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He squatted down before the hearth and looked it over So, made sure there were two boxes of safety e delivery of firewood

That didn’t make much sense

There’d been aiting, the last time he and Holly had cos stacked here, beside the hearth, but the rest had been neatly stored in a little shed that was built onto the back of the garage…

A grin spread across his face Hastily, he pulled on his trousers, his shirt and his shoes Then he h the silent cabin to the kitchen, opened the back door and stepped outside

Tenwas draped over the back of the sofa And he had a big, beautiful fire glowing on the hearth

He held his hands out to the flames and smiled with satisfaction Then he looked back up the stairs Holly had all but told hie her mind, when she saw the fire

He ran up the steps, then stood outside her roo but then, after a h of the wind in the eaves, perhaps…

Or the sound of a wo

He hesitated, then rapped lightly on the closed door ‘Holly?’

There was no response

‘Holly?’ he said, and knocked again

The noise, whatever it was, stopped

‘Holly? Are you okay?’

Silence Nick frowned and put his hand on the doorknob

‘Holly, answer me!’

‘What do you want?’ Holly said, in a muffled voice

Nick leaned his forehead against the door and heaved a sigh of relief

‘Are you okay in there?’

Holly grabbed a tissue frohtstand, wiped her eyes and blew her nose

‘I’m fine,’ she said Tears spilled down her cheeks and she rubbed them aith the back of her hand ‘Just—just a little chilly’

‘That’s what I want to talk to you about Can I come in?’

She hesitated If Nick saw her like this, ould he think? She’d been crying for so long…her eyes and nose were probably pink and swollen