Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

“He didn’t tell your secret,” Jack says in a soft tone. “The man’s in love with you, Frostie. Men in love don’t do that shit.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Tins chimes in. “So this is all my fault.” She smiles, but it quickly drops from her face as realization of everything falls down upon both of us. “I’ll kill him.” She starts to march from the room, but Jack snags her around the waist.

“Slow down, killer. Clause already did enough damage for one day in Westchester.”

“I bet I could do more,” Tins challenges. “I’ll take that whole town down. They can’t even do Christmas right.”

“Let’s discuss this at home.” Jack picks her up and tosses her over his shoulder.

“Hey!” she protests, which gets her a smack on the ass before Jack turns to leave. I hear the front door close a few seconds later, and the house falls quiet.

“It wasn’t you,” I say, and it’s not a question. Clause stands and picks me up in the process before carrying me over to the bed and pinning me beneath him. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I shouldn’t have—”

His kiss cuts off my apology, but it’s fine by me.

“I never should have walked away from you,” he says, and I melt at his words.

“I love you so much, it’s kind of scary.”

“I know because I love you too.” He drops his forehead to mine. “He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”

“I’m not mad about it. Not really.” I smile up at him. “It all kind of brought us together.”

“We were always going to be together, Frostie.”

“But this was quicker. Which is kind of like a box mix,” I tease.

A deep, sexy chuckle rumbles from him and I love the sound.

Sometimes box mix isn’t so bad. It’s really all about the frosting.





EPILOGUE





CLAUSE





Two months later…





* * *




“Are you sure this is okay?” Frostie asks Luna, the store manager.

“Believe me, after Mr. Sweetway’s, this is the greatest job ever.” Luna smiles as she takes the keys. “But even if I hadn’t worked for a monster, I would absolutely love this.”

“I hope you’re as happy here as I was.” Frostie takes one last look around the space, and I take her by the hand.

“You’re moving out of the apartment, not selling the business,” I remind her, and she rolls her eyes playfully.

“I know, I know. I’m not sad to be going, obviously,” she says teasingly. “It’s just the passing of a torch, I guess.”

“I’d gladly throw that torch across the state if it means you’re even more mine.” I pull her against my side, and she leans up to kiss my cheek as we leave the bakery.

The day after the incident in Westchester, Luna came to the bakery and talked to Frostie. She told us that Mr. Sweetway was really pissed about Frostie doing better business than him and he was desperate to find out what she put in her cupcakes. So he followed her the day she went to the grocery store, and he was planning on telling everyone until I entered her into the contest. When he saw she was going to enter a cake, he thought doing it publicly would hurt her business more.

Luna didn’t find out what was going on until the day of the contest, and she said Ray was the one that told the judges. He and Mr. Sweetway were friends, and together they got Frostie’s cake disqualified.

It’s been funny seeing the response since then because all it’s done is make her even more famous. Once people found out there was a way to get her treats even faster, they lined up outside in unheard-of numbers. Personally, I think most people want to give their business to someone more deserving than an old asshole who can’t stand a woman doing better than him.

“So what movie are we watching tonight?” I ask as I pull her up in my arms and place her in the cab of my truck.

“I think it’s time we watched The Grinch.”

“Hmm. I don’t know about that one. I heard he was mean to the dog.” Frostie smiles and then shakes her head indulgently. “What?”

“For a big grumpy lumberjack, you sure are adorable.”

“Watch it,” I say, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss.

“Fine, we can watch the new one. He’s nice to the dog in that one.”

“As long as I don’t get my heart broken.” Reaching down, I take her hand in mine and run my thumb over the diamond ring on her finger. I gave it to her after the cake debacle, but I had it long before then. Some might call me crazy, but I bought it after the first time I saw her. I knew I only wanted one woman in the world to wear this ring, and it was Frostie.

“Not with me,” she agrees and cups my cheek. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes, ma’am.”





BONUS EPILOGUE





CLAUSE





Seven years later…





It’s Christmas Eve, and the bakery has just closed for the day. Frostie has opened four other bakeries in surrounding towns, but the one in Troping is always the most popular for holiday treats. She stays open on Christmas Eve so she can fill the orders of the Troping residents who have been her customers since day one. Including me.