Chapter 6 Kade #2
Sadie's expression shifts from surprise to absolute delight.
"Nia! From Mountain Memories? I love that shop!
Aunt Meredith is the sweetest." She rushes forward, pulling Nia into a hug.
"You did this all of this?! When we drove up, I thought we had the wrong address! It’s incredible. Like something from a magazine!"
"Thank you," Nia says, relaxing slightly. “But I can’t take all the credit. Your brother was very specific about what he wanted."
"He usually is." Sadie shoots me a look that clearly says we're talking about this later.
“Surprise!” I say, spreading my arms wide.
Sadie hugs me. “Thanks for doing all this for us, big bro.”
“He told me it had to be special.”
She pats me on the back. “It really is.”
Ledger shakes my hand. “Good to see you again, Kade. This is great. Awesome surprise.”
“Good to see you, too, man,” I reply. “Thanks. Glad you like it.”
"Hey Nia," Ledger steps forward, offering his hand to shake.
"Hi Ledger." Nia takes his hand, then glances at me. "I should probably go. Let you guys catch up."
"Don't be silly," Sadie says immediately. "The roads are terrible. Stay! We want to hear all about the decorating process." She's pulling off her coat, hanging it up. "Besides, we brought supplies for cocktails, and I make a mean spiked cider."
"I don’t want to impose,” Nia says. “I’ve probably already overstayed my welcome.” I catch the hint of mischief in her eyes.
Sadie looks between us, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head. "Please. If I know my brother, he’d want you to stay."
I nod. “Stay, Nia.”
“Fine then.” She grins. “But just because that cider sounds to die for.”
We all chuckle.
Ledger catches my eye and jerks his head toward the kitchen. "Beer?"
"God, yes."
We escape while Sadie starts peppering Nia with questions about the decorations, her voice animated and delighted. Bear settles on the rug near the fireplace, clearly content with the new arrangement.
In the kitchen, Ledger pulls two bottles from the six-pack they brought, popping the caps and handing me one.
"So," he says. "She seems nice."
"She is."
He takes a long pull of his beer, watching me. "How long have you known her?"
"About four days.”
His eyebrows rise. "That's it?"
"That's it." I lean against the counter, running a hand through my hair. Through the doorway, I can see Nia laughing at something Sadie said, her whole face lit up. Bear has moved to sit beside her, resting his head on her knee. "I know how it sounds."
"Actually, it sounds familiar." Ledger grins. "The moment Sadie ran after me in the forest I knew she was special. Hours later, I knew I wanted her in my life forever."
"That's different."
"How?"
"You live here. You could actually build something." I gesture vaguely toward the great room. "I'm in Colorado. She's here. And she's twenty-two, Ledger. She just graduated college. She should be figuring out her life, not tying herself to some cop who lives two states away."
"Does she know you're making these decisions for her?"
I glare at him. "I'm not—" But I stop. Maybe I am.
He leans against the opposite counter. "Look, I don't know her well, but she seems capable of deciding what she wants."
"That's what she said to me yesterday.”
"Then maybe listen to her." He studies me for a moment. "What do you want, Kade?"
The answer comes without hesitation. "Her. I want her."
"Then tell her that."
"It's not that simple—"
"It actually is." Ledger sets down his beer. "You know I spent a lot of time thinking Sadie deserved better than a bitter ex-con living like a recluse in the woods. But then she told me all the good things she saw in me. Things I’d forgotten about myself. And that I didn’t get to decide what was best for her.”
I look back through the doorway. Sadie has her phone out, showing Nia something that's making them both laugh. Bear's tail thumps against the floor. They look natural together, easy, like they've been friends for years instead of minutes.
"I think I'm in love with her," I say quietly.
Ledger doesn't look surprised. "Yeah, I figured."
“Really?”
"Love doesn't run on a schedule, man. Trust me on that." He picks up his beer again. "The question is: what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know." The admission feels like failure. "I can't ask her to wait while I figure out how to transfer departments, or uproot her life to move to Colorado when she's just starting out—"
Ledger shakes his head. “Just talk to her, first. See what she wants. You might be surprised."
Sadie walks into the kitchen. "Are you two done with your boy talk? Because Nia's telling me about the squirrel incident and I need to hear Kade's version of events."
"There's not much to tell," I say. "A squirrel broke in. We bribed it with cookies. Standard law enforcement procedure."
Nia appears behind Sadie, grinning. "He's downplaying how he planned to sweep the thing away with tactical broom maneuvers."
I smirk. "I did what I had to do to secure the premises.” I look over at Sadie. “But we definitely could have used your expertise, Ms. Park Ranger."
“Next time,” Sadie says, and winks. “But Nia had the right idea with cookie bribes.”
Nia chuckles. “He looked like he was about to read it its Miranda rights,” she adds, and Sadie dissolves into laughter.
Later, we’re relaxing around the fireplace. Sadie makes her spiked cider—which is delicious…and potent.
Sadie and Ledger ask about every decoration, every choice, and Nia lights up explaining her vision for each room.
Bear has claimed a spot between Nia and the fire, occasionally nudging her hand for pets.
"And all the mistletoe?" Sadie asks innocently, gesturing to the dozen or so sprigs placed strategically around us. "That was Nia's idea too?"
Nia's cheeks go pink. "Tradition."
"Uh-huh." Sadie's eyes sparkle.
"Mistletoe placement is a science," Nia says seriously.
"Is that what we're calling it?" I mutter, and she kicks my shin lightly.
Around midnight, Sadie starts yawning. "We should probably head out."
"You're staying here, right?" I ask.
"Actually, we're going back to our place." Ledger stands, stretching. "It's only twenty minutes, and I've got some morning chores to handle. Plus Bear needs his regular routine."
"But the weather?" Nia says, concerned.
"Oh, I’ve dealt with much worse," he says with a shrug. "We'll be back tomorrow for dinner. And I want to show you both my brewery addition at my place sometime this week."
They gather their coats, and Sadie pulls me into a tight hug at the door. Bear waits patiently by her side.
"She's lovely," she whispers in my ear. "And the way she looks at you? Don't be an idiot, big brother."
"I'm working on it."
She pulls back, studying my face. "Good." Then she hugs Nia. "Thank you for making this place so beautiful. It means the world to us."
"It was my pleasure," Nia says. "Really."
"And Bear clearly approves of you," Sadie adds with a grin. "He's a very good judge of character."
After they leave, the cabin is quiet. Nia starts gathering mugs, but I catch her hand.
"Leave them," I say. "Come with me for a minute."
I lead her through the kitchen to the back deck. The cold hits immediately—sharp and clean—but the view is worth it. Stars blanket the sky, impossibly bright against the darkness, and fresh snow covers everything in pristine white.
"Wow," Nia breathes, moving to the railing. "I forget how beautiful it is up here."
I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. "You okay? That was kind of intense."
"Your sister is amazing." She leans into me. "And Ledger seems great. Bear's pretty wonderful too."
"They liked you."
"How can you tell?"
"Bear practically sat next to you the whole time you were here." I rest my chin on top of her head. "And Sadie was using her 'I already love you and you're going to be my best friend' voice."
She laughs softly. "Is that a thing?"
"With Sadie? Absolutely."
We're quiet for a moment, just breathing in the cold air and watching the stars. Then Nia sighs.
"What is it?" I ask.
"I've been thinking." She turns in my arms, looking up at me. "About what happens after you leave."
My stomach tightens. "Nia—"
"No, let me say this." She takes a breath. "Zoe and Troy Lawson—they own the Christmas Nook in town—have been asking me to join them. They do seasonal decorations and event planning, and they need help expanding. It would be perfect, actually. Exactly the kind of thing I'd love to do."
"That sounds amazing." I study her face. "But you don't look excited about it."
"I'm scared," she admits. "What if I commit and then realize I hate it? Or what if I'm not good enough? Aunt Meredith thinks I should absolutely do it, and Zoe and Troy have been so patient, but I keep putting off giving them an answer."
"Why?"
"Because saying yes feels like such a big adult decision, and I used to bounce these things off my dad." Her voice gets softer. "He'd help me think through the pros and cons, tell me when I was overthinking things. But he's not here, and I'm just... stuck."
I pull her closer, feeling her tremble slightly—whether from cold or emotion, I'm not sure. "What does your gut tell you?"
"That I'd love it. That it's right up my alley." She looks up at me. "But what if—"
"Hey." I cup her face in my hands. "There are no guarantees in life, Christmas angel. But from what I've seen? You're incredible at this. The way you transformed that cabin, the vision you have, how you make every space feel magical—that's not something to take lightly. That's innate talent."
"You think so?"
"I know so." I brush my thumb across her cheek. "And if you try it and it doesn't work out? Then you try something else. That's allowed. You don't have to have your whole life figured out at twenty-two."
"Says the man who's probably known what he wanted to do since birth."