High Country Christmas

“I can’t believe I just ate that much food. You must think I’m a real piglet.”

“I appreciate a woman who isn’t afraid to eat in front of me on a date,” Tyler said, still working on his steak.

London felt so full and content that she decided just to let the date comment go. “Trust me...when I’m not working like I am on the ranch, I don’t dare eat like I just did. All of the women on both sides of my family are overweight. I can’t ignore the fact that I’ve got fat genes.”

After their meal, they both agreed that it was time to head back to the ranch. It was another quiet trip from Helena to Bent Tree. They didn’t feel like listening to music and they didn’t feel like talking. As darkness fell, they were both caught up in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until they turned onto Bent Tree’s private drive that they both realized the whole ranch was awaiting them at the end of the road.

Tyler pulled over and stopped the truck. “I’m not quite ready to deal with everyone at the ranch. Are you?”

“Actually, no. Not really.” London shook her head. “What do you have in mind?”

“If you’re up for it, there’s something I’d really like to show you.”

Chapter Three (#ulink_69372a6a-1ee6-5790-991f-f2fdedbe34ca)

Tyler drove a little farther up the gravel road and then turned right onto a dirt road that was overgrown with brush. Slowly, they made their way through large dips in the road and tall grass until they came upon a locked gate. Tyler left the headlights of the truck on and aimed at the gate. He jumped out of the cab, picked his way through the tall grass and then unlocked the combination lock. It took some brute strength and determination, but Tyler managed to push the gate open wide enough for the truck to drive through.

Once they were safely through the gate, he locked it securely behind them. And then they forged deeper into a part of the ranch she had never seen before. London loved an adventure and it felt as if Tyler was taking her on one now. She loved how dark it was. The only light around them was from the full moon overhead and the truck headlights. She had no idea where they were going and she didn’t care. It had been a really long time since she had felt this excited and filled with anticipation.

“I’ve always wondered where this road went,” London said to him.

“I’m taking you to a special spot.” He glanced over at her. The light in the cab was dim, but he could see that she was smiling, genuinely smiling, for the first time that day.

They headed farther down the darkened path until they reached a fork in the road. Tyler turned to the left, driving the truck up a steep hill.

“Keep looking up there.” Tyler pointed ahead. “You’ll see it in a minute.”

At the top of the hill, there was a small plateau where Tyler stopped the truck. Straight ahead, two giant cedar trees were growing side by side.

“Do you see it?” he asked.

London leaned forward and squint her eyes. With the help of the headlights, she could see a staircase that led up into the twin cedar trees.

“A tree house?” she asked excitedly.

“That’s exactly what it is.” Tyler leaned closer to her, opened the glove box and grabbed a flashlight.

“I used to have a tree house when I was a kid! I love them!” When he leaned closer, she caught the scent of his skin. It reminded her of the night that they had made love, and her body naturally responded.

“Me, too.” He opened the driver’s door and got out. “But I doubt you’ve seen one like this before. Wait here for me while I check it out. I want to make sure it’s safe for you.”

London could track his movements as he climbed the staircase and entered the tree house. A soft yellow glow from a lantern being lit illuminated the interior. This wasn’t just a makeshift tree house thrown together by amateurs. This was a tiny house built high up in the cedar trees by expert hands. She couldn’t wait to get in there and see it for herself.

“Is everything okay?” she asked when he returned. She already had her seat belt off and she was ready to go.

“It’s safe. You want to come check it out?”

London pushed the passenger door open. “Just try and stop me!”

The area surrounding the tree house was relatively clear. The root system and the wide canopy created by the ancient trees prevented plants and grass and other trees from growing nearby.

“This is so cool.” London followed Tyler up the narrow staircase that wound up the tree to a small deck. “How come I didn’t know this was here?”

“It’s really only for the family.” Tyler opened the front door of the tree house, let her walk through first and then followed.

London felt as if she had walked into a magical world, secretly tucked away, like a hobbit house hidden in a hillside. It was a real house, complete with a small kitchenette, a cozy living room with a fireplace and a spiral staircase leading up to a second floor.

“What do you think?” Tyler made sure the front door was secured.

“It’s...” She turned around slowly in a circle, looking up at the tin ceiling. “It’s incredible.”

“My father had it built for my mom for their fortieth wedding anniversary.” Tyler started to open some of the windows to the let the fresh night air stream into the space.

London sat down on the love seat and put one of the pillows on her lap. She breathed in deeply through her nose. “It smells so good in here...just like a cedar closet. If I had this, I’d use it all the time. Do your parents still come here?”

Tyler joined her on the love seat. “Not as often as they used to. If they do come up here, they come here on horseback.”

“I’d love to ride horses here...”

“Next time,” Tyler promised.

London tossed the pillow to him and left the love seat to explore. “Where does this staircase lead?”

“To the bedroom.” Tyler took his hat off and put it on the end table. “A person could live here, if they wanted to. We have running water, electricity, even though the lights in here didn’t switch on for me. I think some fuses must need to be replaced. There’s a nice shower in the bathroom...a kitchen.”

“Is it okay if I go up?” She pointed up the stairs.

He nodded. “I’ve gotten some of my best sleep up there.”

She climbed the spiral staircase, which was designed with tall people like Tyler’s dad in mind. She didn’t have to hunch her shoulders or duck her head when she reached the loft. There was just enough room in the loft for a queen-size bed and a small nightstand. There were wide windows on every wall, and it made London wonder what it must be like to awaken way up high in the trees. She sat down on the bed with a long sigh. It seemed as if she had been holding in that sigh for years. One of her friends from Montana State was into new age spirituality; she was always talking about the latest book she had discovered and living in the now. She often tried to live in the now, but her focus on the future always overtook her enjoyment of the present moment. She had been working toward her future for so long, working toward returning to her life in Virginia, that she didn’t really know how to appreciate now. But in this magical tree house, sitting alone in the loft, nestled in the arms of these two massive cedar trees, she felt peaceful. And she realized that there was nothing wrong with this particular right now. This particular right now was perfect.

London was up in the loft for nearly thirty minutes, alone with her thoughts. Tyler hadn’t disturbed her, not once, and she really respected him for it. He was confident enough to give her space. When she came down the stairwell, he was waiting for her, in the same spot on the love seat where she had left him.

“Feel better?” he asked with a knowing look on his handsome face.

She nodded as she sat down next to him. “I wish I didn’t have to leave.”

“It’s funny you should bring that up, because that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Tyler stretched out his legs and crossed his booted ankles. “How about we don’t leave? How about we spend the night here?”

London hadn’t expected him to say that and she didn’t know how to respond.

“Just hear me out...” Tyler understood her hesitation, but he’d thought this through. “When are you planning on taking the pregnancy tests?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“That’s what I figured. So, wouldn’t it be easier if we took the tests here instead of at the ranch? At least here, we’ll have complete privacy.”

He continued. “And...I’m not going to say that it wouldn’t be nice to share the bed with you. But if you don’t want me to, I’ll sleep down here.”