The Christmas season was fast approaching. There was exactly three weeks till Christmas. Tasha marked off each day as it passed. This was her favorite time of year. Decorating the tree was something she looked forward to. Every year Tasha bought a new ornament to go on the tree. She liked all kinds of ornaments. There was Christmas bulbs of red, blue and green. The tree was about 7 l/2 feet tall. It didn’t come close to the ceiling. She had a cathedral ceiling in the living room. The tree was standing right in the middle of the front window. When she would plug the tree in, the lights could be seen out by the road.
Tasha lived alone in a big house by Vale. She was a best selling author. She’d always wanted to live in Colorado. When her 5th book became a best seller she decided to move to the mountains. Before she moved to Colorado she called Cleveland home. Colorado was such a romantic place. There were mountains and lots and lots of snow. If ever there was a place a writer would be motivated Vale was it. She’d visited Vale twice on vacation. She had it in the back of her mind to move there. When the day came to move she was very excited. Tasha had a lot of family in Colorado. It made the move easier. She left behind a lot of friends but they loved coming to visit.
Tasha’s house sat at the edge of one of the biggest mountains in Colorado. People came to hunt during most of the year. She had friends stop in from time to time before going up into the mountains. She had one friend in particular that loved to hunt in the Colorado mountains. His name was Jacob. He would stop in every time he came to Colorado. Tasha had known him for more years than she could remember. He was kind hearted and personable. He was also very good looking. Tasha was so happy everytime Jacob would stop by. She didn’t see him often but, he always made her day when he would stop in to say hi. He never stayed long. Jacob loved hunting and was always in a hurry to get up into the mountains. He almost always came with a group of friends. They were all nice guys and loved to have a good time. They’d come with their tents and sleeping bags and go up into the mountain for days. Tasha always told them if they needed anything they could come back down the mountain and she would help them.
Today Tasha’s mom was stopping by for coffee. She tried to stop at least once a week. Tasha had just published a new book so she was taking a few days off from writing. She really loved her mom but, she was starting to get on her nerves. She was always looking for a husband for Tasha. Tasha didn’t want a husband. She was happy with her life just the way it was. At 9:00 a.m mom came in the door. She was as bright as the sunshine outside. She had blond hair and blue eyes and was one feisty lady. She belonged to every volunteer group in town. Tasha’s mom had more friends than what Tasha could ever think of having. As they were sitting down at the table to have bagels and coffee her mom looked at Tasha and said “Have you been out on any dates lately”? Tasha wanted to lie and say yes but she told the truth. She said “no mother, I haven’t”. Her mom gave her a glare to end all glares. Then she gave her the speech on how she wasn’t getting any younger. Tasha hated this speech. It was worse than having her teeth pulled. A visit to the dentist would be better than a lecture on her personal life. Mom brought up her brother and what a perfect life he had. Tasha’s brother lived about 5 miles from her. He had 5 children and a wife that was stressed beyond belief. Tasha never said a word as her mother went on and on about her brother.
Tasha’s mom left at about 1:00. She had the rest of the day to herself. It had started snowing and the snow was covering the mountain. She loved the snow. The trees looked so beautiful. It was getting really cold. She was going to fill up the coal burner and start a fire. Once the coal burner was going the house would be toasty warm. The coal burner insert was a blessing on really cold days.
Tasha turned on the TV to see if there was any weather reports. She had a satelite dish and if it snowed too much she wouldn’t get good reception. There was a weather bulletin going across the top of the screen. It looked like a blizzard was coming through the area. Tasha got out her hurricane lanterns just in case she lost power. Her kitty Samantha was laying on the couch curled up in a ball. Her face was under the blanket. Samantha always kept Tasha company. She was the best kitty ever. Penney was all black with a little white spot on her tummy. Samantha disliked Tasha’s dog Penney. Penney was a welsh corgi. Penney didn’t like Samantha. Penney acted more like a person than a dog. She put up with Samantha but, she wasn’t fond of her. It was one of life’s aggravations as far as she was concerned.
Tasha loved both of her animals dearly. She spent a lot of time writing and they seemed to amuse themselves. Samantha and Penney loved toys. They each had a box filled with cat toys and dog toys. They also knew where Tasha kept their treats. When they wanted a treat they would go in the kitchen and stand by the cabinet. Some days they would get more treats than what they should have. Tasha had a soft heart where her animals were concerned.
At 2:00 Penney started barking and Samantha got up and stretched her legs. Tasha knew someone was at the door. She walked to the door and looked out the window. She got a big smile on her face. Jacob was standing in the driveway with two of his friends. Tasha went to the side door and opened it. She poked her head out the door and yelled “Hello”. Jacob turned smiled and waved. He walked up to the door. Jacob gave her a kiss on the cheek as he walked in the door. Her heart leaped up into her throat. She knew he had a girlfriend but, she sure did like him. He was tall, strong and smart. His two friends stayed outside. They were getting ready to go up on the mountain hunting. Jacob asked if he could leave his jeep in the driveway. Tasha said “anything for you Jacob”. He smiled and gave her a big hug. When he gave her the hug she brushed his neck with a light kiss. He looked down at her and smiled. Tasha told Jacob she was going to make some hot chocolate. She had a thermos that she was going to fill for him. The hot chocolate was ready in just a few minutes. She poured it in the thermos and put it on the counter for Jacob. He thanked her and left his keys with her. When he went out the door Tasha was sad. She got this silly little thought in her head, wishing that Jacob didn’t have a girlfriend and he was hers. She looked out the back window as the guys started up the mountain. They would be gone for days. They’d set up camp up in the mountains and have a campfire. Tasha knew once they had the fire going they’d be warm. She was a little worried about the approaching storm but she figured they’d be okay.
The next morning when Tasha looked out the window, she couldn’t believe the amount of snow that had fallen. Snow was everywhere. Tasha loved snow but she never dreamed there would be this much snow. The mountain looked like a Christmas fairy tale. It was beautiful but, it could be dangerous. She thought about Jacob and his friends up on the mountain. Tasha said a little prayer that they were okay.
The satelite was still working so that in itself was a miracle. The weatherman said that blizzard conditions would last through the weekend. That meant Tasha’s driveway would be snowed in. Thank goodness she had all the supplies she needed for a few weeks if need be. In this part of the country you had to think in advance for all weather conditions.
Tasha was worried about Jacob. She had a funny feeling she would be seeing him before long. She went in the kitchen and decided to make a large crockpot filled with chili. If Jacob didn’t show up with his friends she could freeze the chili. After she fried the ground meat and put all the ingredients in the crockpot she turned it on to simmer all day. The house smelled so good with the onions and garlic cooking. Tasha walked into the living room and plugged in the tree. It was definitely a winter wonderland today.
Tasha’s mom called to see if she was okay. They talked for a few minutes and then her mom had to go. Tasha thought about starting a new book but, she’d have to start with an outline and she just didn’t feel like it. She found herself feeling a little lonely. Her mom just might be right. She seriously needed to find someone to spend her time with.
Jacob had told Tasha once how much he liked homemade cookies. She thought she’d whip up a batch in case he came off the mountain. It would be a nice surprise for him. She knew he’d have to stay here overnight with his friends. The State patrol was closing down roads because of the bad weather conditions.
Tasha finished her homemade cookies at 3:00 p.m. and decided to sit down and watch a little TV. She could see the snow falling outside her front window. It was beautiful but if you were out in it there could be danger. She said a little prayer of thanks for being in her warm home.
Tasha must have dozed off because somewhere around 5:30 she heard Penney barking. She looked around for Samantha but she was nowhere to be found. She figured she must be on her bed. Tasha heard voices and knew that Jacob was back. She went to the door and let him in. His two friends followed close behind him. Jacob looked a little rough around the edges. It appeared he hadn’t shaved in the 5 days he’d been gone. When he saw her he got a huge smile on his face. He gave Tasha a big bear hug. The guys said they were glad to be down off the mountain. Tasha gave them all clean towels and they went to take showers. As Jacob’s one friend left the kitchen he turned to Tasha and smiled. What he then said really surprised her. He said “Thank goodness we are off the mountain because, if I had to listen to one more minute of how much Jacob cared about you I couldn’t take it” just as he finished saying that Jacob came around the corner. He had heard what his friend said. He turned red and just smiled with a sheepish grin. Tasha stood in the middle of the room speechless. She didn’t know what to say. They’d been friends for a long time but he had a girlfriend. She looked at Jacob and said “what about your girlfriend”. He said “that relationship is going nowhere” and then he looked away. Tasha thought what am I supposed to do now?
She walked away and started dishing out big bowls of chili for the guys. They were starving and very appreciative of the warm bowls of chili. For dessert they ate almost all the cookies. “His one friend turned to him and said “what are you waiting for” and then walked out of the room. Tasha was sitting at the kitchen table. She was feeling a little flushed. She had no idea what was going on. Could he really feel the same way she did? Was it possible? Did she have a chance? Her final question was would it work? She had no idea. She knew her heart skipped a beat when he came into view. She knew he gave the biggest bear hugs ever. She also knew that she felt safe in his arms.
Jacob walked over to her and held out his arms. Tasha stood up and gave him a hug. He wispered in her hair and said “I love you”. She held him tight and said “I love you too”. Tasha had a brief thought before he kissed her. She thought about Christmas and miracles. Was this a miracle? She thought for about a half of a second and then she knew. It was a Christmas miracle.