Chapter Two
From the inside of their fully erected canvas shelter, Cupid stretched a paw toward Holly and let out a short whimper.
Holly’s brow lifted. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. I’m the one freezing while you’re wearing a fur coat.”
Cupid tilted his head, and his tongue bounced as he panted.
“Come on.” Now dressed in the outfit she planned for day two, Holly smoothed out the sleeping bag and stood. The top of her head didn’t quite reach the tent’s ceiling, but Nick would have to hunch over. “Let’s see if he’s got that fire started.”
Cupid whipped through the flap, darting out ahead of Holly. The icy breeze pricked at her cheeks as she emerged. Good thing I packed those extra layers.
With the darkening heavens, nearby frogs and crickets sang their evening songs.
Nick crouched over the firepit and peeked at her over his shoulder. The sides of his mouth tugged upward as he stood. He briskly rubbed his palms together, his nose rosy.
“Are you sure it’s August?” Holly pulled the zipper of her jacket higher. “Shouldn’t it be toasty warm or something?”
Nick closed the distance between them and placed a hand on the small of her back. “If it’s warmth you’re looking for, I think I can help.”
She flashed him a coy smile. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Aha. My plan worked.”
As Nick leaned in for a kiss, the fire he’d started released a loud crackle. Cupid jumped back and barked at the flames.
“How’s your head?” Holly stretched to give the spot that got whacked by the pole a gentle stroke.
“It’s fine. I’m just glad the poles aren’t steel.” He reached for her hand. “How’s your cut?”
“I barely noticed it until now. The cold air helps.” She entwined her fingers with his.
“Good. Now that we’ve survived our injuries, we can concentrate on this glorious fire I created with my bare hands.”
Holly chuckled at Nick’s over-the-top muscleman poses. “Quit it. Please.” She grabbed his biceps. “You’ve already won me over with your prowess as an outdoorsman.”
Nick adopted a caveman dialect. “But fire big. Scary. Impressive.”
“Yes. Impressive.” Holly roped her arms around his waist and set her head on his arm. “And romantic.”
His warm breath caressed her forehead as he leaned in and kissed her temple.
Campfire smoke wafted up into the night sky. The flames cast dancing shadows across Nick’s face, playing with the scruff on his jawline. Holly flattened out her insulated mat and sat, a chill of excitement bubbling through her.
“Have you seen them before?” she asked. “The Northern Lights?”
“Yeah, once when I was a kid. My mom and dad brought me and Rachel out here. Rachel was in a bad mood at the beginning of the trip because she didn’t want to be away from her friends. I remember my mom being so patient with her, just letting Rachel’s complaints roll off her back. And then the lights appeared, and Rachel couldn’t stop talking about them. My mom had this knowing smirk, and I felt then that she was the smartest woman in the universe.”
“Sounds like she was very wise.”
“Rachel wanted to come up here every year after that, but it didn’t quite work out.”
Holly put a hand on his. “Is that when your mom got sick?”
Nick bit his lip and nodded.
She stared at their joined hands. Her heart swelled, feeling even closer to Nick. One of the things that they’d had in common and bonded over was losing a parent—Holly’s father and Nick’s mother.
A cool breeze swept through, and Holly shivered. Nick wrapped an arm around her, and she breathed in the woodsy scent of his cologne.
Holly nuzzled into him. “Well, I’ve never really been the outdoorsy, sleep-under-the-stars type, but maybe that’s just because I didn’t have the right camping partner.”
“It does improve the experience altogether.”
When she shivered this time, it wasn’t from the chilly wind but Nick’s intense gaze.
“Hey.” He raised his brows. “I’ve got marshmallows.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
Nick retrieved the packet and extendable roasting sticks while the hot chocolate was warming on the grate above the fire. To keep the bag from being swept up by the cold wind, Nick set a rock on it. He slid a marshmallow on each of his and Holly’s sticks and handed one to her.
“I haven’t done this since I was a kid.” Holly held out her stick, hovering her sugary treat over the flames. Nick’s marshmallow was soon beside hers.
“All we’re missing now are some spooky stories.” Nick waggled his brows.
“If you want to hear some scary stories, I can tell you more about when I lived in New York.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad.”
Holly snickered. “No, it wasn’t. New York is lovely, but I’m much happier in Silverwood. With you.” Holly had moved to Silverwood to escape the constant reminder of her failed art career. The mountain cabin she’d inherited from her father provided the perfect retreat, but once she fell in love with the quaint town—and the incredible man by her side—she couldn’t imagine living elsewhere.
Holly rotated her stick but a little too fast. Her marshmallow was there one second, and then the next, it had disappeared into the pit. At first, she could only stare at the melting sugar. With everything that had gone wrong during the day, losing the marshmallow somehow didn’t surprise her. She let out a small laugh. “Seriously?”
When she turned to face Nick, laughter erupted from his throat. The joyous sound echoed in chorus with the crackling flames. Holly couldn’t help but be infected by his mirth, her giggles bubbling forth as they shared the lighthearted moment. Eventually, their laughs subsided, leaving behind a lingering warmth and a sense of quiet contentment in the tranquility of the night.
The fire popped and crackled, embers dancing midair as the flames brightened.
Nick checked his watch and then bent his head back to look at the sky. “Now, if Mother Nature would play nice, we might get a glimpse of what we came here to see.”
Holly shifted to rest her head on his shoulder. She pressed her lips together, steadfastly refusing to let the frigid temperature dampen the romantic vibe by setting her teeth to a cacophony of chattering. Though the appearance of the Northern Lights seemed to take some time, she didn’t mind. She was content to wait in the comfort and warmth of Nick’s arms.
And then the energy in the air changed, and the color of the heavens transformed. Holly stood, and Nick followed suit.
Bright lights danced above her eyes, forming a delightful curtain of sparkling colors. She swore she could hear a slight hum in the atmosphere. Magic was literally in the air. Holly sensed something special was about to happen. The exciting feeling of anticipation made her heart race.
“It’s so fascinating. I don’t understand it, but I love it.”
“Well, it’s caused by activity on the sun’s surface. Solar storms charge particles with electricity at the Earth’s poles, and—” Nick laughed. “Oh. You weren’t really looking for an explanation, were you?”
She smiled as she leaned into him. “Not really. But you sure are cute explaining stuff.”
His gaze softened, and he released a shuddered breath before pulling her closer. “Holly, I have something to confess.”
“Oh?”
He bit his lip, his eyes cast downward.
Holly leaned away to see him better. “Nick?”
“I had an ulterior motive for bringing you here.”
She searched his face. “Wh-what motive?”
His lips quivered. Trembled was more like it. Holly’s heartbeat quickened. Nick could hear it, she was certain.
He ran his thumb along her jaw. “Holly.”
“You’re making me shiver.” It wasn’t from the cold. She hardly noticed her frozen fingers and toes anymore.
“I’m sorry.” He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. “It’s just that I’ve been going over the right way to do this in my head. The most meaningful and memorable way. If a man’s lucky, he’ll only do this once in his life.”
“Do …?” Holly swallowed hard. Was she even breathing?
“Starting with the magic of the Northern Lights tonight, I promise to fill each of your days with as much magic as I can if you allow me.” He searched her face as he shifted, bending until he balanced on one knee.
When he dug into his coat pocket, Holly covered her mouth. The world seemed to spin, the sparkling colors of the aurora borealis glimmering in her periphery as Nick presented an open, black velvet box. The diamond ring nestled in the satin interior reflected the prism shimmering above their heads.
“Holly, I feel connected to you in a way I’ve never felt to anyone. I can’t imagine spending a single day of my life without you in it. The day your car skidded into that ditch was a blessing because it was the catalyst that brought you to me, and you skidded into my heart.”
She laughed as tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Every day I am in your presence, I find a thousand more things I love about you. And I could spend my life doing that if you let me. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
Nick looked at Holly, seemingly holding his breath as he awaited her answer. Meanwhile, Cupid jumped up on his hind legs, his front paws bent as if he were begging.
She had to inhale to get her voice to work. Nodding, she lowered her hands. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
His smile was almost as bright as the colored beams surrounding them. Standing, he took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.
“Oh, Nick!” She threw her arms around him as their lips met. As the kiss deepened, the buzzing of the aurora borealis became a choir of angels singing their approval. If someone told her a few years ago that she could feel this happy, this blessed, she might have said they were crazy. But now, with Nick embracing her under the magical sky, she knew their love was meant to be.