“I told you, you can’t keep up with me!” I holler as loud as I can before letting out a war cry that scares a few birds from the surrounding trees. “I'm Easy E! Fast as can be!”
“How long did it take you to come up with that one?” Owen calls right back.
I let out a loud laugh, shaking my head as I throttle the snowmobile a little faster. The trees we designated as the finish line swerve into view. Victory is so close I can almost taste it.
“Go, Ethan, go!” calls Co-Co from somewhere near the back. She’s driving far more carefully than the rest of us, which is probably the wise decision.
“Don’t count me out!” Morgan yells as she guns it until she’s almost caught up to me.
“You’re all a bunch of show-offs!” Donovan hollers.
He’s lagging behind with Co-Co despite his best efforts. His voice is strained with effort as he tries to speed his snowmobile along.
Though I know Donovan only wanted to check out the lay of the land, probably scoping out a potential pitch, I also know how competitive my best friend is. Losing kills him. I know he’d never throw a race. He’s trying so hard to keep up with us he probably hasn’t been able to get a good look at the property at all.
I guess he’s just not as good as he used to be when it comes to horsing around. The guy needs to hang up the suit more often and have a little fun.
“Victory is all mine, baby!” I bellow, throwing up one victorious arm as the distance between my snowmobile and the finish line closes.
At the last second, another snowmobile blows straight past mine, launching over the finish line just ahead of me. I skid to a stop behind the victor, jaw dropping in shock.
“What in the world?” I gasp.
The driver pulls off their helmet, revealing long blonde locks.
Morgan smirks at me before tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I told you not to count me out,” she says with a confident wink that makes me fall in love with her all over again.
“Never,” I say, rushing over to sweep her off her feet. “We’re the dream team,” I announce, hoisting Morgan into the air as everyone else pulls up on their snowmobiles. Even Donovan makes it . . . eventually. “First and second place, take that!”
Laughing, we all stretch our limbs and head over to a small clearing. There, we settle down on overturned logs to drink from thermoses of hot cocoa and eat the snacks that Co-Co packed. Out here in the snowy wilderness, our hearts still racing, hot cocoa warming us . . . it’s like we’re kids again.
I can almost tap into that Christmas excitement I last felt when I was very, very young.
“What can you tell us about the tree farm?” Donovan asks, biting into his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I smirk at the surprised face he makes, probably stunned by the taste.
“Haven’t had one of those in while, huh?” I ask, nodding to the sandwich.
Donovan shakes his head, but there’s a brightness to his keen blue eyes that I haven’t seen in a while as he turns his attention to Ethan, Owen, and Co-Co with interest.
I bite back a groan, exchanging a knowing look with Jake. Donovan might have a genius mind when it comes to business, but that guy seriously does not know how to relax for a second.
“Well, it’s been passed down in the Price family for generations,” Co-Co explains happily. She pauses to take a sip of hot cocoa and gazes fondly around. “It means the world to me. Everything I see here reminds me of how much I adore my family and how hard we’ve all worked to come as far as we have.”
“What do you mean?” Donovan asks.
“Well, I guess it’s not until we almost lost it that I truly appreciated the importance of this place.”
“Chloe’s dad got sick this year,” Ethan explained.
“I’m sorry,” we all murmur.
“It’s okay,” she says. “He’s doing much better now. And since Ethan and I were able to step up to help take over the reins, my parents don’t have to consider parceling off the land to the highest bidder.”
Morgan gasps. “You can’t sell this place!”
Co-Co smiles. “Don’t worry. If people like you keep coming here, we won’t have to.”
I find myself speaking up, my voice lacking its usual lightness. “Seriously, though. Don’t ever sell this place. Come to me before it comes to that. This place is truly something special. It’s more than a vacation.”
Co-Co looks a bit shocked by my conviction, but she offers me a kind smile. “Thanks, Eric. That means a lot.”
“No, thank you,” I say. “This place . . . It’s the living, breathing spirit of Christmas. A place to make memories that will last a lifetime. I didn’t have a good childhood and because of it, my adult life was more of a struggle than it had to be. I’ve been studying all the beautiful family photographs you have around the lodge. The smiles on the faces of your family, your guests . . .” I pause trying to collect my thoughts. “What you give to each and every person who walks through your door . . . It’s priceless. Places like this . . . they can make all the difference by showing people what real family should be like, what they can one day have if they only believe in it.”
Everyone’s quiet for a moment, digesting my words. Morgan snuggles closer, tightening her arms around me.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “I didn’t mean to bring you all down.”
“You didn’t,” Co-Co says. “I just don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone capture the essence of this place so eloquently before.”
“Well, he is a rockstar,” Donovan teases, instantly lightening the mood.
I grin gratefully back at my best friend. If there’s anyone here who knows why this place means so much to me, it’s
