Part 11



Tad sipped at his coffee, making a face at it before dumping the contents down the drain. He made his way out of the kitchen, approaching the fire. For a while, he stared, watching the flames flicker, only to be interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Tad made his way to the door, swinging it inward and stepping aside.

"Don't say a word," Dixie said. "I came by to get some of the Christmas ornaments I left in the attic."

Tad raised his eyebrows. "In the middle of a blizzard," he said. "Are you out of your mind? You can't go back out in this."

"Oh, don't pretend to be concerned, Tad." Dixie said, walking passed him and starting up the stairs.

"And you don't pretend I'm an ogre."

"An ogre?" Dixie laughed. "Ogre does you too much justice. Will you just show me where we put the ornaments, please."

Tad stood back a moment as Dixie continued up the stairs, before following her. "What possessed you to come out in a snowstorm?" Tad asked, pulling down the stairs to the attic.

Dixie stepped up first. "Not that it's any of you business," she said. "but I was trying to get back to Wildwind and decided to stop by."

"You can't get anywhere in this weather."

Dixie looked back at him. "Gee, thanks you for the newsflash, master of the obvious." Tad and Dixie stepped up into the attic. Dixie tried the light switch. "You still haven't changed this light bulb. I remember when it blew."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to fix that." Tad said, stepping ahead of her. "I think the box is over here."

Dixie cautiously stepped over boxes. "I don't know how you find anything up here," She said, maneuvering her way through the attic, catching her foot on one of the boxes.

Tad had turned, prepared to deliver a witty response. He threw his arms out, catching her as she fell. Dixie landed in his arms, looking up at him, a bit shaken.

There was an awkward silence. "Are you OK?" Tad asked.

Dixie swallowed. "Uh huh," she said, softly. Her eyes remained locked with his as she lifted her hand and pushed a loose piece of hair out of her face and back behind her ear. "You can let me up now."

"Huh?" Tad said. "Yeah. Oh, yeah, sure." Tad loosened his grip a bit so that Dixie could sit up a little.

Dixie supported herself by resting the palms of her hands on the floor behind her. Tad still hadn't moved. Dixie's mouth opened slightly. "Tad..." she said, her voice trailing off.

Tad put his arm around Dixie's waist, tilting his head down, kissing her. Almost without thought, Dixie brought her hands up to his face, deepening the kiss. Her hands moved back slowly tunneling through his hair as he leaned her down, hovering over her and they connected with a passion that was greater than either of them had ever experienced.