Chapter 24
Sadie
“Oh, my god,” I say, looking up at the roof of the Lodge. “What in the world?”
Zane stands proudly, looking up at the beloved building, along with his father, Grandpa, Jed, George, and his friend Travis from Silver Pines.
“It’s Frosty,” Travis says with a grin. “Each year, I have to think of new ideas to get ahead of everyone else in town, so usually I get my Frosty a new friend for the display. This year, I figured Z here could have his own.” He motions behind him.
Standing proudly next to the lodge is a forty-foot blow up Frosty the Snowman, with lights and everything. The entire lodge roof is covered in lights, it’d put the Griswolds to shame.
Izzy claps her hands together, Sylvia laughs as if she’s used to these sorts of shenanigans, and Gran tells the boys Frosty has to be moved ‘a little to the left.’
Zane has been going on about outdoing the resort since I got to town.
Funny, for someone who acts as if Christmastime is doing him a personal hardship, he sure does go to some lengths to ensure he’s in the thick of it.
I am starting to understand that Zane really doesn’t dislike Christmas at all.
The fact he’d go to these lengths to ‘outdo’ the resort just says it all.
If he didn’t care, why would he even bother?
“Well, I think you boys did a wonderful job,” Sylvia says.
“I agree.” I smile, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m sure you could see these lights from outer space.”
Frank chuckles, slapping his son on the back. “Zane never does things by halves.”
“I think he put in a little extra effort this year,” George mumbles, shooting a pointed look my way, then a wink.
“That reminds me,” Izzy starts. “When are you gonna tell everyone you and Sadie are an item, Z?”
Sylvia gasps, along with Grandma Josephine, and I shoot Izzy a glare, which she promptly ignores.
“You two are dating?” Sylvia mouths the words, and I’ve no idea if she’s happy or sad about the news, but we get along well, so I can’t imagine she’d be against it.
“Thanks, Iz,” Zane mutters.
“I knew it!” Sylvia claps her hands together as she does a little jump in the air. “I could sense the tension between you two the second I suggested Sadie move into your guest room. That’s when I first realized you two would be the perfect match.”
“Mom,” Zane warns. “Too much information.”
“Well, we’re thrilled,” Frank says with a big, broad smile. “Welcome to the family.”
Zane rolls his eyes.
“I caught them in the barn,” Izzy goes on, making my eyes widen. “I mean, I didn’t see anything, they were just being sneaky.”
My only response other than gasping, is to press my forehead into my palm.
“Way to go, Iz,” Zane mutters. “Don’t leave anything out.”
“That’s how I wooed your grandma here,” Grandpa Gary says with a big old smile. “I rode up on a horse and swept her off her feet. Flowers help too, and being a gentleman. I hope you’re being one.” He clips Zane around the ear, which makes everyone laugh.
Zane is this big hulking man, but to see him being chastised by his family is hilarious.
“Ow, Grandpa! I am,” he says, rubbing his ear. “Jeez already.”
“Not from what I saw that morning when—” Iz starts, but Zane bends and quickly makes a snowball, rolling it between his gloved hands, then lobs it at her. She shrieks, dodging out of the way.
“Oh, no,” Sylvia and Josephine say in unison.
“Bombs away!” Jed calls, ducking for cover as he lobs one back at Izzy, too. Clearly, the two of them are in cahoots.
“That’s it, Zane, Jed, you’re both dead meat!” Izzy warns as she launches an attack; down by her feet — disguised by the snowman she built earlier — she’s already stashed an army of snowballs around the bottom. Clearly, she had heavy artillery planned all along.
George gets in on the act, but he doesn’t throw any at Izzy, interestingly, he runs over and starts helping her get Zane.
Izzy can say what she wants, but I’ve also seen how George looks at her when she thinks he isn’t looking. I might tease her with it later. Even though the two of them are always arguing, I see the chemistry between them, not that either would admit it.
“Take that!” he yells. “That’s for all the times you would never even consider helpin’ decorate the station when I asked! You called tinsel ‘sissy rope’. I mean, who does that?”
“Sadie!” Zane calls, “get over here! This is war! Help!”
Zane is being obliterated with one snowball after another, and Jed is too busy laughing instead of trying to gather more snowballs at the ready.
“You didn’t come prepared, Z-dog!” Izzy yells back. “I’ve been waiting a long time to win a snowball fight, today is that day!”
Grandpa comes in to help Zane, as Frank laughs and gets his mom and Sylvia out of the firing line.
I’m too busy laughing when Zane is pelted over and over with snowballs. Izzy falls about laughing so hard she can’t even throw anymore, but George is getting into it.
Zane is giving as good as he gets, but clearly he needs some practice.
I start scooping up snow. Never having been in a snowball fight, this is exciting, and to see Zane laughing with his family and friends warms my heart.
“Is this what happens when you let your guard down, old boy?” George chuckles, copping snow right in the face.
He sputters, shaking it off, then lobs three back in succession, they bounce off Zane’s head and his shoulder as he turns to defend himself.
“Old?” Zane grunts. “You’re two years older than me, asswipe. ”
“Language!” Sylvia calls out, filming the whole thing on her phone.
“Okay, Iz, now!” George says as Izzy loads her arms up with the rest of the artillery and runs closer. By now, Grandpa Gary and Jed have given up, getting clear out of the way.
I’m still lobbing, but more at George than Izzy because she hasn’t thrown one at me, so that would be mean, plus, it’s funny seeing Zane’s little sister take him down a peg or two.
“There’s more where that came from!” Izzy pelts him, scooping up more snow when she’s all out.
Zane sees the advantage and throws three in a row that skim off her head, but Izzy is determined. When she scoops up the next ball, it’s huge, and she throws it right in Zane’s face as he’s about to do the same to her. He loses his balance, then topples backwards and lands ass down in the snow.
His father, grandfather, and Jed all collapse laughing as Izzy stands over him triumphant. “That’s for the last twenty-four years of hell, big brother. Do you yield?”
“You win.” He holds his hands in front of his face. “My ass is broken.”
“Ha!” She does a little twirl as George jogs up beside her and they high five.
It’s as if they’ve totally forgotten about hating one another.
I hold my hand out to help Zane up. He takes it, but instead of coming to his feet, he pulls me down and into his lap. He cups my face and says, “Fat lot of good you are in a fight.” Then kisses me hard in front of everyone.
“Ew,” Izzy says.
“Holy shit,” from Jed.
“Knock it off, parents and grandparents are watching,” George reminds us, but Zane doesn’t seem to care.
“Spoken like a true Lawless,” Grandpa Gary laughs.
“I think we need to get to the resort,” I whisper when we break away. “Brag about your light display before they get wind and change their strategy.”
Every year, an independent team of locals — who are top secret — judge the display and award the winner. All donations and raffle prizes leading up to Christmas go to charity, but you’d think it was the Olympics the way they all carry on.
“That’s my girl.” Zane smiles up at me as I wrap my arms around his neck.
“I guess we’re out now, may as well go with it.” We kiss again, but both jump when Izzy yells out.
“Sadie! You dropped your winter mittens!”
We both look at each other and can’t help laugh. He may have bought me a dozen pairs, but some things never change.
Everything was going so well. Eggnog at the resort. The Lawless family winning this year’s town accommodation light display. All of our friends and family, including my parents and Bailey with her parents, eating and drinking merrily.
Then disaster had to go and ruin it.
Why is it when one part of your life is going increasingly well, another part falls spectacularly apart?
“Sadie?”
My eyes go wide as I turn from the bar, a round of drinks in my hands. “Oh my god, Duncan?”
He palms the back of his neck. “I thought I might find you here.”
My heart hammers in my chest. “W-what? How did you find me?”
“More to the point, why are you running away and ignoring me?”
I narrow my eyes. “Because, you half-wit, I don’t want anything to do with you! And I’m not running away, I’ve moved on. Started a new life. One you’re not invited to!”
“You don’t mean that, honeybee. I know I did wrong, I’m sorry!” he pleads.
I always hated that nickname. “No. You’re sorry you got caught.
” I guess I never really yelled at him because I was too shocked and sad when I found out he was cheating, I just left his apartment and never took his calls again.
Of course he tried to reason with me, but I’m not stupid.
I also knew he’d moved on with one of the girls, clearly, that didn’t work out for him.
“How dare you show up here! How did you even know where I was?”
He looks sheepish, looking around — everywhere but at me. “I remember you talking about Alpine Falls, so I decided to track you down myself. I have some unfinished business here.”
I shake my head. “You actually came all the way out here to spy on me? That’s called stalking, you complete weirdo! How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone?”
“N-no, you don’t understand, I came back home. I’m from here, sugar muffin.”
I frown. “What?”
At the same time, over his shoulder I see Zane bounding toward me with a furious look on his face.
Uh-oh. “W-well. I didn’t tell you this because we’d only been dating for six months, but I- I’m from here.
I didn’t know when I first met you we had anything in common with Alpine Falls, until you mentioned Bailey.
And while it’s hard for me to come back, I had to face the music someday.
If it means suffering for the one I love, I’ll do it. ”
Okay, I’ve no idea what the heck he’s talking about. Maybe the altitude is messing with his head. All his words are jumbling in my head. He never met Bailey in the time I was dating him. He always had some excuse when she came to New York. Now I know why.
My eyes bug out of their sockets as Zane is almost on us. “N-no,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re from here? You lied? What the heck is going on?”
“Yeah, and, well, things were complicated when I left—” He gets cut off as Zane takes the drinks from my hands and sets them back on the bar. “Oh, shit. Lawless.”
Several things go through my mind all at once, none of them good.
Zane turns, then glares down at my ex and says, “Stanley? What the fuck are you doing here?”