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“What are the chances?” he called. “Next door neighbors again!”
I smiled and retreated back into the warmth of the cabin, unable to control the butterflies in my stomach.
I flopped down onto the bed and, for the first time in my life, wished I had the holidays to spend with someone special. This was the type of place where people fell in love. Though I knew that wasn’t in the cards for me right now, I was still determined to enjoy every second of my time here.
6
OWEN
Iwaved to Skye as she disappeared back inside her chalet. I couldn’t count how many times I had dreamed that we would have adjacent bedrooms again, and it seemed like I was finally getting my wish.
I stepped into the cabin and was greeted with an overwhelming amount of Christmas decorations. Trees adorned with glittering lights and ornaments, garlands up and down the staircase, figurines of Santa, nutcrackers, and reindeer lined the shelves of the bookcase.
Laila and Cora had already made themselves at home, jumping on the couches and arguing over who got the top bunk. Of course, Laila would win that argument. She always did. Much like her mother, she was not one to give up or give in when it came to matters that were important to her.
And as a five-year-old, I too was certain that nothing was more important than getting the top bunk.
“Daddy!” Cora called as she jumped off the couch and onto the floor.
She ran over to me and wrapped her arms around my legs as if it had been days since I had seen her last when, in fact, it had been less than 30 seconds. I hoped my girls knew I would always be here for them if they needed someone to run to.
“Hi sweetheart,” I said, patting her back. “Do you like the cabin?”
“Yes!” she shouted as she ran back over to the couch.
“Girls, let’s go find your bedroom,” Beth suggested. “Your luggage has already arrived.”
They hopped onto the floor and followed her up the stairs, leaving me in silence for the first time in far too many hours. I wandered the first floor of the cabin, marveling at the view and the immaculate scenery.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but there was something magical about this place. It felt special and unique in a way I had never experienced before. I was ready to have a great vacation with my girls, and if I got to spend some time with Skye, well that would simply be an added bonus.
Just as Iwas thinking about her, there was a knock on the chalet door. I meandered over to the door and swung it open, letting in a blast of cold air.
“Hey,” Skye said a bit sheepishly.
“Hey, neighbor.”
“Listen, my mom insisted that I come over here. She wanted me to invite the four of you over for dinner tonight.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she beat me to it.
“I’m sure you guys already have plans, and I know you’re all tired and everything, so I won’t be offended at all if you say no.”
“We’d love to.”
“You—what?”
“That sounds really nice. Besides, I wouldn’t dare turn down an offer like that from your mom. She wouldn’t let me, anyway.”
“That’s very true. She’d probably come over here and drag you outside before she let you decline.”
I laughed and leaned against the doorframe, trying to act casual when I was actually feeling electrified by excitement. Skye’s eyes briefly darted to my feet and then back up to my eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was judging me for my travel attire or if she was checking me out, but I prayed for it to be the latter.
“Well, we’re all pretty jet-lagged, so we’re going to eat around 4. Does that work for you?”
“If I know anything about your mother, we’ll arrive at 3:30.”
She smiled and nodded her head. “You know her too well, don’t you?”
