Page 32 of An Undisputed Christmas
But it was only Adrian returning from whatever mysterious errand had taken him outside, stomping snow off his boots in the entryway.
"How are my favorite bakers doing?" he called out, the picture of innocence as he wandered back into the kitchen.
"Just finishing up," I replied sweetly, gesturing to our decorated masterpieces. "Want to sample our handiwork?"
His eyes went dark with something that had nothing to do with cookies as his gaze traveled over my flour-dusted apron and icing-sticky fingers.
"I can think of better things to sample," he purred low when he stood behind me.
But before he could act on whatever sinful thoughts were churning through his head, Connor and Jax appeared in the doorway, looking suspiciously windswept and wearing similar expressions of barely contained mischief.
"Bundle up, ladies," Jax announced with that charming grin that usually spelled trouble. “It’s a perfect snow day, and we're not wasting a minute of it indoors."
The guys fussed over us like mother hens as we layered up—thick wool coats, scarves wound multiple times around our necks, mittens that made our hands look like bear paws, and boots that could survive an arctic expedition.
Adrian was particularly thorough, checking that my hat covered my ears properly and tugging my scarf up to my nose.
"Can't have my angel catching a cold," he murmured, kissing my forehead before pulling my hat down even further.
CHAPTER SIX
Isla
The moment we stepped outside, the world transformed into a magical snowglobe that took my breath away.
The sun already hung low in the pale blue sky, casting everything in soft light that made the snow sparkle like crushed diamonds.
Christmas lights strung along the cabin's eaves twinkled merrily, and I could smell wood smoke from the fireplace mixing with the clean, crisp scent of fresh snow.
“It’s so dreamy,” Sierra breathed, her voice muffled by her scarf as she gazed around in wonder. “Like a Christmas card come to life."
She was right. The evergreen trees surrounding the cabin were heavy with snow, their branches drooping gracefully under the weight.
Icicles hung like crystal daggers from the gutters, catching the light and throwing rays across the pristine white landscape. Even the woodpile looked festive, each log topped with a perfect layer of powder.
"First order of business," Sierra declared with determination she usually reserved for Toffee’s litterbox freak outs, "snowmen. Huge, fluffy snowmen."
Without waiting for agreement, she dropped to her knees in a particularly inviting patch of snow and began gathering it into her arms.
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and within seconds, we were all kneeling beside her, packing snow into balls and debating the finer points of snowman building.
"The base has to be massive,” Sierra explained, her cheeks already pink from the cold as she rolled a growing snowball across the yard. "Like, really massive. Big enough that he looks all jolly."
"Don't forget proportion," Estelle added, helping guide Sierra's snowball as it picked up more snow and grew to an impressive size. “He still has to look good!”
The guys, meanwhile, had positioned themselves strategically around the yard—close enough to help if we needed it, far enough away to give us space to work.
They were watching us with indulgent smiles, watching us throw ourselves into our project like we were working on a masterpiece.
Sierra's snowman grew with impressive speed. She had a natural talent for packing snow just right—firm enough to hold its shape, but not so compact it became ice.
The base was indeed huge, probably four feet across, and perfectly round. The middle section went up next, placed by Connor, slightly lopsided but charming in its imperfection.
"Arms!" she announced suddenly, looking around for suitable branches. "He needs arms, and they have to be just right. Not too thick, not too thin, and definitely crooked in a cute way."
Connor wordlessly handed her two perfectly proportioned twigs he'd apparently collected while she worked.
"These are perfect," Sierra said, beaming up at him with such genuine joy that something soft flickered across his features. "Thank you."
