Page 13 of Puck Me for Christmas

When we descended the stairs hand in hand, the lodge felt transformed. Holly Joy stood by the fireplace, announcing that guests could begin making their way home. But no one seemed eager to rush off. The mood was light, cheerful, and even Sasha was smiling—though that might have had something to do with the way she clung to Raul’s arm, her phone snapping pictures of the two of them. Raul, wearing a flashy Rolex and flashing a smile so wide it revealed several gold teeth, posed happily for her live stream.

“Can you believe it?” Sasha exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement as she addressed the camera. “I just discovered I’ve been snowed-in this whole time with a Hollywood entertainment lawyer! Raul Moreno!” She squeezed his arm and tilted her head toward him, beaming. “And he’s all mine. We’re the perfect team, don’t you think?”

Raul nodded confidently, reaching out and pulling her to him. “You got that right, doll.”

Pearl and Norman sat together by the tree, their heads close as they whispered and laughed like newlyweds. “I guess it took all this drama to remind us,” Norman said, holding Pearl’s hand. “The only thing that matters is us, not the silly arguments.”

Pearl smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “It’s the best Christmas gift I could ask for.”

Jenna and Tyrese held hands by the fire, their earlier squabbles forgotten. “We might’ve had a rocky start,” Jenna admitted with a soft laugh, “but nothing says love like surviving a food fight together.” Tyrese chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Here’s to many more messy adventures.”

Nearby, Dante leaned toward Holly Joy, his cheeks flushed. “I think next year we should decorate twice as much,” he said, his voice shy but hopeful.

Holly Joy beamed. “Only if you help me hang the star,” she teased before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Dante turned redder than a poinsettia, but his grin stretched ear to ear.

Logan turned to me, his fingers lacing through mine. “We’ll have to come back to Pine Ridge next year,” he said, his voice low.

I squeezed his hand, my heart swelling. “I’d like that.”

Surrounded by the warmth of forgiveness, love, hope, and the joy of the season, we walked toward our future, hand in hand.

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