The Christmas Plan

by Samantha Chase

  If anything, right now she wished she had someplace to go and just not deal with him at all.

  Not only that, if it weren’t for the chocolate orders she had for Christmas Eve, she’d seriously consider changing her flight back to Atlanta to today!

  Damn the man.

  It was true that living with her parents wasn’t going to solve most of her problems, but Aspen had no idea what would. All she did know was that she wanted to do it on her own. She didn’t need anyone holding her hand and taking her to the bank like she was some helpless nitwit. Granted, she wasn’t the best with her finances, but she certainly wasn’t the worst.

  Across from her, Gabe finished his lunch and was completely oblivious to her inner turmoil. “I need to get back over to the lot. You want to come with me and we can find out whether or not I have to cancel our night at the B&B?”

  She wanted to tell him he should cancel it no matter what because she was mad at him, but she also knew it wouldn’t last. It never did. And she had a feeling his father wasn’t going to ask him to cancel the reservation, but she’d go with him just to make sure.

  Because basically, after all of the stupid things Gabe just said to her, she kind of felt like she was owed a night away.

  “I told you so.”

  “Go ahead and gloat.”

  “Oh, I plan on it.”

  “I guess I was just feeling guilty and projecting.”

  “Ya think?”

  It was the kind of silly banter they always had and yet there was something…off. Aspen’s words were funny but her tone wasn’t.

  Clearly she was pissed at something, but for the life of him, he didn’t know why.

  And he was almost too exhausted to try to figure it out.

  After lunch they had approached his father and it turned out Gabe had misread the situation. Aspen had simply thanked him and left and this was the first time they were alone since then and it was after ten at night. She was in the tiny house and he could tell she had been working on the orders for Christmas Eve.

  “So…it looks like you’re getting a jump on those orders, huh?”

  “Yup.”

  O-kay…

  He walked over to the kitchen counter where some of her creations were laid out. “What did you make?”

  “White chocolate peanut butter cups and peppermint coconut snowballs.”

  She wiped down surfaces and moved around him without actually looking at him and Gabe knew they needed to talk about whatever it was that was bothering her.

  “Hey,” he said softly, his hand reaching out and resting on her arm. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Fighting the urge to sigh with frustration, Gabe kept his expression neutral. “Aspen, come on. It’s obvious that something’s bothering you.”

  She shrugged and moved out of his grasp.

  Luckily, there was finally a perk to the tiny house. Moving in close, he cornered her in the pantry and braced his arms on either side so she couldn’t get through.

  “Gabe…”

  “Talk to me. Did I do something wrong?”

  She simply stared at him, giving him her best bored look. She’d used it probably hundreds of times since they’d met and he wasn’t the least bit intimidated or bothered by it.

  “I can stand here all night,” he casually told her. “I think we both know I’m the more patient of the two of us.”

  Now she crossed her arms over her chest; her stare turned to an annoyed glare.

  “See, I know it had to be something I said or did otherwise you’d be talking my ear off about whoever pissed you off. So we can stand here and play this childish game, or you can be an adult and just tell me what’s crawled up your butt and…”

  “Okay, that’s it!” she cried, shoving him hard. “You want to know what’s bugging me? I’ll tell you. It’s you! You and your superior attitude today at lunch!” Another shove and he stumbled back a few feet before his back hit the kitchen counter. “I have always supported you and encouraged you and told you to believe in yourself. And when I need that from you, you practically pat me on the head and tell me I can’t do it on my own and how I have to have you to bail me out!”

  “Aspen, I…”

  “The moving in with you was insulting enough,” she went on.

  “I don’t see how it’s insulting…”

  “But then telling me that I can’t possibly get a small business loan without having you–or probably any big, strong man there to help me because I’m too weak and pathetic to possibly be able to get a loan on my own! Do you have any idea how insulting that is?”

  “I never said weak or pathetic…”

  “You didn’t have to!” she yelled. “Everything I’ve done since graduating high school, I’ve done on my own. I put myself through college! I moved myself to Atlanta! And I worked my ass off at every job I’ve ever had!”

  “I know that,” he quickly countered. “Aspen, you’re amazing and you work harder than anyone I know!”

  “And yet you don’t think any of that matters or that I can maybe start a business of my own.”

  He stared at her with disbelief. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh, really? Do you have a grasp of the English language? Because everything you said to me said otherwise.”

  Knowing it was best to take a minute and calm down, Gabe was sure to choose his words wisely. “Aspen, from the moment you told me that you had to move, I asked you to move in with me because I believed you could find a job right away. You acted rashly and I knew you were panicking. As for the whole loan thing, I meant I would co-sign for you if you needed me to because I also know that you weren’t making a lot at this last job and didn’t have a lot in savings.” He paused and looked at her helplessly. “I honestly didn’t mean to offend you and I would think after all these years that you would know me better than that.”

  And he knew the instant she realized that maybe she had misjudged the situation and Gabe carefully reached out and took one of her hands in his.

  “I can’t say it enough that I don’t want you to move. I want you to stay. In Atlanta. With me.” Gently, he pulled her forward until she was pressed up against him. “You’re my best friend and I want to see you happy, Aspen. Don’t go. Don’t do this.”

  Her expression turned a little sad and for the life of him, he didn’t know why.

  “Promise me you’ll think about it,” he prompted.

  “It’s probably too late for that. All of my plans are already in motion. My folks are expecting me.”

  “I think they’d understand if you didn’t move. You know you can find another job in a heartbeat–at least one to tide you over while you work out the plans for your new business.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “That plan would be so much easier if I wasn’t trying to implement it in a big city like Atlanta. If it were someplace like here in Silver Bell Falls, it would be a no-brainer.”

  He had to agree but then she’d still be leaving.

  But she’d be happier.

  Swallowing hard, he said, “Then why don’t you try to make it work here?”

  Her eyes went wide. “Um…what?”

  “You already know you have a market here–a guaranteed customer list. Why not spend the rest of your time here doing some research and see about store space and…you know…what it would take to start up your business?”

  She took a step back. “Oh, I don’t know, Gabe. How would I do that? I’d still have to move and find someplace to live!”

  “I’m pretty sure my folks would love to have you stay with them and wouldn’t charge you a dime. Hell, you could probably even rent this place from Josiah and Melanie.”

  “You think?” And for the first time since he got there, Aspen didn’t sound hostile or sarcastic.

  “I mean I can’t say with any great certainty but…it certainly can’t hurt to ask, right?”

  For a minute, she still seemed a bit unsure but t
hen he could see her relax.

  “This would complicate everything,” she said quietly.

  Knowing he had to be careful about his response, Gabe gave her a reassuring smile. “So? You tend to thrive in chaos.”

  “I’d still have to fly back to Atlanta and get my stuff before the end of the month.”

  He shrugged. “Yes, but then you’d be bringing it here rather than across the country. I could probably fly back with you and we’ll rent a moving truck and move it all here together.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s what friends do, right?”

  There was a flash of something in her eyes that looked a little like hurt but it was gone before he could tell for sure.

  “I guess we could do that, but I’d hate to take you away from your family and your plans for New Year’s Eve. I know that’s why you stay every year.”

  “Then we’ll have to work fast so you can be here to celebrate with us. We can ring in the new year together before I have to go back.”

  And that’s when it hit him that he was going to lose her no matter what.

  They were always going to be friends; that was a given. At least if she moved to Silver Bell Falls, he’d see her more often than if she moved to San Diego.

  But neither was across the hall and it meant not seeing her every day.

  Still, seeing her some of the time was better than not at all, and he’d deal with his own disappointment when he was alone. In another ten days this phase of their relationship was going to end and they were going to have to go back to being just friends.

  So that meant he had to make the most of the time they had together.

  Twelve

  “If there’s anything the two of you need, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Cassidy said as she moved to the doorway. “Breakfast is from seven to ten tomorrow and checkout is at one.” Then with a smile and wave, she closed the door behind her.

  Only to open it again almost immediately.

  “Aspen, if you happen to have any time to make those coconutty caramels you had at the tree lot last week, I would love to get a couple dozen of them.”

  “Oh…um…”

  “No worries if you can’t. I just thought I’d ask. Have a great night, you two!” This time she closed the door behind her but Aspen sort of held her breath for a moment to make sure she wasn’t coming back in.

  Gabe walked over and locked the door.

  “I guess that’s one way to make sure she doesn’t come back,” Aspen said with a knowing grin.

  “Don’t get me wrong–Cassidy is incredibly sweet and I know she’s just doing her job, but…I think we could have found everything we needed on our own. It’s pretty self-explanatory.”

  “I guess. But that shower does have like a thousand settings on it so it was nice to get a quick tutorial on it all. And that tub!” she said excitedly, even as she practically skipped back to the bathroom. “This is like a fantasy tub! You know I’m going to take at least three baths before we have to check out tomorrow, right?”

  “It’s the main reason I booked this particular room,” he told her as he leaned against the doorway. “I was hoping you’d like it.”

  “Like it? That is too mild of a way to describe my feelings. I have very strong, almost sensual feelings toward it.” With a laugh, she walked over and kissed him. “Would it be wrong if I said I wanted to take a bath right now?”

  His laugh was low and gruff and incredibly sexy. “Not at all.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “And this first one is all for you. After dinner, I’m planning on joining you.”

  Her gasp of surprise was out before she could stop it. “Ooh…I thought I was going to have to try to persuade you a little more to get you to do that. Now I have something to look forward to.”

  Gabe kissed her again before gently turning her toward the tub. “Go and relax. I’ve got some other surprises in store for you tonight and some of them hinge on you not knowing about them.”

  Aspen was sure her eyes were comically wide. “You…planned surprises? Really?”

  “Don’t ruin it by mocking me because I can cancel them too.”

  “Okay, okay, okay…” She sprinted from the bathroom. “Let me just grab some essentials so I can set up camp in here for like…an hour. Will that work?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  Just thinking about what Gabe had planned was going to completely interrupt her relaxation, but Aspen tried not to focus too much on that. Rummaging through her weekender bag, she pulled out her toiletry bag and her robe and then immediately put it back. When she glanced up, Gabe was looking at her curiously.

  “Complimentary robe in the bathroom. It feels as soft as a cloud. You know I’m going to have to wear that.”

  “And how do you know that clouds are soft?”

  All she did was give him a bland look as she walked back to the bathroom and closed the door. Putting her stuff down on the vanity, she wasn’t sure what to do first. There were bath salts and a small variety of bath bombs, and the tub was big enough for three people. It was going to be glorious. Plus, it had jets!

  “I may have to eat dinner in here,” she murmured as she laid the bath towel on the floor and turned on the water. Looking over the different scents of bath bombs, Aspen decided on the aloe vera one and dropped it in the tub. While the water was filling, she put her hair up in a ponytail. Next, she stripped and decided to put on the fluffy white robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

  And it felt even softer than she imagined.

  “And dessert. I’ll definitely need to eat dessert in here too.”

  It was quiet out in the bedroom and she wondered what Gabe was doing. As much as she wanted to invite him to join her now, she didn’t want to ruin whatever it was he was working on.

  Almost silently.

  Pressing her ear against the door, she tried to listen to hear if he was on the phone talking to anyone or perhaps unpacking something, but it was ridiculously quiet.

  Knowing she wouldn’t relax until she knew at least something, she opened the bathroom door and breezed back into the room. Gabe was lounging on the bed with his phone in his hands and it looked like he was reading something.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Oh, uh…I forgot my phone.” Reaching into her purse, she pulled it out. “I figured I can read or something while I’m in the tub.”

  “Enjoy,” he said casually as he continued to read whatever was on his phone.

  “Okay, thanks,” she said as she walked back into the bathroom, no closer to knowing anything.

  Except that Gabe knew exactly how to make her crazy.

  With nothing left to do, Aspen played around on her phone until the tub was full and then reluctantly untied the robe and let it slide off her body. Carefully, she tested the water and found it to be the perfect temperature–just a few degrees shy of boiling–and climbed in.

  “Good Lord is that fantastic.” With a sound that was part sigh, part moan of pleasure, she sank into the water and leaned back.

  It was almost orgasmic.

  It took a solid five minutes before she even thought about turning on the jets, but when she did, it felt even more pleasurable than any bath ever had.

  And in that moment, she decided that when she was a successful chocolatier with her own business and her own house, she was going to have a tub like this in her master bathroom.

  “It’s good to have goals,” she murmured and made herself comfortable with the jets hitting all the best places.

  She couldn’t wait for Gabe to join her later for this.

  Gabe…mmm…

  Their conversation from yesterday came to mind and just as she predicted, she didn’t stay mad at him for long. Actually, after they talked and she thought about the possibilities of moving here to Silver Bell Falls, Aspen knew it was the right thing to do. It still meant moving–leaving Atlanta and Gabe–but…that was going to happen no matter what. At least this way she’d still see him a little mo
re often than if she went back to California.

  It had been on the tip of her tongue to ask him to move with her. He wasn’t tied to Atlanta either and, if anything, he’d been struggling just as much as she had. The only thing Gabe had going in his favor was that his job could be done from anywhere. He wasn’t locked in to any one place because his films were always shot in different locations. And while she knew he certainly didn’t pine for the days of living back here, she didn’t think he’d be completely opposed to it either.

  Something for them to talk about.

  Later.

  Much later.

  Because right now, all she could focus on was how amazing this tub was, how fantastic the jets felt, and how decadent it all was.

  It was a little over an hour and Gabe was beginning to wonder if he needed to go in and fish Aspen out of the tub.

  He knew she was okay–every once in a while he heard her adding more hot water to the tub after letting some water out. Occasionally he would hear a long sigh or a soft hum and he had to admit that he’d never found such joy in something as simple as a bath.

  Glancing at the clock, he knew he was going to have to knock on the door soon. Their dinner was being delivered–he opted for them to dine in rather than go out because he wanted them to enjoy the room for the whole night–and then an hour after their dinner was delivered, dessert was arriving. Both of those things made him nervous because Aspen was way better at picking food than he was, but tonight he wanted to show her that he paid attention and was a good boyfriend.

  Especially since it wouldn’t be long until he couldn’t call himself that any longer.

  Looking around the room, he felt completely satisfied with what he’d done. It wasn’t easy to do while trying to be stealth. After Aspen had waltzed out of the bathroom earlier, he knew he was going to have to be careful or she’d be popping her head out to see what he was up to.