It wasn’t long ago I’d stood on the well-worn planks of the dock. Only, I hadn’t stood on them, not really.

I’d been gone… somewhere else, yet right there, hovering over the spot with the soles of my shoes anchoring me in place. I felt caught between two worlds, not knowing which was reality and which wasn’t. It wasn’t like that when the others were around, though. When they were close, I didn’t feel like an unseen hand was somewhere behind me, ready to pull me back to the other side.

“Could almost wish it was summer,” Mark said, coming toward me.

The bottoms of his boots scuffed against the wood with each step. The sound solidified my presence.

I turned, grinning. “And when did that stop any of us?”

Mark’s eyes popped wide. “Yeah?”

I shucked my jacket and then bent to unlace my boots.

“It’s gonna be cold as hell,” Mark said, tossing his shirt on top of the jacket he’d dropped on the dock.

“More like freezing,” I replied, feeling goose bumps break out over my exposed arms.

“In and out, or we’ll probably get hypothermia. They’ll end up finding us bobbing around like two ice cubes,” Mark said, eyeing the water as if he were having second thoughts.

“Cannonball!” Aiden shouted as he ran toward us. Layers of clothing came off and sailed behind him, landing like a trail of breadcrumbs down the dock. And then he was over the end with a splash.

Mark shouted a curse when water drops fell on us like rain.

“Shit, that’s cold. You sure, Eli?” he asked, taking a small step backward.

I shrugged, and then ran to the edge. Without hesitating, I took the plunge.

It was almost immobilizing. The cold stole my breath and froze my muscles. My ears ached, throbbing painfully in time with my heart. I’d never felt so alive.

With sluggish kicks, I came to the surface with a gasp.

Mark peered over the edge, looking down at me. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll join you. Sounded fun, but…”

Aiden came up the ladder just behind Mark, wrapped his arms around him, and yanked him back.

Mark came to the surface first. With blue lips and bulging eyes, he thrashed arms and legs to get to the ladder.

“G-gonna k-…k-k-kill him,” he stuttered as he tried to climb up.

“Need a boost?” Aiden asked, swimming closer.

Mark shivered while trying to pry one hand free and move it upward.

Aiden waved him out of the way, climbed the ladder, and then reached down, offering his hand. Mark gave him a dirty look, but took it anyway.

“Need help, too?” Aiden asked.

“Nah, I think I can manage,” I said, feeling my muscles quiver when I forced my way up the ladder.

Mark stood in one spot, arms crossed, hands tucked into his armpits as he shivered uncontrollably.

“Get dressed, and we’ll head back to the cabin to warm up,” Aiden said. Walking down the dock, he snatched up his clothing as he went, putting it on.

The wind shifted, picking up as I pulled my own shirt over my head. I fought my wet legs into my jeans before sitting to put my socks and boots on.

Mark struggled with his shirt, getting it stuck on his shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold in my life… ever. How can you both just stand there like it’s nothing?”

Aiden laughed. “Dude… Siberia,” he said as if it justified how he handled the cold water.

Mark rolled his eyes. “You weren’t there that long, asshole.”

Aiden shook his head. “Long enough to appreciate this weather.”

“Maybe you should be stationed in Alaska,” I said, chuckling as I fed my arms through my jacket and then picked Mark’s up. I handed it to him.

“Need help with your socks?” I asked, watching Mark’s hands shake before they disappeared into the lined pockets of his jacket.

“And give Aiden more ammunition? No, thanks. Just need to warm up my fingers, so they’ll work,” he answered.

“I wonder how long they’ll be gone Christmas shopping?” Aiden asked, ignoring Mark’s struggle.

“Probably a while. Jared went with them, and he’s on some sort of Christmas kick,” Mark answered.

I snorted. “Last I heard, he and Riley were arguing over what sort of tree we should have, and if it should be white twinkle lights, or multicolored ones.”

“I don’t care if the tree is upside down and nothing but tinsel. All I know is it’s good to be home,” Aiden said.

“Warm up yet?” I asked Mark as I handed him a cup of cocoa.

He’d bundled up with a throw blanket after changing into a thick sweatshirt and fleece pants. “If I come down sick, Paige will have my ass.”

The downside to warming up meant everything started thawing out, like noses. I sneezed, and Mark chuckled.

“Well, at least I won’t be alone in my misery if I do catch a cold,” Mark said, shifting to take a sip of cocoa.

I’d left my own cup on the counter, only wanting to carry one at a time into the living room. I should have known better than to submerge myself in the frigid water, only I couldn’t help myself. Not then anyway. However, my body was sure giving me hell as it warmed. Not being able to carry two mugs of cocoa at a time was a sure sign I’d overdone something.

It aggravated me… a lot. My strength hadn’t come back fully, but it would eventually, or so Cole and Nadia assured me. Getting sick wouldn’t speed up the recovery process, though. In fact, I might have just screwed myself and took two giant steps backward. Damn.

“How about some soup?” Aiden asked, taking my cup from me and clasping me on the shoulder, guiding me to one of the couches in the living room.

“Yes,” Mark answered.

“Don’t you have warmer clothes than that?” Aiden asked, eyeing the thin long-sleeved shirt and pair of cotton joggers I’d changed into.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to start sweating, either,” I answered, adding, “Don’t worry, Aiden. If I start feeling unwell, I’ll say something.”

“You better, or I’ll sic Paige on you,” Mark grumbled. Groaning, he added, “Guys, what the hell do I get her for Christmas?”

“Don’t ask me, I’m still struggling to decide what to do for Airen. What about you, Eli? What are you getting Nova?” Mark asked.

I winced. “Uh…”

“We’re screwed,” Mark said, tipping his head to rest against the back of the couch.

“Nah, I mean, if all else fails, we could get them perfume or something,” Aiden said.

“True. But this Christmas is special, ya know… we’re finally home. All of us together. It seems like this should be the Christmas where we go all out for them,” Mark answered.

I liked the thought of doing something special for Nova. But what? It wasn’t as if we’d been a couple all that long. Between the small amount of time we spent together in Haiti, and then in Alaska, it hadn’t been much at all. What I did know was she made me feel complete… whole.

“Socks… Paige could use some fuzzy socks,” Mark said.

Aiden laughed. “Socks? You’re going to get your wife socks?”

Mark scowled. “Shut up. What bright ideas do you have?”

“Well…” he drawled. “If it were my wife, I’d think more along the lines of something sexier than socks.”

“You don’t have a wife,” Mark answered hotly.

Aiden waved away Mark’s reply. “Semantics. Airen and I live together, sleep together… Well, you get the idea, so being married is just paperwork to us.”

“Is that how she feels too?” I asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

He nodded. “We’ve talked about it a few times. We’re content with the way things are for now. Besides, if you really think about it, the idea of a wedding, and not that I’m knocking it, Mark, is just a ceremony. You stand up in front of everyone to say everything that can be said behind closed doors.”

“Saves a lot of money and headaches,” Mark said, smiling.

Aiden rolled his eyes. “I remember what it was like when you two got married. Happy chaos. Still, I’d rather elope,” he said, smirking.

“To each their own,” I said, taking a sip of cocoa.

The taste of dark chocolate exploded in my mouth, and I hummed happily.

“What about you and Nova?” Mark asked.

“What about us?”

“Any future plans?” Aiden asked, moving to sit beside Mark.

Mark eyeballed him. “I thought you were making soup?”

Aiden’s eyebrow flicked upward. “I just sat down.”

“So, you’re not making soup?” Mark asked, prodding for an answer.

“Yes, Mark, I’ll make your damn soup.” Aiden sighed as he pushed up from the couch.

The living room and kitchen were one spacious room with a low bar as a divider, so Aiden wasn’t cut off from our conversation as he opened two cans of soup and then dumped them into a pot.

“So what is the deal with you and Nova?” Aiden asked, plucking a large spoon from the drawer.

I looked between them as they waited for me to answer. I had no idea what to tell them. Our relationship wasn’t like either of theirs. Nova and I were just starting out. Everything was new for us. “We’re taking it day by day. If anything changes, we’ll let you know,” I answered, giving them a slight shrug.

“I like her. She fits right in with us, ya know? Yesterday, I heard her tell Jared that if his ego was any bigger, he wouldn’t fit through the door. She definitely has the right personality,” Aiden said.

“I can’t believe they let us all come home for Christmas, but I won’t complain. I’ve wished for this for far too long,” Mark said.

Aiden moved to stand in front of the kitchen window. “Looks like they’ve finally returned from shopping. Missing a few people, though.”

Car doors banged closed and then the front door burst open, sweeping Ace, Airen, Nova, Josh, and Ella past the threshold. Each of them were laden with bags filled to bursting.

“Did you leave anything at the store?” Aiden asked, moving to take some of the burden from Airen and placing a kiss on her lips.

“Yes. We left Jared there,” Ella answered, closing the door with the heel of her boot.

“And Paige?” Mark asked.

“She’s playing mediator between him and Riley. Apparently, the two of them have completely different ideas on Christmas decorations. We left when they were bickering over lights for the tree,” Josh answered as he made his way across the room and then up the stairs, asking, “Where do you want these, Ella?”

“Oh!” She darted after him, bags smacking against the back of her legs. “You better not even think about peeking inside those bags, Josh!”

“Never again,” Ace said, following behind.

“Guess I’ll be getting my own soup,” Mark grumbled.

I got up from the couch and took half the bags Nova had in her hands. She didn’t have near as much as the others, but she wasn’t far from it.

“You can just drop them on the floor,” she said once we made it into our room.

She was practically glowing, and it warmed me to the backbone seeing it. “Did you have fun?”

She nodded, peeling out of her jacket and then toeing off her boots. “Your friends are a lot of fun. Even when they’re bickering.”

I moved close and put my arms around her. “Yes, our friends are. So you left Jared and Riley to fight it out, huh?”

Her cheeks were already a blushing shade of pink from being outside, but the color deepened. “I didn’t leave them. Ace did. He said he’d had enough shopping and if the two of them wanted to fight it out, they could do it on their own. We left not long after that, thank God. I don’t think I’ll ever get the circulation back in my arms after hauling all of those bags around. You changed your clothes?”

I started at her question. “Uh, yeah, um…”

“Eli Bennett, did you go swimming?” she asked, fingers gliding over the curve of my ears. “You’re practically blue around the edges!”

“I…”

“You’re crazy! That water has to be freezing. What if you come down sick?” Nova asked, stepping back to look at me.

“I won’t,” I answered, pulling her back against me just to feel the warmth of her skin.

“If you say so," she said, shaking her head.

“I just have to stay warm,” I said, letting go of her long enough to close the bedroom door, and then lock it.

She eyed me with suspicion, but only briefly before rummaging in the closet and taking out a pair of sweatpants.

Before she could even think about changing, I had her in my arms and walked her backward toward the bed.

“What are you doing?” she asked, giggling when we stumbled and fell onto the mattress.

“In the event of hypothermia, you should get undressed and use each other’s body heat to stay warm,” I said, sitting up long enough to pull my shirt over my head.

She propped up on an elbow and watched me through squinted eyes. “Hypothermic, are we?”

“Nope, but if it gets you into bed with me so I can hold you in my arms, then I’ll pretend,” I said, winking at her.

“Well, we wouldn’t want you going into shock or anything,” Nova said, shooing me out of the way so she could stand.

I moved, pushing the covers back as she undressed. “I could get used to this.”

She smiled. “So could I.”

She moved close, snuggling against me. For a moment, I held her there, breathing deeply. “Are you happy, Nova? Truly happy?”

She moved to roll over and face me. “I am, but what about you? I see the far-off look you get in your eyes sometimes, and wonder where you’ve gone to that makes you look that way.”

I had no way to explain it. Even if I did, I could never tell her about it. It was a secret. One I’d promised to keep. Even from Nova. All I could do was be as honest as I could without going back on my word. “I can’t really say I go anywhere in particular, but there are moments when everything hits me. When that happens, I realize just how fast I could be taken away from everything.”

“But that didn’t happen, and you’re here with us. You’re here where you’ve always belonged,” she said, giving me a smile that could be called sad, or maybe even nostalgic.

“I am. And now, so are you.” I kissed her forehead as I ran my fingertips down her spine.

“And it’s our first Christmas together,” she said, melting against me.

“A first of many firsts,” I added.

“What happens when all the firsts are done?” she asked.

I moved my fingers from her back. Tipping her chin up, I looked into her eyes. “Then we move on to seconds, and then thirds and fourths.” I punctuated each with a kiss.

“I like the way you think,” she said as I pinned her body with my own.