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Sitting at the desk, she took one last look around the place. Her eyes lingered on Bea’s trinkets. Her mind filled with their imagined tales. Her gaze then moved to Catsby, still sleeping soundly. With a renewed sense of purpose, she placed her hands on the keyboard, ready to expose the essence of the town’s story.
She began to type, her fingers tapping across the keys as the first words of her new chapter took shape.
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
The smell of sizzling bacon and coffee nudged Jackson from his sleep. Blinking awake, he lay in bed, the morning sun casting a warm, golden glow through the new window. He listened to the unfamiliar but pleasant sounds in the kitchen—the clinking of dishes, the hiss of eggs frying in a pan, and the quiet hum of a contented woman—Amanda.
Gunner stirred from his spot at the foot of the bed, his tail thumping against the wooden frame. With a soft whine, the dog hopped off the bed and padded toward the door, clearly drawn to what was happening in the kitchen.
Pushing the quilt aside, Jackson followed Gunner, barefoot and shirtless. His dark hair was tousled from sleep, but his hazel eyes were alert, taking in the sight of Amanda bustling around the kitchen. She hummed to herself, the melody blending with the cooking sounds.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice still rough from sleep. He smiled as she jumped, then turned to face him with a wide grin. Ever the opportunist, Gunner nudged his snout against Amanda’s hand, wagging his tail in hopes of a scrap of bacon.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Amanda replied, giving Gunner a quick scratch behind the ears before returning her attention to the stove. She gestured toward the counter with the spatula in her hand. “Hope you’re hungry.”
That was how their day began, sharing a breakfast of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and thick slices of toast. She moved around the kitchen, chatting and laughing as if she had been doing it for years. Gunner settled at their feet, his eyes never straying from the bacon on the table.
As they finished their breakfast, Jackson leaned back in his chair, studying Amanda over the rim of his coffee mug. “Thanks for taking care of the window repair,” he said.
She shrugged, her cheeks turning a delicate pink. “It was no trouble. The least I could do was offer you a warm place to sleep after you’ve been working hard on all the outdoor repairs.”
“I had a lot of help with that.” He smiled. “I hope I didn’t wake you when I came in from the bar last night.”
“No, you didn’t,” she reassured him, her eyes warm. “I wrote until nearly midnight and then crashed. I’m a pretty sound sleeper.”
“Good to know,” he said, his gaze lingering on her before he leaned back in his chair, his body relaxed from the breakfast she had cooked. A comfortable silence settled between them as they finished their coffees, the pleasant morning taking a slow, unhurried pace.
“Now that the outdoor work is mostly done until spring, it’s time to focus on the inside,” he said, mentally compiling a list of necessary repairs that awaited them. He had already noticed the worn-out hardwood floors that shifted under their steps. Some floorboards needed to be replaced entirely, while others might be salvageable with sanding and refinishing.
He considered the old fireplace, too, with its soot-stained stones and askew mantle. It would need a thorough cleaning and possibly some mortar work to ensure safety and efficiency.
The kitchen, despite its retro appeal, was in desperate need of modern touches.
And then there were countless smaller tasks—tightening a loose doorknob, fixing a leaky faucet, replacing flickering light bulbs. No matter how small, each job was a step toward making the cabin more comfortable and livable.
“I know there’s a lot to do, but...” Amanda’s eyes shimmered in the golden sunlight, and a shimmer of eagerness flickered within their depths. “Would you mind cutting down a tree for us?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “For Christmas, I mean.”
Surprise washed over him, quickly replaced by warm affection. A Christmas tree. He hadn’t given it much thought, but the cabin would be incomplete without it. A smile broke across his face, and he nodded, already picturing the festive decoration filling their living room with holiday cheer.
* * *
The morning foundthem trudging through the snow-covered forest, with each breath coming out in little clouds. Jackson led the way, with Gunner bounding around them, his exuberance adding to the joy of their quest.
During their search, a real spark of playfulness ignited between them. Jackson noticed Amanda bending down, her gloved hands forming a handful of snow into a perfect sphere. A glint of mischief lit her eyes, reflecting off the glittering snowflakes adorning her dark hair.
“Hey, Jackson,” she called out, a grin curling at the corners of her mouth. “Catch!” With that, she launched the snowball in his direction. It landed on his chest, scattering powdery snow over his flannel shirt.
He stared in mock surprise, then looked up to see her laughing, the sound flowing like the nearby mountain stream. It was infectious, and he found himself chuckling along with her. He shook his head, a broad grin on his face. “So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”
Before she could respond, Jackson stooped down to gather his arsenal. Amanda squealed and turned to run, but not before he landed a well-aimed snowball on her back.
Their laughter echoed through the forest, replacing the usual silence with joy. They darted amongst the snow-dusted trees as snowballs whizzed through the space between them.
“Dodge this!” Amanda challenged, narrowly missing him as he ducked behind a tree.
“Nice aim, but you’ll have to do better than that!” Jackson said, returning fire.
Now and then, Jackson would glimpse Amanda’s flushed cheeks, her smile brighter than any Christmas light, and his heart would skip a beat. This unexpected snowball fight, this shared moment of childlike fun, was weaving a layer of happiness into their day he hadn’t anticipated.
