Christmas at Fireside Cabins: An absolutely heart-warming and feel-good festive romance

by Jenny Hale

  “We’re going inside,” he told her.

  “What?” She twisted her head around to make eye contact. She wanted him to see the genuine shock on her face. Bats and other creatures could be lurking in there.

  He chuckled. “Listen.”

  Lila’s hearing sharpened as she leaned in toward the cave. She could hear a static shushing sound. “What am I hearing?” she asked.

  “Go in and find out,” he urged her.

  Once she edged in a little bit, she could see light coming from somewhere, so she didn’t feel too worried going in, and Theo didn’t seem fearful at all. Her curiosity got the better of her and she ducked down, moving into the cave. When she got past the initial opening, the cave widened into a larger space, allowing her to stand up, her eyes adjusting. Lila gasped when the sight registered.

  Theo came up behind her and put his arms around her.

  They were inside the enormous mound of rock, standing at the edge of a turquoise pool of water that bubbled and fizzed. Lila followed the flow to its source, tipping her head toward the opening in the heavens where the rock gave way to gray skies, the snow filtering in with the light over an enormous waterfall. She watched the snowflakes disappear when they hit the surface of the water. She was so mesmerized by it that she didn’t notice Theo had let go of her.

  Lila tore her eyes from the magnificent sight to find Theo sitting on a plaid blanket, holding a thermos and two cups.

  “Hot cocoa?” he asked.

  “Where did you get that?” she asked, sitting down beside him.

  “I told Eleanor I was bringing you here.”

  She smiled.

  He unscrewed the lid of the thermos and filled the mugs.

  “What is this place?” she asked.

  “It’s called Pirates’ Bash. The story goes that a pirate who’d stolen a ship full of loot hopped on a carriage across country, landing here in Tennessee. He found this place and buried his loot here. No one’s ever been able to find it, but in the summer, when the water sparkles under the sunlight, it shimmers gold. It’s an old mystery that no one’s been able to solve. Some people think it’s the way the sunlight hits the wet limestone at the bottom of the pool, but no one’s sure.” He handed Lila her mug.

  “This is incredible,” she said, taking off her mittens and holding the cocoa in her hands.

  Theo set his mug on the rock floor beside him and leaned back, looking up. “When I first arrived in Pinewood Hills, I needed to escape the noise of my life, so I did a lot of hiking and camping in this area. On summer mornings, before opening the coffee shop, I’d come out here to read. I’d sit with my feet in the water, the birds chirping, the sun just coming up, sending a pink and orange light across the rock. It’s so peaceful.”

  “I can imagine,” Lila said. She eased herself back beside him and he rolled onto his side to face her.

  “I’m proud of you,” he said with a smile.

  “Proud?”

  “For rock climbing,” he replied, his grin widening.

  She inched toward him, propping her head up on her hand. “Rock climbing was a little different this time.”

  “How so?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t let me fall.”

  “I’m glad we got back when we did,” Lila said to Theo, slipping her key in the lock of her cabin. “The snow is really coming down.”

  “Is there any wood outside?” he asked. “We should start a fire.”

  “There’s a stack at the back of the cabin,” Lila replied.

  “Okay,” he said as he shut the front door behind them. “I’ll get a few logs and make a fire for us.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Lila said. “I’m freezing. It’s incredible how cold that walk to the car was after being in the warm cave.” She shrugged off her coat and hung it on the hook by the door. “I’ll pour us a glass of wine and fix us some lunch.”

  “Awesome,” Theo said, kissing her cheek before heading toward the back door. “Back in a sec.”

  While Theo got the fire going, Lila made them a couple of sandwiches and poured two glasses of white wine, setting them on the coffee table. She lit one of Piper’s candles to send a cranberry scent around the room.

  With the flames licking their way up the stone chimney and the snow collecting on the windowsill, Lila switched on the Christmas tree lights and sat down next to Theo, picking up her sandwich.

  “Thank you for showing me the waterfall today,” she said, folding her legs underneath herself and snuggling up to him.

  “You’re welcome.” He stole a bite of her sandwich.

  “Hey,” she laughed, pulling it away. “Get your own sandwich. This one’s mine.” She reached for a glass of wine and handed it to him. Lila was aware she was already under enough of a buzz just being with Theo. She wondered where they’d go from here. “So… what are you doing for accommodations tonight?”

  “What do you want to do?” He’d turned the question around on her.

  “Want to stay over again?”

  “Yes,” he said, an indecipherable look in his eyes. It was as if asking anything more of him than that brought all the uncertainty straight back.

  “It’s okay, you know,” she said. “If you stay, we can still take everything one step at a time.”

  He nodded. “Think Eleanor would let me borrow her car to run to the coffee shop really quickly, so I can pick up my bag with my toiletries?”

  “I’ll text her just to be sure, but it’s probably fine,” Lila said, taking out her phone and tapping away. She got a response immediately. “She says, ‘Yep!’”

  “Excellent.” He set his wine down and grabbed his sandwich as he stood up. “I’ll take this with me. Back in ten minutes or less.”

  She watched him head off, thinking that things could only go up from here.

  Lila stood at the front window of the cabin, watching the massive snowstorm unfolding outside under the porch light, Eleanor’s tin of cookies in her arms. She ate another salted caramel thumbprint cookie, getting more frustrated by the minute. She wasn’t sure if it was the number of treats she’d had on an empty stomach, or the fact that Theo had been gone for over an hour now, that made her stomach ache. They’d missed their window for dinner, and Smash Perry was due to arrive any minute. She had no vehicle and no way to get in touch with him.

  Had he slid into a ditch? Was he on the side of the road with a flat tire? The roads were most certainly treacherous… Or did something else happen? She recounted the moments before he’d left, trying to figure out what he could be doing, and all she could think about was the uncertainty she’d seen in his eyes. Surely, he wouldn’t have taken Eleanor’s car and left town… Would he? But all she had to do was remember the way he’d looked at her with complete honesty, and she knew he’d never do that to her. Which made Lila start to worry all over again.

  Before she could ponder any other ideas, a red Ferrari pulled to a stop outside and Smash got out of it. After Theo’s story, she didn’t even want to think about how that man still owned a luxury sports car when he’d had to steal money from his own son.

  He was smaller than he looked on television, a little older. But even his casual attire screamed musician. He had on jeans with a long coat, a stylishly battered and worn shirt under it, and boots. His longer hair gave him a look of ruggedness, and she could almost make out Theo’s face in his, noticing right away that they had the same blue eyes. Smash bounded up the steps and knocked on the door. Lila’s heart raced, fretting about what might unfold.

  What would she say to him? Where was Theo? Lila opened the door.

  “Hello,” Smash said in his cool swagger. He looked over at the cabin number. “My son Theo said to come to this address. Who are you?”

  “My name is Lila Evans,” she replied. “I’m renting this cabin, and since Theo is selling the coffee shop, he’s sort of staying here.”

  “Selling the shop?”

  “Yes, that’s right.” She wished Theo was there to int
ervene, because she wasn’t sure how much he wanted her to say. “It’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand. He shook it, his face curious. “Come inside.”

  Piper would die to know that Smash Perry was standing in the little cabin kitchen with Lila.

  “Where’s Theo?” he asked.

  “I’m wondering the same thing. He left a few hours ago and said he’d only be ten minutes or so. He knows you’re coming, so I’m not sure what’s going on. He was just heading over to the coffee shop to get his bag.”

  “Hop into my car. Let’s go look for him.”

  She stared at him, hesitant. The next thing Lila knew, she was bundled up and sliding into the soft black leather of the Ferrari, the car purring like a content kitten. She folded her hands in her lap, reluctant to touch anything. Smash put the car in gear and pulled out of the drive, the ride feeling as though they were gliding on ice.

  “You know your way to the coffee shop?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said.

  Lila sat quietly, unsure what to say about the fact that Smash not only stayed at the cabins but also seemed to know all about Theo’s coffee shop. But it wasn’t her place to ask, so she didn’t comment, hoping that they’d find Theo soon.

  They drove the dark country roads, the luxury car hugging every turn, taking the curves easily, until they pulled up to the coffee shop.

  “Theo’s truck is there, but he took my friend Eleanor’s car from the cabin.” She peered through the passenger window to see if he could be inside anyway, but the shop was dark and there was no car in sight. “Where did he go?” Lila asked, wondering out loud.

  “I have no idea,” Smash said. “Let’s head back to the cabin. Maybe we missed him.”

  They returned to the cabin, the car filled with a tense silence, and there was still no sign of Theo or Eleanor’s car. “Where would he have gone?” Lila asked nervously. “I’m worried.”

  Smash turned off the engine. “I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

  Lila didn’t even want to consider the fact that it could be Smash on her sofa tonight instead of Theo. What had she gotten herself into? She had no idea if he was trustworthy to be around, or what on earth she’d say to him. She would’ve loved to let Eleanor know, but she wasn’t quite ready to admit to the old lady that she’d lost her car…

  But as they made their way up to the front door, the crunch of gravel behind them caused Lila to turn around, and to her relief, there was Eleanor’s car. “Thank God,” she said, delighted to see Theo.

  Theo, however, looked like a storm cloud. He breezed past Lila without a single explanation as to where he’d been this whole time, his jaw set and his fists clenched, striding up to his father.

  Twenty-Seven

  “What do you get out of it, huh?” Theo spat, his face only inches from Smash’s.

  Smash stumbled back. “What do you mean?” he asked, clearly confused.

  “Let’s all go inside,” Lila suggested anxiously as she tried to steer them in, shocked by what was unfolding.

  Theo didn’t move. “Are you getting a cut of the money?” he snapped at Smash.

  “What money?” Smash stepped closer to Theo. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Theo, it’s freezing,” Lila told him, baffled by the sudden turn of events. “Come inside. Please.”

  As if just realizing she was standing there, his anger having blinded him, Theo finally made eye contact with Lila. With a resigned look, he headed into the cabin, and Lila and Smash both followed.

  “I invited you here to try to make amends and you betrayed me. Again.” He pushed against Smash’s chest—gently, but enough to show his frustration.

  “Son.”

  When his father said that word, it silenced them both.

  Once Smash had seemed to collect himself, he said, “Tell me what you’re talking about because I don’t have a clue. You called me to come see you, and I was so happy that I canceled my plans for the night immediately and jumped in the car the first chance I got. I’ve done nothing knowingly to deceive you. So please tell me what’s going on.”

  “About two hours ago, I found Alexa waiting for me at the coffee shop. How would she have known where to find me unless you told her?”

  Some sort of realization slid across Smash’s face.

  “I want to move on with my life!” Theo carried on. “I don’t want to have anything to do with Alexa. I tried to outrun her just now, and I nearly drove all the way to the next county until I figured she wasn’t going to let me go, so I pulled over and let her say her piece. She’s going to actually try to sue us for the wedding, and now I’m going to have to pay a divorce attorney. Thank you very much.”

  “I met with Alexa’s father before you called…” Smash rubbed his forehead in remorse. He turned away and walked over toward the sparkling Christmas tree.

  “What?” Theo nearly shouted. He stomped across the room, the tree’s ornaments rattling with his movements. “What are you doing, talking to Lawrence Fontaine?” Theo threw his hands up in frustration. “I knew this was a terrible idea, asking you back into my life. You can’t just be a father, can you?”

  Lila felt terrible. It had been her suggestion to call Smash, and now look what she’d done. Everything Theo had tried to avoid seemed to be happening all at once. She chewed on her lip, wondering what she could say, what she could do, to make this better, but there was nothing. This was all her fault, she thought with a sinking heart.

  “When your mother left, I was terrified,” Smash suddenly said, turning toward his son.

  Theo looked on, bewildered.

  “I was terrified that if I was left in charge of you, we’d have a fate like the one we’re in now. You were so much more than I ever was… You’re so smart, always top of your class, well-read… There were so many people who were impressed by you. My producers would say, ‘That boy could be bigger than you if he wanted to be.’ I thought if I could distance myself from you as you were growing up, you’d leave me behind and go on to do great things. I didn’t see anything good coming of me bringing you up.” He stepped nearer to Theo. “I was lucky. I could sing. But you were more than lucky. You had the world at your fingertips.”

  Smash sat on the sofa and hung his head. Lila wasn’t sure what to do, so she lowered herself down next to him. When Theo acknowledged her, she nodded for him to listen to what his father had to say. Theo looked down at his dad.

  “I didn’t know how to raise a child,” Smash admitted.

  “I’d think the first step would be to use honesty, something you haven’t been able to offer to me,” Theo said, sitting down. “Why is that so hard for you?”

  “You’re talking about the money,” Smash said.

  “Yes.” Theo’s frustration was clear.

  “I thought I could build your nest egg,” Smash explained. “I invested in up-and-coming companies, and I believed in them. That was my fault. They ended up sucking us dry. The investments were a terrible move, but I had your best interests in mind. You talked about how you wanted to expand the business, and I knew how much capital you needed to do it. I was trying to find a quick fix to make the money start rolling in. Before I knew it, I was in over my head.” When Smash finished, he looked defeated and tired—nothing like the Smash Perry Lila had seen on TV. “So when you got upset with me, I took the opportunity to cut ties, thinking you’d be better off without me. And I think you probably are. I’m so ashamed by what I’ve done. You didn’t deserve to have a father who would do that to his son. And I’m so sorry about how the media twisted it all. I should’ve set the record straight. I thought it would all just fade away. I was wrong. On so many things.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Theo seemed legitimately lost.

  “I’ve lived a hard life, son,” Smash said. “And you were running with this privileged, wealthy crowd—a crowd I’d provided for you with the fame that came from my music—but that’s not who I am. I came from nothing, and I
didn’t know how to give you what you need. I failed at every turn.”

  “All I needed was your support, Dad,” Theo said. “That’s it.”

  “I’m so sorry, son.”

  Theo leaned on his knees, his shoulders slumped, looking wounded. “How can I trust any of this?” he asked, shaking his head. “I mean… You were talking to Lawrence Fontaine today. The father of the woman who just chased me for twenty miles. You got an explanation for that?”

  “I do,” Smash said.

  “Then tell me. I’d love to hear it.”

  Lila took Theo’s hand for support, noting the light tremble in his fingers, betraying his nerves.

  “Once I’d done it—once I’d pushed you completely away—I went through different stages of emotions. First I felt a terrible sense of loss. I missed you so much. For a while, I told myself that I’d just have to grieve it, and you were better off without me. Then, when I didn’t know where you were, I was worried. I started going to a therapist to deal with the fear. I used what little was left of the sale of our assets and hired a private investigator who found you. I bought a car and started touring again to make money, and I’d come here to Fireside Cabins so I could see you from afar and make sure you were okay. I was biding my time until I felt like I could approach you. I wasn’t sure when, exactly, the right time would be—I’d never navigated anything like this before. But I didn’t want to upset you, and make anything worse between us.”

  Theo looked into his father’s eyes as if he were just now seeing him for who he really was. “What does that have to do with Lawrence Fontaine?”

  “I knew if I ever wanted to make this better, I had to set the record straight with the Fontaine family to get them off your back, so Alexa would quit being selfish and give you the divorce. I had to right all the wrongs, son. Alexa doesn’t know that I’ve been here to see you yet. I thought I could speak to her father first. I told him everything.”

  “And he must have passed it all along to Alexa. She got straight in the car and came to find me.”