Snowed in with the Grump by Fern Fraser PDF Download

Snowflakes danced in the air, creating a picturesque scene outside the cabin window. Inside, a crackling fire provided warmth and comfort, yet the atmosphere felt tense. Lily found herself snowed in with Max, known affectionately—though sometimes not so affectionately—as “the Grump.”

Max sat by the window, his arms crossed and a scowl etched deeply on his face. He was notorious for his gruff demeanor, but Lily had always suspected there was more to him beneath the surface. She glanced at the snowdrifts piling up against the door and sighed, realizing they were stuck together for an unknown stretch of time.

“Looks like we won’t be going anywhere for a while,” Lily remarked, trying to break the palpable silence.

Max grunted in response, not bothering to turn his gaze from the window. Lily took it as a cue to occupy herself, grabbing a book from the shelf and settling into a chair across the room.

Hours passed with only the sound of the fire crackling in the background. Lily stole occasional glances at Max, wondering what he was thinking. She’d always found his stern facade intriguing, a puzzle she couldn’t help but try to solve.

As evening descended, Lily decided it was time to thaw the icy air between them. She stood up, walking over to where Max sat, his attention still fixed on the wintry scene outside.

“Hey,” she said softly, taking a seat beside him.

He grunted again, but this time, he glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the snow.

“Alright, Mr. Grumpy Pants,” Lily began, trying to inject some humor into the situation. “I refuse to spend this snowed-in time in complete silence. How about we make the best of it? Play a game, maybe?”

Max raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes. “A game?”

“Yeah, come on! I’ll make it easy for you.” Lily grinned, grabbing a deck of cards from the nearby table. “How about a round of Go Fish?”

Max hesitated, then shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

They played in silence at first, but gradually, Lily’s chatter and playful banter began to chip away at Max’s stoic exterior. He found himself responding with more than just grunts, even chuckling once or twice when Lily teased him about his terrible poker face.

As they played, Lily discovered a side of Max she hadn’t seen before. He was competitive yet surprisingly fair, and his occasional smiles revealed a warmth that contradicted his grumpy persona.

As the game wound down, Lily glanced outside. The snow was still falling relentlessly, but the tension inside the cabin had dissipated. They had forged a connection through a simple card game, one that seemed to melt away the icy walls Max had built around himself.

“Looks like we’re in for the long haul,” Lily said, gathering the cards. “But hey, at least we’ve got each other’s company, right?”

Max nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Yeah, guess it’s not all bad.”

Lily grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment. She had managed to crack through Max’s grumpy facade, if only for a moment. It was a small victory, but one that made the snowed-in evening feel a little less daunting.

As the night deepened and the fire continued to crackle, Lily and Max found themselves engaged in conversation, sharing stories, and even laughing together. The cabin, once filled with tension, now radiated with a newfound warmth—a warmth that had nothing to do with the fire blazing in the hearth.

Snowed in with the Grump turned out to be an unexpected delight, a chance for two unlikely companions to discover that sometimes, the best company can be found in the most unexpected places.