“Yeah,” Jake adds. “Don’t do anything special for us. Being here is special enough.”
Ethan shakes his head. “We do this for all of our guests here at the lodge. That’s the draw of a family-run business. We’re small enough to really get to know our guests and cater the stay to them so they have a magical experience.”
“It’s our pleasure. Truly,” my husband adds with a wink.
The crew of guests exchange quick looks before shrugging and smiling hesitantly back at us. “If you insist,” Jake says.
“I certainly won’t say no!” Donovan adds.
Co-Co beams. “Great! Then come with me, I'm going to show you up to the top floor where your rooms are. I’ve already had the staff bring up your bags. Feel free to take as much time as you need to get settled in. Then just head back down here when you’re ready and I’ll have a whole list of Christmas-y adventures for you to choose from.”
She leads the group toward the nearby stairs. The banisters are decorated in festive greenery and white lights that send shimmers of light across each step.
Each of the guests holds their mug of warm cocoa as they follow her toward their suites. Even Ryan hesitantly follows after Jake and Stacy, though I can tell by the longing looks he sends over his shoulder that he wants to keep playing with Ava.
I'm so glad my little girl is going to have a friend this Christmas. A child’s Christmas spirit is such a beautiful thing, and to have two little ones scampering about is only going to make it even more special. I'm already looking forward to watching them on Christmas morning.
As their footsteps get farther and farther away, Ethan heaves a sigh and shakes his head.
“You alright?” Owen asks, curiously.
He nods, staying strangely quiet.
“Did everything go smoothly this morning when they checked in?” Owen presses.
The whole trip over here, Owen and I had been talking about Co-Co and Ethan and how well they’d handled running the lodge without our parents for the first time. Of course, we hadn’t known about the last-minute addition of the celebrity Christmas crashers.
We both fully believe in Co-Co and Ethan’s ability to run the place but catering to celebrities is a whole different ball game. I’m sure with our help we’ll be able to give these guests a lovely Christmas, but my sweet little sister does tend to get wrapped up in the insignificant details of things instead of the big picture. I hope this doesn’t wind her up so tight that she can’t enjoy the holiday.
Dragging a hand through his hair, Ethan chuckles in marked disbelief. “Yeah, actually, everything went great. I'm going to be honest; I was nowhere near as excited as Chloe was when I heard these big-name celebs were coming here for the holidays. I thought they’d be all sorts of stuck-up and rude, but I was dead wrong. They’re so . . . normal. They even brought in their own bags. You should’ve seen the snowball fight they had too . . .”
A big smile spreads across my face. “Sounds like they’re going to fit in perfectly.”
We all grin at one another, clinking our mugs of hot cocoa together.
“Here’s to a very merry Christmas!” I announce, happily. “Let’s enjoy every second that we can!”
Chloe Martin
Lifting the warm mug to my face, I inhale the sweet fragrance of the chocolatey beverage. Everything about the rich hot cocoa is so perfect—just like this lodge.
“Can you believe this place?” I ask between sips of hot chocolate. It washes across my tongue, warming me to the core with every gulp. “We’re so lucky Stacy happened upon it while she was checking out field trip ideas.”
“It’s definitely one in a million,” Donovan muses in agreement. “I can’t believe it’s been owned by one family for so long. I wonder how long my company will stay in the Dunn name . . .”
My ears prick and I whip toward him, hurriedly scanning his face for any hint of emotion regarding what he’s hinting at.
Could he be thinking about our future, too?
It’s the first I’ve heard him reference anything like this. I want to ask him what he means, but he’s already been distracted by a pile of papers on a mahogany bureau.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I shake my head and look around the room. It’s beautifully decorated with framed pictures of the surrounding Pine Island landscape. I lean closer, wondering whether the trees in the grainy, old photos are still growing here, or if they’d stood proudly in the living rooms of the loving family homes nearby.
I stop in front of a particular photograph of a little family cuddled together, gazing up at their Christmas tree.
Will that ever be me and Donovan?
Last night, as I pretended to be asleep when Donovan finally came to bed, I made the decision that I was going to stop thinking about the future. At least for now, anyway. I want this Christmas to be a treasured memory, and by forcing a tough conversation with Donovan about settling down, I’d only taint the holiday for us both.
I can bide my time and try to enjoy myself for a few days—hopefully.
There will be time to talk when we get back to the city.
I sink down on the bed, stretching out my legs and flopping back on the pillows. Even the room smells like Christmas trees and roasted chestnuts. If I listen hard enough, I can just barely hear the tinkling notes of a holiday tune playing from somewhere in the lodge.
The bed is as soft as a cloud, the luxurious white sheets inviting and soft. If I wasn’t so excited to see what Co-Co had up her sleeves for our Christmas activities tonight, I might’ve dozed off. We had to get up pretty early to make the flight out here and despite pretending to go to bed early, I’d spent most of last night tossing and turning, at war with my emotions.
“I wish we were staying longer than just a few days.” I sigh aloud, gazing up at the ceiling before deciding to rest my eyes. “I think I could probably live here.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Donovan muses.
I crack open an eye, watching him, expecting him to be on his phone getting something done for work, but he’s actually flipping through a pamphlet about the lodge.
“What does it say?” I ask curiously, pushing myself up so I'm seated.
He looks up and flashes a smile. “It’s all about the history of this place. It’s pretty fascinating, actually.”
I gaze at him, taking in the way the afternoon light filters in through the window. The sunlight dances in his blue eyes and across his olive-toned skin. He really is the definition of tall, dark and handsome. And he’s all mine—at least for now.
I swallow hard at the thought and then push it far back to the darkest corner of my mind. Whenever we finally do have our talk about the future, I'm not sure how I’ll react if Donovan says he has trouble envisioning setting a wedding date, or beyond that, a family.
Will I accept that it might just take him longer to get to where I am—or will I walk away?
Either choice makes my heart feel like it’s shattering. This isn’t how I want to feel on Christmas Eve . . . at this gorgeous lodge, with this gorgeous man.
Donovan is the love of my life. I can’t imagine a future without him in it. There has to be a way we can work through this. I just wish I knew what that was.
I remind myself that I don’t need to dive into that now. The timing isn’t right. Besides, it’s almost Christmas and I'm determined to have a good time. Plus, Donovan hasn’t looked at his phone once since we arrived. That has to be a good sign. Maybe it really is possible for him to relax. I just need to plan more getaways like this in order to put some space between us and our jobs.
Stacy was right. This will be a chance for us all to clear our heads.
Donovan lays down the pamphlet beside his mug of untouched hot cocoa. He climbs onto the bed, making his way toward me until he falls at my side.
The moment he’s close enough, he reaches out his strong arms and pulls me against him. I nestle closer, resting my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat, finding comfort in the slow,
rhythmic pulse.
“I feel like this Christmas is going to be really great for us,” I murmur, drowsily.
His fingers begin to stroke through my hair, lifting the long, dark locks away from my face.
“It is,” he whispers assuredly against my scalp before pressing a soft kiss against my hair. “It’s going to be great for us in so many ways.”
He tightens his arms around me and I snuggle in closer, full of love and hot cocoa. My heart swells. In this moment, everything feels perfect. Maybe I’ve been worried for no reason.
A confidence that we will work this out fills me.
After all, everyone deserves at least one Christmas miracle in their life.
Stacy Davis
Clothes fly everywhere as Ryan digs through his suitcase. Apparently, he’s looking for something to wear that will impress Ava, who’d mentioned that she loves Christmas colors. Ryan’s favorite Christmas sweater, the one with a panda in a Santa hat, is red and green. I tell him it will do the trick.
Once he’s dressed to impress, I let the kid go crazy, opting to explore our large suite over worrying about his mess. He has his own little room inside the suite, so we have tons of space. The bedroom Jake and I share is huge and beautiful with large windows that overlook the tree farm below. Everywhere I look, there’s nothing but snowy hills and growing fir trees.
It’s as picturesque as a holiday greeting card.
I’d definitely been uncertain about dragging our growing family all the way out here for Christmas, but Co-Co, Ethan, Go-Go, and Owen all seem so inviting. It’s like they’re sincerely happy to share their lodge with us like we’re part of their family.
That wasn’t what I’d expected at all. I’d assumed, judging by the beautiful pictures, that a place this posh wouldn’t be so inviting and cozy. But thanks to Co-Co and Ethan’s warm welcome I feel really at home here. And I’m honestly a little bit too excited about the idea of baking Christmas cookies.
Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. It relaxes me. And I was a tiny bit sad that I wouldn’t get to make any of my holiday favorites since we were spending Christmas away from home. But baking Christmas cookies with those two delightful sisters . . . that more than makes up for it.
Ever since I learned about this pregnancy, I’ve been missing my family more and more. I grew up in a loud house with tons of siblings running around. I want that for the little family that Jake and I are starting. Being here just solidifies that for me.
It’s true I hadn’t planned on starting on my big family aspirations so soon, but some of the best things in life are unexpected, so I’m doing my best to embrace it.
Life has been changing rapidly lately. I know Jake and I still have a lot to figure out but being here is settling my nerves somehow. I’m hoping that feeling will rub off on Jake, too. Although, maybe I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself.
The idea of birthing one giant NFL offspring is scary enough. If we get too comfortable with the idea of our rapidly growing family, Jake might want to move out to the country and have a whole farm full of kids.
I rub my belly, trying not to think about all the terrifying new things motherhood will bring my way.
“You doing okay?” Jake asks. He steps up beside me, his arms protectively looping around my body as he presses a kiss against my cheek. “You look like you’re lost in thought. Are you feeling nauseous from the helicopter ride or anything?”
My heart melts as his warm lips meet my cool cheek. I lean against him, relishing how it feels to be in Jake’s strong, powerful arms. I can feel every muscle in his body as he holds me tight against him. It’s like being safely sheltered from a blizzard. If I could just stay right here in his arms, I know I’d be fine. Jake is going to be the world’s best father. That thought alone pushes my worries away—at least for the moment.
“No, I'm just thinking about how lucky we are to be here,” I answer honestly.
He chuckles. “That’s a far cry from how concerned you were last night.”
“I have to admit it’s worked out even better than I could have imagined so far.”
It’s true that I was worried this spontaneous trip might be a mistake. Even though I was the one to suggest the place, it was only out of desperation to stop my friends from making me pick a side between them. I just care about them so much that I never want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Plus, I’d been pretty sure flitting off to Pine Island was just a pipe dream. I never imagined that we’d be able to book a room—much less a whole floor—at this lovely lodge so last-minute.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this life. It feels like such a fantasy sometimes. I didn’t come from money; not that my friends did either. But we all seem to have so much of it now. I guess I forget that the sky is the limit for us.
I need to remember that the next time I suggest a wild last-minute trip. But this one seems to have worked out just fine.
Both Jake and Ryan are excited to get back outside to play in the snow. Ryan’s already begged to build snowmen and to have more snowball fights three times since we’ve been in our room. I’m exhausted, but we’re only here for a little while, so I want to make the most of it.
Hopefully I can sneak in a little time to relax, too. I know my days of being doted on are numbered. Soon I’ll have a little one who needs all our attention. I take comfort in the fact that Jake hasn’t stopped checking on me since we boarded that helicopter. If I need anything at all, I know he’ll be there for me—now and even when the baby comes.
I’m one lucky girl.
Jake rubs my back softly, his calloused fingers slipping beneath my shirt so that he can stroke my back. I close my eyes, a shiver rolling up my spine. When Jake touches me, I could melt into a puddle. All it takes is one little look or one soft brush of his hand against mine, and fireworks just explode everywhere.
I look up at him and he smiles softly, cupping my small face in his big hand. It’s almost mind-blowing how far we’ve come. Not only have we become a family between the three of us, but now we’re going to add one more to our little team.
Who knew I had so much love to give?
Speaking of . . . I let myself give in to my desires, wrapping my arms around Jake’s neck, kissing him deeply. He growls his approval and tugs me closer, knotting his fingers in my hair.
Suddenly, a pair of little arms flings around Jake and me, catching us off guard. We lurch to the side, but Jake catches us easily. Ryan giggles, beaming up at us. Though our special moment is lost, soon Jake and I are laughing right along with him.
Moments with this sweet little boy are just as special to me.
“Next Christmas after the baby comes, do you think we can all build a snowman together?” Ryan asks. “I’d even let her put the carrot nose on the snowman!” As he talks, he pinches his own nose so that his voice comes out high-pitched and silly, which makes him laugh even harder.
“You think the baby will be a girl?” I quip with a grin.
The little boy nods so determinedly that his brown hair falls into his brown eyes. When he’s looking at me with such resolve on his face, he looks exactly like a mini-Jake. From the photos I’ve seen of Jenny, Ryan looks just like his mom, too. That must give Jake such joy, to see his sister living on in Ryan.
“I think she’ll be a girl, too,” I say, and for a moment I’m caught up in my own overwhelming emotions, imagining what parts of Jake my baby will inherit.
“The baby has to be a girl!” Ryan continues, firmly. “That way she and I can be on a team when we have our snowball fights, and you and Jake can be a team. It’ll be even!”
Jake squeezes my hand and I laugh, wiping away my happy tears.
“Sounds like a plan to me, buddy!” Jake says, reaching out to give Ryan a high-five.
As their palms smack loudly together, I fondly watch the two of them, one of my hands resting on my belly again, this time without all the worry.
Every second of this trip is going to be one that I want to r
emember for the rest of my life, but the memories that are ahead of us are going to be just as precious.
I just need to take the time to enjoy everything as it comes.
One day at a time, I remind myself. One day at a time.
Morgan May
“Doesn’t this lodge feel so different than the hotels we’ve been staying at lately?” I ask once we’ve finally finished hefting every single one of my numerous suitcases across the spacious room. “Like, it feels . . . like a home instead of a lonely hotel room. It’s like staying at your favorite cousin’s place or something.”
“Favorite cousin?” Eric chuckles. “I didn't have one of those.”
I chuck one of my mittens at him. “You know what I mean.”
He smirks. “Yeah, but I can’t resist teasing you. It’s the only way I get to see that adorable pouty face of yours.”
“You mean this one?” I tease, giving him my over-the-top model pout.
Eric dazzles me with a grin. “That’s the one.”
He’s slowly undressing, discarding his leather jacket and letting it fall onto the hardwood floor. He pulls his shirt over his head, exposing tanned and tatted flesh. I'm content to sit back and watch the show. When he notices me watching, he winks and flexes his strong arms.
In the corner, Camilla is safely tucked away. I hope I can convince him to play his guitar and dazzle everyone at the lodge with some festive holiday tunes. It doesn’t matter how many Social Kingdom concerts I’ve been to, I always leap at the chance to hear my man play.
There’s a reason he’s such a wildly successful rockstar.
Eric King knows how to put on a show. And he’s all mine.
I sigh contently as I watch Eric change into warm, dry clothes.
“You better get out of your wet clothes too, babe,” he says, starting to unload my bags next.
I snort a laugh and join him at my suitcases. “Always trying to get me out of my clothes.”
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