Chapter 49
NASH
After a three-hour train ride to Montreux, we checked into the hotel and then made our way into the town village for the Christmas Eve festivities. No?l Montreux is absolutely stunning with its twinkling lights, holiday music, enticing aromas, and wooden shops all along Geneva Lake.
The best part is watching Sadie go from shop to shop, looking at the handmade crafts and home-baked treats as she sips her mulled wine.
I glance down at my watch. “Hey, we better find a spot to watch Santa fly across the sky. It’s almost time.”
Sadie plants her feet, but her body falls into me like a tree tipping over. Her chest lands against my chest as her arms wrap around my neck. She presses a quick peck to my cheek then turns to go. She flashes me the cutest smile over her shoulder, extending her arm like she’s waiting for me to grab her hand.
Boy, I love this woman.
More today than I did last year or even three years ago.
It’s the type of love that grows with time, deepens with experience, and changes with life.
Through all the ups and downs, my feelings are still all-encompassing and overwhelming. I’m not over the butterflies or the excitement. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to those things.
I reach for her hand, letting her guide me through the rows of shops and people.
“How about here to watch Santa?” she asks when we get to the main area.
“It’s perfect. And then after this, I’m taking you for a ride in that.” I point to the giant Ferris wheel that towers over the market square.
“You better.” She backs into me. I gather her in my arms, pulling her against my chest and hugging her from behind.
The crowd cheers as the music and countdown begin. Over the lake, a sleigh and reindeer light up the sky as they slowly drift across a cable. Halfway through, fireworks shoot out the back of Santa’s sleigh, sparking Christmas magic.
Sadie turns her head, looking up at me. “Promise me that someday when we have kids, we’ll bring them back here to see this.”
I peer down at her brown eyes. “Nothing would make me happier.”
Under the twinkling lights, she’s never looked more beautiful and lovely. But it’s not how Sadie looks. It’s what she said. It’s the promise of a future, the planning of more, that hits me.
For the first time since her accident, I truly feel like our love will conquer all the setbacks and loss.
It’s finally time to move on.
SADIE
The view from the top of the Ferris wheel is unmatched. And it’s there, above the glittering lights, with my head on Nash’s shoulder and my hand in his, that I know with one thousand percent certainty that I don’t want anything else. Nash is the endgame—the lifetime love everyone searches for. It’s as right today as it was four years ago. I should’ve known it sooner, but at least I know it now.
“I love you,” I say through the silence.
I feel his head shift to me, and I straighten to look at him. Moisture fills his eyes, making me smile.
“I love you, Nash.” I want him to hear it again, to feel it in his heart.
A tear hangs on the rim of his eye. I climb into his lap, wiping the wetness with my thumb.
“I want to marry you, have your children, and live my life by your side. I want it all with you.” I smile as another tear drips down. I wipe that tear too, kissing the edge of his eye. “I love you.”
He laughs through his tears. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted too.”
“I don’t want to lose you again. Come back to Skaneateles with me.” My fingers glide down the sandpaper stubble on his face. “We can run the home health and hospice together, build a house on the lake, raise children, and grow old together.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I gaze into his eyes, his face in my hands.
We both feel the shift in our relationship, the deeper connection built on a foundation that can’t be broken. Even the darkest fog in my brain couldn’t erase Nash from my heart.
He’s meant to be mine, and I’m meant to be his.
Forever.
Slowly, we both lean in, savoring the delicious build-up. Our lips brush together, and my whole system comes alive. The kiss is measured—like a deliberate game we’re both committed to even though it’s killing us. Soft skims and gentle glides over and over again. Both crave more but are willing to take our time, knowing the significance of the promises our kiss seals upon us.
The tip of my tongue swipes across Nash’s bottom lip, and a soft groan comes out with his breath, quiet enough to be a whisper. His hands grab my waist tighter, shifting my body so I’m sitting on him more fully. There’s so much satisfaction in knowing he wants me as much as I want him. My fingers slide from his face into his hair, clutching the curls at the nape of his neck. His hands splay across my back, holding me close.
The slow sensual kiss was nice, but I’m ready for more. I’ve wanted more since our first night in Switzerland. I press my body into him and take control, deepening my passion. His reaction is instant, returning my kiss with an urgency that drives me crazy with desire.
The Ferris wheel cart rocks back and forth as we rotate around the sky. We’re a frenzy of want, need, and hot fire burning us inside out. Passing the minutes with desperate affection. Showing each other just how deep our love goes but never truly able to convey the depth.
The rush of attraction is addicting and heated, fun and exciting. This is what love is supposed to feel like—an emotion so intense you’ve lost your mind and your heart to it. The feelings between us transcend time and memory. My mind may have forgotten Nash, but my body and soul haven’t.
“The ride is almost over,” I mumble against his mouth.
His lips travel to my neck, spreading a fiery sensation over my throat. “We’re riding again.”
I throw my head back, laughing. “I thought you’d want to head straight to the fantasy suite.”
“We have forever for that. Let’s enjoy this moment.” He takes my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gorgeous green eyes. “Running into you on the train was the best gift this life has ever given me.”
A smile stretches across my face. “Merry Christmas, Nash.”
His mouth covers mine, kissing me again and again under the Swiss stars.