“Thanks again for coming with me to get some stuff moved in,” I said to Colin as we began our drive up to my cabin.

“No problem, Anth. I’m dying to see the place.”

Before we began the climb up the mountain, we stopped at a fast food place to eat.

“Do you have any food for the cabin?” Colin asked as I shoveled my cheeseburger into my mouth.

I stared at him and then he laughed and shook his head.

“Fuck,” I said once I swallowed. “There’s a grocery store at the base of the mountain, we can stop there.”

Colin and I were staying the weekend, so I guess we better have some food. I was looking forward to some downtime and enjoying my new place. I had ordered furniture and appliances and met the delivery people a few weekends ago. This weekend was to take up some linens and a few odds and ends. Assuming everything goes smooth, Colin, Matt and I might spend Christmas up here this year.

After the grocery store, we headed up the mountain.

“The scenery is so nice. Do you ski, Anth?”

“No. I’ve never been out in the snow.”

Colin laughed and shook his head, which caused me to laugh.

“Fuck, Anth. You’re something. Almost two million on a cabin and you’ve never been in the snow.”

I smirked. I just wanted a peaceful retreat where I can relax.

“Do you ski?” I asked him.

“I haven’t in years. But, each winter, my parents used to take my brother and me to Tahoe. When we were really little, we’d sled and just play in the snow. But they eventually taught us how to ski. The November they died, it would have been our third winter skiing.”

“Have you been on the slopes since?” I asked.

“Oh yeah. Matt and I went to Big Bear and Aspen a lot while in college.”

“Is he excellent on the slopes too?”

“Yep. Matt is just a natural at anything athletic. He’s always been like that since we were little. Baseball, football, snow sports…golf, of course.”

I nodded. Matt was great at golf. Someday, I might beat him at it. I slowed my truck and turned onto the narrow, winding road that would take us to my cabin.

“This is the road that takes us to the two million dollar cabin?” Colin asked.

“Yep. A lot of the cost was creating the road. It’s pretty visible now because the appliance and furniture deliveries were here a few weekends ago. And thankfully it hasn’t snowed too much to cover the road. The Brian Head association people told me to call whenever I’m coming up, and they’ll plow my road.”

“Ha! Get it? They’ll plow for you.”

Colin and I laughed some while we continued up the mountain.

“Damn, Anth. This is really in the thick of trees. Is there anyone else on this mountain?”

“A few, but they’re over on the other side of the mountain. We’re almost there. Not much further.”

“I figured as much because we’re almost to the top.”

I made a sharp turn which put my cabin faintly in view through the thick of the trees.

“Jesus, Anth.” Colin was leaning forward to get a glimpse of the cabin. When I turned again, the cabin came into full view, and we parked in my driveway. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is yours?”

“It is.”

I opened the garage door and slowly pulled my truck in the garage. Colin jumped out of the truck the second I put shut my truck off and zipped up his coat.

“Fuck, four car garage, too?”

“Yeah, in case I want snowmobiles or something.”

“Or something.”

“Come on, I’ll give you the tour before we unload things.”

I started to walk out of the garage to the driveway so I could take him in the front door. He was right behind me but had stopped. He held his arms out and was looking around.

“What?” I asked him.

“There’s something odd here. It’s so fucking cold out there, but this garage is as warm as can be.”

“It’s insulated just as the inside of the cabin is.” I started to walk away but glanced over my shoulder at him. “Oh, and it’s heated.”

“Heated garage? My god, Anth.”

“I don’t like being uncomfortable.”

“The cost to heat a garage up here, though.”

“It’s irrelevant. I left the heat on while I was up here a few weekends ago with the movers.”

We walked up the steps to the covered porch that wraps all the way around to the back of the cabin, which is where there is a gorgeous view of the ski slope across the way.