Chapter One
Kallie
This year has beenthe hardest of my life. It seems like the universe is plotting against me, throwing me one giant curveball after another. It’s as if I’m on a rollercoaster that never seems to end, and I’ve been desperately searching for the red emergency stop button. I got fired from work, my relationship fell apart–which led to me getting fired–and my friends are dispersed across the country. Christmas is sneaking up, and I couldn’t bear the thought of the usual festive chaos and loneliness. So, I came up with a plan: escape it all.
I left Colorado three years ago at twenty-three, and it was all for nothing. Three years wasted.
Now, I’m standing in front of a cabin I haven’t been to in so many years. It’s covered in a light dusting of white snow, lookingmore beautiful than I remember. I wring my hands, and second thoughts about coming back to Colorado start to creep in as my feet hit the weathered steps leading to the front door. I’m still not sure if this was a good idea or the dumbest one I’ve ever had.
All I know is, I needed to leave. The thought of staying in our apartment and having to see him another day was not something I was willing to put myself through.
Three years I gave him, and for what? For him to just throw it all away and break up with me for his assistant at work? Only then to decide it was a mistake and that he wanted me to forget it ever happened? As if he gets a free get-out-of-jail card for cheating on me. I still can’t get the image of them together out of my brain. It’s like every time I close my eyes, I see them, naked and onmycouch, in the apartmentwelived in together. I guess that’s what I get for dating someone with commitment issues. He begged me not to leave, told me what every guy says when they get caught.
“I swear, it’s not what it looks like.”He looked me dead in the eyes and said that as his small dick was still inside of Rebecca. In her defense, he told her he left me. Once she realized he lied, she slapped him across the face before storming out of the apartment.
Speak of the devil. My phone goes off in my pocket, and from the ringtone, I know it’s him calling again, so I ignore it like I have the past two days. A deep sigh leaves my mouth as I set my bag down on the porch. My mom always leaves a spare key on top of the door frame. As I reach up, my fingers barely brush the top of the wooden frame, but it’s just enough.
The moment I get the cabin unlocked, I’m hit with a wave of fresh pine and gingerbread, which tells me my mom was here after I told her I’d be coming here for Christmas. She begged me to stay with them, but I needed some alone time. My parents’house isn’t too far from here, though. It’s only about a forty-five-minute drive, so I know I’ll be seeing them sooner or later.
My eyes wander around the familiar place, and I can’t help the smile that grows on my face. Memories from my childhood play through my head and fill my chest with the warmth I’ve been missing for some time now.
Alex never celebrated any of the holidays, so for the last three years, neither have I. My mom knew that, so that must be why, as soon as I flip the light switch on in the family room, a large, lush Christmas tree stands proudly in the far corner, decorated with an arrangement of sparkling ornaments. The ornaments are a mix of homemade and store-bought, telling a story of our time spent here for Christmas over the years. There are delicate glass baubles and hand-painted wooden figurines, each with its own special memory attached.
Tinsel and garlands hang over the mantelpiece, stockings hanging just below, each with our names stitched across the top. That includes one for Lance, my dad’s best friend. He has basically spent every holiday with us since he and my dad met.
Part of me wishes I would’ve stayed with my mom and dad for Christmas, but I needed this time away to find myself, to give myself some time to process everything and figure out what my next steps will be.
I step further into the room, and my bag hits the wooden floor with a thud. My mom really outdid herself in just a few days, since that’s all the notice I gave them.
In the corner, a cozy armchair is draped with a plush white blanket, a stack of holiday-themed romance books next to it, just waiting for me to escape into. A few carefully placed mistletoes add a touch of romance to the room, promising the possibility of stolen kisses, even though that’s the last thing that would be happening here. I’m swearing off men for a while.Hello, celibacy.
It'll just be me, the romance novels, and maybe my vibrator spending some well-needed time together this week.
The cabin is a perfect escape from the snowy world outside, a place where the spirit of Christmas lives and breathes, and I’m beyond grateful for my mom making this place feel like home when I need it the most. Even though being here makes everything seem a little dulled down, the need to drown my sorrows is still high.
After searching every cabinet, I throw myself down on the couch with a sigh. My phone goes off again, but I make no move to grab it—it’s only Alex—but I do need to call my parents.
Getting up, I grab my phone from the counter and walk back over to the couch, plopping down and dialing my mom’s number, only to get her voicemail. I opt for my dad, not wanting to break my promise to call them when I got settled in. The phone rings a few times before my dad’s voice hits my ears.
“Hey there, sweet pea. Settling in okay?” My dad has always been my rock, the one person I can go to with anything. Tears build in my eyes when I think about how much I miss my parents. I talk to them every once in a while, but it’s not nearly enough.
“Perfectly. I tried calling Mom. I wanted to thank her for decorating the cabin. It looks amazing in here.” I look out the window and watch the snow fall as my dad rambles about how my mom has over-decorated the house, how it was a perfect distraction for her to be able to decorate the cabin.
“Don’t forget, if you are hungry, Lance owns the bar up the road. Make sure you go say hi and grab a bite to eat. He’d be happy to see you.” My face heats at the mention of my dad’s best friend. I was happy the day I moved for one reason: I wanted to climb Lance like a tree the moment I saw him.
My dad and I talk for a little while longer until I tell him I’m indeed going to swing by Lance’s bar—honestly, the idea wasalready in my head. Being locked in the cabin probably isn’t the best idea right now. The last thing I need is to get into all the buried emotions. You can never go wrong with a little whiskey and catching up with a man you’ve always wanted to sleep with as your ex-boyfriend blows up your phone, right?
Chapter Two
Lance
Owning a bar withyour brothers in a small town like this has its ups and downs. Between the customers, ordering supplies, keeping up with the occasional bar fight, and the rowdy young adults who’ve now reached legal drinking age, this place keeps us busy. It’s a good thing I love this place as much as I do.
Working the night shift is the complete opposite of crowded city life, but it’s no less rewarding. During the day, the bar stays open for lunch and dinner, which Kiernan usually handles. Colt—the oldest of us all—takes care of the farm our parents left us when they passed away. I handle the night shift, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As I step behind the wooden bar, I feel the old floor creek under each step, and the faint scent of whiskey lingers in the air like usual.
Regulars here find the bar a safe place, a place where they can share the same old stories and gossip spreads like wildfire. The jukebox sits over in the corner, playing a mix of country and rock, setting the tone for the night. There are only a handful of people here, and I know everyone by name. Most of them are here every night.
