Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

When I walk into the inn, the receptionist gives me a friendly wave before she texts something on her phone. It feels like she’s watching me too as I go to the bar and take a seat. From this vantage point, I can see everyone that walks in or out of that door, and I don’t plan on moving until I see my Caroline.

A few minutes after I sit down, I see the deputy come in, followed closely by the person I think is the owner of the inn. There was a photo of him with a few of the staff in the lounge area. I stared at it for a long time, making sure Caroline wasn’t in it.

“More cider?” one of the staff says as she comes over and glances down at my empty cup.

“Yes please,” I say and then reach into my wallet and pull out a hundred-dollar bill. “And I’d like a little information too, if you’ve got some.”





CHAPTER 3





CAROLINE





“I’ve got cupcakes and sugar cookies,” Frostie sing-songs through my door, giving away the fact that she’s up to something. It’s not abnormal for her to bring me sweets, more so now that I’m pregnant and had a small scare last week. The suspicious part is that she was here two hours ago. My small dining room table is still filled with the last batch she dropped off.

This time it’s a hard knock on the door, and I know who it’s going to be before she utters a word.

“The police, open up!” Tins shouts.

“Don’t scare her; she'll go into labor,” Frostie snaps.

“She can’t go into labor, it's too soon.”

“You cheated off me in biology. You have no clue about anything,” Frostie hisses back at Tinsel.

“Yeah, I cheated off you and still got a C, so you don’t know shit either.”

“I’m coming, you dork balls. Stop bickering.” I turn off my alarm and open the door to my tiny cottage that’s close to downtown. Tins’s patrol car sits out front, and I shake my head.

My place is close enough that I can walk to the dress shop. I moved here a month ago, knowing the little apartment I had over the dress shop wouldn’t be enough space for me and a baby. It was barely enough room for me because I filled the space with fabric. I swear every day I get more and more orders, and I can’t keep up. I had to put a hold on orders for the time being, but I’m glad that my new place has two bedrooms.

The second I see the two of them, Tinsel is walking right on in. “We need to talk.” She walks over to the dining table and inspects the desserts. I don’t think she gets her fill of Frostie’s treats as much as she once did now that she doesn't live over the bakery and has moved in with her fiancé.

“Is that a paperclip in your hair?” I ask her. She feels around for a second before pulling it out. “Desk sex,” she mutters and tosses it on the table.

“You don’t have cupcakes or cookies,” I point out to Frostie as she comes in behind Tinsel. I don’t know what I would do without these two. Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, they’ve been my support team.

They don’t even push about who the father might be, though I think they’ve already narrowed it down to not being someone who lives in our little town. That wasn’t a hard one to figure out, though. Hell, we’d all been shocked when those two little lines showed up. Tinsel and Frostie were because they didn’t know I’d been with anyone and me because what are the freaking odds?! I spent one night with the man, but apparently that’s all it took.

“I needed you to open the door.” Frostie shrugs shamelessly. “Sweets always do the trick.”

“Have you ever knocked and I didn’t answer?” I laugh. They are both being really weird.

“Sit down, Caroline. You should be taking it easy.” Frostie pulls out one of the chairs for me, and I wonder what the heck is going on.

“Wait, let me grab something.” I go back into the living room where I was sitting on the sofa with my drawing pad and watching a marathon of holiday movies.

My eyes linger on the scrap of paper sitting on the end table. I never keep it far from me even though I know the number by heart. The smell of Colden is long gone from it, but I know at some point I’ll have to use it. I almost used it a week ago when I had that small scare, but once I got to the hospital and they told me I was okay, I decided to hold off for a little longer.

The doctors didn’t put me on bed rest or anything, but I’m still taking it easy. I think I gave myself more of a scare than anything that day. I’d dreamed of Colden all through the night and when I woke up, I felt some funny cramping. Once I saw a few drops of blood, I panicked. I know it’s me working myself up, but I’m doing this alone, even if the girls say they’re going to be with me on this journey. At the end of the day, it will be me and this little boy all alone. Tins is starting her own love life, and I’m pretty sure something is up with Frostie. I’m just not sure what it is yet.

“Stop stalling,” Tinsel calls after me with a mouth full of cookie. I’m pretty sure she’s pregnant but hasn’t taken a test.

“I’m grabbing this.” I hold up the notepad.

“Is that my wedding dress?” Tins wipes the crumbs off her mouth with the back of her hand before she takes the pad from me. “You really are amazing.” A sparkle lights up her eyes. It’s a sweet reminder of why I do this.