
“Other things, sure, but they’re not as fun.” He handed her a helmet. “Hold on; the roads are slicker than they look. Schrodinger, make sure you’re anchored, buddy.”
Claws are dug in, the CrossCat said. This was a good idea.
“Drew’s,” Luke said, and then there were no more time for speaking, as he cranked the machine up. They sped through the pre-dawn twilight, the snow flying by them, and Molly gloried in the feeling. When Luke pulled up to the store, she was almost sorry the ride was over.
“That was awesome,” she said, handing him back the helmet after she’d clambered off. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem.” Luke stowed the helmet and then handed her the cooler. “Say, Molly, I know you and Tom had words…but are you going to the Snow Queen’s dance?”
“I don’t know,” she said, after a few moments when the snow falling between the two of them was the only sound on the street. “It’s a work night…”
“It’s also a day that every business in the Cove closes early,” Luke said. “Not an excuse.”
“We’ll see,” Molly said. “If I do?”
“If you do, save me a dance?”
She nodded, unable to vocalize anything else, and he grinned. “I’ll be back later for our cookies. Anything good today?”
“Walnut Rum balls,” she said, and he rumbled approvingly. “We just got in some lovely new spice teas, so I thought it would go well.”
“Good choice,” he said. And then he was gone, zooming up the street, leaving her standing amid the falling snow and wondering just what had gone into the water lately to have all the guys she’d thought she’d known turn into strangers.
I like him, Schrodinger announced, bringing her back to herself. Can we keep him?
“Maybe,” she said. It would certainly be a different relationship from Tom. Molly shook herself and turned up towards the store. “We’ll have to see…”
Her voice trailed off. There, peeking out from the holly leaves, was another red envelope.
She opened it, after she warmed up in the store, a steaming cup of the new tea next to her elbow. This time, the CD was surrounded by tiny glittery snowflakes that Schrodinger immediately attacked. For a few moments, Molly sat and laughed as he chased them madly around the kitchen, enjoying his antics. Then she looked at the scrap of paper that had come out.
It said, simply, “You look lovely in the snow. SA.”
And, of course, SA sent her this song. I’m in love with this version too.