Chapter 45 #2
To snap him out of this train of thought, I bring his mouth to mine and kiss him. He melts into the kiss, seeming to need this reassurance that I really am okay.
“Better?” I ask when I pull away.
“Yeah,” he says with a smirk. “You really know me, don’t you?”
“I like to think I do, but the parts I don’t yet I want to one day.”
His eyes soften. He looks like he wants to say something, but he stops himself by pressing another quick kiss to my lips. “You think you can stand?”
He helps me to my feet. We both stare down at my ski boots for the first time, and my skis are gone. We crane our necks to look for them, but they are nowhere in sight.
“Fuck,” I mumble.
“Well… my ride down this mountain just got a hell of a lot better,” Wyatt says, grinning.
“What?” Maybe I did hit my head because I’m completely lost.
He grabs his skis, clicking his boots back into place. He pulls his goggles down and holds his arms out at his sides. “Hop on, beautiful.”
“The fuck?” I ask, looking at him like he has multiple heads.
“Hop on,” he says, patting his chest a few times.
“You are not skiing down this mountain with me in your arms.”
“I definitely am,” he says with a little sass.
“Wyatt.”
“Abby.”
“I’m just going to walk.” I barely make it three steps before he skis up beside me, sweeping me into his arms.
I let out a yelp as he chuckles. He’s still moving, so I have no choice but to wrap my arms and legs around him.
“This is a dumb idea,” I grumble against his ear.
“I think this is the best idea I’ve had in a long time.” He smacks my ass.
I don’t even know how he’s moving us down the mountain right now because he seems to be looking at me more than the terrain in front of us.
My attitude starts to blow away with the breeze whipping across our faces. I relax into his hold. It’s a little scary flying down a mountain blind, but I trust Wyatt.
This is probably the safest I have ever felt while skiing. Somehow, being in his arms has all my worries fading away. He has me, and that’s all that matters.
As I stare into his eyes, a realization slams into me. I’m in love with him.
I’ve been falling for a while now, but there’s nowhere else for me to fall when he’s ingrained in every fiber of my being. He’s a part of who I am.
I want to say the words, but I don’t. Still, there’s a glimmer of something in his eyes that makes me think maybe he feels the same way.
Our speed starts tapering off as we reach the bottom of the hill, and he finally comes to a stop. I could climb down, but I don’t want to be anywhere other than in his arms.
I kiss him because what else are you supposed to do after you realize you love someone? It might not be the right time to tell him, but I can do this.
I can show him through this kiss how I feel.
The kiss doesn’t last long, but when we pull apart, I feel like my soul has been permanently altered.
“Abby, Wyatt.” Kane’s voice jerks us out of the little bubble we were in. “Are you guys okay?”
Wyatt sets me back on my feet but keeps one of his arms wrapped around me. Maybe it’s because he wants to make sure I don’t topple over, or maybe he can’t bear the thought of not touching me in some way right now.
Maybe I’m not the only one who felt the earth shift beneath us during that kiss.
“We found your skis sliding down the slope,” Linc says, pointing over his shoulder where all of their equipment is leaning against a fence.
“I crashed and lost my skis,” I explain.
They both take an abrupt step forward, bumping shoulders in the process.
“Are you okay?” Kane asks.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You sure?” Linc asks.
“Just upper back hurts a bit,” I say.
“We have some Advil in the truck,” Linc says, eyes roaming over me.
Usually when he does this, it feels like he’s undressing me. Right now, it’s like he’s taking me in little by little to ensure I’m really here and all in one piece.
I could argue and say that I don’t need any, but what would be the point? Linc is as stubborn as they come, especially when it comes to taking care of me.
My eyes move between Linc and Kane. The second realization of the day slams into me like a freight train. I’m in love with them, too.
I love all these men. They make me a better person. They make my life richer and… just more. In no way is the connection I have with any of them identical, but they all burn as hot in my heart.
They are it for me.
I must have been staring at them in my zoned-out state because now they’re all staring at me with looks of concern.
“Are you sure she didn’t hit her head?” Kane asks Wyatt.
I shake my head. “I’m fine, I promise… just tired.”
“You want to head out?” Wyatt asks. I know they would all drop everything and go if I said that’s what I wanted.
The sun is still high in the sky, leaving several good hours of skiing time left in the day. “No, but I think I’m done for a bit.”
“We can just go,” Kane says.
“How about you and I go to the lodge for a while?” Linc offers. “I’m kind of done anyway.”
I have no idea if he’s telling the truth or just giving me an out. Either way, I’m not going to pass on spending time with my surly, tatted man.
I look between Wyatt and Kane. “You two have fun.”
They hesitate for a minute before nodding. They’re both grinning and arguing about which run they’re going to tackle together when they walk away.
“Don’t do anything too wild,” I shout after them.
“Like dating one woman with my twin brother and my best friend?” Wyatt says, walking backward toward the ski lift.
Linc and I both chuckle as they disappear into the line of people waiting for a ride up the mountain. Linc holds my hand in his with his board and my skis tucked under his other arm as we move toward the lodge.
We store our equipment in the designated area before finding a cozy two-seater couch inside the lodge near the fireplace. Despite my repeated confirmations that I’m not hurt, he makes me sit on the couch while he gets us both something to drink.
I slide out of my boots, leaning them against the side of the couch, and tuck my feet underneath me. I still have my ski pants on, but at least this is a little more comfortable.
Linc hands me a steaming cup of cocoa. “Thanks,” I say, taking a sip.
The chocolatey sweetness makes me smile. I glance into his cup, expecting to see coffee. I’m surprised to find cocoa in his cup, too.
“Don’t look so shocked,” he says. “A man can drink hot chocolate, too.”
“I know,” I say with a laugh. “I just didn’t expect you to be the man to do so.”
He rolls his eyes but wraps his arm around me. I fall against his side, resting my head on his shoulder. We sit there in silence for a while, both sipping our warm drinks.
That’s one of the things I appreciate most about Linc. He allows the silence between people to be something special.
With him, it’s never awkward or uncomfortable. It’s actually the complete opposite. I feel completely settled in our own bubble of peace.
“Are you having fun today?” I ask after a while.
He kisses the top of my head. “Angel, I’d have fun with you if we were taking basket-weaving classes.”
I laugh quietly, snuggling a little closer.
“Linc?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for being you.”
“Did you have fun skiing with the guys?” Mav asks when I’m tucking him in bed for the night.
He knows I’m friends with them, but he still doesn’t know about the romantic element of our relationship or that I’m head over heels in love with all three of them.
“I had a lot of fun, bud.”
“Did Wyatt really carry you down the mountain when you fell?”
I laugh, making sure the blanket is pulled up high enough. “Yeah, he really did.”
“That’s… wild. He must be really good. He didn’t fall, even carrying all of you.” I know he doesn’t mean anything, but damn, kid… multiple daggers to the heart.
I lean down, kissing him on the forehead. “He’s a very good skier. Sleep tight, bud. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” he says, grabbing his book from his nightstand.
It looks like he’s already over halfway through it, and he barely started it last night. I swear, I spend half my paycheck on books for this kid.
I pause with my hand on the doorknob when he says, “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“You know what I wish?”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“I wish… I wish we were a family with Oliver’s family. Like a big group. Like Dad is with Riley, Uncle Finn, and Uncle Theo.”
I stand there frozen because I have no fucking clue how to respond to that. He just put a voice to my greatest wish—one I couldn’t even let myself think about until this very moment.
“That would be really special,” I tell him, emotion clogging my throat.