Chapter Seven

Emberleigh

I stood in the middle of my room, staring at the mess. Clothes draped over chairs, my laptop case open on the floor, a crumpled receipt sticking out of my purse on the desk. It all felt symbolic—a reflection of the clutter in my mind these past few days. Not anymore.

Determined, I got to work. I folded the clothes, tucked away the stray papers, and wiped the surfaces until they gleamed. When the space finally felt clear, I grabbed the matches from the bedside table and lit the candles scattered around the room. Their soft glow made the space feel warm, intimate. Inviting.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, my hair tumbled around my shoulders in loose waves, and my eyes shimmered with nervous anticipation. Tonight was the night. I knew what I had to do. I’d spent too long running, too long second-guessing myself and Logan.

Picking up my phone, I tapped out a text message:

Logan, we need to talk. It’s important. Can you come to my room now?

The moment I hit send, my stomach twisted with nerves. What if he didn’t come? What if we’d let things happen too fast last night before we were both ready?

No. I pushed the doubt aside. Logan deserved the same honesty he’d given to me. He deserved to know how I felt, even if it scared me. Especially if it scared me.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers clutching the mistletoe I’d plucked from the hallway wreath earlier. My heart raced with every passing second, and when I finally heard the sound of footsteps approaching, my breath caught.

A soft knock.

I rose to my feet, smoothing invisible wrinkles from my skin. I walked to the door, my bare feet silent against the carpet. When I opened it, I held up the sprig of mistletoe with a trembling hand and smiled.

I was completely naked.

“Merry Christmas, Logan,” I said, my voice a soft, shaky tease.

For a moment, his expression was blank, as though his brain short-circuited. Then his eyes widened, taking in every inch of me. The look of awe, of unguarded appreciation on his face, made the heat in my cheeks spread through my entire body.

“Emberleigh,” he murmured, his voice rough. “You…I didn’t expect this.”

“Good,” I said, stepping aside to let him in. “I wanted to surprise you.”

He didn’t wait another second. His hands slid to my waist as he lifted me off the floor. His lips found mine in a kiss so fierce it left me breathless. My arms wrapped around his neck as he carried me inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

“I need you to know something,” he said, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. “Sasha ambushed me. She kissed me for her live stream, trying to create drama. I pushed her away immediately. The thought that you might believe for one second that I wanted her… Emberleigh, the only person I want is you. All of my attention, all of my feelings, are for you.”

His words made my chest ache in the best way. I cupped his face, my thumbs brushing his stubbled jaw. “I know,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I doubted you. I’ve spent so long guarding myself that I forgot how to trust. But Logan, I…” My voice caught as the emotions swelled. “I’m falling for you all over again. Harder this time.”

His grin was crooked, boyish. “Speaking of hard…” he teased, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

He set me down on the bed and began pulling off his clothes. My pulse quickened as his body came into view—strong, lean, and utterly mesmerizing. He climbed into the bed beside me, his hands roaming my skin with reverence, his kisses trailing fire down my neck.

“I think I’m falling in love with you, Emberleigh,” he said, his voice raw and open. “I want to give this a real shot. No fear. No running. Just us.”

Tears prickled my eyes, but I smiled. “I want that too.”

And when we came together, it was more than physical. It was every unspoken promise, every ounce of hope and trust finally shattering the walls we’d built around ourselves. We moved in sync, our bodies and hearts finding a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. It was love, pure and undeniable.

When we finally drifted to sleep, tangled together beneath the blankets, I felt a peace I hadn’t known in years. For the first time, I believed in the possibility of something lasting, something real.

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. A text message from Holly Joy announced the storm had passed, and the roads were finally clear. The light streaming through the window illuminated Logan’s face, peaceful in sleep. I traced the curve of his jaw with my fingertip, marveling at how right it felt to be here with him.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled lazily. “Merry Christmas, baby,” he murmured, pulling me closer.

“Merry Christmas,” I replied, pressing a kiss to his muscled shoulder.

We lay there for a while, enjoying the quiet intimacy, but the sound of laughter and movement downstairs eventually drew us from the bed. We dressed quickly, exchanging shy smiles and stolen kisses as we readied ourselves to face the world.

When we descended the stairs hand in hand, the lodge felt transformed. Holly Joy stood by the fireplace, announcing that guests could begin making their way home. But no one seemed eager to rush off. The mood was light, cheerful, and even Sasha was smiling—though that might have had something to do with the way she clung to Raul’s arm, her phone snapping pictures of the two of them. Raul, wearing a flashy Rolex and flashing a smile so wide it revealed several gold teeth, posed happily for her live stream.

“Can you believe it?” Sasha exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement as she addressed the camera. “I just discovered I’ve been snowed-in this whole time with a Hollywood entertainment lawyer! Raul Moreno!” She squeezed his arm and tilted her head toward him, beaming. “And he’s all mine. We’re the perfect team, don’t you think?”

Raul nodded confidently, reaching out and pulling her to him. “You got that right, doll.”

Pearl and Norman sat together by the tree, their heads close as they whispered and laughed like newlyweds. “I guess it took all this drama to remind us,” Norman said, holding Pearl’s hand. “The only thing that matters is us, not the silly arguments.”

Pearl smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “It’s the best Christmas gift I could ask for.”

Jenna and Tyrese held hands by the fire, their earlier squabbles forgotten. “We might’ve had a rocky start,” Jenna admitted with a soft laugh, “but nothing says love like surviving a food fight together.” Tyrese chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Here’s to many more messy adventures.”

Nearby, Dante leaned toward Holly Joy, his cheeks flushed. “I think next year we should decorate twice as much,” he said, his voice shy but hopeful.

Holly Joy beamed. “Only if you help me hang the star,” she teased before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Dante turned redder than a poinsettia, but his grin stretched ear to ear.

Logan turned to me, his fingers lacing through mine. “We’ll have to come back to Pine Ridge next year,” he said, his voice low.

I squeezed his hand, my heart swelling. “I’d like that.”

Surrounded by the warmth of forgiveness, love, hope, and the joy of the season, we walked toward our future, hand in hand.