Marcus returned. "Joey, you want to help me make sugar cookies?"
"Can we decorate them with sprinkles?"
Marcus's eyes widened in mock shock. "What else would we use to decorate them?"
Joey ran over to him, talking about all the options for toppings.
"Eli has a hard time letting go, doesn't he?" Carolina asked softly.
"He's used to being in control, and he rarely goes on vacation. But this is good for him and me. I get a taste of what it's like being in charge."
"How are you holding up?" Carolina asked.
"There haven't been any major issues, so I'm good." I was pleased I'd been able to relax and just enjoy this extra time with Joey and Carolina.
"If you need any help with shoveling or clearing snow, let me know."
"We have a service for that. I'm going to let everyone else do their job so I can focus on the guests."
"Not every place I stay is this accommodating. And it's rare for me to see the owners on site."
"It's always been that way here. Growing up, you'd see me and my brothers having the run of the place. We had to help out, whether it was with ski lessons, washing dishes, or even folding towels. But when we were done with our chores, we'd play hide-and-seek in the lodge and ski. It was great."
Carolina smiled softly. "Sounds like it."
I wondered if she was contrasting her childhood with mine and coming up short. "My mom always said we ran wild, and I suppose that's true. Now that we're older, we get together every month to go mountain biking or something more adventurous. In the fall we parachuted out of a plane together. We waited to do it when Walker was on leave."
"I'd be terrified to do that."
"We had lots of training and did a tandem jump before we went solo." After our jump Scarlett and her friend Marigold showed up looking panicked, as if they were afraid something would happen to us. I remembered thinking at the time how nice it would have been to have someone waiting for me and the desire I'd had to share the experience with her.
"That's nice you have your siblings, and you get together often."
"Yeah, Kylie doesn't participate in those get-togethers. I think we're a little too crazy for her."
"I don't blame her."
I had a good life here in Telluride. I was surrounded by my family. I had a business to run and people counting on me. I had Joey and our little house in town. But it still felt as if something was missing. And I couldn't help but think that Carolina might be the missing piece.
When the snow stopped falling, I'd be tasked with getting her home. That's where her life was, not here. In the meantime, I'd enjoy these extra few hours with her.
Chapter Eighteen
CAROLINA
It was the perfect day between meals in the dining room, hot chocolate in the kitchen, playing in the snow, and now baking cookies. Marcus offered to watch Joey if Oliver needed to handle work, but he'd declined.
Joey helped Marcus make the dough, then they rolled it out on a sheet before cutting them out in various holiday shapes. Now we had several dozen cookies cooling. Joey was waiting impatiently so we could decorate.
Marcus set up the sprinkles and red, green, and white icing for the cookies. Holiday music played over his phone. He rubbed his hands together. "Are you ready for the best part of baking?"
"Sprinkles!" Joey exclaimed.
"We have to put something on the cookies first, so the sprinkles stick. Otherwise, they'll fall right off." Marcus sprinkled the green ones on a cookie and when he tilted it, they rained to the sheet. "Cover the cookie in icing, then add sprinkles."
Joey watched patiently while Marcus showed him how to do it. Then they got started with their tray. Oliver stood on the other side of the counter with me.
There were Santas, snowmen, ornaments, and snowflakes. He'd mentioned doing gingerbread cookies another day.