The Christmas Plan

by Samantha Chase

  Aspen was lying on the bed on her side wearing some sort of red lace nightie that left little to the imagination. She still had her Santa hat on and an impish grin on her face. And tucked in the corner of the loft was the tiniest Christmas tree he had ever seen and there were twinkly lights on the ceiling. She looked like the greatest Christmas present he’d ever gotten.

  Her name came out as a hushed plea.

  “You like?” she asked.

  And all Gabe could do was nod.

  Holding out her hand to him, Aspen gently guided him to the bed beside her. The fabric looked far too delicate for his big hands and he was afraid of ruining it. And because Aspen knew him so well, she offered him all the encouragement he could need.

  “I bought this specifically for you to rip it off of me, so…”

  And just like many a Christmas morning, Gabe tore into his present and thoroughly enjoyed it.

  Ten

  “Okay, everyone! Santa Claus is only two blocks away and once he passes by the front of our tent, the parade is officially over and we are open for business!” Erika yelled out. “Be sure you’re at your tables and if there’s anything you need, please look for our elves in the green hats! Now let’s have some fun! Woo!”

  There were easily a hundred people in the massive tent and they were just the vendors. Aspen had a feeling it was going to be wall-to-wall people once shoppers came in. Looking at her table, she prayed she had enough to offer and that people would even buy some of it. For all of her confidence over the last week or two, suddenly she felt like maybe no one was going to buy anything from her. When she looked around the room and saw all the amazing things people made–cakes, cookies, Christmas ornaments, wreaths, scarves, candles–it made her feel slightly inadequate.

  For the last hour she and the other vendors wandered around and shopped at each other’s tables so they wouldn’t miss out once the doors were open to the public. Aspen had purchased two handmade ornaments, a scarf for herself and one for her sister, several jars of homemade jams–including one of bacon jam that she couldn’t wait to use–and cards and candles. Overall, she was thrilled with her buys, but when she came back to her own table, she began to second-guess everything.

  “Why are you frowning?” Gabe’s mom asked as she approached the table. “It’s so loud and festive in here and everyone’s having a good time. How could you be frowning?”

  “What? Oh, um…I’m feeling a little overwhelmed,” she admitted. “I delivered the basket of chocolates over to Melanie’s table and on my way back I bought a few things and saw all the fantastic things people made and…”

  Mrs. Andrews held up a hand to stop her. “Want me to let you in on a little secret?”

  Curious, Aspen nodded.

  “It’s the same people year after year. Sure there are always a handful of new faces selling their wares, but for the most part, it’s a lot of the same old, same old. What you have here is something that appeals to everyone, whether it’s a gift they’re buying for someone or a treat for themselves. I can almost guarantee that you’re going to sell out before the end of the day. You mark my words.”

  “Oh, I don’t think that will happen. If anything, I think I made too much.”

  “Just remember that there’s more at the house if you need it. All you have to do is call and we’ll get it to you.”

  “Mrs. Andrews…”

  “Now stop fussing and smile! This is going to be fun!” Then she glanced over her shoulder. “Oh! There’s Santa!” she said giddily. “After the festival is over, be sure to get your picture taken with him. He’s going to be set up in the gazebo in the town square and I would love to get a shot of you and Gabe with him!”

  “I’m not sure Gabe will want to do that.”

  “If you want to do it, he’ll do it. Trust me.” Then she walked over and hugged Aspen tight. “You’re good for him. I always knew you would be.”

  And before Aspen could respond, Erika called out that they were open for business.

  After that, everything became a blur.

  It seemed like she had to have talked to hundreds of people and twice she had to text Gabe and his mom to bring inventory from home. And on top of that, she had a dozen orders for more chocolate to be delivered on Christmas Eve!

  At some point, someone put a plate of food in front of her–a turkey club with chips–and it took forever to actually finish it because there was never a lull in the action. Cocoa and bottles of water were also dropped off throughout the day and she had to admit that the event ran perfectly and she loved every second of it.

  “And that’s a wrap!” Erika called out at four o’clock. “Thank you for all your hard work and for making our annual holiday arts and crafts festival a success! If you need help breaking down your booth or moving leftover merchandise out to your car, just wave one of our helpers over and we’ll be glad to assist! Have a great rest of your day!”

  It wasn’t until Aspen stood and stretched that she realized she was one of the few who had completely sold out. Other than her tablecloth, signs, and baskets, there wasn’t anything else for her to carry out to her car. She was about to start gathering it all up when she spotted Gabe walking toward her with a huge smile on his face and her heart kicked hard in her chest at the sight of him.

  “Look at you!” he said when he was beside her. Kissing her cheek, he glanced around. “It looks like you were a complete success here today!”

  Aspen didn’t want to brag too loudly because the tables all around her were still covered with merchandise. “It went better than I expected,” she said quietly, placing one of her baskets on her chair so she could fold up the tablecloth. “And I got a bunch of orders for chocolate to be delivered on Christmas Eve! How cool is that?”

  Gabe reached for the other end of the cloth and helped her fold it. “Very cool. I knew you were going to sell out.”

  “How was the tree lot today? Busy?”

  He nodded and placed the tablecloth in the basket for her. “A lot of people came over to get their trees after shopping over here. We have maybe another week of big business before it all slows down.”

  “Really? But…it’s not Christmas yet.”

  “Yeah, but most people have their trees up and decorated before Christmas Eve so…” He shrugged. “The rest of the time we spend either donating trees or just breaking down the lot and making mulch out of the unsold trees so…we’ll still be busy.”

  “Wow. I had no idea how much went into all of it. Whenever I think of tree lots, it’s sort of like they’re not around one day and the next there’s a ton of them around the city. And then they’re gone by Christmas, so I always assumed it was because they sold out.”

  “Sometimes we do. Actually, most years we do and I have a feeling we will this year thanks to your chocolates.” He winked at her.

  “Oh, stop. They had nothing to do with it. It was just something fun to offer your customers.”

  The look he gave her told her she had no idea what she was talking about.

  “Aspen, do you have any idea how many people specifically came to our lot after the video we did promoting the candy and then the raffle?”

  She shook her head as she slid her coat on. “When are you picking a winner for that?”

  “Tomorrow, I think. Dad wanted to make sure we got as many entries as possible from the festival, so it will either be tomorrow or Monday.”

  “I can’t wait to see who wins the house and to see how much money you’re going to donate to the animal shelter.”

  “Dad and I actually tallied that up earlier and I think everyone is going to be very happy with the donation.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Really? That good?”

  Nodding, Gabe walked around and picked up her signs and the basket. “Yeah. Definitely more than we were expecting.”

  Inside, Aspen was dying of curiosity but figured she’d wait and be surprised like everyone else. “You ready to go?”

  Looking around the tent,
she saw half the vendors were already packed up and gone. “I am,” she replied. “But there is something I need to do before we go home.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I need a picture with Santa.” She smiled sweetly at him. “You and me. He’s over in the gazebo, so…”

  Gabe immediately rolled his eyes and groaned. “My mother put you up to this, didn’t she?”

  “Well, she may have mentioned it, but it still sounded like fun! I haven’t had my picture taken with Santa since I was about eight years old. You have to do this with me.”

  “Aspen…”

  “Oh, come on! It will be fun! Please?”

  She knew the instant she had him because he gave her a look that she was sure was supposed to convey annoyance but he was fighting a smile.

  Taking him by the hand, they made their way across the tent to the exit, waving to everyone as they went. Outside, the sun was already starting to go down and Aspen knew that meant the temperature was going to drop fast. They made quick work of dropping her stuff off at the car before heading for the town square and Santa. There was a small line–consisting mostly of families with small children–but she didn’t care. Snuggling up to Gabe, Aspen linked her arm through his and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?” he asked with a small pout.

  “For doing this with me. Now I’ll always have a reminder of what a great Christmas this was. I know I’m going to spend a lot of time looking at this picture when I move, so thank you for giving me a good memory.”

  His expression looked pained and she could tell there was more he wanted to say but wouldn’t because they were surrounded by a bunch of people.

  Once it was their turn, Aspen felt like a little kid as the friendly “elf” helped her get situated on Santa’s lap and directed Gabe to stand beside her. It was crazy how happy this was all making her. It had been so long since she’d done anything silly because so much of her time was spent at her demanding job. She almost forgot how good being carefree could feel.

  The photographer took several shots and when Santa asked her what she wanted for Christmas, her immediate response was, “A job that I love.” Aspen knew it was just a token gesture on Santa’s part, but he told her he’d see what he could do and immediately handed both Aspen and Gabe some candy canes and wished them a Merry Christmas.

  It was another ten minutes before they had copies of their picture and Aspen hugged it close to her. “Thanks for ordering the package. You know your mother is going to love having a copy of her own.”

  “You’re lucky it’s too late for her to make them her Christmas card for this year,” he said dryly.

  “Why would that make me lucky? I think that’s an adorable idea! If it were possible, I’d use it for one myself!”

  “Aspen…”

  “Oh, hush. Stop being such a grouch about this.” They walked back to the car and it felt like the day was finally catching up with her. She yawned broadly and rested her head on his shoulder. “I think I am going to get home and take a hot shower, get in my jammies, and crash. If the tiny house had a bathtub, I’d totally be soaking in it and eating my dinner.”

  “Dinner in the bathtub?” he teased. “That’s a little crazy–even for you.”

  “Yeah, well…I’ve eaten cookies while in the tub, but never a full meal. But with the way I feel right now, I’d be open to the possibility. You know, if the tiny house had a tub.”

  “If it had a tub, it would be a tiny tub, so…”

  Groaning, Aspen chuckled. “You’re right. I didn’t even think of that.”

  “Tell you what, let’s get you home and gather up everything you need for a bath plus your jammies.”

  And yeah, she thought it was adorable he was calling them jammies too.

  “My bathroom has a decent sized tub and you are more than welcome to use it,” he went on. “I’ll even take care of dinner and you can eat up in my room.”

  “But not in the tub?”

  “I have to draw the line somewhere.”

  With a dramatic sigh, she climbed into the car. “Fine.” Honestly, she was so damn giddy about soaking in a tub that she didn’t care if there was no dinner.

  Okay, maybe not…she was kind of hungry. But still…

  Back at the house, Aspen ran into the tiny house to get her things while Gabe went to get things set up. Part of her felt a little embarrassed to be having such a fuss made over taking a bath, but the Andrews were really like family and she was fairly certain they didn’t mind.

  And hopefully they wouldn’t mind if she slept in Gabe’s room again tonight because once she was done soaking and eating, the only other thing she was interested in was a good night’s sleep. All the weeks of planning and prepping for the festival had exhausted her and knowing she could go to sleep tonight and rest all day tomorrow without making any chocolate?

  Yeah, it was going to be glorious.

  Bath salts? Check.

  Glass of wine? Check.

  Scented candles? Check.

  Gabe looked at the bathroom and seriously considered having his head examined because it seemed crazy to be putting this much effort into setting the stage for a bath. When he had walked in the door and told his mother of Aspen’s plans, she scurried around getting things she thought would be perfect to help Aspen relax.

  Wasn’t that what the bath was for? What more could she need other than hot water?

  Apparently, a lot.

  “And while she’s soaking, I’ll heat up some of the cream of potato soup she enjoyed so much,” his mother decided. “I’ll make up a tray for the two of you and then leave you alone. I promise.”

  There’s a first time for everything…

  “Ooh…look at all this,” Aspen said when she stepped into the bathroom a few minutes later. “This is like a little spa! I love it!” Turning, she kissed him softly but thoroughly. “You are the sweetest man for doing this. Thank you.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to admit he had very little to do with it, but she was looking at him with such gratitude that he couldn’t.

  “Seriously, Gabriel, you spoil me.” She caressed his cheek and kissed him again. “What would I do without you?”

  With his hands on her waist, Gabe rested his forehead against hers and didn’t know how to respond. He wished she never had to find out, but they both knew that was going to happen sooner rather than later.

  It was safer to say nothing.

  The room was steamy and fragrant, and he knew it was time to let Aspen enjoy her soak. Taking a step back, he smiled at her. “I want you to take your time and when you’re done, I’ll bring up some of Mom’s potato soup.”

  “Mmm…that was amazing. I’m glad there were leftovers.”

  Nodding, he took another step back. “Anything else you need?”

  “I wouldn’t say no to any cookies she may have.”

  “O-kay…”

  “And maybe some hot tea instead of cocoa?”

  “I can do that. Anything else?”

  “Um…I think that should do it.” Smiling, Aspen turned toward the tub as she pulled her sweater up and over her head and Gabe decided he could stay a few more minutes.

  Next came her leggings and socks.

  It was wrong to think about staying in here and being a total creeper and watching her take a bath, but…it was tempting.

  Looking over her shoulder at him, Aspen grinned. “Like what you see?”

  All he could do was nod.

  Staying where she was, she slowly stripped the white bra off and tossed it on the floor by his feet. Then, like a scene out of some of his tamer fantasies, she bent over–still in her panties–and tested the water in the tub.

  “Mmm…that is very hot,” she said huskily. “And look at all the bubbles.”

  Gabe was totally starting to sweat, and it had nothing to do with the steam from the water.

  “Too bad this tub isn’t a little bit bigger,” she sa
id, interrupting his thoughts. “I would have loved taking a bath with you.” And with a sexy pout, she peeled her panties off and gingerly stepped into the tub. Once she was settled and covered in bubbles, she looked at him again and grinned. “Any chance of us getting away for a night to a place with a big bathtub?”

  He laughed softly and walked over to kiss her. “I never gave that sort of thing much thought, but I will definitely look into it. There’s a bed-and-breakfast here in town, but I don’t know what their availability is like. Or the status of their bathtubs.”

  “Well, if you can make that happen, you will officially be my knight in shining armor.”

  He was definitely going to look into it.

  But right now, he needed to leave and let her have her privacy.

  “I’ll be back up in a bit. Enjoy.” As he was closing the door behind him, Aspen let out a very throaty moan of pleasure and he immediately made a beeline for his bedroom and opened up his laptop. It didn’t take long to research what amenities the B&B had, and he clicked on a few pictures and found what he was looking for.

  A massive soaker tub.

  But only in one room.

  He filled out the reservation form online and requested that specific room and saw that there was availability next weekend. It was cutting it close to Christmas, and he wasn’t sure if now was the right time to sneak away, but…it was only for a night. Surely no one was going to begrudge them one night, right?

  Feeling confident, he booked the room but decided to keep that information to himself and then surprise Aspen with it on the day of the reservation.

  With that done, he went down to the kitchen and found his mother making up a tray of food for them.

  “Was Aspen surprised when she saw how nice you had everything set up?”

  Grinning, he said, “Yes.”

  “Oh, good. I wish my knees were a little better because I used to love taking a nice long soak in the tub myself.”

  He was not going to focus on that because…no. Inwardly he shuddered and quickly changed the subject. “Are there any cookies left?”