Chapter Twenty-Four
COLE
The next couple of days went by in a blur of activity.
Cole’s schedule had been packed with lessons, and since he’d taken it upon himself to get Aspen to and from her PT appointments every day, he’d been shifting his sessions later than usual to make up for it.
Aspen hadn’t been able to participate in the resort events with her knee the way it was, but Cole had made it his mission to bring the activities to her instead.
The night before, the resort’s schedule had been packed—ornament crafting, Christmas-tree farm tours, and a Christmas movie night.
Since Aspen couldn’t join in, Cole had basically raided the ornament tables and hauled the goods back to her cabin like some kind of craft bandit.
Her dad arrived with dinner, and the three of them spent the evening making ornaments that now sat drying on the kitchen counter…
each one cuter than the last, though Cole insisted his glitter-covered Christmas tree was “professional.” Aspen, on the other hand, said his professionalism was debatable.
The following afternoon, after picking her up from her PT appointment, Aspen had tugged him down onto the couch to show him a Pinterest board she’d built while doom-scrolling—an entire collection of Christmas crafts.
One of them was a long garland made with something called a crochet hook, a ball of yarn, and a level of patience Cole was pretty sure he did not possess for something that looked that tedious.
So, he’d stopped by Mae’s to see if she had one of those hook-thingies and some red yarn Aspen could use to keep herself occupied while he worked.
He’d swung back by her cabin to drop it all off, earning a kiss on the cheek before she shooed him out the door and told him to get back to work.
He grinned all the way back to his lessons, imagining her bent over her project—either completely absorbed or utterly frustrated.
Hopefully it was keeping her entertained… and not bored out of her mind.
Meanwhile, Paul—the new trainee—had been tasked by Mr. Mynt with keeping an eye on Chase, and Aspen’s dad had been checking in on her throughout the day, just in case Chase decided to sniff around like the mangy dog he was. So far, he hadn’t shown up… but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
The next step in his “Operation Keep Aspen Involved with Christmas Activities So She Continues to Rediscover the Christmas Spirit” plan required backup…
and probably a new name. It was way too long.
More specifically, he needed help from her dad.
He tracked him down at the lodge between lessons, praying he’d go for the idea.
By the end of their talk—during which Cole realized he’d wiped his clammy palms on his jeans at least four times—he was practically jogging back to the cabin, grinning over the plans the two of them had put together.
When he arrived at the cabin, he found Aspen on the couch, eyes squinting in concentration, the crochet hook—whatever that “thingy” was—just inches from her face.
The ball of yarn was halfway gone, and a long snake of red, an exact replica of the garland from her Pinterest picture, coiled around her.
He chuckled as he came closer and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. She squealed and nudged him away, insisting she was almost done. Cole settled next to her patiently, waiting as she put the finishing touches on her masterpiece.
She set the crochet hook down, gesturing to the coiled garland around her.
“Do you see it? I did it, Cole! I made garland! Isn’t that so cool?
I feel like one of the characters from Little House on the Prairie.
Like… I should go churn butter or bake bread or something.
” She bounced slightly in her seat, and Cole shook his head, laughing.
“Woah, slow down there, Anne of Green Gables. It was hard enough to find a hook thingy and some yarn—I’m not sure I know anyone with a butter churn.” He was exaggerating, of course; the hook and yarn had been easy enough to find. He held his hands up, and she laughed, swatting them down.
“How do you even know who Anne is? That’s not something a guy is supposed to know.” She covered her smile, and his cheeks warmed.
“Sisters… they used to make me watch it. So, yeah, I’m… unfortunately, all too familiar with Anne and Gilbert Blythe.”
She continued laughing, so he wisely changed the subject.
“So, how’s the knee feeling?” he asked, nudging her shoulder.
She bent it a few times, smiling as she did. “Doc said I can walk on it, as long as I’m really careful.”
“Good enough to go somewhere?” he asked.
She clapped her hands in delight. “Yes!” She hugged him, then carefully stood and made her way to the bathroom.
The door shut, and the sound of running water reached his ears—along with another sound.
He smiled as she began to sing—loudly—along with the Christmas song playing from her phone, and he quietly joined in.
Cole was beginning to see Aspen Sterling in a whole new light, and he hoped he would be around long enough to see even more.
But how that could work, he wasn’t sure.
He sat there, contemplating the situation as they sang along to the cheery music.
“What are we doing, and where are we going?” Aspen asked as he guided her carefully through the snow toward the activity he couldn’t wait to share with her.
“You’ll see,” he said, smiling at her. He wrapped his arm around her back, steadying her and making sure she didn’t slip as they walked. “Just trust me—you’re going to love this.”
Once the sleigh’s came into view, all lined up in a row and glowing under the lanterns, with the mountains as a breathtaking backdrop, Aspen sucked in a breath and squeezed his hand.
“I’ve never ridden in a sleigh before. This is amazing…
and those horses are gorgeous. So… rustic.
Now I really do feel like I’m in Anne of Green Gables.
” She gave him a playful smile, scrunching her nose as she tried—and failed—not to laugh at him again.
He placed his hands on her hips, cutting off her laugh, and lifted her into the sleigh. He could feel the excitement radiating off her as he climbed in beside her, pulling the blanket over their legs before nodding to the driver that they were ready.
The sleigh lurched forward, and Aspen rested her head on his shoulder, holding onto his arm. His heart pounded in his chest, keeping time with the rhythm of the galloping horses pulling the sled.
After a few minutes of riding in silence, her quiet, tentative voice reached him.
“This place is so beautiful, Cole… I don’t know how I’m going to bear leaving it all behind.
” She glanced up at him, her green eyes sparkling in the lantern light.
“But most of all… I don’t know what I’ll do without you. ”
He didn’t know what he was going to do without her either.
But before he spoke the words aloud, he needed to show her how he felt.
This was it—this was the moment. He had been wanting to kiss her for what felt like forever, but they were always interrupted.
Now, there was nothing between them but the horse, the driver, and the quiet night surrounding them.
He leaned in, his warm hands brushing her soft cheeks, her eyelashes grazing them as her eyes fluttered shut. The warm air from their breaths mingled with the crisp evening air until his lips softly met hers—gentle yet electric, their mouths moving together in perfect harmony.
So this was what it felt like to kiss the woman of not only his dreams, but the one he knew was perfect for him in every way.
Cole had kissed other women, but none of them even came close to what he shared with Aspen.
He smiled as they continued to kiss throughout the ride, the sights and scenery fading around them as they lost themselves in one another.
The little sounds he loved to hear her make when she ate…
she made them now while kissing—only different…
better. And it was enough to make him dizzy.
The sleigh had slowed to a stop, though neither of them noticed.
Even the driver had stepped aside, giving them some privacy.
Then came the sound of a voice nearby that made Cole’s stomach twist—one he should have expected, but had completely overlooked in the moment.
At first, he tried to dismiss it, wanting their time alone to stretch on forever.
But the voice cut through their cozy haze and was unmistakably directed at Aspen.
Her body tensed beneath his arms, and Cole’s went rigid as he shifted into protective mode.
He cursed under his breath, muttering a quiet apology to Aspen as he reassured her she was okay.
Of all the people in the world… why did it have to be Chase?