Page 23 of Pine Creek Lodge
A playful smile tugged at Sofia's lips. "Well, in that case, I think I’d rather stay right here with you. It’s much more fun with you."
Nat’s heart thudded, and she couldn’t keep the grin off her face. But then something niggled at her mind—a familiar absence. She glanced down instinctively, realizing their usual little observer was nowhere to be seen. "Wait... speaking of fun. Where's Moxie?"
They both looked around, scanning the floor and the kitchen corners, but there was no sign of the tiny calico kitten. Nat’s brow furrowed, and she gave Sofia a questioning look. "You were feeding her, right? Before we…" She blushed, and her voice trailed off.
Sofia laughed softly. "You’re right. She never leaves my side. Let’s go check the great room—she loves curling up by the fire."
They made their way into the lodge’s grand living room and stopped halfway in when they saw the Christmas tree, decked out in twinkling lights and ornaments, was shaking. And there, halfway up the branches, was Moxie, perched like a tiny jungle cat with one paw batting at a glittering bauble.
Nat gasped, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Oh, Moxie, you little rascal!" she said, watching as the kitten swayed with the branches, tail flicking with a newfound sense of adventure.
Sofia put an arm around her, laughing. "How did she even get up there?"
As if in answer, Moxie pounced onto a lower branch, sending a cascade of ornaments clinking and clattering to the floor. The kitten seemed unbothered by the noise, her tiny claws clinging to the branch as she began a slow, wobbling descent.
Nat watched, both charmed and concerned, as Moxie carefully balanced her way down. Every now and then, she’dpause, batting at an ornament or giving a playful swipe to a branch.
"She’s fearless," Sofia said, beaming as she watched the kitten. "A tiny daredevil."
“Yeah. She’s going to get herself in trouble,” Nat agreed, and she gasped when Moxie slipped and fell onto the floor with a thud.
Worried she might be hurt, they rushed over to Moxie, but the kitten straightened herself and trotted over to them, clawing at Sofia’s legs for her to pick her up.
Sofia scooped her up, smiling as she held Moxie and kissed the top of her head. “You know, I think you’re the best Christmas present I could have asked for,” she whispered. “You’re just the cutest, most adorable little bundle of joy.”
A pang of nervous anticipation tugged at Nat’s heart as Sofia’s words reminded her of her mother’s request the previous evening. She hesitated, then cleared her throat.
“S-Speaking of Christmas,” she began, the words feeling too loud in the quiet of the room. Sofia glanced up, her brow raising in mild curiosity, and Nat forced herself to continue, though her nerves betrayed her in the tentative way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I, uh… well, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, and?—”
But before Nat could finish, Sofia’s eyes widened as a look of understanding dawned on her face, and she interrupted her. “Nat, I know what you’re going to say, and I want you to know I don’t mind at all if you spend Christmas with your family. Really. It’s just me and Moxie here, and we’ll be just fine, won’t we, Moxie?” She rubbed her nose affectionately against the kitten’s.
Nat blinked, her stomach tightening. Sofia’s response was so understanding, so generous—and so far off the mark—that she almost felt like retreating. But the thought of her family, ofChristmas dinner, and, perhaps most of all, of Sofia being here all by herself gave her courage.
“That’s… that’s not what I was going to say, actually,” she replied, trying to keep her tone steady, though her hands tightened nervously around her coffee mug. She stole a quick, self-conscious glance at Sofia, whose gaze was now fixed on her, a hint of surprise in her eyes. “I was actually going to ask if… if you’d like to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us. You know, at my family’s place.”
Sofia’s brows lifted, her expression blank with surprise, and for a moment, Nat worried she’d been too forward, too presumptive. She hastily added, “You don’t have to, of course! I mean, I get it if you don’t want to. It’s not like this is… well, I mean, this isn’t…” Her cheeks flushed as she stumbled over her words, the warmth spreading across her face. “It’s not like this is a relationship or anything serious. We’re just, you know, having fun, and…”
She trailed off, aware that she was rambling, especially when she noticed Sofia was still staring at her. Nat’s pulse quickened as a beat of silence stretched between them, and in a moment of unexpected boldness, she gathered the last bit of courage she had.
“Anyway, what I meant to say is that you’re welcome to join us if you’d like. It was actually my mom’s idea. She insisted that I ask.”
Sofia remained silent as she took this in, her hand absently stroking Moxie, who had started to doze in her arms.
When Sofia finally spoke, her voice was gentle, with a hint of something Nat couldn’t quite place. “That’s… very sweet, Nat. I really hadn’t expected this. To be invited, I mean. It’s thoughtful.”
Nat felt her pulse flutter. Her invitation hadn’t been rejected out of hand, and the realization brought a small, tentative smileto her face. She managed to shrug lightly, though her heart raced in her chest.
“It’s nothing, really,” Nat replied, feigning nonchalance as best she could. “But I totally understand if it’s not your thing. It’s nothing special or fancy. No pressure.”
Sofia looked down, biting her lip as though she were considering the invitation more seriously than Nat had expected. “I’ll think about it,” she said, then added, “But only if your parents won’t mind having a stranger around on Christmas. I’d hate to intrude.”
This time it was Nat’s turn to look surprised. She hadn’t really thought Sofia would consider it, not seriously. She’d expected her to politely decline, but here she was, expressing genuine interest.
“My family would love to have you,” Nat assured her, her voice a little more earnest than she’d intended. “And they don’t know about us, of course. About… you know...”
“About this?” Sofia leaned in and brushed her lips against Nat’s before she kissed her.
“Yeah…” Nat smiled. “Whatever this is.”
