High Country Christmas. Joanna Sims

“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.”

      He was making total sense. She didn’t feel comfortable with everyone at the ranch knowing her business. Since Tyler wanted to be present for the test, one of them was going to have to sneak out of the other’s room. The last time she’d sneaked somewhere, it had turned out to be a really bad idea.

      “You’re right. Privacy is important.”

      If she was pregnant, she didn’t know what she would choose to do about it. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to have all of Tyler’s family involved.

      “And as far as sleeping goes...I’m not going to make you sleep on the floor. We can share the bed.”

      Tyler went down to the truck to get the bag with the pregnancy tests, and then they both agreed that they should go to bed early. They brushed their teeth using toothpaste they found in the bathroom and their index fingers. Then Tyler grabbed the lantern and they headed up the spiral staircase to the loft. It seemed kind of ridiculous, but London appreciated it when he turned his back to her so she could strip down to her underwear and put on his white undershirt. The cotton T-shirt, snug over her breasts, smelled strongly of Tyler’s scent.

      “Thanks,” she said. “I’m done.”

      She pulled back the comforter and slid underneath it. She kicked the bottom of the sheets to loosen them and sank back into the pillows. The mattress was soft, just the way she liked it. And the pillows were thick and plush. Now she understood why Tyler had said that he loved to sleep in the loft. The bed was comfortable, and with the cool air coming in through the windows and the sound of the leaves rustling, it was perfect for sleeping soundly. London happily pulled the comforter up under her chin and sighed deeply for the second time that night.

      “Comfortable, right?”

      “A little slice of heaven.” She hadn’t felt this comfy since she was a kid.

      Tyler, still with his jeans on, lay down on top of the comforter next to her. He pulled the pillows out from beneath his head and dropped them on the floor next to the bed.

      “Tyler?”

      “Hmm?”

      “You don’t have to sleep like that. Why don’t you get under the covers?”

      “Are you sure?”

      “We both deserve to get a good night’s sleep.” She propped herself up on her elbow. “Come on. Take off your jeans and get into bed.”

      Tyler stripped down to his underwear and joined her in the bed. Part of him had wanted to sleep above the covers for his own sanity. Just the thought of sharing a bed with London had given him a hard-on. The sound of her undressing in the dark had made it worse. He was glad for the dark, so London couldn’t see how aroused he was. This wasn’t her problem, it was his. So until he went to sleep, he was going to have to deal with his penis being rock hard.

      “Good night,” Tyler said. Even though he normally slept on his back, he turned on his side, away from her.

      London lay on her back for a while, listening to Tyler’s steady breathing. It was nice, having a man next to her in bed. She enjoyed the feeling of the heat coming off his skin; she enjoyed the feeling of the weight of his body on the mattress next to her. She’d forgotten how good it felt.