Mountain Gift (Fit Mountain Instaloves Vol. 1 #8)

1. Caroline

Chapter One

CAROLINE

“Say cheese!”

Barb and Jack lean in, pressing little Lucy between them like a human panini as they huddle together and laugh.

“That’s great, hold it right there,” I say.

The bright flash of the camera illuminates the living room. Pulling the camera away from my eyes, I check the viewfinder.

Seeing them captured so perfectly together, my heart almost starts to ache. With the Christmas tree behind them and the garlands hanging from the walls, they look like a family from a commercial or a TV Christmas movie.

It’s ten days before Christmas, and my daughter Lucy’s grandparents are here to pick her up. For the first time in her life, Lucy is going to visit her late father’s family in Boston. This also means that this is the first time we won’t spend Christmas together.

I try to swallow down that pinch in my heart, but Jack must notice something in my expression.

“Uh oh,” He says with a chuckle. “Did our sweet Lucy have red eyes again? I told you there was a little devil in her.”

“It’s because of that ancient camera,” Barb chimes in with a laugh. She looks at me over her enormous glasses and adds, “That thing’s been on its last leg for years.”

I shake my head, chuckling. “It’s only ten years old, Barb. If that’s what you call ‘ancient,’ what does that make you and me?”

“I’m just saying you should probably look into getting a new one,” Barb says. “It’s Christmas. There are a lot of sales going on right now.”

I clutch the camera a bit tighter in my hands.“It’s not about the money,” I say quietly.

Barb and Jack exchange a look.

“Of course, it isn’t, dear,” Barb replies gently. “Forget I said anything.”

The camera belonged to their son and my late husband, James. He died in a plane crash seven years ago. And ever since then, I haven’t had the heart to get rid of it.

Putting my smile back on, I look at Lucy.

“Hey, Lulu?” I ask sweetly. “Why don’t you run upstairs and grab your suitcase? It’s almost time to go.”

“That’s right,” Jack says, grinning. “We can’t keep Sprinkles waiting.”

Lucy’s ocean-blue eyes brighten in anticipation at the mention of her grandparents’ new chihuahua. Without any kind of pause, she skips out of the room in a blur of red skirts.

Jack moves to follow her into the hallway.“I’ll go and help her. Goodness knows those bags can be heavy.”

As Jack leaves the room, I turn to Barb and wiggle my eyebrows. “I have a surprise for you."

She smirks. “Let me guess. You’ve been crafting again, haven’t you?”

I laugh a bit sheepishly. "I can't help it. Crafts are my secret super power."

I lead her into the kitchen and comb through the piles of crafting materials I’ve left on the counter. Felt pieces, markers, sewing needles and thread, and even a big bag of toy stuffing are strewn everywhere. I find what I’m looking for in the middle of it all.

Turning around, I hold it up and squeeze its belly so that it makes a loud squeaking noise. “It's a toy squirrel. For Sprinkles.”

Barb laughs. “Oh, he’s just adorable, isn’t he? Thank you, hon.”She wraps me in a tight hug, and the toy shrieks again as it’s pressed between our stomachs. We burst out laughing.

“When did you have time to put this together?” she asks, sitting on one of the kitchen stools.

With a shrug and a warm smile, I reply, "Oh, I whipped it up last night after Lucy went to bed. It was a fun little project to keep my hands busy."

Barb nods understandingly. "Sometimes, keeping our hands busy is the best kind of therapy."

She looks at me thoughtfully for a moment before changing the subject. "So, what are your plans for Christmas? It's been a long time since you've had a quiet house all to yourself."

"Well, I plan to watch a lot of Christmas movies," I begin. "I’m also taking a few days off of work. It's the perfect opportunity to indulge in my love for crafting undisturbed, don't you think?" I flash a half-smile, feeling a semblance of relief at the thought.

Barb's face suddenly falls, and I frown. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

Her eyes don’t meet mine. "Oh, nothing. I guess I was just hoping you'd have some plans. Maybe a dinner with friends...or a date?"

A strange sensation fills my stomach at the word 'date.’ It's a mixture of dread and unease as if the word itself were a sour note in a sweet symphony. I can't help but feel a twinge of fear at the thought of dating again.

But I tuck these thoughts away and smile at Barb instead.

"I appreciate your concern, Barb," I say, placing my hand over hers. "But honestly, I'm genuinely looking forward to a quiet Christmas. It's been so long since I had some time to myself."

"Alright. As long as you promise me you'll have fun. And don't you worry about Lucy one bit. We'll make sure she has the best Christmas ever."

With a soft chuckle, I nod, "I have no doubt about that. You and Jack have always been wonderful with Lucy. She's been looking forward to this trip for a long time. And please don't worry about me. I promise I'll have fun."

The two of us head upstairs to finish helping Lucy get ready. I help Barb and Jack load Lucy and her bags into their rental car. Lucy clambers into the backseat, the squirrel toy clutched tightly in her hands. And once again, I feel that small ache in my heart at seeing her go.

Before I close her car door, I lean across the back seat one last time to kiss her on the cheek. “Love you, my darling Lu,” I say.

“Love you too, Mom," she says. "Merry Christmas."

I squeeze her hand. “Merry Christmas, Lulu. Remind Grandma to have you call me when you get there, okay?”

As the car takes off down the street, I see Lucy through the back window as she turns to wave at me. I wave back as fiercely as I can, hoping she can see me. And then they round the corner, and she’s gone.

Relief comes in the form of a shift at work in the afternoon. Instead of sitting alone at home for the next few hours, waiting impatiently for Lucy to call me from Boston, I go to work at the cafe instead.

I’ve worked at the Chocolate Moose Café for twenty-one years— nearly half my life— and I don’t regret it at all. It’s one of those things about Cooper Hills that will never change.

As I drive through town in my rusted old Buick, I peer down the streets I’ve lived and worked on my entire life.

So many of the homes and businesses have grown and adapted in the last few years. The pizza place is now open twenty-four hours a day. The coffee shop on the corner now offers vegan options. Even the nearby mountain, one of the most immovable forces of nature, has changed in the last few years thanks to my troop of brothers.

A few years ago, my brother Callum opened up the Fit Mountain Resort. And ever since then, our tiny town has been bustling.

But the Chocolate Moose Café? It promises to stay the same. And honestly, that’s what I like the most about it.

I pull into the parking lot out back, listening to the creak of the engine as it slowly shuts off. As I step out of my car, I can't help but sigh.

If I'm being brutally honest with myself, this old Buick has been on its last legs for years now.

The scratches and rusted patches are a testament to its age, and the creaking engine sounds more like a death rattle than anything else. But every time I think about trading it in for a newer model, I just can't bear to part with it.

Bracing myself, I hurry out of the car, racing the biting Wyoming winds to the cafe’s back door. I’m barely inside before I’m thrown into a big embrace.It's my co-worker, Kristine.

“Oh, Caroline, you didn’t have to come in,” Kristine says. “I told you I would cover your shift.”

“You think I wanted to miss out on a classic Kristine hug on a cold day like this?” I tease her, wrapping my arms around her, too.

After a few seconds, she steps back and holds me by my upper arms. She looks me right in my eyes as if trying to read my mind and see how I really feel.

"Caroline, are you sure you're okay? I can find someone else to cover your shift. You don't have to be here if you're not feeling up to it."

As much as I love Kristine, I’m not ready to talk about how I’m feeling. All I want is a distraction.

"I promise I'm fine,” I say. “Let’s get to work.”

Kristine heads back out onto the floor, giving me one last look over her shoulder before she goes. Once she’s gone, I put my coat and winter boots away and pull on one of the uniform aprons.

My shift goes smoothly from there. Well, as smoothly as a shift at the Chocolate Moose can go during the busy holiday season.

I zip around from place to place, refilling glasses and taking orders. Each time I bring out a delicious hot meal to a table full of customers, I smile with them, taking in their joy. Interacting with people is my favorite part of the job.

Finally, I get to my last table for the day. As I head over to take their order, I find the two of them with their menus held high, obscuring their faces.

“Hello and welcome to the Chocolate Moose Cafe,” I say, going into my usual spiel. “My name is Caroline, and I will be your server. Can I start you off with any drinks?”

“Actually, we’d like to order now if that’s okay,” one of the patrons says in an oddly deep voice. “I’d like one sister-in-law to go, please.”

I wrinkle my eyebrows. “Um… what was that?”

Before I can blink away my confusion, the two customers drop their menus to the table, revealing their cheeky grins.

It’s Penny and Sophia. Penny is married to my brother, Callum and Sophia is married to my brother, Colt.

When I got married, all four of my brothers were still single. They all sat at one table together, throwing wadded-up napkins at each other and my new husband. They were all going through their “lone wolf” phase, believing that this would be the only wedding they’d ever dare to attend. They believed they’d never get married themselves.

But the joke’s on them on that one. Over the past few years, after they opened their fitness resort on the nearby mountain, all of them have tied the knot one by one.

"What a pleasant surprise!" I exclaim as I see their familiar faces. "What are you both doing here?"

Sophia grins at me. "We thought we'd stop by and give you some company."

Penny leans forward, her brown eyes shining with concern. “How did it go with Lucy and her grandparents?"

I sigh. “It was fine for the most part.”

Sophia tilts her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What do you mean, 'for the most part'?"

"Nothing major, really," I assure her. "It's just that Jack's mom thinks I should start dating again."

Penny’s eyes widen as she lowers her voice. “You didn’t tell her about Boone, did you?”

My cheeks flush. “No, I didn’t tell her about Boone. Besides, that was years ago.”

I hate talking about Boone, Callum’s best friend.

Boone and I met at Callum and Penny’s wedding reception three years ago.His strong physique, piercing blue eyes and military uniform all made me feel something that had been missing for a long time.

From the moment our eyes met, I knew that Boone was different. His gaze was intense, yet tender, possessive yet caring. It rendered me breathless - a feeling that was both terrifying and exhilarating. The rest of the world seemed to fade away.

At the end of the night, we shared a passionate kiss and for a moment, I felt alive again.

Afterward, Boone asked to see me again before the end of his leave. But I got cold feet, and we haven’t spoken since then.

Penny reaches across the table and gives my hand a firm shake, tearing me from my thoughts.

“Earth to Caroline? What are you up to after work?” she asks.

Caught off guard by the question, I can only shrug. “Nothing, I guess. Why?”

It’s Sophia who answers, her eyes twinkling with kindness.

“Well, we were thinking about having an early Christmas dinner at your place to cheer you up. We’ll bring all the food.”

Inwardly, I feel a wave of emotion crash over me. I love my family, my brothers, and the wonderful women they married. I’m so grateful that we’ve all stayed close, always there for each other. The fact that they would go to such lengths to make me happy… I'm overwhelmed. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I manage a small smile.

“That sounds wonderful," I say. "I'd love that."

"Good," Penny replies, a warm smile lighting up her face. "We're looking forward to it. The rest of the girls will be there, too."

Sophia glances at the clock on the wall and gently nudges Penny.

"We should probably get going, Penny. We have a lot of preparations to do. We'll see you later, Caroline."

"Definitely," Penny echoes, rising from her seat. "We have to make sure everything is perfect for tonight. See you later, sis."

The café door closes behind Penny and Sophia, and I find myself lost in a whirlpool of memories, all leading me back to Boone.

It's strange. No matter how hard I try to move on, my thoughts always find their way back to him. That night at the reception, we were in a world of our own. It was as if the world had stopped just for us, and we were the only ones left standing.

Every day since then, he's been on my mind, and I think of what could’ve been.

It's not often that you connect with someone on such a profound level. And I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I had been brave enough to see him again?

Would things be different now?

As I gather my things and prepare to end my shift, a plate of Christmas cookies catches my eye in the break room. Baked to a perfect golden brown and decorated with festive red and green icing, they are a tradition at the Chocolate Moose Cafe.

Legend has it that these cookies are magical and make Christmas wishes come true. I can't help but smirk at the old tale, though, deep down, a part of me clings to the whimsy of it. As I reach out to take a cookie, a silent wish forms in my heart, a wish with Boone's name etched all over it.

Dear Santa, please let me see Boone again.