The Christmas Playbook (Shadow Valley U)

Chapter 3 It takes forever to get to the resort. From the drive, to the flight to California, to the resort in Big Bear, by the time we arrive, I am ready to jump out of my skin. "Who would've thought Southern California would have good skiing?" I mumble. Everyone ignores me. But we went from no snow and zero elevation to all the snow. The roads are clear, but the piles from the plow trucks on the sides of the road are taller than me, easy. It makes me want to leap from the vehicle and cannonball into them, but I refrain.

We park the two SUVs outside the main lodge, and we all go inside to check into our private cabins. The front desk girl seems a bit frazzled by all of us at once, but after signing paperwork and swiping credit cards, she hands out our keys with a cartoon map of the resort. It even has the different lifts and trails labeled for when we hit the slopes. "There are parking spots at each cabin," she advises us. "We have a few different restaurant options here at the lodge, including our world-renowned restaurant at the top of Topher's Peak. All the information is in the binder in your cabin.

Enjoy your stay!" Thorne parks at his cabin, and we all pile out. His and Briar's cabin is close enough that I won't have to hike far to mine. Judging by the brass number nailed beside the door, I'm only one away. I, along with my friends, pull my luggage from the trunk. "So, what are we gonna do now?" I ask. "Besides like, settling in..." They exchange a glance that says they're probably gonna bone as soon as they're alone. Great. "Never mind." I roll my eyes. "You two have fun." I trudge away, my arms full.

The cabin key is in one of my pockets, but that's a problem for when I get to the porch. "See you for dinner?" Thorne shouts behind me. "Yep!" Two minutes later, I climb up the steps to my new home for the week. I stomp the snow from my boots on the porch, which seems disappointingly bare. There's just a welcome mat. The one with the hot tub and rocking chairs, as advertised, must be in the back. Facing one of the runs, I hope. There's no better people-watching than seeing inexperienced skiers wipe out, and that's just a fact. Juggling my bags, I unlock the door and step in.

The fireplace is already going, the flames crackling. I feel for a light switch, and the room suddenly illuminates. There's a little kitchenette, a couch, a television. The bed seems warm and cozy, piled with blankets, in the corner. I set my stuff down out of the way. It's a leftover habit from my parents' house. They hated when the kids would come inside and immediately drop their shoes, bags, whatever. The constant, Put it in your room, Rhys! got old by the time I turned seventeen.

After I move my luggage and ski bag to the far wall, by the dresser, I hurry to the drapes pulled across what I hope is a sliding glass door. It is. And there, in prime condition, is a hot tub. "Halle-fucking-lujah." I'm not messing around. I pluck one of the towels from the bathroom and strip out of my clothes. I could go for a beer or something, too. That might make this even better. But I am too excited to test out the tub. I wrap the towel around my waist and step outside, closing the drapes and then the sliding door behind me.

They had it closed, and I can only imagine it's to keep the chill out. Besides, enough light is filtering into the cabin through the windows. And the fire is doing a great job of making it cozy inside. Anyway. I push the lid off the tub and start the bubbles, barely suppressing my gleeful cackle. Just beyond the wooden railing is one of the trails, and even as I watch, a few snowboarders fly past. Nice. That'll be us tomorrow, crushing the slopes. When the coast is clear, I shed the towel-folding it neatly and dropping it on one of the chairs-and hop into the tub.

Hot water immediately encases me, and I let out a groan. Perfection. Fucking perfection. The cold air makes the water seem even hotter, and I run my hands through the bubbles. I position myself with a view of the people coming down around the corner on the slopes, immediately locking on to a couple that seems to be struggling. They're flailing, a mess of ski poles and limbs. I snicker. It's wrong, yeah, but if they were seriously hurt, I would definitely get out and help them. I'd just, you know, take some pictures first. Ah, hell. I left my phone inside. I debate for a moment, then shrug.

I don't need it. We're here to disconnect, and I should content myself with people-watching. The jets at my back are doing a great job loosening the tension there. I already told my parents I had arrived. Shit, no, I didn't. Okay, it's fine, another hour or so won't kill them or me. I close my eyes, sinking lower until my chin brushes the water. This is relaxation, this is peace. This is... Boring. Boring! Do people really just sit here and chill? I don't know how long I last, but it's probably not long.

I grimace and climb out, forgoing the towel to just sprint back inside, grab my phone, and return to the delicious water. I jerk open the sliding door and whip aside the drapes. Water droplets roll off me, and I don't notice the open front door until I'm four steps inside. Someone hauls a suitcase inside, their back to me, and I freeze. It's a girl. Why is a girl coming into my cabin? Is this a joke from Thorne and Briar? Someone thought I'd be lonely for Christmas and found me a⁠- She turns and her gaze snaps to me. Namely, my naked body. Shit, I'm fucking naked! She screams.

I scream, too, because that seems to be the appropriate response. "I have a weapon!" she shouts, lunging for her bag. "I don't!" I yell back, torn between raising my hands in surrender or covering myself. "Get out of my cabin!" She pauses mid-search and slowly pushes her hair out of her face. "Rhys?" I stop and stare at her harder. She's not someone tagging along with our group, is she? I didn't want a jersey chaser coming with me. I could've had my pick, probably, but I wanted some freaking alone time. Nope. Recognition filters in too fast, and my body does this weird, swooping flush.

The heat from the fire is getting to me. I slowly cover my dick with both hands, because it's reacting, too. Unfortunately. My eyebrows hike, and I stare. This is impossible. She... Check latest chapters at Fɪnd-Novel.net "Mira Winters," I say faintly. She nods once. Just a jerk of her chin. Her hair swings again, obscuring her face. She glances over her shoulder at the open door, and I rush for my forgotten clothes. I yank my boxers and jeans into place, ignoring how the fabric drags over my wet skin. By the time she looks back, I'm more decent than a second ago. But... Mira Winters.

We were neighbors in middle school. That feels like a lifetime ago. And right now... she's definitely all grown up. No more braces-for either of us-or awkward spots of acne. Well, for me. Damn. "This is my cabin," Mira says. That shatters any illusion that this was planned by my scheming best friend. Not that he would know who she was, but still. She and I were tight. Besties. As close as two twelve-year-olds could be anyway. "So..." She frowns. "Can you get out?"