Page 19 of The Forecast Looks Like Reindeer

“You say that now.” I laughed.

I placed the bags next to the microwave noting we had plenty of coffee and cocoa, but we’d need to restock from the lodge store before tomorrow night, which was Christmas Eve. Those were essentials. We couldn’t run out.

I was happy we hadn’t gone to the lodge tonight. The restaurant was lovely, but I enjoyed being with Aspen alone. We both had the same tastes in food, drink and movies. We laughed at the same moments.

When we got tired, we went to bed with a routine we both naturally followed, never getting in each other’s way, and got under the covers with the pillows between us.

I had my tablet in hand again. It was hard not to be addicted to it. I liked to watch reels or play solitaire to relax my mind before sleep.

“Will the light from my tablet bother you?” I asked.

“Nope.”

Silence. I thought he’d fallen asleep. Instead, he spoke again. “I had a great night. If there’d been a blizzard outside, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Me, too.”

“Let’s do it again.” His yawn came loud, like a moan.

“No objection here.”

“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. We should do something special.”

“I think they light up the big tree tomorrow night.”

“The huge one out by the parking lot?”

“Yep.”

“That will take about five minutes. Then what?”

I laughed. “I came here to laze around by a warm fire and have authentic cider.”

“Eggnog,” Aspen put in. “That’s essential on Christmas Eve.”

“That, too.”

“I don’t have to make any plans. I like it that way.”

“Are we behaving like two old men?” I asked.

“More like two guys who work hard finally on vacation. I like not waking up at six-thirty to a blaring alarm. I like staying up late.”

I felt the bed shift as Aspen sat up. A pillow rolled onto my chest. “Uh oh,” he added. “Maybe I’ll become so spoiled I won’t want to go home.”

“You said this evening you love your job.”

“True.”

“Then let’s make a plan that tomorrow we do nothing.”

“We can go to the tree lighting ceremony, though, right?”

“Of course. But other than that, we’ll play it by ear.”

9

Aspen