Chapter Six

Logan

The sunlight streaming through the frosted window pulled me from restless dreams. I groaned, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. Past noon. Damn.

My first thought wasn’t about the storm outside or the guests likely gathered downstairs. It was her. Emberleigh. The way she’d looked last night, bare and vulnerable, her laughter soft like the snow falling around us. The memory of her touch, the warmth of her body against mine, made my chest tighten. It had been more than passion; it had been connection, even more powerful than I’d thought possible.

But did she feel the same? That question gnawed at me as I showered and dressed. She’d let me in last night, shared her fears and wounds. Yet a part of me couldn’t shake the thought that she might regret it. Regret me.

By the time I made it downstairs, the dining room buzzed with late risers enjoying the smell of pancakes and bacon—Dante’s handiwork. The aroma alone had my stomach growling. I grabbed a plate and began piling it high, trying to focus on food instead of the possibility that Emberleigh might not want to see me. Had I taken things too far, too soon?

“Logan! There you are!” Sasha’s saccharine voice cut through the clatter of plates. My shoulders stiffened. Before I could even react, she was beside me, her designer perfume cloying in the cozy room.

“Good morning, Sasha,” I said, my tone clipped as I took a step back. I wasn’t in the mood for her antics.

But Sasha had a way of making her presence impossible to ignore. She pouted dramatically. “Not a good morning for me. My viewership numbers dropped overnight! Do you know what that means?”

“No,” I said flatly, already angling toward the door. “And I’m not sure I need to.”

She ignored the jab, stepping in front of me with her phone in hand. “It means I need to turn up the drama. And you’re going to help me.”

“I’m not interested,” I replied, trying to sidestep her.

Before I could escape, she grabbed my arm and spun me toward her, her lips crushing against mine. The shock froze me for half a second before I pushed her away, fury boiling in my chest.

“What the hell, Sasha?”

Her triumphant smirk answered my question before I noticed the phone in her other hand, camera angled, streaming every second of the encounter. My stomach churned.

“You’re unbelievable,” I snapped, stepping back. But as I turned, my heart sank. Emberleigh stood at the stair landing, her face stricken. Her wide eyes locked onto mine for a painful moment before she turned and fled.

“Wait!” I called, but she was already gone, her footsteps echoing up the stairs.

Any progress I’d made with her last night was undone in an instant. Frustration clawed at me, but before I could follow her, the lodge went dark. A collective gasp filled the room as every light, every bit of machinery, blinked off.

“The storm must have taken out the power,” someone murmured.

Sasha’s wail rose above the chaos. “My live feed! My phone!” Her outrage was almost comical. Almost.

Holly Joy hurried into the darkened room, her arms laden with candles. Luckily, the light reflecting from the snow that filtered in through the windows was just enough to see by. However, darkness would fall only a few hours from now.

“Everyone stay calm. We’ve got supplies,” Holly said, her chipper tone doing little to ease the growing tension.

Pearl and Norman bickered in the corner, Norman insisting he’d packed flashlights while Pearl claimed she hadn’t seen any in their luggage. Jenna and Tyrese were sniping at each other, still simmering from last night’s food fight. Meanwhile, Dante tripped over chairs in his rush to help Holly Joy, sending plates clattering to the floor.

It was all too reminiscent of the night before.

But all I could think about was Emberleigh. I needed to explain what had happened with Sasha, let Emberleigh know I wanted nothing to do with the woman who was only after attention, but the darkness and confusion swallowed any chance of catching her. Each passing minute frayed my nerves further. If I couldn’t fix this, I might lose her for good. I made to way up to her room and knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer.

Dejected, I returned to my own room. I tried to nap, but I was too restless to sleep. The clock ticked away the minutes slowly.

When I rose, it was nearly pitch-dark. Holly Joy had come by earlier, handing out flashlights to all the guests, and I used the small beam of light to find my way downstairs to the lounge. Everyone gathered by the fireplace, the mood subdued and miserable. Emberleigh sat apart from the group, her posture rigid, arms crossed tightly. The sight twisted something deep in me.

Before I could muster the courage to approach her, the heavy doors of the chalet creaked open. A gust of icy wind swept through, followed by a broad-shouldered man in a red jumpsuit, a Husky padding beside him.

“Who’s ready for a little Christmas miracle?” he boomed, his voice rich and cheerful.

“Nick!” Holly Joy exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. “You’re here! Everyone, this is the chalet’s Head of Maintenance, Nicholas Klauss.”

“Nick gave a hearty laugh, shaking snow from his jacket. “Storm nearly did me in, but Rudy here’s got a better sense of direction than I do.” He patted the dog’s head fondly before making his way to the fuse box on the wall behind the reception desk.

Everyone watched in silence as Nick tinkered with the wires, muttering to himself. Within minutes, the lodge hummed back to life, the lights flickering on. A collective cheer erupted.

Nick turned to face us, a twinkle in his eye. “Merry Christmas, everyone. Remember to appreciate what you’ve got. I don’t have much, but it’s enough. Got my wife waiting at home, fresh batch of cookies in the oven. Speaking of,” he said, pulling a tin from his bag, “Mrs. Klauss thought you all could use a treat.”

He handed out cookies, each one dusted with powdered sugar. The simple gesture hit harder than I’d expected. Around the room, shoulders softened, tension eased. Pearl and Norman shared a smile over their cookies. Jenna and Tyrese exchanged quiet apologies. Even Sasha, for once, seemed humbled, muttering something about putting her phone away.

Near the fireplace, Dante turned to Holly Joy, his face redder than the apples in the bowl beside him. “I, uh, I have a secret to confess. I’ve had a mad crush on you since I started here. Would you…maybe…wanna go out sometime?”

Holly Joy’s face lit up like the tree in the corner. She clapped her hands and flung her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I thought you’d never ask!”

The room warmed with laughter and cheer, but my focus was on Emberleigh. In the midst of the reconciliations, she slipped out, her figure retreating yet again. My heart sank.

I stood frozen, the cookie in my hand forgotten. The holiday magic Nick had sparked didn’t reach her, and I knew why. The damage between us wasn’t something a kind word or a sweet treat could fix. It was deeper, more fragile.

And I was running out of time to prove I deserved her trust again.