“So we’ll be here another night probably?” she confirmed.
Easton gave her a nod. “Definitely through the night. But they think there’s going to be a nice break in the storm tomorrow. Enough that they can get the canyon roads open again, and probably the flights moving as well.” He stepped away from the tree once it was balanced within the makeshift stand and moved to her side with his chest puffed. “Well, what do you think?”
The gorgeous tree with its heavenly scent made her smile. Her heart warmed and swelled with gratitude. “Ireallylove it,” she breathed. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He tugged a backpack from his shoulder and unzipped the side. “I stopped by one of the other yurts on my way back and grabbed this, in case you wanted to decorate it somehow.” He tugged a rather large Ziplock bag from his bag and handed it to her.
Ivy inspected the pack through the clear bag, realizing it held an array of craft supplies. Balls of colorful yarn were shoved at the base of the bag, while popsicle sticks, scissors, and glue sat on top.
The inspiration and childlike joy that came over her made her smile grow even more. “We can definitely make some cool decorations from this.”
“I figured as much.” Easton returned her smile with a gorgeous grin of his own, then tipped his head to shake the snow from his hair with his fingers.
“You might want to turn your back for a minute so I can change,” he said, moving quickly to where his clothes from the day before hung dry. At once he was unfastening his jeans.
“Oh,” Ivy blurted, turning so that her back faced him. She traced a finger along the edge of the bag while she waited for him to get changed. She could hardly believe this was the same guy who’d made the snide remarks about her having aninwith Mother Earth. And the same guy who’d actually said, back on the phone when she’d called to confirm, he’d find a way to keep her warm at night on the chance they got snowed in.
Ivy hadn’t thought for a second that would ever happen, yet here they were. Another one of his comments came to mind, this one from the interview. “So,” she started, a wry chuckle forming at her lips. “For Christmas dinner, are we going to cook up your latest kill?” she asked.
“Heh, if only it were that easy to hunt in a blizzard. The wildlife has ducked for cover. But Ididget a little something special from the other yurt. You can turn around now, by the way,” he said, coming up behind her and securing the backpack once more. He pulled two cans from the bag, cans she recognized as clam chowder. He removed a third that Ivy couldn’t identify without leaning closer.
“Are those peaches?”
“Moonshine-freepeaches,” he stipulated. “Can’t have Ivy The Lightweight taking down any more of those spiked ones, can we?”
“I guess it’s best if I avoid them,” she admitted.
“At least untiltonight,” Easton added. The insinuative tone coating those words caused an untamed thrill to shoot through her chest.
Ivy chuckled, but inwardly, she was thinking back on something else Easton had said about the storm. It would likely break tomorrow, allowing him to go to his place and Ivy to hers.
A sense of sadness threatened to take over at the thought, but she forced herself to focus elsewhere. Ivy had a choice to make, after all. Last night, she and Easton had shared some incredible moments. Deep conversation, passionate kisses, and a whole lot of laughs too.
Now, knowing they’d likely part ways tomorrow, Ivy could give in to another day and night of the same—if that’s what he wanted too—or she could rely on her no-dating directive and put things to a halt. The first option, as wonderful as it might be, would leave her vulnerable at the end. Her heart nearly stung at the thought. The second option, like the rule itself, would shield her heart from hurt and her head from worry.
She joined Easton at the table while testing both options in her mind, wondering if he was inwardly doing the same. If hewasopen to a second night of curling up with her beside the fire, would Ivy really have it in her to reject him and deny herself?
She’d know soon enough where Easton stood, which meant Ivy needed to decide for herself as well.
Already, as she watched the polite way he slid his canteen her way, nodding that she should take a drink, Ivy knew what her choice would be. Men like Easton were few and far between. It might be easy to activate her rule if the attraction were nothing more than physical. But things with Easton went much deeper, and as vulnerable as it might make her—opening her heart to him—Ivy couldn’t really imagine it any other way. If there was a chance this could actually somehow work out between them, she would take it.
She ignored the spot of fear that cut its way in at the thought, and focused on the moment instead. They had today—Christmas Day, in fact—and Ivy planned to make the most of it.
* * *
Easton looked over the impressive array of handmade ornaments along the table. Yarn, twigs, and popsicle sticks—that’s really all it had taken. In the firelight’s glow, he watched Ivy fasten the final cross from two twigs, a loving expression on her face as she wrapped brown yarn around the cross-points. She reached for a strand of red next and proceeded to fasten a loop for hanging before tying a small bow in the front.
“There,” she said, a satisfied grin on her face. “We’ve got a dozen of each now. You ready to decorate?”
“Almost,” he said. “I’ve got a little something to make the decorating part a little more…festive.” Easton moved over to his backpack. There, his phone was connected to his wireless charging box. He’d known he’d need to be selective with the power source, considering the duration of their stay was undetermined, but he’d done more than just check the weather and get a tree on his trip out. He’d downloaded a list of Christmas tunes onto his phone as well. Ones that might help Ivy, away from her family as she was, enjoy some of the Christmas spirit she talked about. He’d done something extra as well, but Easton planned to save that surprise for later.
“Here,” he said, propping the phone on the table and pressing play on the playlist he’d made. He started with “Oh Holy Night” and turned up the sound. “Now I’m ready.”
Ivy stared at the phone in wonder, then turned her wide eyes on him. “You’ve got Christmas music on your phone?”
He shrugged, noting the moisture that welled in her eyes. “I was able to download a few songs while checking the weather.”
Gratitude. That’s what he saw on her face as she shook her head and sniffed. “That was thoughtful, Easton. Come here,” she demanded, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands. She held her arms out to him as he neared her, making her intent clear—she meant to hug him for the efforts he’d put in. That was fine by him.
