Stranded On Christmas Read Free

worry about anything.
You can go up to my room and take a warm shower. I'll take care of
everything. Just tell me your name first.”
    “ It's
Jessica. And you are?”
    “ It’s
a pleasure to meet you, Jessica. My name is Gideon. I'll be right
back. Do you need anything from your car?”
    “ Yes,
if it isn't a bother?”
    He
waited patiently for me to continue.
    “ I
have a couple of suitcases in the trunk and Pumpkin's basket, doggy
dishes and food are in the car too.”
    He
grinned at the name Pumpkin, but he didn't say anything. He just
nodded and went back out into the cold. What a great guy, I thought
as I looked around. I loved hearing him say that he would take care
of everything. That wasn’t something that I had heard often in
life.
    He
hadn't said that there was anyone else was in the house, but he also
hadn't said that there wasn't. I looked at the hallway and peeked up
the stairs. I went up the stairs feeling like an intruder. I opened a
couple of doors looking for his bedroom.
    I
found one that had a gray blanket on a brass bed. It had looked the
most manly.
    All
the rooms had been old fashioned with antique furniture, not the fine
kind that you see in auction houses but the simple sturdy kind.
Otherwise, the rooms were very plain, like no one actually lived
here.
    I
opened a door and saw that it was his closet. He didn't have much,
mostly work clothes. I quietly closed the door. He was being
exceptionally nice to me. I didn't want to snoop.
    I
opened the next door and found myself standing in a very modern
bathroom. I figured that he had bought a fixer-upper and was working
from room to room.
    This
one was finished. It looked great. It had a huge bathtub and double
sinks. Unfortunately, he had chosen gray tiles and black slate floor.
The room was very dark but extremely elegant. It was masculine. With
a couple of rose-colored towels and some scented candles this room
could be feminized. From the absence of such touches, I guessed that
he was single.
    I
shook my head at myself. There was no way that he would be interested
in me. Not even Jamie, who was going to take me to his parents, was
really in love with me.
    I
got undressed quickly and took a warm shower. The hot water felt so
good. I hurried out and wrapped myself up in one of his huge gray
towels. I rubbed my body to dry myself off. My blood was finally
circulating like it should.
    Once
I was dry, I looked at myself in the mirror that covered the area
over the sinks from wall to wall and up to the ceiling.
    I
noted that I was a little cuddly. Not obese but definitely not model
thin either. My breasts were nice sized because of the extra pounds.
My waist could be tinier. I wished that I had done all of those
exercise DVDs that I'd bought over the years. If I had a bit more
discipline, I would be profiting from it now. Maybe if I were
prettier or smarter, I could be at Jamie's parents' house right now,
and he would be smiling at me. It was a nice dream.
    I
snapped out of it when I heard the loud puffing of a tractor outside.
I went to the window and looked out. The snow was really coming down.
Thick heavy flakes were falling on the other side of the window.
Gideon was on the tractor with my car hitched up behind him. He
pulled into a well-lit barn.
    Then
I saw him coming out with all of my things. He had one suitcase was
tucked under his arm, and one he held by the handle. In his other arm
he had Pumpkin's basket with the dishes and dog food in the basket.
He closed the barn door with his foot. Then he ducked his head down
because of the cold wind and hurried into the house.
    I
heard him downstairs. He was talking to Pumpkin. It sounded like he
was feeding him and talking about laying his basket next to the
fireplace.
    This
Gideon was making lots of points with me. I was hoping that I would
be able to pay him back one day.
    I
heard him coming up the stairs, so I wrapped the towel closely around
my body. He walked right over to the door. I felt my heart