pulled her matching hat on, covering her own dark hair. She shoved her feet into her tall waterproof boots and slipped her arms into her coat.
“Thanks for the drink.” She regretted turning to say that when she found Cobalt kissing Ember, his right hand framing her face.
Holly hurried out of the door, needing the air.
She stepped off the raised wooden deck of the L-shaped cabin, the snow crunching beneath her boots as she banked right, heading past the huge lodgepole pine that stood in the bend of the cabin. She kept her steps light as she walked, nimbly crossing a patch of slippery compacted snow, and glanced up the sloping clearing towards the far end of it, where the forest was untouched, covered the base of the mountain that watched over the Creek.
Smoke curled lazily from the chimney of the cabin tucked beneath the trees at the top of the clearing, a small lodge with a deck below the pitched roof. Someone moved around inside it, stepping in front of the picture window to the right of the door, and in the triangular window that filled the space right beneath the roof, warm light flickered.
Rath opened the door and stepped out, turned back towards the inside of the cabin and said something she didn’t hear. He pulled a black hat on and grabbed the two snow shovels on the deck, and stepped down onto the patch of grass he and his brothers had already worked to clear.
It looked as if Cobalt was about to get another disturbance.
She slipped into the woods to her right, slowly relaxing as she breathed deep of the crisp air, as her gaze darted over everything. Cougar Creek was beautiful in the snow. Peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the trees, caught on the snow that had made it through the branches of the evergreens and made it sparkle like diamonds.
Holly listened to the world, enjoying the quiet of winter, the bite to the air and the chill on her skin. Birds sang in the distance, and more than one creature moved through the trees ahead of her and above her.
She reached Cobalt’s cabin but rather than taking the steps up onto the raised deck of the smaller L-shaped wooden lodge that faced a patch of open land and the river, she picked another path, heading down towards that creek.
She listened for it, smiled when she heard it trickling beneath the ice and layers of snow.
Holly stopped close to the concealed bank of it, drew down a deep breath and sighed it out as she gazed at the snow-draped forest that covered the other side of the river, followed the trees up to the point where they thinned. She canted her head as she took in the mountains, struck by their beauty as their white peaks met clear deep blue sky.
Winter was beautiful.
She always had loved this time of year, despite how hard her family tried to ruin it for her.
She could spend hours just standing in this one spot, taking in the forest and mountains, feeling nature surrounding her, and she was sure she wouldn’t feel the cold. She tensed as a breeze swirled snow around her boots, caressed icy fingers across her face. Fine, maybe she would feel it.
She was already missing that hot chocolate she had left behind at Ember’s. Maybe she should have brought the mug with her, could have been enjoying it right that moment as she took in the view. A thought pinged into her head. She could make herself a hot drink to stand on the deck with or bring back to this spot. It would keep the chill off her and allow her to spend more time out in the fresh air.
Holly looked over her shoulder at the cabin, tempted to head inside and make her own, aware that if she did she would end up curling up in front of the fire with it rather than coming back out to take in the view.
She looked back at the world around her. Just a little more time outside. The air would do her good and it was better than sitting indoors all day. Although, she might end up napping on the couch, worn out by the cold and the walk.
She stamped her feet to warm them and then set off again, following the concealed river to the other side of Cobalt’s small territory, heading into the woods there. Animal tracks cut through the thin snow, stealing her focus as she