Page 111 of Snowed In with Four Firemen
The air changes instantly. It’s like everything shifts back into place now that she’s here.
As she comes to her feet, I walk up to her, brushing the snow off her jacket. She wraps her arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Miss me?” she whispers, her breath warm against my skin.
I chuckle, pulling her closer. “You have no idea. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she says. The first time I told her I loved her was when she found me right after I finished my hike.
“Where’s my love?” Tanner says, walking up to her and grabbing her by her waist.
“I love you, too, Tanny. And I love you Ben and Jace,” she adds, leaning in for a kiss from the both of them.
Tanner scowls. “You know I hate that nickname.”
“I think you secretly love it when I call you that,” Emily says with a laugh.
“Alright, that’s enough, let’s get you inside before you freeze,” I say, gently pulling her back up from the snow. “You know how easily you catch a cold.”
Emily rolls her eyes.
As we walk through the entrance and into the lobby, I can’t help but feel that same rush of anticipation, the same sense of rightness I felt a year ago. Everything may have changed, but some things—like the way we all feel about Emily—stay constant.
She drops her scarf and coat onto the nearby bench, glancing around at the decorations, the Christmas lights twinkling above us. “I never get tired of coming up here for Christmas. It’s so beautiful.”
“Do you want to go skiing tomorrow?” Tanner asks.
“Sure,” Emily says as she rubs her hands together, her cheeks still rosy from the cold. She’s grinning, and there’s this buzz in the air, this feeling that something special is about to happen. Raffle is practically glued to her side, his tail wagging as if he hasn’t seen her in years. I can’t help but smile at how easy it is to feel at home when she’s around.
“So,” Emily says, looking at us mischievously as she digs through her bag. “I’ve got something for you guys.”
Tanner arches an eyebrow. “Gifts? Already?”
“Come on, it’s Christmas Eve,” she says, laughing. “And I found something for each of you that I think you’ll really like.”
We exchange curious glances as she pulls out four wrapped packages, each one labeled with our names. I take mine, the weight of it feeling solid in my hands, and for a moment, I’m almost nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve opened a gift that wasn’t some practical thing for work.
“Go on, open them!” Emily urges.
We all tear into our gifts at the same time. I glance at Tanner, who’s already grinning from ear to ear as he pulls out a leather-bound sketchbook and a set of drawing pencils. “How the hell did you know I needed this?” he asks, looking genuinely touched.
“Lucky guess,” Emily replies, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
Ben pulls out a vintage watch, one I know he’s had his eye on for ages but never got around to buying. He runs his thumb over the smooth metal, a small smile tugging at his lips. “This is perfect,” he says quietly, his eyes meeting hers.
Jace’s gift is next—a rare vinyl record of his favorite band from back in the day. He’s speechless for a second, just staring at it before letting out a low whistle. “You seriously found this? I’ve been looking for it everywhere.”
Emily just shrugs like it was nothing, but I can see the pride in her smile.
Finally, I tear into my own package and pull out a finely crafted hunting knife, its handle engraved with intricate designs. It’s sturdy, practical, but beautiful. Something I would’ve picked for myself. I run my fingers over the blade, feeling the weight of it, and for a moment, I’m caught off guard. And there’s something else, a smaller package.
“I get two?” I say.
“Just open it,” she says impatiently.
I nod. When I tear off the wrapping, I’m hit with something unexpected—a small, framed picture of me with Raffle from the day I first brought him home. She must’ve tracked this down, somehow. It’s overwhelming.
“Wow,” I say. “Wow.”
“You like it?”
