Page 110 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
Ben smiles quietly, adding, “Yeah, but you didn’t see her later, Axel. She sneaked off with the rest of the chocolate when you weren’t looking. I had to track her down to stop her from eating the whole stash.”
Jace finally looks up from his phone, smirking. “She has a thing for chocolate. Remember that time on her birthday? She got that cake, and by the end of the night, it was all over us—and I don’t mean just because we were eating it.”
Tanner grins, his eyes lighting up as he leans forward. “Yeah, that night was...memorable.” His voice drops, full of suggestion.
I can’t help but shake my head at that. That night had been one of those moments where everything between the five of us had clicked into place, all the uncertainties and doubts melting away in the heat of the moment.
“She’s gonna be late, isn’t she?” Jace mutters, tapping his phone on the table, looking frustrated but trying to hide it.
I check my watch, realizing she’s running behind. “Yeah, probably caught up in town,” I say, but I know we’re all feeling the same thing. We miss her. Even if it’s only been a few hours since we last saw her, every minute feels too long when she’s not with us.
Tanner stretches out, putting his hands behind his head, looking completely at ease. “So, Axel,” he says, his tone shifting to that playful teasing he always falls back on, “how’s the Christmas gift planning going? You think she’s gonna like what we got her?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool, but I know she’s going to love it. “It’s not about what we got her. It’s about how we give it to her,” I say, smirking.
Ben rolls his eyes, his voice soft but firm. “You’re so full of it, man. But yeah, I think she’ll love it. It’s her first Christmas with all of us together.”
A year has passed since that wild night we said yes to this arrangement, and somehow, all four of us—me, Tanner, Jace, and Ben—are with her. It’s unconventional as hell, but it works. The guys tease each other, but there’s an unspoken understanding, a sense of shared connection, and yeah, sometimes competition. But it’s always rooted in the fact that we all want what’s best for her.
The four of us, so different in our own ways, yet somehow finding a balance—sharing her, loving her, making it work.We’ve had our moments, our struggles, but the bond between us has only gotten stronger. Who knew it was going to be this easy?
“So, what do you think she’s planning this year?” Ben asks, stirring his drink with that calm, thoughtful demeanor he always has. “She’s been hinting at something all week.”
“The last year was fucking unreal,” Ben says. “I’ve never been happier.”
All I can do is nod.
“We’ve definitely had our moments, though,” Jace says. “Remember when we took that weekend trip to the lake in September? Emily kept insisting she could row the boat herself,” he says with a grin, shaking his head. “And then she ended up stuck in the middle of the lake, yelling for one of us to come get her.”
“But she knows what she’s doing,” I say.
“Yeah, remember when she beat you on that trail you begged her to go to, by a whole twenty minutes.”
I lean back, staring into the fire. “You guys don’t know what it’s like going hiking with herandRaffle.” My German shepherd practically worships her, and he doesn’t leave her side every time she's around. “It wasn’t my fault, they practically abandoned me.”
Jace chuckles, shaking his head. “Raffle’s in love with her, man. You’re just an afterthought.”
Ben looks up from his mug, smiling faintly. “I remember when we had that quiet weekend at the cabin. She spent the entire evening reading by the fire, and I just…watched her. It was peaceful. She doesn’t need to be doing something grand all the time to make you feel like everything’s just right.”
That’s the thing about Emily. She’s the center of this—ofus. No matter what each of us brings to the table, she ties it all together, balances us in ways we never thought we needed.
Raffle, lying beside me with his head resting on his paws, suddenly perks up, ears twitching. He sniffs the air, a low whine escaping his throat. I glance down at him, raising an eyebrow. “What is it, boy?” But I already know. Raffle senses her.
Before I can say anything, Tanner, who’s been lazily glancing toward the window, sits up straighter, a grin spreading across his face. “Speak of the devil,” he says, chuckling.
All of us turn to look out the large, frost-covered window. Sure enough, there’s Emily, bundled up in her winter coat, her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck as she trudges up the hill toward the lodge.
“She never packs light, does she?” Jace mutters, shaking his head, but there’s a soft smile on his face as he stands, already moving toward the door.
“Guess we better go help her out,” I say, standing up and giving Raffle a quick scratch behind the ears. He bolts to his feet, tail wagging furiously. “C’mon, boy. Let’s go.”
We step out into the cold, and the icy air hits my face, but it doesn’t bother me—not when I see Emily up ahead, struggling with her suitcase as it gets stuck in the snow. She pauses, trying to readjust, a frown forming on her lips as she gives it another frustrated tug.
“Need a hand?” Tanner calls out with a teasing grin.
“Hey, boys,” she calls out. “Chivalry isn’t dead, huh?”
Raffle bounds forward, his tail wagging furiously, and nudges Emily with his nose, demanding her attention. She laughs, crouching down to ruffle his fur. “Who’s a good boy?”
