Chapter 17
Baby It’s Cold Outside
“Is this the part where you confess you’ve been a serial killer the whole time, and tell everyone I went back to New York when I go missing?” Noelle asks, her breath visible in the cold air.
“You caught me. I lured you into the forest in the freezing cold for that very reason,” I say, tossing her a wink.
After swinging by the barn to check on the animals—and coax Maple back to her stall following Noelle’s attempt to walk her like an oversized puppy—we stopped by the cabin so Noelle could change.
My sweats and flannel weren’t going to cut it for this adventure, so I’d picked her up some proper clothes and boots in town that actually fit.
Once she finished getting dressed, we drove to the edge of my property.
“You could always sneak me into the local morgue’s incinerator. You’ll just have to make sure there are no cameras around,” Noelle informs me cheerfully.
I shake my head, running a gloved hand across my face. “Sounds like someone’s watched too many murder mysteries.”
“True crime podcasts, actually,” she corrects me with a grin. “That and bingeing romance novels are my favorite pastimes.”
I slow my pace as we climb another crest, our boots crunching over the frosted trail. Thankfully, I came out early this morning to pack down the snow to make the walk easier.
“That’s an unusual combo.”
“What can I say, I’m unpredictable.” Noelle pauses as I lift a low-hanging branch for her to duck under before I follow.
“One day I’m hooked on true crime, the next I’m lost in a smutty mafia romance with a morally gray antihero who doesn’t hesitate to cut another man’s dick off for daring to look at his woman. ”
I wince, instinctively shielding my crotch. “That’s a reasonable reaction,” I say flatly.
Noelle tilts her head with a sly grin. “Coming from the guy who kicked someone out of his honky-tonk just for dancing with me.”
“Booting Thatcher is one thing. But maiming him? Too messy.”
“What a relief that you’re the type to exile, not dismember,” she replies with a dramatic swipe across her brow.
I don’t mention that if anyone tried to hurt her, all bets would be off, and I’d gladly steal a tactic or two from a fictional mafia boss.
I’m saved from replying when Noelle gasps, her hand flying to her mouth as she takes in the view when we reach the top of the ridge.
Below is a small valley with a frozen pond surrounded by pine trees. Icicles hang heavy from the lower branches, catching the light and turning the grove into a cathedral of glass. The pond is smooth and glossy, a solid sheet of ice gleaming like polished marble.
“Shep, this place is amazing,” she says in awe.
“I knew you’d like it.” I tuck her hand in mine, guiding her along the trail I’ve already packed down to the pond. “What do you say we go ice-skating?”
While planning out the two days leading up to Christmas, I recalled her telling me that ice skating at Rockefeller Center was one of her favorite traditions. That’s when I knew I had to bring her here.
Her eyes widen with a mixture of delight and disbelief. “Seriously? Is it safe?”
“Of course, darlin’.”
I came out early this morning to test the ice thickness and cleared off one of the wooden benches I built ages ago. The pond had been a selling point when I bought the mountain property, but I haven’t been here in a long time.
Noelle rests her hand on my shoulder, and I glance around to see we’ve reached the bottom of the trail and have come to a spot near the pond.
“You alright?” she asks softly.
For a moment, I’m tempted to dismiss her concern, but I rethink it. She draws out a side of me that wants to be honest and share what I tend to keep under lock and key.
“It’s been years since I was here. Growing up as an only kid, I pictured having a big family and wanted to turn this place into a retreat with a gazebo, a fishing dock, and a firepit for summer nights.
When I realized that I’d probably never have kids of my own, I stopped working on it…
and eventually stopped visiting this spot. ”
“There’s still plenty of time to have everything you’ve always wanted,” Noelle says with a soft smile.
I scoff. “I’m forty-five, not exactly in my prime. I’ve accepted that finding someone who would want to live on a mountain and start a family may not be in the cards for me.”
It’s not lost on me that my long stretch of isolation hasn’t done me any favors.
Casey constantly needles me to hang out at High Noon or grab a meal at the diner in town—the one I’ve avoided since my parents died because it was their favorite place—but I’ve grown so used to being alone that socializing feels…
foreign. It’s ironic that the woman who finally gave me a reason to come out of my shell showed up on my doorstep.
Noelle steps closer, her fingertips tracing the coarse line of my mustache, waiting for me to meet her gaze before she speaks. “Don’t say that, Shep. You’ll make an amazing father someday.”
Her conviction makes it hard to argue.
“There’s no guarantee of that,” I whisper.
“Life has a way of surprising us,” she says, letting her hand drift to the nape of my neck, threading her fingers through my hair. “As long as we stay open to the possibilities it brings along.”
I want to believe that more than anything, but the longer I spend with her, the more I doubt anyone will ever compare. And I’m starting to wonder if it was fate that led her to my cabin.
Noelle leans in, capturing my mouth in a tender kiss. “I’ll believe for the both of us until you’re ready to believe it too.”
Fuck, this woman is perfect. What I wouldn’t give to have her stay longer.
I trace a finger along her jaw. “Thanks for giving me a reason to hope again.”
She doesn’t have to know that I mean it in more ways than one.
“Always, cowboy.” She presses one more chaste kiss to my lips. “Now, didn’t you say we were going skating?”
I nod, grateful for a lighter shift in the mood and can’t wait to make a new memory in a place that’s long been shadowed by what might have been.
Noelle giggles when I scoop her into my arms and carry her to the bench I’d cleared of snow and covered with a blanket. At one end are the two pairs of skates and a thermos of hot chocolate I brought out earlier when I was prepping the area.
I set her down and crouch in front of her, resting her foot on my knee. I hum in approval, pleased she wore the thick socks I told her to. The sun might be out, but the cold is still biting, and I want to make sure she stays warm.
I ease her foot into the skate, the blade still sheathed in its guard.
The leather’s stiff from the cold, so I go slowly, looping each lace until the boot molds snug around her ankle.
After tying a double knot, I reach for the other skate and repeat the process.
The only other sound is Noelle’s breath, rising in visible puffs against the chill.
Once I’m satisfied both skates are secure, I take off the guards and put them on the bench.
“You’ll tell me if your ankle starts acting up,” I state.
She nods. “I will. But it’s better now. I promise.”
“And we’re going to make sure it stays that way.” I give the laces an extra tug before helping her to her feet and leading her to the ice. “I’m going to put on my skates, and I’ll meet you out there. Don’t go too fast, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she says, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
She damn well knows what that name does to me, and all I can do is stand there, jaw slack, as she plants a kiss on my cheek before skating away.
After lacing up my skates as quickly as possible, I clumsily make my way to the pond. Once I’m on the ice, I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, wobbling with every step. I spread out my arms like a windmill, in an attempt to keep myself upright.
I glance over at the other side of the pond, where Noelle glides across the ice with effortless grace.
She’s a damn vision with her hair spilling in golden waves beneath a black beanie and her eyes shining with pure joy.
For a second, I pause to take in the view.
This woman preoccupies my every thought, and after last night, my need to lose myself in her light is unrelenting, making me wish I could freeze this moment to make it last forever.
She circles back to where I’m inching along the edge of the pond. Funny how I worried she might fall, but here I am, the real rookie. I guess being out of my element overrules any misplaced confidence I might have had.
I’m expecting a teasing remark, but instead, Noelle moves to my side and threads her gloved fingers through mine.
“Wanna play a game?” she chirps as she leads me across the frozen surface.
“Like what?”
“‘Would you rather.’”
“Never heard of it,” I grunt.
“It’s easy—I give you two options, and you have to pick one.” Her hand tightens around mine as we follow the curve of the pond, keeping me upright. “For example, would you rather wake up early or stay up late?”
I scoff. “Wake up early. There’s too much to do to waste daylight.”
Although I wouldn’t mind sleeping in if I woke up to Noelle in my arms every morning.
“Now it’s your turn,” she encourages.
“Uh… would you rather have coffee or hot chocolate?”
“You already know the answer to that one, but I’ll cut you some slack since this is your first time playing.”
She rests her free hand on my arm, the subtle pressure serving as an anchor.
“You might love hot cocoa during the holidays, but how do I know you’re not the type who needs a strong cup of coffee to survive a busy Monday morning?”
“Hate to burst your bubble, but I’m definitely not in the early bird club.
My creative energy doesn’t even clock in until noon, and I record my podcasts in the evening.
” She gradually picks up our pace, but I hardly notice, absorbed in this little game of learning more about her.
“When I do have to be up early, I survive off caramel macchiatos with oat milk and two extra shots of vanilla.”
I give her shoulder a playful nudge. “There is one perk to you sleeping in.”
“What’s that?”
“It means I get to join you back in bed.”
After prepping the path to the pond this morning, I went back to the cabin to find Noelle still fast asleep, stretched out on my side of the bed, the blankets pooling around her bare hips.
“I do like sleepy sex with you,” Noelle murmurs with a sultry smile. “Now it’s my turn. Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?”
I arch a brow. “What kind of question is that?”
“A smart one. It could save your life someday,” she states matter-of-factly.
“Right… because giant duck apocalypses are normal around here.”
“There’s a first time for everything, and I’d hate for you to be unprepared.”
“Wouldn’t want that.” I chuckle. “I’ll take the herd of tiny horses. Toss a handful of diced apples into a stall and they’ll be corralled in no time.”
“Excellent choice.”
She lifts our joined hands as she glides out in front of me and spins in a slow circle. Her skates cut smooth arcs across the ice as her laughter rings through the air. I’m struck by her effortless ability to find joy in the ordinary.
“Would you rather live in the city or the country?” I ask.
It’s another question she’ll probably accuse me of already knowing the answer to, but I’m a glutton for punishment and can’t help but wonder if a small part of her secretly longs for a quieter life away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Noelle slowly comes to a stop in front of me, prompting me to do the same.
She turns to face me as she lets out a thoughtful hum, considering.
“I’ve lived in New York City my whole adult life.
The food scene’s fantastic, and there’s an endless stream of boutiques, music venues, and pop-ups to check out.
” My stomach tightens as I brace for what I assume is the inevitable answer.
“Still, it has its downsides. It’s really loud, people aren’t very friendly, and everything costs a fortune.
Most of my team works remotely, but we still rent a studio to record my podcast, and the monthly cost could easily pay for a luxury getaway somewhere tropical. ”
“Maybe if it hadn’t cut into your travel budget, you could’ve taken a trip out of the country instead of roughing it in Arizona for the holidays,” I joke, though I’m genuinely intrigued to know what her response will be.
Noelle shakes her head, her expression soft and reflective. “I’m glad I didn’t. This trip has been full of surprises, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was about time—I was due for a little adventure.”
I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“So which one would it be, Sunshine—the city or the country?”
Time seems to stretch on while I wait.
Noelle lifts her eyes to meet mine, reaching up to take off my hat and perch it on her head.
“The country. Definitely the country.”
Her answer is straightforward, yet significant. There’s something powerful in knowing the simplicity of a small town doesn’t put her off, and it sparks a flicker of hope I have no business holding on to.
As flurries begin to fall around us, I’m struck by the realization I’m falling for Noelle—and fast.
If given the choice, she’s the person I want to experience the small joys and big milestones with.
We haven’t known each other long, yet it feels like I’ve been waiting for her my whole life.
I’m faced with the reality that this could all be over soon, and I might be a footnote in her story.
But for me, she’ll forever be a bright spot.
“Would you rather have a Pause button or a Rewind button in a video game version of your life?” she asks.
“Pause button,” I state with zero hesitation.
Noelle lifts her hand to rest it against my cheek.
“Me too, cowboy,” she whispers. “Me too.”