Chapter 14 Belle
Belle
Picking up my phone, I opened the sibling group chat.
I had wanted to wait until I was in a little better headspace before I filled them in on the latest events.
And since I was about to head down for the resort’s Mynt to Be Sleigh Ride and S’mores activity this evening, I knew I needed to do it now before they started bombarding me with texts.
But before I could say anything, a message came through, just as I had predicted.
Ethan
Sooo…did you finally drop the dead weight?
Claire
Please say yes, please say yes.
Neither of them were known for their subtlety.
Belle
Yes. I ended things, and he left this morning for a work “emergency.”
Claire
How ever will you survive without being ignored while skiing?
Ethan
Or sitting in awkward silence at dinner while he answers emails?
Belle
Okay, okay. I get it. You guys weren’t fans.
Claire
We were supportive!
Supportively waiting for you to come to your senses.
Ethan
So what now? Are you coming home early?
This was the part I had been anxious to tell them. Obviously, I would be coming home but…not yet.
Belle:
Actually…no. I’m staying.
Claire
Ethan
With Holden?
Claire
I KNEW IT. You’re in love with Mystery Mistletoe Man.
Belle
I’m not in love. Calm down.
I knew they were going to go nuts with this information.
Ethan
Oh, you’re definitely in love. Or at least deeply smitten.
Claire
Smitten like a mitten.
Ethan
That is not a thing, Claire.
Claire
It is now.
Belle
You two are unhinged.
Claire
Maybe. But we’re not wrong.
Ethan
So, what’s the plan? Are you guys going to smooch by a bonfire? Make out in a sleigh?
Claire
Kiss under more mistletoe??
Ethan
Or maybe he’ll declare his feelings during a dramatic snowball fight.
Belle
Or maybe we’ll just hang out and roast marshmallows like normal people.
Claire
Boring.
Ethan
Disappointing.
Belle
Gotta go. I have a sleigh to catch.
Claire
TEXT US EVERYTHING.
Ethan
And if he sings to you like a Hallmark movie hero, we demand a recording.
I set my phone on the nightstand, a small smile still lingering from the chaos of the group chat. Leave it to Claire and Ethan to turn my personal drama into their entertainment. But underneath their jokes, I knew they were genuinely happy for me—for walking away from something that wasn’t right.
And honestly, I was a little proud of myself too.
It would’ve been easier to go home, to let the awkwardness of a breakup drive me out of this winter wonderland and back to normal life.
But something in me wanted to stay. Needed to stay.
Maybe it was the peace I found here. Or maybe it had everything to do with a certain hockey player who’d somehow made me feel more seen in a few days than Alex ever had in months.
I wasn’t entirely sure where things were going. But I knew one thing—I didn’t want this trip to end just yet.
Especially not the part that included Holden.
The sun had just dipped below the snowy mountains, casting everything in soft blue shadows as I stepped outside.
The air was crisp, the kind that kissed your nose and cheeks and made you thankful for scarves and mittens.
A line of sleighs waited just beyond the lodge, each one lit by lanterns that flickered warmly in the growing dark.
And then I saw him.
Before Holden and I had parted ways last night after the movie, he’d mentioned he’d be at the sleigh ride activity and that I was welcome to join him, but if I decided to go home instead, he’d understand.
He hadn’t asked for an answer then, just encouraged me to take my time and do what felt right for me.
And as awkward as it was to still be here at the resort while Alex’s parents were around, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Not yet. Not while Holden was still here.
Talking to him last night, hearing the reason behind the walls he kept up, the way he let me see behind them—it had pierced something in me. The fact that he’d trusted me with that part of himself only deepened the connection with him I already felt.
Holden stood near one of the sleighs, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, breath curling in the air. He looked up at the sound of crunching snow beneath my boots, and when our eyes met, he smiled. That quiet, slow smile that made something in my chest turn over.
“Hey,” I said as I approached.
“Hey,” he echoed, giving me a once-over. “You warm enough?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I was. Not from the cold, anyway. There was something about the way he was looking at me now—more open than before. Something had shifted between us, and we both knew it.
“Shall we?” he said, holding out a hand to help me into the sleigh.
I placed my gloved hand in his, letting him help me up.
He climbed in beside me, and the driver gave a cheerful nod before clicking his tongue and urging the horses forward.
The sleigh jolted gently before gliding into motion, the bells on the harness jingling softly as we rode along the snow-covered path.
We sat in silence for a minute, only the sounds of the sleigh and the crunch of snow beneath the horses’ hooves interrupting the quiet.
“I’m glad you stayed,” he said after a while, voice low. “Even if it’s just for the s’mores.”
I smiled. “I do love a good s’more.” I turned to look at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his expression, and said, “I wasn’t sure I’d stay, either. But then…I realized I didn’t want to leave.”
His eyes searched mine. “Me neither.”
Something unspoken passed between us again, deeper this time, a current of possibility and something that felt dangerously close to hope.
“Thanks for not pushing me,” I said softly. “About staying.”
“I didn’t want you to do anything for me,” he replied, his voice low. “But I’m really glad you’re here.”
My heart thudded as he looked at me, his face partially lit by the lantern mounted to the side of the sleigh. His gaze dropped briefly to my lips, and my breath caught.
Holden leaned in just slightly, slow and uncertain, giving me time to pull back.
We were close, so close I could see the gold flecks in his gray eyes, feel the warm puff of his breath in the cold air. His hand brushed against mine beneath the blanket.
But then the sleigh hit a bump, jostling us, and I let out a startled laugh that broke the moment. Holden rocked slightly, steadying himself with one hand on the back of the seat.
“Do you think kissing isn’t allowed on sleigh rides?” I whispered with a teasing grin.
Holden’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in just a bit, his voice low. “If it’s not, I’m absolutely willing to break the rules.”
I laughed, feeling a rush of warmth despite the cold temperature. “Careful. You’re starting to sound like trouble.”
He gave me a lopsided smile. “You don’t seem all that bothered by it.”
“I’m not,” I said softly, and the moment stretched again between us—charged, tender, and full of possibility.
“I’ll remember that.” The mischievous glint in his eyes sent a thrill through me. This man was wreaking havoc on my nervous system, but I couldn’t say I hated it.
When the ride came to an end, we climbed down from the sleigh, and I immediately missed the cozy warmth beside him.
Several small fire pits crackled nearby, surrounded by a few other guests already roasting marshmallows. A table was set up with graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and long roasting sticks.
“Care to make a wager?” he asked as we approached the table.
My brows lifted. “What kind of wager?”
He picked up a marshmallow and held it between us. “To see who can roast the perfect marshmallow.”
“And what does the winner get?”
“If I win,” he said, picking up another marshmallow and holding it out to me, his gaze smoldering. “Then you’ll be my date to the Mynt to Make a Difference charity ball tomorrow night.”
Oh, sweet peppermint.
Holden Prescott’s smolder should come with a warning. His invitation to the event was enough to get my heart racing, but at the thought of the fancy Merry Mynt Ball, I was internally doing a full-on happy dance.
I took the marshmallow from his hands, our fingers brushing. “And if I win?” I asked, trying to keep my face neutral.
“That’s up to you,” he said, his voice deepening. “What do you want?”
That was a loaded question. I wanted a lot of things. And all of them seemed to include him.
“When I win,” I said, trying to match his flirtatious demeanor, “I’ll tell you what I want.”
I wanted to win, but I also kind of wanted to lose because I really wanted to go to the Merry Mynt Ball.
I’d figured I wouldn’t be attending anymore, since my ex-boyfriend was the one who had our tickets.
I had packed a beautiful dress for the occasion, and going with Holden would be ten times better than going with Alex.
He picked up two roasting sticks, handing me one. “You’re on.” He clinked his stick against mine. “I can’t wait to see what you wear tomorrow night.” He winked at me before turning and walking to a firepit that wasn’t being used.
And oh, holy night, I had been right. Holden could definitely make a woman swoon with a wink.
I scrambled to grab everything I would need to make my s’more and followed him.
We each sat in an Adirondack chair, placing our items on the small table between us.
Holden adjusted his marshmallow on the stick like he was about to perform surgery. “There’s an art to this,” he said, holding it just above the flames. “Golden-brown perfection. No burns, no char.”
I raised a brow. “You sound very confident.”
He shot me a look. “Confidence is part of the strategy.”
He ever so confidently stuck his marshmallow into the flames—only for it to immediately catch fire.
“Ah!” he yelped, scrambling to blow it out. “That doesn’t count.”
I laughed, thoroughly enjoying seeing confident Holden so adorably ruffled. It was cute. And incredibly endearing.
He carefully removed the charred marshmallow using graham crackers and slipped a new one onto his roasting stick with all the seriousness of a man seeking redemption.
Learning from his mistake, I avoided the biggest flames and held my marshmallow just above a smaller one. When one side started turning golden brown, I turned to him with a cocky smile.
“Um…” He pointed at my marshmallow.
I turned just in time to see it engulfed in flames.
Darn it. I must’ve dipped it too low while I was showing off.
I quickly blew it out, and now we were both laughing.
“We’re not very good at this,” he said, grinning wide. His whole face lit up with it, like he was truly happy.
And the warm, glowing feeling that spread through me, knowing I was the reason for that kind of smile, that kind of laugh, made my heart feel like it could burst.
We eventually got it right on the third try. Both marshmallows were golden, gooey, and worthy of s’more greatness. We assembled our masterpieces and sat back in our chairs, the crackle of the fire filling the quiet between us.
I took a bite and let out a happy sigh. “Okay, this was worth the effort.”
Holden watched me, chewing thoughtfully. “So…who won?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well, yours did catch fire first.”
“You mocked me while yours lit on fire. Pretty sure that’s grounds for disqualification.”
“Pretty sure the rule was perfect marshmallow. And this one was very nearly perfect. Minus the tiny flame incident earlier.”
He leaned in a little, his expression teasing. “So we’re calling it a tie?”
I pretended to consider. “I could live with that.”
He smirked. “Good. Because I was planning on you being my date to the Merry Mynt Ball either way.”
Oh.
My heart did that traitorous flutter thing again. “Cocky much?”
“Confident,” he corrected, flashing me that swoony grin. “Didn’t we cover that already?”
I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress the very real smile tugging at my lips. “I’m still going to pick my own prize.”
“And what’s that?”
I took another bite of my s’more, letting the question hang in the air between us. “You’ll see.”
His brow quirked in interest, and he turned his attention back to his s’more, but not before I caught the quiet smile playing on his lips.
We sat in companionable silence for a while, the fire crackling, snow gently falling around us. It felt…easy. Like maybe this was where I was destined to be all along.