Page 64 of Chocolate Cherry Cabin

In some ways Calvin and Louis weren’t that different. They both wanted her to do things that suited their image of her. Louis wanted her to stretch more. Calvin less.

“What if something happens to your job?” Hannah asked. “Don’t you want me to—”

“Where is all of this coming from?” When Hannah didn’t reply, he said, “Is this about your neighbor? I heard he dressed up as Santa for you and that he wined and dined you with his big fancy NHL status.”

“Louis isSanta? He’s so cool!” Thomas’s face popped into view of the camera. He gasped, his eyes widening. “Is his plane really a sleigh?”

“Santa’s not real, dummy,” Wade muttered.

“Wade,” Hannah warned. “Louis was just helping out Santa. Santa’s real busy this time of year. Louis is a hockey coach for the Dragons, the team Daisy-Mae, Athena and Violet work for.”

“Cool. I bet he knows lots of players.”

She nodded. “He does. I met some of them.”

“Whoa!” Wade looked impressed.

“Can Louis take us to a hockey game?” Thomas asked, jostling his way into the camera’s view again.

“Maybe. He took me to one.”

Calvin’s voice was low, almost a growl. “Since when do you like hockey?”

“Would he take me, too?” Wade asked hopefully.

“I thought this guy was your enemy, Hannah,” Calvin said, angling the camera his way again. “And applying for school without discussing it with me—this is something that can impact all of us. We had an agreement about making big decisions that can affect our family, and you storming ahead isn’t like you.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just want to be more independent. I want to be able to shoulder the responsibility that befalls me.”

“Louis flies planes,” Thomas told Wade. “I bet he could fly us home and then we could take our seat belts off whenever we wanted.”

Calvin let out a big sigh. He slid back on the bench, the phone swaying in his grip. “We have to go.” He ended the call before she could say goodbye to the boys.

Hannah blinked at her phone for a long minute before setting it down. Was this what Louis had been talking about? How everybody liked her being quiet and staying in her place?

Calvin obviously wasn’t a fan of how she was potentially upending their lives, even if, overall, it would be better for everyone.

Then again, it was a rather sudden shift for her to go back to school, and she’d broken their agreement about discussing things like that ahead of time. She’d ambushed the poor man and she was certain that if she’d been the one to break the news to Calvin it would have gone much smoother. Instead, due to Louis’s meddling, she’d sideswiped her ex, potentially making everything more difficult.

She dropped her head in her hands and sighed. All things being equal, it was going to be a very awkward Christmas.

9

Louis was exhausted. Away games, meetings, practices and the push to the Christmas holidays, as well as trying to spend time with Hannah, had him running nonstop. He had a new level of empathy for the players with families.

He hit his alarm and pulled himself out of bed, not bothering with a shirt to go with his loose running shorts. Two days until Christmas, and yet another away game tonight. He turned on the kitchen light, brewing his espresso extra strong.

He had time to woo Hannah a bit this morning if she was free.

His drink wasn’t yet ready when he heard someone bang on his door, then try the knob. Worried that Hannah might be having an emergency, he hurried over. Louis opened the door to find Hannah was beaming, her wavy hair a tousled mess.

“What’s wrong?” No, wait. She was happy. Really happy.

She launched herself into his arms and his panic was gone in a flash. “Hey, good morning,” he crooned against her neck. She smelled like chocolate chai and her soft chest melded to his own. She gave good hugs.

“I got in,” she said breathlessly. “I checked my email this morning and I found it in my spam. I’m in!” She bounced out of his arms and started jumping in place as if she’d won the lottery.

“Congratulations!”

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