"Smile!" Tim beamed as Billy and I huddled closer on the couch while Tim snapped a photo. "This is great, Lil; thanks!"

"Well, I figured you're traveling more, so you may want to take some pictures to accent all those videos, but I also know you're an instant gratification kind of guy." I smiled as he shook out the Polaroid he had just snapped.

"That's what she said," Billy chuckled from the couch.

"What are you, twelve?" I armed him in the ribs.

"Sorry," Billy murmured at the reprimand.

"Only two left," Tess offered as she handed me a box. I checked the tag to see Billy's familiar scribble as a warmth flushed my face. "And for you," she added as she handed Billy my present.

"It's big," he noted as he shook it.

"And now you're six?" I teased, causing his dimples to pinch his cheeks.

"Same time?" He added with a glimmer in his eye.

I gave him a nod as I began to unwrap my present carefully. Billy tore into his with the enthusiasm of a young child. He had his entirely open and pulled out the gift before I had even opened one end of my present.

"No way." His eyes stayed glued to the box as his head slightly nodded while he inspected it.

"What is it?" Tim's annoyance clouded his voice.

Billy pulled the cane from the box to show the room.

"It's a 1920s walking stick from London," I explained. "It's by Jonathan Howell, rosewood, with a sterling silver end cap and vegetable ivory tip. I made sure to memorize all the information they had on it. I knew you'd want to know."

Billy's eyes were still on the cane, and his head was still nodding slightly. "It's amazing." He let his hand glide over the wood.

"I thought it'd go well with your hats and, you know, how you take care of yourself; you'll probably need it sooner than later."

He leaned it against the couch and pulled me to him. "I love it," he cooed as he kissed my temple. His present spilled from my lap to his, and he picked it up so he could swing my legs over his and set the box back on my lap. "Your turn," he prodded, as he let one of his hands fall to the cane again.

I continued to unwrap the box to find a hatbox with a black beret inside. My fingertips danced over the wool. "I love it." My voice came as a whisper as I tried to prevent the pooling in my eyes from spilling into tears. Hats had been something Billy had shared with his father. It was a fondness he carried close to him. And now he was sharing it with me.

"I picked it up in Laulhere while we were in Paris. I guess that visit to the thrift store and talk of hats stuck with me, too." He dipped his face close to mine and dropped his voice as he explained.

"It's perfect." I pulled it from the box.

"Here," he said as he took it from me. "Look at me." He brushed my hair with his fingers and then fixed the hat on me. "It suits you," he smiled.

"I love it, Billy. Thank you so much."

The pull to each other made us both bow our heads nearer. For a split second, I wanted it; I needed to feel his lips on mine, but just as our lips were about to meet, we both snapped back from the moment.

"Sorry," Billy murmured.

I shook the moment off and spun my legs from his lap. "It's a walking stick." I diverted the tension. "Give it a whirl."

Billy stood up and spun the cane around in his hand. "This is so great." As he spoke, he gave a poke to Tim.

"That's not what it's for," Mary scolded from her chair.

"Sorry, Mom."

I didn't stifle the laugh at Billy's voice. He dropped twenty years whenever he got in trouble with his mom.

"Yeah, Billy; that's not what it's for," Tim teased.

"It's really cold outside to be sleeping in a rental car," Billy shot at Tim.

"Weren't we going to do a puzzle and watch a movie? All quiet activities," Tess interjected.

Tim gave a valiant case for Elf but ultimately lost out to the rest of the room, and we started up It's a Wonderful Life. Tim, Tess, and Mary settled around the table behind the couch to start on the puzzle. Billy and I could hear murmurs from them, usually scolding Tim for dropping pieces.

Billy slung an arm around me, and I leaned into his side, letting the warmth of his proximity relax me. My mind drifted to the almost kiss. We had been doing so well at forging our friendship, but the magnetic pull to his comfort felt irresistible in his presence. Part of me wished we weren't both single. I knew the temptation would be gone if one of us had someone.

Clarence had barely appeared when Mary, Tess, and Tim headed to bed, leaving Billy and me in the dim living room. Billy pulled a blanket around me and gave another kiss to the crown of my head. I nestled into his chest as my eyes fell to the window.

"It's snowing," I whispered, as though I might spook the snow... "It's so beautiful."

"Yeah, it is." Billy's voice rumbled through his chest as his arm pulled me closer.

"I love the snow. It's beautiful, especially here. Thanks for inviting me." I let my hand course over his t-shirt.

"Lil." His words washed over my face in breathy warmth. "Look at me."

I tipped my head up to find his face inches from mine. "Billy..."

"Lil, I..." His words failed as our eyes met.

I wanted to tell him no and beg him for more, all at the same time. The moment was warm and cozy. A kiss felt like an extension of the tenderness, but the nagging in the back of my head reminded me of the ache that was barely scabbing from Sam.

"Billy, we should..." But I couldn't think of what we should do. Should we go to bed? Pulling away from Billy felt like it would rip my heart out and tear all the oxygen from my lungs.

"Yeah, we should..." He agreed to the ambiguity but didn't pull away.

"Bed," I finally finished. "We should go to bed."

Billy blinked at me as my words sunk in, and his rational side took hold. He shook away the moment and leaned back on the couch.

"Sorry," he murmured again.

"No, it's fine," I pulled away as well. The increased distance seemed to sober us both.

"I'll help you with your bag." He quickly got up, grateful to have a physical task to help brush away the last remnants of our lingering moment.

We silently climbed the stairs, and I followed him to my room.

"I had to fight Tim, but I knew this had to be your room." He pushed open the door, and the view immediately stole my breath.

The picture window that overlooked the lake with the snow softly falling pulled me closer. It was as though I were outside experiencing winter, but still encased in the cabin's warmth.

"It's amazing." I slumped to the bed without taking my eyes off the window. "I don't want to fall asleep; I just want to watch the snowfall."

A satisfied laugh came from Billy as he sat on the bed next to me. "It is beautiful." He took my hand and squeezed it. "Lil, about earlier," he began, but neither of us pulled our eyes away from the settling snow. "I'm not sorry. I mean, I love you. I'm not sorry. I feel close to you."

"I know. We're moving on, Sam, Sarah," I let my voice drop a bit and added, "Ella."

His hand twitched around mine. "I don't know what that was." A small laugh escaped him.

"It was healing. I think the kids call it a rebound." I gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

He shook off my explanation. "That feels so mean to El. I did like her; it just wasn't..." his words trailed off, but I knew what he was thinking. "It wasn't like that with Sarah, though. I thought she..."

"You're happy, right, Billy?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I could be happier, but you know that."

I took in a deep breath to recover from the passive blow. "But you're happy with your music. This is what you want."

"Yeah, this is what I want," he gravely agreed. "And you're still aiming for quiet?"

"Yeah, I like privacy." I shrugged. It was a well-traveled conversation, but walking through it again made my body heavy with exhaustion. "I miss you, though, Billy. And with Sam gone now. You feel easy, like putting on an old sweatshirt."

"I know that's a compliment of sorts, but rude." Then he sighed and added, "it makes this so much harder." He dropped my hand and let his face fall into both his hands. He quickly recovered, letting his fingers glide through his dark hair. "Trying to resist you is like trying to resist breathing. You make me a weak man." He twisted his face to look at me.

"I know. It's no walk in the park for me." I stretched out my neck to relieve some of the tension.

"Mmhmm," fell from his lips before the statement truly registered. "Wait; what?"

"What? Do you think guys are the only ones that like sex? It's been like a month for me, and you're all here being you."

"Being me?" I could hear the toy of a laugh in his voice.

"Shut up; you know what I mean." I bumped into his shoulder with mine.

"Lil, if I could crack your code, I'd be much happier in life," he admitted.

I let out a laugh. "Well, right now, the mystery is thinly veiled. I'm a girl with an itch and no way to scratch."

There was a momentary gleam in his eye. "Are you... I mean, I recall being a pretty good scratcher for you."

A heat shot through me, ending in a full toe curl. The memory of being entwined with him was almost unbearable.

Undoubtedly, Billy could sense the tension he had sent through me. "I should go."

"Yeah, you should," I quickly agreed.

He didn't depart swiftly, though. He stood slowly and let his eyes linger on me for a moment before heading to the door. I was incapable of meeting his gaze. If I had, he would never have left, and I was nowhere close to strong enough to resist. I kept my eyes on the snow and froze my face like the lake outside until I heard the door softly click behind him.