Finn and I saved up some money and bought Milly and Clark a trip to Florida for a week during the summer, the hope was that they would find something in each other that could turn into romance. It worked. They were married a month ago in a small family wedding, and my Dad was Clark's groomsman.
Parker started taking free lessons from Finn on his snowboard, and I finally let the two of them goad me into learning how to do it too. I snuck away for an hour each afternoon for two months to figure out how to get really good at the sport. They figured I was looking at new patterns for the designs my father and I were working on. When we got our first full snow, I pulled out my tricks and memorized the shocked looks on their faces at seeing just how good I'd gotten.
Finn make love to me that night so passionately that I thought I might never recover from it. Where my wish list included a man who had a knack for fashion, I'm thinking his was finding a woman that could snowboard. I worked harder to get even better at it after that.
My father met someone at Clark and Milly's wedding that they all went to school with and he'd been dating her for the last three weeks. She's sweet and reminds me a little too much of mom, but I've kept my thoughts to myself on it.
The lodge that my father purchased for me to fix up is fully functional, the doors having opening in late October. Parker works in the ski shop and I spend most of my days working on various designs for the clothing store that's nestled into the side of it. Finn's in love with the place and spends more time there than he does with me. I'm not jealous, well, maybe a little.
It was Christmas once again, but unlike last year, this year, we were all healthy and happy. Finn wanted to invite everyone to the lodge for a big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, so we did. We had to wait until after the seven o'clock church service, which his father dragged us all to, but afterward, we piled up in various vehicles and drove back to the lodge.
"I'm excited. Everyone around the table together? It's going to be great." I squeezed his thigh, and pressed my lips against his arm.
"Me too, baby." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me in tighter.
We still had the old truck, namely because he wouldn't part with it. I think he enjoyed the fact that I could sit right against him and not more than one person could fit on the other side of me.
"I had the kitchen prepare a bunch of different stuff, just in case everyone had different traditions." I moved to my side of the truck as we pulled up to the lodge.
"It's going to be great, Chloe. Go on up there, and I'll meet you shortly. I want to see if anyone needs help with bags or anything."
I nodded and got out of the car, jogging up the stairs and letting the beauty of the Christmas lights against the large snowy mountains take my breath away. I'd learned to love Colorado, not the cold, but the serenity and beauty it offered. I had loads of jackets and various sweaters that I'd designed with functionality in mind and then fashion. They sold like crazy, but the best part was wearing them myself and enjoying a ride down the slopes with my man in them too.
The smell of pumpkin pie and roasted meat filled my senses when I walked into the main hall, and I paused to look around. It was odd to see the place empty, but Finn was quite serious about not booking anyone for the day’s right around Christmas. He wanted it to be all about us. He promised that next year we could open it up to the public, but for this first year only, just family and friends.
I agreed readily and now I was glad I did. Warmth enveloped me and strong emotions washed over me. My life was nothing like I'd expected and yet so much better than I could ever imagine.
"Chloe..." Finn called to me, and I turned as he walked through the large ornate doors I'd just come through. Everyone piled in behind him, and my heart skipped a beat.
"What, baby?" I stood in stony silence, feeling like something was upon me, but not knowing what.
"I wanted our family and friends to be here tonight for a special reason." He smiled and moved to stand in front of me, taking my hands and leaning down to brush his lips past mine.
"What reason is that?"
"When we first met I was a different man. A man I didn't at all want to be, but I didn't know how to move past it. I had such big dreams and yet I left them tucked behind a reality that tore me down and left me barren. When you showed up...the first day I met you..." he paused as his eyes filled with tears.
Mine did too. "When I almost busted my head on the ski lift?"
He laughed with thick emotion in his throat. "Yes. You changed everything. You helped me find myself, making me want to be a better man, if nothing else...for you. I owe you everything, Chloe. I want to build our house together and make it a home with babies that drive you nuts and rule the place. I want to hold you as we grow older and continue to make plans together that go as far out as we can see."
I pressed my hands to my mouth, pushing back the soft cry that beat against my teeth as he dropped to one knee in front of me and lifted a beautiful diamond ring up toward me.
"Will you be mine, forever, baby? Will you marry me?"
"Of course I will. Yes." I got on my knees with him and knocked him over with a hug that turned into a long kiss.
"Oh God. Get a room!!" Parker yelled, and everyone erupted in laughter, reminding me that life was so much bigger than we sometimes let it be. It was about friends and family, dreams and love.
It was about me and Finn.
The waves and the snow.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Claire Adams