Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,31

can’t believe how good this is,” Piper said, as she savored the last remnant on her spoon before going back in for more.

“You’re not lying,” Edie agreed.

They all looked at each other and laughed, and Lila took in the moment. As she considered what she believed in and what she wanted for herself, still unable to get that message out of her head, she knew one thing for sure… What she wanted was to create a life where she could be around the people she loved most. In the end, that was what it was about for her: people. She was so happy to be with her friends, both new and old.

Nine

Wearing a pink Santa hat with a white fur trim, Lila stood beside Piper, next to a post with festively painted arrows pointing in different directions: Peppermint Road, Ginger Avenue, Sugar Drop Lane, Cocoa Court. Under the sea of lights glowing above them, she gave a bright smile and squeezed Piper around the shoulders as Edie snapped their photo.

“Let me see,” Lila said excitedly, as she grabbed Piper’s arm and ran over to Edie to peer over her shoulder at the shot. “What a great picture!”

“Definitely a keeper,” Piper agreed. “Text it to us, Edie.”

With the winter darkness taking hold by five o’clock, Lila and her friends decided to have dinner at the enchanted forest they’d read about earlier. It had worked out because Theo had called and said he had another commitment, and wouldn’t be over to work on the plumbing until around seven.

“Which way to the restaurant?” Lila asked.

Edie unfolded the pamphlet they’d gotten when they’d arrived, revealing an enormous cartoon map. She tapped the path they needed to take. “Looks like Sugar Drop Lane is a straight shot. So I guess we follow those lanterns.” She pointed to the trail of flickering lanterns that lined the winding track through the woods. Every single tree was bound with sparkling lights, from the roots to the tips of their bare branches. Peppering the snowy hills, between the glittering trunks of oaks and pines, were fully decorated Christmas trees. Holiday music filled the frosty air.

Lila closed her eyes to take in the icy aroma of winter and the sounds of laughter as children ran along the different paths, running through mazes of brightly lit hedges or roasting marshmallows by the fire pits that dotted the bare areas on the hills.

“Look.” Piper’s whisper caused her eyes to snap open.

Suddenly, a familiar face caused her to home in on one particular peal of laughter. Rex threw his head back, giggling as—to Lila’s complete surprise—Theo swung him up on top of his shoulders, and handed him a giant paper stick of baby blue cotton candy. Lila felt as though her feet were glued to the path, her breathing shallow as she witnessed the softness in Theo’s face, the way his eyebrows rose and his hefty chuckle when Rex grabbed his cheek to hold on. Theo’s elbows were pointing out, his hands clasped behind Rex’s back, talking a mile a minute to the little boy.

Excitedly, Rex pointed to Santa’s Toy Shop with his free hand, his other clasping the cotton candy. “Let’s look at them toys in there,” Rex said.

“All right, but then we need to head home and get you a burger, or your mama’s gonna have a word or two with me. It’s dinner time.” Theo walked Rex over to the shop’s entrance and Rex wriggled down his back, running inside.

“Come on, Theo!” he called through the door from the center aisle.

Theo laughed, stepping in, the door closing behind him.

“Hey, Lila,” Edie called.

Only then did she realize her friends had moved along down the trail, and Lila was standing in front of the toyshop alone.

“Sorry,” she said, catching up with them, her mind spinning.

“Was that Theo with little Rex?” Piper asked, threading her arm through Lila’s as they walked.

“Yeah,” Lila said, still struggling to find words.

“I didn’t know he was capable of smiling,” her friend teased.

Lila grinned, but she’d barely heard her friend; the kind look Theo had given Rex and their banter burned into her mind. Why was he so different with her?

“They’ve got wine on the menu,” Edie said, reading the back of the pamphlet as they neared the restaurant. “I’d say we all need a glass, yes?”

“Definitely,” Lila said, trying to shift her focus back to her friends. “Wine would be good…”

“The old cast iron pipes were full of corrosion, and that, mixed with the cold temperatures, caused