Chapter 12 – Home Ice Advantage
Holiday Shift
December
Day Before Christmas
Amelia
The rest of the week goes smoothly. I spend most of it preparing for the holiday with Bash. It's a tradition in my family to make Christmas cookies to share. So, I bake an assortment of cookies to take. Since I don't know Bash's family, this will be my gift to them. It took me a long time to figure out what to give Bash since he's been a great friend over the past couple of months, but I think I've found the perfect present. I hope he likes it.
His family and friends will start arriving early on Christmas Day and stay through Boxing Day. Bash is picking me up this morning, and we'll spend the day and evening together. He says he has a surprise for me, and I can't wait to see what it is.
My friends couldn't make it since they wanted to spend the holidays with their own families. I get it. Honestly, some quiet time with Bash sounds kind of perfect.
As I'm boxing up the last of the cookies, Bash's SUV rolls into the driveway. He climbs out as I head for the door.
“Hey, Amelia,” he says, hugging me. “Happy Christmas Eve.”
“Happy Christmas Eve to you, too, Bash,” I sigh happily in his embrace.
“Here, let me help you get your things,” he offers, opening the hatch and tucking everything inside. “I didn't realize you had such a huge house. What does your husband do for a living?”
“Please,” I plead, my mood already sour as I think about Jaxson and what he's up to. “I don't want to talk about him right now.”
“Sorry, curiosity got the best of me.”
We jump into his SUV, and before long, the mountains come into view. The cabin is nestled among a grove of trees next to an outdoor ice-skating rink. It's at leasttwo stories, with floor-to-ceiling windows on each level. A wrap-around porch and balcony give the place a wide-open, exposed feeling.
The wood is dark and well-loved, almost black in places, but shines with a high-gloss finish. The side porch is stacked with chopped firewood, as is the sheltered building beside it. There's no one else around, just trees, snow, and the quiet, low hum of the mountains.
We step out of the SUV, crunching snow beneath our boots as our breath fogs the cool air around us. For a moment, I simply stand here taking it all in.
As we climb the steps onto the porch, the wind shifts, carrying the faint scent of pine. The solid wood door is adorned with a giant Christmas wreath. Bash unlocks it, and the door creaks slightly as we step across the threshold.
Inside, the cabin smells faintly of woodsmoke and evergreen, warm and inviting. A massive stone fireplace is the focal point in the great room on one side, while the adjacent wall of windows brings nature in on the other side.
Beyond the windows, snow falls, spiraling slowly from the sky, and I'm entranced.
“If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room and get a fire going,” he says as he slips off his boots. I do the same, and we leave them at the front door.
He grabs my bags and starts up the stairs. I follow closely behind.
“We have central heat and air here, but it's always nicer with a cozy fire,” he explains. “Then we can head out to cut down a tree. The ornaments and decorations are in the attic. I'll bring them down when we've got the tree set up. I thought you might like to help me trim it while we snack and drink hot chocolate.”
“That sounds amazing, Bash,” I smile broadly. “I'd love that.”
He leads me to the end of the hall to a room tucked away upstairs.
“With all my family and friends invading tomorrow, I figured you'd appreciate having this one more than any other. It's off to itself, right next to my home office.”
He opens the door to a gorgeous space that's quiet and warm, almost like a hidden sanctuary.
This room isn't what you'd expect from a cabin in the woods. The walls are creamy, whitewashed wood, with vaulted ceilings that elegantly open up the space. Instead of heavy, dark, and rustic, it's light, airy, and calming.
As I enter the room, my feet sink deeply into the thick, soft carpet, so I luxuriate in the sensation. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the south-facing wall let in the soft, grey light reflected from the snow. Next to the window is a reading nook with a full bookshelf and a plush chair draped with a blanket. The bed is large, with a thick white-down comforter.
Through the open doorway, I glimpse the spa-like bathroom. A huge sunken tub, big enough for two, sits beside an enormous window overlooking the snow-covered woodlands surrounding the cabin, bringing the outdoors in. A large rain shower is adjacent to the tub, with actual pebbles for the shower pan and creek rock adorning the shower walls. It's the only dark spot in the room, but it's so close to the window that it feels open and seamless.
