Page 22 of Celebrating the Season

I chuckled, shaking my head as we walked away from the wood-chopping area. “Ellery Junior, huh? Poor bear.”

Boaz clutched the stuffed animal tighter, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Hey, it’s an honor. He’ll be the envy of all the other stuffed animals.”

As we strolled through the festival, the scent of cinnamon and pine filled the air. Colorful lights twinkled overhead, spreading more holiday cheer among the townspeople. I felt a sense of contentment wash over me, something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

We stopped by Mrs. Peterson’s booth, where she was selling my hand-carved wooden ornaments. I didn’t have the patience to stand at a booth all day, so she sold them for a commission, and we both profited. “Ellery! So good to see you, honey.”

There was something so sweet about being called “honey” by a woman old enough to be my mom. It made me miss my own mother, who had sadly passed away way too young from complications after surgery. “You too, Mrs. Peterson. How’s business today?”

She gestured at her mostly empty table. “Your ornaments are selling like hot cakes, young man. I told you we needed more.”

I chuckled self-consciously. I hadn’t believed her when she told me the fifty ornaments I’d made wouldn’t be enough, but apparently, she’d been right. “I’m sorry for my lack of faith, Mrs. Peterson.”

“You should be. It’s disturbing.”

AStar Warsreference? My respect for her grew even bigger. “You’re right. It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not. And who’s this charming young man?” she asked, nodding toward Boaz.

I placed a hand on Boaz’s lower back, guiding him forward. “This is Boaz. He’s a friend of mine, visiting from LA.”

Boaz, true to form, launched into conversation. “Mrs. Peterson, such a pleasure to meet you. You have such gorgeous ornaments here.” He pointed at some hand-painted ones. “Did you make them all yourself? The detail is incredible. Oh my god, is that a tiny axe? Ellery, look!”

I watched as Boaz chatted animatedly, his hands gesticulating wildly, nearly knocking over a display in his excitement. I caught it just in time, steadying it with a practiced hand.

“Oops, sorry!” Boaz said, flashing me an apologetic grin.

As we continued through the festival, I hung back from time to time, watching Boaz interact with the various vendors and townspeople. His enthusiasm was infectious, his smile lighting up his entire face. I felt a warmth spreading through my chest that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate we’d consumed earlier.

My mind drifted, thinking about how quickly Boaz had become a part of my life. It had only been a few days, but I already couldn’t imagine my world without his vibrant presence. The way he filled the silences with his chatter, how he looked at me with those expressive brown eyes, the softness of his skin under my calloused hands…

“Earth to Ellery!” Boaz’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. He was waving a hand in front of my face with a concerned expression. “You okay there, big guy? You zoned out for a minute.”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m good. I was enjoying the view.”

Boaz’s face lit up with a smile that made my heart skip a beat. “Me too,” he said softly, reaching out to take my hand. “Me too.”

8

BOAZ

It started snowing as Ellery drove us back to his cabin after spending all day at the Winter Festival. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun. And Ellery had enjoyed it as well. For some reason, he didn’t seem to grow tired of my incessant chatter or weird brain quirks. It wouldn’t last, but I’d enjoy every damn minute.

His truck had no issue making it up the steep road to his cabin, and he drove with confidence. Rather him than me. Also, my rental car—some boring sedan I couldn’t even remember the brand of—wasn’t the best choice for snow.

As soon as Ellery had parked, I slid out of the truck and headed for the front door of his cabin. Brr, had it grown even colder outside, or was that my imagination? I was so not used to this weather as a California native.

The blast of frigid air that hit us as we stepped into Ellery’s cabin made my teeth chatter. I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. “Holy shit, it’s c-cold in here!”

Ellery chuckled, his deep laugh warming me from the inside even as I shook off snowflakes. “It’ll warm up soon,” he said, reaching past me to shut the door against the howling wind outside. I watched, mesmerized, as he shook the snow from his salt-and-pepper hair. God, he was gorgeous.

My brain, ever unhelpful, decided this was the perfect moment to remind me just how gorgeous. Images of our previous encounters flashed through my mind—Ellery’s muscled body moving above me, his eyes dark with desire, those strong hands gripping my hips. Heat pooled in my belly, chasing away the chill.

“We should warm up,” I blurted, my mouth running ahead of my brain as usual. “Like, right now. Together. In the shower.”

Ellery raised an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across his face. “That so?”

I nodded eagerly. “Yep. For, uh, safety reasons. Wouldn’t want either of us catching hypothermia or something, right?”

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