Chapter 25 #WildGeese #3
I leaned down and kissed him again, but it only took half a second before I realized there were catcalls and shouting all around us.
“Fuck,” I cried, shoving off him. “I was about to make out with you in front of the entire town.”
I reached down to help him to his feet, then began dusting the snow off his chest.
He shot me a teasing grin. “Copping a cheap feel instead?” he teased.
“I’m not stupid,” I said with a wink. “Gotta take my moments any way I can.”
Maddox looked around us before pulling his glove back on and reaching for my hand. “I think our moment was captured by more than the town,” he murmured.
Sure enough, cell phones were raised over people’s heads, filming every moment as Maddox and I made our way down the slope. But Maddox didn’t seem unhappy about it. If anything, he seemed… satisfied.
“You realize you’re going to be immortalized wearing earflaps, right?
” I tugged at the edge of the hat. “And I can’t believe this coat even fits you.
” I pushed the scarf aside and spotted a vintage cable-knit Nordique sweater beneath.
“Wait, is that…?” My words trailed off as I realized the effort he’d gone to… and why.
“My dad’s old sweater.” Maddox nodded, his expression relaxed and happy. “I figured there was no better time to pull it out. If I was going to create a viral moment, why not make your sponsor happy?”
“But… this was our moment,” I protested. “It was about us.”
“It was. It is. But it doesn’t have to be one or the other,” he said softly.
He pulled me to a stop beside him, wrapping his arms around my waist. “That’s what I was trying to tell you with this.
” He waved a hand to indicate the mountain, the crowds of smiling tourists and townsfolk, and the two of us.
“I know I said a lot of shit about your work when you first came to Legacy—”
“You said the content I created was manufactured moments. And you were right,” I admitted. “About some of it, anyway.”
“But not all. You do a lot of good, too, baby. You make people feel seen and understood. You bring light and joy to their lives. You sure as fuck did for me.” His eyes glowed with love and adoration.
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between me and your work.
I care about your career, too. We can build something together that works for both of us. ”
I grabbed him by the lapels and kissed him again because I couldn’t help it. I was pretty sure the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but I was too giddy and lost in the moment to care one way or another.
When we finally reached the bottom of the slope, Maya launched herself at both of us, nearly knocking us over again.
“I can’t believe we pulled this off!” she cried, bouncing between us.
“Your plan rocked, Maddie. Mrs. Hoffman organized the ways to keep Adrian distracted—which was easy, since we already had a group text going from when we canceled all your dates. Foster helped with the lighting crew. Alex handled logistics. Tommy managed transportation—”
“Maya,” Maddox interrupted with a laugh. “Breathe.”
“And Chief Kincaid!” she continued, ignoring him completely. “He actually volunteered to help with the electrical setup. Said something about making sure nobody burned down the mountain with all those lights.”
I glanced around, finally understanding the scope of what had happened. “You planned all this?” I demanded. “You, the man who was determined not to let Legacy matchmake for him, got the entire town involved?”
“Not the entire town,” Maddox said modestly. “Just… most of it.”
Mrs. Hoffman appeared beside us, eyes bright with tears. “Oh, this is better than any Christmas movie I’ve ever seen!” She pulled out her phone. “I got the whole thing on video. Wait ’til I show the girls at book club!”
Before I could process what was happening, we were surrounded by well-wishers and congratulations.
Sadie pressed thermoses of spiked hot chocolate into our hands.
Nate slapped Maddox on the back and teased him about “finally growing a pair.” Even Chief Kincaid nodded approvingly from across the group, though I noticed he was standing suspiciously close to where Alex, who must’ve left Timber right after me, was distributing hot drinks.
“How did you come up with this?” I asked as the crowd gradually dispersed to watch the actual Starlight Spectacular begin.
“When I saw those texts this morning, I was angry,” Maddox admitted. “Hurt, too. I really wish you’d told me about the job offer.”
“I should have. I would have. But I was scared if I said anything, I’d pop this happy bubble we’ve been in,” I confessed. “It’s been a long time since I let myself want something this much.”
“Same,” Maddox whispered.
“But I need you to know I never would have taken that job without talking to you. You do know that, right?” My gaze searched his.
Maddox frowned. “Of course. Adrian, your manager was giving you shit about not taking the job offer. And I know you’re half in love with Legacy.
You shine here. More than that, I know you.
I know that’s not the kind of man you are.
” He caught my jaw in one gloved palm. “I just figured if Vic was reminding you of all the reasons you should leave, the least I could do was remind you of the reasons you should stay.”
I looked around at the sight—the lights on the slopes set off by snowy trees along the edges, smiling faces and cloudy breaths from nearby laughter, the colorful mix of hats and parkas—before meeting Maddox’s eyes.
“There are a lot of things worth staying in Legacy for. But the most important one is you.” I took a deep breath and repeated the words Alex had given me earlier, words I’d felt in my heart for a week but hadn’t been brave enough to speak aloud.
“I love you. I want to stay here. I choose you over everything else.”
“Fuck, Adrian,” Maddox growled.
“Thank you for doing all this,” I said, my eyes burning a little. “I’ve never… I’ve never had anyone go to so much effort for me. I’ve never been picked like this before. It…” My throat was too full to continue, so Maddox pulled me in close and tucked my face into his soft scarf.
“You deserve to be picked, Adrian Hayes,” he murmured against my ear. “You deserve someone who’ll fight for you instead of running away and putting up walls to protect himself. Someone who’ll choose you publicly, loudly, without hesitation. And I will pick you every damn time. I promise you.”
I kissed him fiercely, sealing our connection, and let myself relax into his embrace as the lights across the mountain began their traditional twinkling pattern, thousands of tiny stars dancing across the slope in synchronized waves.
Despite being surrounded by all of Legacy and their cell phones, all I could see was the man beside me, snowflakes catching in his dark hair, his eyes warm with love and certainty.
“So,” I said at length, trying for casual and failing spectacularly. “What happens now?”
“Now?” Maddox pulled me closer, his voice rough with emotion.
“Now we go home. Maya’s spending the night at Rosie’s, which means I have you all to myself.
I’m going to make you my grandmother’s hot chocolate, we’re going to sit by the fire, and you’re going to tell me all about how we’re going to make this work. ”
“And if I don’t have all the answers yet?”
His smile was soft and certain. “Then we’ll figure it out together. That’s what partners do.”
Partners. The word settled in my chest like a promise.
As we made our way to Maddox’s truck, my phone buzzed with notification after notification. I didn’t bother looking. I knew the videos of our mountain declaration were probably already spreading across social media, hashtag #Maddrian trending alongside #LegacyMontana and #RealLifeRomance.
“Your followers are probably losing their minds,” Maddox observed, nodding at the phone buzzing in my pocket.
“Let them.” I shrugged. “I’ve got more important things to focus on.”
Three hours later, we were curled up on Maddox’s couch, the fire crackling softly while snow continued to fall outside. I was wearing his old flannel shirt and nothing else, completely content to let him trace lazy patterns across my bare thigh while we talked about the future.
“Vic texted again while you were cleaning up in the bathroom,” I said, taking a sip of the promised hot chocolate. It was perfect—rich and warming, with just a hint of cayenne heat. “Turns out rejecting Solenne didn’t shut out other opportunities the way he expected after all.”
“Oh?”
“Three different companies want to partner with me on ‘authentic travel experiences.’ One of them specifically mentioned that they’d love to feature small-town American destinations.” I grinned at his surprised expression. “Apparently, authentic is very in right now.”
Maddox rolled his eyes, just as I’d known he would.
“And I may have mentioned that I happen to know an incredibly talented videographer who specializes in capturing real moments.” I shifted to straddle his lap, loving the way his hands immediately moved to my hips and bare ass. “Someone who could help me tell better stories.”
Maddox’s eyes darkened. “Is that so?”
“Mmhmm. Guy’s got great hands, too. Very… skilled.”
“Adrian,” he growled, but he was fighting a smile.
“What? I’m talking about your camera work. Your technical abilities.” I leaned down to press a kiss to his neck. “Your incredibly professional… equipment handling.”
“You’re impossible.”
“You love it.”
“I love you,” he corrected, and the simple certainty in his voice made my heart stutter.
“Good,” I murmured against his lips. “Because you’re stuck with me now. I’ve got a lease to break, a life to relocate, and a very important job interview to ace.”
“Interview?”
I pulled back to meet his eyes. “Sullivan Hardware needs a marketing manager. Someone to handle their online presence, coordinate with influencers, maybe even expand into content creation. I hear the benefits package includes access to the owner’s bed.”
Maddox’s laugh was warm and delighted. “The position might be available. But I should warn you—the boss can be pretty demanding.”
“I can handle demanding.”
“And I’ve heard he’s grumpy. Very, very grumpy.”
“I specialize in grumpy mountain men, actually. It’s my niche.”
He kissed me then, soft and deep and full of promise. When we broke apart, his forehead rested against mine.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly. “Really sure? Because once you’re here, really here, I’m not letting you go.”
I thought about the life I was leaving behind—the constant travel, the carefully curated loneliness, the hollow pursuit of likes and follows. Then I thought about waking up in this man’s arms every morning, about Maya’s laughter, about being part of something as lasting as the nearby mountain.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” I said. “Legacy isn’t just where I want to be, Maddox. It’s who I want to be. The best version of myself. The version that belongs to someone and somewhere.”
“To me,” he said fiercely. “You belong to me.”
“And you belong to me.”
“Always.”
Outside, the snow continued to fall, cloaking everything in untouched white. Inside, wrapped in Maddox’s arms with the fire warming our skin and love warming our hearts, I finally understood what home felt like.
It felt like forever.
It felt like family.
It felt like the truest, realest, most authentic thing I’d ever experienced in my perfectly curated life.
And for the first time in longer than I could remember, I couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
#TheRealMaddrian #Stay #ILY #FinallyHome