They made their way back to the house and took off their snowshoes, jackets and boots. Logan added a couple of logs to the fire and warmed up the hot chocolate. She stood at the window, cupping her hands on the glass to admire the newly lit tree outside. She felt in that moment that life was fresh and new. Coming here was a good idea. Good for her. But was it good for her family? She kept catching herself wondering what her sisters were doing now. Did they miss her? What were they saying about her?

“What are you thinking about?”

“My family.”

“Ah. Families.” His tone conveyed a deep understanding of the concept. He carefully poured the cocoa into mugs and, true to his word, added a shot of schnapps to hers. “Are you in trouble for ditching them at Christmas?”

“A bit. They’ll get over it. It was one thing for me to ditch them at Thanksgiving,” she said. “That’s a low-stakes holiday. But Christmas is a different story.”

“Come here. Have a seat by the fire.” They settled into a big cushy Chesterfield sofa with a deep seat and rolled armrests. In front of them, the logs crackled and glowed.

She sank gratefully into its comfort, and he handed her a warm mug.

“Cheers,” he said, touching the rim of his cup to hers. “Taste it. You’re going to love it so much you’ll never let me go.”

“You are never serious,” she said, though she felt an undeniable thrill at his words. The chocolate was warm and creamy and rich, with just a touch of peppermint. “You’re right,” she said, savoring the deliciousness. “I want to keep you forever.”

“You’re never serious, either,” he said. “I like that about you.”

She took another sip. “I tried serious. It didn’t work out so well for me.”

“Tell me about your family. What are you missing out on? What did my sister pull you away from?”

“I’m going to miss being present for my sister Lydia’s big announcement. She’s the first Fitzgerald girl to be expecting a baby.”

“Sounds like you already know about the announcement. Congrats to your sister, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

“So, what else will you miss?”

“A generation of tradition. But after my divorce, those traditions didn’t really work so well for me. In a nutshell, my parents and the parents of my ex are best friends.”

“Yeah, but blood is thicker than water.”

“It gets complicated. My parents and the Collinses considered it one of the great achievements of their life that the two Collins boys married two of the Fitzgerald girls—me and Huntley, and Lydia and Badgley. The marriages were meant to knit our clans together forever.”

“And then you and Huntley split up.”

“Yes.”

“He cheated?”

She did a double take. “How did you know?”