The Christmas Cabin

by Susan Hatler

  “Hello, Noelle,” I said.

  “Harper? Oh, I’m so glad that I got ahold of you,” she said, her voice high and frantic.

  A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. “How are things going with you and Riley?” I asked, pausing in my walk to watch a squirrel scamper after another squirrel that had a nut in its mouth.

  “Things are awful!” she wailed, her voice breaking.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, using a soothing voice.

  “Riley came home last night with a new business plan. He wants to build a skating rink on the beach. On the beach, Harper! He wants to call it a ‘sanding’ rink. Can you even imagine?” Noelle took in a loud shaky breath, and I could imagine her trying to keep the tears at bay.

  “Did you talk to him about your thoughts on this venture?” I asked, walking again.

  “Yes, but he refuses to change. I know you’re going to tell me ‘I told you so,’ but I really thought that he would change this time,” she said.

  I sighed. Just a few days ago, I probably would’ve thought ‘I told you so,’ even though I would never say that to a client. But, now? Gabriel had shown me a new way to think about things. “Have you thought about the fact that Riley was like this when you married him?”

  “Well, yeah,” Noelle said. “But, so what?”

  “A friend of mine reminded me that everyone deserves more than one chance in life, because it’s hard to get things right the first time. It seems to me that’s what Riley’s doing. He keeps trying new business ideas because he hasn’t gotten one right yet, and he wants to do it for you and with you.”

  “I’ve never thought of it that way. I guess you’re right,” she said.

  I heard a bit of reluctance in her voice, but what I also heard the tinge of hope. “And didn’t you marry him because you love who he is?”

  “Or course,” she said, her voice quiet. “I love Riley. I really do, and all the reasons that I married him do mean something to me. But I can’t live like this anymore. I need stability. I need to be able to picture my future. A house. Kids. All of it.”

  “Things aren’t always the way we want them, but sometimes life gives us things that we didn’t even know we needed,” I said, pausing at a fork in the path. I couldn’t explain the feeling that was swelling inside of my chest, but I felt a huge amount of conviction that I needed to encourage Noelle to try to work things out with Riley. “Are you sure you’re ready to give up on him?”

  She was quiet for so long that I thought we might’ve dropped the call. She must be confused by my changed outlook on her situation. Just a week ago, I had been counseling her on how a divorce would be the best thing she ever did with her life.

  “I don’t suppose you know a good marriage counselor, do you?” Noelle asked, finally. “I mean, the one we were seeing didn’t seem to understand us very well. I know you’re a divorce attorney and counseling isn’t your field. But maybe you’ve heard of someone good through your clients?”

  I found myself smiling. She still wanted to work things out with Riley, and I wanted her to know that I was rooting for them. Snow crunched under my boots as I came to the top of a small rise.

  “Dr. Caryn Cunningham specializes in marriage and family therapy,” I said. “I’ve heard she’s really good. I’ll text you her info when I get back to my office. I’m actually hiking at the moment. Some of my clients have used her before, and from what they’ve said, I think you’ll really like her.”

  “Thanks so much, Harper,” Noelle said, relief flooding her voice. “I really appreciate your advice. I’m sorry I interrupted your walk. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too,” I said, and then hung up. I smiled as I headed down the hill toward the bank of a small river. Noelle had sounded positive again about her marriage to Riley, and I was glad. She deserved to be happy, and I hoped marriage counseling would help her find happiness with her husband again. Meeting Gabriel had definitely changed my priorities. I’d have to remember to thank him for that later.

  I was so lost in thought that when a flash of movement caught my eye, I gasped and stopped short. In front of me, there was a family of deer that had come down to drink at the stream. These must be the deer whose footprints I had seen in the yard. That small fact made me feel connected to the graceful creatures. The mother deer looked up, and regarded me warily, clearly considering whether or not she thought I posed a threat to her family. I held absolutely still not wanting them to leave. Finally the mother deer lowered her head back to the frigid water.

  As I stood there watching them another thought drifted into my mind. I could see myself having a family with Gabriel. Two kids maybe, a boy and a girl. I had the feeling we would come here every year to celebrate Christmas. That would be our Christmas tradition together. We’d cut down our own tree and bake gingerbread cookies.

  I’d never thought about having a family before, but the image was so clear in my mind that I could almost reach out and touch it. I had fallen hard and fast for Gabriel, and I wouldn’t have changed this feeling for the world.

  When I got back from my walk, my socks were soaked, but I was happier than I had been in a long time. As I peeled off my boots and socks, I noticed that there was a present under the tree. Moving closer, I saw that it had my name on it. That must have been what Gabriel had been doing in town. I flushed with the pleasure of it all.

  I hurried upstairs and retrieved the angel from the top of my closet. Now she wouldn’t be lonely under the tree all by herself. I didn’t know where Gabriel was, but I hurried to arrange the present beside the other one. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to see the gift, but I thought it would be fun for him to be surprised by its appearance just like I had been.

  With that done, I headed into the kitchen where I found Gabriel’s phone on the docking station. I flipped it on and the sound of Silent Night filled the small space. All that was left to do was build a fire, and the ambience for the evening would be set.

  Just as I was putting the first logs into the fireplace, the front door opened. Gabriel staggered in, laden down with bags from a local restaurant, the Chinese one that I had wanted to try. I jumped up and grabbed a bag from him. “How did you know I love Chinese food?”

  “Kara might’ve mentioned it earlier today,” he said with a grin. “I thought we could eat by the fire.”

  “Great minds think alike,” I said. “I was just starting a fire when you came in. Or should I go gets us some plates for dinner?”

  “If you don’t mind, I can take care of the fire, while you dish up our dinner,” Gabriel said, then he bent his head as if he’d just heard the Christmas music pouring from the kitchen. A smile crossed his face and he winked at me.

  “Thought you’d enjoy this music.” I smiled, then took the bags of take-out into the kitchen and dished up our food. After we had gotten settled on two large floor cushions in front of the coffee table, he asked how my afternoon was. “Great. I took a walk in the snow.”

  “Yeah? I wish I’d been here so I could have gone out with you.”

  “You would’ve loved it,” I said, taking a bite of orange chicken. “The sky was sunny and the snow glistened like a sparkling white blanket. The best part was that at the end of the hike, I saw a family of deer coming down to the river to drink. I don’t know what it was about them, but they were majestic. I wish you could have seen it.”

  “That sounds amazing,” he said with a grin.

  I shifted closer to him, and he reached out to hold my foot. The gesture was sweet and intimate. I shivered. “You’re freezing,” he said. “Hang on.”

  He disappeared into the den, and when he reappeared a moment later, he was holding a fresh pair of socks. I pulled them on feeling more special than I ever could have imagined. We went back to eating our dinner. Kara was right about the Chinese restaurant being good.

  “So how was your shopping trip?” I asked.

  “Good,” he replied. “I got just what I was looking for.�
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  From his smile, I knew that he had something planned, but I couldn’t guess what. Anticipation quivered in my veins. I smiled sideways at him, feeling a goofy grin spread across my face.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” I said laughing. “I’m just really happy. I mean, even our clients are working things out and I think they have a good chance. I never thought I would be saying something that optimistic either, but you’ve shown me a different way of thinking about my career. And I can’t begin to tell you how touched I am by the advice your father gave you. Sometimes, I wonder what my parents might have told me if they had stuck around.”

  Gabriel reached out and pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

  “I have my Aunt Lucy, and she’s always been wonderful to me. She sounded like she was having a good Christmas weekend when I talked to her. It’s like the whole world is happy right now, you know?”

  Gabriel’s phone started buzzing. He glanced at the screen, and said, “It’s my mom.”

  “You should answer it,” I said.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said, after he’d swiped the screen. “No, you don’t have to feel bad about leaving me alone during Christmas. In fact, I’m not alone. I’m with someone special.”

  I cut a sideways glance at Gabriel, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

  “I hope you get to meet her soon, too. We cut a tree down, and we used Dad’s recipe to make gingerbread cookies.” He reached out and took my hand. “Yes, for real. I’m glad, too. If you don’t get another chance to call from the cruise, I hope you and Dale have a Merry Christmas. Love you, Mom.”

  He pulled me closer and I fell into his arms happily. “I can’t believe how beautiful everything looks here,” I said, admiring our tree.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said.

  I smiled, a wave of warmth rolling over me. I turned in his arms and looked up at him. He brushed a kiss across my lips, and I shivered. “This cabin and this weekend is everything Christmas is meant to be,” I said.

  “You’re everything Christmas is meant to be,” he whispered.

  We cuddled down into the sofa cushions, and the warmth of Gabriel’s arms and the firelight made everything feel homey and sweet. I’d never been as happy as I was in that moment.

  Chapter Seven

  On the morning of Christmas Eve, I woke up early, and stared through the window at the winter wonderland outside. Renting this cabin had been the best decision I’d ever made. I needed to remember to thank Kara. After snuggling in bed and enjoying the peaceful view, I went downstairs to find coffee and breakfast already made, and Gabriel’s smiling face as he greeted me with a kiss. I could definitely get used to this kind of life.

  “This is the best breakfast I’ve ever had.” I drained the last of my orange juice from my glass, and smiled over at Gabriel in appreciation. “Seriously, if the lawyer thing doesn’t work out for you, you should open a breakfast café or something. I could do all your social media. Just videos of me gorging myself on this amazing food.”

  He laughed and dished up another serving of the egg casserole for me. “I need you to be well fed so you’ll have lots of energy.”

  “What do I need energy for?’ I asked, blinking rapidly in what I hoped looked like an innocent expression. I probably failed miserably, so I smirked at him instead, wondering what he had planned for today. “A game of Scrabble by the fire where I can beat you again?”

  He winked at me. “You’ll just have to wait and see what I have planned for you.”

  I was about to take another guess when my phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. Ignoring it, I took another bite of the casserole. My phone went silent for a moment, only to start buzzing again. Sighing, I checked the screen. “It’s work,” I said.

  “You should take it,” he said. “Anyone calling you on Christmas Eve must really need to talk to you. I’ll start cleaning up breakfast, but after you’re done don’t go anywhere.”

  “Where would I go?” I asked, giving him a grin before grabbing my phone and heading into the living room so I could have some privacy. “Hi, Noelle. What’s up?”

  “You won’t believe how awful things are,” she moaned, her breathing heavy and labored.

  “What happened?” I asked, in a soft voice that I hoped would calm her down. She sounded like she was on the edge of a panic attack. “I thought you two were going to counseling.”

  “I emailed that counselor you mentioned, and I had a meeting all set up. While I was busy trying to save our marriage, Riley decided to take my grandmother’s Ming Dynasty porcelain vase from my house! Can you believe that? I get home to find him telling me that he has the perfect way to fund his Sandy Rink skating business. Now, my beloved family vase is gone,” Noelle said, her voice catching like she was about to break down in sobs.

  “Noelle, take a deep breath. Are you saying that he took your grandmother’s vase without your permission?” I began pacing in front of the fireplace, the familiar tension that I had often felt before coming to the cabin returned with a vengeance, making my chest tighten and the muscles in my shoulders pull taut.

  “Basically, yes,” she said. “He was at the house by himself, though. I normally wouldn’t have left him alone while he was in the middle of one of his schemes. But I loved what you said about second chances. I figured I had to trust him, because a second chance means a new beginning where we respect each other. I should’ve known he’d never change.”

  Guilt flared in my stomach. I had given her that advice about second chances, and expected her to take it. So, by that logic it was my fault that Riley had taken the vase.

  “I’m so sorry.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I honestly hadn’t thought that I would be dealing with a client today of all days, but clearly Noelle needed my help. I walked over to the window and gazed out at the snow. The wind had made big drifts around the house that just called for someone to jump in them, and yesterday I would have playfully suggested just that to Gabriel. But now, talking to Noelle, my heart felt heavy. There had to be a way to fix this for my client. “Did Riley actually sell the vase?” I asked. “Maybe we can still get it back.”

  “No, I don’t think he’s sold it yet,” she said. “But he claims to have an interested buyer. He took the vase to his dad’s house and he won’t give it back to me. He says I don’t support him when that’s all I’ve been doing for the past five years.”

  I wanted to tell her that he was acting like a child, but that wouldn’t get her anywhere so I kept my mouth shut. Walking back to the fireplace, I picked up a ceramic deer that I remembered Kara having in her apartment when we were in law school. I loved that she was sentimental, and I found myself hoping that she could carry that sentimentality back to her marriage, to remember why she and her husband had gotten together in the first place.

  Then I couldn’t help but think of the deer family I had seen the day before. If I could find magic in this place that completely changed my view of the world, then others could find magic where they were as well—especially right now when it was Christmas time. My job really did have to become helping my clients find their magic moments again.

  “When Riley cools off, you should bring this up with the marriage counselor immediately,” I suggested. Given that it was the day before Christmas, there really wasn’t much I could do legally to help her out other than give her suggestions.

  “I honestly don’t know how the marriage counselor can help us at this point,” Noelle said. “He’s not trustworthy, and he never will be.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions.” I walked back to the window with the deer in my hand, struggling with what she should do. “I’m sure that if you have a mediator you two can sort things out. Obviously Riley needs to learn to communicate better.”

  Yeah, that and he needed to learn to control his pilfering impulses.

  “He doesn’t want to work on our marriage anymore,” she said, in a trembling voice. “Do you know what he did after our fig
ht two days ago? He called his divorce attorney and instructed him to make sure I get nothing. He says his lawyer is going to take me down and that would serve me right since I never supported his dreams.”

  The blood in my veins turned to ice. Gabriel had known about Riley’s plan to ruin Noelle? But I’d been saying that Noelle and Riley could work things out, and he’d never corrected me. I’d waxed poetic about how he’d been right about second chances. He had known about Riley’s vengeance plan? And he’d kept it from me? I felt anger chasing the shock away, biting at the heels of my embarrassment about opening up in that way to him. I swallowed hard trying not to believe the bleak reality presenting itself to me.

  If Gabriel had lied to me then everything between us had been a sham. I pictured the way Gabriel’s chocolate-brown eyes peer down at me. I remembered his sweet kisses. No, it wasn’t possible that Gabriel would betray me. Noelle must be mistaken.

  “Are you sure he called his attorney?” I asked, taking a deep breath, and hoping she had just gotten things mixed up. “Maybe he just talked about calling his attorney.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he called him. I even checked his cell phone records,” Noelle explained. Man, I had to admire her thoroughness. “Do you think he’ll be able to get a jump on the divorce proceedings, because he alerted his attorney before I alerted mine? Is there any paperwork we can file today? I don’t want to be ruined.”

  “I will handle this for you, Noelle. Trust me.” I found myself squeezing the neck of the poor little ceramic deer so hard that I thought it might crack in my hand. Time to put it down. I set it carefully on the coffee table, and dropped down on the sofa, feeling lightheaded.

  “Okay, I trust you. You always give me the best advice,” she said, guilt seeping through me at her words. “His attorney probably isn’t available today anyway. Apparently he’s away at a cabin in Tahoe with some unfortunate woman, who probably trusts him like I trusted Riley. I feel so sorry for her. Riley told me that even though his attorney couldn’t talk much, he promised to devise a plan when he returned. That sounds menacing, doesn’t it?”