"Thanks." I reach over, smacking my palm against her ass.
"You're welcome."
We've been at this for hours. Making sugar cookies shaped like trees and stars and reindeer. Watching Christmas movies that Paisley found tucked away in the closet in the room she used to sleep in. We've been drinking hot chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps.
It's the best Christmas I've had in years.
"Okay, taste test." Paisley holds up a star cookie with green icing and red sprinkles. "Open."
I obey, and she pops the cookie in my mouth. It's sweet and buttery and melts against my tongue. "Good."
"Just good?"
"Really good."
"Better." She takes a bite of her own cookie, and a sprinkle sticks to her bottom lip. Without thinking, I reach over and brush it away with my thumb.
Her eyes meet mine, and the air between us shifts. It's been doing that a lot lately. These moments where everything else fades away and it's just us, standing too close, looking at each other like we're both trying to memorize what we see.
I lean forward and take the kiss I want. Like I have the right to do it.
"Chase," she says softly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For this. For making today special."
"You made it special," I tell her. "I would've just sat here and pretended it was any other day."
"Well, that's sad."
"It is what it is."
She reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Not anymore."
We finish the cookies and clean up the kitchen, though there's still flour everywhere. Then we settle on the couch with a movie, some rom-com I've never seen, but Paisley swears is amazing. I pretend to complain, but really, I don't care what we watch as long as she's curled up next to me, her head on my shoulder, her hand resting on my chest.
As the sun starts to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, I get excited about the gift I have for her.
"Hey," I say, sitting up. "I have something for you."
She looks at me, surprised. "You do?"
"Yeah. But you gotta bundle up. We have to go outside."
"Outside? Chase, it's freezing."
"I know. Trust me?"
She studies me for a moment, then nods. "Okay."
We layer up, putting on coats, scarves, gloves, and masks to cover our faces. Biscuit watches us from her spot on the back of the couch, clearly thinking we've lost our minds. When we step outside, the cold hits like a slap, but the sky is clear and filled with stars.
"Come on." I take her hand and lead her away from the cabin, toward the ridge that overlooks the valley.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
