Read Stranded: A Christmas Story for Free Online Page A

my trip to town one day. Last year I didn’t have anything to put on the tree but pieces of yarn.” He looked at her. “It’s nice to have someone help me properly decorate it.”
    Lydia blushed and he laughed. “It’s pretty when your face colors up like that.”
    She shrugged. “Maybe I’m still not used to compliments, even though I tell myself I am.” She paused, looking at him over one of the branches.
    “Mason, can I ask you something?”
    “Sure.”
    “Do you think it makes me a bad person to actually be enjoying myself when my family is so disappointed by my absence?”
    He stopped what he was doing. “No,” he said. “I think everything happens for a reason. Sometimes…”

He stopped talking. “Hold on…”
    “What’s going on?” She followed him as he walked to the back window and looked out. Lydia gasped. Two huge black bears were circling the shed where he’d cleaned the elk. Mason picked up a gun from a rack on the wall, opened it and put two bullets in it.”
    “Stay here,” he said.
    “Maybe I can help!” she said, although she wasn’t sure what she could do.
    “No. You stay PUT!” It was an order, and she stood nervously watching as Mason went around back and raised the gun in the air and fired. One bear retreated to the woods, but the other stood up, obviously undeterred.
    Mason fired again and the bear dropped to all fours and began to shake its head like a bull, starting a slow, methodical charge towards the house. Without thinking, Lydia picked up her bright pink parka and ran out the back door, waving it frantically. The bear stopped, obviously unnerved by the unfamiliar noise and motion of the parka. It backed up through the drifting snow and stood there. Lydia picked up a piece of firewood and lobbed it at the bear, hitting it in the head. It grunted and turned. Lydia breathed a sigh of relief but the relief was short-lived as the bear turned and charged.
    “Get back!” Mason had come through the house and was now pushing her behind him as he pumped the shotgun and fired. The bullet grazed the bear’s shoulder, sending it running with a howl of pain. Lydia stood there, listening as it crashed into the woods.
    “Get inside,” Mason’s tone was curt as he pushed her into the door.
    He popped the shotgun open and removed the bullets before hanging the gun back up and turning to her.
    “Didn’t I tell you to stay inside?” he asked.
    “Yes,” she said. “But…”
    “No buts,” he said. “Did I tell you to stay inside?”
    She nodded.
    “And you disobeyed and almost got yourself mauled.”
    “But I didn’t!” she protested.
    “You came closer than is comfortable for me,” he said and took her by the arm. “I told you, Lydia. As long as you’re here, you’re going to mind me. And if you disobey you’re going to suffer the consequences.”
    He led her to the sofa and Lydia began to protest as she realized she was in for a repeat of the spanking she’d gotten the day before.
    “No,” she said. “You can’t seriously be thinking of doing this again! Don’t! Please!!”
“Sorry,” he said. “But if this is what it’s going to take to keep you safe this is exactly what you can expect.”
    Mason sat down and pulled Lydia over his lap, but she decided this time she would not go down without a fight. Leaning over, she bit down on his calf, hard. Mason shouted in pain and stood her up. Lydia’s face was smug. She’d won. Or so she thought. Instead, she was horrified to see his hands move to the snap of her jeans. The next thing she knew they were being jerked down to the middle of her thighs.
    “You can’t be serious!” she cried, reaching for the waistband of her jeans. But Mason wouldn’t allow her to pull them back up. Instead he threw her back over his lap.
    “You, you…motherfucker!” she cried, afraid to bite him again for fear of what that might bring.
    “Profanity, too? Tsk. Tsk…”
    He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her