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moved toward that zenith, he saw the glow.

For an instant he panicked, the luminosity on the horizon was so radiant in the dark snowy

tableau that he briefly thought the cabin might be on fire. How awful that would have been. Not only Tyler's beautiful handiwork destroyed, but his belongings, including the flash drive he had left in haste when returning to DC.

The book.

His book would be gone. Poof. He had never taken the time to save it to the Cloud.

But as he broached the summit and clearing, he discovered the true source of the glow…

Christmas lights.

Thousands of multicolored lights outlined the vertical and horizontal planes of the cabin,

windows, door, porch, roof, chimney, and all. And in the yard surrounding the woodpecker tree were sparkling automated deer grazing, next to an animated snowman tipping his hat, and penguins with

sleds, and polar bears.

Alec slowed the snowmobile to a complete stop and removed his goggles. It was one of the

most beautiful things he had ever seen. The lights encompassing the cabin twinkled, pulsing with

radiance and charm, a warm and welcome glimmer atop the isolated ridge of Beulah Mountain.

Santa and the North Pole have nothing on this place.

Alec took it all in for a moment, knowing without a doubt who was responsible. Tyler had been

hard at work preparing all of this for his return. He was a good man with a kind heart like no other Alec had ever known. And the thing Alec wanted most in the world that very moment was to see his

face.

He squeezed the accelerator on the Titan and raced toward the multicolored wonderland.

He parked next to Brandy's hitching post and removed his goggles. The front porch light came

on and the door opened. Tyler stepped out.

"Welcome back."

Alec vaulted from the snowmobile, lunging for the front porch, forgetting the depth of the snow

and plunging face-first into a high drift. Tyler was down the steps and there instantly, brushing the flakes from his lashes, and lifting him with strong arms. They kissed, and Alec knew then that nothing was more divine than the feeling of that bristly stubble surrounding those sweet tender lips. He was in heaven.

"Please tell me you're here," Alec said. "And that I'm not dreaming this."

"I'm here. Let's get you inside."

28

Inside was warm and cozy. There were decorations here too, but nowhere near as extravagant

as the outside. It was subtle and inviting.

Tyler walked Alec over to the fire, removing his coat and gloves like a parent caring for a child.

"Sit," he said.