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“Then you’re in for a treat. We’ll go sledding and then eat chili and watch the sunset. Then maybe we’ll watch a movie inside. So, we’d start at fifteen-hundred or so on Sunday. What do you think?”
“Sure. Why not? I hope you have sleds because I don’t.” She’d get some extra exercise walking up the hill, anyway. Maybe she should pack a walkway with the snowmachine? Or with snowshoes?
“Yep. We’ve got some sleds. I love sledding. I can hardly wait to sled with Ryan.”
“Oh?”
“Sure. Snuggling and tumbling in the cold is fun.”
Something she wasn’t likely to find out. Ever. Wiz shivered. “Okay, see you Sunday.”
That Sunday, Wiz discovered Erin was right. Sledding was fun. Zoom down the hill, bumping and jumping, then tumble at the bottom, run up the hill, and do it all again. She waved at Deb and Sam, who stopped after a couple of runs, happier sitting by the fire sipping brandied hot apple cider. They waved back. She sat on the sled and zipped down the hill again, laughing and whooping, cold air whipping her cheeks.
Erin and Ryan slid together, Erin between Ryan’s legs, his arms wrapped around her. They tumbled off about halfway down and kissed while the sled continued without them. Wiz caught the sled and pulled both of them up the hill. She could see the attraction in two-person sledding. What she couldn’t see was Jeff, her ex, ever going sledding. Nope, just as well he was gone. She couldn’t believe she’d married him in the first place; she’d been looking for stability and safety. Sadly, Jeff couldn’t provide either; he was too selfish.
Oddly enough, the only person she could picture sledding with was Tom. Which was just weird. She’d spent all of three hours with the guy, months ago. And the mere idea of being that close to him was nerve-racking. He was too big, too forward, too... much. Still, she’d watched him work their horses using the spotting scope from her third-floor observation deck. He was patient but firm with the animals and seemed to have a dogged persistence for the other ranch chores. She’d watched him more than she was comfortable admitting. She wasn’t obsessed, but her fascination seemed strange when she wasn’t at all sure she could stand being around most men, especially Tom. She had to discuss her feelings with her therapist again. Her lack of openness wasn’t a good sign.
While she mused, she’d reached the top, but suddenly, sledding didn’t seem as much fun. She slid down and poured some cocoa. Erin made the real stuff and brought it in a thermos. It was so rich, it was like dessert in a cup. The smooth chocolate lifted her mood. Erin and Ryan made another run, then joined them, towing their sled.
“That was fun! You were right, Erin. I was missing out.” Ryan put his arm around Erin.
“More fun with a snuggle bunny though.” Deb raised her glass.
“A snuggle bunny? Really?” Ryan frowned, then posed with his hands on his hips and chest thrust out. “What about me says ‘bunny’?”
Deb rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Snuggle cheesecake? Snuggle Viking? Ooh, I know, snuggle stud.”
Wiz laughed along with everyone except Ryan. He raised his chin. “Yes, that’s a much better description.”
“So, snuggle stud, when are you bringing friends? We want our own snuggle studs.” Sam snickered.
Ryan’s sputtering laughter stopped. “Actually, I’ve had a friend contact me recently. He’s getting out, and he needs a place to live and a job. He’s supposed to send Erin an application, but he’s downrange right now, so he doesn’t have access to his stuff.”
“And is he likely to be a snuggle stud?” Deb giggled.
Ryan laughed, raising his hands. “Not gonna make that judgment call. You’ll have to wait and see, if he follows through.”
“Do I know him, Ryan?” Wiz was curious. She’d known everyone on her ex’s crew at one point, but he and Ryan were on different crews.
“I don’t think so, Wiz. He was a C-17 mechanic, but he hung out with a little older crowd than us. Actually, he didn’t hang out a whole lot, period. He’s a quiet guy. Did his job, kept his head down, went home.”
“Okay. Just wondered.” She missed some of the fun things they all used to do, like going to festivals and hiking.
Erin broke in. “There’s chili and cornbread and coleslaw. Do you guys want to eat out here by the fire or go inside where it’s warmer?”
“Oh, can we go inside? It’s getting a little chilly. The other kind of chilly.” Sam wrapped her arms around her waist, despite her fashionable wool sweater, down jacket, and knit hat ensemble.
Wiz pointed at the back door to the kitchen. “Sure. The food is actually inside. We can eat in the living room while we watch the movie or use the dining room table, whichever you want.”
“Oh, chili and a movie. Let’s do that.” Deb rose from her seat at the fireplace.
“Sure.” Ryan rounded up the sleds and stacked them in the corner of the patio. Wiz gathered mugs, everyone grabbed a remaining loose item, and they trooped inside. Wiz followed, but she stopped to look out over the valley.
The sun glowed red behind the purple mountains. Lights twinkled in the valley below. The Rocking B ranch was quiet, a warm yellow light shining from the house. Tom and Pete were probably having dinner, too. She wished she could invite them up, but she wasn’t there yet.
#
Every other week, Erin, Ryan, and a couple of other people would come out for sledding, dinner, and a movie. The Sunday afternoon parties had become her favorite activity, even better than training with her martial arts coaches. Erin, Ryan, Sam, and Deb were regulars; Craig and his wife Amy from Ryan’s previous job had joined them last week, bringing the party to seven. She’d been looking forward, nervously, to Sunday since the last one, because Pete and Tom were joining their regular group. Wiz paced across her foyer, watching her security cameras. Erin’s truck rolled up the road, so she opened the gates and went outside to meet them.
