Bonus Scene 1

Meeting Taz

Hayes’s phone rings on the kitchen counter, and I glance at it. It’s Jayne calling, which immediately piques my curiosity. We saw her and Steph just last night.

Hayes wipes his hands on a dish towel before picking up. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?”

I lean against the counter, sipping my coffee, watching his face for any clues. His expression shifts from curious to… surprised? Then a smile slowly spreads across his face.

“Wait, seriously?” he says, shooting me a look. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll ask. We’ve actually been talking about it for a while, so… I think it’s a yes.”

Now I’m really curious. I raise an eyebrow, but Hayes just grins and holds up a finger.

“Uh-huh, okay. We’ll head over today then.” He nods a few more times, says goodbye, and hangs up, turning to me with a look that I know means something big is about to drop.

“Well?” I say, crossing my arms. “What was that all about?”

He steps forward, hands resting on my waist. “So, you remember how we’ve been talking about getting a dog?”

“Of course.” It’s been a frequent conversation topic in the last year. We’ve tossed around ideas about breeds, rescue dogs, and even names, but we never quite pulled the trigger.

“Well, it looks like the decision’s been made for us.” His eyes are practically sparkling with excitement now. “Mom’s friend works with a rescue group, and they’ve got a one-year-old German Shepherd who needs a home. His name’s Taz.”

“A rescue?” A swell of excitement and nerves bubble to life in my gut. We’ve talked about it for so long, and now the opportunity has just fallen into our laps. “Taz?”

“Yeah,” Hayes says, laughing a little. “Apparently he’s full of energy, just like his name suggests. Mom thought of us right away.”

I blink, my heart already softening at the thought of a German Shepherd bounding into our lives. “We’re really doing this?”

Hayes pulls me closer, his eyes soft. “We’ve talked about it for ages. And it feels right, doesn’t it?”

I nod, the nerves giving way to excitement. “Yeah, it does.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, we pull up to Jayne’s place, and I can hear barking even before we step out of the truck. Hayes looks over at me with a grin, and my stomach flips with excited anticipation.

“You ready for this?” He reaches for my hand.

“More than ready,” I say, squeezing his fingers.

We head toward the yard, and as soon as we round the corner, I spot him—Taz. He’s so much bigger than I expected, his fluffy black-and-tan coat shining in the late afternoon sun. And he’s definitely energetic, bounding across the yard in a blur of fur and floppy ears.

“Taz, come here, boy!” Steph calls, trying to keep her voice calm, but there’s no missing the affection in her tone.

Mid-run, Taz stops, ears perking up at the sound of his name. He tilts his head for a moment, as if deciding whether to investigate the new humans, then bolts toward us like a tornado.

Hayes crouches down just as Taz reaches us, and barrels into him, tail wagging furiously. Hayes laughs as Taz licks his face with wild abandon, his paws scrabbling against Hayes’s chest, knocking him flat on his ass.

I whoop out a laugh.

“Okay, okay, buddy!” Hayes says, trying to wrangle him into a hug. “I get it. You’re excited!”

I continue to snicker, watching the two of them, already feeling like Taz is meant to be part of our family. When Taz finally notices me, he bounds over, his tongue hanging out and his tail a blur. I crouch down, and he immediately nuzzles into me, as if to say, Hi, I’m home.

“He’s perfect,” I murmur, scratching behind his ears. His fur is soft and warm, and his big brown eyes look up at me, full of curiosity and sweetness.

Hayes’s mom smiles from the porch. “He’s got a lot of energy, but he’s a sweetheart. I knew you two would be perfect for him.”

“We’ll keep him busy,” Hayes says, standing up and brushing some fur off his jeans. “He’s gonna love the trails near our place. And Sully will bring him into work, right?”

He glances at me for confirmation. I nod. “Yeah, once we get him trained for sure.” I don’t think the cap would appreciate an untrained German Shephard bounding around the fire department. Sure, Taz seems super friendly, but a dog like this needs a lot of training.

Taz seems to understand what we’re talking about because he gives a deep bark, then leaps up, his paws landing heavily against my chest as he tries to lick my face. I laugh, ruffling his fur as I try to keep my balance.

“Looks like he’s ready to go home,” Hayes says, eyes shining as he watches me and Taz.

I grin, my heart full. “I think we all are.”

As we load up the truck, Taz settles surprisingly well in the back seat, his head resting on Hayes’s shoulder as we drive. The whole ride home, I can’t stop glancing back at him, already picturing the life we’re about to build with him in it—hikes, trips to the park, lazy weekends at home with him curled up by the fire.

When we finally pull into our driveway, Taz bounds out of the truck like he already knows this is his new home. He sniffs around, investigating the yard, while Hayes and I stand back, watching him explore.

Hayes wraps his arm around me, pulling me close. “Looks like we’ve got our hands full now,” he says with a soft laugh, glancing at me.

“I think we’re ready for it,” I reply, leaning into him. “He’s already part of the family.”

As if on cue, Taz looks up from his exploration, wagging his tail as if he agrees. He trots back over to us, sitting at our feet and looking up with those big, trusting eyes.

Hayes kneels, scratching Taz behind the ears. “Welcome home, buddy.”

And just like that, it feels like our little family is complete.

Bonus Scene 2

Christmas Bash

Hayes squeezes my hand. “So, officially the best Christmas ever?”

I smirk. “It’s not quite Christmas yet,” I tease.

“How can you say that with the number of elves we’ve counted so far?”

He’s not lying. We’ve made a game out of it—forget Elf on the Shelf, counting how many elves it would take to overrun Collier’s Creek is much more fun.

“True.” I lean into him, appreciating the constant warmth that seems to radiate from Hayes. There’s been plenty of snow lately, but the past few days have blessed us with nothing but clear skies and crunchy snow underfoot. Still, the cold nips at my cheeks.

Hayes grins at me, his eyes twinkling like the Christmas lights wrapped around the town square. “Now, how’s that for timing?” He nods upward, and I follow his gaze.

Dangling from the archway above us is a sprig of mistletoe, perfectly placed.

I raise an eyebrow. “Did you arrange this?”

His grin widens. “I wish I could take credit for it, but I think it’s just fate.”

Before I can respond, the soft sound of sleigh bells rings out, followed by the first notes of “Silent Night” drifting from the band in the gazebo. The harmonies fill the air, wrapping around us like the warmth of a fireplace, perfect for the moment.

Hayes pulls me a little closer, his smile softening as he leans down to kiss me, slow and sweet, right under the mistletoe. My heart flutters, and when we pull back, he keeps his forehead pressed against mine, his breath warm in the crisp air.

“I love you,” he whispers, the words quiet, but so full of meaning they stop me in my tracks.

I blink, my heart skipping a beat. This is it—we’ve never said these words to each other before, and hearing them now, hell if he hasn’t timed it perfectly. I let out a shaky breath and smile up at him.

“I love you too,” I whisper back, the words feeling as natural as the snowfall we’ve been waiting on.

Hayes’s eyes light up, and for a moment, the world narrows down to just the two of us. The sounds of laughter, music, and Christmas cheer fade into the background as we stand there, still and wrapped up in the magic of the moment.

He kisses me again, this time more playful, a soft brush of his lips against mine before pulling back with a grin. “Now it’s definitely the best Christmas ever.”

I laugh, feeling light and giddy, the kind of happiness that lingers in the air at Christmas. “Okay, you win,” I say, resting my head on his chest. “It really is.”

We sway gently to the music, surrounded by twinkling lights and the hum of holiday joy. The band plays on, and when All I Want for Christmas Is You starts up, the crowd around us bursts into cheers, some even singing along.

Hayes looks down at me, his eyes shining with warmth. “Think we can find some cookies now?” he asks with a wink, his hand still tightly wrapped around mine.

I laugh, shaking my head but already smiling. “Fine, cookie lover. Let’s go.”

And as we walk through the town square, the sound of Christmas carols filling the air, Hayes’s hand in mine, my heart expands, fit to burst. This is everything I’ve ever wanted—him, the magic of the season, and a love that feels as bright as the twinkling lights around us.

Bonus Scene 3

Fred the Moose

“What’s that look for?” I ask, grinning.

He glances at me, chuckling. “Remember when I mentioned Fred a while back?”

I pause for a second, thinking. “Fred… the moose, right? You said you’d tell me that story someday.”

Hayes laughs, clearly glad I remembered. “Yeah, Fred the moose. Well, today seems like a good day for it,” he says, indicating the forest trail we’re walking.

I grin, giving him a playful push. “Okay, spill. What’s the deal with this Fred?”

Hayes shakes his head, as if bracing himself for the absurdity of what he’s about to share. And honestly, I know the story has to do with his mom, Jayne, so at this point, anything could have happened. Jayne is awesome, but in just the couple of years I’ve known her, she’s got herself into a few mishaps.

“All right, so this was a few years ago—when I was a teenager. Back then, there was this moose, Fred, who’d become something of a local celebrity. He used to wander around town like he owned the place. People would spot him in their gardens or just strolling down the streets like it was no big deal.”

Amusement bubbles in my chest. I can totally see that happening in Collier’s Creek. “So Fred was like the town mascot?”

“Exactly!” Hayes snickers. “But Fred was also a bit of a troublemaker. He was massive and had no sense of personal space.”

My lips twitch at the idea of a moose having boundaries.

“One day, when we still lived in town, I get a call from my mom—she’s half-laughing, half-panicking—and she tells me Fred’s managed to get himself stuck between two trees in her backyard.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Wait, what? How does a moose even get stuck between trees?”

“Right?” Hayes snorts, shaking his head. “Fred wasn’t exactly small, but somehow, he managed to wedge himself in just the right way that he couldn’t move forward or back. So now, here’s this giant moose, totally stuck, and of course, my mom decides she’s going to be the one to ‘rescue’ him.”

Laughter bubbles in my chest—Jayne in that situation easy to imagine. “What did she do?”

Hayes tries to suppress a grin, but he’s clearly enjoying this. “Okay, so instead of calling animal control, like a normal person, she brought a rope and a bucket of carrots.”

I burst out laughing. “A rope? For a moose?”

“Yup.” Hayes is laughing too now. “She honestly thought she could lasso Fred or something. And the carrots? She figured she could ‘bribe’ him to cooperate.”

“Oh my God,” I gasp. “What did Fred do?”

“Well, Fred’s just standing there, looking at her like, ‘Lady, I don’t know what you expect me to do here.’ He’s stuck. Completely immobile. And my mom is trying to coax him out like he’s a stubborn toddler. She’s waving these carrots in front of him, saying, ‘Come on, Fred! You can do it!’”

I’m doubled over at this point, visualizing the scene. “Did it work?”

Hayes shakes his head, grinning from ear to ear. “Not even a little. Fred wasn’t budging. He was just chewing on some leaves, completely unbothered by the fact that his enormous butt was wedged between two trees.”

“So how did it end?” I ask, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.

“Well, after about half an hour of my mom trying to sweet-talk this moose, I finally convince her to call animal control,” Hayes says, his eyes sparkling. “They show up, take one look at the situation, and start cracking up. They managed to cut one of the trees just enough to get Fred loose. The moment he’s free, he trots off like nothing happened.”

I shake my head, still snickering. “And your mom?”

“Oh, she was convinced that the carrots helped,” Hayes says, laughing. “She swears Fred moved because of them. But, honestly? I think Fred just liked the attention.”

I’m still laughing as we continue down the trail, imagining the whole ridiculous scene. “I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me that story.” I’m curious where I can buy some fake antlers in town to wear the next time we head to Jayne and Steph’s house.

Hayes grins, reaching for my hand. “I didn’t want to give you all the ammo against my family at once. It’s good to spread it out.”

“It’s a good job I don’t scare easily, then.” I nudge him slightly as we amble along, kinda hoping I get the chance to meet a friendly moose.