Chapter 9 #2
I kiss her then, there on the snowy ridge with the valley spread out below us. It feels like a beginning, like a promise, like coming home.
"I love you, Destiny Brooks," I whisper against her lips.
"I love you too, Mason Walsh." She smiles, radiant as the sun on snow. "Now and always."
We make our way back to the cabin as dusk falls, the forest transforming around us in the fading light. Christmas lights twinkle in the windows of our home, and it is our home now, undeniably, irrevocably.
Inside, we warm ourselves by the fire, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon the way my mother used to make it. Destiny curls against my side on the couch, her head on my shoulder, her new ring catching the firelight when she moves.
"Best Christmas Eve ever," she murmurs, voice drowsy with contentment.
"Just wait until next year," I promise, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "And the year after that. And all the years after that."
She smiles, snuggling closer. "I'll hold you to that."
As night falls completely, we drive to Tom and Kelsie's cabin for Christmas Eve dinner. Their place glows with holiday cheer, twinkling lights strung along the porch, a massive wreath on the door, the scent of vanilla and cinnamon wafting from inside.
"There they are!" Kelsie exclaims when she opens the door. She hugs us both, ushering us inside. "We were starting to think you got lost in a snowbank."
"Or distracted," Tom adds with a knowing smirk, clapping me on the shoulder.
Dinner is a festive affair, prime rib, roasted vegetables, Riley's famous yeast rolls. Jax and Riley joins us, along with a few other close friends. There's laughter, stories, the comfortable camaraderie of people who genuinely care for each other.
I watch Destiny throughout the evening, how she fits seamlessly into conversations, how her laugh mingles with Kelsie's, how she belongs here, with these people, with me. The realization settles in my chest like a warm stone.
"You two seem good," Jax comments as we stand by the fireplace after dinner. The others are in the kitchen, packaging leftovers and organizing dessert.
"We are." I take a sip of whiskey, savoring the burn. "Better than good."
"The ring?" he asks, nodding toward the kitchen where Destiny is showing Riley her new jewelry.
"A promise. For now."
Jax nods approvingly. "Smart. Give her time to settle in, find her footing."
"Exactly." I swirl the amber liquid in my glass. "But eventually..."
"I know that look," he says with a laugh. "You're already planning it, aren't you? The proposal."
I can't help but smile. "Maybe."
"Well, when you're ready, let me know if you need help. I've been told mine was pretty memorable."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Later, as we drive home through the snowy night, Destiny reaches across the console to take my hand. "Thank you," she says softly.
"For what?"
"For sharing your friends with me. Your home. Your life." She squeezes my fingers. "I spent so long feeling alone, even when I was with Greg. I'd forgotten what it feels like to be part of something."
I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "You're part of me now. Part of us. That's not going to change."
Back home, we exchange one more gift before bed, a tradition in my family to open a single present on Christmas Eve. I give her a leather-bound journal with her name embossed on the cover.
"For your new beginnings," I explain as she runs her fingers over the supple leather. "Your thoughts, your dreams, your future."
She gives me a handmade scrapbook, each page documenting a moment from our whirlwind romance, the tree lighting ceremony, our first Christmas tree together, snapshots Riley took at the community party.
"I know it's only been a few weeks," she says, suddenly shy. "But they've been the most important weeks of my life."
We fall asleep that night with the Christmas tree lights casting a soft glow across the bedroom, Destiny's head pillowed on my chest, her breathing deep and even. I lie awake a bit longer, watching the play of colored light on the ceiling, feeling a contentment so complete it almost hurts.
Christmas morning brings fresh snow and childlike excitement from Destiny, who wakes me at dawn insisting we open presents immediately.
"Santa came," she announces, bouncing on the bed like an enthusiastic five-year-old.
I grab her around the waist, pulling her down beside me. "Santa, huh? Did you check if he ate the cookies?"
"Every last crumb." She kisses me quickly, then tries to wiggle free. "Come on, presents!"
I laugh, releasing her. "Give me two minutes to brush my teeth."
We spend the morning in pajamas, opening gifts by the tree. Small things, mostly, books, sweaters, a new set of cooking knives for Destiny, hiking gear for me. But it's not about the presents. It's about the fact that we're here, together, building traditions neither of us thought we'd have again.
Later, as we prepare for Christmas dinner at Tom and Kelsie’s house, I watch Destiny move around our bedroom with comfortable familiarity. She hums Christmas carols as she fixes her hair, tries on and discards jewelry options, asks my opinion on her dress choice.
"You're staring again," she notes, catching my eye in the mirror.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
I cross to her, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. "About how much I love watching you get ready. How much I love that your clothes hang next to mine in the closet. How much I love that you're coming to Christmas dinner as part of my family."
She turns in my arms, looping her hands around my neck. "I love all those things too."
"Good." I rest my forehead against hers. "Because I plan on loving you for a very long time, Destiny Brooks."
"How long are we talking?" Her eyes sparkle with mischief and something deeper.
"Oh, I don't know. Fifty, sixty years? Give or take."
She pretends to consider this. "That seems reasonable. I accept your terms."
"Excellent." I kiss her softly. "I'll draw up the paperwork immediately."
She laughs, the sound filling our bedroom with joy. "Merry Christmas, Mason."
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." I pull her closer, breathing in the scent of her perfume, feeling the steady beat of her heart against mine. "The first of many."
As we drive to Tom's house, snow falling gently around us, Christmas music playing on the radio, I glance over at Destiny. She catches me looking and smiles, that radiant, full-hearted smile that never fails to take my breath away.
Two weeks ago, Tom asked me if the confrontation with Greg was worth it. If putting myself in potential danger for a woman I barely knew made sense. I didn't hesitate then, and I wouldn't hesitate now.
Some things are worth fighting for. Some people change your life in ways you never imagined possible. And sometimes, the greatest gifts arrive on your doorstep when you least expect them, wrapped in courage and hope and the promise of a love that could last forever.
Destiny reaches over to take my hand, intertwining our fingers as we drive through the snow-covered landscape toward family, celebration, and the future we're building together, one day, one promise, one Christmas at a time.