21. Aspen
CHAPTER 21
ASPEN
W hen they finally made it out of the condo, Addison and Tim were excited to take the Silver Queen Gondola up Aspen Mountain. The best part? They didn’t even have to ski back down.
Addison snuggled closer to Tim as the enclosed lift car climbed higher and higher, the town below shrinking beneath them. The view was breathtaking, but it wasn’t long before Tim’s attention shifted back to her. Tim worked his hands up the back of her ski jacket.
“Tim,” she giggled, pulling away slightly. “People can see us.”
“First of all, I don’t care. Secondly, no, they can’t. And even if they could, why would they look at us when there’s this view?”
Okay, fair point.
The forty-minute ride passed quickly as they focused more on each other than the scenery. When the lift car finally bumped to a stop at the top, Addison realized they had barely noticed the time. They hurried to pull themselves together and stepped out into the biting cold.
Addison shielded her eyes against the brightness of the snow. She grinned at Tim. “This is incredible. It’s like we’re in Heaven.”
“That’s because you’re with me,” he said, puffing out his chest with a grin.
“Obviously,” she teased, grabbing a handful of snow and shoving it down the back of his coat before he could react.
“You did not,” Tim yelped, shaking the snow out of his coat.
“You forgot I have brothers, and I can’t fight my natural instinct to fill your coat with snow before you do it to me,” she said with a smirk. Their snow fight drew a few looks from nearby skiers, so they kept their play brief before heading inside the busy snack bar. They got coffee and sat near the fireplace to warm up.
Tim took her hand across the table, his expression softening. “You know you’re my dream girl, right?”
She smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. “I know. And you’re my dream guy, you stud.”
“No, seriously,” Tim said, holding her hand in his lap. “I’ve never been happier than I have been since you came back into my life.”
Oh. He’s being serious now.
“My world revolves around you, Addie,” he continued.
“I love you,” she said quickly, leaning in to kiss him before the moment could get too intense. “What do you want to do tonight? It’s getting dark soon—should we figure out dinner?”
Tim hesitated, clearly noticing the change in topic, but he recovered quickly. “I was thinking we could order in and have a traditional Aspen snuggle-by-the-fire kind of evening.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” she said, relieved.
Later that evening, Tim pulled one of the comforters from the bedroom and spread it on the floor in front of the hearth, making the whole space feel cozier. They lay together, the warmth of the fire flickering over them.
“I’m so in love with you,” he murmured, kissing her neck.
“Me too,” she whispered.
Tim shifted, his tone becoming more serious. “I’ve been thinking about our future together.”
“What were you thinking?” she asked cautiously. She sure hoped he wasn’t going to propose, especially while she was naked and guilty of lying.
“I’ve been thinking... it would be amazing to wake up next to you every day. I know we always stay at each other’s places, but wouldn’t it be great to live together? For real?”
Live together? I hadn’t thought about that. She paused, processing. But of course. Being with Tim isn’t like having a guest around. Being together is easy.
“Really?” she asked, just to be sure.
Tim hesitated. “Is it too soon? I don’t want to cramp your style. I know you’re independent, and?—”
“Tim! No, that’s not what I meant,” she interrupted, laughing. “I’m happy. I just wanted to make sure you were serious.”
“Of course, I’m serious,” he said, scoffing playfully. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this. That would be a real jerk move.”
“I can’t think of anything I’d love more than waking up to you every day,” she said, meaning it.
Tim kissed her deeply in response, and she melted into the moment—until she pulled back slightly. “Wait. Are we talking about moving into my place or yours?”
Tim groaned, dropping his head back with a laugh. “Only you, Addie, would stop a make-out session to talk logistics.”
She laughed and rolled on top of him. “You know I’m a details person.”
“Fine,” he relented, smiling. “Actually, I was thinking... we could sell our places and buy something together.”
Addison blinked . “What a legal mess if we break up,” she said without thinking.
Tim looked at her, eyebrows raised. “We’re lying here, talking about our future, and you’re already planning for our breakup? Only you could manage that.”
“It’s important,” she protested.
Tim rolled her back over, positioning himself above her. “We’ll figure out the details later. Right now, I just want to know—how do you feel about the idea?”
Addison looked up at him, her heart full. “Building a home with you? How could I not be into that idea?”
Tim grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”
They celebrated their decision well into the night.