11. Lila
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lila
The unexpected snowstorm rolled in like a thick, swirling curtain the following morning, blotting out the view of the mountains and turning the world outside the cabin into a frozen, howling void.
By noon, it was clear we weren’t going anywhere.
Nate had checked the weather and announced, with a touch of annoyance, that we’d be snowed in for at least the day, maybe longer.
At first, the idea of being stuck in the cabin didn’t seem so bad. It was cozy, with the fire crackling and the scent of hot chocolate lingering in the air. I could play with Biscuit and pretty much ignore everyone else… right?
But as the hours dragged on, the close quarters began to take their toll.
The tension was palpable.
I could feel it radiating off Jaxon, who had barely said a word since breakfast. He sat by the window, pretending to be engrossed in the storm outside, but his jaw was tight and his hands were clenched around his coffee mug.
Colt, on the other hand, was his usual infuriatingly charming self, making jokes and lunch too, with an easy grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
And then there was Ryan, who hovered around all of us, quietly keeping himself busy but casting occasional glances in my direction that made my stomach twist.
I didn’t know how to act around any of them.
After everything that had happened—the stolen glances, the teasing, the… kiss—I felt like I was walking on a tightrope.
One I needed to get off of.
And then there was Biscuit, blissfully oblivious to the tension. My corgi trotted around the cabin, wagging his stubby tail and trying to charm scraps of food from everyone.
“Hey, Biscuit!” Colt called, tossing a piece of bacon onto the floor. “You’re the only one around here who appreciates me.”
Biscuit scrambled for the treat, earning a laugh from Colt and a groan from Ryan.
“Stop feeding him,” Ryan muttered, shaking his head. “You’re going to spoil him.”
“Too late,” I said, smiling despite myself. “Biscuit was born spoiled.”
Colt shot me a wink. “Must run in the family.”
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks burned.
Jaxon finally broke his silence, his voice low but sharp. “Can we not?”
The room went still. Colt raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “Not what?”
“You know what,” Jaxon said, his eyes locking onto Colt’s.
Oh, no.
The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.
I sank deeper into my seat, wishing I could disappear. Biscuit, sensing the shift, hopped onto my lap and licked my hand as if to say, it’s okay. You’ve got me.
I didn’t know what the hell was going on between Jaxon and Colt, but I had a horrible feeling I was right in the middle of it.
Ryan cleared his throat, stepping in before things could escalate. “Anyone up for a board game?”
Colt leaned back, smirking. “Sure. Let’s play Monopoly. I’ll crush you all.”
“Not happening,” I said quickly. “Monopoly always ends in someone flipping the board.”
“Probably Jaxon,” Colt muttered under his breath.
“Excuse me?” Jaxon snapped, standing up.
“Okay!” I said, my voice louder than I intended. “How about we play something… less competitive? Like Pictionary?”
Colt grinned. “Fine by me. But fair warning, I’m terrible at drawing.”
“Perfect,” Ryan said dryly, already pulling the game out of the cabinet.
We settled around the coffee table, the tension easing slightly as we focused on the game. Colt was, as promised, hilariously bad at drawing. His “fire truck” looked more like a toaster, and his “dog” could have been mistaken for a cloud with legs.
“Is it… a giraffe?” Ryan guessed, squinting at the drawing.
“No!” Colt said, exasperated. “It’s obviously a horse!”
“Obviously,” I said, laughing.
Even Jaxon cracked a small smile, though it disappeared as quickly as it came.
The bickering grew with every round, and since I didn’t think there was much I could do about it, I decided to have some fun of my own.
I started to quietly move my game piece forward, unnoticed by everyone in the chaos.
By the end of the game, the guys were so busy arguing over whose guesses were the most ridiculous that none of them noticed I was one move away from winning.
“Wait,” Ryan said, narrowing his eyes as I placed my piece on the final square. “Did you just…”
“I win!” I declared, throwing my arms up triumphantly.
The room erupted into mock outrage.
“Cheater!” Colt shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at me.
“You were all too busy arguing,” I said innocently, grinning from ear to ear.
“That was sneaky,” Jaxon said, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
“I prefer the term strategic ,” I replied.
“Unbelievable,” Ryan muttered, shaking his head. “Outsmarted by Lila.”
Colt groaned, flopping onto the couch. “I demand a rematch.”
“You’ll just lose again,” I teased.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a smirk. “So, you won, huh? What’s your prize, then?”
I gave them a mischievous smile, leaning back in my seat. “Well, you guys are supposed to be tough firefighters, right?”
Jaxon raised an eyebrow. “What are you getting at?”
I crossed my arms, feigning innocence. “I think I should see your poses for the calendar. Show me what you’ve got.”
Ryan looked genuinely surprised, his eyebrows shooting up. “What?”
“Come on,” I said, feeling a bit daring. “You can’t claim to be calendar material without showing me a sample first.”
Colt burst out laughing. “Now this I have to see!”
Jaxon, on the other hand, looked like he was considering the idea. He shot me a look of both amusement and reluctance. “You really want to see that?”
I nodded, leaning forward with a grin. “Oh, absolutely. Let’s see what you’ve got, big guy.”
Ryan was already shifting his gaze toward Jaxon, a teasing glint in his eye. “I think Jaxon’s the one who’ll show you first, right?”
Jaxon narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think I’m going to play along.”
“C’mon,” I pushed. “What’s the harm?”
Jaxon leaned back, clearly giving in despite himself. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He stood up, a hint of defiance in his posture as he struck a ridiculous pose, one arm flexed in the air. His expression was a mix of humor and mock intensity, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s… something,” I said, trying to hide my amusement.
Colt, still laughing, chimed in. “All right, my turn!”
He struck a dramatic pose, one hand behind his head and the other flexing a bicep. “Behold, the December spread. Rugged yet approachable, right?”
Jaxon groaned. “You look like you’re auditioning for a bad cologne ad.”
“ Eau de Hose, ” Ryan quipped, smirking as he sipped his hot chocolate.
Colt ignored them, transitioning into another pose. This one involved him pretending to hold a firehose, jaw set in an exaggerated heroic expression. “How about this? Classic, dependable, ready to save the day.”
“You look constipated,” Jaxon deadpanned.
Ryan nearly choked on his drink as Colt turned to glare at him, the playful rivalry between them igniting as Jaxon’s earlier pose lingered in the air.
“Don’t be jealous of my range, Jax,” Colt teased, flicking his eyes toward Jaxon.
“Jealous? Of that ?” Jaxon scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. “Please.”
“Oh, I’d like to see you do better,” Colt shot back, waving him forward like a gladiator summoning his opponent to the arena.
Jaxon hesitated, clearly reluctant, but the playful challenge in the room was too much to ignore. Slowly, he stood, running a hand through his hair and straightening his shirt. “Fine. But I’m not doing anything ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous? We’ll see about that.” Colt grinned mischievously, almost daring Jaxon to defy him as he took his place on the rug in front of us.
To my surprise—and I really shouldn’t have been surprised, given the man’s easy confidence—Jaxon’s pose was actually really good.
He stood tall, arms crossed over his broad chest, his jaw set in that familiar, brooding way he had, with just enough of a smirk to make it look like he’d stepped straight out of an action movie.
The room fell silent for a moment, everyone staring at him, probably waiting for him to break character. But Jaxon remained still, unwavering.
Finally, Colt groaned dramatically, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Okay, that was unfair. You didn’t even try and it’s already calendar-worthy.”
“Natural talent,” Jaxon said, his voice tinged with smugness as he stepped back to join us.
“Whatever,” Colt muttered, shooting a sidelong glance at Ryan. “Ryan, you’re up. Don’t let me down.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, glancing up from his mug. “I’m not doing this.”
“Oh, come on,” I nudged him with a grin. “Just one pose. For the sake of competition.”
Ryan sighed heavily, putting his mug down with a resigned look. “Fine. But don’t expect anything fancy.”
With that, Ryan walked to the center of the room, pausing for a moment, clearly gathering his thoughts. And then he struck a surprisingly goofy pose.
He mimed holding a cat in one arm, pointing dramatically into the distance with the other. His face was set in an expression of over-the-top urgency, like he was on a mission to save the world from some sort of disaster.
“Rescuing kittens from trees,” Ryan said dryly, voice dripping with sarcasm.
I burst out laughing, nearly spilling Biscuit off my lap as he tried to wriggle free. Even Jaxon cracked a smile, and Colt shook his head with an exaggerated sigh.
“All right, you win,” he said, his voice dripping with mock exasperation. “That was solid.”
“Oh, so you’ll concede to him, but not to me?” I teased, leaning back on the couch, my fingers absentmindedly scratching Biscuit’s head.
“Ryan didn’t cheat,” Colt shot back with a wink.
As the laughter settled, the guys took their seats again, the playful tension easing between them. The lightheartedness of the moment was infectious, and despite the awkwardness I’d been feeling earlier, I found myself smiling, a weight lifting off my shoulders.
“Next year, Lila’s voting on the poses,” Colt declared, his grin wide and mischievous.
“Oh, absolutely,” I replied, my voice light and teasing. “But only if Biscuit gets a feature.”
The guys groaned in unison, but I could see the amusement in their eyes.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like I belonged—right here, in the middle of their ridiculous antics, laughing until my face ached.
But somewhere beneath the joy, a tightness was building.
Something I couldn’t quite name.