“And we will,” Sage insists.
Dani narrows her eyes in disbelief.
“Should we head up?” I point to the massive hill we need to scale.
“Yes, that’s an excellent idea,” Dani agrees, putting more pep into her words than she actually feels.
I wish she wouldn’t worry so much about my relationship with her brother. Do I wish it was better? Of course, but it also needs to be earned and I hope the love I have for Dani, how I treat her, will eventually win out in his eyes.
The four of us each grab our sled and start the breathless climb.
“I haven’t been sledding since I was probably twelve,” I tell Dani.
Sage overhears and snorts. “Then prepare to look dumb.”
“It’s literally sliding down a hill, Herb.” Dani pushes her brother hard enough for him to stumble. “It’s not exactly easy to mess up.”
I stay back, watching the two of them begin to bicker in typical sibling fashion.
“They crack me up,” Sasha says, falling into step beside me.
“They’re something.”
Ahead of us Dani drops her sled to the ground and jumps on Sage’s back. “Take that back!” She shrieks and I have no idea what the two of them are bickering about now, but I have no doubt it’s minor and they’ll be dissolving into hysterical laughter soon enough.
I pick up Dani’s sled, thankful I work out as much as I do because this hill, plus two sleds, is no joke.
“You’re good for her.” Sasha’s comment takes me by surprise and I nearly break my neck turning to look at her.
“What makes you say that?”
She flicks her fingers lazily at the siblings. “When she first came to Utah she was a shell of a person. I remember talking to her and trying to get her to open up in some way, but she was tight-lipped about everything. Believe me, I understand it now, but she was just getting by. Going through the motions.” She pauses, giving a small shrug. “Now she’s living again, and I know you played a big part in that.”
I swallow thickly, the lump in my throat only seeming to grow in size.
“Thanks,” I choke out, her words being something I apparently really needed to hear.
Despite loving Dani more than I knew it was possible to love someone, and knowing I’ll never walk away from her again, I’ve always carried guilt for our origins. I don’t regret it, because it’s led us to here, but it has gnawed at me at times.
“You saved her,” Sasha adds, reaching up to adjust the beanie on her head, her long blonde hair blowing around her shoulders.
I stop walking, watching Dani ahead as she tosses her head back and laughs before dropping from her brother’s back.
“No,” I say confidently, “she saved herself.”
After over an hour of sledding we find ourselves down the street at a little restaurant, warming up and getting a late lunch. Dani and I sit on one side of the booth with Sage and Sasha on the other. A pile of fries already rests on the table between the four of us.
Dani grabs a fry, munching on the end of it. “I’m starving.”
“Me too.” Sasha mumbles from behind a menu.
Sage picks up his coffee, looking out the window beside the booth. Snow flurries swirl around, promising a fresh dusting. The tension in his shoulders is visible, but I commend him for being civil. I know Dani wishes he was more civil, but I think we’ve made great strides. She wants Sage and I to be best friends. I’m not sure that’ll ever be possible, and I understand, but at least he doesn’t completely hate me anymore—at least not in a way where his eyes scream murder any time I’m in a room with him.
The waitress stops by for our order, derailing me from my thoughts. I order a grilled chicken sandwich, while Dani opts for a BLT, and both Sage and Sasha order burgers.
Dani swipes another fry. “Aren’t you going to have any?” She elbows me playfully. Addressing the other two, she adds, “If you guys don’t hurry up I’ll have eaten all of these and still won’t feel guilty eating my meal.”
Sasha laughs, taking a fry and dipping it in ketchup. “They have been taunting me.” She chews her fry and reaches for her water glass. “Do you guys have any special Christmas day plans?”
“No.” Dani shakes her head. “Just hanging out like usual.”
“You guys should come over for dinner,” I pipe in. I don’t know why the thought didn’t occur to me before. Normally I’m a better planner than this.
Sage’s lips quirk. “You offering to cook for me Lach-ness? How adorable. Ow!”
At his exclamation I know Dani has kicked him under the table.
I smile at her brother, suppressing a laugh. “Anything for you snook-ums.”
Sasha chokes on a fry, hacking so hard that Sage beats her back. “Should I do the Heimlich?”
“I’m fine,” she gasps, gulping down some water. “That was hilarious though. Mind if I call you snook-ums from now on?”
“Absolutely not,” he scoffs, but I can tell he’s trying not to laugh now that he knows she’s okay. Looking at me across the table he says, “If you’re cooking, I’m in. It’s not like I can cook worth a shit.”
“I’m finally getting good at it,” Dani says proudly, beaming up at me. “I made breakfast this morning.”
Sage eyes her skeptically. “And it was … good?”
She swats at him in agitation, but he easily dodges her reach.
“Are you two ever going to grow up?” Sasha asks, picking up her glass of soda.
“No,” both siblings answer simultaneously.
It’s been nice watching them fall back into a more normal sibling routine and relationship. For a while there Dani felt like a burden on her brother, since suddenly he was having to take on the parent role.
The waitress appears with a tray full of our food and the two of them call a truce all in the name of hunger.
Since I’m starving, I’m more than grateful for the ceasefire.
Dani smiles up at me, love shining in her eyes.
I know Sage might never approve me one hundred percent, but as long as she keeps looking at me like that, that’s all that matters.
Chapter Three
A few days later I crack my eyes open, finding the bed empty beside me and the alarm clock on the table flashing that it’s barely after four in the morning.
Reaching over, I feel the coolness of the covers and know that Dani’s been out of the bed for a while. Wherever she is Tally hasn’t followed since the giant Maine Coon sleeps peacefully where Dani’s feet would normally be. Even Zeppelin is snoozing away on his massive cushion across the room.
With a groan I sit up, the blankets pooling at my waist, and rub the sleep from my eyes.
Stifling a yawn, I climb from the bed and grab a sweatshirt, tugging it down my bare torso.
As soon as I get to the bottom of the stairs I find Dani curled on the couch, a mug of something—probably coffee—clasped between her palms, staring out the window. She doesn’t hear me approach, and since I don’t want to startle her too much, I call out a soft, “Hey.”
She looks over with a closed mouth smile, unable to hide the sadness from her eyes.