Here is your exclusive sneak peek into Christmas Day with Hannah, Louis and the boys. I hope you enjoy this heartwarming moment as Louis’s dream comes true.
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Chocolate Cherry Cabin Christmas Bonus Scene
Hannah could still smell the scent of burned pancakes. She and the boys had only burned two of the ones shaped like Christmas trees, but she could still smell them in the air when she went into the kitchen to check on the turkey.
They were in the pleasant afternoon lull of Christmas Day where the excitement of opening stockings and gifts has subsided, and the family dinner was still a few hours away. Soon the scent of turkey would fill the house, replacing the smell of burned breakfast, and the rooms would fill with the sounds of joy once again.
Hearing a knock at the door, Hannah shushed Obi and ran her fingers through her loose curls, making sure they weren’t too crazy. She passed the boys in the living room where Wade was trying to figure out his new guitar, determined to learn without help from his mom. For that reason alone, she was grateful he’d expressed interest in a guitar and not a trumpet. Some instruments, even if played badly, didn’t make your ears hurt.
She carefully dusted her blinking Christmas sweater and opened the door, a feeling of warmth spilling from her gut to the rest of her body as the man on her step smiled.
“What’s this?” Hannah asked, flicking the fluffy white ball at the end of Louis’s Santa hat.
“My new girlfriend’s into Christmas. Figured I’d better get on board.”
Hannah laughed. She loved being called his girlfriend, and she wondered what her former teenage self would have thought of this romantic development. She probably would have died of an aneurysm.
Louis leaned forward, peering behind her before dropping a furtive kiss on her lips. His mouth was warm and he tasted like delicious chocolate chai tea.
“Merry Christmas,” she breathed, happiness floating through her.
Obi had snaked his way around her legs and was now out on the step, nudging Louis’s hand with his nose, hoping for some love, too.
“Do you want to come in?” Hannah asked Louis.
“I’m actually here to drop something off.” Louis presented her with a thick white envelope. The boys’ names were scrawled across the front.
“Why don’t you come in and give it to them yourself?” She had a feeling she knew what was inside and, if she was correct, she felt that Louis should see the joy his gift would bring.
“If I’m not intruding. I know today’s a day for family.”
“Not intruding at all.” She hoped that one day soon they would be operating on the assumption that he would be at all of her family gatherings.
As Louis passed her, he brought the scent of the outdoors. He whispered, “Have you told them about us yet?”
“Not yet.” She figured Thomas would be cool with them dating, and Wade would too, after he had time to adjust to the idea. She just needed to find the right moment, and to not make a huge deal about it.
“Boys,” she called into the house. “Louis is here, and he has something for you.”
Obi gave a joyful bark, and danced into the living room, tail wagging and whacking against furniture.
The quiet, hesitant strumming of the new guitar paused, and the boys dutifully came to the entry.
“Take off your boots and come in a while,” she told Louis, who complied. “Let’s go into the living room.”
She sat Louis on the couch, and folded one leg under her as she took the opposite end, leaning her elbow against the back of the couch.
“This is for the two of you,” Louis said, handing the boys the envelope.
Wade snatched it before Thomas could.
“Say thank you,” Hannah scolded.
“We don’t even know what it is yet,” Wade protested.
“Thank you,” Thomas said.
Wade tore into the envelope with such vigor Hannah feared he was going to rip what was inside. The envelope came apart, dropping the contents on the area rug at their feet.
Thomas crouched, swooping to gather the papers and plastic passes. “Wow! What is this?”
The boys stared at the plastic passes hanging from Dragons logo lanyards.
“Special season passes. You’ll need to get your pictures put on them the first time you go to the arena,” Louis said.
“Those will give you access to places where a regular pass doesn’t. And even though I know you won’t be able to make it to all of our home games because sometimes we play on school nights, your seats are reserved for the rest of the season. They’re printed on the bottom of the pass.”
The boys peered at the passes.
“I’m beside you,” Thomas said.
“And you’re beside the players’ box.” Louis pulled two more passes from his coat pocket and gave them to Hannah.
“This is for you and a friend, if you’d like to bring one.”
“Can we ride there in your plane?” Thomas asked.
“Maybe. I have to be at games a lot earlier than spectators do. But if it’s okay with your mom maybe we can do that for one of the games.”
“Cool,” Thomas said. Even Wade looked impressed.
Hannah turned the passes over in her hands. This was pretty special. How had he swung this for her boys on such short notice? “You must’ve had to pull some strings.”
“It’s nice to have someone to pull them for,” Louis replied.
She reached over, giving his hand a squeeze. The boys’ attention locked on the gesture.
Hannah pulled her hand away and cleared her throat. Then summoning her courage, she shuffled her body closer to Louis’s so her knee was touching his. “Boys, just so you know, Louis and I are going to be going on some dates.”
“To hockey games!” Thomas exclaimed.
Hannah laughed. “We might go out for dinner sometimes, too.”
“Cool! Let’s go to the Longhorn for cheeseburgers and fries,” Thomas said.
“Kids don’t go on dates, dummy,” Wade said, nudging his brother.
“Wade, don’t call your brother names.”
“Sorry,” he muttered to Thomas.
“Can we go on a plane ride right now?” Thomas asked.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Louis said. “I think your day is probably pretty booked up already.”
Hannah nodded in agreement, her attention on Wade. He was swinging his pass on its lanyard, his focus on the rug at his feet, jaw clamped shut. “Wade?”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
It sounded like he was humming “Grandma got Run over by a Reindeer.” Hannah feared he was changing the lyrics so it was Louis, despite his wonderful gift, being run over by the deer.
Louis ambled across the room, his athletic build allowing him to move with a fluidity and strength she could admire all day.
He picked up Wade’s new guitar. “May I?”
Wade gave a one-shoulder shrug.
Louis sat on the piano bench, facing the room, and began playing the song Wade had been humming.
The room was silent other than his playing, the boys unsure what to do. They’d often start singing if she was playing the piano, but their dad didn’t play an instrument and they weren’t sure what the norm was with Louis.
Hannah moved to the piano, sitting beside her man, facing the keys. She let the rhythm settle in around her before joining him for the chorus.
Thomas began singing.
When Hannah glanced over her shoulder, Wade was standing in the center of the room, arms hanging loose at his sides.
Louis got up and Hannah watched as she continued to play. He moved to the couch, gesturing to Wade with his chin.
“Can you play?” he asked, handing him the guitar.
Wade shook his head.
“How ‘bout a crash course?”
Wade shrugged, but joined Louis on the couch. Louis handed him the guitar.
“Jingle Bells?” Louis requested, and Hannah changed the song.
Thomas, excitedly joined in, bouncing in place before running across the room to grab some bells from the basket near the fireplace. He rang the bells without rhythm, and Louis began tapping his foot, keeping the beat. Soon Thomas found it with the bells, and Louis had Wade strumming one chord repeatedly, keeping time as well.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder to see Wade grinning with pride. Even though he wasn’t yet close to playing the actual song, he felt like he was a part of it. He was playing guitar.
Hannah shot Louis a smile filled with gratitude.
Louis said to Wade, “You got it. Just keep the beat. We’ll add more chords in time.”
Louis joined Hannah on the bench, facing the keys this time, his shoulder against hers. Seamlessly he joined in, creating a dynamic sound. Louis was beaming, looking as though a Christmas wish had come true with their living room Christmas carol jamming session.
As they all began to sing, the house filled with song, joy and all the happiness of the holiday season that Hannah could have possibly wished for.
© Jean Oram 2022
All rights reserved.
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Thank you for reading Chocolate Cherry Cabin as well as this special bonus mini story.
XO,
Jean Oram
Need more? How about The Peppermint Lodge–the next book in the Hockey Sweethearts series. Read about it here.
(Fear you may have missed one of the Hockey Sweetheart books? Click here to see what’s available.)
Need more Sweetheart Creek? Have you read The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas yet? There’s more small town fun, love and community waiting for you in this five-book series.
Where it all began–The Cowboys of Sweetheart Creek, Texas:
