Chapter 26 Alexander
Alexander
It’s a funny thing, life.
Watching the sun break on the horizon, its yolky orb casting a glow over the valley, is both magical and incredibly peaceful. There’s nothing like it.
Everywhere, as far as I can see, is layered in white. Pure, fresh, and beautiful. And on the last day of the year, it feels like a calling to start again, the beginning of something hopeful and promising.
No one can tell you what’s around the corner, and no one can predict what’s going to happen. It’s been a year since I was last in Aspen, and in the time that’s passed, I’ve fallen in love and become a father. What’s more, I have a future to look forward to.
Steam from my coffee curls in the cold morning air before disappearing, and the only sound I hear is my daughter hungrily sucking down her milk as she lies in my arms.
My heart is so full that I feel it brimming over.
The new year comes with the weight of expectation.
Resolutions, vows, the idea that you’re going to do things differently come January first.
But looking at Everly, I can honestly say that I want everything to stay exactly how it is—Haven, Everly, and me.
Perhaps with one tiny tweak.
The screen door squeaks open, and I turn to see Haven with a blanket wrapped around her like a mummy, looking sheepish.
It brings a smile to my face. She doesn’t say anything when I lift my arm for her to join us.
She just shuffles over and curls into my side, dragging the blanket along the floor with her.
Leaning forward, I pick up my coffee and hand it over. She groans in satisfaction through her first mouthful, cupping the mug in her palms, as she smiles at Everly.
“Are you mad at me?”
My lips find her temple. “No, why would I be mad?”
“Because of Mike?”
I shake my head. “I wish you had told me, but I don’t care.”
“It doesn’t change anything?”
I twist around so I can look at her, just to check she’s not joking. Because that question is crazy thinking. But she’s looking at me, serious as a heart attack.
“What? That you went on a couple of dates with some fucking clown at the beginning of the year?” I chuckle. “No, Haven. It doesn’t change that I love you.”
“Oh.” She snuggles back down into my side. “Good.”
I take the coffee mug from her and sip. It’s only a matter of time before she brings up the other of last night’s revelations, and I’m debating whether I should wait or put her out of her misery. Because it’s definitely something I have thoughts on.
And sitting out here watching the sunrise has only helped solidify them.
“But,” I begin. “We need to talk about Aspen—”
“I was thinking we would stay in Valentine Nook.”
I blink. That is not what I was expecting, and again, I’m checking her face to make sure she’s not joking. All I see are her big green eyes peering up at me, hopeful.
“Wait. You want to stay in England?”
She nods. “I do. I want Everly to grow up there.”
“Haven—”
“Hear me out,” she blurts, like I’d have objections to raising my daughter in the place where I was raised.
I want nothing more than Everly to be a part of Burlington life, to witness it change through the seasons and not just as a visitor during the holidays.
But not if the cost is Haven giving up her dream of living in her childhood home and running her store.
“I don’t have family here. I have Saylor, Joe, and Martha, but Saylor doesn’t have kids, and Joe and Martha are my parents’ age.
I don’t have siblings, so I have no nieces or nephews.
You have all that. Everly has aunts and uncles and Max.
I want that for her. I want her to have this big family experience I didn’t. ”
My mouth opens, but I don’t know what to say. I agree with everything she’s said, but hearing the words come out of her mouth and the implications of what she’s saying are overwhelming to the point that my heart beats erratically.
“And . . .”
“There’s more?”
“Yes.” She nods. “And I will sell you the ranch on the terms you put forward. That it all goes into a trust for Everly. But we have to have it valued properly, and I’ll take the average.”
“Okay—”
“There’s one other thing.”
“Name it. Whatever you want, you can have it.” I grin.
I feel like I’m getting so much out of this.
I’ll give her anything she asks for. And while I’m ecstatic I wouldn’t have to tell my mother I was leaving Valentine Nook, I truly would have been happy living anywhere with Haven, as long as we visited every few months.
She picks at a crack in the paint on the wood siding. “We do a full renovation.”
“Easy. Done.”
“And make the house big enough for your entire family.”
“Oooh.” My face twists in a grimace. “I take it back. Do we really want somewhere my entire family can crash? Miles is so messy.”
“That’s the deal.”
“Hmm.” I scratch through my beard. “How long do I have to get back to you?”
Her face drops in horror, and she jabs a finger into my ribs. “No time.”
Her fingers niggle into my side so hard that I drop Everly’s bottle. “Okay.” My hands shoot up in surrender. “You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Wylder. But I accept your terms. Now you have to do two things for me.”
“What?”
“First, a kiss,” I say, puckering my lips to hers. “Second, go get dressed. We’re going out.”
Everly’s babbling to herself when I stop walking and turn Haven toward the store entrance. She takes one look at the large security guard standing at the door, then turns to me with a frown.
“What are we doing here?”
“We’re going in,” I reply, guiding her inside when the door is held open for us.
She sets one foot on the plush carpet and spins back around to me, confusion all over her face.
“Alex?”
The store is empty except for two assistants with identical smiles, each standing in front of velvet trays containing rings and loose gemstones of all sizes, cuts, and carats.
Technically, this place shouldn’t be open at all on New Year’s Eve, but the owner sponsors the Aspen polo team, and I managed to get Miles to pull some strings.
I was telling the truth about that server. I don’t care about him in the slightest. But one of his comments did get me thinking, nevertheless. She’s not wearing a ring.
Leading her over to the counter, I take her hand. It’s going to be weird doing this in front of two other people, but fuck it.
“It’s New Year’s Eve and I—we—have spent the majority of this year by ourselves when we could have been together. We have a daughter, and we have a renovation project.” I wink, making her laugh. Fuck, I love her laughter. “And we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together—”
“Alex—”
“Before the year is out, I want to make it official. I want to start tomorrow with my future set out as permanently as I can. You’re mine, and I’m yours.
That means you and me together, with Everly.
Our family.” Wrapping my arms around her, I tug her close enough so all I have to do is dip my head to meet her lips.
“So, Haven Wylder, what d’you say? Will you marry me? ”
Next to us, one of the store assistants sniffs loudly.
“Are you serious?”
“Deadly. I never joke about house renovations.”
A giggle bursts out of her, and she slaps my chest. But I catch her hand and twist her to face the counter.
“Pick one.”
“What?”
“It’s not quite as romantic as I’d envisioned, and I do have something better planned in Valentine Nook, but I want you to have something here. To wear tonight. As my fiancée.”
I feel her shaking in my arms, and I drop my head to her ear. “I love you, Haven. If you don’t want any of this, it doesn’t change anything. But I am not going anywhere ever again. We’re doing life together from now on.”
Everly reaches out with her pudgy fist and grabs Haven’s hair.
“Ouch. Ouch. Yes. I’ll say yes. Yes.” She laughs, while I’m trying my best to loosen Everly’s grip—a new thing that’s been happening. It’s only Haven kissing her face, one of her favorite things and guaranteed to have her giggling, that makes her hand open. “Okay, baby girl. Shall we marry Daddy?”
I didn’t realize I was so tense until I heard those words, and my shoulders drop. Haven’s looking up at me, eyes glistening, and I honestly can’t say that I’ve ever been happier than this moment right here.
“I love you, Alex. Of course I’ll marry you.”
Dipping to kiss her, I barely brush my lips against hers before we become aware of Everly’s fist reaching out again, and Haven jerks away with a laugh.
There’s a pop of champagne from the far side of the counter, and then one of the store assistants places two filled glasses in front of us.
Haven’s eyes slowly move from left to right as she takes everything in, before turning around to me with that deer-in-the-headlights expression.
“What do you like?”
“Something that says you’re mine.”
Truthfully, I’m just as overwhelmed. I’ve never bought jewelry of any kind for a woman before. That’s Lando’s department. And maybe I should have asked him for advice, but I’m not mad about the fact that we get to experience something for the first time together.
“Can we help you come to a decision?” the store assistant asks. “What style do you usually wear?”
Haven groans. “None. I have no idea. I like all of them.”
“Let’s start at the beginning.” I press my lips to her temple. “We have all day.”
It takes two and a half hours until we finally leave with a brilliant-cut four-carat yellow diamond set in a gold band.
It was the first one she tried on before testing another twenty.
And while I wanted her to make the final decision, it was the only one I truly loved, because yellow was my father’s favorite color.
“I’m scared to wear it outside,” Haven says as we step back out into the cold.
I wrap my arms around her. “Nothing’s happening while I’m next to you, I guarantee it. Now c’mon, we’re celebrating. We have one more stop.”
“Where? Because after that ring, and you buying the ranch, you’re gonna be broke before we get married.”