Chapter 7
PIPER
Ineed some air.
The cabin is warm and full of laughter, everyone smiling, unwrapping gifts, and telling stories, but me…my chest feels tight. I slip out the back door with Bear trotting after me, his tail wagging like we're about to have the adventure of a lifetime.
"Just you and me, buddy," I murmur, grabbing a tennis ball from the porch basket.
The snow crunches under my boots as I wade into the backyard. Mountain views are in every direction, peaks pristine white against the blue sky. It's breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of view that should calm me down.
Instead, I'm spinning like top.
Harlon's inside calling Jayce right now. Telling his brother that we—that we what, exactly? Had sex? Fell for each other? That he broke every unspoken rule in the sibling handbook?
I throw the ball, and Bear bounds after it with joyful abandon, paws kicking up powdery snow.
At least someone's enjoying himself completely.
Just days ago, I was dreading having to spend time alone in a cabin with Harlon Giles, let alone the rest of the Christmas holiday.
And now…I can't imagine going back to Denver without him.
I can't imagine waking up tomorrow and not feeling his brawny arms around me, not hearing that raspy rumble of a laugh when I say something silly.
When did that happen? When did I go from tolerating his presence to absolutely craving it?
The first time Jayce brought me home to meet his family, Harlon was there.
He'd just come off a two-week backcountry patrol, beard scruffy, flannel rolled to his elbows, and when he shook my hand, something electric shot up my arm.
His gray eyes held mine for just a second too long before he pulled away and barely spoke to me the rest of the night.
I'd told myself it was nothing. That I was imagining things. That I was just nervous about meeting my boyfriend's family.
But then it kept happening.
Every gathering—that same electric awareness followed by his deliberate distance. I'd thought he hated me. Thought I'd done something wrong, said something offensive, existed in a way that annoyed him.
Turns out he was just trying not to fall in love with his brother's girlfriend.
Who would’ve thought?
Bear drops the soggy tennis ball at my feet, and I throw it again, watching him race across the yard.
My hand finds the small package in my coat pocket—the wooden bear ornament I bought at the general store. I'd been so sure it was the right gift, a memento of our time in that cabin, something to remember this by.
But what if Jayce loses his shit over this whole thing? Harlon might say he doesn’t care. But I know that’s not entirely true. What if Harlon decides family loyalty is more important than what we’ve started?
What if I'm about to have my heart broken on Christmas?
The back door opens, and I tense, but it's just Sadie who emerges carrying drinks. She's bundled in a massive parka that makes her look tiny, her red hair escaping from under a knit hat.
"Thought you could use this." She hands me a mug, and the sharp scent of cinnamon and rum hits my nose.
“Ah, your infamous spiked cider.”
“Yes, but it is Christmas. ’Tis the season for everything to be spiked.” She smiles and settles onto the porch step, and I join her, Bear flopping down between us with a contented sigh. "Also, you looked like you were about to vibrate out of your skin in there."
"That obvious?"
"Only to someone who knows you." She takes a sip, studying me over the rim of her mug. "So. My brother."
Heat floods my face. "Sadie—"
She actually wiggles, sloshing cider onto the snow. "You both have this...glow."
"We do not have a glow."
"You so do. It's gross to think about too hard…Harlon being my brother and all. But it’s adorable." Her grin is triumphant. "I'm also taking full credit for this, by the way."
I blink. "What?"
“Why do you think I didn’t tell either of you the other was coming?
” She says it like she's revealing a master plan.
“I knew you’d both make excuses and bow out.
But I knew—I knew—if I could just get you two in the same place without escape routes, something would happen.
I just thought it would be this cabin…not some tiny shack in Hope Peak. "
I don't know whether to laugh or strangle her. "Sadie!"
"Don't Sadie me. Someone had to intervene." She leans back, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Although the blizzard…that was pure luck. Even I can't control the weather."
“We could’ve died!”
She shakes her head. “No way. Not with my brother around.”
I huff and take a long drink, letting the warmth spread through me. "I admit I’ve always been attracted to Harlon. I tried so hard not to be, but—"
“He’s stupidly hot, good with…wood, and emotionally unavailable, which put all together turns women into puddles of goo.”
A laugh bursts out of me. "Something like that."
“Why do you think I fell for Ledger?” she says, laughing. "For what it's worth, Jayce told me a while ago he wasn’t feeling it." At my sharp look, she continues. "I tried to convince him to tell you how he felt, but it wasn’t my place.”
I shake my head. “Deep down inside, I could probably tell—"
"You were a great girlfriend, Piper. But you can't force feelings that aren't there." She bumps my shoulder. "And you definitely can't help who you fall for."
"What about our age difference?” I say, voicing the fear that's been gnawing at me.
"Big whoop." Sadie shrugs. "You're not some naive kid, and he's not some creep taking advantage. You're two adults who happen to have chemistry. The age gap is just a number."
“A big number.”
“You've always been an old soul.” She pats my arm gently.
“Even when you first started dating Jayce, I remember thinking you seemed more mature than half my friends who are in their thirties. You’ve got brains and you're building a career on your own terms. Plus, you're not looking for someone to take care of you. "
"No," I agree. "I'm not."
"And Harlon?" She smiles. "He's been taking care of everyone else his whole life. Maybe it's time someone took care of him for a change."
I think about Harlon—the way he made sure I was warm in the cabin, kept the fire going through the night, restocked the supplies we used. But also the way he listens when I talk about my apps, and the way he encourages me not to settle for anything less than what I want.
Not to mention, how he looks at me like I’m the most important thing in his world.
“What if Jayce is really upset?” I whisper. “What if Harlon chooses his brother over—” I can't finish the sentence.
Sadie takes my hand. "Then they’re both idiots, and I'll kick their asses myself."
The back door opens again, and my heart stops.
Harlon stands there, his expression unreadable in the late afternoon light. His gray eyes find mine, and for a horrible second, I can't breathe.
"I should go check on dinner," Sadie announces, suddenly on her feet. She squeezes my shoulder once then passes Harlon before disappearing inside.
Harlon moves down the steps slowly, and I can't tell if he's about to break my heart or—
"So," I say, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. "How did it go?"
He sits beside me on the step, our thighs touching. “Jayce was...surprised.”
"Good surprised or bad—"
"Let me finish." He takes my hand and threads our fingers together. "He asked if I was serious about you…and I told him I've been in love with you for a long time.”
The world tilts sideways.
"He asked if you felt the same way," Harlon continues. "I said I thought so, but we hadn't really talked about it yet."
I let out a long breath.
“And he said…” Harlon's voice goes soft. “He said if being together makes us happy, he'd never stand in the way. That life's too short to let other people dictate who you love, even your own brother.” His eyes search mine.
Tears prick my eyes. "Really?"
"Really." Harlon pulls me closer, and I'm basically in his lap now, his arms wrapped around me. "Piper, I need you to know something."
"Okay," I breathe.
"I do love you." The words are steady, certain. "I fought it every single day because I thought it was wrong. But being with you these past few days—" His voice roughens. "I can't go back to pretending I don’t want you with all my heart."
Joy explodes in my chest, so intense I can barely contain it. "I love you too." The words come out on a laugh that might also be a sob. "I've loved you for just as long, Harlon. I just wouldn’t let myself admit it."
His hand slides over my cheek, and he brushes away a tear that escapes. "You're sure? Because the our age difference, the family situation—"
"I'm sure." I lean into his touch, and then he's kissing me, and it's like sunshine on a cold day.
A promise.
A beginning.
When he pulls back, I'm breathless and grinning like an idiot.
He settles me more comfortably in his lap and I lace my fingers with his again. “What about the fact that I live in Denver and you live in Wyoming?”
"My ranger station's pretty isolated," he admits. "But the internet's decent. Better than you'd think."
"Oh?" I smile at him. "And why would the internet quality matter?"
His smile is achingly sweet. "Well, I hear there's this talented app developer who works remotely. Could work from anywhere, really." His arms tighten around me. "Especially if that developer wasn't taking some corporate job that would make her miserable."
"Funny you should mention that." I touch his lips with my fingers. "I declined the TechFlow offer this morning."
His sharp intake of breath makes me smile. "You did?"
"I also had an idea for a new app." I trace his jawline. "One that helps people find emergency shelters and cabins on mountain roads…offline maps, weather integration, real-time conditions. Maybe I could help prevent some near-death experiences in blizzards."
His eyes are warm with affection and something deeper.
I bite my lip. "Think there's a market for it?"
"I think," he says, pulling me closer, "that you're amazing, and that you should absolutely build it."
"From Wyoming?"
"If that's what you want." He holds my gaze. "I'm not asking you to give up your life in Denver, Piper. We can figure out visiting schedules, splitting time—"
“But I want to be with you.” The truth is simple, clear as day.
“Denver's just a city. My parents are never there anyway. And everything I need for work fits in a laptop bag.” I love feeling the rough stubble against my palm.
“Plus, I hear Wyoming has excellent hiking trails. Might need a park ranger to show me around.”
"I know a guy." He winks. "And he's pretty into you."
"Yeah?" I'm grinning now, too. "How into me?"
"Embarrassingly so." He kisses me again, softly. "Fair warning: I'm going to be the annoying boyfriend who wants to share a sleeping bag and point out constellations."
"I can’t wait."
His laugh rumbles through both of us. "We're going to be disgustingly happy, aren't we?"
"You better believe it." I remember the ornament in my pocket and pull it out. "I almost forgot. I got you something."
He takes the small wrapped package, eyebrows raised. “When did you—?”
"While you were talking to that sweet old lady in the general store." I watch nervously as he unwraps it. “It's kinda silly, but I wanted you to have something to remember this Christmas.“
The wooden bear sits in his palm, carved with careful detail, a tiny red scarf around its neck. He stares at it for a long moment, and when he looks up, his eyes are suspiciously bright.
"It's perfect," he says roughly. "Thank you."
"For surviving our storm," I whisper.
He pulls me against his chest, the ornament clutched in one hand while the other holds me close. "Best storm of my life."
We sit there as the sun starts to dip behind the mountains, tinting the snow gold and pink. Bear snores softly at our feet, and from inside comes the sound of laughter and Christmas music.
"We should probably go back in," I murmur, even though I don't want to move.
"They're definitely watching us through the window."
"Oh god." I bury my face in his neck. "How long have they been watching?"
"Since about thirty seconds after Sadie went inside, I'd guess."
"Your sister is the worst."
He shrugs, then presses a kiss to my temple. "Ready to face the firing squad?"
"As long as you're with me."
He stands, pulling me up with him. Through the huge windows, I can see everyone very obviously not looking in our direction.
Harlon opens the door, and we step into warmth and light and the scent of Christmas dinner. Bear tears inside toward the fireplace.
Every head turns.
"I was beginning to think you'd frozen out there." Meredith announces from her chair.
Sadie appears with a champagne bottle and glasses. "Perfect timing! I was just about to make a toast."
Ledger distributes glasses while Sadie pours with theatrical flair. Once everyone's holding champagne, she raises her glass.
"To new beginnings," she says, eyes twinkling. "To Christmas miracles. To stubborn idiots who finally got their heads out of their asses—"
"Sadie," Harlon warns.
"—and to family, chosen and otherwise." She looks at me, and Nia, and Meredith, and there's deep affection in her gaze. "Welcome home."
"Hear, hear!" everyone choruses, and we all drink.
Harlon mouths, I love you, and I mouth it back with a grin.
The Christmas lights twinkle all around us as someone's playlist switches to a jazzy version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
Meredith's laugh rings out over a story Kade is telling.
Yep, a merry little Christmas, indeed.