A very Mary Sheikhy Christmas - novella - completed

Chapter Two

Shaking his head, he opened the front door to get a blast of icy cold air mixed with a flurry of flakes. He had hoped, heart sinking. There was no way he was getting out of here unless flown out. He needed transport and fast. Turning on his phone, he had been charging all night, he tried to pick up a signal and got nothing, not even a beep or a single bar. No wonder, surrounded by the thick forest of trees all white with snow.

Frustrated, he rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't afford to be off the grid. Perhaps if he just left the panic button on it would get through eventually. They only needed to see it once to know he was in trouble and come searching for him, putting everything on hold, realising what was really important to him. Lost out here, in the wildness, surrounded by Miss Christmas herself. He glanced across at her silence, not even a hum, eyes downcast as she hugged her arms.

"So it's only all happiness and cheer in the cabin?" He asked, noticing the beauty of the place and the silence. Everything was crisp and clean. The low clouds lowering around them, surrounding them like an eerie mist. He could see how easily one could get lost. He touched her arm to have her jump, startled, so far away again. Once more he got the feeling something wasn't right.

She gave a little laugh, a sweet one, not false just startled. "Off with the fairies again as my mum would say." A sweep of sadness across her eyes, then gone, just like that.

"We might as we get out of here," he suggested softly to be frowned at. He waved the phone at her. They would send out a search party, no matter what, after not hearing from him for twenty-four hours. Within five kilometres they would pick up the silent beep. Within two days he would be gone and take his rightful place as ruler. It was where he belonged. Not here lost in the snow so far away from home.

She touched his jacket sleeve. "Why don't we go to the end of the driveway," she suggested. Nodding, they headed down enjoying the fresh air that was brisk and embracing.

"You're not going to burn anything while we are away?"

She hugged her arms to keep herself warm. "No, still waiting to go in the oven, the others need to go in the fridge and be kept cold until they are packed away."

He shot her a look. "Packed away? They aren't for your family?"

"Of course, I mean in containers."

"And you all big eaters of such things. It looks like you are feeding an army, not a family."

"I do gift packs for friends as well," she noted. They come to the end of the driveway where he tried his phone again with no reception. He looked up and down the white covered roads with very little show of traffic. The branches of the trees were heavy laden with snow that had fallen.

He tried again and still no signal, shaking his head. "We might as well go back inside." She nodded in agreement, rubbing her arms, as they turned and headed back towards the cabin in the hills. At any other time he would have enjoyed the views, the tranquillity of the place. Not today, not now.

Once back inside, after stamping the snow off their wellingtons, packed away, coats hung beside the door, Mary headed back into the kitchen. The table was covered in cooling racks of mince pies, shortbread rolled in baking paper resting before she cooks, taking them out placing onto a cutting board. Cutting them into 1/4 inch circles that she placed them onto waiting trays, and then pressed down with a fork, leaving an impression.

"Can I help?"

"See those little bowls," she pointed off to the other bench. "Can you grab them? Just put them on the shortbreads. Alternating, even missing one." He retrieved the small wooden bowls with chocolate buds, glazed cherries already cut in half, and walnuts. She cut, filled up trays, fork pressed as he added the decorative pieces, then placed in the preheated oven.

Twenty minutes later first batch cooked and another lot went in. Once cooled down, they were packed away in containers, separated by their toppings, after a dusting of icing sugar. Zareef personally tested each one, licking his fingers. "How about I hire you for my personal cook?" He asked. "I could get used to this."

"And you get pudgy and we don't want that, do we?" She placed the last container in the cupboards that were filling up. "I don't cook like this all year around."

"Good thing for me," he patted his stomach. "And my teeth."

Calling it for the day, after cleaning up the mess, Mary went about preparing a meal for them to eat in the main living room, Sparky followed Zareef out, used to him and scooped up the cat to hold in his hand. "So what do you think about all of this?" He asked to be purred at. "I can take you with me if you need rescuing?"

"Rescuing? From what? Me?"

Startled, he swung around, moaning inward. "Of course not."

She gave him a sceptical look. "Trust me Zareef, by the time I am finished, you will love this as much as I do," she spun on her heels, music up and walked out singing, Rudolf the red nose reindeer.

"That is yet to be seen," he mumbled, yet he could see himself falling for such adorable cheery Christmas angel.