All I Want For Christmas by Liliana Hart Read Free Book Online Page A

the space, and when she looked at it detachedly, it seemed cold and lonely and just a little bit sad. It was hard not think of the families who were even now getting children ready for Santa to come or preparing food or sweets for the big family dinners filled with laughter and love—which was exactly where Grant would be. She quashed down the yearning that filled her and tried to busy herself.
    The book she’d chosen left her attention waning as she curled on the couch, and the wine she’d poured to soothe the jagged edges of disappointment tasted bitter on her tongue. It was then she thought of the lake that sat in the middle of MacKenzie land. She and Darcy had skated there often enough when they were children, and a little fresh air and exercise was probably exactly what she needed.
    She wrapped up in her royal blue coat and the hot pink scarf that clashed with her hair, grabbed her skates, and drove her ten year old Honda down the rutted path to MacKenzie land. She parked at the edge of a white rail fence and walked the next mile with her skates thrown over her shoulder.
    By the time she got to the lake, the clouds had started to gather and turn a smoky gray, but she estimated she had at least another hour before the snow would hit. Plenty of time. Then she could go home, drink some hot chocolate, and get some paperwork done before going to bed.
    Gliding around the ice and feeling the wind against her face had done more for her spirit than anything she’d experienced in a while. She didn’t think of her loneliness or lack of someone who loved her, just the air as it stung her cheeks and whipped her hair into tangles. The freedom of moving with reckless speed and taking in the quiet of her surroundings made a laugh bubble in her throat and echo off the trees. But it was quickly choked off as Grant MacKenzie walked out of the trees like some sort of apparition come to haunt her. Even in solitude, she couldn’t seem to get away from the powerful need she had for him.
    She shook her head, sure that her mind was playing tricks on her and he’d disappear just as quickly as he’d come. The sun glinted off hair that was as dark and thick as mink. His scarf was wrapped loosely around his collar and his leather jacket was open, showing a hunter green sweater and a pair of worn jeans. He must have escaped in a hurry, she thought. The MacKenzies had a tendency to be a little overwhelming when they were all in the same room.
    If she hadn’t been so caught up at the sight of him, she’d have been paying attention to where she was skating. The loud crack the ice made as she skated over a particularly weak section had her skidding to a stop, her muscles coiled in tension as she tried not to do anything more jarring than breathe.
    She watched as his head jerked at the sound and their eyes met. His mossy green eyes widened in terror and he yelled out, “Annabeth, don’t move a muscle.”
    Like she had any choice, she wanted to yell back but didn’t dare as he ran toward her at full speed. Another sharp crack followed the first, and as the floor gave way beneath her she had one final though before terror set in. If she was going to die, she was glad it was Grant’s face that would be the last she’d see.
    Frigid water covered her body, the temperature so cold it stole her breath and broke down her muscles so she couldn’t even fight her way back to the surface. She fought with every ounce of strength she possessed, but her clothes weighed her down and her limbs grew lethargic. Ice was already starting to form again where she’d broken through, and she knew if she took her eyes away from that one spot, the darkness of the lake would consume her and she’d never find her way out. She estimated she only had about thirty seconds left before she was dead from hypothermia anyway.
    Annabeth gave one last push and tried to reach the surface, and as her fingers strained for purchase, she felt the tight grasp of a hand clasp around