Chapter 11
HAILEY
One month later
I cradle a mug of tea in my hands as I stare out the window.
Snow is falling in soft, gentle flakes, sticking to the pines outside.
The Christmas tree Beau and I put up two weeks ago glows merrily in the corner, gifts spilling out from beneath it—most of them for me, apparently.
But there are gifts for my dad, for Kaylee, for other family members and friends, too.
Dad still isn’t thrilled about the idea that Beau and I are together now.
That we’re getting married in May. But he’s coming around.
I can tell he’s trying, and that means a lot to me.
And Kaylee’s happy for us. She knew a little bit about my unrequited feelings for a much older man.
She just had no idea it was Beau, my dad’s best friend.
It must be strange for him that his best friend is going to be his son-in-law in just a few months.
It’ll also be strange that he’s going to become a father for the second time and a grandfather in the same year.
Life is funny sometimes. We walk along our paths, hoping they take us in a certain direction, but never really knowing where we’re headed until we get there. And sometimes, if we’re lucky, the destination is so much better than anything we could’ve hoped for.
Beau adds another log to the fire crackling in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the living room.
The firelight makes me think about the two of us huddled for warmth two months ago.
About how my life changed drastically that day, and I don’t regret a single second of it.
Sometimes, I think that I was meant to go on that hike and get caught in the storm.
That it was all designed by fate to bring me and Beau together.
He sits down next to me on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, and I take a sip of my tea.
“I think you should start with this one,” he says, green eyes twinkling.
We spend the next while exchanging gifts, enjoying the fire and the snow, snuggling together and taking our time.
He’s given me a hand carved recipe box, a pretty necklace with my birthstone, some fuzzy slippers, several books, a new bird feeder to replace the one an overzealous squirrel destroyed, and several other goodies—perfume, a new robe, bath oils, hair clips.
I don’t have quite as much for him, but I do get him a new hiking backpack I know he’s been eyeing, a wallet, and a star map of the night sky the night of the storm. Our first night together. The start of the rest of our lives.
“I feel positively spoiled,” I say, surveying the gifts and the piles of ripped wrapping paper.
“As you should,” he says easily. He loops his arm around me, pulling me close and kissing me thoroughly. “Merry Christmas, Hailey.”
“Merry Christmas, Beau.” My stomach dips and swirls with excitement as I reach under the tree, pulling out one last gift hidden among the remaining ones.
It’s a small rectangular box, wrapped in shiny red paper with a little gold bow.
“One more,” I say with a smile, handing it to him.
My pulse throbs in my ears and I feel a little shaky with anticipation.
Beau raises an eyebrow, a playful smile on his lips. “What could this be?” he murmurs, giving the box a little shake. He unwraps it carefully, as if sensing there’s something precious inside, revealing a small white box. He glances at me with a grin, then lifts the lid.
He goes completely still, his eyes locked on the positive pregnancy test with two pink lines, clear as day. I hold my breath, heart hammering away as I wait for his reaction.
When he turns to look at me, his eyes are wide with shock and wonder. “Hailey,” he whispers, his voice filled with emotion. “You’re pregnant?”
Tears well in my eyes, and I suck in a shuddering breath. “I am. I was a week late, and I took that test yesterday morning.” I bite my lip. “I wanted to tell you in a special way.”
Beau pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. I can feel his heart pounding, his shaky breaths. “I’m so happy,” he says, his voice thick, as though he’s fighting back tears. “You’ve given me the most incredible gift, sweet girl.”
He pulls back, cupping my face with his massive hands. His thumbs brush away the tears sliding down my cheeks as he leans in, kissing me soft and sweet. He kisses me and kisses me, the life we made together between us.
The fire crackles, the tree sparkles, and outside, the snow continues to fall, blanketing the world in pristine white. Everything feels soft. Peaceful. Right.
I have more than I ever could’ve hoped for—the man of my dreams, a life I love, the beginnings of a family. A baby. We’re going to have a baby.
It’s more than I could’ve ever dreamed, but it’s real.
It’s real, and it’s ours.
If you want more Beau and Hailey, be sure to download their bonus epilogue.
Hailey’s pregnancy hormones are out of control—find out what Beau does about them in this spicy bonus scene.
Ready for your next obsession?
Age gap? Check.
Instalove? Check.
Complete obsession? Check.
Enough spice to melt your kindle? Check.
He’s a world champion. And he wants her.
“Are you sure you’re ready to come back to pairs?” he asks quietly. I roll my lips inwards, but the vulnerable words spill out anyway.
“If it means skating with you, yeah.” Something flickers across his face, something that looks almost… hungry. But then it’s gone, and he takes another long pull off his water bottle.
“Good.” He moves closer, lowering his head so his lips almost brush the shell of my ear. His breath makes me shiver in the most delicious way. “Now I don’t have to beg. And I’m not normally a man who begs for anything, but for you, I would.”
He pulls away with a devastating smile, leaving me an achy mess.