Page 32 of Trapped for Christmas

Mason snorted.

“I’ve always had a competence kink.”

Mason thought he was going to swerve off the road for a second. Was Zeb being more flirtatious than usual, or was he just more attuned to it after speaking to his brother?

“We can talk about it when we get home,” said Mason, keeping his voice steady.

“I like thinking of your place as home. It’s going to be hard to live somewhere else.”

That warmed Mason. He wanted to blurt out that Zeb could stay there forever, but that might not be taken in the right way after Kaden. He needed to say something, though.

“It’s your home as well, for as long as you need it. There’s no rush to decide anything.”

“Thank you. I promise I won’t be in the way for too long.”

“Why do you think you’re in the way? There are five bedrooms.”

Zeb laughed. “Fair point, but you don’t have to keep cooking for me, you know.”

“I enjoy cooking.”

“But you do it all day at work.”

“And?”

“Don’t people usually not like to take their work home?”

“I’m not like most people.”

“No, you’re not,” said Zeb quietly, as if he hadn’t meant to say it aloud.

Before Mason could ask what he meant, they were turning onto the narrow road that would take them into Cherry Falls. The snow was still coming down thick and fast, so he needed to focus and not be distracted by Zeb. The music was humming away in the background, although it just sounded like noise to Mason.

He slowed down as they navigated the road. Mason was aware some drivers could speed through here, especially tourists. It was a two-way road, but only wide enough for one car at a time, and this road was a couple of miles long. If someone was coming toward him, he’d need to get out of their way, or vice versa.

They slid on the road, but not so much that Mason couldn’t handle it. A car coming toward them made Mason pull over onto the grass bank. He wanted to avoid mud if he could, mitigating the risk of them getting stuck. Thankfully, the other driver was going slow as well, but that meant it took a few minutes for them to move past. Once it was clear, Mason continued down the road.

It was another hour before they parked up in front of the cabin, which was covered in snow. It always looked magical at this time of the year, even Mason could see that. His preference was summer, as New York was unbearable in August, and the lake nearby was amazing for swimming. Not something they’d be doing on this trip. If Zeb liked it here, Mason would invite him to come back and experience all the seasons.

“Take the keys and get the door open. I’ll grab the bags out of the back.”

“Don’t you need some help?”

“Just get into the warmth. Alison’s put the heating on, so the place will be ready for us.”

Alison ran a local bed and breakfast and also kept an eye on the cabins for people who weren’t here all year. Airing them out, getting them ready for arrivals, and stocking them up with essentials. How the woman had the time was a mystery, although she was a godsend whenever Mason came here on a whim. His friends used it more than he did, though, especially Ryder, and Mason had heard Alison was a big fan of Ryder’s, so he did question her taste levels. Not something he would say to her face. She was a sweet woman, but not someone you wanted to be pissed at you.

It was freezing, and the snow was coming down hard, making visibility difficult. He had gloves and a scarf on. Mason grabbed the two small suitcases that contained their belongings first and dropped them just inside the door of the cabin. He could already feel the heat coming from inside, and the smell of freshly baked cookies. That would be Alison. Returning to the car, he picked up the several bags of food. Yes, he had gone over the top, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t take the leftovers back with him. If the weather was going to be like this the whole time, they’d be inside a lot, just him and Zeb. Cooking would give him something to do with his hands, rather than having to keep resisting the urge to put them on Zeb.

Once he was inside the cabin, he closed the door and saw Zeb looking around in wonder. Mason tried to view it through his eyes, like he had the first time he saw it. It had taken time for Mason to get this place exactly as he wanted it. He needed to spend more time here than he currently did.

The living area was open plan, with an L-shaped sofa facing the log fire. He’d get that going later. There were logs stacked inside already. Probably Alison again. The kitchen was where he’d spent the most money. It was like what he had at home, but all dark wood and on a smaller scale. He still wanted to create amazing food when he was here. A dining table that could seat six people was to one side, and he had a nook with an armchair and a table by the window. Mason liked to sit there when he was by himself. It was facing the back of his cabin, where there was nothing but woodland until you got to the lake.

The bedroom and bathroom took up the other side of the cabin. It was an en suite, and was the only modern aesthetic in the place. It had made sense when he renovated the cabin, but now he’d have to go through the room Zeb was sleeping in to get to the bathroom. This could end up being a very long two days!

CHAPTER 11

ZEB