Page 113 of Holiday Friend Zones
Lauren sidles up beside me, tilting her head.“Is that… a wooden moose?”
“Yep, whittled it myself.”
“It’s… very rustic.”She taps her chin.“I’m not sure it matches the aesthetic.But hey, you’ve always wanted a Charlie Brown tree, right?”She disappears and returns with a six-inch tabletop tree dusted in fake snow.
Ouch.“So you’re exiling my moose?”
“Not exiling—honoring.”
I sigh but hand over the ornament.She strings it on, then passes me the tree.“Look how cute it is.”
“Yeah,” I say, trying not to pout.“Cute.”
I take the mini tree back to my office, set it beside my lamp, and try to convince myself it’s only an ornament.I wasn’t going to hang it up anyway.When I return to the living room, Lauren’s at the tree again, stretching on her tippy toes to adjust ornaments at the top.
“Want help with that?”My chest brushes her back as I reach up, my hand sliding over hers.My pulse kicks into overdrive.She glances over her shoulder, and my whole damn world tilts.Because suddenly I’m very aware of how good she smells—like vanilla and honey.How her hair glows in the twinkle lights.How her laugh isn’t just noise; it’s a spark that lodges straight in my chest.For a moment, I forget to breathe.Forget the tree.Forget the room.It’s just her.Pressed up against me.
She straightens, her cheeks pink.“Thanks.”
Before I can say anything, the timer on the stove beeps.
“Dinner’s done.”She slips out from in front of me and heads into the kitchen.She busies herself by ladling two bowls of stew before handing me one.
We settle in side by side on the couch.She tucks her legs under her, close enough that her knee brushes mine.
“So, how was your day?”she asks.
“More exciting than usual.I helped rescue a doe that fell through the ice at Winterberry Creek.”
Her hand flies to her chest.“Oh, poor thing!Was she okay?”
“Yeah.We got her out.And before she ran back into the woods, she stopped and looked at us.It felt like a… thank you.”
“That’s so sweet.Look at you, being all heroic.”
“Hardly.I just called it in.The fire department did the actual rescuing.”
“Still.You found her.”Her smile is warm, lingering in a way that makes my chest tight.
She tells me about her day and how Brad, Henry’s sheep, was roaming the festival causing chaos like it’s his middle name, but my brain’s stuck on one thought: I could get used to this.
FOUR
The Frozen Classic
Eli
“Hey Eli!”
I spin around on the icy sidewalk by my office.Jacob’s jogging toward me, cheeks red from the cold and breath puffing in little clouds.
He comes to a stop a few feet in front of me.“I was going to call you, but since you’re here.Nate and Susie had to bail on the Frozen Classic.I know you signed up as a sub.You and Julie still available?”
Shit.Julie.My ex.Once upon a time, I thought couples’ ice golf would be a fun, romantic couples’ activity since she was hounding me to spend more time together.Past me should’ve been stopped.“Yeah… about that,” I rub the back of my neck.“Julie and I aren’t together anymore.But I’ll find a new partner.”
Jacob winces.“Oh, sorry, man.”
“It’s fine,” I shake my head.“It’s better this way.Count me in, but I’ll have to let you know who I recruit.”
